The awakening occurred without the long-awaited satisfaction of life. The sensation was cold and numbing, like water slowly dripping down her head. The numbness subsided, but the cold did not dissipate. It grew from her feet upwards, as if she were a mere vessel.

"Fuck! They don't pay the electric bill here?"

When the cold was finally replaced by the warmth of life, a sharp pain reminded her of the injury in her left hand. It was gone, but the sensation still lingered, as did the sadness that tightened her chest.

Jean opened her eyes as she had so many times before, but this time it felt different. Weird. She reached for her wrist and touched it with her other hand, ignoring the darkness around her except for her immediate surroundings. It didn't hurt because it wasn't her hand. She had no fingernails, and her skin evoked jelly. A white, opaque substance that rippled on contact.

A knot in her stomach made her put her hands to her face. She found no hair on her head or eyebrows. The eyes, nose, mouth, and ears came and went, taking and losing shape as the senses were required. She also discovered that she had no recognizable sexual characteristics, only a slightly undulating humanoid shape.

"What the hell! Am I some kind of a slime now? I said [Insertion]!"

Although her new voice felt strange, and the sensation of her mouth appearing and disappearing was uncomfortable, Jean couldn't help but be attracted by its unique, hypnotic effect.

"Where is the promised customization?"

Attending to her thoughts, two curtains of purple dense smoke slowly appeared about 12 meters away. Smoke of a very dark hue that eventually dissipated, leaving behind two very different doors. Two doors that were barely separated from each other.

Jean surveyed her surroundings for any changes, but aside from the vast darkness, nothing appeared different. Despite her initial doubts, she eventually gathered the courage to take the first step forward.

Halfway there, she stopped to inspect the doors. The door on the left appeared to be quite old, possibly dating back to the Middle Ages. In addition to the worn, poorly squared and nailed boards, the surface was stained with blood and covered with scratches, cuts, and dents. In the center, fluorescent turquoise runes floated, but she had no idea what they meant.

As she compared that crappy door to the tavern doors she had opened countless times in videogames, a thought flashed in her mind, leading to a new wave of whispers.

“[»Linguistic« skill successfully implemented.]”

[Linguistic] (Basic): Magic skill that will allow you to understand, learn and communicate in the languages of most of the intelligent races of the new world.

Jean's stomach fluttered with anticipation as she acquired her first magic skill. As she gazed upon the runes, their symbols began to make sense, and the words formed in her mind.

"Fight and... destroy!"

Next, she focused on the door on the right. Although it seemed to be from the same time period, it looked completely different. Clean, lacquered, and of impeccable workmanship. Fluorescent runes of the same color floated in the center as well.

"Gather and create."

As she contemplated whether to open them, she heard an unusual murmur emanating from the doors.

She moved closer to the right door before checking the left first, unsure of what was behind it. As she approached, she heard the sounds of various tools such as pickaxes, hammers, saws, and wood planers, along with the smell of roasting food and burning coal. She quickly realized that there were professions.

From that distance, the sounds from the left door began to drown out those from the right door. She heard sounds of metal clashing against metal, kicks and punches, as well as energy in the form of lightning, flames and shock waves. The scent of blood and death overwhelmed her, causing her to cover her mouth with her hand. She felt nauseous, but fortunately, there was nothing in her stomach to respond to the stimulus.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

She considered her options for a while. However, her indecision forced the whispers to come to her aid. They explained to her that she would receive what was behind the two doors, but the first door she crossed would determine her path. She would either receive the favor of Fel-Har, the exarch of combat, or the favor of Irum, the exarch of creation.

The news was good. Creating items was interesting too. If given the choice, she would rather excel as Irileth than as Adrianne Avenicci, the blacksmith.

She stood in front of the left door, trembling with fear. The screams emanating from inside only added to her distress. What will she do with her fear?

She scanned her surroundings again, hoping for a menu to appear. She wanted to allocate some points to her Willpower or another attribute that would bolster her courage.

"I can help you with that, darling!"

Jean almost jumped with fright. A voice surprised her from behind. The woman of promises had returned, but she was not as she had imagined her.

She was invisible, but her skin and long hair were defined by some short of golden ripples that continuously moved across her, resembling the slight disturbance of a breeze on a pond.

Jean's eyes widened in wonder. The woman had a fit physique with a thin waist that accentuated her wide hips, endless legs, and a generous and firm bust. She was both strange and beautiful, with an excessive level of eroticism that bordered on indecency.

Jean looked away, embarrassed. There was no room for doubt. The woman was completely naked and her proportions were a visual delight.

"Don't pretend! I know you like what you see! Maybe even more than that attractive man! I think I mentioned him already, but I know where he is. Although, I can't match you with him, I could...

"We aren’t going to the same place?!"

“Not exactly!”

The woman suddenly approached her and sensually caressed her chin with her index finger. Their lips were on the verge of touching, and the woman's sensual breasts lasciviously rubbed against Jean's strange body. A body that couldn't stop shaking and blushing.

They locked eyes for several seconds. "You want to be like him, don't you? You long for what you could have been if you hadn't given up!"

Jean found her voice and scent intoxicating, making it hard to focus. Her beauty seemed to have a mesmerizing effect on her. An influx that made her fantasize about her possibilities. All within her reach.

"Choose? No! I want more than that! I want to achieve everything I set my mind to!"

The woman smiled widely. "Uhm! You are ambitious! I like that! You don't want what everyone else wants. However, there are rules against it! You need a winning horse to break those rules! And I can give it to you!"

Jean struggled to speak. "Are you... serious? Can you... really do it? But... before you said…! In exchange for... what?"

The woman placed a finger over Jean’s lips. "Something perfectly within your reach."

Jean stared at her. The whispers warned her to be careful. She was no ordinary spirit. The offer was risky.

"Will I be able to be with Ian?"

The woman slightly lost interest. "With my help, you won't need him anymore, but yes! I can give you that too as... a gift! Do we have a pact?"

When Jean nodded without hesitation. The woman showed complicity and surprise, as if that didn't happen very often.

Without warning, the woman kissed her. She slid her soft, wet tongue until it found hers. The kiss was a frenzy for someone who had never been kissed before. Their tongues bathed in lust until the pleasure ended abruptly.

"Can you feel it?"

Jean sighed. "Yeah...! It was amazing!"

The woman couldn't help but smile. "Oh no, darling! I meant your fear! It shouldn't be a problem anymore."

“[»Attribute« selection accepted.]”

Still on cloud nine and yearning for more. "Huh?! What do you mean accepted? What have you done?"

The woman moved away, leaving Jean eager for her touch. "This setup will help you get started faster than anyone else! It may take a while to sync with you, but you should already notice some of the effects."

She pointed to the left door and began to slowly fade away. "Try opening it now!"

A slight tingling ran through her body as she restrained herself from begging her not to leave. It wasn't desire, but rather a sensation that seemed to flow through her skin, muscles, and bones, leaving her feeling different. She felt stronger and more tenacious than ever before.

The constant feeling of doubt had disappeared. Despite the sounds of violence and the unpleasant smell from the left door, there was no longer any uncertainty.

As soon as she attempted to open the door, both doors vanished, transforming into a purple smoke that enveloped her.

The vast darkness disappeared, revealing a starry sky filled with nebulae. The spectacular view expanded in all directions, even onto the ground beneath her feet. However, the most spectacular thing was yet to come.

A huge shower of shooting stars appeared in the distance. As they approached, their trails left a beautiful pattern that changed color as they passed near the different nebulae. They went from red to purple, traveling through the different colors of the rainbow.

"If this is a dream, I never want to wake up!"