"What do you mean 'permanently integrated'?" Silas demanded, his voice echoing in the white void. "What exactly did I sign?"
Seraphine waved her hand, and a glowing scroll materialized between them. "The contract, of course. Let me break down the important parts for you."
She pointed to a line of text that glowed brighter than the rest. "According to section 3, paragraph 2, you've agreed to be reincarnated into the world of Babel Unbound."
"Reincarnated?" Silas felt his panic rising. "That wasn't mentioned anywhere!"
Seraphine's wings fluttered as she sighed. "For someone who spends most of his life in a virtual world, you have a surprisingly narrow view of what's possible."
"This isn't funny," Silas said. "I want to go back."
"Back to what?" Seraphine asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your leaky shower? Your collection of energy drink cans? That exciting freelance programming job?"
Silas opened his mouth to argue but found he had nothing to say. When she put it like that...
"Look," Seraphine continued, her tone softening. "The contract is binding. You're already here. So, instead of panicking, why not let me explain what you've actually signed up for?"
Silas took a deep breath. "Fine. What exactly did I agree to?"
"You've agreed to be permanently reincarnated into the world of Babel Unbound," she said, as casually as if discussing the weather. "Your consciousness has been transferred here. Your physical body will continue to exist in your world, but in a vegetative state. Technically, you're in a coma."
"That's..." Silas struggled to find words.
"Liberating?" Seraphine offered.
"I was going to say insane!"
Seraphine shrugged. "Tomato, tomahto. Now, let me explain how this world works."
She waved her hand, and glowing blue text appeared in the air between them.
"Babel Unbound isn't just a game," she explained. "It's a real world, governed by rules similar to what you're familiar with, but with some key differences. First, the world evolves as events occur and quests are completed. Once something happens, it can't be undone."
"So no respawns or do-overs," Silas muttered.
"Exactly!" Seraphine clapped her hands together. "You're catching on! When an NPC dies... though we don't call them that here.... they stay dead. Permanent. Kaput. No coming back."
"And I'm guessing the same applies to me now?"
"Smart boy," she said with a wink. "If you die here, your consciousness will essentially cease to exist. No pressure!"
Silas ran a hand through his hair. "Great."
"On the bright side," Seraphine continued cheerfully, "anything is possible in Babel. Hidden quests, secret areas, forgotten magic... it's all there for those bold enough to seek it out."
"And why exactly did the gods choose me for this?"
Seraphine looked at him like he was being particularly dense. "You spent 10,000+ hours climbing the tower. Most people would say that's excessive, but the gods found it... dedicated."
"So my unhealthy gaming habits actually paid off?"
"That's the spirit!" Seraphine beamed. "Now, before you enter Babel properly, you'll need to complete your reincarnation form. It's like character creation, but with permanent consequences!"
She snapped her fingers, and a blue screen appeared before Silas.
[REINCARNATION FORM]
"Since you're being inserted into the world rather than born into it, you get some choices about your new form," Seraphine explained. "Go ahead, open it."
Silas cautiously tapped the screen. It expanded into a detailed form with multiple categories.
"First, let's cover the basics," Seraphine said, pointing to the top sections. "Age, sex, race, height, complexion, build. Pretty standard stuff."
Silas scrolled through the age options, which ranged from 16 to 60. "Why start at 16?" he asked.
"Legal reasons," Seraphine replied vaguely. "Divine paperwork is a nightmare."
He continued to the sex options, which were simply [MALE] and [FEMALE].
"That's more limited than I expected," he commented.
"We tried having more options, but the divine focus groups kept arguing about terminology," Seraphine sighed. "Eventually, we just simplified it."
Silas moved on to the race section and paused, his eyes widening. The list seemed endless: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Demon, Dark Elf, Cat Beast, Centaur, Oni, Dragonkin, Fairy, Golem, Halfling, Merfolk, Phoenix-Born, Shade, Titan...
"There are over fifty options here," he said in disbelief.
"Fifty-seven," Seraphine corrected. "We're quite proud of our diversity initiatives."
"And they're all... viable? Like, I could be a Phoenix-Born?"
"You could," Seraphine nodded. "Though I wouldn't recommend it for beginners. Molting is more traumatic than most people expect."
Silas continued scrolling, finding options for height, build, and complexion that were similarly extensive.
"Choose carefully," Seraphine advised. "You'll be stuck with these choices for a while. Well, except height. You can still grow if you pick a younger age."
After the physical characteristics, the form moved to a section labeled [LINEAGE].
"This determines your background in the world," Seraphine explained. "Rare Bloodline, Average Citizen, Royalty, or Orphan."
"What's the difference?" Silas asked.
"Rare Bloodline gives you unique abilities but often comes with enemies or responsibilities. Royalty gives you resources and status but limits your freedom. Average is, well, average. And Orphan gives you nothing but freedom."
"Sounds balanced," Silas muttered.
Silas continued reading the form. "What does it mean that 'information will be preloaded into my mind'?"
"Oh, that's just so you're not completely clueless," Seraphine explained. "You'll understand the language, basic customs, common knowledge . The things a person in your chosen race and background would naturally know. We can't have you asking what money is or how doors work."
"Makes sense, I guess."
"And one more thing," Seraphine added, her tone growing slightly more serious. "The gods will be watching."
"Watching? Like... all the time?" Silas looked uncomfortable.
"Not in the bathroom," Seraphine assured him. "They're gods, not perverts. But they observe interesting events and individuals. They may even offer their blessings to those who impress them."
"So I don't get special treatment?"
"You already got special treatment," Seraphine pointed out. "You're here, aren't you? But going forward, you'll start at the base like everyone else. Your knowledge of the game will be your advantage."
Silas nodded slowly, still processing everything. "And how exactly does one impress a god?"
"That depends on the god," Seraphine shrugged. "Some like combat prowess, others prefer cunning or kindness. A few appreciate a good joke. One just really likes orgies."
"Orgies?"
"Oh yes, one god might even make you hung like a horse if you manage to have enough orgies.."
Silas couldn't help but laugh despite the absurdity of his situation. "This is insane."
"The best things usually are," Seraphine winked. "Now, before I send you on your way, I should explain your gift."
"The one I just signed my life away for?"
"Exactly!" She clapped her hands together excitedly. "You're getting skill cards!"
"Skill... cards?"
Seraphine conjured thousands of glowing cards that floated in the air between them. They were five different colors. There was green, blue, purple, yellow, and red. "These skill cards. Each one grants you a skill. You get to start with five."
The cards rotated slowly, each displaying a different symbol.
"You can choose combat skills, magic abilities, crafting knowledge. Basically, anything that exists in Babel. But choose wisely! These will define your growth."
"So I get five skills of my choice?" Silas asked, his interest finally piqued despite the situation.
"Yep! Think of it as your signing bonus," Seraphine beamed.
"Since you're a special case, you get to start with one skill from each rarity tier," Seraphine explained. "Green for Common, Blue for Uncommon, Purple for Rare, Gold for Super Rare, and Red for Legendary."
"So," Seraphine clasped her hands together, her wings fluttering with excitement. "Are you ready to fill out your form and choose your skills? Once you do, you'll be transported to Babel Unbound – for real this time. No logout button, no pause menu, just you and the tower."
"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he said, taking a deep breath.
"That's the spirit!" Seraphine beamed. "Oh, and one last thing."
"What's that?"
Her smile turned mischievous. "Try not to die on your first day. The paperwork is a nightmare."