Nathan stared at the woman, trying to process her casual declaration of "being the sea." Her hair rippled like waves despite the absence of wind, and her eyes held the depth of ocean trenches. The silence stretched between them like an incoming tide.

"So," Nathan said, fighting to keep his voice steady, "are you planning to explain what that means and what you are, or should I start guessing? Because I've got some theories, and they're getting wilder by the second."

She tilted her head, and droplets of water fell from her hair, evaporating before they hit the ground. "We've only been here for a couple of years." Her brow furrowed. "Or is it minutes? Time is like the tide, you see. It comes and goes, and sometimes I forget which way it's flowing."

"Right. Because that clears everything up." Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, can we skip the cryptic goddess routine? I've had a really long day, and—"

"Goddess?" Her laugh sounded like waves breaking on a distant shore. "Is that what you think I am? Well, I suppose it's not entirely wrong. Your kind has always needed labels for things beyond your understanding. The Greeks called me Thalassa, though I've had many names. Some better than others." She wrinkled her nose. "The Vikings were particularly unimaginative."

"Okay, Thalassa," Nathan said. "Can you answer my questions?"

She nodded her head. "Yes, I can."

They stared at each other for several seconds. Nathan felt his left eye twitch.

"…Will you answer my questions?"

"Oh, right now?"

"Yes."

She paused for a few seconds. "What were the questions again?"

Nathan was about to scream when she held up her hand.

"Yes, of course. My apologies," she said. "I'm afraid that it can be hard for me to stay focused. It's my nature."

Nathan's lips drew into a thin line. "Okay. It's fine. Can we stop wasting time?"

To Nathan's shock, she seemed to pout at his words.

"Come now, I expected more from you. You have a higher affinity for me than many of my own children. Despite this, you seem to dislike me so."

"Stop. Dropping. Random words that don't make any sense. Start from the beginning. And please, keep it relevant to our conversation."

Thalassa sighed and drew her head back. "Fine."

Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. Finally.

She crossed her arms and looked up off to the side.

"You asked what exactly I am. What is a goddess? That is a question I ask myself often. There isn't an easy answer—I'm not all-powerful, nor am I omniscient. No, those titles belong to one being and one being only, and I doubt you'll ever get the chance to speak to him while you live.

Nathan squinted his eyes at her.

Did she just confirm that God is real—?

"All I remember was… existing. When the first ocean formed, I was there. For millennia, I've watched your species evolve from the common ape to the bizarre hairless mammals that you are now. For me, Rome was a passing thought. The dinosaurs? A mere day.”

Nathan found himself taking a single step back. "I see."

Her tone brightened. "Would you like some tea?"

"What?"

"There were these very kind young men from Boston who threw bundles of tea into my embrace a little bit ago. I've been holding onto them ever since, but I have yet to find a use for them. So, would you like some?"

“Sure…?"

There was a blue glow, and above her, a crate fell onto the ground between him and her. Nathan jumped back instinctively. Once he realized there was no danger, he took a few steps closer and looked inside.

They weren't in tea packets, like Nathan had always seen. Instead, they were leaves. Loose and densely packed.

Thalassa reached into the crate and grabbed one of the tea leaves, then started chewing on it. Nathan glanced at her.

"I reahlly like the tahste," she said, her mouth full.

This is not at all what I was expecting.

"So basically, you're just some sort of superpowered being. And…you're associated with the sea?"

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"I'm not sure 'associated' is the right word. It's more that I am the sea. The sea is me, and I am the sea. There is no difference between us."

Nathan ignored that statement—he got the feeling that he would go crazy if he tried to understand it.

"You've been helping me," he said. "From the very beginning. You've been messing with the system, editing quests. All this…weird stuff. Why? For what end?"

Her eyes seemed to sparkle at the question, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

“Why does the tide rise, Nathan?”

“Can we focus, please? You still haven’t explained anything properly.”

"Haven't I?" She set down her tea leaves, and it dissolved into sea spray. "The world needs heroes, Nathan. Real ones. Not the kind that system of yours manufactures like... what do you call them? Action figures?"

"And I'm supposed to be this hero?"

Her expression sharpened, suddenly reminiscent of a shark's smile. "You have an affinity for me, Nathan. For years it's been dormant, like a pearl waiting to be found. But these events have begun to awaken you.”

She held out her hand, and a sphere of pure azure energy materialized above her palm. It smelled of storm winds and salt spray, of predawn mists and midnight tides.

"Become my Champion. Conform yourself to my power, and I will grant you the strength you need to defeat the nine circles."

Nathan narrowed his eyes. Something about her offer rubbed him the wrong way.

"What do you mean ‘champion’?”

She squeezed her hand, puffing out the orb of power. Nathan breathed a sigh of relief.

She blinked and grinned. “I don't know!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged. "I can tell you what I'm doing—what I would do is give you a fraction of my divinity. Your affinity with water would increase to levels unheard of by normal humans… unheard of even by my own children. Of course, this would enhance your power across the board in general. But as for what else would occur…I don't know.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “This seems like a terrible idea."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd be fine."

“Maybe I'd be willing to take that risk, but I need a better reason beyond 'the world needs a hero.'"

"Why? Is the offer of power not enough? I thought you humans liked those sorts of things."

"I'm a weird human."

She looked up at the blue sky. “I don't like the system. It touched my things—the fishermen, the sailors, all who have my favor—without so much as my consultation. I don’t take kindly to people who interfere with my affairs.”

"So? Destroy it. You're a goddess, aren't you?"

"I'm still limited. If that brat developed a physical body and fell into the ocean, then I would slaughter it. But he is beyond such things. His core lies in a world that I cannot touch. My only hope is you humans. And you in particular."

"Me?"

"Your affinity. If I use that, then I would be able to channel my power and challenge the system directly, through you."

Nathan stared at her for several seconds. "All right, I guess that makes sense."

She grinned.

"So, will you accept my offer?"

"No, I don't think I will."

She stared at him. "Come again?"

"I don't really want to challenge anything. I want to get through the nine circles and leave. It seems like what you want to do is use me for a proxy war that I don't really have a stake in."

Thalassa was silent.

"You do have a stake in it,” she said. “It ruined your life. It ruined the lives of billions of humans. You're fine with that?"

"Of course not, but that doesn't mean I want to try to beat it in single combat. No, I want to win normally, and then go home."

Thalassa's expression, for the first time in the conversation so far, turned stony and unreadable. After a second, her eyebrows furrowed together, and she glared at Nathan. The force behind the glare was so powerful that Nathan almost stumbled backward.

"You dare?" The waves rolled behind her. "I offer you power beyond comprehension, and you reject me?"

Nathan found his footing and stared back at her. "I do."

She glared at him a little longer before the smallest smirk appeared on her face.

“To stare back at divinity… you intrigue me more and more.”

Nathan didn’t say anything.

“Despite our disagreements,” she said. “I will continue to attempt to help you. But there's only so much I can do if you reject me. And you must understand that this isn't a game you can win fairly. It was never designed to be fair."

Nathan frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the system is a cheating bastard. And even if you defeat it—somehow—there are others ready to take its place. And even if you defeat all of them…"

"What?"

"I'm afraid our time is up, Nathan." She held out her hand. In front of him, the air shimmered like water, and a small blue pearl fell from the air toward the ground. Instinctively, Nathan snatched it out of the air.

He held it in his hand and looked at it closely.

"What is this?"

"An offer. Should you change your mind, break that gemstone.” She smirked. “Of course, I won’t let you use it unless you really mean it.”

Nathan was about to respond when the edges of his vision flickered. A headache struck him, and he groaned. Thalassa smiled.

"Oh, and do choose your class upgrade carefully," her voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. "I put so much effort into them. The things I had to do to that ridiculous system's code... like teaching a shark to juggle."

And with that, the blackness spread over his vision, and her voice disappeared.

----------------------------------------

Nathan brushed the window curtain aside and pushed himself up. His head was aching as if someone had taken a hammer to it, and his limbs felt like spaghetti noodles.

There was something in his pocket.

"My Lord, you’ve finally awakened," Fuge said.

"Fuge," Nathan replied. "It’s good to see you."

"And you as well, Commander."

"How long was I out?"

"A day."

Nathan looked around. He was inside a small bedroom, the sheets of modest quality and the building of new construction.

He reached into his pocket to pull out the gemstone… but there was nothing there.

I guess she’ll really only let me have it when I really intend on using it.

“Sir?” Fuge prompted.

“Nothing, Fuge. Today was election day, wasn’t it?"

"It was, sir. It went well. There were one or two… violent disagreements that we had to deal with. But nothing severe."

"That’s good," Nathan said. "Things are finally progressing here in the town."

Fuge paused. "Well, sir, if I’m being honest, there was one slightly bigger incident."

Nathan’s eyes slowly shifted toward her.

"Fuge?" he said. "What kind of issue?"

"Well, sir, I know that you signed off on letting the desert people into the town, but I wish you’d given us a little bit of warning—"

"I did what?"

"You didn’t know?" Fuge said. "But Zayen assured us you were aware. Besides, that’s why he was working on all those new zoning laws, wasn’t he? To prepare for the incoming residents?"

Nathan scrambled out of bed and slammed the door open.

Outside the door were dozens of people wandering the streets. That wasn’t too surprising. But what was surprising was that many of them looked distinctly human. In fact, they were wearing the garb of the desert people.

Nathan’s left hand twitched. "I’m gonna kill him."