So Eliphaz rode onwards, following the Star of Ishtar until the day began to break. For a moment, he had entertained returning to his home in Hebron, but he had decided against it.

His failure against Tarsus had reminded him of his failure against Jakob, and so the shame of his father remained strong despite the horrors of the desert. Further, Tarsus’ words had lingered in his mind: Carry out the will of your god. For with those words Eliphaz came to realize the gravity of his vision, and that the only explanation for his new abilities was that the goddess Ishtar had saved him and blessed him in the desert.

Eliphaz knew only little of Ishtar. He knew that the Assyrians called her the Queen of the Heavens, and that the great Babylonian city of Uruk had flourished under her protection. He knew she had ventured into the Underworld in search of power, and had been trapped down below before she traded places with her consort Tammuz—the god of shepherds.

What Eliphaz did not know was why she was now beneath the desert by the Sea of Salt, and spoke of floods and vines.

But what she had told him was true: he was unchosen, for Elohim had blessed Jakob, abandoning Esau and his sons to the whims of fate. Eliphaz knew that if he were to return to Hebron, he would be a nobody, for it was clear that Elohim had no place for him in His divine plan.

Ishtar, on the other hand, had promised him a destiny. A fate unknown, to be sure, but the fate of one blessed by a god was special indeed. So why not carry out the will of this strange goddess, and reap the stats and abilities of her blessing? Surely home could wait, and as a small bonus, whatever shames of his past would surely recede, eclipsed by the great things that awaited his future…

And so Eliphaz rode onwards, following the Star of Ishtar until the day began to break, toward the City of Shechem.

—

As he rode, Eliphaz tended to his stats. His mana points, which had depleted over the course of the fight, slowly rose, and by night’s end were fully restored. He felt the strange fragment lodged in his soul bloom with bright energy, and took it as the physical sensation of mana, a way to intuitively sense what his System calculated.

So if the System was correct, every release of mana into the earth cost 5 points, Eliphaz thought to himself. And with 29 points, he could use Vines of the Briarsworn 5 times before needing to wait for his mana to restore itself.

Did he still only have 29 mana points? After fighting the Moabites, several notifications had appeared, though he dismissed them in his panicked state. It was an instinct he needed to learn to ignore. Sighing at his own carelessness, Eliphaz pulled up his stat notifications.

You defeated a Raider of Moab! +25 exp

You defeated a Warrior of Kemosh! +75 exp

You reached level 11!

Ishtar smiles upon you!

+4 stat points

+2 skill points

Eliphaz

[Briarsworn] Level 11 Experience 75/300 HP 81/81 MP 29/29 SP 24/24 Strength 22 Stamina 20 Agility 19 Spirit 35

So, he had 4 stat points to distribute, Eliphaz thought. Ishtar’s initial blessing had given him a much needed boost to his Strength and Stamina, so now Eliphaz figured it would be strategic to continue investing in Spirit and Agility. Despite still carrying the Sword of Lamech at its side, using vines was far more versatile than any blade. Now was not the time to try to become a [Swordsman] or [Soldier]. Eliphaz divided the 4 points between Spirit and Agility.

Agility increased to 21!

Spirit increased to 37!

Max MP increased to 30!

Excellent, so investing in Spirit also increased mana. Two birds with one stone.

Now onto the skill points. Eliphaz had little experience with skill points, they were rarely received at lower levels, and in the past he had invested them in passive skills that improved his vision or his accuracy with a bow. But something like Vines of the Briarsworn was an entirely different matter, and he wasn’t sure what would happen if he added them to the ability.

Nevertheless, that is precisely what he did.

You invested 2 skill points into Vines of the Briarsworn!

Vines of the Briarsworn reached level 2!

Your vines will become stronger and move with greater dexterity.

New sub-ability unlocked: Shield of Shrubs

Protect against incoming attacks with a thicket designed to withstand magic. Cost: 5 mana

Vines of the Briarsworn reached level 3!

Your vines will become stronger and may now grow thorns that damage your enemies.

Mana cost reduced to 4.

New sub-ability unlocked: Staff of Thorns

Turn your vines into a hardy staff to be used in close combat. Cost: 5 mana

Eliphaz’s eyes almost glazed over at all the blue screens, but once he read over everything he felt his heart begin to race. Ishtar had promised him power, and already he felt himself brimming with possibilities.

Eager to try his new abilities right away, Eliphaz summoned a vine which he plucked out of the ground. He activated Staff of Thorns and immediately felt the tender stalk begin to transform, and within seconds he was holding a heavyset staff, each end lined with sharp, glittering thorns.

But what to do with this new-found power?

Far off in the distance, a city stood, glittering on a hill. The City of Shechem. Why had Ishtar told him to come here? The goddess had offered him power and freedom, yet Eliphaz did not entirely trust her words. Gods, no matter how great, did not grant power to humans without reason, they had their own motives which were often incomprehensible. By blessing him, Ishtar had set some plan in motion, of whose end Eliphaz could only guess.

Looking again at his status, Eliphaz focused on his newly-minted class, and a different panel appeared before his eyes.

[Briarsworn]

Prophet-grade class granted by Ishtar. As a prophet you have convened directly with the gods, and gain power from their divinity. Wield it wisely, or else risk their wrath.

You have gained: One (1) vision containing ancient wisdom, one (1) Spirit-powered Ability, and a level 1 godshard.

Despite his apprehensions, Eliphaz rode towards the city. He tried his best to calm his mind, preparing himself to face the fearful Baal-Molek, and whatever else awaited him inside the city.