I spent much more time thinking about this option the last one. I got some hints at what advantages each race would give me, although there was some clear disparity between some races. Some races were all clear benefits, making me sound like juggernaut strait out of the gate. This also had the adverse effect of turning me into a monster in some form or fashion. Of course, most races sounded inhuman in appearance, but other seamed to dehumanize me mentally and physically. I wasn’t sure what affect these races would have on me, but I’d rather not pick one that sounded terrifying without the advantages outweighing them significantly.

I spent what felt like hours searching possible combinations, compiling a list of no’s and maybe’s. The first combination was usually the most powerful, but I still went through the first couple dozen just to have a wider pool to chose from. Whenever I thought I had settled on one race, another more appealing but different choice popped up. I was being very thorough. People usually are when faced with such a life changing decision in front of them.

I picked one. I was still on the fence on it but I thought I had picked the moist suitable of the bunch. Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting any visitors afterwards. Let alone the slow clap of mockery.

“Well, well, well. Look who finally managed to make up their mind. Any longer and I might have just picked one for you. Hell, I probably did, and you were none the wiser. Perks of being an Arisen I guess.”

The speaker was of an odd sort. While I'm pretty sure I had never seen a more handsome man in the world yet at the same time look so… average. And then he started changing. he kept cycling through appearance every time I blinked or looked away. Tall, short, thin, bulky, round, white, black, pink, and a whole slew of looks over and over. Every form was either normal or ridiculous in some way. I couldn't look away I was so enamored by what was in front of me.

“It’s not polite to stare.”

With those words, his flipbook of forms settled onto a vague outline of a person. I blink a few times to make sure he won't be changing any time soon. When he doesn't, we settle into an awkward silence. Mostly to get my thoughts in order, but also to be calm enough to ask a few words to the only other person I've seen in however long I've been here. It's a couple minutes before I dare speak up.

“I'd apologize mister chameleon, but I get the feeling your used to that kind of treatment. And I'm pretty sure you’re the reason I'm here. “

The being just shrugs. “You are not wrong on either account. Still rude of you, not to mention it seams a bit counter productive too be so forward with the person responsible for your continued existence. Thankfully you’re not attacking me or demanding answers. Smite a mortal a couple billions of times and you get board of it eventually. So, I guess this is a better outcome honestly.”

The being was very animated while speaking, making several hand gestures and walking back and forth. Come to think of it, this was the first time I could pay attention to my environment. What little there was, it being a white space as far as the eye could see. My head didn’t stay throbbing like it did before.

The headache had lessened as time went by, almost disappearing completely at times. But every time I tried to focus on anything besides picking one of the races in any way the pain would return. Trying to push past it didn't help. I only ended up knocking myself out with nothing to show for it. It was easy to understand that as someone trying to keep me forcibly focused. But why did it suddenly stop?

“Finally noticed that have you?”

The figure was leaning on a cane while spinning a top hat on his finger. I had not seen where he pulled those from and I had been facing the man this entire time.

“Trying to maintain a creature’s soul while their identity is disintegrating may be easy for me, but I hear it is ridiculously painful. It’s a great motivator though. Well, for most people mister ‘I’ll take my time and make an educated decision.’”

…

I just stare at the stranger, confused and mildly insulted. I’m waiting patiently for more information to be spilled. Clearly this person is more knowledgeable than me, so it’d be in my best interest to wait for them to explain everything to me. That’s a big part of it anyway. A smaller more spiteful part of me just wants to irritate the guy that clearly doesn’t like to waist time.

…

*Sigh*

“You’re no fun, you know that?”

With a snap of their fingers, three doors appear behind the being. They are stylized differently, the one to the left looking the most modern. A basic wooden door with a metal, only it’s surrounded with a bright blue aura. The center one is more ornate, distinct shapes on its frame made of metal. Some language is engraved into its wooden surfaces into a glyph. They glow a soft blue, the light more stable than the aura of the first door. The third and final door is the most futuristic of the three. Lines of red light are littering the frame made entirely of metal. There is no door knob, only a sleek pad where it should be on the perfectly smooth door. It doesn’t even have visible hinges to open or close with.

The being claps their hands, bringing my attention back to them. “Alright, since my patience has been worn thin already, I’ll skip the pleasantries. You, my irrelevant friend, died.” The blatant monotone they pass this critical information is rather disturbing. Before I am even allowed to process this shocking information, they preemptively raise their hand to silence me. Literally, as no sound comes out my mouth. “Ah, ah. We have more important things to talk about first. Just be silent and listen until the very end.”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

I’m bursting with questions, but I obey. “Good. Now, dyeing doesn’t really matter to the System in most cases. Survival of the fittest and all that. Unfortunately, some would say, it also believes in fair play. And seeing as you managed to die at a very critical point in your planets integration, this calls for some recalibration. You, and let me clarify how astronomically improbable this is, were killed by the System before it was fully installed. Considering how near instantly the System works, this is an anomaly of galactic proportions that will echo for mil-” The being abruptly stops talking.

It’s by the time I’m getting a little worried, they start speaking once more. “Sorry about that. Said some things I shouldn’t have. Anyway, the gist of it is that in leu of this minor incident,”-I’m pretty sure murder isn’t considered as minor incident.- “the System seeks to compensate you for this blunder. This comes in the form of changing your avatar and setting. Considering the origin, you've taken, I think it's safe to say you can see how beneficial the first half can be. Now the other half, that’s were things get interesting. Because, my incredibly fortunate friend, you get to pick were and how you revive.”

Going into full car salesmen mode, it stands in front of the left door. “Now the first option is the one most people want to pick in your situation. Go bac. Return to the home you once had, or the place it used to be anyway. Now considering your identity has been deteriorating since your recent demise, and to keep things balanced, we would need to wipe away your memories. Mostly because the System wants a balanced playthrough, but also to mitigate the difficulty controlling a new body might have against life in another for so long. It wouldn’t be a complete wipe mind you, you’ll still be able to read and write, but any semblance of individuality your had as a person would be gone. Your friends, family, childhood; all gone. You’d basically be a blank slate for all intents and purposes. Of course, other people would still know you, but I hear its hard to trust someone who says they know you when you don’t even remember them. So, besides that small detail, you’ll be dealing with the usual in the beginning stages. Mass panic, organic mutation, dungeon spawning, and everything else you usually find in the apocalypse. Depending how self-sufficient as individuals your race is, it’ll be a walk in the park or a living nightmare. The best place to get the most ‘I did it first’ rewards. Most likely to be imidiately dangerous too, since a lot of the no go zones haven’t been charted.”

It points their cane at the center door, the fedora spinning on the end of it. “This one is the more cliché of the bunch. Essentially, you’ll just be dropped into another world, one where the System has successfully integrated into the civilization. You’ll be allowed to keep whatever memories you have yet to lose, since the more stable System will be able to mitigate the strain of having a diluted personality. What you keep though is up to chance. The environment you’ll be dropped in would be similar yet different since the system aims to make each world that stabilizes thematic in some sense. More than likely you’ll spawn into the world like other failed races. Since you picked a hybrid origin, it’s a bit of a tossup what sort of environment you’ll be in. Might be peaceful. Might be very dangerous. Either way, the road to power is more streamlined than the first option what with experienced individuals available in this one. There are also some hidden goodies but their harder to find since people are free to experiment in a much safer environment. Honestly the safest choice if you somehow make peace with the native population.”

They spin the cane, the hat landing on their head with them in front of the third and final door. “And last but certainly not least, is door number three. Let me tell you, I’d be a little jealous if I wasn’t an administrator. This one leads to a high functioning world that has decades, maybe centuries with the system in place. Technologic progress, Metaphysical abilities, and a whole host of other things have been thoroughly explored. This is a world that has faced nearly every challenge the System can send it and came out stronger for it. It’s a world brimming with knowledge and easily accessible resources. There is little to no hidden rewards though, the last few only available to the insane or suicidal. And the icing on the cake? You’ll be allowed to keep your memories, even the ones that have already been lost. With such a strong foot hold in place, such a thing would be child’s play. Matter of fact, that’s how you’ll arrive here. A brand spanking boy/girl/hermaphrodite/genderless infant. Up to the race you picked really. You’ll be able to grow from the very start of it all. The trade off? Your race will dictate what sort of environment your born into more heavily than the last option. Hopefully you picked something that has a stable upbringing, otherwise you’ll be in for a world of unexpected hurdles. Oh, I should also mention that this world will be at the final stages were the System is concerned. And let me tell you, those final stages are no joke. If anything, things might look like your home world if the natives react poorly. Could happen anywhere from a day to a few decades latter. Safe option until that point honestly.”

The being spreads their arms, apparently finished with their explanation. “So, these are the options for you. Go home a stranger for all intents and purposes. Leave to a new world with only scraps of your past with you. Or starts all over with your personality completely intact far from home.”

I can only stand there in silence, my mind feeling overburdened with all the information I have been given. So many implications are given in his explanations, about some System, other worlds, and me. My memories can either be retained or washed away. Other worlds have gone through what mine has, whatever that is. This System is the cause of it all and continues to do so even after the initial event. I can get my life back without a clue of who I am. Or, I can go somewhere else, be someone else, but ill always remember the life I used to have. Obviously, there is the possibility of me finding my way home of I choose one of the latter two. But there is no way of knowing until I get their, not to mention whether there is something for me if I make it back. My mind begins to fall down the rabbit hole of if’s, when's, and what's. It was such an important decision to make with too little information at hand. Every option has consequences that I don’t know if I’m capable of dealing with. I could die on respawn, put myself through hell and-

My thoughts are halted by slap that hits my face.

“While I do so love to see you drive yourself insane with pointless problems, I’d rather you hurry along and pick a door. I have other things to do, so unless you want to go through the painful experience of having your soul disintegrate over a couple millennia, it would be in your best interest to pick up the pace.”

I rub my tender cheek, a mixture of relief and irritation settling in. While the slap may have a bit much, I a bit grateful for the being keeping me in check. Now’s the time of action. I can despair when I’m out of immediate danger. Taking another glance at the door’s, I wonder which the best option for me is.

Home.

Another world.

Or a new life.