CHAPTER 4: [4] CHOOSE YOUR POISON

The light faded. Pierre blinked away the afterimages, expecting another sterile office or maybe the promised game world.

Instead—darkness. Again.

"You’ve got to be fucking kidding me."

Pierre floated in the emptiness, neither falling nor rising. Just... existing. Suspended in a digital limbo that stretched forever in all directions.

"Hey! Administrator lady!"

No answer. Just the sound of his own breathing.

"First a truck. Then a bureaucrat. Now this." Pierre tried to move his arms, surprised to find they responded normally. "I’m getting real tired of this void bullshit."

A soft blue glow appeared before him. Not the blinding white of the Administrator’s office, but a gentle pulsing notification hovering at eye level. Text materialized within the glow:

[WELCOME TO CHARACTER SELECTION]

[PIRATE LORD’S GREAT ADVENTURE v3.42.1]

[PLEASE SELECT YOUR STARTING FACTION]

"Character selection?" Pierre reached out, his finger passing through the blue light. "What is this, a video game?"

The notification expanded, revealing three rotating icons:

[OUTLAW]

[HERO]

[WORLD NOBLE]

He stared at the options, remembering the Administrator’s words. Perhaps you’ll have the opportunity to create a better story.

"Fine. Let’s see what we’re working with." He tapped the [WORLD NOBLE] icon.

The blue light expanded, enveloping him in a sphere of information. Images bled into the space around him: opulent palaces drifted on seas of clouds; men in flowing robes gazed down their noses with divine contempt; lines of slaves knelt in their shadow, heads bowed to the dirt.

Text scrolled across his vision:

[WORLD NOBLE - THE DIVINE ASCENDANTS]

Born into the fifteen ruling families of the Exalted Pantheon, the Divine Ascendants stand above all other humans. Descendants of the founders who created the United Government 600 years ago, they possess absolute authority, unlimited wealth, and the protection of the Navy’s strongest forces.

Benefits:

Unlimited financial resources

Immunity from most laws

Access to restricted technology and knowledge

Personal slave retinue

Navy protection

[CENSORED]

[CENSORED]

Drawbacks:

Target for revolutionaries and pirates

Limited physical capabilities

Restricted movement (must remain in Divine Territories)

Dependency on life support systems

Weak starting combat abilities

[CENSORED]

BASE STATS:

Strength: F

Endurance: F

Dexterity: F

Agility: F

DANGER LEVEL: MEDIUM

POWER POTENTIAL: LOW

"You’ve got to be joking." Pierre swiped through the images. "These are the assholes from the story. The ones who can kill anyone they want and get away with it because they’re ’divine.’"

A specific Chapter flashed in his mind—an image of a Divine Ascendant, laughing as he used a female Nekomata as a living dartboard. "Hard pass. I’d rather die again than be one of those pieces of shit." He dismissed the information sphere with a wave. "What else we got?"

He tapped the [HERO] option.

The blue light shifted to a cool green, and new images surrounded him—disciplined soldiers in white and blue uniforms, revolutionary fighters hiding in forests, naval battleships, and secret bases.

[HERO - NAVY/REVOLUTIONARY]

Those who fight for justice take two paths in this world. The Navy serves the United Government, maintaining order and hunting pirates. The Revolutionary Army works from the shadows to overthrow the corrupt system and liberate the oppressed.

NAVY BENEFITS:

Structured advancement

Access to military technology

Legal authority

Stable income and housing

Training from veteran officers

NAVY DRAWBACKS:

Rigid hierarchy

Must follow orders (even unjust ones)

Potential corruption exposure

Limited freedom of movement

May be ordered to protect Divine Ascendants

REVOLUTIONARY BENEFITS:

Freedom of action

Strong comradery

Purpose-driven existence

Access to forbidden knowledge

Connection to underground networks

REVOLUTIONARY DRAWBACKS:

Always hunted

Limited resources

High mortality rate

Sacrifice-heavy lifestyle

No stable home base

BASE STATS (NAVY):

Strength: C

Endurance: D

Dexterity: C

Agility: C

BASE STATS (REVOLUTIONARY):

Strength: D

Endurance: C

Dexterity: D

Agility: C

DANGER LEVEL: HIGH

POWER POTENTIAL: MEDIUM-HIGH

Pierre studied the options. "Better, I guess. Navy seems stable but corrupt as hell in the story. Revolutionaries are the good guys, but they die like flies."

He remembered criticizing the author for making the Revolutionary Army too weak, always in the background being useless despite having the world’s most dangerous man as their leader. It just makes no sense.

He dismissed the green sphere. "Let’s check the last one."

He tapped the [OUTLAW] option.

The light shifted to a deep crimson. New images appeared—pirates sailing under black flags, bounty hunters stalking prey through crowded markets, treasure hoards, bloody battles, and wanted posters.

[OUTLAW - PIRATE/BOUNTY HUNTER]

Those who live outside the law choose their own path. Pirates form crews and sail the Great Blue in search of freedom and treasure. Bounty hunters work alone or in small groups, hunting criminals for profit while answering to no one.

PIRATE BENEFITS:

Complete freedom

Potential for vast wealth

Strong crew bonds

Adventure and exploration

Possibility of finding legendary treasures

[CENSORED]

PIRATE DRAWBACKS:

Hunted by Navy and Bounty Hunters

Increasing bounty restricts movement

High mortality rate

Crew management challenges

Must constantly prove strength

BOUNTY HUNTER BENEFITS:

Independent operation

Legal prey acquisition

Respect in lawless territories

Access to black markets

No permanent enemies

BOUNTY HUNTER DRAWBACKS:

No institutional support

Limited resources

Dangerous targets

Isolation

Competing hunters

BASE STATS (PIRATE):

Strength: F

Endurance: C

Dexterity: F

Agility: F

BASE STATS (BOUNTY HUNTER):

Strength: D

Endurance: D

Dexterity: D

Agility: C

DANGER LEVEL: VERY HIGH

POWER POTENTIAL: VERY HIGH

"Huh." Pierre examined the stats more carefully. "Highest power potential, but also highest danger. Makes sense."

He thought about the story he’d read. The protagonist had been a pirate—a generic, overpowered idiot who gained new abilities whenever the plot required it. No struggle, no growth, just convenient power-ups and plot armor.

"If I’m stuck in this world, might as well have options." He scrolled through the information again. "Outlaw is definitely the best one to choose from..."

A new notification appeared:

[WOULD YOU LIKE TO SELECT A FACTION?]

[YES] [NO]

Pierre hesitated. "Wait, do I get any other information? Starting location? Special abilities? That ’gift package’ the Administrator mentioned?"

Another notification appeared:

[ADDITIONAL OPTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER FACTION SELECTION]

"Of course they will." Pierre sighed. "Fine, let’s go with Outlaw."

The word had barely left his lips when the crimson light surrounding him surged, coalescing into a single, sharp point in his chest. A searing heat spread through his veins, and a new notification burned itself into his vision:

[FACTION: OUTLAW CONFIRMED]

[PLEASE SELECT YOUR STARTING CLASS: PIRATE / BOUNTY HUNTER]

(This choice is permanent.)