A familiar room spreads before my eyes. Unlike before, there are five doors to choose from, so I don't have to worry about being pushed through by some unknown, unpredictable force.
As soon as I took a step forward, a flurry of intent rushed to my head all at once, inundating my mind with suggestions and requests of desire, almost maniacally, even.
I suppress them, having grown accustomed to the sentient greed that the doors seemed to exude. However, it wasn't all the way there. Despite my mental fortitude, I still had this gnawing feeling at the back of my head, urging me to make a decision, and fast.
I examine the doors more closely, making sure not to step too close or grip the knob in anyway. Even if I'm not forced to choose anymore, I still felt somewhat suspicious of the 「system」. For the time being, anyways.
The first door, the one on the very left was kind of sleek, with snake leather covering the entire thing. I took one slow, careful step forward.
「Race: Unknown
Available Skills: Tough Scales, Draconic Physique
Magic: Earthen Volley, Water Bullet」
Hmmm…interesting, VERY interesting. This door is most likely from the Earth Wyrms that I hunted at the orders of the witch. The skills intrigued me, especially the presence of 「Tough Scales」 and 「Dragonish Physique」. The former skill was deemed impossible to assimilate when I absorbed it through my attributes. However, the fact that the option to obtain these skills, along with a skill that seemed to pair well with it, has been presented to must mean that I could obtain these skills now, even if I had already rejected it…at least I think so, anyways. I could be wrong, but my instincts say that that's the case. The magic category, intrigued me especially. The two available spells for me must have been the high pressure spell that almost killed me and the earthen spell that I see commonly casted by magical creatures in the labyrinth. This aspect intrigued me, as they were spells that are beyond my attribute. Is it possible to assimilate them? Or would they just be spells that I wouldn't have access to?
That last thought made me take a step back and think about this seriously. I still have other options, I should focus more on that. With that, I turn to look at the next door.
This one looked a little more rough. The door looked like it a slab of dried-up earth with cracks in the shape of scales. The knob looked like a roughly carved lump of rock. I took a step forward.
「Race: Unknown
Available Skills: Rough Scales, Launch Scales
Magic: None」
The Rock Serpent, then. To be honest, it was a little depressing to see such a strong creature's fallen remains displayed like this. I will the panel away and move on to the next a door just a little bit disappointed.
The next door was pitch-black with — what I assumed to be — burning hot lava coursing through it in an intricate runic pattern. Like the others, I took forward just enough for the status panel to appear.
「Race: Unknown
Available Skills: Herculean Strength, Gigantic Physique
Magic: Flame Burst, Dark Volley」
This one did not disappoint me. Unlike the one before, this 'path' — as the 「system」 calls it — seemed to provide me with a much more fitting set of abilities for myself. Choosing this path would give me the much needed boost in physical prowess that I need. Moreover, it's from the Ogre Variant—a creature with a similar elemental aptitude to myself.
I take a begrudging step away and move on to the next one. Door number three seems to be the right one for me, I chirped to myself.
The next door looked a lot more sinister and evil, possessing a flame-red frame and a fiendish aura that felt…otherworldly, yet familiar. I don't know if it's because of my…situation, but seeing that aura lit a spark in me I didn't even know I had. I leaned forward.
「Race: None
Available Skills: Demonic Strength, Devilish Physique, Sense Evil, Holy Weakness
Magic: Burning Hands, Leaping Burst」
…Huh, interesting. A demonic path. Though the door clearly looked demonic in nature, I didn't think that it would actually be one. This definitely came from the failed summoning ritual, more specifically when I absorbed the foreign mana in the air. That would mean that the beast beyond the summoning circle was that strong, or simply influential enough to warrant an evolutionary path closer to it with just a whiff of it's mana. Still, it didn't beat the third door. Having another weakness, though I lacked the insight to even know what it is, is an immediate demotion.
I move to the next one and examine it and examine it clearly.
This door, and the first one from the left looked just about the same. They both had leather made out of snake skin, except this one had lime-green liquid coursing through it. Poison, most likely, from the hydra, the beast I had just defeated prior to being sent here. Before I could get any closer, the status screen appeared before my very eyes.
「Race: None
Available Skills: Adamantine Scales, Venomous Bite, Frost Weakness
Magic: Earthen Volley, Water Cannon, Tremor」
That's…a lot. Possibly even more than I would have liked. The skills themselves are clear enough, especially the fact that I don't have to guess what they can do, though 「Frost Weakness」 does put me off a little bit, especially since I have 「Cold Weakness」 as one of my most-used skills and first-learned skills. The spells are very alluring as well…but the incongruence with my own element is really rubbing me the wrong way. The sound powerful though, especially 「Water Cannon」 and 「Tremor」.
Still, I'll have to go with my first choice. I step towards the third door, the one from the Ogre Variant. Even with all those attractive benefits, I think that having something more fitting will be a much better choice than having too many things to adjust to.
I grip the doorknob, feeling a sense of hopelessness and passion as I do so. It seems I made the right decision.
I take a deep breath and open the door.