Cora turned her attention back to the six floating pillars. "So the Pillar of Flesh is body customization, the Mirror of Souls is face and identity, the Codex of Essence is race and traits, the Weave of Fate is starting abilities and affinities, the Forge of Origins is gear and starting items, and lastly, the Gate of Rebirth is finalization and naming. If I go by what most games with character customization do, race and traits would be the best to start with. My race would be the foundation for everything else."
It made sense to her. The Assistant had said that her race would be determined by a series of questions, so if she ended up with, say, a dryad race but chose to look like a pasty vampire or a fiery dragonkin, "I would be pretty screwed."
As Cora started approaching, the Codex pulsed with ancient energy, reacting to her essence before she even touched it. The runes circling the floating tome brightened, spinning faster. The platform beneath the Codex—an etched ring of stone and aetherglass—recognized Cora's presence and activated with a soft chime.
Suddenly, the Assistant's voice returned—echoing gently from the chamber's vastness.
"You seek to know who you truly are… Not in name, but in nature."
"The Codex does not offer races. It does not list bloodlines. It listens. It observes. And it reveals."
With a deep, resounding hum, the Codex of Essence opened slowly, page by luminous page—its contents formed not of ink, but of light and memory, shifting constantly with symbols from forgotten languages.
A single page flattened in front of Cora, hovering mid-air and glowing like a living scroll. Glyphs floated around it like fireflies, and the page itself reshaped based on herr presence and emotional state.
Then, the first question appeared—not typed or spoken, but etched in the air, readable by her mind in the english language she thought in:
"When chaos surrounds you, which force brings you peace?"
🔥 The crackling fire of passion and destruction. (Fire Affinity)
🌊 The endless flow of water, calm yet powerful. (Water Affinity)
🌬️ The swift and ever-changing wind. (Air Affinity)
🌍 The unshakable strength of the earth beneath your feet. (Earth Affinity)
🌑 The comforting embrace of shadows, hidden yet present. (Shadow Affinity)
🌟 The radiant light of purity and clarity. (Light Affinity)
"When chaos... surrounds me," she whispered. For some reason, that sentence brought up unpleasant memories of her childhood. The dark nights of her hiding in her room, trying to block out the yelling coming from her parents in the other room. The constant sound of glasses breaking and screams of her drugged up mother getting beaten by her alcohol-induced father.
"Day after day. It never ended." She hated those days. If it wasn't for video games she borrowed from her classmates, she might have been devoured by the same suffocation as her siblings had. "Jason started hangling out with the wrong crowds, drinking and smoking pot. And Helen started getting into partying. She would come home smelling of booze and... something else. It smelled similar to how mother smelled, but lighter. It still smelled so foul."
She was ashamed to say but she was only somewhat glad when the police came. Her father had locked her in the basement for weeks. She sat in pitch darkness playing that same PSP game. Day after day. She ignored the yelling and the screaming that game from upstairs. She ignored the hunger pains and grumbling that came from her empty stomach.
"When the police officers kicked in the door to the basement, they found me barely conscious and clinging to the PSP. Or at least that was what the doctors claimed when I woke up in a hospital bed. It turned out the neighbors next door called the police, complaining about a strange sent coming from out house. Like rotten eggs."
When the cops showed up, they found the dead bodies of her parents. Her brother owed a member of the mafia money. When Jason couldn't pay, they showed up and killed them and took Helen as payment for wasting their time in coming in the first place. One of the elderly grandma's next door had over heard one of mafia men complaining about,"Coming all the way to this dump and only getting a drugged up whore."
"I was taken into Grandma Agatha's custody. She was really warm," Cora whispered to herself. Remembering all the warm memories she shared with her.
"Till the day she died, she was the only happy place other than the darkness I had."
And with that, she reached out mentally and chose...
🌑 The comforting embrace of shadows, hidden yet present.
The Codex glowed then the paged turned with a new question.
"In battle, what empowers you the most?"
⚡ The fury of raw power unleashed without restraint.
❄️ The patience of a slow, calculated strike. (Water/Control Bonus)
🌪️ Agility and freedom—moving faster than your opponent can react. (Air/Speed Bonus)
🏔️ Unbreakable defense and resilience. (Earth/Fortitude Bonus)
🌌 Striking from the shadows, unseen and unexpected. (Shadow/Stealth Bonus)
✨ Healing and protection of allies in the heat of battle. (Light/Support Bonus)
"In battle, huh?" She thought of all the mmorpgs she played over the years and contemplated how her playstyle could match one of these.
"Closest would be the 'striking from the shadows' option, but..." It didn't seem right. It didn't match her. Sure it described her gaming play style, but this was a VR game that specialized and prided in its realism. She will have full control of her virtual body in this ggame. So much so, it would feel like it was the real deal.
So she thought about the times she was in real life "battles" in real life, instead of in games. The only fighting she ever done was... when she defended herself from bullies back when she was a kid. She endured the beatings. The name calling. The humiliation. But when they had their guard down, she—"
"The patience of a slow, calculated skrike. Yes, that fits me better than the rest, I think."
With her choice solidified in her mind, the Codex pulsed with radiant energy, its cover trembling with a silent breath, as if the book itself were alive and awakening to your presence.
A warm glow spread from its core, illuminating the chamber with strands of celestial light. Runes shimmered across its surface, shifting like stardust in water. Then, with a low, resonant hum—not mechanical, but almost musical—the Codex slowly turned its page. The movement wasn't physical, but ethereal, as if the very concept of the page was folding through time and space.
As it settled, a new inscription burned itself into the parchment-like light, formed from glowing symbols that twisted into a language only your mind could understand. The question did not appear suddenly—it revealed itself, unfolding word by word like prophecy being written in real time.
"What defines the limits of your existence?"
🏃 The fragility and resilience of mortal flesh. (Humanoid Evolution Path: Human, Elf, Beastkin)
👻 The transcendence of spirit beyond physical form. (Spiritual Evolution Path: Phantom, Revenant, Ghostborn)
👹 The embrace of ancient power beyond human understanding. (Supernatural Evolution Path: Demon, Fae, Celestial)
This one she didn't really understand this one. But she liked the sound of ancient power beyond human understanding, so she chose that one.
"Onto the next one."
"Would you accept immortality if it meant sacrificing your humanity?"
✅ Yes. I seek power beyond time. (Supernatural Bias)
❌ No. Life's meaning comes from its limits. (Humanoid Bias)
⚖️ Perhaps, but only under the right circumstances. (Hybrid Evolution Potential)
"Immortality...the ability to live forever. To never age. It sounds wonderful, but also lonely if I have no one to share it with. Also to watch all those you care about, die slowly over the years. It sounds unbearable. But immortality could also bring more than sadness...it could bring power and freedom."
Nodding to herself, she chose the third option.
"What is your instinct when faced with something you cannot control?"
🏗️ Build something stronger to overcome it. (Creation Affinity: Architect, Inventor)
⚔️ Destroy it before it becomes a threat. (Destruction Affinity: Warlord, Marauder)
🔍 Understand it first, then decide. (Balanced Affinity: Scholar, Strategist)
"Hmm, while I think it would really depend on the situation, it states instinct, meaning it would be subconsciously acted upon." Cora sighed heavily and the third choice again.
"Do you prefer to create order from chaos, or chaos from order?"
🔨 Order from chaos—structure leads to stability. (Order Affinity: Guardian, Judge)
🔥 Chaos from order—destruction leads to rebirth. (Chaos Affinity: Trickster, Harbinger)
Cora found this question to be the hardest thus far. "Destruction lead to rebirth. Like a phoenix having to die in its own flames before it can rise from its ashes in a new life." She liked the sound of that.
"What drives your actions?"
🧮 Pure logic and reason. (Intellect Bonus: Strategist, Engineer)
❤️ Emotion and intuition. (Empathy Bonus: Bard, Healer)
⚖️ A balance between heart and mind. (Balanced Affinity: Diplomat, Mystic)
She was definitely a bit of both intuition and logic.
"If offered unimaginable power at a terrible cost, what would you do?"
🙏 Refuse. No power is worth corruption. (Holy Affinity: Paladin, Ascendant)
☠️ Accept. Power is worth any price. (Corruption Affinity: Demonspawn, Abyss Walker)
⚖️ Negotiate. There must be a middle ground. (Neutral Affinity: Void Mage, Shadow Broker)
"Well that's a bit vague. What's the terrible cost? I will have to know what the price I would have to pay, before I... and that's pretty much just negotiating. Okay. What's next?"
"How do you view those who wield dark magic?"
💡 They must be stopped before they become a threat. (Light Affinity)
💀 Darkness is a tool, like any other. (Shadow Affinity)
🌙 Power is neither good nor evil—it depends on the wielder. (Balance Affinity)
"...Stupid question. That's like saying the night is the only time bad things happen and it's the moon's fault, when far more terrible things happen in the light of day. Hell, the moon will allow you to walk on it while that basted sun will blind you just by looking at the wrong way," Cora huffed, clearly having strong feelings on the subject of dark and light. She found this question so offensive, she was contemplating to just pick the second option out of spite for the holier-than-thou players."
Eventually she calmed down and chose the third option.
"Where do you feel most at home?"
🌳 In the heart of nature, surrounded by wild beauty. (Nature Affinity: Beastkin, Fae-Touched)
🏙️ Within the structure and order of civilization. (Civilization Affinity: Human, Arcane Scholar)
🌌 Between both worlds, embracing balance. (Hybrid Affinity: Spiritwalker, Mystic Nomad)
She was surprisingly a bit of both. Before meeting Demi, she wouldn't see the sun for weeks and just lock herself in her apartment playing video games. Now she rather enjoyed her time hiking. Demi even taught her how to fish. It was gross, but she still learned it.
"Next~."
"Do you believe your future is written in the stars?"
🏛️ Yes, destiny guides my every step. (Predestined Affinity: Celestial Ascendant)
🏹 No, I carve my own path. (Free Will Affinity: Rebel, Wanderer)
⚖️ Perhaps some things are fate, and others are choice. (Balanced Evolution Potential)
Clora blinked then just shook her head. "Fate, destiny, whichever one decides to call it, I agree everyone was born with some free will...but at the same time—"
She mentally choosing the third option. "—Sometimes there are events that can't be changed, no matter what."
"What role feels most natural to you in a group?"
👑 The leader who inspires and guides. (Leadership Trait: Commander, Warlord)
🐺 The lone wolf who thrives independently. (Loner Trait: Rogue, Hunter)
🎭 The trickster who disrupts and surprises. (Trickster Trait: Jester, Chaos Mage)
📚 The scholar who brings knowledge and wisdom. (Scholar Trait: Sage, Oracle)
Cora just scoffed at the question before choosing Lone Wolf role. "Although the scholar path sounded good too."
The final glyph faded into the Codex, and for a moment… everything was silent.
The runes that once floated around the tome stilled.
The ambient lights of the chamber dimmed.
Even the Assistant's voice fell quiet.
Then—
A pulse. It was low. Deep. Like a heartbeat in the void.
The Codex began to glow from within, radiant lines of energy raced across its cover and through the floating rings of its orbit. The surrounding six elemental pedestals—each attuned to primal forces—began to light up, but only some responded. The ones aligned with Cora's chosen path burned brighter, while others dimmed or vanished entirely.
A projection rose from the book: an abstract constellation of Cora's essence, shifting with radiant light. It formed an aura figure—a silhouette made of stars, runes, and colors reflecting her responses.
"The Codex has judged. You are no longer undefined."
"Behold the soul-shaped truth… of what you are becoming."