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 happening to him?

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 was what seemed like a small room.

All of its dimensions – which assumed a perfect cubical shape together – spotted the same twilight fog hue, with no distinction from anything up, down, left, or right.

Bizarre.

Really bizarre.

There was only silence in this place for a while.

An uncomfortable 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 an '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 known as '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 oddly presented in a way that allowed his existence to understand as soon as the odd voice made mention of them – after all his prior knowledge and context didn't suffice.

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.

He expected something more... fiery.

Worse yet, he was promised a chance to gain a new life in another world!

But that only came after he incarnated into a new body, and faced some tests.

Was this all true?

Him? A lowly foot soldier? Gaining another chance?

|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, yet they reward accordingly, using HOW you best them as a base|

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?

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 gloating tablet, rather delightful to look at, emerged before the Incarnate's eyes, carrying writing he had never seen.

His vision blurred viciously in the next moment, and he was instantly able to understand it all.

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 for 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.

There was the title of who 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 set-up, so he had no choice but to believe it!

He considered the options closely, afraid that they might disappear.

A Dread Knight? The idea of working alone was appealing at first, but he stripped it away. After twenty years of working with others, he couldn't see a vision of himself living alone, no matter how skilled. What would his purpose as a wandering knight 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 it was to let the dead rest in peace.

What would he killing here though?

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 one.

Hateful Demon Tyrant.

This... the new Incarnate considered.

A ruler? He would be like the King whom he left behind, sending his sworn 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, he looked over Heroic Ordained Demigod. This was another enticing option, but it was weighed down when he was made to understand what the celestial plane meant. It 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 zeal.

His choice didn't take long, however.

The better between the two – for him at least – was quite obvious.

He didn't even need a voice to select it. 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 be 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.