"Ouch! That hurt! Shadow, I thought we were on the same page here. What else was I supposed to say? Oh, look there's a dirt patch! You should put a flower there. I mean, is that what you wanted, or was it that you were upset that they didn't carve a visage of you on the zig-zaggedy mountain? Was that sheered off? Is that why you focused on it so much? That sucks, but I am not good with a chisel and…" Nira's rambling petered off as Shadow grew twice their size and poked her head again.
"Ow that was unnecessarily hard, my head is hurting from you jabbing it. I don't even know why I am feeling pain. Are you hurting my soul? Oh no, are you going to disintegrate it jab by jab into nothingness? Why Shadow? I thought we were friends."
Nira hung onto Shadow's arm in an attempt to remove their finger from the rapidly forming bump. Her complaints stopped as once again the images of the desolate landscape flowed across her mind. After each image, Shadow showed one of a verdant forest, a golden prairie, or a lovely lake surrounded by swaying grasses. Dead. Life. Dead. Life. The images scrolled through her mind slowly, like a parent exaggeratedly teaching their ridiculous child.
"Ooooh." Nira drawled out as it clicked. "So you want a garden?
Shadow face-palmed and snapped their fingers. A box appeared in front of Nira causing the human-shaped soul to jump back. She looked at Shadow as if to gauge their reaction, then back to the blue screen. Her eyes went wide and she grabbed the screen, pulling it closer as she read. A couple of minutes when by before Nira's sparkling eyes locked onto the cosmic being. She took a deep breath and asked the most important question.
"Is there magic?" Shadow twitched at the pitch Nira's voice reached and nodded. Nira couldn't help but do a happy dance right then and there.
"Oh, what about a system? Leveling? Would I be able to evolve? I always thought that was so cool. Wait, a second. Do I have to be a human again? Shadow, would I reincarnate or you are stuffing my soul into someone else's body? If you are considering the latter, could I persuade you for the former? I think I would rather start from the beginning than not. Ya know? I don't want to be human either. Also, who wants to be just a human? High human is the next step and all but what is the point then? Human. High Human. Immortal. Divine. Meh. Where is the journey in that? In the end, you are still human." Nira stared at Shadow and felt the need to add "-ish." to the end of her sentence.
"I mean, if you had to choose between being something human and something magical would you choose human? The only thing we have going for us is our adaptability and ability to jack things up. Ugh." Nira placed her hands on her ghostly hips and stared intently at Shadow and waited for their response. the shadowed figure nodded jerkily as they edged backward, and Nira shifted back to pelting the cosmic being with questions, and dreams.
"Not that being human is all bad." Nira twisted her ghostly fingers. She'd feel terrible if Shadow had been human once and she'd just slammed being a human when that was their infantile species. Who likes to be judged on what they were or once was? Nira didn't want to be that person.
Even if you evolved from human to high human. In the end, you are still human. In a fantasy world. Why? There are so many other species you could be! Shapeshifters, fae, elves, dragons. The possibilities are as far and wide as the imagination. I mean think of the evolution possibilities!" Nira threw her hands up in the air as she paced back and forth.
Nira froze mid-step and whirled back to face Shadow. "Could I have a skill that makes monsters like me? Wait. No no no. I love the animals but I don't want to be a catch and summon them kinda' girl if you know what I mean. Do you think it would be possible if I could, I dunno', have a pet? Cuddle all the cute and fluffy?" Nira beamed thinking of all the possibilities. She could have a little fairy cat or baby dragon. Sooo cute! Shadow gestured in a 'kind of, sort of' way, but that's ok. Nira would take that as a yes! Moving on.
"Will I be able to go on adventures? I don't know if I liked traveling, but adventuring sounds like a blast. Maybe I have a party and be part of a guild, or I could build a guild! How exciting." Nira rubbed her hands together like a gremlin receiving gold.
"I don't think I'd want to kill a bunch of monsters though. Hey Shadow," Nira grabbed hold of their hands. "Is the world that you're sending me to one where I don't have to kill all of the monsters? It's one thing to dungeon, those come back, and but even then..." Nira chewed on her lip. "I like animals and uh, I don't think that being a murder hobo is for me." Nira's brows furrowed and she slumped looking a little lost, as she stared at where her hands held onto Shadow's.
Shadow gently pulled a hand from Nira and petted her on the head like one would an adorable child or a cute little dog. For the barest minute, Nira leaned into the gentle affection. Shadow got her attention and gestured toward the blue box. Before her eyes, the screen fizzled, the previous text replaced with a slightly elegant font, and the color of the box brightened to cobalt.
---
[The Bet with Murphy]
Murphy and $%##^%*&!%, correction, Shadow made a bet. The details are unknown. For more information complete additional quests.
Shadow has hedged their bet on you.
To win, you must heal the broken continent, Vio, of damages wrought from extreme battles.
Bonus: Educate or counsel those who needlessly destroy their natural surroundings.
Reward: A favor from Shadow
Bonus Reward: Evolution perk
Failure: W#ped fr$m ex^$#e$&ce. Correction. A non-magical life in a world of magic.
---
Nira reread the Failure and looked at Shadow. "That was mean. You can't just ask people to do stuff and then if things go wrong you punish them like this. That would be torture you know."
Shadow just stood there waiting for Nira and she groused. "Fine, I get it. You provide the new life, the magic, and all the perks. Then it is up to them how far they go. "I think being non-magical would be worse than death," Nira gestured around them, "here I am. At least you're nice enough not to threaten to smite my soul into nonexistence. Though I think a non-magic life would be worse, I guess that's why you choose it."
Just as Nira gave selected her new life in a magical world, another box, this one a bold red popped up. It was only luck that Shadow grabbed her wrist before she accidentally agreed or dismissed whatever this was.
---
[Murphy's Tipped Scales]
In exchange for your choice of a first skill, Murphy will grant you a skill with at least the rank of uncommon.
This skill could mean the difference between a life of leisure, adventure, surviving-the-to-to-day, or death. There is a distinct possibility that this could go wrong.
Tip the Scales in Favor of Murphy, for a potentially epic skill?
---
Nira looked at the humanoid-shaped black mass that slowly released her wrist, "A jumpstart or a drawback." She stared at the screen, the red casting her soul into shades of purple before she glanced back at her only if somewhat terrifying friend. Nira grinned wickedly. She gently shifted the red screen aside with a poke, began her new life.
"What can go wrong, often goes wrong but when it goes right." Nira smirked and continued, "I'll take that chance."