The grizzled priest in front of the classroom kept ranting about the world's creation myth while a bunch of children focused all their will into not paying attention to the lecture.

"The humanity and the monsters awakened upon the land. And for a time, chaos raged. Monsters ate monsters, the people feared the night. Weaker than the monsters, humanity sought each other for mutual protection."

The priest dodged some mudball that splattered harmlessly against the wall and raised his voice to try and fail at overcoming the chatter. He kept on with his lecture.

"God, in all His mercy, took pity of humanity. The savage monsters would devour all creation. So God created the Dungeons. Traps that would lure the monsters and trap them in their bowels for all eternity."

Some wolf-kin boys started to brawl in the classroom, and several other boys formed a circle around, hissing and jeering as the two combatants tried to bite and claw at each other's furs. With the boy's side of the classroom lost, the priest focused on the girls' side and continued reading the holy words out loud.

"But the dungeons were not able to hold the monsters, and soon some of them fled them to roam the land once again. And once more God, in his infinite compassion, reached for the humanity and granted them power. He declared that on their fifteenth birthday, all children would receive a special oracle and Skills to help them survive. And once more God's justice shone. For all people were given balanced opportunities for growth. For all of us of humanity can reach greatness, no matter how diverse our paths are."

The mention of earning their Skills drew some boys from the thrill of the fight. The girls were also very interested in getting their Skills, the power that would set them on their own personal path for wealth, glory, power or fame.

One girl, however, had only one wish. To remain ignored until the end of class. Cless sat at the very back of the classroom, the corner next to the cleaning utensils and kept as quiet as a ghost under daylight. She had no friends or even colleagues among the other town kids her age despite every single person in the town of Tambrill knowing her. Cless' mother died in childbirth and nobody knew her who her father was.

Depending on whom you asked, they would say that Cless' father was a zombie, an orc, an ogre, a troll or some demon from the underworld. People weren't even sure if she was human. Cless was born with deformities that killed any chance of winning a pageant. Not that the small town of Tambrill hosted any. She was taken in by nuns on her first day of life and grew up in the church, helping clean the modest wooden building. Her appearance and demure demeanor didn't win her any friends. Cless was sure that the nuns and the priest only let her sleep in a cloister in the church's basement because their God demanded them to commit acts of charity.

"Skills have a ranking represented with a letter, from G the lowest to A and S the highest. Remember that lower town o Skills are not bad! God will give you a wider selection of Skills of a lower grade, and these Skills can be upgraded later in life through faith and effort combined!"

And now that Cless was about to turn fifteen and would get her Skills and become an adult, it was expected of her to leave the church to go find work and earn her keep. The priest stated clearly that Cless was not going to join the church on several occasions. Not that Cless wanted to join in the first place.

The priest kept droning in his reading.

"And with Skills, God leveled the playing field. All of us can reach greatness, all of us can become the strongest or anything else you desire. It is all a matter of seizing the opportunities presented to us. Some will have the mental fortitude and presence of mind to make the best out of what God put in your way. Most won't."

'Yes, awesome! Can I be the fairest of all maidens? Yes? No? No! Too bad. Liar.' Cless thought, sardonically. She didn't mind her appearance much, but the reactions of the people around her really hurt. The bullying. The scowls. The pity. Cless didn't want that. She just wanted to be left alone. But could they do that? No, sir.

"So now all of you form two lines, boys on the right, girls on the left. We are going to perform the cleansing ritual before bringing you back to kneel before God's altar and praying for your Skills."

The young teenagers stood up, excited. All but one. Cless naturally let the others stand up and line up. She met the priest's eyes and stood up before he called her attention, taking her time to reach the end of the girl's line. She knew the priest would make everyone look at her, and she would be in a bad mood for the entire day. Getting in line was already bad. There were more boys than girls in town and she had to go past several of them. Cless shrugged and tried to not see the jeering faces of the boys at the end of the line looking at her.

The two lines walked side-by-side and soon reached the main nave of the church. Excited parents were sitting on the pews, praying so God would give their children good Skills. Cless wanted to run away. She could see some crones that always gave her a hard time. She shrunk a few inches, bending her back. One by one they were called. The priest started calling boy after boy, leaving the girl's line in wait. Cless felt thankful for this small mercy.

They didn't have to disclose their Skills, but most of them usually shouted out loud what they got.

As the boys and their relatives cheered on the Skills they got, the girls started to gossip. Mostly about what Skills the boys were getting and who wanted what Skill. They also took their time to criticize the clothing choices of some women in attendance. The yearly Skill prayer was arguably the most important day in Tambrill. It marked the rite of passage into adulthood and apprentice recruitment.

Cless watched as some families with no interest in learning the skills of other people left with their recently anointed young men to celebrate. A boy gained both the Sword Mastery and Holy Magic Skills, and a ruckus started in the church. The priest had to politely ask the boy's family to vacate the premises and take their celebration elsewhere as a show of respect to those that still waited for their Skills.

Soon it was the girl's turn. They got their Skills and left. A few girls blushed hard when they received their Skills. These didn't reveal their Skills and it usually meant something related to Sex. Great Fertility, Birth Control, Sexual Technique were some of the Skills women could get. The men also had Sexual Technique, Great Virility but they almost always disclosed those. There were rumors that in the Royal Capital women with Sexual Technique became high paid courtesans and harlots.

When it came to Cless' turn, the church was almost empty. Those that remained were families thankfully praying for their boons and those that had nothing else better to do than harass Cless. At least in her mind. The priest waved, calling Cless in. She walked fast and crossed the line of pews trying to not look at her sides. But she could see them. Feel their glares burning her back. Cless reached the altar and the priest spoke the same words for the umpteenth and last time today.

"Cless, kneel before God and pray for His grace. Let His Light embrace you and grant you the Skills. Remember that God has a plan for each one of us. Go, daughter. Pray and let your inner voice reach the Heavens."

Cless knelt and recited the standard prayer they all learned during their lessons. She felt dizzy and her mind wandered. It was like her spirit was lifted from her. She couldn't see and the only sounds were wind and some chimes in the distance. And she was granted her Skill.

Skill [Absolute Contract] (S-rank) granted.

Allows you to create a binding contract between two willing parties. Both parties must offer something of value to one another and agree to the terms of the contract. An Absolute Contract cannot be broken by any external party. Those bound by an Absolute Contract cannot disobey the terms. The contract can be written or verbal. No party can be forced into a contract with this Skill. Conditions must be stated in a way that all parties understand.

Cless felt her body once again and she staggered. If she was standing up she would've probably collapsed on a heap. Her Skill was rubbish even though it was an S-rank skill. She couldn't kill a baby goblin with that Skill. Or craft anything. She could only create contracts. It was a good thing that she could create binding contracts that could not be disobeyed, but seriously? The exciting life of an S-rank clerk? A Notary? In the middle of nowhere? What manner of merchant would want her to draft a contract if they could not disobey it?

She couldn't even become a slave merchant, because her Skill was useless to force people into contracts.

Cless felt her life was already done for. She remained there, kneeling for several minutes. The priest tapped her shoulder but she didn't move. She pretended to pray so the priest would leave her alone. There was nothing else scheduled to happen in the church today. Her self-pity, loathing, despair became a vicious circle, feeding those brooding feelings and driving her down.

Cless cried kneeling before the altar of God.

She felt someone tapping her shoulder after a while. She looked up and saw the smiling face of the priest.

"Check your status, Cless. You know how to."

Cless nodded. She focused and mumbled, "Status."

Name: Cless (no surname)

Race: Human.

Level: 1

Class: None

Profession: None

Base Stats: Strength: 6 — Agility: 6 — Health: 10 — Intellect: 13

Available Status Points: 5

Skills: [Absolute Contract (S)]

Proficiencies: Prayer: 2 — Scribe: 2 — Houseworking: 2 — Math: 2 — Reading: 4

One's status could only be seen after the Skills were granted. The basic four plus the available stat points would always average forty points. There were other stats that only unlocked when certain classes or professions were obtained, like Magic or Charisma. The proficiencies were competences you could train in and they could go from level 1 to level 100. Some proficiencies overlapped with lower ranked Skills, but the Skill was always better than the maximum leveled ability. She didn't mess with her stats points.

Classes were occupations one could fill in the society. Merchant, Solider, Crafter, Warrior, Mage, Priest, and others. A profession was a side occupation that could complement one's class or branch out into other combinations. A Mage could take Alchemy as their profession and make magical potions or Blacksmithing and make magical weapons and armor. Or a Crafter could also be a Blacksmith and synergize his proficiencies.

One thing bothered Cless. The visual messages from God were too bothersome. She wished they could be made into a voice that spoke only to her. And it was granted.

Acknowledged. Cless' notifications will be announced as a voice she can always hear.

The priest approached her and gently touched her shoulder.

"Cless, you are now an adult. It warms my heart to see your piety, but it is time for you to go," He said. The priest took a bag of coins from the pockets of his robe. "This is a small gift from me and the nuns, to help you get started in your adult life. Since you will not join the church, you can't stay with us any longer, Cless. Karen the owner of the Beaten Hare inn offered you free boarding, breakfast, and dinner for a month. You know Karen, right?"

It was a stupid rhetorical question. She knew Karen. She probably knew over half the townsfolk and everyone knew Cless.

"Yes, father. I am grateful for your assistance and for God's grace hosting me in the church this long. Can I go say goodbye to the nuns?"

Cless took the bag of coins without checking inside. The priest smiled, showing his pearly white teeth. Cless wanted to have teeth that white. He lifted a hand pointing at the door leading to the inner wing of the church.

"Please, Cless. They will be delighted to see you. Go ahead and talk to them. But there is one thing before you go."

Cless tilted her head to meet the priest's eyes. What could he want from her? "What is it, father? How can I be of service?"

"What Skill did you get, Cless?"

"Something useless, father. Don't mind it. I really don't want to talk about it. Is that okay?"

The priest opened a wide business smile. Cless felt that moment it was fake, but she was not sure. The priest seemed genuinely happy but she doubted his motivations for a moment.

"Of course, Cless. The Skill you got from God is a matter that only concerns you and God. Nobody should try to pry it out of your lips or mind. Go and talk to the nuns, Cless. They packed your clothes for you. May God always lead your steps."

"Thanks, father."

Cless disappeared in the inner corridors of the church, reaching the nun's cloisters moments later. The nuns were really touched and it was a tear-infused goodbye. Cless took her meager belongings, a few clothes, sturdy leather shoes and some knick-knacks stuffed in a backpack and left the church through a side gate.

She sighed. At least she had some coin and a free month of boarding. Maybe she could get a job with Karen to pay for a room.

Cless went to the inn carrying her meager possessions with her mind overtaken by the burning feeling that her life sucked.