Reflexively, without truly knowing what she was doing, Mina reached out to the darkness with her mind.

  There was nothing there, or it seemed as if there should not have been anything.

  But something responded. It was as if she had turned on some vast cosmic machine.

  A few stars kindled in the distance. Closer to her, several glows began to burn brightly in different colors.

  One was red, another purple, one seafoam, one lavender, and one golden.

  How many options did James have? Mina wondered. I never asked him, did I? Is five good or bad? Is more options reflective of greater achievements since the System appeared, or a lack of focus?

  Mina laughed inside her own mind. Now I really am the one being competitive…

  Without waiting any further, she reached for the nearest light, the red one. She had no appendages that she could identify in this place, but nevertheless, she felt that by some process, either she or the light was drawn nearer. As the distance shortened, Mina recognized that this light moved like a flame. It even flickered briefly, as if unstable.

  As she focused on it, a term presented itself to her: Evolver Human. She focused more distinctly on this term, and the description materialized in the darkness.

  Evolver Human: You have struggled, and you will go on struggling. You have fought and overcome, and you must go on fighting and winning. You have yet to reach the pinnacle, but every day is a battle with your past self and with those who threaten to overtake you. Your new form is that of an Evolver Human, an unstable state of being that must either continue on to a new stage or collapse. Gain 2 points to each stat you have unlocked up to this point with every new level in Race. If you fail to gain additional levels in your Race for an extended period, you will regress to the form of a System-Boosted Human and lose the stat points you have gained since becoming an Evolver Human. Struggle on, struggler. Struggle, fail, and struggle again. If you ever cease advancing, death will not be far behind.

  James picked this one, Mina recognized. Wait, James picked this? Was he crazy? It sounds terrible! If you’re pathologically competitive, you could live this description out. I guess he qualifies, especially since the System appeared. But if you wanted to be normal, even for a few years while you raised your children, this Race description literally promises that “death will not be far behind.” Jesus…

  She reflected for a moment on how James must have changed in his Orientation—changes that, even now, she had not yet fully seen in action—and then she stopped as she realized something.

  I got this option too. The fact that it appeared for me—what does that say? Does the System think that I’m like him? She wasn’t certain if she would consider it a good or a bad thing, to be like James in the System’s eyes. Her husband was strong and fierce. She admired and loved him.

  But to admire someone was often the furthest thing from wanting to emulate them. In Mina’s case, she admired James as a man, in part because he was the type of person who would be determined to protect her and their children—allowing her to be more at ease in the supporting role.

  I understand why James mentioned that I should focus on what Stats are offered by each option, Mina thought. The numbers aren’t necessarily going to be that disparate with each option, but the allocation tells me something. This Race grants 2 Stat points to each Stat you’ve unlocked. That means it’s evenly distributing the resources you gain. Rather than focused on magic, this is a Race that’s focused on being able to do almost anything relatively well. But I’m not a generalist. That’s my husband. I’m the Mage standing behind him, throwing fireballs.

  In her mind, she smiled, though Mina had no idea if there was any face to smile physically through the darkness.

  And she quietly rejected the Evolver Human option.

  Mina focused on the lavender light next. It was a pretty shade, and she hoped that if she liked the color, she might like the Race too.

  Succubus was the name that appeared.

  What?! Mina almost cursed to herself. How dare the System suggest something so vile? What do they think I am?

  She immediately moved on to the next Race without reading the description.

  The purple light near the lavender one seemed more promising.

  Dhampir: You have shown a capacity for secrecy, charisma, and an affinity with the mystic arts. You have achieved incredible results as a paranormal investigator and demonstrated promise as a cold-blooded and manipulative leader of humans, as well as the consort of another such leader. Your next stage is the form of the Dhampir, a step on the vampiric evolutionary tree. Part vampire, part human, you can choose between preying upon humanity or living as a daywalker who defends humans from your vampire cousins. Accept a weakness to sunlight in exchange for enhanced attributes across the board at night. Gain Shadow Affinity, Basic Shadow Magic, Basic Soul Magic, and 3 points to each Stat you have unlocked up to this point with every new level in Race.

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  Hmm. James mentioned this one. He turned it down, even though on paper, it’s somewhat stronger than the Evolver Human. Maintaining humanity was more important to him, and I imagine he did not want to risk actually being forced into becoming a Vampire later. The upsides for me are even fewer than they were for James. I already acquired Soul Magic from watching James use it, and I could acquire Basic Shadow Magic, or a more advanced form of it, by studying another practitioner. The only upside for me would be the Stats.

  Not completely dismissing it, but increasingly disappointed in her options, Mina moved on to the next choice, the seafoam colored light, which seemed to flash brighter and duller at intervals. It reminded Mina a little of a lighthouse beacon.

  Siren: You have shown the capacity to beguile and manipulate with a combination of charisma, beauty, intelligence, and vulnerability, alongside a deep talent for magic. Your next step will take fullest advantage of your charm, magic, and manipulative powers by manifesting them in your physical form. The Siren is a beautiful, sensual creature, half woman and half bird. Her voice has the power to compel men and enchant the natural world. Gain Beguiling Voice, Water Affinity, Wind Affinity, and Zone of Enchantment, as well as 6 points to Will, Intelligence, and Charisma and 1 point to each other opened Stat with every new level in Race.

  The description makes me sound like some kind of seductress, just like the fact that the System included a “Succubus” option. I’ve only ever been with James. What is wrong with these administrators?! Assuming they are the ones who devise these choices… No, try to analyze this Race objectively. You’re running out of options. You can’t shoot this one down just because you don’t like the way it described you. The balance of Stats granted are actually really good…

  Mina reluctantly acknowledged to herself that this was the best option she had been given so far. She was a little bit afraid of what being “half woman and half bird” might mean. James had only asked her to remain humanoid, if possible, when he was giving his input on the Race Evolution process, but she felt certain he would prefer having to deal with feathers covering her breasts or something along those lines over her becoming a Succubus or becoming a weaker version of herself—which she felt convinced would be the eventual outcome if she chose the Evolver Human Race.

  That only leaves Dhampir, Siren, and whatever the last light is…

  With slowly diminishing hopes, Mina reluctantly left the description for Siren and focused on the last light, a golden-colored one that emitted a steady, warm glow.

  Fae: You have shown intelligence, beauty, and grace under great pressure, along with the social skills appropriate to a monarch’s consort and a talent for the mystic arts that would be appropriate for an Archmage. You have achieved great things despite difficult circumstances and despite both natural physical weakness and a reluctance to engage in conflict. Your next stage is that of the Fae. The Fae are a mysterious and subtle Race, treading lightly and leaving few signs of their presence. Yet where they choose to be felt, their mark is indelible. Gain Basic Sacred Magic, Invisibility, Mark of the Fae, Sacred Affinity, and Zone of Enchantment, as well as 5 points to Will, Intelligence, and Charisma and 1 point to each other opened Stat with every new level in Race.

  It’s technically a bit weaker than Siren, was Mina’s first thought, but the balance is essentially the same. I like that it keeps my body the same… hopefully? She realized that the description didn’t say anything about the Fae except that they moved by “treading lightly.”

  At least it won’t make me fat, I guess. I don’t want to be six inches tall like Tinkerbell, though. Mina recognized that Tinkerbell was a movie character, however. She was optimistic that a random fairy from a Disney movie was not representative of what the Fae as a Race were like.

  She spent a few minutes going back over all of the other descriptions—very pointedly except for Succubus—but finally decided to go ahead with Fae. It was the only option with no severe downsides, from her point of view.

  It would not make her as powerful as Siren, nor give her the same all-rounder capabilities as the Evolver Human. In fact, it did not assist with the physical weakness issue that she had hoped Race Evolution would help her with at all. Mina would still be frail compared to almost everything else that walked around in the System-integrated world these days.

  Still, it was almost a no-brainer.

  I’m not interested in the same outcome as James for my Race Evolution choice, she thought. It’s not just about optimizing power and combat potential for me.

  There was something that drew her to the Fae. Perhaps it was partially that Yulia had gotten along so well with the Pixies. The fact that the light this Evolution option gave off was a comforting, warm golden glow also didn’t hurt.

  Mainly, though, Mina wanted to be a complement to James—not a competitor or a copycat. It was certainly possible for her to follow in his footsteps and try to keep up with him, but that wasn’t her path. She would only ever be an inferior version, slowing him down.

  It was better to choose her own way.

  With that thought, Mina reached out to the golden glow with her mind, and she felt the light pull itself toward and then inside of her, floating into her chest and warming the area beside her heart.

  [Fae Evolution option selected! Initiating Evolution!]

  Then a wall of pain slammed into Mina, as if she was driving on the highway and suddenly struck a brick wall at full speed.

  Ahh! No… James mentioned the pain, but I was thinking so hard about the Evolution that I forgot this part.

  The initial impact was the least of it. The surprise of it was half of its effect.

  But from a sudden flare up, it transformed into an all-consuming agony. The sensation was akin to billions of paper cuts across her entire body, inside and out, as her cells seemingly spontaneously tore themselves apart.

  Yeah, this is worse than giving birth…

  It seemed she had been wrong that the Fae Race Evolution would not require changes to her body, too. Whatever the changes might be, Mina could feel them beginning to take hold. She screamed inside of her own mind as she felt her body beginning to come undone.

  Mina flashed in and out of consciousness, memories whirling through her mind, as the System slowly reshaped her into a new woman.