A dull hum filled the air, the sound of unseen machinery whirring endlessly beyond the towering walls of the facility. The floor, a smooth white expanse, stretched infinitely in every direction, marked only by long, winding lines of individuals, all clutching tickets like his own.

  The man stared at the slip of paper in his hand. It bore a number—A47-9907—and nothing else. He tried to remember his name, his face, anything about himself before arriving here, but his mind was frustratingly bnk. The only thing he knew for certain was that this was not the world he once knew.

  “Next!” a voice called.

  He stepped forward, reaching a desk occupied by an entity that could only be described as a "receptionist." Their humanoid form shimmered slightly, as if they weren’t entirely bound by physical constraints. Their expression, though not unfriendly, was eerily neutral.

  The receptionist tapped a glowing panel, scanning over his details. “Ah, unforeseen accident. Seems rather unfortunate.”

  The words struck something deep within him, and before he could respond, images flooded his mind.

  A worksite. A towering crane groaning under its own weight. The shouts of his coworkers, frantic, distant. The feeling of the earth shifting beneath him as steel cables snapped, the horrifying realization as tons of metal came crashing down. A sharp, blinding pain—and then nothing. Just darkness.

  His breath hitched as he snapped back to the present. His hands trembled as he clenched the ticket tighter. “I… I died.”

  The receptionist gave a slight nod. “Instantly. No suffering. You weren’t due for departure, but accidents happen, and here we are.”

  A cold numbness spread through him. “So… what happens now?”

  “We are offering you a chance to live again. In a new world called Myrastia—a world teeming with magic and beasts. It’s dangerous, but full of opportunity.” The receptionist’s voice carried no inflection, but the words carried weight. “Before you accept, know this: you will not be reborn as a human, you were not able to produce enough good karma for that. You weren't a bad person, but not enough good deeds to grant you that luxury either.”

  The man swallowed, his mind struggling to process it all. “Then what will I be?”

  Before the receptionist could answer, a voice from the adjacent desk caught his attention.

  “No, no, no! You can’t seriously expect me to be a rat!” a man protested loudly.

  A different receptionist, this one with deep violet eyes and a more amused expression, sighed. “It’s not a rat, it’s a Shadow Fang Rodent. Stealthy, adaptable, and capable of evolving into a formidable predator.”

  The man groaned. “But it’s still a rodent.”

  “You should be grateful,” the receptionist continued. “Your karma score was quite poor. If not for a clerical reassessment, you might have been given something worse.”

  The man paled at that. “…Fine. I’ll take the damn rodent.”

  The receptionist smirked. “Excellent choice.” With a flick of their fingers, the man vanished in a spiral of light, leaving behind only his echoing compints.

  The man, now more nervous than before, turned back to his own receptionist, who regarded him patiently and eborated as if she read his mind. “As I was saying,” they continued, “you will choose your vessel. Select wisely, for this form will dictate your strengths, weaknesses, and survival in Myrastia. Since your karma score was much better than the st person you get an option. ”

  The man weighed his choices, reincarnate or pass on, but he wanted to live. With the reality of his situation sinking in he had wanted to ask a question, but before he could speak the receptionist continued. “Once you’ve chosen, your reincarnation will begin, and you will receive The System—a guide to assist you in adapting to Myrastia.”

  "I want to live, I will go to Myrastia." He told the receptionist nervously. He briefly thought about the system she spoke of. A system? A guide? He had no time to process before a force wrapped around him, pulling him into a vortex of light.

  The moment his consciousness settled, a voice echoed within his mind.

  [System Activated]

  Information flooded his senses. Myrastia was a world governed by a strict hierarchy. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, along with other humanoid beings possessed csses to gain levels and survive this harsh world. They grow stronger through training, experience, skill acquisition, and by killing beasts. However, the strongest beasts often rivaled or surpassed humanity’s elite warriors. In this world, beasts reigned supreme and the beasts at the top were tried and tested warriors, the strongest. A SSS ranked beast could only be killed by several SSS ranked humanoids. As a creatures rank increased, so did their lifespan. Beasts and creatures were ranked from F (the weakest) to beyond S (the strongest, often bordering on mythical). The system continued.

  [Your chosen form will determine your evolutionary path. As a beast, your strength will increase through combat and survival. Evolution will grant you new abilities, greater power, and the potential to ascend through the ranks.]

  A translucent interface materialized before him, dispying his chosen form and its evolutionary potential. His journey in Myrastia was about to begin and his first choice would determine everything. The choice was so daunting he had to think carefully about which path he wanted to take. He carefully inspected each choice.

  [Vessel Options:]

  Mongoose (Rank F)Primary Attributes: Agility, Tenacity, and Wisdom Weaknesses: low defense and low strengthAbilities: Poison Resistance, camoufugeomnivore

  2. Hippo Calf (Rank F)

  Primary Attributes: Strength, Vitality, and DefenseWeaknesses: low agility and low charismaAbilities: Thick skin, hydrophilicomnivore

  3. Lesser Python (Rank F)

  Primary Attributes: Agility, Perception, Strength Weaknesses: low endurance, low intelligenceAbilities: thermal vision, surf'n'turfcarnivore

  4. Badger (Rank F)

  Primary Attributes: Tenacity, Perception, Defense Weaknesses: low wisdom, low agilityAbilities: tremor sense and burrowomnivore

  5. White Tiger Cub (Rank F)

  Primary Attributes: Agility, Strength, Charisma Weaknesses: low endurance, low defenseAbilities: keen senses, Predatory Roarcarnivore

  The man had a difficult time choosing, each creature had its boons and its weaknesses. Given his past life had ended in a dangerous worksite accident, he felt like he had to favor a form that bances adaptability and resilience. The mongoose was agile and quick-thinking, but fragile so he may be missing out on enough survivability. The hippo calf had high endurance and strength, but slow and potentially requires a water source to really shine which limits his versatility. The lesser python's low intelligence was a scary thing to sacrifice and couldn't bring himself to do so. That leaves badger or the white tiger cub, he was no zoologist, but the tiger was one of the most powerful animals in his previous life. He had made his decision.

  "System, I choose white tiger cub."