Previously

As if in response to their concern, the blue box suddenly dissolved, and instead, another seemingly-gamelike holographic wheel appeared, that seemed to be modelled after the wheel of samsara, divided into three main categories:

"Mortal, Demi-God," Arthur's voice trembled with disbelief. "And, God?"

"It's the same for me too," Lily replied, her expression mirroring her brother's.

Arthur's heart quickened its pace as he shifted his gaze back to his own screen, confirming that it mirrored Lily's. The wheel now held their fate, promising a path that could lead to unimaginable heights or plunge them into the depths of uncertainty. In the realm of their beloved RPG games, such choices were common, but in their own reality, it was an unprecedented twist.

As a surge of adrenaline coursed through their veins, their minds raced to make sense of the situation. It was as if the world had transformed into a grand adventure, their very existence hanging in the balance. The weight of the decision pressed upon them, urging them to consider the possibilities that lay within each category.

Arthur's thoughts raced, contemplating the implications of each rank.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Lily asked, slowly with doubt but one could hear the clear excitement in her voice.

Arthur gulped. "I think so too."

"Okay, so we're thinking the same thing," Lily said. "We're going to become gods?"

"I don't think it's going to be that easy," Arthur replied. "I mean, if it were that easy, and supposing that we're not the only ones in the world to be presented with this choice, I'm not sure if a world full of 7 billion gods is going to work."

"Before going with your logic, are we even sure that what we're seeing is real, right now?" Lily asked, biting her lips. She took a sharp breath. "I. .This isn't a dream, right?"

Arthur could sense the nervousness in Lily's voice, and he couldn't blame her. Lily may be smart, perhaps even a genius in her own right, this was still a lot to take in for a senior in high-school. Even Arthur himself couldn't really believe in what was happening right now.

"I. . .don't think it is," Arthur said, before looking at Lily dead-straight in the eyes. "Hey, Lil, let me do a Jonathan on you real quick."

Lily immediately flinched away. "I swear to god, bro, if you so much as get anywhere near my side-burns, I'll slap you nine-ways to Sunday."

Arthur lowered his hands back down. "Well, your reaction's too harsh for this to be a dream, so I guess this is. . .real."

Arthur checked out the wheel again. He remembered the instructions which were pretty simple enough - all he had to do was spin this wheel and discover his destiny.

He connected the dots. "Well, if what the notification from before is telling the truth, I think whatever we get from this wheel, we become."

"Discover your destiny," Lily pondered. "That. . .would make sense. But, do we become these. . .things or do we simply summon them like p*kemon? And, going on that logic, say I summoned someone of the God rank, are they going to be from our mythology or something else? Maybe-"

"You're doing it again sis," Arthur stopped her, tapping her forehead. "You let your mind do your mouth's work again. But anyway, I don't think it's going to be the summoning kind."

"And, how do you know that?" Lily asked, a little irritated. She hated when he tapped her forehead.

"I. . .don't know. Just a gut feeling I guess," Arthur replied. "But, I do know I'm being really tempted to do as the notification says, and spin the wheel right now."

Lily looked at the screen, then at her brother, and then at the screen again. Just like he said, she was beginning to feel the temptation to spin the wheel as well. It was like some god out there was playing with their minds. "So, you doing it?"

"Again. . I don't know. Believe me, I've been racking my brain for any other option, but," Arthur's brow furrowed as he tried to find an alternative, a safer path that didn't involve such a leap of faith. "It seems like more of a risk to not do as this mysterious blue box tells us to do. I don't want us to get lasered to death simply for not doing something like spinning the wheel."

"Well, if you're going to make a decision, you still have. . ." Lily checked the clock. "around 50 minutes to make a decision. Me personally, I think if our theory is correct, I wouldn't want to miss out on a chance on becoming something as exalted as a god. Although, I wonder how that'd work."

"You seem to be adapting a little well for someone who was so shell-shocked a few moments ago," Arthur chuckled.

Lily raised her hands up. "What can I say? We're basically stuck in a real-life RPG and it's easier for me to cope when I think about the fact that I'm going to become a sweet-ass god."

Arthur knew his sister, and he knew her very well. A quick glance at how Lily's hands were shaking told him about how she was really feeling.

"We always wanted an adventure, didn't we? Who knew it would come knocking on our door like this?"

Lily shot him a sly grin. "Oh, great. So, when do we get our swords and magic spells? Are we going to encounter mythical creatures on our way to the grocery store?"

Arthur played along, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm. "Well, if that happens, I hope our grocery list includes dragon repellent and phoenix treats. Gotta be prepared for the unexpected, right?"

They shared a laugh but deep down, they both knew that their lives were about to take an extraordinary turn, and their lighthearted banter masked the underlying nerves.

But, he decided to not bring it up for the time being. "So, we do it?"

Lily smiled back at him. "We do it."

And, that was all the confirmation he needed. "Let's spin the wheel."

Lily grinned, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. "Oh, I'm so getting that god-rank."

With a mixture of trepidation and excitement, they reached a silent agreement. Their hands hovered above the mysterious wheel, and spun it.

The room fell into an eerie silence as Arthur and Lily simultaneously spun the wheel, their hearts pounding with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. The arrow on each of their wheels began its mesmerizing dance, circling the categories of mortal, demi-god, and god.

In the stillness, Alex watched his own wheel with bated breath. As the arrow gradually slowed down, a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes. It neared the god rank, seemingly on the verge of granting him an extraordinary destiny. But fate had other plans.

With a twist of cruel irony, the arrow defied his expectations, veering away from the god rank and settling on the mortal category. Alex's heart sank, a mix of disappointment and confusion filling his thoughts. How could he have come so close to greatness only to fall short?

Ding!

<<System Notification>>

[Congratulations, Alex! You have been designated as a mortal.]

The words appeared before him, mocking his dashed hopes. A sense of disbelief washed over him as he read the unexpected outcome. Alex's mind raced, trying to comprehend the significance of his designation as a mortal. A wave of curiosity and uncertainty flooded his thoughts.

Alex's attention shifted to the notification's accompanying description: [Liu - A Chinese Farmer In the Han Dynasty].

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