<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE DIED!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Calculating Karma. Please Wait.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Calculating New World. Please Wait.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
He stared at the little blue window before his eyes for a moment, trying to process the statement. Hazy memories of a mugging gone wrong, followed by a painful beating and being stabbed nearly a dozen times by a panicking mugger, slowly filtered into his mind. He groaned. What a stupid way to die. He should have just handed the bastard his money, but noooo. He had to be stubborn about it and make the guy panic.
He sighed and looked around. Interestingly enough, the boxes didn’t remain in the center of his vision, like they had when he’d been focusing on them. Whatever else they were, they were well designed. And far more interesting than the blacker-than-black void around him.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">NEW WORLD HAS BEEN CALCULATED!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">World Type: Cultivation World, Variation I8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">World ID: 8R3372U700EI1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
How… Engaging.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">KARMA HAS BEEN CALCULATED!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Karma: 12912</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">See available options?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Yes/No</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
“Yes?” He said hesitantly. Immediately, a new window appeared.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">PERKS/DETRIMENTS SHOP!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">PERKS!</td>
<td style="width: 50%">DETRIMENTS!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Perk</td>
<td style="width: 50%">Karma Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Retain Memories</td>
<td style="width: 50%">-10000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Superior Talent A</td>
<td style="width: 50%"> -10000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Growth System A</td>
<td style="width: 50%"> -10000</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
<td style="width: 50%">
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Detriment</td>
<td style="width: 50%">Karma Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Worst Start Ever</td>
<td style="width: 50%">+50000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Talentless</td>
<td style="width: 50%">+45000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Demon’s Slave</td>
<td style="width: 50%">+45000</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
He blinked at the two columns before him. Then his gaze flickered back to the box about his karma. He focused on it for a moment and, just like he’d hoped, a new box popped up.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">KARMA EXPLANATION!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left">
Your Karma value is based on a calculation of all the good and bad things you’ve done in your life, added to all Karma that was unspent during your previous reincarnation.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left">
Old Karma: 3256
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left">
New Karma: 9656This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">See full calculations?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Yes/No</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
He declined. Then a question occurred to him. “Why is reincarnation like, well, this?” To his delight, a new box popped up.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">REINCARNATION SYSTEM!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%">
The way each individual experiences reincarnation is different. For every person, it takes on a form that’s easiest for them to understand. For example, the ancient Chinese had a mythology that involved reincarnation, so their process of reincarnation took on that appearance. For you, taking on the appearance of a video game is best.
The system itself was created by thousands of benevolent celestials working together to manipulate the multiverse. This system is a work of art. The absolute peak of what magic is capable of. It is meant to allow people to choose their own punishments and rewards for their next life.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
He wondered what is said about him that his reincarnation experience took on the appearance of a video game. A psychologist would probably say something like, “It’s because you can’t handle real life, so you’ve retreated into video games to cope!” Or something like that. But he wasn’t his ass of a brother, so he couldn’t say for sure.
He turned his attention back to the lists of perks and detriments. He tried to crack his knuckles, only to discover that his body was missing. He was just a floating ball of blue-white light. Grumbling, he started going through the lists.
Along the way, the reincarnation system very helpfully provided a notepad and a calculator. He didn’t need food, water, or sleep, so the only thing holding him back was boredom. But his gamer senses were going too haywire for him to be bored. He was being given the chance to optimize his own life!
He had no idea how much time passed. Well, more than minutes. Certainly more than several hours. Maybe even a few days, although he doubted it was more than a week. It was impossible to judge time, so it could have been centuries, for all he knew. But finally, he was ready.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">SELECTED PERKS/DETRIMENTS!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">PERKS!</td>
<td style="width: 50%">DETRIMENTS!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Perk</td>
<td style="width: 50%">Karma Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Retain Memories</td>
<td style="width: 50%">-10000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Improvement System B1</td>
<td style="width: 50%">-5000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Eye of Insight B12</td>
<td style="width: 50%">-3000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Young Master E4</td>
<td style="width: 50%">-2500</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
<td style="width: 50%">
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Detriment</td>
<td style="width: 50%">Karma Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Enemy of Fate’s Chosen</td>
<td style="width: 50%">+7500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%">Random Innate Talent</td>
<td style="width: 50%">+250</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
He looked over the list one last time. The first detriment was definitely a dangerous one. But the one bright side of it was that it wasn’t guaranteed to be a truly terrible thing. The way it had been explained was that he would end up doing something that would make a Fate’s Chosen, basically a classic xianxia protagonist, hate his guts. But if he played his cards right, it was completely possible for them to just hate him and move on without doing anything to him instead of having a burning need to kill him.
It was a gamble. One he dearly hoped would pay off. As for the second, that was also a gamble, but a much less important one. Even if he got terrible innate talent, he could use his improvement system to, well, improve himself. And it was entirely possible that he would start off with something amazing. Vanishingly unlikely, but a guy could hope.
He turned his attention to a certain box. One he’d been ignoring until now.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50%" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">REINCARNATE?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center">Yes/No</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Taking a deep breath (or trying to; he couldn’t actually breath and there was no air to breath even if he wanted to), he selected yes.