"Please… we will do our best to assist you with any trouble you might face. Let's not let this situation escalate any further."
"I'll think about it. For now, please just send me to a proper world. And I want to be human. Don't turn me into a lizard, a fish, or anything else. If you do, I really will sue you," he said in a threatening tone.
"Of course... please, take a seat here," the man said with anxious voice, gesturing toward a chair.
"We will find a suitable place for you immediately. First, let me explain this, you still have eighty years left on your reincarnation eligibility. Therefore, we can only transfer you into the body of someone who already exists but has passed away. Don't worry, we will fully repair the new body before handing it over to you. However, you'll have to settle for a second-hand one," the tall man said as he and the young woman moved toward the computer.
"That's fine. But I don't want to be too old. Also, I don't want to be very poor or ugly... Oh, and please make sure my new body is male."
"Very well, Mr. Smith. We will take these into consideration."
The two of them sat down at the computer and began whispering to each other. In the quiet room, James could hear their conversation clearly.
"This one's too old. The planet's average lifespan is twenty years—he's already twenty-three. Eliminate this one… Ah, this planet doesn't have gender… Mr. James, would you consider being genderless? I've found a good body here."
"No... please maintain standards similar to my life on Earth."
"All right," they said, then turned their attention back to the computer.
"Ah, here we go. Perfect. A civilization similar to humans, two genders like humans, and an average lifespan of sixty years. A young male body. Just entered the system. Hmm… by human standards, I'd say he's fairly handsome," the man said.
"May I take a look?" James asked, getting to his feet.
"Oh—no, no. You're not allowed to look at this," the young woman said.
At that moment, the death officer in the Hawaiian shirt—who had been playing with his phone and whose presence they had completely forgotten—stood up.
"Let me see," he said, walking over to the computer.
"Oh, not bad… actually much better than how he looks right now. Well then, if he's not going to die again, my shift is over, so I can go home," he said, turning toward the door.
"9783993933478, there's no need for you to go home. You will accompany Mr. Smith in his new life… Mr. Smith, the small gift we're giving you is 9783993933478. You may use him however you wish."
"What? You're giving me who—what?" the death clerk said, pointing at himself with a confused expression.
"I don't understand. My gift… is this?" James asked, pointing at the death clerk with the same bewildered look.
"Ah yes… you may think of him as an assistant. Or...you know, humans have a concept called 'slave.' How you use him is entirely up to you. He was already scheduled for disposal anyway," the man said, proud of the gift they were offering.
"Disposal? But I'm supposed to retire! I've been working for three hundred years!"
"Hey kid... do you think three hundred years earns you retirement? Thousands like you have already been disposed of."
James could see the fear and despair on the death clerk's face.
"Why are you disposing of him?" James asked.
"Ah, Mr. Smith, you see, since the system here is linked to the human world, we advance with technology compatible with theirs. Since we switched to AI, we no longer need many employees. That's why inexperienced ones like him are being tossed back into non-existence," the man explained.
'How cruel,' James thought. He looked at the devastated man standing beside him.
"Fine, I accept your gift. Just send us on our way without further delay."
"Of course, right away. Please stand side-by-side so I can send him somewhere close to you," the man said.
James could hear the Death Clerk whispering beside him. "Please let it be somewhere by the sea... please let it be somewhere by the sea..."
They both closed their eyes and began to drift through the darkness once again.
...
James first noticed the room he was in light up with a sudden flash of lightning. Then he heard a terrifying thunder, as if the sky were splitting apart.
The sound jolted him back to his senses. He sat upright from where he lay, gasping for air. Even though his soul had entered the body, it had taken a moment to seize control. As he struggled to steady his breath, he tried to see his hands, desperate to confirm if his new form was indeed a human body.
He searched for a light source for a moment but found none. Then, with the light of another lightning strike, he saw them. Two hands, each with five long, thin fingers. They were human hands
'Thank God,' he whispered to himself. He stood up and began searching the room for a light. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he spotted a candle and a box of matches on a desk. Amidst the continuous flashes of lightning and the thunder that followed, he managed to light the candle with trembling hands.
Next, he looked for a mirror. He was lucky this time. This was definitely a civilization similar to that of humans. There was a full-length mirror right by the door.
When he reached the mirror in excitement, he was taken aback and recoiled a few steps because of the sight he saw. He slowly approached again. His shirt was soaked in blood. There were three holes in it.
At that moment, James realized the first grim truth about his new life and his new body.
They had given him the body of a murder victim.