Chapter 0012 – An Unexpected Error In Race Selection
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Unbeknownst to Xylen, the lunar deity also appeared extremely flustered at that moment, thinking:
'What's happening?'
'I distinctly selected his desired option, moreover, I don't even have the power to go against it.'
'Why is it altering itself?' she pondered in bewilderment and tapped the [[ No ]] choice before the inquiry that had just surfaced.
But to her utmost astonishment, an unprecedented situation occurred again—the alternative selection was selected.
In the following instant:
[[ Congratulations to Player Xylenia. Your race has been assigned: The Demon Race. Please design your Avatar. ]]
Reading this, Xylen felt as if his spirit was about to abandon his body.
"You… you… you… what on earth have you just done? What kind of Artificial intelligence are you?" he shouted in panic, feeling as though the very air around him had thickened, even though he wasn't actually breathing in this space.
However, instead of offering a response, the lunar goddess appeared frozen in place, as if her functions had ceased entirely, her gaze blank and unmoving.
Seeing her lack of reaction, Xylen felt his chest tighten.
Unlike the name, which could still be modified after six months, the choice of race was irreversible and if it were changeable, countless players in his previous life would have switched it without hesitation… himself included.
Meanwhile, the reason Xylen had never considered this race was simple: it was, in his view, the worst.
Despite its undeniable power, the Demon Race was plagued by what Xylen could only describe as a curse. Why?
It was the complete opposite of the Celestial Race.
That's right.
While the Celestial Race was naturally revered and welcomed by NPCs, the Demon Race was inherently despised.
Even unlike the neutral stance NPCs took toward the other races, their initial impression of demons was unfiltered disdain and hostility.
In his past life, this class had been universally scorned, and beyond the few ignorant ones who had selected it at the game's launch, no one else had ever chosen it again.
Players preferred even the most ill-favored hybrid race over this one, as even the worst hybrids could at least secure minor missions, like errands or menial tasks. But this?
Xylen's heart continued skinking as if weighted by despair, and just then:
However, Xylen, too consumed by frustration and anguish, failed to recognize the peculiar tone in her voice.
Had he noticed, he might have been utterly astounded—for how could an AI exhibit emotion?
"Of course, I know this is some sort of bug!" he yelled in exasperation. "But why did it have to happen during my session? Why couldn't this glitch have made me invincible instead?"
He felt an overwhelming urge to cry, a deep sense of hopelessness overtaking him.
The lunar goddess, however, hesitated briefly before speaking again:
'This…'
Xylen, who was about to continue ranting halted, his heart suddenly skipping a beat.
"What… what did you just say?" he stammered.
While he understood that nothing could fully make up for this error unless his race was changed, a solution no longer possible—this offer, however, seemed like the next best thing.
What did her promise of compensation entail?
'She must have already reported this glitch to the technical team at the gaming company and this must be their way of compensating me and ensuring I don't raise this issue publicly,' Xylen theorized.
In the next moment, all traces of his earlier anger, sadness, and disappointment vanished.
"If you insist on making up for your mistake, I will reluctantly accept," he muttered, attempting to appear indifferent.
The goddess, however, did not react outwardly. Yet, the subtle roll of her eyes betrayed her exasperation at Xylen's act.
Having made his stance clear, Xylen turned his attention back to the screen before him.
"Avatar," he mumbled, his gaze shifting to the options displayed:
1. [ Type of horns…. ]
[[ Curved Horns: Representing might, aggression, and primal instinct ]]
[[ Berserker Horns: Representing brute strength, dominance, and combat mastery ]]
…
…
|| End ||
2. [ Eyes ]
[[ Glowing Red: Unbridled power, aggression, frenzy ]]
[[ Yellow: Potent energy, control, fury ]]
[[ Glowing White: Mastery, malevolence ]]
[[ Slitted Pupils:… ]]
[[ Multiple Eyes:… ]]
[[ Void Eyes:… ]]
[[ Color-Changing Eyes:… ]]
…
…
|| End ||
3. [ Skin and Body Texture ]
[[ Scaled Skin ]]
[[ Cracked Lava Skin ]]
[[ Chitinous Armor ]]
[[ Shadowy Form ]]
[[ Slick/Oily Skin ]]
[[ Runic Skin ]]
…
…
|| End ||
4. [ Wings ]
[[ Unavailable at present ]]
|| End ||
5. [ Tail ]
[[ Barbed Tail ]]
[[ Serpentine Tail ]]
[[ Bladed Tail ]]
...
…
|| End ||
6. [ Hands and Arms ]
[[ Clawed hands ]]
[[ Overgrown Arms ]]
[[ Multiple Arms ]]
…
…
|| End ||
7. [ Feet and Legs ]
…
…
|| End ||
8. [ Heads and Facial features ]
…
…
|| End ||
9. [ Body and size ]
…
…
|| End ||
10. [[ Random Selection ]
…
…
|| End ||
Xylen meticulously examined the list, hoping to find something appealing. However…
"Why are wings unavailable?" he abruptly asked, glancing toward the lunar goddess.
"What determines eligibility?" he pressed.
"Hmm…" Xylen fell silent, lost in contemplation.
Although her explanation was clear, the conclusion was unavoidable: he couldn't possess wings, for the time being, at least.
Thinking this, he sighed in resignation and looked back hopefully at the Moon Goddess. "Can I retain my current form them?"
"Huh." His jaw dropped. 'She didn't even let me finish,' he thought with mild annoyance.
"Can I pick just one feature then?"
Accepting her reasoning, Xylen nodded his head begrudgingly.
"Then…" He hesitated, scanning the extensive list again. "I'll go with the random selection then," he declared through clenched teeth, silently praying that his new appearance would remain somewhat human-like, minimizing the NPCs' immediate hostility.
The goddess nodded at his response and selected the random option for him.
As her words concluded, the display refreshed with a new heading:
[ Class Selection: ]
This was where Xylen would determine his demonic archetype.