"The concept of embarrassment is a social construct of your former vessel. It has no purchase here. Proceed."
"Right." I focused, pushing the cosmic vertigo aside. I had a plan. A terrifying, potentially suicidal plan, but one that felt right. It was a blend of two worlds I had been utterly absorbed in mere moments—or an eternity—before my death.
"I want the world. The setting. I want the nightmare of the Forgotten Shore. I want the Spell, the Gates, the Nightmare Creatures. I want the world of Shadow Slave."
A specific reality-bubble swelled before me, dark and turbulent. I could see a desolate, sunless beach, a terrifying black sea, and a colossal, dead god chained to a massive black rock. The air around the bubble seemed to crackle with silent screams and the clang of invisible swords.
"A harsh selection. A world governed by a cruel and arbitrary divine mechanism. A high probability of a short and gruesome narrative. Intriguing." The Curator made no judgment, merely noting the parameters. "And the power system? The rules that will govern your existence within it? Will you seek to master the Spell itself?"
"No," I said, my voice gaining certainty. "The Spell gives power, but it comes with a Flaw. A chains. I'm taking a different set of chains. I want the power system from Lord of the Mysteries. The Beyonder pathways."
The second vortex of information, the one of abstract potential, surged forward. It resolved into twenty-two distinct, shimmering symbols, each one radiating a different and profound aura. Some felt stable and scholarly, others chaotic and maddening, others still were shadowy and full of intrigue.
"A system of ascent through ingestion and enlightenment. Prone to madness, loss of humanity, and existential peril. A fascinating counterpoint to the chosen world. The two systems are not designed to interact. The narrative instability will be... significant." The Curator's tone was one of immense professional satisfaction. "You have chosen not one but two crucibles. You wish to be hammered on two anvils at once. State your chosen Pathway."
The twenty-two symbols glowed before me, each a path to power and insanity. I knew them all. I'd theorized about them, debated them, dreamed about them. Now, the choice was terrifyingly real. As I scrolled down them, noting the remarks and brief explanations for each, I came up with another idea. "Can I include the Pathways from the Outer Deities? And will I have access to the Sefiroth or Above the Sequence stuff, or only the Uniqueness?
Without a word, the list flickered and then ten new symbols appeared. 'Chaos Primogeniture, Chaos Mist, Patriarch, Eternal Aeon...'
I found myself licking my lips (?) as I took in the sight. However, I reigned in my excitement pretty quickly as I came to a disappointing conclusion-there simply wasn't enough information on these Pathways. The most talked about were the Chaos Primogeniture, Chaos Mist and Eternal Aeon Pathway, then followed by Sublunary Eye and Tail-Devourer, but the information of their High-Sequence capabilities was still severely lacking behind the orthodox 22 Pathways.
'CP is out anyways, I don't particularly want to be a woman. Besides, the Original Creator probably won't be applicable in the Shadow Slave world...will likely just rip open the Seal and let the Void in. Broker is pretty bad-ass and its Sequence 4 is built for obliterating goons, but I might not live long enough to reach it. Although the Broker and Grey Merchant can both reduce hostility, Abominations are completely cuckoo.'
'Spamming Cycles as a Circle Inhabitant would drive anyone into despair, and Contractee is possibly the greatest Sequence 7 apart from maybe Painter but the negative effects could potentially compile with my Flaw and be my undoing. Plus all spiritual creatures in Shadow Slave have gone mad, unlike it LOTM where it was only a few. Patriarch's negative effects are also lethal if triggered at the wrong time, though, heh heh, the Sex Addict and Fallen Tree Spirit Sequences would be quite interesting.
"Can I just skip the negative effects of Potions?"
"That would defeat the purpose of choosing the Lord of Mysteries' system in the first place, no?" The Curator cocked Its head.
Second Law would turn me into a disgusting zombie...
Everlasting was straight up a one-way trip to Loo Loo Land...
Tail-Devourer was as risky Patriarch but the severe negative effects of the former only kick in around Sequence 2 so I should be fine for the most part, but I still didn't want any roadblock down the line...
Eternal Edict was actually very safe and useful, but I doubted I had the intelligence to properly make use of the arrangements of Fate...
Condenser was solid all-round, and not too many enemies in Shadow Slave were resistant to physical damage. Sure, I would need to be near water for the Sequence 5 to be effective but apart from that every Sequence is useful, Heavybringer is especially OP. Firing a literal cancer ray sounded dope as hell, not to mention forming a nuclear sun with my bare hands...
In the end, I simply couldn't bring myself to decide. I removed all but Condenser from the list, leaving 23 Pathways for me to chose. Then, I turned to the ever-patient Curator. "Alright, I've come to a decision. I would like you to turn this list into a wheel and spin it for me after reincarnating me. Ah, about that, can we skip the whole rebirth thing and just create a body for me? Fourteen to sixteen would be best, being younger will help me with some things I have planned."
"That is possible" the Curator acquiesced to my demands. "I will warn you though, the changes wrought by your Pathway will apply to you. This can range from the simple genetic altering of some Pathways, such as Attendant of Mysteries turning your eyes black, or severe cases like Devil and Demoness shifting your very physique."
"Ah" I wince and smack my forehead. "I actually forgot, please remove Demoness from the wheel, I don't want to lose my little brother."
"A Demoness can still engage in love with women, yes? Life's short, why not give it a try?"