[Weeding procedure special rewards listed below. Host may choose 1 of the two following options listed below.]

[All Magic Capability]

[All Weapon Capability]

Reading the screen again, I became puzzled.

'Only one?'

"I thought I had 15 billion something or something points? Why can I only choose one of them?"

*Ding*

[Answering question. The special reward for surviving against the abyss the longest is presented above. One of the main options must be chosen before further options are revealed. Please make your decision.]

"….Oh. Ok. ”

I scrutinized the two options presented to me, waiting for more information to appear onto the screen so that I could make a more informed decision. After all, the screens had been giving me so much information so far, but after a few minutes no new information appeared.

While sighing, I realized that I would have to choose one without any idea what they could truly mean. This wasn’t great. Mostly because every decision I made here couldn’t be made lightly with how important it supposedly was. Everything was on the line now according to the screens and these were the boons that would tip the balance in surviving this war.

Trying to make the best out of the situation, I scrutinized each word and what they meant to me and what they could mean in this fight against the abyss.

First up was the big key word I noticed, magic. I decided that it was probably referring to magic from like the video games and novels from my world or something like that. If not, then I couldn’t understand how card tricks could help fight against the abyss.

‘It better not be slight-of-hand or crappy parlor tricks…….but magic? Like real magic? Like throwing fireballs or shooting lightning bolts? Or will I become a wizard and need a wand or something?

Huhhh…….there is too much that it could mean……wait. No. Let’s think of things logically. So far, the screens have been able to stop time, move me to a new space, heal all my wounds, and tell me that my world didn’t have mana compared to the main world.

Mana, that is a big clue. Mana, from my most basic understanding, must be a form of energy that is used to perform “magic.” From that, I can gather that it’s not basic slight-of-hand but an actual force that can help in the fight against the abyss.

Ok. Now I’m getting somewhere.’

The next thing I focused on was the way the sentence was formed, All Magic Capability. Meaning I would be capable of using all magic, but not suddenly become a master of all magic. I would just have the capability to use any kind of magic. Which means that in the main world, people there may not have the capability to use all magic, and, more importantly, that there is more than one type of magic.

Satisfied with my findings, I then looked at the other option, all weapon capability.

Again, like the other option, I picked out the fact that not everyone can use all weapons. Why that might be, I couldn’t fathom. It could be too many things. From people needing years of experience and training to bring out the most of a weapon, or the fact that there were weapons that I couldn’t even fathom being used in this new world. But that was what I was left with.

I then looked over both options against fighting the abyss.

Weapons from my world helped in the beginning. However, when the abyss came and brought the evolved, weapons helped little against them. Weapons became practically useless, fighting them in close combat was guaranteed suicide. The only way was to try and whittle them down from afar. But even then, you were pushing your luck.

‘I’m going with magic capability.’

I immediately made my decision. There was no other option. The screens told me that my world was lacking in mana. That we were lacking magic. I had seen what a world without magic could do. The only option left for a different path forward was through magic, in whatever capacity that was.

Shaking my head, I made my decision on the screen.

*Ding*

[Congratulations! All Magic Capability selected!]

[Warning! For unknown reasons, the ones who created your world did not inject mana into it. This was one of the deficiencies of your world. However, due to the absence of magic, your population increased their “science and technology.” This was an unexpected development. Without magic, your world's population advanced technology at a much faster rate than the main world, increasing your intelligence over that of the average.

This absence of mana has made your body weak but your mind stronger than the average human on the main world, allowing easier assimilation of mana into your mind. However, injecting mana into your body now will force the rewriting of your cells and body so as to contain the mana of the main world. This process will also have the added side effect of regressing your physical age back to the age when the tutorial first started. Please stand by for injection and rewriting…]

“Increased intelligence? Weak body? Rewriti-Uh!? Wait, wait, wait! Rewriting?”

Before I could utter another word, a force of powerful energy entered my body from everywhere. It felt like my pores were opening and this force was drilling in. It felt like I was being electrocuted, then melting, then freezing, then breaking. I felt my body rebuilding itself and then going through it all again.

The worst part of it was that I could feel it all. In that time that was probably a few minutes or days or years, I was in unimaginable agony. I couldn’t even scream or cry out because my lungs and vocal cords were either being burned or frozen.

Time did not exist in the void. All I knew was that I was in pain and then I wasn’t. That was all I knew now.

I fearfully and gingerly reached out my consciousness to the rest of my body, expecting pain, but thankfully, mercifully, I felt none. What I did feel now though was something more in me. Something like my own heartbeat, essential to my existence. It felt calming, inviting, and warm. It filled my body and allowed me to notice every part, from my fingers and toes, to my lips and ears, to my knees and elbows. I could feel all of me and sense all of me with this energy. I was so enamored with these new sensations that felt so familiar, that I became startled when a screen reappeared in front of my face.

[Congratulations! Your body has been successfully rewritten to absorb and hold mana!]

[Store now opening for the user.]

Immediately after, a new screen opened up to me. It was still blue and somewhat see-through, but there were a lot more options in it and a title to it.

[Store]

[Enhancements] [Weapons] [Skills] [Miscellaneous]

I took a moment to come back to myself and what I was doing and what I needed to do, before looking back at the screen in front of me. I was now looking at what the screen/god-ish/caretaker or whatever said would be the difference between success and failure against the abyss, the shop.

I stared at the categories for a few minutes as my mind began to work the problem. Again, I was given no information on what these categories contained or how many points I still had. Thankfully it seemed after gaining mana, my mind had become stronger, and I was able to think through my problems faster.

I quickly realized that these were categories and that even if I opened one, it wouldn’t be a onetime deal like before. I then began to open them up, one by one, and briefly studied my options before making any decisions.

First, in the enhancements tab was listed what appeared to be enhancing potions for the body and mind. It looked very interesting and tempting, but after experiencing the pain from earlier, I was weary of choosing anything that would affect my body without knowing more about it. Plus, I didn’t know if it was permanent or temporary. And if it was temporary I didn’t know long it would last. I also couldn’t define what the potion’s quantified as enhanced strength or wisdom.

[Enhanced strength potion: 10,000

Enhanced agility potion: 10,000

Enhanced intelligence potion: 100,000

Enhanced wisdom potion: 100,000

Enhanced vitality potion: 1,000,000]

From what I could infer, the numbers behind each of them meant how much they’d cost. Since, I couldn’t tell how many points I currently had, I tapped the enhanced strength potion to see if it would tell me.

What appeared was another box with a description and a final confirmation on purchase. This made me smile and helped fill in some of the gaps of what potions and enhancements were.

[Enhance strength potion. Taking this will increase base strength stat by 10 points permanently. Only usable once per person. Do you wish to purchase?]

After looking it over for a minute, I closed out of the description box to look back over the other enhancements. Each one stated the same thing except it was for a different “stat” according to the description.

This brought up a new set of questions that I had. Stats? Like in video games and RPG’s? This made me frown and contemplate the meaning of those words.

Hesitant, but curious, I decided to say something I never thought I would say out loud.

“Status screen.”

*Ding*

[Apologies. Status screens and other portions of the system are currently locked until you transition into the main world. Only the weeding procedure shop is open currently.]

I sucked in a cold breath as I reviewed the screen.

‘Status screens!?! Really?! Who would have thought that such a thing was possible? To be able to quantify a person’s strength, agility, wisdom, and intelligence?! What kind of place is this world? The more I learn about it, the stranger it becomes………will I really be able to survive in this new world?’

Pushing those thoughts out of my head, new ones entered.

‘wait….if you can quantify our strengths, then is it possible to quantify the undead? How about the evolved? Is this how you evolve?’

Countless what ifs and plans began to form in my head, but I pushed them aside as an even bigger thought entered my mind.

“What if I gave a few enhanced potions to an army or an elite group? Wouldn’t they be able to fight the undead easier? Is that it? Could I create a small team of powerful people that could take the brunt of the undead? But how much is 10 status points? I don't understand the dynamic of this. Is it a lot? A little?"

*Ding*

[Answering question. An average adult human male on the main world has 10 strength stat points. If one was to compare it to weights, then an average adult male on the main world could lift 100 pounds with minimal straining. The average adult male on your previous world had an average strength stat of 7, however, your worlds average intelligence stat was 16. This is much higher than the main world's average intelligence stat, which is 6.

To answer your question, if a normal adult male gained 10 strength stat points, they would be able to lift an extra hundred pounds with minimal straining.]

I sucked in a cold breath.

‘200lbs with minimum straining?!’

My mind began to wander as I contemplated this new information.

"….. So then if I follow that standard, 1 strength stat would then be equivalent to lifting 10 pounds. Ok. Doubling the weight you can carry and the strength of your hits after taking a potion is pretty impressive.

Then it just comes down to how many I can buy and how large a group I want to support—Wait! Will the store and my points go away after I enter the main world, or can I use them while I’m there??"

*Ding*

[Answering question. The store is bound to you as one of your rewards for surviving the weeding procedure. With the store bound to you, you will be able to gain points by killing the undead and monsters from the abyss. However, all points gained from the tutorial will be lost if not spent before reaching the main world.]

"…....hmmm…OK. So, my ability to purchase items from the store will be limited in the beginning. But once the fighting starts, I should gain some points to buy anything I might need later. Ok. I'm starting to get a rough understanding of how this works."

I then opened the weapons tab. When I did, a massive list of weapons appeared before me. After taking a rough look over the list, I noticed one thing very quickly, there were no guns or bullets or bombs available for purchase.

Most of the weapons listed were swords, axes, bows, arrows, staffs, and other strange and primitive weapons that one would find in the Middle Ages from my old world. Seeing nothing of real value, I closed the window and moved to the next tab.

After opening the skills tab, a massive list appeared in front of me. The list was so long that it took me quite a while to look through it all.

One thing I noticed quickly was the fact that skills were divided into 3 different sub-tabs, namely spells, arts, and skills. In the spells tab I found magic spells like fireball or heal. In the arts tab I found things like axe arts, or dagger arts. This list was surprisingly short only listing 20 or so skills. The next tab, skills, was longer. This one was filled with normal everyday general skills one might find anywhere like writing, mathematics, cooking, or farming.

Each sub-tab had its own interesting use and told a much bigger picture of this main world than I previously held.

Not done, I moved onto the next tab, miscellaneous. In this tab I found clothing, supplies for almost anything, and at the very end of the list sat a few incredibly expensive items that shocked and enticed me.

[Inventory: 10,000,000]

[Holy Blessing: 60,000,000]

[Demonic Bloodline: 80,000,000]

[Devil’s Bloodline: 100,000,000]

[Draconic Bloodline: 200,000,000]

[Angelic Bloodline: 400,000,000]

[Brand: 1,000,000,000]

I immediately opened them up to check their descriptions.

[Inventory: Creates a soul space 10' x 10' x 10'. Items become weightless and suspended in soul space. Living things not allowed to be stored.]

[Holy Blessing: Gain the blessing from one of the main world's gods. Blessing is different depending on which god blesses you. Once blessed, you will be connected to that god until you die. Only one blessing per person.]

[Demonic Bloodline: Change your bloodline race to that of a random demon.]

[Devil’s Bloodline: Change your bloodline race to that of a random devil.]

[Draconic Bloodline: Change your bloodline race to that of a random draconic bloodline.]

[Angelic Bloodline: Change your bloodline race to that of an Angel.]

[Brand: Create your own brand to give to others. The ones that obtain your brand will give you points from their kills from the abyss monsters. Brand will heal the one being branded to its normally healthy state during initial branding. Brand will force the ones that are branded into a subservient relationship and branded will be unable to disobey the orders or intentionally harm the brand holder.]

My mouth fell open upon reading the descriptions of these. They all sounded like what you would find in an RPG or video game!! Angles, devils, gods, dragons?! Was this some kind of fantasy world?

After my initial shock and wonder what else was kept out of my world, I began to study what I had just read.

I instantly understood what the inventory was for, and I was already eager to purchase it; however, I held myself back and waited until I read through everything before purchasing anything.

The others were interesting but also concerning. I mean, after what happened with the creators/gods of my world, I was not too keen in receiving any kind of blessing from beings like them; if they were in fact the ones being talked about in holy blessing.

I would actually prefer being ignored by them if they were even still around. I don’t know if I could cooperate with them after everything, so I immediately scratched that one out.

The others were much more concerning to me. For one, the fact that apparently devils, demons, dragons, and angels existed in this main world made me pause. I could remember that my world may have had dragons and giants and angels and such in the past, at least there were myths of them. But if what I’m to believe from these entries is true, then the main world is much more fearsome than my own. Meaning two things, one; the fight against the abyss will be much different, and two; when they fall against the abyss, I’ll have to face and/or kill undead angels, devils, dragons, and demons.

‘But that’s only if they fail right? yah…. if they fail………………..shit’

Shaking the depressing thoughts out of my head, I refused all of them. Yes, I could probably gain increased strength and power if I changed my bloodline, and the temptation was definitely there, but I could see the downsides in an instant.

For one, form. Would I turn into a demon or devil or dragon or angle if I change bloodlines? Changing my form could prevent me from gathering people to survive or push people away from my cause of survival. I don’t think many would take kindly to following a devil or demon. Dragons were more ok I think, but they would be massive targets for the undead. Plus, I don’t know how dragons were seen in this world. Hated? Loved? Feared? It was all an unknown and entering a new world with a bloodline that I didn’t fully understand would make it very hard to get my footing in this new world.

Two, the second I appear in this world with that kind of bloodline, people will immediately take notice and pay attention to me. Especially if I chose a devil or an angel. Those beings in myths were particularly flashy to humanity or the opposite side, and I was already trying not to gain the attention of those creators/gods. So no, staying as a human was for the best. I knew myself. I knew what I could do. I could easily slip into a crowd and be lost. I could hide easier as a human than as a demon or devil or even a dragon.

To continue, there was one important distinction that I needed to make, I wasn’t there to be a frontline fighter. My one and only goal is to use my knowledge to help the main world survive. If I picked a dragon or angel, I would be expected to fight on the front lines and risk my life to protect the world and fight the undead, and I wouldn’t do that.

No, the words from the screen were explicit. If I died, then everyone from my world dies with me. I needed to see this fight to the end, not be its main fighter, I needed to be a survivor.

I then looked at the last and most expensive choice on the screen, the brand.

This one looked interesting. In fact, it looked like the perfect option for me. I could brand those I sent off to fight, gain points from them, and then spend those points to equip and brand more in an almost endless cycle until I ran out of bodies. That is, if I had strong bodies to fight for me.

This one immediately became my favorite. With it, I could help the main world, but not actively risk my life constantly against the undead to gain points. It’s a win-win.

That idea started a massive discussion in my head on the pros and cons of such an endeavor. So much so that I began to plan and review items in the shop that I could buy with that idea in mind.

Originally, I didn’t think I could do much with my meager abilities. If anything, I could probably help humanity survive for a few extra years, but I didn’t think I could do much else. I was hoping that the main world had smarter people than me that could use the information I had to beat back the abyss somehow. But now…..

Now I could do something tangible about the abyss. Now I actually had a plan and could see myself possibly succeeding, if only a little.

I spent the next dozen hours(if time even existed there) in the dark void discussing with myself and planning out my purchases and moves. I didn’t stop until I had a rough blueprint of my plans going forward, alternatives in case things changed, items I needed to purchase in preparation now, and what I would hold off and purchase at a later point in time.

Once I had everything roughly outlined in my head, I decided to start making my purchases.

I first started off with the brand. My entire plan centered around it, so it was first. After purchasing it, a new window opened, asking me to design the brand. I was stumped when I read that. I could draw as good as the next guy, but designing a brand that would be on all the people I branded, gave me serious concerns.

I was contemplating what to do for it until I noticed an asterisk over the screen. I clicked on it with my mind and a new screen appeared.

[I knew you would buy this. As such, here is another little gift if you want it, as a symbol to remember why you fight.]

A design of a brand was placed underneath. It was a circle outlined in red and taking up all the space in the center was a flaming phoenix with it wings stretched out in all its glory. It was so detailed and sublime that I was shocked. It was like a work of art.

Underneath the picture was another message.

[From the ashes of your world, you will be reborn. Step boldly into this new world my friend.]

I took a deep breath and thought about the screen’s words. After a few moments I had to nod my head and agree. I couldn’t think of a better design. I glanced at the design again and grinned as I made my choice.

"My world may be gone, the people slaughtered, but we will live on in this new world through me. I will not let us cease to exist. I will make sure that the main world—no—that my new world survives. No matter what."