At first, there was nothing.
And then, suddenly, there was warmth.
——
Oh.
I’m awake again. Why didn’t I die already?
Why is she…? Wait, why does she have 5 eyes?
I try to look around, but my body doesn’t want to cooperate. Why can’t I feel my body? A strange sensation washes over me, like a faint whisper of a breeze against my consciousness. It’s almost like my senses are trying to reach out, but there’s nothing to grasp. Do I even have a body? I don’t know, I feel so… small.
[ Warning! Soul damage beyond repair! Assessing damage… ]
[ Warning! Soul damage beyond repair! Continue on reincarnation? ]
Reincarnation.
[ Consent verified! ]
Above me, I saw the lady have the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. Her five eyes sparkled with an otherworldly glow, radiating warmth and reassurance amidst the uncertainty that enveloped me. Her hands cup my soul as she gently places me onto a stream of warm water. I feel an energy seeping into me, mending the wounds that my soul had gotten. It's so warm, the warmest I have ever been.
As the water slowly carried me downstream, the kind lady watched me safely pass onwards. I wish I could've said thank you.
I never thought I would actually make it, you know; A thousand years, waiting for this moment. The memories of my past life, fragmented and distant, drift through my mind like fleeting whispers, leaving behind a sense of longing and regret. My parents probably had gone already. I clung to the remaining pieces of my memories and myself.
Snuggling to the side of the stream, I feel the gentle current cradle me into sleep.
[ Requirements met! D.E.M. unlocked! Stray soul, welcome to Edia. ]
Reincarnation huh? I thought I could see what heaven looks like. But this... this is good enough.
Though I wonder what I'll end up as.
——
[ D.E.M. Helper Online! Initiating mental block. ]
I was jolted awake by that voice talking to me again. A tug in my mind tells me to sleep and embrace the water, but I feel weirdly conscious. Like, very conscious.
The moment gave me time to think again. Should I be even awake while being reincarnated? I feel like I shouldn't be seeing all this. Looking around, I found myself still floating in the stream of golden liquid, surrounded by the beauty of the night sky. Countless stars and nebulae decorate the sky reflected onto the liquid around me, almost like bathing in space. It was a sight I had almost forgotten after so long in darkness.
The tug returned, pulling at my consciousness once more. It feels like the liquid has a sleeping effect of some kind since relaxing just for a second makes my mind blank. Am I being kidnapped here?
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Scary? Yes. But strangely I feel calm.
[ Welcome to Edia, Stray! As the fates have willed it, your help will be a boon to the lands of our realm. ]
Edia? Where the hell am I?
The voice somehow persists in my mind, echoing with an eerie clarity. It wasn't my voice, but more of a projection, as if someone were planting thoughts directly into my brain.
[ Choose a species. Note: 243 out of 311 species locked due to soul damage! ]
My mind suddenly shook as information invaded my brain, implanting memories and knowledge that I never knew before. I feel something crack as the flood inside my brain crashes and overflows, the pain dulled by the warm liquid that seems to seep into my core. Flashes of different creatures flickered on and off inside my head. My insides felt like it was being torn apart and pieced back together in rapid succession. The pressure was unbearable.
[ Warning! Soul damage received! Soul in critical condition! ]
[ Locking 297 out of 311 species... ]
Some of my thoughts immediately vanished, and I waited for my head to settle down.
[ Choose a species. Note: 297 out of 311 species locked due to soul damage!
Warning! Soul in critical condition! Please choose quickly!]
I can feel myself slowly breaking away, my mind dulling with every second. The comforting warmth surrounding me begins to fade, leaving behind a chilling emptiness inside me. Hold up, I still haven't chosen anything...!
[ Choice paralysis detected. Analyzing data...
Recommendation: Darkwood Tree ]
A tree? Really? But... I don't have the time to choose the other options.
Strangely, I'm not as against it as I think I should be.
As I momentarily dream of becoming a tree in the middle of the forest, surrounded by the greenery and wildlife of nature. The scent of the earth fills the air and faint sounds of crunching leaves whisper into my soul. My soul begins to radiate a soft, verdant glow, as if resonating with the choice deep within my heart.
With my thoughts growing increasingly sluggish, I muster the last of my fading energy and let my mind settle on a final word:
Yes.
[ Chosen: Darkwood Tree ]
[ Disabling mental block. Preparing the Wheel... ]
----------------------------------------
[ Processing D.E.M. 98%... ]
The machine clunks mechanically in the dark, plumes of dust escaping the holes of its chassis. It's been a while since they had created a fate of this magnitude, calculating all possible fates, abilities, and energies was a hassle when handling a Stray. The magnitude of their potential was always too great for the computer to comprehend. So much balancing work that it's basically a workout.
Beep. Beep.
[ Processing D.E.M. 99%... ]
[ Verifying path... ]
> Approved Skill Transfer:
>
> Green Thumb: Obtained!
>
> Fast Calculation: Obtained!
>
> Strong Will: Obtained!
>
>
>
> Approved Skill Achievements:
>
> Achievement confirmed: Reach 99% soul decay and survive.
>
> Achievement confirmed: Die three times.
>
> A Hundred Deaths, A Hundred Lives: Obtained!
>
>
>
> Achievement confirmed: Inflict soul decay to yourself and survive.
>
> Achievement confirmed: Travel universes through nothingness.
The machine burst into a golden glow, bathing the entire room in a blinding yellow light. Extreme heat radiated from the computer as its cogs and wheels heaved and bent with the weight of the computation. Bolts and nuts loosened with every chug of the machine. This much computation is risky for the poor computer, but if necessary, it'll do what it needs to do.
After extensive calculations, it has been decided that the human is worthy of the price. Though the human leaned towards the morally right spectrum, many factors can still affect how he used it. Unfortunately, the machine does not have the necessary functions to perform a prediction algorithm on a Stray. The computation required to predict them is too much. The machine has calculated that worrying is only a waste of energy, he'll turn out fine.
As the last cog turned, the machine halts its computation.
It has been done.
> Nothingness: Obtained!
[ Processing D.E.M. 100% ]
[ D.E.M. Verification: Verified ]
[ Printing Path 5362EB6: Trey ]
Beep. Beep.
After all the noise, the only sound that remains is the whirr of the printer, printing down a long receipt on its side. On the receipt, a particular word is highlighted yellow.
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