"Man, the world really doesn't like me huh?" A drunk construction worker asked himself this question, the man is at a park sitting on a bench while drinking a cold can of beer. 

Travis, age 19 is a Highschool graduate who couldn't afford to go to college. He needed to work and was already working odd jobs before he even graduated to support his only family left, his grandmother. She died just a few weeks ago, he now had no one. Most of his friends went to a larger city for college and the only solace he has now is the companionship that alcohol brought him. Empty cans can be seen next to the trash bin.

The dark-haired young man finished his can and began to pack his things. He took off his hard hat and the high-visibility vest and chucked them both inside a duffel bag. He headed home after tossing the beer can away. 

The bus ride home that evening was packed, even if it wasn't rush hour a Friday was still a Friday. His stop was only five blocks away, at the more questionable side of town. His apartment had the bare minimum, a bathroom and a bedroom. The small kitchen is attached to his room and the room smelled like garbage even if he did clean it up. He moved over to this area around a year ago when his grandmother was hospitalized. The rent was dirt cheap and he didn't mind any of the discomforts. A noisy neighborhood was easy to ignore especially since he was normally dead tired from all the manual labor to care.

Just as he was about to call it in for the day, he felt his body stop moving. He was one step away from the bed. 

"What the fuck is going on?" He asked no one in particular.

"People of Earth, in approximately one hour this world will be accessible to other realities." A disembodied voice of a woman spoke to him. "Monsters you could only see in myths, technology that you could only theorize, those that will visit your reality have no care for the local inhabitants." 

Travis, already paralyzed by the magical force, was forced to listen much like everyone else in the world.

"The deities of your planet have decided to give you a farewell gift as they move on to the next reality. We wish you the best of luck, it's the formative years that are always hard to survive!" 

[The system has fully integrated into the user's body. The following commands are now available: Status, Chat, Rankings and Trade.]

Travis finally got control over his body again right before stumbling forward to his bed. He instinctively knew how to activate the commands, as if they were something he has known since he was a kid. 

"Status." He called out. Soon enough a blue screen appeared in front of him. 

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Title: None

Combat Rating: [Basic Iron-Grade]

Name: Travis Montes

Mana: 300/300

Internal Energy: 1,200/1,200

Innate Ability: Claws

God's gift: Mercenary Recruitment

He clicked on each one which gave him a small descriptor for all of them. 

Titles, gained through merit titles give power to those that have proven themselves. Though most titles are only shown as indicators of one's achievements.

Combat Rating, the general ability of an individual based on Internal Energy, Mana and abilities that use them as a source of energy. Combat rating is divided into the following categories: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. With the following prefixes: Basic, Intermediate and Elite. 

Mana, while some creatures are more inclined to use this bountiful resource only a select few amongst the human race have a sizable value of this power source. It is ill-advised for a human to even dabble in the arts of magic, though those that have potential are always welcome to try.

Internal Energy, as a fit individual you are more in tune with your internal energy. The lifeblood of martial arts and the fuel for those who wish to wield weapons of all kinds. Humans are some of the most well-known martial artists across multiple realities, it is highly advised to find a master or a book to guide you on this journey. 

Innate Ability, a power that stayed dormant during most of your life. It has now been awakened by the system. Some innate abilities are more common than others, though that doesn't really make them useful.

[Claws] Innate Ability

The ability to sprout claws. A common ability that's considered weak by most metrics.

God's gift, the parting gift of your world's old gods. These gifts are unique to each individual.

[Mercenary Recruitment] God's Gift

Once every week, you have the opportunity to gain a new ally. You may choose from one of three options. These mercenaries have a high loyalty towards the user, though controlling them is another matter. Gain their trust to form longer lasting contracts!

With the vast array of new information that he needed to digest, the humble laborer could only shake his head to fully realize his situation. "Monsters... invaders coming from other realms."

"With the sound of those screams and car crashes outside, this is all real." He then looked at his left hand and soon enough he felt his skin peel. Like a knife cutting through the tips of his fingers at the end of his fingers were claws akin to that of a lion or a tiger. He retracted the claws and his fingers were back to normal. "I'll have to get used to the pain. There's less than an hour left before the event that the system mentioned. I have to prepare." 

Travis prepared two bags, a backpack filled with a few sets of clothes, a plastic tumbler along with all of the non-perishable food that he had. The second bag was his duffle bag. Pots, pans and the small gas cooker he always used were shoved right in. "Worst case scenario, I can smack someone with this." 

"Both mana and internal energy are useless without a book or an instructor, if this ability really is what it says it is then a mercenary that can teach or protect me would be the best thing right about now." Travis then looked out the window, chaos on the bad side of town. Gunshots could be heard everywhere and the people were evacuating from their homes. Those who gained powerful gifts and innate abilities ran rampant, ransacking the nearby grocery stores for resources. 

"All right, fuck it." He clicked the ability and soon enough three options were presented to him.