Choosing my Race and also my Character Customization.

Ah, you're here again. Well, the last chapter you finished reading was about my reunion with my family right? Well, I'll go on and skip the things we talked about, ok? As much as I want to share, I don't really want to bore you people with overly warm and fuzzy stuff like that.

Anyway, after finishing our chat, I wiped my tears away and inhaled a deep breath as a means to psych myself up, when I was fully ready, my father send me away with a pat on the back, he also added some more things in the package.

"What are you waiting for? Go and get them J, give the people there Heaven, and if you find some people that prefer hell, give it to them." My father said with a laugh. I smiled at him and his remarks which actually push my already good mood to 10x.

With my back straight and my head held high, I walked to where the Angel is standing, alone again. even with the possibility that it would be the last time I would see my beloved family, I didn't look back, I made that a symbolism to myself.

For me, it means that the blessings that have been given to me are enough for the time being and also that I am very thankful, and as thanks, I would try my very best in the upcoming second life that was given to me. The Angel though was alone again, the sign of the other guy with him nowhere to be found. I didn't bother asking where he went because I already know where he went.

Now psyched to the limits, I told the Messenger that, well I am ready. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's get movin!" Looking at me intently, the Angel gave me an amused smile before acknowledging my fire. "I like the look in your eyes; they're burning. Ok then. Welcome to Gaia!" When he exclaimed the last parts, the white surrounding we were in shattered like glass and continued to break into smaller pieces until they became small dots and took a permanent place in space up above my head.

Some of the shattered whatever it was started to lose their white color and became grayish, and also started to become less edgy and become more fluffy. The changes fascinated me and outright blew me away, that and the pull of gravity that once again took ahold of me and was now pulling me to where something that has mass, got ignored for a few moments.

Oh also, the Messenger was affected by gravity and was also falling at the same speed as I am.

When it registered to me that I am freaking falling, I screamed like there was no tomorrow; I still haven't experienced any skydiving so I am sure my reaction is totally normal (which thinking about it, is the first normal thing I did. Man I am weird…).

The Angel gave me some space and didn't talk and only stared at me as I was screaming; I think he was smiling though. But it then hit me; I am an unembodied spirit so I won't die if I fell, even from this height. That helped me calm down enough for me to think more rationally.

And so, after calming my freaking out heart and having stopped screaming my head off, I looked at the Angel waiting for him to do or say something.

I saw his amused smile too, which irritated me, thankfully, he caught on and started to speak. "Now that you calmed down, I'll teach you the basics of this World. I will also help you choose a Race for yourself and give you a small overview of how Magic works here." With the words 'Race' and 'Magic' entering my spirit ears, I became more pumped up and also giddy.

Oh, you're wondering why I'm so happy to hear those words? Well, I am a western breed Otaku and so Magic and Races stuff really excites me. My typical genre though is Sci-fi, Action, Adventure, and the like. As for games, I am faithful to Action RPG games that have an amazing story and expanded universe.

I can hear you saying 'No wonder, why you're so happy hearing about Races and Magic.'

And, well, I totally agree with you, I have some burning fashion for these kinds of genres so experiencing it for real would have really sent me happily rolling on the floor if we weren't falling that is.

But then I restrained myself from exploding like a little kid in an amusement park and continued to listen to the Messenger's lecture. "This world in which you will inhabit as a citizen is ruled by Magic and Mana of which, only entities with Souls can use. It is also in its seasons of swords and kings, of which wars are a common event in the lives of the people that live here. Gaia is also home to multiple Races that have their own roots and also own societies." The Angel said, summarizing the history and fundamental laws of this world.

But he didn't stop there, he then continued on. "Magic as said before can only be of use to beings with Souls. The Creator has blessed this world with a great Gift for its citizen to Bless others as well. It was given to them to be able to help their neighbors and at the same time, show the love in their hearts through this magnificent Blessing. Magic requires the wielder to shape the Mana that flows around them into a form in which embodies the thoughts of the wielder, as it does this, it also Reads the Elemental Affinity of the wielder and takes its basic properties. Then whatever the command would be, the Mana that has been shaped and formed would fulfill it. This is the Gift of God to the Denizen of Gaia and now to you. Use it wisely and use it to Bless others that your time in the land may belong." He finished. Once again he was being all 'Divinely Dignified' as he explained these things to me. Oh, by the way, we are still falling.

Confirming that I understood what he said, I gave him a nod, though at the same time, wanting to clarify how Magic works, I shot out a question. "So to clarify how Magic works, only entities with Souls can manipulate Mana that is abundant in the atmosphere?" As an answer, the Messenger gave me a nod.

"And that Everyone has an Elemental Affinity or something that constructs the basic properties of the matched Element, and then after that, a Mental Image would then decide the primary effects of the Magic?" Once again, another nod. "And lastly, it needs a Command for the Magic Spell to finish and have an actual effect?" Yet again, another nod.

Now with my knowledge being confirmed, I also nodded to myself and started to absorb it thoroughly into my brain, it would prove very important later on. Seeing that I was done with my question, the Angel continued on. "Now as for the Races, there are 6 main Races that inhabit this world, they are Humans, Elves, Beastmen, Dwarves, Angels, and lastly Daimons. As said before, each and every one of these Races has a unique and stable society, though they also engage in interaction with one another. Each of them also has a unique Racial trait that they alone as a part of that certain Race can utilize." The last part piqued my interest, but there's a certain topic I should resolve first.

"You mentioned that there is a Race of Angels in this world right? Are they like you? Are you from Gaia too?" I asked. The topic was kinda important to me because if the Angels that I am falling from the sky with, be one of them then they would probably be the strongest Race in the whole world of Gaia.

Not wasting any second to respond, the Angel gave his Answer. "No, I am not from Gaia nor is the Race of Angels in this world similar to me. I am a Resurrected Being and I am now immortal. The Angels of this world are all mortals, though they share the same task as us. They too are Messengers of God. Another thing, a Resurrected Messenger or as you know, an Angel is called a Seraph here in Gaia." And that took care of one of the questions that are floating around in my head, though I have some more that I really want answers to come, I don't think I have the luxury of time.

When I turned my attention away from the Angel, I noticed that the ground was approaching rapidly, which reminded me that we were still falling from the sky. As a reflex, I covered my face with my arms seeing that it would be the first part of me that would hit the solid ground; even having the understanding that I am a spirit and doesn't currently have a body, I still flinched like heck, a total contrast from when I was conversing with the Messenger from Heaven while falling.

I waited for a confirmation that I finally reached the ground but it didn't come, with closed eyes, I was not able to see what happened. But then when I tried to peek to see what was happening and why I'm still not hitting the ground, I saw the horizon of a field of green grass, I also saw some trees standing upright and not upside down like how I expected to see them if I am falling headfirst.

I was confused for a second but when I fully opened my eyes, I saw the Angel standing on the grassy ground and was smiling at me, smiling amusedly again at my reactions. I am starting to think that this guy is some kind of sadist or maybe he just likes seeing me panicking or something. But yeah, that confirmed to me that I am now standing upright not falling headfirst like before.

Voicing my mind, I directed my attention to the Angel again. "You really like seeing me making a fool out myself ain't ya?" He didn't answer though. He just cleared his throat and donned his 'Divine Dignity' and started to talk again. Really irritating even for an Angel.

"Ahem. Now that you have a basic knowledge of this World's denizens and natural laws, we will now proceed to the next phase of your rebirth. Choose a Race that you want to be born into." Just after he said that images of all those Races came and materialized themselves around me, they then started to revolve around me like planets in the solar system; speaking of which, how many planets does this solar system have? I would probably never find out.

Oh well, as I was saying, the images were all excellent examples of their respective races, they were handsome and amazing looking. Though I also saw some that didn't really match the way I imagine them to be. For example, Dwarves; were not short and stout and had a face covered by long beards they were just small and short.

But there was something else that really caught my eyes, it was an image of a metal being shaped like a knight. It didn't revolve around me unlike the others, it was just there hanging in the background in front of me, it was also kinda transparent, unlike the others who are solid as any image can be. To be honest, it didn't just catch my attention, it's tugging me to it, my soul and attention are literally being drawn into it like a long-lost part finally reunited with each other.

Not really having the strongest 'holding back' capacity, I question the Angel about it. "What Race is that one, the one that's hanging in the background?" I said while pointing at the subject. The Messenger happily answered me and I can see in his eyes that he was expecting something like this.

"That one is an artificial Race created by the combined efforts of Elves and Dwarves. They were the primary foot soldier in the late periods of the war that occurred 250 years ago. They are known as SiegeFrames" Another topic that raised a question. I am really itching for answers but I can feel that they will be given to me in time. It still bothered me like heck though.

Moving away from that, I drowned in excitement when I heard the explanation. An artificial Race purposely built for battles and war was one of my fantasies in my younger years.

I always imagined myself walking in an open field while hail after hail of bullets is showering on me like rain but I would've just continued on walking while all of the bullets get crumpled as they hit my hard indestructible armor. And with that, I entered my 'Robots, Cyborgs and Mechs, are awesome as heck' world.

Probably seeing in my face that I am now floating into my fantasy world, the Angel gave out a defeated sigh before mumbling to himself, "A lost cause." And after that declaration, he then cleared his throat again to gain my attention. "Are you sure you wanted to be reborn as that race? You will have to give up some pleasures and mundane things, this might affect you mentally, do you still want to continue?" Said the Messenger. I can tell that that warning has some deeper meaning than just the things he said.

Ominous as it can be, I still chose to go on with it. "Yes. I am sure. I can feel it. I can feel that choosing to be born as a SiegeFrame, I would be making the best choice." I said honestly. I can truly feel it, in my soul, in my entire being, for that moment was like I was being drawn to that specific Race.

Though the Angel ruined the mood. "Are you sure that it's not you just immersing yourself too deeply in your fantasies?" From solemn to mad, that's how my expression changed. "You son of a- Argh! It's not the time you know! I am being serious here!" If you think I almost cussed an Angel you are wrong, I am not really a fan of swearing so I don't actually swear.

Also, my father and mother also drilled it into me even when I was young (when I said drill I mean almost literally) to not swear so I didn't. It just became a habit of me always trying to sound that I am attempting to swear, kinda gives me some flare you know hehehehehe.

Back to the Angel, he started laughing heartily upon hearing my angry retort, which made me angrier and was ready to grab his neat suit collar and shake him till he throws up. But then he told me why he did that. "Calm down, calm down. I am just teasing and testing you. Again, you have accepted this role before even Earth or this world of Gaia existed so the thing you felt is because of that choice. I am also not mocking you, in fact, I admire you because you are readily accepting things that an everyday person will find mind-boggling and shocking enough to mentally paralyze them temporally." Said the Messenger.

That made me cool down. Seeing that I am calm enough to listen again, he proceeds. "Well, back to the topic. Now that you have agreed to the decision you've made long ago, I will now proceed to attach your soul to a suitable vessel."

When he said that, I felt my body (you know, my soul or whatever you wanna call it) become heavier somehow. I then felt like something hard like a shell is starting to grow on the surface of my skin (again soul or whatever).

I also started seeing blue-colored characters that look like they're supposed to be letters that scroll up in my vision along with some blue loading screens that matched the pace of the text.

Though even with that occupying my vision, I also noticed that my soundings are slowly disappearing into darkness, my vision was fading. Seeing that the process was already starting, I hurriedly asked my probable last question for the Messenger of Heaven for the moment.

"What's your name!" I shouted. As if shocked or something, he showed a visible flinch when he heard me. But before he answered he also gave me a question to reply to. "Why do want to know?" And without hesitation, I answered him honestly. "Well, calling you 'Angel' or 'Messenger' is kinda tiring and in my opinion, rude. So it would be easier if we meet again to just call you by name than alternating two indirect identifications." As if to signify that he was thinking about my reasons, he placed his fingers on his chin, he looks like one of those supermodels that were posing for some magazine.

After a few seconds of pondering, he gave me his answer. "Amulon." He said simply. As I expected, it won't be a long name so I ingrained that in my mind. My vision on the other hand was only moments away from being completely filled with nothing but black and darkness along with some loading bars and text I can't understand. Even with all that, I gave Amulon the Angel a huge grin as a sign of thanks.

Probably understanding the meaning behind my gesture, he returned the grin with his own which was the last thing I saw before my eyes completely became useless.

Now completely blind, I dropped my grin and started to try and come up with possible scenarios that I would encounter, then the voice of Amulon came, but it was like those disembodied voices that you hear in movies. "Hearken o man; the heavens have opened and smiled upon thee. This is the prophecy spoken by the prophets of Gaia, and it shall be laid bare unto thine eyes and ears. And saith the Lord of host, hear thou my call O great soldier. Let thine sword pierce the wicked and thy shield protect the just. Unite with the chosen and free the captives. For thy gain I bless thee; Thine heart will not fail thee, nor your limbs. Thy skin would be as steel and thine eyes as of hawks. thine cries shall be heard by thy father and thy wound be succored by thine mother. Let thine siblings lead thy path and hold the light of hope high. I shall send thee a help and she shall support thee, bring thee purpose and goal. Cry for thine memories and unite thee with her family. Protect her and care for her, for she shall be thine nurturer. These things I give thee, and I your Father pray, that ye walk straight and lead thy brethren." After he finished, silence came.

Once again in my short time as I'm reincarnated to this new world, an overwhelming feeling of amazement came over me. I was speechless to find that I have been given blessings comparable if not equal to prophets and heroes of old.

The silence didn't last long though, a new voice called out to me. "John Scot, I ask thee, what thou desirest?" Continuing the old English motif that Amulon started, the new voice asked. I can't ascertain what's the gender of the voice, it sounds soft but at the same time sharp.

Though I didn't really understand what the question meant, of course, I understood that the voice is asking me what I desire, but in what context? Like was it something I want now or later? Something I like or what? I don't know. I didn't answer right away, because of course, I am hesitant to waste something that would probably be important later on.

I started thinking about it deeply and along the way, asked myself; What do I want? Is there something that I desire to achieve or gain? What is it that I want? Was it something material or some kind of ability? I asked all of these questions to myself and thought about the answer I gave myself deeply. Then I came to a conclusion; I want to be like the Characters that I see in anime and movies, the Main Character that protects the one he loves and the ones important to him.

The Hero saves someone on a brink of danger and foils the villain's plan. I want to be the Hero Character that people that I would meet come to know. It seems childish I know but it was also one of my fantasies. But I am not naïve enough to believe that I would always be that character, and I know that not everyone can be saved by my own hands, even so. I want to be able to live that fantasy even a fraction of it would be enough for me.

Burning with determination to be able to finally have a chance to become what I aspire to be in my childhood, I answered. "I want to be able to protect the ones I consider important. I want to have the ability to keep someone safe and secure. I also want the ability to fight and win against evil and give peace to people. I want to be a Hero."

The moment that I answered, the text that was scrolling up in my vision flickered, the loading bars filling themselves to the brim and I also felt that my body is now completely encased by the shell that was growing on my skin. It took me a few seconds to understand that my soul is now fixed in the body of the race that I chose.

Though I didn't regain 'consciousness' right away. After a few more seconds of nothing but black, a blue text appeared in my vision and it seems like it was able to translate itself to English. It said "Prompt: Machine" to me. I didn't really know why but some more like that appeared one after another. Some of them felt like there were asking a question, giving me two items in the prompt like, 'Strength or Agility' some were like 'Heavy, Medium, or Light'.

Though I wasn't really able to answer any of them because whenever I was ready to give my answer they would just go and change into a new topic. It continued for I think like a minute but after that the blue text greeted me, literally.

"John Scot, welcome to Direct Soul Golem Control Systems. You are now operating a Nigtoreck Zedtract model." That made the otaku me explode like a firework in excitement. After the greetings, a whole image of the body that I inhabit started materializing itself in my vision, having the same blue color as the text.

That made me more excited as I was able to see the appearance that I currently possess. "Now this is what I call Badass," I said to myself not really able to contain my excitement.