A single white green coloured soul shaped in the vagueness of a human awoke within a gigantic library. Tall and wide shelves full of books of many coloured covers, stacked to the brim as if ready to burst, the mere look of it implicated taking a book out would be an ordeal.
On closer inspection however the soul which was frantically turning its head to look around saw that while the inner section was that of a library the outer rim was a prison. There were many locked and barred doors above leading to every direction.
It was absolutely baffled by its surroundings, the librarians were not simple textbook orderly dressed people at all. They were hordes of child sized plague doctors.
Tiny little creatures coated in black with white bird like beak masks, scurrying about frantically from shelf to shelf, pushing along carts and then whenever they would momentarily stop…
THUD!
A book falls from the shelves without any sign of anyone or anything pushing or pulling it out and would smash into the cart and the exact moment it did the plague children would sprint off away to another of the monumental shelves.
The soul reached out with its right hand to tap one of the doctors on the shoulder… it then reeled back and stared at its arm in detail, looking at the front and then the back, followed by an inspection of its entire body and when it was done it froze completely still.
Its head twitched several times but nothing happened.
“I can’t speak.” Panic was beginning to set in to the lost soul.
Several of the children with carts about to burst would go up some ramps to the jailed doors above and take out a green key from their waist.
The key was large and simplistic in design, it looked as if it was made of acrylic, a toy for toddlers… yet when they placed it into the large chained coated padlocks, they snapped off without any sign of resistance.
Then the sounds of rattling metal filled the room. The children all stopped in their tracks, let go of their carts, stood upright and turned to face the centre of the room and in perfect coordination bowed their heads.
From the northmost door a figure emerged. It was almost exactly the same as the children but stood at an incredible height, the mysterious being must have been at least seven foot tall.
In its right hand was a long staff that the lost soul recognised, the caduceus held symbol for medical institutions.
The figure began to float. It rose to the top of the room and stared down at the green soul, despite its gaze being concealed by black circular lenses with gold frames, the small green light could feel a piercing laser focused point directed at it.
“Hello Lost Soul. Do you remember anything?”
The voice that came out of the doctor however was surprisingly sweet, carrying a dignity and caring affection to it, certainly that of a masculine male but it felt familiar, like meeting an old friend after a while, as if the soul and the doctor had merely not seen each other in a month.
“No… not… really? It’s all... foggy.”
The souls answers came out as sound in the room. It moved his fingers to touch its lips but of course they weren’t there. It grew even more confused.
The doctor chuckled and began to twirl the staff with his fingers, showing incredible dexterity through quick shifts of balance and position, the staff becoming a blur of gold.
“Well that is to be expected. A different answer would be worrying but it happens occasionally. So allow me to get to the point.”
Then the room became heavy, as if the air was growing dense and a storm of rain would flood the room in an instant, all it needed was a crack of thunder to break the dam.
“You are dead. You passed in your sleep. I am sorry that your body has come to an end.”
The soul flinched at the words. It wanted to scream and deny it as instinct would dictate but for some reason the words spoken. It was the truth. The man spoke the truth no matter what, his words were like the blade of justice, hanging down… striking with surgical precision to the heart of matters.
“...So what happens now?”
The Lost Soul was not sure how to process their loss. It could not remember any real details of its life, it tried it could remember emotions. Warmth and passion. Coldness and hatred. Spite and forgiveness… a cluster of painted thoughts that were dripping away into stains of their former selves.
“You may have a chance to live again. As is usual for the deceased, one body has decayed and thus you need a new one.”
Embarrassment, curiosity and excitement began to form an explosive cocktail within the Lost Soul and after taking a replication of a deep breath it spoke loudly.
“C-could I be born again in a different world!? Ah.. please, if you could!”
The doctor began to hum to himself a fanciful tune and then laugh joyfully for what seemed like a good half a minute before clearing its throat and answering properly.
“Forgive me. My bedside manner has deteriorated over the many years. It is rare for me to attend to a soul directly nowadays.”
The hope in the souls heart began to fall like a meteor from the heavens to the spoiled Earth and it sighed, it feared mundanity and boredom would return soon, just more of the same as it had struggled in life.
“To answer your question. Yes. That is exactly what I intend to do.”
Then the Lost Soul’s heart soared back into the sea of blazing stars.
“Really!? Thank you, thank you! I… ah… hm… what will I be born again as…?”
The soul began to brew a cauldron of demands, many, many desires were being brought to a boil but they knew better than to try to ask for too much from people with power.
“...If you want to get what you want, you’ll have to take it.”
The voice of the doctor then returned to carrying the weight of nature's wrath yet again.
The soul began to tremble as it feared the thunder once more.
The doctor stopped spinning his staff and then reached into his coat with his left hand, pulling out a large key just like the ones the plague children held by their waists but instead it was a ruby red and shimmered every so slightly in the light. He then threw it at the feet of the soul.
“Pick it up.” It was an order. Not a suggestion.
The immaterial hand reached for the product that could grants its deepest desires. They seemed to shake and turn to static as they reached for the key to the kingdom.
As its fingers stretched out to clutch it, a voice rang through their head.
“Do you wish to be a man or a woman?”
The key then floated after asking its question and danced around the Lost Soul in circles. It’s voice repeating the question like an endless echo, a neutral voice as clear as a windchime.
The Lost Soul if it still had eyes would have blinked in shock and likely turned a shade of red.
“I-I want to be a man of course!”
As if offended the green hand swiped at the crimson key which dodged out of the way easily.
“W-what!?” The soul was beginning to become restless.
“Why a man? Do you even know if you were one in your last life?”
The doctor intervened with a sigh. The soul again was confused.
“I uh… hm… was I? Hey what was I-”
The doctor sighed deeper as if he was deeply annoyed by the question.
“It doesn’t matter. This isn’t your first time here. It’s never anyone's first time here. Don’t be so attached. In death you are free of your bonds.”
The soul hesitated, “okay a woman then…” and then swiped at the key again and once more their hands failed to attain it.
“W-what the hell!?” It was growing quite frustrated, as if the soul was made to fit the human body veins began to pulsate across the green model from anger.
“Be absolutely sure. Be honest with yourself. You should still have your emotions. Dig deep and tell the key what you want.” His calm demeanor returned, nursing determination within his patient.
The soul concentrated. Fear began to spike from having to confront itself but… then as the doctor suggested, it let its emotions run freely and there was a clarity.
A clarity of burning and raw emotion, gathering together into a tidal wave of regrets from not one lifetime but many that the soul could call upon now.
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“I want to be able to be anything. I’ve always been so envious.
"I want to be a gallant white knight rushing into battle.
"I want to be the woman that walks into a room and no one can keep their eyes away from her. I want to turn heads.
"I want to be strong. I want to be talented.
"I want to be loved and adored. I want to be cool.
"I want to be handsome. I want to be beautiful.
"I want… to shine!”
The glimmer of the red key transformed into a spark of sunlight.
It spoke to the soul yet again.
“Then, would you give up power for freedom? I can make you strong.
“Stronger than most on the world you are sent to… but to do that you’d need to be willing to give up this frivolous desire for everything.
“If I give you everything, you may not have the strength to survive. You could not crush the challenges of your life with mere force. Are you sure you wish to give up on an easy life?”
Again the soul had to hesitate… it held its tongue, its body tightened and its hands balled into fists. The temptation was indeed strong but after mulling it over, it gently reached out with a still hand towards the light.
“I want everything…!”
The hands gripped the key.
Something falls from a shelf. A single red book.
Thud. It fell at the feet of the Lost Soul and opened wide and began to transform.
Within seconds there was a now a large red door attached to the floor.
The soul bent down and looked at it. There was a keyhole under the doorknob.
“Open it. Close your eyes and jump inside. Do not open them. Most certainly do not look back. “And do not hold regret. Do not doubt your decision. Do you understand, lost one?
“This is a very special door, granted to greedy ones like you but if you want to win big you must risk it all. Failure now would lead to your soul being torn to shreds.”
The doctor was stern and firm with his tone. Like a parent to a child an inch away from a scolding.
The soul nodded and inserted the key and twisted it.
They could not turn back. They could not remember their past lives clearly but… they remembered one thing. They wanted this. In every life. They wanted this. Everytime they returned to this place, they wanted this. And they were denied, time and time again.
However today it was different. They had lived and died so many times that they were allowed this chance to change their world.
With a heart of courage and a hand filled with ambition the Lost Soul turned the knob, the wheel of destiny began to spin again. The Lost Soul “closed” their eyes and saw only pitch black.
Not even the somewhat lighter colour that one sees when eyes are shut.
The soul threw themselves forward into the large crevice of the opened door.
Leaping through time and space to a new world.
The soul was reborn.
A long yawn stretched out as a figure emerged from the insides of a large cave.
Long, luscious jet black hair fell from head to waist in a lazy but beautiful mess.
Sharp lashes, clean brows and scarlet eyes that held a bestial slit for an iris.
The figure crawled towards the rising sun, sitting at the edge of the sharp cliff face; slowly stood to bask in its warmth.
Standing tall it was a woman with a pale face, neck, chest and stomach.
Her upper torso, back and shoulders however were covered in puffy white fur, almost as if to form a jacket of sorts. Barely covering two rather round orbs under the neck area...
Her arms were of a different shade. Black followed by orange, repeating as stripes that ended in elegant human hands… but with particularly sharp nails. On close inspection one could tell there was a decent amount of muscle.
Her legs were covered in green glimmering scales. They oddly looked just like snakeskin jeans but melded into flesh that ended into human feet but once again like the hands seemed to be quite sharp. Both the calves and thighs were despite their coating quite bountiful… perhaps to the eyes even more so.
The woman walked over to a large pool of water nearby and inspected her reflection.
“Heh. This body is pretty good ain’t it! But I don’t understand what they meant by everything…!”
Words flashed into her mind.
Following Statuses attained.
NameConfused [https://www.royalroadcdn.com/public/smilies/confused.png]?? Please Select a True Name.
Current Race: Nue
Current Class: Monk
All Classes LV1 Obtained.
All Races LV1 Obtained.
Class Change Ability Obtained.
Race Change Ability Obtained.
Age Slider Ability Obtained.
Body Slider Ability Obtained.
Gender Slider Ability Obtained.
Stat Redistribution Ability Obtained.
Skill Reselection Obtained.
All Changes upon confirmation will be locked that way for three minutes.
The limit of changes is three times a day for each type of change.
These may increase with time. Please enjoy your freedom.
The Nue was overwhelmed with the options given to her.
It was so much to take in so fast. Their memories of their time in the library began to flood back to them and she began to smile but quickly broke into nervous laughter.
Her eyes boggled, her claws fidgeted, her entire body seemed to slither and shake as it processed the possibilities.
Nue obtained her mouth, sharp fangs hidden within glistened as she thought about it.
“Right now, I’m a monk so…!” She punched a nearby rock and it fractured.
She was startled by her own strength. In this world it would not be considered anything above middle grade but for the people of Earth it rivalled a fresh master of martial arts. Her curiosity began to grow.
“...Class CHANGE! Mage!”
Nue raised her right hand to the skies as if to pluck the sun from the heavens.
...Nothing seemed to happen.
“...” Nue decided to punch the rock again.
CRACK. THUD.
“Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! It hurts! Oh that was… not a good…!”
She fell to the floor clutching her right hand with her left, blowing on it and tossing and turning from left to right as she waited for the pain to fade away, a red blemish forming on the knuckles of her snowy skin.
With some water in her eyes she rose, kissed her bruise and pouted.
“Okay. How about… uh… THUNDER!”
She raised her right index finger to the skies above and stood absolutely still.
“Oh I guess it’s not…!”
A jolt of lightning fell from above and struck the tip of her stretched out fingernail and began to channel, standing in place and growing larger by the second…!
“Oh, sweet! This is so cool! Take this you stupid rock!”
She swung her finger forward and the bolt became a momentary beam of magical wrath!
The rock that she had idiotically struck with a non existent strength stat broke apart, shrapnel flying in every direction… then the lightning faded away as quickly as it came.
“So… cool! It was amazing! I broke that rock like it was nothing! Take that, you’re just gravel now!”
She began leaping up and down in victory over the shattered stone.
“Okay… time for the other ones. Race CHANGE! Elf!”
It was a simple choice, likely not to be too weird.
The fur and scales of her body receded into her. Her body grew taller and thinner, she yelped as the changes were taken into effect. Her ears spread out like knives and pointed backwards, her fang like teeth receded to flat, perfect more rectangular shapes.
Her skin turned from pale white to a more healthy looking sunny shade.
Her eyes changed from red to green and the bestial slits shifted into normal irises… but looking at her reflection she noticed very slight hexagonal shapes in the white of the eyes, as if they were… her entire world looked slightly different, everything was in incredible detail.
She realised she could see behind her and to her sides at the same time!
“Amazing..! This is amazing!”
It did not occur to her at this time to question why the Elves of this world had compound eyes.
“O-okay! Now for… these.” She gulped as she imagined a bunch of options and menus… which appeared before her eyes the moment her heart was set on it.
“Oh.” She blushed nervously as she saw the many sliders appearing around her body, almost as if to form a sci fi mecha cockpit of blue screens.
The sliders were in the form of blue orbs that had a x and y axis to from a chart which could be moved vertically or horizontally.
She played with the body sliders first, intentionally avoiding the others… watching as her body grew taller, shorter, bustier, flatter and wider before returning the blue orbs to their default positions. There was a button for “confirm” that she did not touch.
From there she moved to the age slider. It worked about as she expected. It was the one slider which was only horizontal in nature. However Elves had long life spans.
She pulled the orb down slowly and noticed no difference. She did not get any change until she dragged all the way down from the starting point which was 800; which had been labelled the average age of Elves, down to 15 to actually see any real difference.
Then and only then did she see noticeable differences. Eventually she looked like a petite and cute child and after confirming she was as cute as a button dragged the slider back up, until it was at 800 again and went further upwards.
...There was no change. No matter how high she moved it upwards… almost nothing seemed to change at all. It was absolutely bizarre but at the same time she had been somewhat expecting this from the long lived race.
Even at 3000 nothing seemed to change except that some features looked ever so slightly matured.
She realised this wasn't the best race to play around with.
“Race CHANGE! Nue!”
She wanted to see what would happen with her base form; this time posing by raising her fist into the air and twisting it as if it was a key for a cars ignition and returned to “normal.”
Growing scales and fur back was quite ticklish, though the fangs were the most awkward and slightly painful.
“Alright.” She gulped. She began to sweat and licked her lips while berating herself inwardly.
She dragged the orb slider to the male section on the left instantly.
Her hair became shorter, spiking upwards and waving from right to left.
Breasts faded and were replaced by chiseled pectorals, a slim waist became toned with abdominals and thick legs compressed for more power based performance.
He admired himself for a short while with a satisfied and smug look of brimming confidence that only men who know they are handsome can carry.
He shifted the slider back to the female side and then took a deep breath.
“Hoooooooo….!”
She looked at the slider. The fact it had a middle… the fact it had a y axis… it both distrubed and excited her. She brought the orb right to the middle.
Now she lacked neither the muscle nor the plumpness of the male or female forms.
Instead she was thinner, more athletic and ambiguous.
Lashes were neither too long nor too short.
The chest had actually been fully covered by the monkey fur this time and their face had extremely neutral features. Hair fell to just around the top of the neck. The Nue frowned for a moment but then put a trembling, sweaty hand back on the sliders orb.
She pushed it upwards and then went extremely silent.
The winds howled with the morning rays and the chirping of birds at dawn.
She coughed as she brought the orb, now at the central top of the sliding grid all the way to the right, but remaining at the top of the screen. She recovered her female body and nothing looked different.
She blushed a deep shade of red, on her pale skin it looked like blood smeared across fresh snow. She coughed and then brought the orb back down to the bottom.
“Okay.” She coughed a few more times and looked away from her direct line of sight, even though there was nothing and no one there to judge her.
“Alright. I got all this… freedom. Now I can use it. This is another world after all. So the first thing I should do is, surround myself in beautiful women!”
She had no real interest in trying to be the number one adventurer, fighting in wars or ruling a country.
She seeked simple fun and boundless freedom.
So she began the hunt. Unfortunately she was not going to have an easy time of it.