Arthur grinned as he looked at his latest title. It was a more tremendous boon than anything he could have asked for. Something that would continue to pay dividends far off into the future, way more than a few measly stat points. And it would continue to only grow better with time. Well, 400 points in strength might've actually been more welcome, but titles will help me get a greater class. It should pay off in the long run. Right?

New title acquired-

Unstable Strength: (Survived the poison of an unstable monster core before unlocking a class) Increases strength attribute by 10%

A percentage multiplier to an attribute, that made every point he invested into it worth more. Sure it wasn't going to be one of his statsinks with his planned mage build, but who didn't like a little extra strength? Arthur called forth his status page and marvelled at the numbers before him.

Arthur Ward

Level 60

Unallocated stat points: 168

Strength- 120 (100)

Vitality- 160*

Endurance- 460

Constitution- 182 (140)

Agility- 118

Intelligence- 323

Willpower- 190

Charisma- 95

Health- 2950/3200 (352(160)/hour)

Ether- 2820/3230 (323/hour)

Stamina- 1500/4600 (460/minute)

It was honestly one of the most beautiful things Arthur had ever seen and looking at the numbers gave him more satisfaction than his bank balance ever had. He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, marvelling at the fluidity with which his body moved. He was like a stream that contained the devastating force of a tsunami. One that would never end, never tire, what with his recent jump in endurance.

It was so amazing it could make a grown man cry. And that was without mentioning the sheer, untapped potential of ether swimming through him. It saturated his being, filled his marrow, and sang through his blood. The passion of a swooning woman who-

Fuck, this shit is getting to my head. I better calm down before I start reciting poetry like Shakespeare. What the fuck does a passionate woman even have to do with ether. It's a source of energy. It has to be gender-neutral, right? Or is my soul affinity trying to tell me something here? Nah, it's gotta be my libido.

Arthur laughed out loud and rubbed his temples in exasperation. Anyone looking at him would think he'd lost the plot.

"Damn, it's been a long time since I got laid. Seven, eight months, was it?"

Thankfully, before Arthur could delve into the introspection of the deserts that was his sex life, a notification burst into his vision, its light was an annoying golden instead of the usual blue he'd gotten used to.

Prompt!

You have five minutes remaining before your golden ticket will be cashed in. Place it five meters away if you wish to reject this gift. Note: Doing so will result in a loss of the ticket and NO remuneration will be provided.

The sudden announcement was a reminder that Arthur had very little time remaining. He had almost forgotten about it in his excitement. That didn't prevent Arthur from cursing the burn it almost gave his retinas though. He was certain someone with less constitution would have been left with a dent in their health pool. When the golden text suddenly popped up again, Arthur couldn't help but swear out loud.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Fuck, that shit's so annoying."

As part of our company policy, all invitees will have their identities protected via a Mask of Mirrors (RARE). It is advised that invitees do not remove these masks if they wish for anonymity. Being one of the ten ticket holders, you are eligible to keep this mask after the event has ended. The zone you will be teleported to is an isolated space where your consciousness will be accelerated to a significant degree. This may result in some nausea post-ticket usage for those lacking in the intelligence attribute.

Three minutes remaining.

Arthur grinned when he read the ticket message. He had no idea what a Mask of mirrors was, but he did not doubt that it would be a pretty damn amazing item with a Rare rating attribute to it. And he'd get to keep it for free! What would Mira think if she realised she'd missed out on this?

Honestly, she probably wouldn't care. I'm pretty sure she can be as anonymous as she wants with her dominion affinity.

Still, that didn't detract from Arthur's happiness in the slightest. He wasn't quite sure what the accelerated consciousness meant exactly. Maybe a way for the assembly to be completed in a fraction of the time it would have otherwise taken. He wasn't entirely sure though.

Wait, will my soul affinity mean that my teleport is delayed here too? For how long? Will they realise something is off about me?

Arthur shook his head. Now was not the time to start panicking. The system had delayed his teleport for less than ten seconds. Surely that would just show up as an acceptable margin of error in the Serako company's ether usage.

Sixty seconds remaining.

Brace Yourself.

Arthur did as asked and settled himself into a comfortable position on the floor. As much as he felt like closing his eyes, he forced himself to keep them open, taking deep centering breaths all the while. It would not be due to be caught unawares as soon as he teleported. No, he needed his eyes open wide and ready.

Arthur grimaced as he felt an icy sensation grip him. It was reminiscent of how he'd felt during the system's integration except he knew what it was this time. It had none of the unfeeling static that the prior experience had possessed, however, which was certainly a plus in his book.

He counted down the seconds of extra delay before he felt the ether work its magic.

Four, five, six, seven, okay seven seconds only. That's not too bad. Is it?

Teleporting was honestly anti-climatic. One moment he was in his house, the next he wasn't. It was quite disorientating though, and he did feel a little nauseous. Not to the extent, he'd expected rapidly translocating his entire being would cause, however.

He blinked his eyes quickly, trying to get rid of the dizziness as fast as possible. The first thing he noticed was that he was still seated, no longer on the laminate of his house, but rather on a plush, comfortable pew that looked like it was designed with opulence as its driving imperative. It screamed extravagance in the least subtle way known to man, the trait superseded only by the sheer comfort it provided.

This must be what sitting on a giant marshmallow feels like.

Arthur was so taken by his seating arrangement that it took him a few seconds before he could take in the rest of the room. Along with its occupants.

He was in what appeared to be a massive lecture hall. It was so alike in fact, that it almost gave him deja vu with how uncannily familiar it felt. It was only upon closer inspection that he realised how strange the room really was. One moment it was a lecture hall, the next an auditorium, the next a theatre. It was even a stadium for the briefest of seconds.

When he stopped focusing, it returned to its initial state, that of a familiar, if extravagant lecture hall. That's when he started to notice the people. The fact that he hadn't immediately was a testament to the power of the masks everyone was wearing and he realised with a shocking surprise that one was present on his own face, contoured to fit it perfectly. It didn't hinder his vision at all and he wouldn't have realised he even had one on if he hadn't noticed the people sitting RIGHT next to him!

The shit was downright creepy.

People were barely a meter away from him and he didn't even register their presence unless he stared directly at them, something he found more and more difficult to do the harder he tried. It wasn't like some powerful force was stopping him. He just didn't... want to?

Shit, these masks are fucking weird. It's like walking through a crowd in the mall dialled up to eleven. You don't observe everyone closely except the mask makes them become background noise. Even if I want to I can't focus on it.

Would I even realise if I hadn't been told about them in advance?

Arthur resisted the urge to take his own off, reminding himself that he needed it for his anonymity. That's why he was so surprised when the person, no woman besides him- the realisation came suddenly- took her own off and turned to look at him.

"I'm guessing you're from Earth too right?

The question was so sudden, so random, that Arthur was stumped for a second. The fact that she had the bluest eyes he'd ever seen didn't help matters. It was like she was trying to stare into his soul with how wide open they were.

Before he could reply, he heard a loud clap come from the centre stage, the sound echoing through the auditorium.

The source of the sound cleared her throat awkwardly. Another human woman. Except she was the highest levelled being he'd seen to date. She cleared her throat again the sound somehow magnified to spread across the entirety of the room.

"Hello everyone. My name is Erico and I'll be hosting this assembly for you all. Let's hope I don't mess this up."