Dr. Jonathan Reed, hailed as the mortal God of Life by the ordinary people, now found himself confined to a humble room, his frail body weakened by the passage of time and a battle with an illness that defeated even his intellect. Machines beeped rhythmically, monitoring his fading vital signs, while the sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air.
Lying in the bed, Jonathan felt a bittersweet warmth in his heart. He might have been the mortal God of Life, revered by all, but here he was, lying alone in a cold room. His research had never allowed him the time for personal relations.
Memories flooded his mind—memories of tireless research, countless hours spent in laboratories, and the countless lives he had touched through his groundbreaking medical breakthroughs. He devoted his life to eradicating diseases and extending the lifespans of countless individuals.
Yet, as he lay there, his body succumbing to the ravages of illness, Jonathan couldn't help but feel a profound sense of longing. He yearned for more time, more discoveries, and the opportunity to witness the fruits of his labor continue to blossom. Most of all, he yearned for the warmth of family and friends.
But he knew that his time had come. Instead of fearing death, he decided to embrace it as he had life. He wasn't a religious man, but he still wondered if there was something waiting for him on the other side.
His wisp-shaped soul left his body and entered another plane and he appeared in front of…his mother? He wanted to say something but was unable to.
His 'mother' picked up his soul and examined it closely. She said, "Dr. Jonathan Reed, also known as the mortal God of Life on Planet-2346742, a barren planet. You are currently in the ***** ** *************. You will move onto your next life from here.
The quality of your next life will depend on the amount of Good Karma that you have. Karma is something you accumulate through your actions. Good deeds result in good karma, and bad deeds result in bad karma. By sharing your research with the world, you have accumulated a lot of good karma. So much that even I am surprised.
Your Karma is the reason that you're speaking with me and not some low-level intern. I am the being in charge of the reincarnation of countless existences such as yourself. And I am somewhat of a top dog here. I hope that you don't mind my appearance. My real appearance would be too much for your current self and I just want you to feel comfortable."
Jonathan was confused and overwhelmed by his 'mother's' words. He wanted to express himself but was still unable to. As if understanding his plight, she tapped her finger on him.
He was suddenly capable of speech again. He said, "Where are we? I couldn't understand you." The being simply replied, "That's because you are too weak. Anyways, as I was saying, you are here to discuss the details of your reincarnation. Where you will reincarnate and what you will reincarnate into is based on the karma you accumulate.
With the amount of good karma you have accumulated, you are eligible for the highest grade Reincarnation Package, a Grade 9 Rainbow Reincarnation Package. The level of your Reincarnation Package determines your starting point in your next life.
You can only customize your next life if you have an Indigo Reincarnation Package or above. You can customize everything, your talent, family background, and even the type of world you will be reincarnated into.
Additionally, you can also use your karma to make changes and buy talents for your next life." Jonathan was overwhelmed by the sudden information. The being didn't wait for him to calm down but continued, "We will now begin creating the template for your next life."
A screen suddenly appeared in front of Jonathan, displaying a vast array of options and parameters. The being instructed him, "This is the Reincarnation Customization Interface, RCI for short. Here, you can select the specifics of your next life based on your accumulated karma. Choose wisely, for this will shape the path you walk in the next realm. Also, choose in order."
Jonathan's eyes widened with a mixture of excitement and trepidation as he gazed upon the myriad possibilities before him. The RCI had four tabs.
Transcendent Path | Race and Sex | Status | Karmic Talents
He clicked on the Transcendent Path tab. And a list of different Transcendent Paths appeared in front of him. His 'mother' said, "You can use the filter feature to make things easier. You will also see explanations in a way that you can easily understand."
Jonathan saw a small filter icon on the upper right corner. He clicked on it. He decided to filter any low-level Transcendent Paths and kept only the highest level ones. That reduced the long list to only five options and explanations that he was easily able to understand.
Immortal Cultivation: Peak of eastern fantasy worlds. Immortal life is the ultimate goal.
Wizard Civilization: Peak of western fantasy worlds. Pursuit of knowledge and truth.
Pantheonverse: Become a God in the beginning. Faith is the foundation of everything.
Mysterious World: Weird and mysterious existences lurk. Beware.
Beast Taming Civilization: ???
He ruled out Pantheonverse and the Mysterious World almost instantly. One of his colleagues was a big fan of web novels and would often tell him about them. So, he knew a fair amount about fantasy worlds. And from what he knew, faith was poisonous to the soul, and those mysterious existences were a bit too unpredictable.
This left him with Immortal Cultivation, Wizard Civilization, and Beast Taming. Immortal Cultivation suited him and his research, but the people of this world were not his cup of tea. Honor is supreme and killing over the tiniest of things? No, thank you.
Wizard Civilization fit him even more. But he faced the same problem. Wizards were too extreme. He was more curious about the Beast Taming Civilization. He looked at his 'mother' and asked, "Why doesn't the Beast Taming Civilization have a description?"