" True Formlessness, I think. " Our protagonist waved his hand around in the air.
" WAIT " " NO " He tried to catch himself. He looked around the ' room ' out of habit. Not like there was anything to look at in a white void anyway. He just thought whats-it's-face would give him just a bit more leniency if he acted bewildered like he did back on Earth.
A perfect duplicate of himself materialized a fair distance away, then shifted it's cold gaze upon him.
" Sorry. " It spoke in monotone. " You can't take back what you say in here. " It stated without emotion.
" Are you done requesting and selecting? If you are, proceed here and you will be sent to the other world. " It's finger bones snapped as it pointed to the ' floor ' it was standing on.
At least It was nice enough to use a ' meat puppet ' this time. At least I have something to look at.
" Right. " Our unamused protagonist spoke while sulking.
He was selecting traits in preparation for a permanent trip to another world. A once in two-lifetimes opportunity! The situation every anime fan dreams themselves in! All things considered, he should be doing better then this.
Alas.
It wasn't so bad. His master plan of maximum potential in his second life was coming together nicely. Apparently, per verbal disclaimer, there was going to be some give-and-take. Like, Yin Yang shit. Oh well. Not like I care. There was really only one ' option ' for me to begin with : This next life; my second chance; is going to be truly free. Unconstrained. Boundless.
He pondered his next request for awhile. He couldn't think of anything off the top of his head.
Why now, of all times, was he short on ideas? The one time in his pathetic existence he needed to come up with good ideas on the spot - his head now suddenly felt like a dry well. Like he was missing something. Is this what being in charge is like?
This is traumatic.
It feels like I'm single slip-up away from another life of pain If I'm not careful. If I even 'live' to see that at all!
Not like the other guy is helping...
Our protagonist sighed as he looked over to his doppelganger.
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Whatever this thing was, it certainly wasn't getting any easier to talk to. Not even after 56 or so hours creating my 'character' , still no luck. But he couldn't complain. It DID bring him back from the dead, after all.
Or. Will.
At least it's about to, assuming it's being honest.
On that note, he hasn't gotten tired. Or hungry. Or had any negative feeling at all. All 3 of those points were in favor of Mr. Eldritch over there. But he just couldn't help a certain suspicion of his...
' Why isn't this thing more sociable to spite apparently having done this for thousands of years? ' He thought.
' Well, maybe it just doesn't want to bother learning human tendencies! '
Ah. There it was. A single, simple sound argument to make sense of this madness. You have no idea how good that felt. No, seriously. YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
Being told you're dead by a series of shifting and growing mouths and eyes several times your size isn't exactly soothing. Nor is being forced to pick out permanent traits for your second life. I've seen shows and stories where stuff like this happens. If your not overpowered, YOUR DEAD.
And then came the lack of communication.
' Just ask, and you shall receive. ' It said.
' Receive ' what? If I asked for the ability to travel at the speed of light, would I turn into light itself and take flight, or would I violate the laws of physics and still be made of hard stuff and have to walk everywhere?
I was met with dead silence with I asked for clarification. Literally shouting into a void.
Lastly, I'm not even sure I have a body anymore. But I know that - thing - can make as many copies of me as it wants!
Well. That last part isn't so bad. I was never too attached to my old body anyway, and, going by what I already selected my new body ain't going to be human.
Alright then. Deep breaths. Your entire future rests on what you choose now. And you... at least seem to have unlimited time to do it.
After a long, long, LONG ' mental health break ' our protagonist finally spoke up :
" I think I'm reaaaaaady - " He trailed off.
" AFTER one more 94 hour planning session! " He managed finish his sentence, haphazardly splicing the two thoughts together.
The entity showed no signs of anger or annoyance, or any sign of anything at all.
Phew. That was a close one. Almost didn't double-check my work!
And so time was spent.
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94 hours + 6 + 13 + a ' all-nighter ' worth of time later...
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His hands were shaking. If he even had hands. He remembered all what he had asked for by heart. He remembered (almost) all requests that were rejected. It was getting hard to keep track things. Holding a thought in his mind for longer then a couple of moments was becoming a luxury.
He wasn't tired. The - being - made sure of that. But something, somewhere was breaking.
He was not built for this.
Was he going insane?
This; what he has already accomplished, will have to do.
He gathered himself, and willed himself to be moved to what he called the Isekai Spot™.
As he touched the sphere, he could have sworn he saw the entity smirk.
Oh well. Too late now.
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He awoke as a tiny mass of black goo. Along with hundreds of thousands more of his siblings.
He was more so being ejected out of his mother's body. This was reproduction by spore / and or budding. His ' mother ' likely didn't even know she was a mother, let alone care about him.
The worst possible start for the perks he chose.
Uh oh.