The pear

In the ethereal mists of reality, where the boundaries between worlds are thin and malleable, lies the origin of Ethan's ominous destiny. It was a day like any other, the sun's rays dancing on the leaves of the trees, casting a golden glow upon the earth. Ethan, a teenager searching for meaning in a world of routine and banality.

It was a day like any other. The blazing sun on the streets of the small town where Ethan had grown up, the fresh air tickling his skin as he walked distractedly along the sidewalk. Nothing seemed to foreshadow the chaos that would descend upon his life.

Suddenly, a deafening noise shattered the afternoon calm. He turned abruptly to see a car speeding down the road, its engine roaring like a raging demon. Time seemed to freeze as reality ignited around him.

As the swerving car managed to avoid Ethan, it veered onto an uncontrollable trajectory, hurtling off the road to crash violently against a massive tree, in a deafening crash.

By luck, the wild car's trajectory was diverted at the last moment, narrowly avoiding young Ethan who, frozen by the horror of the situation, watched the scene with a mix of disbelief and terror.

The impact was so violent that the vehicle's cargo, previously balanced precariously, was propelled into the air, spinning in a chaotic dance before crashing back to the ground. Among the scattered objects, scattered fruits now littered the ground, among which was a pear, solitary and almost insignificant in the surrounding chaos.

Seeing the pears, Ethan remembered that he hadn't eaten anything today and suddenly thought to himself:

"Ah, a little pear won't hurt anyone."

Ethan placed the pear in his mouth and like Eve who had eaten the forbidden fruit, punished thereafter, Ethan's turn came. Destiny had not foreseen Ethan eating the pear.

But scarcely had he bitten into the tender flesh of the pear than reality warped around him. A sensation of suffocation engulfed him, as if each bite of the cursed fruit plunged him a little deeper into the abyss of darkness. Passersby froze to witness fate; they took out their phones in search of some views on TakTuk, filming the scene where Ethan suffocated.

He fell to the ground and heard:

"At 1k like, I'll help him."

But in a moment of lucidity, the driver noticed Ethan choking and rushed to his rescue.

"Call the hospital, he's choking... Who in their right mind eats a polystyrene pear..."

*****

[Opening of the system update]

Ethan opened his eyes, he was in a white room. A blue square appeared.

[CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You are the trillionth death]

[You receive the right to choose your reincarnation]

Choices appeared on the small blue square. Ethan had to choose a reincarnation.

[Noble, Emperor, genius]

Ethan, seeing the choices, was glad to have finished his life. A smile began to form on his face. His choice was already made. He could already imagine himself as an Emperor, surrounded by concubines.

His finger was about to choose Emperor when the system interface changed.

[After reviewing your past life, it seems that you lost 58k of Karma by eating the pear you stole, the choices will adapt to your Karma]

Ethan's face changed, his smile was torn off after reading what was written on the small blue square. But he thought the choices couldn't get worse.

[The choices are: Employed in an office, monk, journalist]

Ethan's face changed and he began to say thousands of insults.

''Shitty system, I'll show you some reincarnations, I'll destroy you, you fucking piece of shit....''

[42k]

[30k]

[10k]

[500]

[100]

[0]

[-1]

[The choices will change after your karma has fallen into negative]

[ERROR404]

The white room changed to red after the error message. Ethan was afraid, he stepped back a few steps.

[System restart]

The room turned black, then it lit up to change its color to purple. A music began to play.

[New system]

[Your new choices are]

[1 creature: rank(????), species(????), special ability (ability to take possession of all living beings)]

[2 creature: rank(SS+), species(king of dragons), special ability (mana power multiplied)]

[3 creature: rank (S+), species(king of orcs), special ability (divine manipulation, ability to manipulate all living beings weaker than oneself)]

He wanted to insult the system again but he was afraid of the repercussions. He thought for several minutes, he said that since he was going to choose a fantastic creature, he would take the dragon, because he could be as free as air. His finger clicked on creature number 2.

[CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE CHOSEN NUMBER 1]

[Are you sure you want to choose number 1?]

[yes]

[no]

His eyes widened, he didn't understand why the system hadn't accepted his choice. He thought his finger had slipped on number 1. But no matter, he could change his mind. When his finger touched the no box, the system wrote.

[Congratulations, your choice has been noted, you will reincarnate into creature number 1]

Ethan began to scream.

''What could be worse than this, my future life is already screwed!!!''

[The system reveals your choice]

[1 creature: rank(E), species(parasite), special ability (ability to take possession of all living beings)]

[World preparation]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[World launch].