There was no vocal response from the text box. I don't know what I thought it would say back to me.

Instead, the first box of text disappeared, but it was immediately replaced by another.

[CHOOSE MAGIC]

'Magic? What? Am I going to some nerd's basement to play some D&D?' I asked in my mind, but there was no reply.

The text box disappeared again, but this time it was replaced by one that looked different than the last two. This one looked like something pulled out of MMORPG, with the magic type and uses.

[GROWTH MAGIC-create and control nature and help nurture others.]

Growth Magic? While this might seem cool, it really didn't seem like it would really make me that strong.

Never had any passion for gardening or really helping others.

My life has always been about looking out for myself. Relying on others was a great way to fast-track yourself to disappointment.

'I'll take a hard pass on the tree-hugger magic. Is there anything else? Also, did I stop bleeding?' I voiced in my mind

Maybe I could just lay around for a bit. The pain from before was not something that I wanted to experience again.

'Do not waste time. You are still dying, and if you don't hurry up, you will be given a random ability!" An older-sounding male voice spoke in my mind, surprising me.

'Who are you?' I asked the voice in my mind.

'That isn't important right now. You need to pick a Magic Type or let RNGeezus take the wheel!' The male voice told me.

Everything that was going on was making my head spin. Very little, if any, was making sense, but I decided to listen to the strange voice.

I was about to die, and this voice was going to give me a second chance. With a magical power, I would get to the top of this world, no problem.

'What's next? Please make me a wizard, Garry. I promise to be good and all of that bullshit!' I told the voice in my head.

'Who's Garry?' The male voice asked.

'You said that your name didn't matter, so I made one up,' I said with a mental shrug since I was no longer in control of my body.

The truth was that I couldn't feel it anymore. My body was gone, and trying to open my eyes did nothing for me.

'You were close, but my name is Gripton,' the voice explained.

'Good for you! If you're the chief, then what's the game plan here? You're just gonna show me a bunch of magic, and I get to pick one?' I asked, thinking that there might be more than what I was being told.

'...Yeah...' Gripton said in a suspicious voice, trailing off.

'Really? Yeah? What the fuck is that shit? Don't make me scroll through all these weird things, and just pick one for me!' I growled.

I did not like how the man trailed off when he spoke. Now I was sure that something was being held back.

The problem was that I really wasn't in much of a position to be making demands.

'True, you really aren't in much of a position to be demanding, but I get it. You are not the type that has others fight for you, and you are used to doing things alone,' Gripton explained to me.

'Fine, but I don't want any sissy magic! Also, since this will cut some of the time, what is this all about?' I asked.

'A world needs a hero.' Gripton replied flatly, causing my irritation to flare again.

'Don't go giving me that bullshit. What does that even mean? Do I go and pick a person out of the crowd and say you must be the bad guy? Then shout some stupid heroic line?' I asked, my voice filled with annoyance.

'I'm sure you will figure it out,' Gripton replied in a casual tone that just made me angrier.

'Oh, you're just Mr. Have A Good Day And Go Away then?!' I demanded.

'Me? Oh, I have no problem with that! Have a good day then!' Gripton told me, but that wasn't what I wanted.

'Wait, annoying voice in my head, what magical shit did you give me?' I shouted out in my mind.

I was worried that I might have pissed the person off, and now I was just going to die for real. I was okay with dying at first, but now, I was starting to get used to the idea of getting another chance!

There was a long pause, but then the voice spoke up again.

'The Magical Hands of Maximus and Negima,' Gripton finally replied.

'Hey! What kind of mumbo jumbo lollipop squawk was that?!' I asked, not understanding a word that was just said.

'I can take it back if you don't want it?' Gripton told me, but I could feel the grin in his words.

'Don't be such a sensitive grandpa; I'll keep it. What the fuck does it do?' I asked, trying to not sound as much like a jackass.

'You want to keep it but...argh! You really know how to frustrate people! I would have given you a magical power, but you already seem to have it flowing through every inch of your soul!' Gripton growled at me in frustration.

I smiled inwardly but decided that making this person frustrated wasn't really going to help me. I decided to just wait quietly until the voice was ready to speak again.

'Anything your right-hand touches becomes magical. Anything your left-hand contacts lose magical function forever unless you touch it with your right. The effects may vary,' Gripton explained to me.

'Eh? Not bad, but I have no fucking clue what that means, but hey, fuck it. So were we going, boss? Gonna stay here?' I asked, but there was no answer.

Suddenly, the pain kicked back in, and I was able to open my eyes. I was back in the alley, bleeding out on the pavement in the dark.

The world started to get fuzzy, and it was hard to concentrate on anything in the dark. My eyes closed again as I lay in a puddle of my own blood.

Suddenly, my eyes shot back open as I could see a light from behind my eyelids. A circle of lights formed around me, filling the dark alley with light.

Then it started to tear me apart.