"You have suffered more than most, Justin Herass. These gifts shall decide how far your new beginning takes you."
Justin blinked, his mind racing to process her words.
Three gifts? That was it?
Isn't this kind of… stingy, considering I have just died and was going to be sent to some big shot world?
He looked at her, half-expecting an explanation but Cian'va only smiled.
"Even I cannot go against destiny," she said gently. "The gifts I grant are not for changing your fate, they are only to help you adapt to it."
"What are the gifts?" Justin asked.
The three gifts were free and unexpected anyway and it wasn't like he had earned them.
Hell, he hadn't even expected a second chance.
So really, getting greedy now would be pointless.
Cian'va's smile widened.
"The first gift shall be simple," she said softly. "It is what I grant to all those I send to a different world after death…"
She paused.
"…and that is Information."
Her voice echoed gently… yet vast enough to fill the void.
"Information about the things that can kill you… and the things that may keep you alive. About words that must never be spoken and acts that must never be done."
Justin frowned.
How is information even a reward?
Couldn't I get it when I transmigrate anyway?
"I know what you're thinking, Justin," she said, her voice filled with amusement.
"But not all knowledge can be taught in that world and in the world you're going to…
…even ignorance of what should be common sense can get you killed."
Justin didn't really understand what she meant but then again, it wasn't like he had a choice.
Cian'va's voice softened. "The second gift I shall grant you… is a Bloodline."
Justin narrowed his eyes.
A what now?
"The world I am sending you to possesses a unique power system, one that revolves around the strength of one's blood and soul."
She continued.
"To survive and adapt there, you must carry a bloodline as well."
But of course, Justin had questions.
Wait… wouldn't that problem solve itself if she just dropped me into someone else's body?
Or is she planning to send me to my own corpse again? Because that would be kinda awkward.
Cian'va glanced at him as if understanding his thoughts.
"I am indeed transmigrating only your soul into another body," she said calmly. "But a bloodline is not something limited to flesh alone. It is tied as deeply to the soul as it is to the body."
Her wings flickered.
"So no, you cannot inherit the bloodline of the body's previous owner. The two would reject one another… violently and can even cause death."
Justin nodded, meeting her gaze.
"So… which bloodline will I receive?"
His voice came out steadier than he felt.
Cian'va's smiled again as her eyes began to glow and then with a single snap of her fingers, a glowing orb appeared before her.
Then another.
The process continued until the air around them was filled with countless orbs floating in the white void.
Some of them were large while others were small.
"These are the eligible orbs you may choose from."
She gestured gracefully and the spheres began to move around Justin in slow motion.
"Each one carries a bloodline. You need only choose one and it shall become yours, regardless of its rank or power."
She paused for a moment.
"But do not worry if your choice is weak, Justin… because the world of Cosmos is vast. It's a place overflowing with danger and opportunity alike. Even the smallest spark may become a sun… if it burns long enough."
Justin nodded slowly.
He had always sucked at guessing games but hey, what were the chances of picking a dud out of this many options?
Still, he wasn't dumb enough to rush it.
One by one, he checked the orbs.
He squinted, trying to see something, a pattern or anything of that kind which might tell him which one was worth gambling his new life on.
But the more he looked, the more he realized, it wasn't that simple. If all it took was choosing the biggest or brightest orb, Cian'va wouldn't have bothered setting up this little cosmic lottery in the first place.
After what felt like hours of sifting through glowing orbs, Justin finally gave up.
He had looked at everything but none of them felt right.
Through it all, Cian'va didn't say a single word.
She simply watched without a single change in her expression but the same couldn't be said for Justin.
He had long since run out of patience.
So, with a long sigh, he pointed toward a bright crimson orb of decent size. It was neither too big nor too small.
He didn't know if it was special.
He didn't care anymore.
He was tired and honestly, he just wanted this divine shopping trip to end.
"I want that one," Justin said, still pointing toward that orb.
Cian'va didn't answer, instead she only smiled before snapping her fingers.
The air trembled as the chosen orb moved forward toward him before merging into him.
Something deep inside his body shifted.
A warmth started spreading through his chest as if his very soul was being rewritten.
Then, before his eyes, a translucent blue screen appeared.
[ BLOODLINE IS BEING AWAKENED… ]