The tavern was quiet in the dead of night, the creaks of settling wood and the faint hum of the wind outside the only sounds to keep me company. Sleep wasn’t going to happen, not with my mind racing like it always did after a fight. Jessa and Kael were in the other room, Farron was sprawled out on one of the beds snoring softly, and Orin had taken up a spot near the window, half-hidden in the shadows.
I stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything. The fights, the prophecy, the people who had already risked their lives for me—it was a lot. Too much.
With nothing else to distract myself, I decided to do something I’d been putting off since the moment I arrived in this bizarre world: figure out how this whole “Chosen One” thing actually worked.
I closed my eyes and focused, willing the UI to appear. It was almost instinctive, like flexing a muscle I hadn’t known I had. The screen flickered to life in front of me, glowing softly in the dim room.
Welcome, Chosen One.
“Oh, here we go,” I muttered, sitting up.
The UI was simple, almost sterile. Floating tabs hovered in the air, each labeled with a single word: Inventory, Character Sheet, Quests, and Abilities.
“Well, better late than never,” I said, reaching out to tap the Character Sheet tab.
The screen shifted, displaying a series of stats and attributes laid out in neat columns.
Name: Ash
Class: Thief of Shadows
Level: 4
XP: 2,125 / 3,000
Health: 95 / 120
Stamina: 80 / 100
Mana: 50 / 75
Attributes:
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 14
Intelligence: 10
Charisma: -1
I frowned at that last one. “Negative Charisma? Really?”
Scrolling down, I found a list of skills and abilities tied to my class.
Skills:
* Stealth (Rank 2): Increased ability to move undetected.
* Lockpicking (Rank 1): Basic proficiency in opening locked doors and containers.
* Sleight of Hand (Rank 1): Minor ability to manipulate objects without detection.
Abilities:
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* Shadow Step: Teleport a short distance to a location within shadows. (Cooldown: 30 seconds)
* Shadow Strike: Deal bonus damage to an enemy when attacking from stealth. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
* Fade: Temporarily increase Stealth and reduce enemy detection range. (Cooldown: 1 minute)
“Okay,” I said, leaning back. “Not exactly a powerhouse, but it’s something.”
Next, I tapped on Inventory.
The screen shifted again, displaying a grid of boxes. Most of them were empty, but a few held basic items:
* Dagger of Flickering Shadows: A basic weapon infused with minor shadow energy. Damage: 10-15. Effect: Grants a slight boost to Stealth while equipped.
* Traveler’s Cloak: A worn but sturdy cloak. Effect: +2 Dexterity.
* Rations (3): Basic sustenance. Restores a small amount of stamina.
* Healing Potion (1): Restores 50 health.
I sighed. “Well, it’s not much, but it beats starting with nothing.”
The dagger caught my eye. I hadn’t noticed its effect during the fights, but now that I thought about it, it did seem easier to move unnoticed with it in hand.
I flipped the blade over in my palm, watching as its edge caught the faint light from the window. “Looks like you’re going to be sticking with me for a while,” I said quietly.
I opened the Quests tab next.
Active Quests:
1. Rally the Resistance: Locate and recruit allies to aid in the fight against Ecclesion. Reward: +3,000 XP, ???
1. Survive the Hunt: Avoid capture by Ecclesion forces. Reward: +2,000 XP, ???
Completed Quests:
* Defend Ecclesion’s Forces (FAILED): Neglected to aid Ecclesion’s forces at the Eastern Border. Penalty: Decreased Alignment with Ecclesion.
* Find Shelter: Secured safe locations multiple times. Reward: +250 XP.
Alignment:
Ecclesion: Hostile
Rebellion Forces: Neutral
Independent Villages: Cautious
I stared at the failed quest, my stomach tightening. “Decreased alignment with Ecclesion?” I muttered. “I’m pretty sure we skipped ‘decreased’ and went straight to ‘burn on sight.’”
Finally, I opened the Abilities tab.
The screen displayed a tree of interconnected skills and abilities, most of them grayed out and inaccessible. A few near the top glowed faintly, indicating that they were already unlocked.
Ability Points Available: 1
“Wait, I can upgrade these?” I said, leaning closer.
A notification appeared:
Spend Ability Points to unlock or enhance skills. New abilities can only be unlocked at designated milestones.
“Alright,” I said, scanning the tree. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”
The first ability on the list caught my eye.
Shadow Veil (Upgrade for Fade): Extends the duration of Fade and reduces cooldown to 45 seconds.
“Sounds useful,” I muttered, my finger hovering over it.
Another option was farther down the tree, still grayed out but visible:
Phantom Step: Allows movement through enemies during Shadow Step without being detected.
I frowned, debating the options. Shadow Veil seemed practical, but Phantom Step hinted at something more creative.
Eventually, I sighed and selected Shadow Veil, the screen flashing briefly as the point was spent.
As the UI faded, I leaned back against the wall, my head spinning with the sheer amount of information I’d just absorbed. The mechanics felt familiar enough—like a game I’d played a hundred times—but the stakes were painfully real.
“This is insane,” I whispered to myself.
It was hard to believe that just a few days ago, I’d been sitting in my apartment, worrying about bills and groceries. Now I was dodging monsters, fighting soldiers, and trying to navigate a world that seemed determined to kill me.
But at least I had a better idea of what I was working with now.
For the first time in days, I felt something almost like confidence.
Almost.