Rufus suddenly asked,
"So… which world will you choose?"
Richard stared at him.
"…What?"
His confusion wasn't hidden this time.
Choose?
Choose what?
Seeing his expression, Rufus blinked.
Then he tilted slightly.
"Wait," he said slowly, "is this your first time in the Life and Death Valley?"
Richard hesitated, then nodded.
"Yes."
Rufus went silent for a full second.
Then—
"Oh."
Another pause.
"Ohhh."
He let out a short laugh.
"That explains a lot."
Richard felt mildly irritated.
"Explains what?"
Rufus drifted closer again, clearly energized.
"It explains why you look like someone dropped into a final exam without telling you the subject."
Richard frowned.
"I was dropped," he muttered.
Rufus paused.
"…Fair."
He cleared his nonexistent throat dramatically.
"Alright, rookie. Let me educate you."
He gestured toward the endless flow of Vismṛ.
"After a soul finishes drifting here and the memories fade, it doesn't just get randomly thrown somewhere."
Richard listened carefully.
"You get assigned," Rufus continued. "Or—if you qualify—you choose."
"Choose?" Richard repeated.
"Yes," Rufus said. "Worlds."
He lowered his voice slightly.
"There are countless mortal realms connected to the Cycle. Low worlds. High worlds. Cultivation worlds. Technological worlds. Even broken worlds."
Richard felt his thoughts spin again.
"Most souls don't get a choice," Rufus added. "They're too weak. Too empty. They drift straight into whatever world matches their remaining essence."
He pointed at Richard.
"But you? You're conscious. Your memories are intact. That means you qualify for selection."
Richard was silent.
This was too much information at once.
"So…" Rufus continued casually, "which world do you want?"
Richard looked down at the flowing river beneath them.
"I don't even understand this one yet," he said quietly.
Rufus laughed softly.
"Good. That means you're thinking."
Then he added, more seriously,
"Choose carefully. The next world you enter… might define everything."
Rufus gestured toward the distant glow of the Life Door.
"When you approach the Door of Life," he said, "it won't just open randomly."
Richard listened carefully.
"It divides into nine paths."
"Nine?" Richard asked.
Rufus nodded.
"Yes. Nine primary realms."
He counted slowly, as if teaching a child.
"First — Mortal. Ordinary worlds. No supernatural power."
"Second — Technology. Advanced civilizations. Machines, artificial intelligence, starships."
"Third — Magic. Mana, spells, elemental systems."
"Fourth — Cultivation. Spiritual energy, realms of power, sects, all that dramatic nonsense."
He paused slightly before continuing.
"Fifth — Demon realms."
"Sixth — Devil realms."
"Seventh — Immortal realms."
"Eighth — Higher Human realms."
"And ninth…"
He looked upward.
"God realms."
Richard felt overwhelmed just hearing it.
"And I can choose any of these?" he asked quietly.
"If you qualify," Rufus replied.
He drifted closer, voice lowering slightly.
"But before you get excited, there's something important."
Richard looked at him.
"Every soul has a distinguishable form," Rufus explained. "Our soul structure determines what we can be reborn as."
He pointed lightly toward Richard's soul.
"Yours is human in structure. Mine too."
"So we'll be reborn as humans," Richard said slowly.
"Yes," Rufus replied. "No matter which world you choose, you will be born as a human of that world."
Richard processed that.
"And demon or devil worlds?" he asked.
Rufus's tone turned more serious.
"In demon and devil realms, humans are the minority."
A pause.
"Very low population."
"Meaning?" Richard asked.
Rufus gave a dry laugh.
"Meaning if you're born there as a human… your life won't be glamorous."
He continued calmly,
"You'll likely be at the bottom. Possibly a slave. Possibly livestock. Possibly worse."
Richard felt a cold sensation pass through him.
"So choose carefully," Rufus said lightly, though his tone carried weight. "Power fantasy sounds attractive until you realize you might start at the bottom of the food chain."
He tilted slightly, amusement returning.
"Of course, if you enjoy suffering and dramatic backstories, demon realm could be exciting."
Richard almost smiled despite himself.
"Do you already know your choice?" he asked.
Rufus hummed.
"Oh, I have preferences."
Then he looked directly at Richard.
"But this is your first rebirth."
His voice softened just slightly.
"Think carefully. The world you enter next… will shape who you become."
Suddenly, both Richard and Rufus felt a force pulling them upward.
The current of Vismṛ no longer held them.
Richard stiffened.
"What's happening?" he asked.
Rufus laughed lightly.
"Relax. It's time."
"Time for what?"
"To choose," Rufus replied. "The Life Door is calling."
Richard felt unease rise inside him, but Rufus seemed almost excited.
Finally, Rufus muttered under his breath, almost to himself,
"I'll be seeing you soon, you old hag…"
Richard looked at him. "What?"
"Nothing," Rufus said quickly. "Personal matter."
Then he turned serious.
"It's time to choose your door, Richard."
He paused.
"If fate allows… we'll meet again."
The two souls drifted upward, pulled toward the distant green radiance.
As they rose higher, Richard looked back.
The vast Vismṛ River stretched endlessly behind him.
He still couldn't comprehend how large it truly was.
From this distance, it looked calm.
Golden.
Majestic.
Forgiving.
But he knew better.
It was terrifying in its silence.
It erased everything without hatred.
Without mercy.
He looked toward the Wardens standing along its banks.
Their ethereal white forms shimmered faintly.
They were the most otherworldly beings he had ever seen.
Yet compared to the statue—
They felt smaller.
His gaze shifted further.
In the distance stood the Door of Death.
Black and white energy slipped from its edges like mist.
Ominous.
Final.
He remembered being thrown through it.
The green-haired man.
The three envoys.
Their heads severed.
The crushing force.
The statue's golden eyes.
"This one is a failure."
And the two figures it summoned.
Richard felt a flicker of anger.
And confusion.
Then—
He remembered Rufus.
"If fate allows… we'll meet again."
For the first time in a long while—
Richard smiled.
A small, genuine smile.
Soon, the pulling force separated them.
Rufus drifted toward one direction.
Richard toward another.
They didn't speak again.
There was no need.
The force finally stopped him before the Life Door.
Standing before it—
He felt smaller than an ant before a mountain.
The door was pale green, ancient, and vast beyond measure.
At its center—
An eye was carved into its surface.
As Richard approached, the eye slowly opened.
A red pupil stared directly at him.
He froze.
The gaze felt intrusive.
Measuring.
Then—
The door opened with a low, resonating sound.
A powerful suction pulled him inside.
Countless souls drifted with him.
But after crossing the threshold—
He found himself alone.
Silence.
Darkness.
Then—
Nine doors appeared before him.
Floating in a semicircle.
Each radiated a different aura.
Without being told, Richard understood.
Mortal.
Technology.
Magic.
Cultivation.
Demon.
Devil.
Immortal.
Higher Human.
God.
His thoughts slowed.
Before choosing—
Memories surfaced again.
His mother's gentle voice.
Nick knocking on his door.
Emily buying spiritual books.
The countryside moonlight.
The green-haired overseer.
The statue.
Failure.
The blue force protecting him.
Rufus laughing.
"If fate allows… we'll meet again."
Richard's expression hardened slightly.
He had already made his decision.
He didn't want an ordinary life again.
He didn't want to be powerless.
He didn't want to be crushed and judged without understanding why.
He began drifting toward one particular door.
His movement was steady.
No hesitation now.
As he reached it, he extended his consciousness and touched its surface.
For a brief moment—
The door vibrated.
Then it opened with a sharp swoosh.
A brilliant light engulfed him.
And Richard—
Was nowhere to be seen.