A mischievous smile played on Morpheus's lips as he dramatically waved his hand in the air, summoning a marble pedestal into existence. Although the pedestal in itself was ordinary, the object that rested on top of it wasn't.

Unsurprisingly, it was another book. However, this golden tome was different from the other books Lixin had come across. Besides being massive in both weight and size, the book fluctuated with large amounts of energy. 

This energy felt similar to the glow that came off the smaller books. And like those other books, he felt as though the energy was pulling him towards it. However, this time the sensation seemed stronger.

"To answer your question from before, this is how you will find your Persona," Morpheus proclaimed, gesturing to the golden book. "This is the book of Binding Souls. It will give you a mental assessment. Once the assessment is complete, I can assign you the perfect Persona."

"What do I need to do?" Lixin asked, wondering how a book would give him an assessment.

Smiling slightly, Morpheus replied, "All you need to do is lay your hand on top of it for a moment."

"That's simple enough," Lixin said, about to walk over towards the book, but before he could take a single step, he was stopped by Morpheus.

"Yes, it is. However, before I can allow you to do so, we need to narrow down the number of personas."

Tilting his head to the side in a curious manner, Lixin asked, "How do we go about doing that?"

"Simple," Morpheus proclaimed, summoning a map with thousands of names of various beginner towns highlighted on it, out of nowhere. "I just need you to choose the town where you want your journey to begin."

Seeing that Morpheus wouldn't give any information about the cities besides picking one, Lixin realized the DEVs wanted the players to make their own choice with no help from NPCs. That would have been a stressful decision for him if he was playing this game alone.

Luckily, he wasn't, and Zeyu had already researched which city would be the best for them to start in. Just as he was about to say a name he paused.

'Oh shit, what was that town's name again? It was something cove... Alaya, Almaya, Azla. What exactly was it? Urg, Zeyu is going to kill me,' Lixin worried. Suddenly, a word came to mind. "I'd like to begin in Azalea Cove."

"Azalea Cove? Are you sure?"

"Yes, Azalea Cove is the city I want to start in," Lixin replied. He still did not realize the city name he was saying was incorrect and not the one Zeyu chose for them. 

"Interesting..." Morpheus murmured, his eyes glistening with renewed fascination. Not many otherworlders chose that city. "Okay, your city has been locked in. You can now start your assessment."

Nodding his head, Lixin walked over to the book and put his hand on top of it.

As soon as he did, the tome pulsated with magical energy, casting a golden glow over the entire room. Wondering if it was supposed to do that, Lixin looked over toward Morpheus, but what he saw surprised him. 

The man, the room, everything was frozen in place. It appeared that time had stopped. No wonder Morpheus thought it would only take a moment because to him that was how long it was.

However, before Lixin could think more about it, golden particles burst forth from the book forming a large transparent box in the air.

[The book of Binding Souls:] You are being assessed by the book of Binding Souls. Please answer truthfully, for your answers will contribute to your gaming experience. Are you ready to start Y/N?]

'This must be the survey Zeyu was talking about,' he thought, before saying, "Yes!"

~

The assessment was stranger than Lixin thought it would be. Although most of the questions were simple like those found anywhere, it was the answers that were out there. Such as:

What gender are you?

 

• Girl

• Boy

• Gender doesn't define me

• A hybrid alien trapped on earth but longing for space's black void.

• A chaotic wisp flitting through dimensions trying to find its way home.

• A lost soul who escaped the confines of their body and just wanted to explore the world.

• One of the four elements that have escaped nature's grasp and is looking to be something more.

 

 

After that, there was a small section of questions asking for media preferences. The one that resonated most with him was:

If your life were a book, what troupe would come closest to describing your story?

 

• Arranged marriage. Why should tradition ruin my chance to find love?

• Enemies to Lovers. The only thing standing in your way was a misunderstanding.

• Second Chance. This is a new beginning and things will be different this time around.

• Prophecy and Quests. A giant weight has been placed on me, but I will strive to help everyone.

• Kingdoms at war / Royal Politics. Struggle is all I have ever known but I will keep fighting until I'm the victor.

• Found Family. I have always been searching for love and care but it was right next to me all along.

• Forbidden magic. I hide my secrets deep within only for them to be discovered without me knowing.

 

However, the last section was the most challenging. This section was filled with philosophical questions that made him think. He couldn't help but wonder what part they would play in his chosen persona.

Especially with questions like, 'If you could become immortal on the condition you could NEVER die or kill yourself, would you still do it?' And 'If you could erase your bad memories, would you choose to forget your entire life?'

These questions made Lixin realize why people copy other players' answers instead of coming up with original ones of their own. These questions and answers could give a person a headache.

Lixin didn't know how long he answered those philosophical questions. However, when the system prompt stated that the assessment would be over after he answered one last question, a bright smile graced his face. 

[The Book of Binding Souls:] This is the last question. What name do you want to use for your Persona?]

"I want my name to be Fortuitous Fish," Lixin replied, breathing a sigh of relief that this was the last question.

[The Book of Binding Souls:] That name is available. Your assessment is now complete. Restarting time in 3...2...1!]

All of a sudden, the large tome let out a burst of power and the room was once again bathed in a golden glow. Once it faded, Lixin saw that time was once again moving.

"See, I told you," Morpheus begins, walking over to the book. "It only takes a moment. Now let's see what your Persona is."

Waving his hand lightly, the golden tome opened to a blank page. Positioning his hand slightly above the page, Morpheus started mumbling a strange incantation.

As he did, the blank page began to crackle with energy, as an unidentified green object started to push its way through.

It took Lixin a couple of seconds to recognize what the object was, but when he did, he raised an eyebrow. 

Did he just witness a massive golden tome giving birth to a baby book? 

He certainly did.

However, that's when it hit him what the books in the room were. They were other players' Personas. At first, he wasn't sure if his assumption was correct. However, when he looked over and saw Morpheus caressing the book with an eager glint in his eye, he knew it was. 

"Your Persona has been assigned," Morpheus said, waving away the Book of Binding Souls before reluctantly handing Lixin his book. "Please assimilate with it."

Carefully taking the book from the handsome man's hands, Lixin inspected it. The book itself was very antique-looking since it was leather-bound. However, it was also very thin, making it a quick read.

'So this is my game Persona,' Lixin thought as he looked at the title of the book.

Written in a glorious golden script was “The Mystery of the Golden Scale: A Young Koi’s Journey”. His game name was written below it.

'A young koi's journey? What does that mean?' Before Lixin could dwell on it, Morpheus disrupted his thoughts with his words.

"Why are you just looking at the book? You need to open it,” the beautiful man said, hiding his impatience. He couldn't wait to read this newest book.

Knowing what Morpheus wanted, Lixin let out a silent huff, before opening the book. As he did, the book started to glow brightly before he was swept into a cutscene.

~

Author Says:

MomoCatt: That was some assessment.

Lixin: It sure was. It left me with a headache.

MomoCatt: Some Clove tea will fix that right up.

Lixin: Where is it at?

AN: I have a Persona quiz for all of you and will upload it when I have 200 readers

If you want updates, special pictures, and advanced chapters you can find all of that here: https://linktr.ee/momocatt