“Yantago, The Goblin Gem God, I presume?” I asked rhetorically.

“Hehehe, Gild Domov. You’re quite perceptive, ain’t ya?” It cracked an enfeebled smile. “I’m the Goblin Gem God to the Amber-Skin goblins. I sp’ose you’re not too keen to become a goblin.”

“I’m not. If I was alive, I don’t know whether I’d be angry or crying. Either way, I’d be in tears.”

The god chuckled weakly. “Nuff’ wastin’ time, I don’t got a lot of it.”

That sentence resonated in my mind. I found the notion of a god struggling for time oddly mortal.

“I wanna make you my champion. My representative on Oleogoth. My goblins are close to kickin’ the bucket. Humans, goblins, nature, you get the picture. I got my hopes on you to save my people,” the god pleaded.

“Couldn’t you interfere directly? Surely if you are able to summon a champion you can help them escape?”

The god shook its head. “Course I tried. Blessings, oracles, calamities. But I’m not the only god, let alone the only goblin god, the others wanna get rid of me.”

“Why should I be your champion? What could I possibly gain from trying to save a bunch of goblins?” I knew this god is desperate and weak, this whole situation did not sound like a good opportunity to me. However, I didn't have much in the way of persuasion either.

The god crossed its crystal forearms together, and leaned back into its carved rock throne, “I spent all my god juice on you, so I can’t give you crazy powers like them major gods, but I can let you keep yer memories, and give your first pick of abilities and skills.” The god smiled and leaned forward to me. I was directly in front of its massive face, the god looked like it had an ambitious glint in its eye.

“Now, I know a guy like you won’t like being just any old goblin. By being the saviour of my Amber-Skins, you'd get showered in glory! There'll be people who'd worship you. You would be a king.”

I found having people who are willing to do as I say, incredibly necessary for success in my previous occupation. Being at the top of the corporate world can be intoxicating, but the buzz eventually wears off. The word "king", however, rang in my mind endlessly like a heavenly church bell. What man did not have fantasies of ruling nations, having servants at one's beck and call, and controlling vast armies? Who could refuse the sweet promises of a god? Either way, I didn't have much choice, I would as well get some benefits out of this situation.

“Alright, but you have to give me the best abilities you have,” I answered confidently.

The god leaned back into its throne with a look of amusement on its face. “I’ll give you what I can. Hahaha! I knew I picked the right guy. Although you don’t have many traits, I think you got what you need to make it out there.”

Out of thin air, a seemingly digital screen appeared in front of me, displaying my details.

Interface Profile Name Gild Domov Race Amber Skin Goblin Affinity Earth Level 1 Experience 0/90 Class None Subclass None Strength 6 Agility 9 Intelligence 13 Dexterity 10 Willpower 15 Health 60/60 Mana 100/100 Abilities Skills None Gems None None None Titles Yantago's Champion Effects Yantago's Blessing

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“Do you got an interface from where yer from?” Yantago asked and I shook my head. “Sp’ose not, yer from a low ranked world.” The god cracked its knuckles, producing the sound of breaking glass.

“Lemme give you a rundown then. Yer class is what your job is, like if you’re gonna use magic, you’re gonna be a mage. If you're gonna swing a sword, yer class is gonna be a swordsman. You get a random choice. Affinity means you’re good at things related to it. Since yours is earth, you're gonna be good at things relating to stone, rocks, soil or pretty much most that comes from the ground.”

“The stats are pretty obvious, strength makes ye strong, agility makes ye fast, intelligence is how good your noggin is, how good you cast yer spells and how fast you get yer mana back. Dexterity is how good ye are with yer hands, and willpower is also good fer spells and makes you tough in yer brain.”

I silently nodded, these things were pretty intuitive so far. “Health is how much life you got, mana is the stuff you make magic with,” Yantago carried on.

“Skills are what ye can do. If yer a mage you can use [Fireball] to cast it. If yer a knight, you can [Stab]. Some skills need words to be used some not. You can upgrade yer skills by usin’ them lots.”

“Gems are my personal magic. You can absorb a gem, and get some power, stats or skills. You can use up to three, but if ya wanna remove some, it's gonna have some cost.”

“Titles are things that represent achievements. You kill 100 wolves, you get a wolf slayer title, and it gives you an effect, either more stat points or something else.”

I stared at my stats, and for some reason, I felt they were pitifully low. “Are my stats good?”

The god cracked an apologetic smile. “Let’s say the average stat is 10 for everything. Now I love my goblins, but I’ll be first to admit that the Amber-Skin goblins are even weaker than average goblins, but I made them smart. Having smarts is good too!”

I sighed. “Can you give me a good class or something? I’m going to be nearly half as weak as something average.”

“I can’t, my power is nearly gone. You can get a class at level 10 and then change or improve yer class every 10 levels. You're gonna have to grind like the rest of 'em. I can only give you the first pick of some skills, 3 of them, and a pick of a gem. I’ll also bless you with knowledge of this world’s human language.”

I mentally knew that this offer was rather lacklustre, but I did not have the ability to express my frustration. I supposed something was better than nothing. “Alright, let me see them.”