Novels2Search
Life in the Aftermath
24. Finding out what I am

24. Finding out what I am

I still looked at him with a bit of suspicion but still took the bag, after looking inside I quickly closed it again as I felt a little nauseated looking at the mashed up pulp that was the Viper. I could still see a few of the scales so if I was lucky, I could grow them but right now I had to seriously try my hand trying to fish up this so called lottery fish. I flexed my arm a few times and each time it started to feel more and more like a natural part of me. Maybe that weird feeling was just that I had lost it and then got it back again?

I just shrugged since I wasn't going to figure it out now and just picked up my fishing rod and after baiting the hook I cast it out once again. I was a little hesitant since I didn't want to reel in another potential death sentence but the risk of that versus the reward of potentially getting a fish that could have rare items in its stomach was all too tempting to ignore.

A few minutes go by, and I feel a slight tug on the line, This time it was a weak one but I was still excited to get something so I started to reel in whatever it was while also using the technique that Rob told me about. I'd let the fish tire itself out while slowly bringing it closer to shore and before long I spotted a small blue fin crest over the water and as it got closer, I started seeing more of a deeper blue body attached to it. I got it to shore and held it up for Rob to look at, I didn't think this was the lottery fish seeing as how it was only as big as my hand but just knowing a new fish had the potential for a new way to get stronger.

"Ah, now see this is a sign that Big Joe is around. This thing is a small Leecherfish, it hangs around Big Joe and basically just latches on to any scrap that is left behind. They don't get horribly big because well, Big Joe isn't normally known for leaving scraps. But there are some other fish that clean his scales, and this guy feeds off them."

I looked back at the fish in confusion because to me it just looked like a regular fish. a gaping mouth because it was gasping for air and just a regular fish that looked like one of those Dory fish, I can't remember the name of.

"Eh, I wouldn't get too close to its face if I was you." Rob said just as I got a little closer and as soon as I did from its mouth burst out something that could only be described as straight out of a horror movie. A fleshy toothed mini mouth came within inches of my face as the teeth gnashed together as it tried to bite down on me.

"HOLY SHIT!" I screamed as I threw it up and away from me. It flew behind me and landed near the fire where it went insane and started flopping around even harder.

"Well... been a minute since I had Leecherfish, it's not bad but it's not the best either..."

I cringed and a shiver ran up my body as I watched the fish's second mouth kept popping in and out like some kind of snake’s tongue and thankfully after a few seconds of watching it writhe around, it finally laid still... Then after another few seconds just to be sure it died I went over and poked it hard in the gills with a nearby stick. "This thing is nightmare fuel, and you expect us to eat this?" I held it up with the stick and pointed it towards Rob.

"As hungry as I'm sure you guys are, like I said this little guy is an indicator that Big Joe is nearby. Now whether he is upstream, and this guy just got caught in the current, or he is just off the bank and watching us at this very moment I can't be sure.... But basically, what I am saying is that we aren't catching anything for the rest of the night." Rob sighed as he stashed his gear into his bag and when I went to give him the fishing rod he loaned to me, he just shook his hand and told me to keep it.

Next, he pulled out something wrapped in what looks like butcher paper and grabbed a few metal rods as well. Unwrapping he revealed a few slices of thick meat that looked like Grade A steak! He stabbed through them with the rods and jammed the rods into the ground near the fire to cook. "That'll take a little bit to cook but, in the meantime, Why don’t we discuss what happened at the farm.” Rob stared at me with serious eyes.

“While you were out I got a report about what happened there… I’m sorry about Alex, when I get back I’m going to make sure Kelly is set up with whatever she needs.” He said as his face got red and I swear steam was billowing off him. The air itself seemed to get heavy.

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“I will be dealing with Jack so don’t worry about that either James.” He was wringing his hands together as he said this with pure rage in his eyes.

“Did you know Alex?” I asked in a squeaky voice as it was a little hard to breath while looking at him.

“I did… I would go to the farm and hang out with those two quite often back when I was just a regular adventurer. I was even one of the first to buy one of the Choco…. Dammit, I mean Kwehs, back when he started trying to expand into breeding riding Kwehs.” His face went back to a natural color as he started chuckling. “Man those things were wild as all hell and damn near no one could handle em HAHAHAA. Back then of course they were no where near docile like they are now. But boy the joy I felt racing through the world on the back of my old Bessy was like racing down the highway on a Harley.”

His eyes seemed to glaze over as he reminisced, but he shook his head soon after and looked back at me.

“I promise to make this right, Alex didn’t deserve to die the way he did… To be honest, I was going to pawn you off the first chance I got. But now that I got that report and know what happened, You’re going to come with me and you will be my direct disciple. I may not be a Tamer but I do have others under me that are, I will make you stronger James, I will vow to.”

I just stared at him a little slack jawed as out of nowhere he just vows to make me stronger… And did he say something about wanting to pawn me off first chance?

“You really don’t have to go through all that Rob.” I said as I waved my hands back and forth. “I am happy just getting some fishing experience and the tools needed from ya. I appreciate it but that just seems like a lot for just little ol me.”

“Haaa, listen James. You were chosen ok? That cube is what’s called an ‘Avatar’s Gift’ It means you are the physical embodiment of a higher power. Well so to speak anyways.”

“Wait what! Back up, How could I be chosen or whatever you’re talking about!? I am barely a D ranker and I almost just died to a freaking snake man! How could I embody some higher power!” I kept yelling as I just couldn’t wrap my head around this. How could I, someone who had to scrape and claw after the fall… I mean… Am I even worthy for something like this? Maybe Rob is just playing a prank on me? A million things swarmed through my head.

“I’m not joking James this is serious. I was chosen by Big Joe to be his avatar. Yes, he is a higher power as he is a guardian deity for the rivers and lakes. I will give you a quick rundown so pay attention. We knew about other worlds, it was told to us by a prophet one year before the portals opened, that’s why HQ was built so quickly after the fall. There are hundreds of other Chosen like you but the people outside of HQ are unaware of this, they only know that people who find ‘relics’ become wealthy and famous. They are given a mission from higher powers to what end, we have no idea. But we do know that the chosen are given tremendous strength and potential in exchange for life threatening ordeals. “

Rob went on and on for hours about how the HQ is keeping this a secret from the masses and the reason he quit visiting Alex and Kelly is because he became one of the first Chosen and was fast tracked to become one of the Leaders of HQ. His department oversees searching for more relics in the hope that they can manufacture artificial ‘relics’ to create more Chosen themselves.

After he stopped talking we sat in silence for hours as I just sat there staring into the fire and watching as the meat sizzled. My brain was processing this world view shattering information at a snails pace.

“I… Ahem… I am the Avatar of Growth? What does that mean exactly? I’m just supposed to be a farmer for the gods?” I finally managed to croak out after a bit.

“Hahaha, that my boy I have no idea. But I do know that in order for you to fully encompass the powers of an avatar, you need to get a hell of a lot stronger. I’m guessing by now you got your first mission right? What is it?”

“I don’t know what you mean but one of my abilities says that it can grow by meeting a requirement.”

“That! That’s the gods tricky way of giving you missions. They don’t outright say hey do this now, because they can’t restrict our freewill. Don’t ask because I’m just as confused about that. Big joe dodges that question like it was herpes. But they will give you well I guess it’s more accurate to say they will give you goals to meet. It will grant you more power as well as making your body better match the energy of that deity.”

“So the deity wants me to get better at growing things? So again, I’m just supposed to be the farmer for the gods… Wait does that mean the Taming power I got was from the god as well?”

“No, that is the power that was latent in your soul from birth, that is your power and your power alone. What you gain from the cube is the deities power, what you gain outside of that is your power that could never be taken away.”

“Wait my power could be taken away! So one day the deity could just up and take it away on a whim!”

“That is one thing that can happen yes… But… Let’s just say there are some things worse than your deity taking your power away from you and leave it at that for the time being.”