Chapter 2: Blessing

Tom sat there in silence after calling out to the goddess. He had never prayed in his life and there he was, praying to a god of another world.

'I feel really stupid.'

Prayer Successful

"Uhh..."

Hello Thomas Everett. I've been expecting you.

Tom stared at the screen before him, dumfounded. He was expecting a booming voice. A voice so loud it would cause the world around him to shake.

Thomas?

"Uh, hello?" he meekly replied. "You're Kara?"

I am.

"Are you the SYSTEM or are you speaking through the SYSTEM?"

I speak through it.

"And what IS the SYSTEM?"

Hmm... The SYSTEM is information given form, thanks to magic.

Thomas was still in shock knowing he was speaking to an actual god. He couldn't really get his thoughts together. Nor could he summon the anger he felt for the situation he was placed in or for the people who died.

You don't need to be so tense. I understand you have many questions. Especially after what you've been through. Take your time. I'll answer whatever you may ask.

The assurance that he could relax allowed Tom to break out of his stupor and feel his anger return to him.

"Yeah. No kidding. Where do I even begin?" He quickly followed up in anger, "Ninety-nine people." Tom was seething at this point. His fist clenched. "Ninety-nine people died thanks to that test of yours. I'm assuming it's yours. Why? Why did they have to die?"

It was the only way I could help your people and your world.

"What?"

On Xoth, the world I preside over, there has been an ongoing war between its inhabitants and the Demon Lord and his army. It has been in a stalemate for hundreds of years, with neither side gaining significant ground. Recently, however, the Demon Lord has enacted a new and powerful magic spell. My universe and your universe... Are going to fuse into one.

"What?" Tom yelled as he jumped to his feet. "H-How is that even possible?"

In those hundreds of years of war, Demon Lord Hastur has gathered many unfortunate souls. The energy of these souls were used to power this spell.

"Oh god... Why is he fusing our universes?" He sat back down in his chair.

I don't know.

"You don't...? You're a god! Aren't you all knowing or even powerful? Hell, why even allow Hastur do everything he has done for the last several hundred years?"

Hastur managed to create magical barriers that I cannot go through. I am not all-powerful, nor am I all-knowing. I'm not even the creator of the universe or multiverse.

"Then who or what is?"

Something greater than me. Every god of every universe is connected to their universe. As a universe ages, the god that presides over it becomes stronger. To even initiate the test I put you and the 99 others through, I piggybacked on Hastur's spell.

'Piggybacked?' he thought. 'What a weird word for a goddess to use.'

I can hear your thoughts during prayer.

Even though Thomas couldn't hear the goddess' voice, those words came across as teasing.

"Uh, sorry. What about the god of my universe? Can't it do anything?"

I haven't sensed any action from the god of your universe. Gods from different universes have different ways to interact with the universe. Yours seems to prefer leaving your universe to its own devices.

"Great. A lazy god." Thomas processed the information the goddess gave him. He rubbed his face with both hands in frustration and sighed. "Okay. Fine. I'm just a human," Tom waved both his hands in the air in irritation, "so understanding the dynamics of the caste system of gods and how universes come to be and die is going to be somewhat out of my field of expertise. So I'll let this specific topic drop for now. At least answer me this. Why me? I have no combat training. I'm not a smart person. Why not a soldier? Or a police officer? I'm a nobody."

You are not a nobody. Through this prayer, I have seen your true self. You're a good person. And while you maybe not be the most... ambitious person, you do strive to do the right thing whenever you can. But this isn't the answer you're looking for. Like I said before, there was nothing I could do to stop Demon Lord Hastur from casting his universe fusion spell. All I could do was take advantage of the spell to give your world a chance of protecting itself. Those monsters you and the 99 others faced were going to appear in your world anyways. I placed a condition on this first wave to create the test.

"I'm sorry, but waves?"

The spell is not immediate. Beings of my universe will come to yours in waves. This is to build a stable connection between Earth and Xoth. These waves will happen more and more frequently until finally on May 3rd, 2021, Xoth and Earth will completely merge. Your maps will need to be redrawn when everything is done.

"That cataclysmic?"

Yes. We are getting off track. You wanted to know why you were picked. As the description of your test said, you were randomly chosen, but it wasn't completely random. For a person to be chosen for the test they had to follow two criteria. The person would willingly step up to fight for others, and that person had the potential to be a hero. Those 99 others? 45 soldiers. 24 police officers. 20 fire fighters. 6 doctors. 2 mercenaries. 1 Catholic priest. 1 Muslim cleric.

"All of them died?"

Sadly, yes.

"Wait! What happened to the monsters that were summoned?"

As they were a part of the test, they vanished after the test was completed.

"That's a relief," Tom sighed. "Look I don't think I can be the hero you want me to be. I only got lucky with that cyclops."

There are many traits that make up a hero. Luck is a part of it. Clever is also another part. This was displayed in the manner you killed that cyclops. You were given the most difficult monster to fight, yet you killed it without taking any damage.

"So luck makes me a hero?" Thomas asked incredulously.

It's more complicated than that. Luck was a factor in your victory, but you were able to think of a strategy on the spot to take down an opponent many times your size and level. You have the potential to be the hero this world needs.

"I'm supposed to not only protect this world but also fight a demon that even a god can't touch? How do I even stand a chance?"

I notice you haven't outright refused the prospect.

"I'm serious, Kara. I'm being given a year to go from my level to that of Hastur. Even going all out, I don't think I can make it."

I understand. You are not going to be alone in this fight. I'm making you my agent. By making you my agent, our connection will be stronger, allowing me to help you more.

"An agent? You serious? I'm not religious. I haven't forgiven you for the test. I don't even know if I like you."

If you are able, will you fight to protect people's lives?

The question gave Thomas pause. "I don't know how I'll act when it hits the fan... But I want to. I want to be the hero people need."

That is all I need to know. It doesn't matter if you like me or not. If you are willing to protect others, that's all that is important. You are now my agent.

NoticeKara has made you her agent. You have been given the title "Agent Of Kara". By earning this title, you have been granted a 2x experience multiplier, +10 to all stats, +5 to all resistances, and 5 new skills.

"Uh... Thank you."

You're welcome. Also, one more gift.

A bright light appeared next to Thomas. He fell out of his chair in surprise. Tom felt his heart jump as he feared it was another monster to kill him. To his relief, all that appeared was a blue metal chest.

A weapon, a cloak, and two books.

Tom walked over to the chest and opened it. Inside were the sword, the cloak and two books, as the goddess had said. He pulled the white cloak out of the chest and said, "Identify."

Cloak Of The Unsung HeroRankSSSDurability500/500Damage Resistance+5%Element Resistance+5% allEffectsObscures identity, +20 to Strength, +10 to all other stats, level scalingYou don't want people praising or cheering your name. So you fight against evil in secret.

'Holy shit, super good stats!' he thought. 

Tom placed the cloak on his table and then took the sword out of the chest. He pulled it out of its scabbard. It wasn't as heavy as he expected. Probably no more than 5 pounds. The sword was straight, double-edged and three feet long. The fuller of the blade had a lightning pattern etched into it. The sword had a black crossguard to separate the blade and blue leather grip. The pommel was black like the crossguard and contained a blue crystal where Tom could see electricity jumping around inside it. He held the sword up and said, "Identify."

Sky's FuryRankSSSDurability400/400Physical Damage10Element Damage5 LightningEffects+20 Agility, improved Lightning proficiency, level scalingLightning is the element you embody. Strike hard and fast, leaving your enemies dead before they realize they've lost.

'An amazing weapon!'

Thomas placed the sword on the table next to his cloak. Finally, he picked up the two books. Both books were bound in a thick leather cover and the text on the cover was written in a language he has never seen in his world. Despite the different language, Thomas could still read what the book titles were.

'Identify.'

Bestiary of XothRankCEffects+10% damage to the creatures of XothWritten over time by many scholars and researchers. This book contains the basic knowledge of every known creature and monster that lives on Xoth.

NoticeYou have found a book that will grant an effect. Do you wish to use Book Learning to gain its knowledge?

"Yes," Thomas replied.

Many images flashed through his mind and left behind a throbbing in his frontal lobe. Tom placed his hand on his forehead and rubbed while he groaned. He waited a moment for the pain to subside. To his surprise, unlike many RPGs or stories with skill books, the book did not disappear after being learned from. He tried to see if maybe he could get more buffs from the book by flipping through the pages but no new notice came up.

Clever idea, but your skill doesn't work like that. You can only use it once per book.

"Why?"

That buff is from all the knowledge in that book. Getting another buff suggests you found new information in the book that wasn't there before.

"Eh, good point. Can someone else use this book to get a buff?"

 Only if they use Book Learning and can understand the language. As you can glean from your skill list, Book Learning is a rare and very high ranked skill. The only way they can get a buff similar to yours is if they read many books on the matter, allowing them to understand the information thoroughly.

"So my skill skips those steps by giving me not only information but understanding."

Correct.

"What if I translated information to a language that people of my world can understand? Will this help them get a buff?"

You'll need to translate several books, but yes, you can create a skill book people can learn from.

'I'll add that to a list of things to do.'

Tom placed the book on the table next to the sword and cloak.

The experience of using Book Learning was weird to him. In an instant, Tom knew the creatures of Xoth as well as the creatures of his own world. It was alien but familiar at the same time.

NoticeA new section in your status window has been added to display temporary and permanent buffs and debuffs.

NoticeFrom this point on, you can view your status, resistances and skills all at the same time by saying or thinking "Full Status".

At last, Tom across the last item from the chest. The second book.

Brief History of Xoth[/tr]RankCEffects+10% improved persuasion chance and friendliness with the people of XothContains an overview of the history and culture of the races of Xoth.

NoticeYou have found a book that will grant an effect. Do you wish to use Book Learning to gain its knowledge?

"Yes."

Just like before, the knowledge of the book flashed through his mind and left a headache.

'I really hope this skill doesn't give me a brain tumour.'

It won't but even if it did, you could just use Purify to get rid of it.

"Purify can do that?" Thomas yelled.

It removes disease and toxins. However, you are still a level 1 beginner in the skill. High ranked diseases like cancer require a higher level.

"I think I have an idea how to increase my skill level. Thank you for the items."

You're welcome. I hope these items will help you in your mission to stop Hastur and protect the people of your world and mine. Now, an ability you have thanks to the SYSTEM is Inventory. You can store items within it. Try it.

"Inventory."

InventoryCapacity0/30------------------------------

To store your items, just press your items into the screen and to get them back, just reach into the slot that contains your item. You can stack the same item within the same slot for up to 99 of the same item.

Tom picked up the two books and pushed them into the inventory.

InventoryCapacity2/30Basic History of XothBestiary of Xoth----------------------------

Tom nodded and then placed his cloak and sword inside his inventory.

InventoryCapacity4/30Basic History of XothBestiary of XothCloak Of The Unsung HeroSky's Fury--------------------------

"Close Inventory." The window disappeared.

You can further increase your inventory slots by placing a pack into it or increasing your Strength. The new skills you have gained from your new title will help you in your fight as well. I will also do what I can in the future to give you aid in your quest.

"Could you boost my level really high?" he jest.

Heh. I know you are joking, but that would kill you. Like taking a frozen rubber strip and trying to stretch it. Levels are meant to allow you to adjust to your newfound powers. Trust in your ability to become stronger. You can be the hero this world needs. Do you have any other questions?

Thomas remembered several extremely important questions. "Is there a level cap? When or how do I get my first class? Can I see a list of the classes I can pick so I can allocate my stat points more efficiently."

There is no level cap. As for classes... You will get to choose your first class at level 5. Your second at level 20. And your third at level 50. The first class you can pick are Rogue, Warrior and Mage. Each of these classes are then expanded upon come level 20 and so on.

"Let's say I want to swing a sword and cast some spells, as my skills and equipment seem more suited for, what direction should I go?"

Warrior as your first class would make sense. It will expand in the direction you are hoping for.

"Awesome. I think that is everything I need to know at the moment."

Very well. I wish you luck in your days ahead. Also as another gift, as my agent, you can now contact me whenever you wish using Prayer. Goodbye.

The window closed and the chest that was next to Tom vanished in white light. Tom clasped his hands and took a breath before saying, "Skills."

SkillsIdentifyBeginner Level 1PersuasionBeginner Level 1Language ComprehensionMaster Level 10Book LearningMaster Level 10TeacherBeginner Level 1NonchalantMaster Level 10Lightning StrikeBeginner Level 1Lightning EnchantBeginner Level 1Lightning ShieldBeginner Level 1HealBeginner Level 1PurifyBeginner Level 1Sword SkillBeginner Level 1DisguiseBeginner Level 1PrayerMaster Level 10Hero's CallMaster Level 10Fast TravelMaster Level 10Loot CollectorBeginner Level 1Magical RepairBeginner Level 1TacticianBeginner Level 1

'Hero's Call Information.'

Hero's CallTypePassiveRankSSSLevelMaster 10 (100%)You have chosen the path to protect others. Now you will be given quests to fight threats around the world. Note: This skill will only cover critical missions after Earth and Xoth fuse. You can view your quests in the "Quest" menu.

Fast TravelTypeActivateRankSSSLevelMaster 10 (100%)You are able to instantly travel anywhere in the world that is not protected by a magical barrier. This skill will cover party members.

Tom jumped from his chair and flung his fist in the air. "The best!" He realized he could travel anywhere in the world. While this would allow him to fight anywhere in the world, he realized he could have a vacation anywhere he wanted. Tom calmed himself and sat back down again to read his skills.

'Loot Collector Information.'

Loot CollectorTypePassiveRankALevelBeginner 1 (0%)You can instantly loot creatures and people you've killed. A window will appear showing you their equipment and items that you can take. Increasing this skill's level will increase your chances of finding rare loot.

Magical RepairTypeActivateMana Required25RankBLevelBeginner 1 (0%)You are able to repair weapons, armour and items using your own mana. Increase this skill's level to improve how much durability is repaired.

TactianTypePassiveRankBLevelBeginner 1 (0%)You're able to come up with strategies in a fight to improve your party's chances of survival and to inflict the most amount of damage to your opponents.

'Close window.'

Tom noted that the skills he had been given are definitely going to aid in his fight against Hastur. He knows what his first step needs to be to ready himself for the future.

'I have to quit my job tomorrow,' he thought as he got up from the table and moved into the kitchen. With all that had happened, he hadn't noticed his hunger before. The clock on the wall stated the time was 8:45. Thomas took some leeks out of the fridge and pulled out chicken broth and potatoes from nearby cupboards.

Tom chopped up the leeks and potatoes and placed them in a pot. He poured in the broth and turned on the heat. As the soup heated up, Tom turned on the table tablet. The device was relatively new and was the size of a small kitchen table. The device functioned like a computer. As much as he usually avoided just throwing money about, Thomas had to give the tablet a try. He would use it to read news or watch videos while cooking, and find new recipes to try out.

What Tom was looking for was any possible news or mentions of anything unusual today. It didn't take long. His news feed was cram-filled with stories. 

"Monster Mayhem"

"Hundreds Killed In Attacks By ACTUAL Monsters"

"Is This The Beginning Of The End?"

"#MonstersAreReal"

The timer Thomas set went off. He placed the contents of the pot into a blender and blended the soup components into a puree before pouring it back into the pot to heat again. His thoughts went back to the news headlines.

'Of course some people have witnessed and even recorded some of the monster attacks,' Tom thought. 'Even if a few people were present around a couple of the test takers, it would be enough.'

Tom read the news. He made sure to note the kinds of creatures others faced. Goblins, harpies, werewolves, golems and many others. Remembering Kara's words, Tom realized that he really was given the toughest monster to fight. The story also mentioned that some of the victims had "psychosis" episodes before they died. The reports stated that these people saw blue windows with the message that monsters were coming.

People around the world were in a panic over what had happened. It was visible from the news and on social media. No one had any idea what was happening to the world. The news did state that the monsters vanished after a certain amount of time had passed.

'It had to be when I killed the cyclops,' he concluded.

Many people came forward with their own interpretations of what happened or why. Many religions and cults came forward stating that this was judgment day and god was unleashing his wrath upon us.

'God's a lazy fuck in this universe, so don't worry,' Thomas thought harshly.

There were millionaire preachers on the web doing streams prophesying that the end was coming. They would quickly follow up with that their followers should donate everything they have to the church to ensure their place by God's side.

'Hope these scumbags are the first to go.'

Thomas closed tab after tab, removing the frustration from his sight. He needed to remind himself to avoid reading about people like that online. It only made him needlessly angry.

The next timer went off, signaling that his soup was done. Tom walked over and took a ladle to scoop out his soup and pour it into a bowl.

"Identify."

Potato-Leek Soup[/tr]RankDEffects+10 HPA simple but delicious soup made from potatoes and leeks.

NoticeDue to your cooking skills, you have unlocked the Cook skill.

'Cook Information.'

CookTypePassiveRankDLevelBeginner 1 (56%)Cooking is a fine art. Your dishes can invigorate or buff anyone who eats them. Increasing your skill level will improve the taste and effects of your dishes.

"Full Status."

StatusNameThomas "Tom" EverettLevel1Experience0/100Class-RaceHumanAlignmentGoodCurrencyCanadian$10,696,176.43Xoth0 platinum 0 gold 0 silver 0 copperTitleClever One, Determined, Giant Slayer, Vaccinated, One Of The First, Sole SurvivorBuffsAgent of Kara2x expBestiary of Xoth+10% damage towards the creatures of XothBrief History of Xoth+10% persuasion chance and friendliness towards the inhabitants of XothDebuffs--Health390Health Regeneration/min3.2Mana340Mana Regeneration/min4.5Stamina380Stamina Regeneration/min3.5Fame200Infamy0Strength39Intelligence34Wisdom45Perception27Endurance38Vitality32Agility35Luck41Unallocated Points30

ResistancesPhysical30%Disease50%Fire30%Plant30%Ice30%Earth30%Lightning30%Water30%Wind30%Spirit30%Light30%Darkness30%

SkillsIdentifyBeginner Level 2PersuasionBeginner Level 1Language ComprehensionMaster Level 10Book LearningMaster Level 10TeacherBeginner Level 1NonchalantMaster Level 10Lightning StrikeBeginner Level 1Lightning EnchantBeginner Level 1Lightning ShieldBeginner Level 1HealBeginner Level 1PurifyBeginner Level 1Sword SkillBeginner Level 1DisguiseBeginner Level 1PrayerMaster Level 10Hero's CallMaster Level 10Fast TravelMaster Level 10Loot CollectorBeginner Level 1Magical RepairBeginner Level 1TacticianBeginner Level 1CookBeginner Level 1

'My new life begins tomorrow,' Thomas asserted.