Choices

Time passed.

Soren regained consciousness in a haze. He didn't remember much of what happened except for the feelings of intense sadness and envy. He hadn't known those emotions were inside him. Strangely, there seemed to be something else hidden in his mind now. Something that didn't exist before.

'That was... miserable. Why am I feeling this way? What happened to me?' 

'And why, why am I back to this hellish darkness? I should've left to never come back here.'

'Why am I the only one who has to go through this? I bet everyone on Earth is just relishing in my death while I am stuck here. I want to live lavishly too. No, I need to live a good life. Haha, that's what my parents wanted right?' Soren reasoned to himself hysterically.

With a hasty decision, he decided to leave again, as he wanted nothing to do with this place. Yet, as per the unlucky script, he wasn't allowed past the wall this time. 

'What is wrong with this, I need to have a wonderful life while rewarding my enemies who have everything. Why are you blocking me?' 

Deciding to try again later he left his mind and looked around the empty darkness again.

He saw the familiar white light in the far distance, turning his "eyes", he looked to the opposite side not expecting anything different. 

At that moment, a single dark burgundy light was floating in the distance—entirely the same presence as the previous light, but more menacing. 

Soren stared at it with fascination. 'How murderous.'

He decided to use his zoom ability on the darker orb of light.

"Do you choose this demonic ability? Your first one is permanent." A robotic voice asked with no emotions. Entirely different from the powerful Voice from before. No, this one didn't seem to be occupied by any living being.

'Woah-ho-ho-hoo, what's this about a permanent ability?' Soren thought without worrying about the new presence in the void.

"Do you choose this demonic ability?" the voice echoed again, not reiterating its second sentence.

Soren immediately zoomed in on the shining white light.

"Do you choose this heavenly ability?" the voice said once more.

'As I thought, this must be the true gift. How do I know which one to pick though? Considering it's an ability, I'll more than likely have to fight in some way.'

Looking away from the white light, he considered his options, 'Heavenly or demonic? I should do heavenly, but if I want what others have, I need to be able to take it. Demonic sounds forceful enough.'

Returning to the burgundy light, the prompt sounded again, "Do you choose this demonic ability?"

'Yes,' Soren replied happily.

He looked back at the heavenly light with a gloating look.

Hearing an acceptable answer the voice disappeared and the burgundy light orb turned slightly darker, before returning to normal. 

As that was happening, a terminal of sorts appeared.

[-Name: Soren Lopel-]

[-Affiliation: None-]

[-Worlds Ascended: 0-]

[-Physical Attributes-]

[-STR: 4-]

[-AGI: 7-]

[-END: 5-]

[-VIT: 5-]

[-RS: 8-]

(----View Abilities----)

[--Enter Next World--]

(STR=Strength, AGI=Agility, END=Endurence, VIT=Vitality, RS=Reaction Speed)

"Oh hell yeah! That's me right there." Soren exclaimed with glee.

"I'm talking out loud. I-I have a body? Since when? This is fantastic," he laughed in contentedness. 

Most people on Earth are average, some work out, others do not. Some eat healthy while others die from obesity. The number 5 equates to a normal human. If they have a 5 they neither excel nor are they lacking. 10 would be the epitome of a standard human ability. 

"Right let me see what ability I got too."

(-Abilities-)

(Permanent Ability: Ability Plundering: Low chance to usurp a fallen adversary's ability, replacing one of your non-permanent abilities)

(1: Deaths needed = 1)

(2: Deaths needed = 6)

(3: Deaths needed = 11)

(4: Deaths needed = 16)

(5: Deaths needed = 21)

(6: Deaths needed = 26)

(7: Deaths needed = 31)

(8: Deaths needed = 36)

(9: Deaths needed = 41)

(10: Deaths needed = 46)

"How fitting. I'm free to change out my abilities if they're inadequate. I will take what others rely on most and use it for myself." 

"I mean I can't use this yet, but I'm sure it'll help later on. What's up with all the deaths required though? Must be a fetish some god has." Soren's mood dimmed only partially. 

 'I should probably be able to leave now right?'

Checking his mind, the "wall" seemed to have vanished into thin air. 

'Yeah, makes sense, there is a button now too. I kind of want to click it. 

[--Enter Next World--]

'Do I try to think of a plan? I should, but the button is right there. It's seducing me to touch it.'

A moment later the button was clicked speedily as if it would disappear had it not been pressed right then. 

Soren not knowing what would happen, felt the floor drop again.

'Sh*t'

'I'll be half dead when I get there, but wait I get an ability the next time I die.'

Falling through the void, the feeling of wind brushing past him felt familiar. He prepared for the worst to happen again, not even enjoying the wind.

Time passed by slowly as the wind kept getting faster, and more turbulent. Soon it reached its peak speed and this time he could see the ground in the distance.

In the center was a greyish circle made of unknown material. Around that was a black-colored stone floor, also circle in shape, but about five times the grey circle. Beyond these circles laid castle walls built with the same dark stone towering up to about three stories tall. There was only one gate allowing entrance and exit. To which someone or something was standing by. 

As Soren fell from the sky at an incredible speed, he couldn't help but marvel at the old architecture. 

As he approached the ground he decided to close his eyes and let his back hit first.