“Indeed, it’s quite a difficult choice,” Si mused, crossing one leg over the other on the sofa. She propped her chin in her hand, seemingly lost in serious thought.
‘Please, don’t torture me like this!’
“How about… we just pick a simple, ordinary template? None of these seem strictly necessary,” I quickly suggested.
“No,” Si immediately countered.
“Why not?”
“Because, don’t you think a cuter one would be better? Besides, forcing an unsuitable template not only risks exposure but could also cause harm to the person themselves.”
‘Actually, I really don’t think cuter is better. I really don’t! Truly…’ However, hearing that it could cause harm made me hesitate.
“My Lord, which one do you desire?” the scrawny man asked, sidling closer with a fawning smile.
“What… what are their differences?” I inquired cautiously. Since a choice had to be made, I knew I needed to understand the pros and cons thoroughly; otherwise, who knew what might happen?
“Differences, there are naturally some,” the scrawny man said, stroking his chin and feigning profundity. “Let’s start with the succubus. The template has a rather significant impact on a deity, not only altering their physical features but also subtly influencing their inherent personality. They tend to adopt a bit of the race’s natural disposition. As for succubi…” The scrawny man chuckled mischievously, “They’ll probably become a little bolder… in *that* regard…”
“Good, that one!” a female voice declared.
That wasn’t me speaking. Si, who had been sitting by, seemingly detached from the whole affair, had finished listening and immediately spoke up loudly.
“Are you certain?” The scrawny man looked somewhat surprised.
“H-how could that be?!” I stammered, utterly incoherent. Even if I had to choose, it couldn’t possibly be that one! ‘Bolder in *that* regard…’ My face instantly flushed crimson, and I couldn’t bring myself to dwell on the topic any longer. “Quick, quick, tell me about the next one!”
“Hmm… Next, let’s discuss the Catfolk, or rather, the Feline Demon race. They tend to make you feel rather listless during the day, but incredibly energetic at night. You’ll appear lazier, and in actuality, you’ll probably become lazier too,” the scrawny man explained with uncertainty. “Though there are many Feline Demons, I don’t usually interact with them much, so this is just a general impression.”
“Hmm… And the next one?”
“Fox-girls—ahem, the Fox Demon race, that is. They tend to be more charming and elegant…” The scrawny man stopped, seeing my obvious lack of interest after the first sentence. “So, My Lord, have you made your decision?”
I nodded. “I’ll choose the Feline Demon.” ‘I can be openly lazy, and nocturnal too. Isn’t that perfectly aligned with my current situation?’
“No, if you absolutely refuse the succubus, then you must at least choose the Fox Demon,” Si rejected immediately.
“Why?”
“As a lower-ranking race, wouldn’t being a Feline Demon make it very inconvenient to move freely within the Dark Realm?” Si argued, her reasoning sound.
Struck speechless, I gazed at Si, who was speaking with such righteous conviction and logic. I fell silent. After a moment, I nodded resignedly. “Then, how long will we be in the Dark Realm?”
“If our luck holds, we’ll finish quickly, probably in less than a month,” Si said after a moment of thought.
“And if our luck doesn’t hold?”
Si too fell silent for a moment. “Then I don’t know. Perhaps decades, or even a century.”
“D-d-decades, a century…” A wave of regret washed over me. How old was I now? To spend decades there? Impossible! She wasn’t inside my body anymore, so it seemed I could try to slip away.
“Even if you want to run now, don’t even think about it,” Si scoffed coldly, having seen through my thoughts. “In a place brimming with magic, you won’t be able to outrun me now that I’ve condensed a physical body. Go to the Dark Realm obediently and complete the task, and you can naturally return.”
I nodded resignedly. “Alright…”
“Then, Miss, please follow me.” The scrawny man bowed, leading me toward a room deeper inside.
Pushing open the yellow door, I found the room utterly empty, save for a single purple magic array floating in the very center.
“Please wait a moment,” the scrawny man said, closing the door behind him. “The sorcerer will be here shortly.”
Bored, I began to observe my surroundings. There were two stools, a bed, a large floor-to-ceiling window, and then, most conspicuously, that purple magic array. It looked utterly out of place.
*Click.*
As I was examining the peculiar array, the door gently opened.
A woman with white ears, a fluffy blue tail, and aquamarine hair entered. Without preamble, she spoke directly, “Fox Demon race?”
I paused, then nodded.
“Very well, stand in the center.” She pointed towards the magic array in the middle of the room.
Without a word, I obediently stepped into the array. For some reason, I felt no desire to resist her words.
“Be good, don’t move around. It will be over quickly.” With that, she walked to the edge of the array, her palm aimed at it, as pink light diffused in rings.
[Inheritance]
Gradually, my vision faded, and I could no longer see anything, completely enveloped by an abyssal darkness…