Ulrich Schwarz had worked as a banker for more than 50 years. He didn't particularly like his job. But it paid. He didn't like his boss either. But that was his boss. He also didn't like most of colleagues. Even those he did like, he wasn't close to. Ulrich was lonely. His marriage hadn't worked out. His children were estranged. His other relatives liked his wallet more than they liked him.

Having no one to spend either his money or his free time on, Ulrich donated both mostly to a good cause. His money funded a few smaller charities and he spent his weekends or holidays volunteering at various shelters, orphanages or nursing homes.

Ulrich had lots of free time. Since he didn't like his job, he naturally only worked as much as was necessary and not one bit more. His parents had taught him to always fulfil what's required of him. He didn't derive any pleasure from helping people either. But his parents had told him that if you have to much of something you can give it to those who are in need. Ulrich had too much money and time.

As he was nearing his 80s, Ulrich realised that he might not have enjoyed his live much but he had followed his parents' advice to a T.

Really, the only thing Ulrich regularly did purely for himself was cooking. Ulrich liked cooking. Cooking was just about the only activity, Ulrich liked. Maybe he should've become a chef. But he was told to become a banker, so he did.

He usually did as he was told. It made him a marvelous subordinate but an incompetent supervisor. It also caused his death. What was he supposed to do when the furious customer yelled at him to "drop dead"? Naturally, Ulrich had a heart attack.

---

Ulrich couldn't see. In fact, he couldn't do anything. He remembered that everything had suddenly turned black one day at the bank. And now he was here. If there even was a "here". Everything was black. Then there was a figure.

The figure looked like young male formed from dim white light. He had some very simplistic features. The young man was smiling. He held out a hand beckoned towards Ulrich.

"Come", a velvety voice sounded, "Your story will not end here."

Ulrich did as he was told and followed the man. He didn't know how he was moving. His previous attempts at movement had been unsuccessful. Maybe something changed.

The man had stopped and turned around.

Ulrich couldn't perceive any change in his surroundings. He wondered why the glowing man had had him follow.

"You have led a good life, Ulrich", the glowing man's smile deepened, "A life of duty and discipline. It was however not an enjoyable life. You have changed thousands of lives for the better. Your own living standard was mediocre. I shall grant you another chance."

Ulrich was confused. He didn't seem to have asked for another chance.

"Don't worry, this life will hopefully be more suitable to you. Besides, I'm going to use you to test my newest invention, the Perfect Reincarnation System. You can help billions of people this time by spending a little of your nearly infinite time."

The glowing man knew Ulrich well.

"What do need to do?"

The glowing man smile grew even more intense. His plan had worked.

"Nothing much. You will answer a small questionnaire and afterwards you will be reincarnated for a new life. Maybe you will achieve immortality or maybe we will see each other again ten or 10000 years from now. It's pretty much up to you really."

Ulrich was a little bit curious now. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. Since school, if he really thought about it. He agreed to the glowing man's request.

The glowing man vanished. In his stead a small holographic window opened up in front of Ulrich.

[Hello, Mr Schwartz. You are now the host of the Perfect Reincarnation System.]

[Question Nr. 1]

[Which type of world would you like to be reincarnated in?]

[Modern]

[Sci-Fi]

[High Fantasy]

[Paranormal]

[Dystopian]

[Utopian]

[Mythological]

[Eastern Fantasy]

[Low Fantasy]

[Medieval]

[...]

Ulrich saw a long list of what seemed like book genres. He didn't know what most of them meant. He was best familiar with [Modern]. He had lived it. He hadn't liked it. Ulrich decided to choose something else.

He reckoned that [Sci-Fi] might sound different from [Modern] but wasn't it similar? He had the same impression of [Dystopian] and [Utopian]. According to his knowledge, they were simply different versions of the first. Ulrich decided to only consider those that had no ties to [Modern]. He didn't want another live as a banker.

In the end, Ulrich had still been a very reserved old man. The most sophisticated "World Genres" were probably [High Fantasy] and [Mythological]. He didn't care that much.

Ulrich chose [High Fantasy].

[Question Nr. 2]

[Based on your World choice, several system types have been generated. Which one would you like?]

[Swordsman]

[Archer]

[Lancier]

[Spearman]

[Shield Bearer]

[Magician]

[Warlock]

[Healer]

[Druid]

[...]

There were hundreds of choices. Ulrich that he should spend some time on this. The glowing man had said that he had eternity. Ulrich read every single description and considered them carefully.

Ulrich had learned that one should always be meticulous, regardless of whether one is enjoying oneself. If you are having fun, you shouldn't mind spending some more time having fun. If you aren't, you shouldn't mind spending more time to perfect it. If you have perfected your task, you won't have to do it again since there is nothing to improve.

Truthfully, Ulrich enjoyed the feeling of building a new live for himself. It was novel to him, being in charge of his own destiny.

Ulrich knew that he wasn't very adept at making decisions. However, he was very adept at following orders. And this time around he wanted to actively succeed. His best memories in his previous life were made when he either cooked something delicious or performed his tasks - including cooking - to perfection. It was the only joy he had ever derived from his job.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Ulrich had also learned that his boss's opinion shouldn't determine whether he did his job well. He judged that himself. Sometimes Ulrich had done a flawless job and his boss had criticised him. There were also times when Ulrich saw faults where his boss saw none. Only Ulrich's evaluation mattered.

Ulrich found a system towards the end of the list that would allow him to follow orders, instead of giving them, cook to his heart's content and perform to the utmost of his capabilities.

[You have chosen: Servant]

[You are the first to choose this system]

[Unique title awarded]

[Question Nr. 3]

[Which sex would you like to serve?]

[Female]

[Male]

[Neutral]

Ulrich didn't know what to do with [Neutral]. The system's explanation was brief. Apparently it simply referred to races that simply didn't have a sex, usually because they didn't have sex. It named examples such as Plants, Spirits and Funghi. Ulrich was frightened of what his master might be if he chose [Neutral]. He didn't want to serve a mushroom.

He wasn't sure whether to choose [Male] or [Female]. He was inclined to choose [Male] since that simplify his relationship with his master. Pondering his previous life, he realised that it lacked complications. He had never actively dealt with romance. It was the reason his marriage ended. Ulrich regretted that. He chose [Female].

[Question Nr. 4]

[To which alignment should you future mistress belong?]

[Good]

[Neutral]

[Evil]

Ulrich was unsure once more. The system's descriptions stated that these alignments weren't necessarily based on ethics. Sometimes someone race would automatically sort them into an alignment. Similarly a radical [Good] ethical code may be categorised as [Good] even though it dictates horrific deeds. It also advised him that alignment could easily change, not least due to Ulrich's influence. It mostly influenced the starting situation.

Ulrich understood this. People are complicated. It was hard to categorise them. It was harder to make general categories. It was close to impossible to make everybody agree on your categorization. Ulrich thought for a bit. He chose [Neutral].

[Question Nr. 5]

[Which social status should your future mistress possess?]

[Hint: Anything below Merchant is logically impossible.]

[Hint: Locked status are impossible starting circumstance and must instead be achieved.]

[Merchant]

[Baroness]

[Viscountess]

[Countess]

[Marchioness]

[Duchess]

[Princess]

[Queen (locked)]

[Empress (locked)]

[Goddess (locked)]

Ulrich was stunned. This question was unexpected. A higher status was good. It would shorten the way to the top. The restraints and burden would also be much more substantial. Ulrich decided against [Princess]. A low status would be weak, easily interfered with. Ulrich wanted a strong foundation. He dismissed every option up to [Countess]. Ulrich concluded that a duchess would be ideal. A certain degree of freedom along with a stable foundation. He had decided that a strong foundation should have priority. It served as protection for himself. Few would offend the personal servant of a duchess.

[Question Nr. 6]

[As which race would you like to be reborn?]

[Beastkin (50p)]

[Human (100p)]

[Orc (250p)]

[Dwarf (250p)]

[Elf (500p)]

[Dragnkin (1000p)]

[...]

An inquiry revealed that the system rated each race according to their innate potential and risk. For example a human was much worse than a beastkin but beastkin were either despised or enslaved in most worlds while humans were usually the rulers of their realms. Ulrich was surprised. The system had helped him. Though he quickly identified an issue. [Dragon] was rated at 100000 even though they were usually hunted almost to extinction by other races. The potential was so great that the immense risk was offset easily.

Ulrich didn't know what to choose. In the end he decided to combine his world type and system type methods. He first decided not to choose anything that looked human and then decided to read carefully through everything else so as to determine the most suitable race. One thing was for certain. It had to be aesthetically pleasing. Ulrich had full control and he was submissive and disciplined, not dead. Nobody would refuse to be handsome. Except for those who are handsome, maybe.

Ulrich hadn't been handsome in his previous life. He was rather repulsive. He planned to experience handsomeness.

Ulrich found something. The race was named Izraf. They were humanoid felines with feathered wings and a sharp bone spike at the end of their long tails. Their height consistently reached around two metres. Known for their innately graceful movements, their movements were soundless. A useful quality for servants. Their wings were retractable. Izraf were magical creatures. They had phenomenal senses as well superhuman reflexes, agility and strength. Ulrich also took into account the dignified beauty present in any member of the species. After all, they were cats. Ulrich liked cats. The system had informed him that the customization of his exact body was the 7th question.

Ulrich considered the Izraf to fit all his parameters and be sufficiently non-human. Interestingly, their risk factor was very low compared to their pretty massive potential since they didn't have any "harvestable" qualities. The largest issue stemmed from being discriminated against.

[Question Nr. 7]

[What would you like to look like?]

Ulrich was offered a complicated system of sliders and sculpting tools. Ulrich spent what he assumed were at least three days just familiarising himself with the customization menu. Perfection required time. Ulrich wouldn't tire in his current state. The more he worked on his new life the more excited he got. It was an unfamiliar sensation to him.

Eventually, Ulrich finished his "character".

His appearance featured a flawless, shiny, steel gray coat and a pair of pitch black wings. His eyes were of a very intense icy blue and his face was slim and angular, giving it a noble look. His teeth were sharp and perfectly spaced and his claws were also optimised for combat. Not too long so as to avoid breaking but still long enough to cause substantial damage. His build was muscular but lithe. His fingers were long and slim. Altogether, it granted him an agile but fit appearance exactly two metres in height. It was worth mentioning that his "package" below the belt was sizeable but manageable. No man worthy of respect would neglect that area in similar circumstances. Ulrich had to admit that he had given himself a considerable upgrade. He was also glad that that was one of the most humanoid parts this feline species had.

[Question Nr. 8]

[To what magical element would you like to be attuned?]

[Hint: There are advanced versions of each element. The higher the element in the list the more common and the more advanced versions.]

[Hint: Elements not chosen may be acquired and cast once reborn, however the difficulty will be significantly increased compared to the attunement.]

[Fire]

[Water]

[Earth]

[Air]

[Light]

[Darkness]

[Space]

[Time]

Ulrich was surprised by the first hint. It confused him. Why should [Fire] have greater possibilities than [Water] if they are most likely two sides of the same coin. Then it clicked. How do you sort values that are equal to each other? Ulrich guessed that rarity and version quantity could be put into categories of the first four, the next two and the last two. It was the most logical assumption.

Judging by that and considering the second hint, Ulrich decided to choose [Space]. It would most likely be hardest to acquire together with [Time] and was incredibly useful, he imagined. Manipulating [Time] was ill-advised, so Ulrich chose [Space]. He was confident of mastering at least the first four without an attunement.

[Question Nr. 9]

[You may now choose five skills from the list and have the additional opportunity to upgrade a skill ten times. Which skills do you choose?]

Ulrich read the list thoroughly. He kept his chosen role in mind. He arrived at these five skills:

[Housekeeping (Basic)]

[Grants the user basic understanding of housekeeping. May be upgraded through repeated actions related to the skill.]

[Hardworking (Basic)]

[The user will spend less energy for the same tasks than others. Additionally, the skill grants the user a small boost in learning efficiency. May be upgraded through repeated actions related to the skill.]

[Polyglot (Basic)]

[Grants the user a basic understanding of all languages spoken in his country. Grants a significant boost to learning efficency when learning a language. May be upgraded through repeated actions related to the skill.]

[Martial Arts (Basic)]

[Grants the user a basic understanding of how to best use their body in combat. May be upgraded through repeated actions related to the skill.]

[Growth (Basic)]

[Grants the user a 50% bonus to Quest XP and a 15% bonus to Combat XP. Can not be leveled up manually. Levels up with Quest completion.]

Ulrich chose [Housekeeping] since he knew next to nothing about it. His house had only been inhabitable because he had employed a cleaning lady that had done all necessary chores for him. The skill also included some cooking proficiency being an all-rounder but Ulrich didn't need it. That was also the reason why he didn't choose the cooking skill. He chose necessary skills that he wasn't sure could be acquired easily or he had no basic understanding of.

[Hardworking] counted among the former. [Polyglot] was both hard to acquire and filled a huge gap in his knowledge. He wasn't sure whether servants would receive weapons but he certainly didn't want to spend his life defenceless so he chose [Martial Arts]. The system promised that the skill would include some weapon proficiency at higher levels. [Growth] was really self-explanatory. It was a must have. It actually cost him five of his skill upgrades. The system stated that the skill's utility warranted that. Ulrich had agreed.

He spent the five upgrades left by upgrading each of the other four skills once and [Housekeeping] a second time. Their effects seemed to improve slightly as proficiency skills now granted an advances understanding except for [Housekeeping] which granted expert understanding. [Hardworking] didn't change in its description but Ulrich guessed that there were still some less obvious improvements.

The system had disclosed the skill ranks after Ulrich asked.

[Basic]

[Advanced]

[Expert]

[Master]

[Perfection]

It had also hinted that skills changed when they reached [Perfection].

[Question Nr. 10]

[What would you like to be called?]

Ulrich didn't need to think long. Even though he wanted to become as non-human as possible, he wouldn't dismiss his name. It was his identity. He was Ulrich Schwartz.

[Thank you! You have answered all questions!]

[The system will now randomize the parameters of your rebirth]

Ulrich would've undergone a second heart attack if he weren't dead already.

[The system is kidding]

[May you enjoy your newly customised life!]

[Happy Birthday!]