“Are you okay?!” I asked, flabbergasted. The last time I saw that, the Guide fell over dead. Lassa, thankfully, was made of sterner stuff.
“It seems that our lovely System is being stingy with information. I guess you'll have to figure that out on your own.”
She laughed again, rubbed the side of her head, and gently slapped my shoulder. She said, “This part of the System isn’t technically available to you and the other initiates yet, but with a little push-” she closed her eyes and seemed to shrink a bit. I felt her aura diminish as a series of System notifications appeared.
You have gained the interest of Thalassa, Primordial of the Sea, Patron of the Hunger Pantheon, Bountiful Queen and Doombringer, Mistress of the Hunger of the Deeps. She is offering you the Title of Chosen of the Deeps.
Chosen of the Deeps. Title: Unique. Thalassa has chosen you to go forth and find power, in turn empowering her. If agreed upon this karmic link, you gain the following benefits: Vitality +10 per race level, unlocks new paths for development.
Accept? Y. N.
“I swear, if one of those paths leads to being able to talk to fish, I’ll actually probably laugh and find it hilarious, but please don’t do that.”
“Anything that you receive will be primarily based on your own records, so if the option shows up, you made it so,” she said, matching my mischievous smile.
“The vitality alone will be awesome! Is this something I need to choose right this second?”
She gave me a mostly false frown. “You don’t like my offer, Danny Dearest?”
“It’s not that, Lassy Dearest. How many hunger based deities are there?”
“Quite a few, as it is a common concept through the multiverse. Several others tried to pull you to their realms when they felt the token being consumed. I won, naturally, and I’ll be having words with those who tried to take you from me after we are finished here.” I recognized her smile shifting to a predatory one.
“That answers my follow up questions, so I think we’re good!” I said as I accepted the blessing.
I felt my vitality increase by 520 points. Then the bond formed between Lassa and myself, threads of her power streaming to form a loop around my core that trickled out back to her. I could barely make out the thread when it was done. Checking my status and notifications, I found I had a new section labeled Titles.
Sense Power. Inferior. Your need to consume the powerful has grasped and adapted your perception. Improves the distance at which you can sense and identify powerful prey. The greater the power, the further the distance.
Sense Power, Inferior, adapts to Senses of the Deeps, Uncommon.
Senses of the Deeps. Uncommon. Your need to consume the powerful has grasped and adapted your perceptions. Improves the distance at which you can sense and identify powerful prey. Identification now shows the presence of deific blessings and affinities.
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Status
Name: Dan Trench
Humanoid Race: Omnis Vorare 52
Class: Hypocrite Revolutionary 62
Profession: Neophyte Enchanter 43
Max Health: 14790
Max Stamina: 17060
Max Mana: 16460
Agility: 903
Endurance: 847
Intelligence: 823
Perception: 916
Strength: 859
Vitality: 1479
Wisdom: 823
Free Points: 1570
Race Skills:
All Stats Must Be Eaten. Unique.
All-Consuming. Unique.
Infinite Tank. Unique.
Senses of the Deeps. Uncommon.
I Have Five Mouths and I Must Feast. Rare.
Void Step. Uncommon.
Eat the Rich. Rare.
Class Skills:
Ravenous Cloak. Uncommon.
Purging Surge. Common.
The Tyrant’s Due. Ancient.
Profession Skills:
Soul Chamber. Epic.
Infuse Object. Inferior.
Etch Rune. Common.
Feast Beam. Uncommon.
Enlightened Feedback. Inferior.
Equipped Gear:
Amulet of Holding. Common.
Titles:
Chosen of the Deeps. Unique.
“Is it time to go?” I asked.
“I supposed it is,” she said as she rose to her feet.
“Well, have fun showing those others why they shouldn’t mess with you. I’m going to do the same.”
With a simple snap of her fingers, the darkness returned before I arrived back at camp.
Groups of people flitted around me doing various tasks. Some, I noticed, had sat next to me and were in similar meditative states. I saw no one I immediately recognized and figured I should have a walk through the camp. I checked the tutorial status.
Tutorial Time Remaining: 32 days, 9 hours, 12 minutes.
Survivors: 809/2000.
Two minutes had passed normally while I was within Lassa’s lair. I had over two days to figure out how I wanted to spend my absurd number of free stat points, so I figured I’d finally get to take a little break.
Selka had really gotten the folks in shape and the camp was very well organized. Cooking spits powered by people with fire affinity skills made the camp smell amazing, with huge slabs of meat sizzling and dripping into the magic flames. Tents were set up, but I noticed that they were few in number and only had several cots of various sizes within. When you only need to sleep for a short time, you don’t need as many beds, I supposed.
Of particular interest to me were the training grounds. A wide space had been cleared and they’d set up exercise and sparring areas, where groups were actively sparring. After they’d destroyed the arena spaces for undoubtedly the hundredth time that day, stone mages and crafters fixed it back so the next group could use it. Jenny and Ernest were standing among the crowd watching the current bout, though Jenny was reading a colorful manga of some sort. I tried out my new skill on them.
Talui Battle Conductor. Level 82. The Talui are an ancient race found on the frozen tundras of the poles of several planets through the multiverse. Highest Stat: Endurance. Blessing: Chosen of the Chainwright. Primary Affinity: Control.
Mau Magical Girl. Level 64. Catfolk most commonly found on Artan of the 16th Multiverse, Mau often serve as thieves and assassins because of their naturally high Agility. Highest Stat: Intelligence. Blessing: None. Primary Affinity: Knowledge.
I didn’t know enough about affinities yet to get why this was a part of the skill, but it should prove itself useful later. “Hey, Jen! I got the blessing!”
Jenny looked up and smiled adorably, clapping in her excitable way that suddenly reminded me of Lassa. “Oh, yay!”
Ernest glared at me, then his jaw dropped as I presumed he used his own sensory skill on me. He quickly recovered and pushed up his non-glasses. “Hmm. I see you are a Chosen now as well. Perhaps soon you will be worthy of being my rival!”
“You got it, bro! Keep looking after Jenny.”
“Have you picked your new skills yet?” Jenny asked.
“Oh shit! I should go do that before the quest starts!”
