The investor's eyes stayed motionless for a moment as I awaited their response. while we stared at one another a greyish glow spread from the eyes flowing along the contours of a face. The rest of the body followed suit. Leaving what looked for the life of me to be a living charcoal drawing sitting in front of me. strangely still a genderless and monotone representation.

"with your mindset and astuteness being pleasing to me you've earned some of the truth. Put simply there's no way for you to win. Well technically sure there is a champion. That champion will of course be showered in praises and gifts from their investor, and possibly others if they were impressed enough. However, just as with the gladiators of your world, here the true winners are only ever those in power. Also like the gladiators you know and their backers it isn't being the strongest or the fastest that matters. What matters is the crowd. Win the crowd, win your freedom. " The investor was apparently one that liked to gesture while they talked. Finishing the last sentence they struck what seemed to be a dignified, and self absorbed, pose. Looking to me they seemed to be expecting something. "Anyway", they continued, appearing to not get what they wanted from me, "I say that to say this. Just as you've earned some truths I would like to offer you a choice". Again they struck a pose, this time with either hand out to the side and slightly raised. "on the one hand there is the basic bitch 'System' allowing you to grow in power quickly. Through defeating your enemies, skill increases, and even through special achievement you can directly alter your strengths and weaknesses. It has great limitations, but in as much as it limits it directs those losses, if they can be said to be such, into significant gains." They said having raised their left hand. "And, on the other" This time lifting their right. "you have my personal favorite" Pausing once more they stared at their empty raised hand as if admiring a work of art. "A singular skill capable of altering the course of events into our favor. There are no limits, other than those existence itself imposes upon you, but with enough time and experience even those can be bent or even broken. Of course as there are no limits as borders to build upon the growth is slower" With that they raised both their hands up as if offering their non existent contents to me.

Looking back and forth between the hands I pondered the options. A third option was nagging at me. The one where I point out that my question hadn't actually been answered, and of course asking the 100 follow-up questions. What crowd was I supposed to win over? Were the gods just bored children kicking anthills? Is there even a point? Though the look on their face, one of eager barely contained anticipation for my choice, combined with my own desire to move on, held my further questioning at bay. Who didn't want to stomp down a few giant rats, or slash away at some monsters and 'level up'. I'd heard of the capabilities of such a 'system' from from the rumors of those who'd gained one from those who called themselves gods back on earth. Even a single day's romp in the woods clearing out the wildlife, or better yet defeating actual monsters, or even other people, could net you enough to double or even triple your power. At least at the start. There's a reason so many turned to eradicating the 'unfortunates' as we were called. The greater rewards vastly improved their advance in power. My loathsome feelings for those creatures almost made me snatch the right hand immediately. Taking a moment to collect myself I set my mind to the task of evaluating the next option logically instead. To be limitless was of course an immeasurable benefit. The slower growth could end up with me dead though. Much would depend on exactly what they meant by skill though. Speaking of, "What's the skill? Or, what does it do?" I asked.

The investor smiled. "I'd tell you if I could, I really would. Unfortunately the created skill is as much a part of you already as it is from my own skill in bringing it out." They shrugged their shoulders as they raised their hands back to the same offering positions.

The frustration was getting back up there for me. I wanted to just be done with all the 'Divine' bullshit and get back to some kind of normalcy. I wanted to ask for a rain check to sleep on it. At the same time I don't think I could stand meeting back up with any more self proclaimed deities and their annoying methods of communication. Between the hands my eyes pinged once more. Choosing the left hand and a 'system' would allow quick growth and great control over how I grew and what I focused on. Taking the red pill, er I mean the right hand, although likely greatly lowering my initial strength would allow limitless possibility. Depending on exactly what skill it was and how I could build my foundation, this could make up for the loss in initial strength. Slowly my hand snaked out, wavering as it did so. Slightly leaning toward the left hand. The superhuman abilities. The absolute knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses. The trust you could have in your choices when a system could tell you exactly what something was without question. All these were calling greatly to me.

Even before my hand crossed the halfway mark it was steadily locked onto the right hand. Relying on the strength and power of a system although a given for early growth was anathema to me now. Seeing what it'd done to us back on earth. Seeing that although fast it still took time to grow in power. Knowing it had limitations. Knowing that those with true power always won had made the decision for me before I truly knew myself what I was going to do. Grasping the investors right hand I looked up into their face and smiled. Shinning back at me was a beaming smile of true happiness. That's when, with a strength far beyond what I was able to properly gauge, the investor flipped me up fully from my seated position and onto the table.

Rolling onto my back I saw the whole room morph around me. The walls became pristine white painted drywall. Landing onto the 'table' I felt it was now a bed. my head, though my body had stopped, continued with my momentum, ended up looking right at the investor again. Now dressed in scrubs. The smile was still there though. "OH, Finally!" They said. "you can't believe how long I've waited to try this again".

"Try this?..." I said as I watched the investor begin to strap me into what I'd now realized was a hospital gurney. "... um... do..."

"Hush now child" the investor said distractedly. Far to busy with their excitement to deal with my nonsense. Finished strapping me in they covered me with a thin blanket, more of a sheet really, from the shoulders down. Wheeling the gurney about revealed a pair of double doors. Through which the gurney, and I riding upon it unwillingly, were thrust. The doors parting revealed an operating room decked out in tools I couldn't identify. Not that a normal operating room had many tools I could identify. These though were clearly not scalpels, forceps, and scissors. I mean sure I did see those, but there were also clearly utensils of a magical nature mixed in. There was even an entire group of wheeled stands that held what at first glance appeared to be foggy shapes. Upon further inspection for a certainty each and every one was distinctly non Euclidean in nature. There were even a few Klein bottles in among them. Filled with what appeared to be superfluid's creeping around the edge. I at least hoped it was a superfluid and not some living liquid trying to get out. Wait, I thought, Wasn't a Klein bottle just a mobius strip in bottle form, how was that not spilling everywhere? Before I could puzzle out it's inner workings I was swept past stopping with my head directly under the already lit operating lamp.

From behind the gurney came who I was now wanting to rename nurse ratchet. Grabbing my wrist with one hand she slapped one of the Klein bottles onto it with the other. Onto it wasn't exactly right. With a sickening feeling of vertigo I watched the glass slide straight through my wrist. At least this gave me a moment to examine the bottles closer. They seemed to be multiple nested bottles. Some complicated structure which allowed storage, but simultaneously access to the contents. Looking at the mess was making my head hurt. As if to keep me from looking back that exact moment is when I could feel that although I hadn't been pricked, and though previously the liquids were contained, I could now feel them leaking out. Not onto my wrist or the gurney. They were leaking directly into my bloodstream. Through the fourth dimension or something. My eyes were bugging out as I sheepishly turned to the only other entity in the room for comfort. Comfort isn't what I got.

"Listen, I know you're freaking out, but I'm about to perform pan dimensional surgery on you. You'll be fine, but likely not remember this part anyway. Your existential crisis can wait till later". The investor gave a half assed pat on my shoulder as they moved back around behind me. Apparently that was magical, super fluidic, extradimensional, anesthesia or something cause I was already starting to fade out.

"Now if only the head doesn't blow up this time" the investor mumbled from behind me.

"WHAT!" I said, or tried to say, came out a bit more like "whaaaa........ " as everything went black for the third time in less than an hour.