"Thank you, have a great day."

Sero Kassel droned even as the customer walked out of the door. He sighed, zoning out behind the cash register of the now empty convenience store.

"Just one more hour before I can go home." Sero mumbled to himself as he glanced at the clock. Another 60 dull minutes until 11 P.M. Then he could clock out of this damn job and relax at home.

Suddenly, the door to the convenience store swung open with a jingle, revealing a young woman. She had light brown hair that fell over her shoulders and striking emerald eyes. She was dressed in a dirty, olive hoodie and blue jeans that had seen better days. Sero immediately perked up at the sight of her.

"Hey, can I help you with something?" he asked, trying to sound more friendly than he actually felt. The woman gave him a small smile before approaching the counter.

"I'm actually here to see Sero Kassel," she said, her voice soft and melodic. "Is that you?"

Sero raised an eyebrow. She was very attractive up close. "Yeah, that's me. What's up?"

The woman took a deep breath and then stepped closer to the counter. "My name is Aphiel, and I am a goddess. You have been chosen to ascend, Sero Kassel. You have been given a second chance at life."

Sero blinked and stared blankly at Aphiel for a moment.

"Pardon?"

Aphiel gazed directly into his red eyes.

"You are dead, Sero Kassel. You died the moment the apocalypse began."

Sero felt a chill run down his spine at her words. He looked around wildly, half-expecting to see a portal tear open and release a horde of monsters. But the world around him seemed to be going about its business as usual.

"What the fuck are you on about?" he asked, confused.

Aphiel sighed.

"Do you not remember what happened earlier? What’s the earliest memory you have right now?"

Sero frowned and racked through his memories.

"There was a customer here… I just rang him up… no, her… wait…"

A sharp pain assaulted Sero’s mind as he began to recall his memories. He winced as he tried to voice his thoughts.

"No, hold on… I remember screaming. Weird, colored portals opening up… a big ass monster barged into the store."

Sero grimaced and closed his eyes.

"I was scared… but also excited. It was the first time something different happened in my life. I remember feeling like this could cure my boredom."

Sero opened his eyes and found himself staring into Aphiel’s emerald eyes.

"The monster… charged at me. And then…"

Sero blinked again.

"I found myself here."

Aphiel nodded.

"I… died? But there’s no way, right? Something like that can’t happen in real life. It must’ve been a dream or something. Is this a prank?"

The woman shook her head.

"No, you’re dead, Sero Kassel. But you were not supposed to be."

Aphiel bowed her head and clasped her hands together. She muttered something Sero couldn’t quite catch and suddenly the store began to fade away, replaced by a vast white void.

"Oh, shit?!" Sero exclaimed as he tried to get his bearings. He felt his body become weightless as he floated in the void.

Aphiel raised her head and gazed at Sero with a solemn look.

"Sero Kassel. You have died prematurely due to my negligence and not watching over you. By way of an apology, I shall quicken your growth and grant you your class as well as return you to your world."

Sero could only stare back blankly at her.

"Class? What do you mean by that? Wait, you’re going to send me back?"

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Aphiel gave him a warm smile. "Yes," she nodded, holding her hands out. "I will return you to your world, but you need to awaken your class first."

"I’m assuming a class means something like a specialization of sorts? Like in a game?" Sero asked, quickly catching on as his nerves calmed down.

The woman nodded. "You’re very smart. I was right to choose you as my champion. A class is akin to that."

"I want to be a Master Swordsman or something along the lines of that." Sero replied without hesitation.

Aphiel’s smile wavered.

"Ah, s-so the thing is…" She glanced away.

"What?"

"Erm, so your class is specific to your nature and personality."

Sero nodded.

"Yeah, I have all the qualities of a Master Swordsman." He insisted with sincerity.

"O-oh, well… yes, I was looking for a Master Swordsman, but it turns out he wasn’t my champion so that’s why you ended up here…"

Sero frowned.

"Wait a minute, what–"

"But thankfully, I found you before your soul moved on to the afterlife, so I can bring you back to your world. Unfortunately, it seems as though… your personality… isn’t fit for a Master Swordsman." Aphiel bit her lip.

Sero grew quiet.

"So, you’re saying that my personality doesn’t match a Master Swordsman?"

The goddess nodded timidly.

"Then what other classes are available for me?"

"W-well, everyone’s class is already determined–"

"Ok, then what’s my class?"

Aphiel tittered nervously.

"Um…. you are a Scholar." She finally whispered.

Sero’s face became stoic.

"Like… reading books?"

"N-not exactly. Your abilities would be Perfect Copy, Perfect Recall, and Perfect Analysis." Aphiel shifted uncomfortably, sensing his displeasure.

"Memorization. That’s my fucking ability." Sero gazed at her with an unreadable expression.

"Well, that’s the core concept, yes, but–"

"I dropped out of college. I hate endless studying. You’re telling me that my class is basically a student?" Sero floated closer to the woman.

Aphiel nervously hovered back. "When you put it that way, I can see how it sounds like-"

"Besides that, what did you mean earlier that I died because of your negligence? Or that it sounded like you found the wrong guy? Am I here because of you?" Sero towered over the goddess.

Aphiel coughed in her hand. "Yes, well, you see, when the apocalypse hit your world, my kind decided to give humanity a chance by choosing champions to sponsor and nurture," she quietly began. "It’s my first time doing something like this so I guess I got too excited and didn’t check the spelling so…"

"… I died because you watched over the wrong person."

Aphiel nodded ever so slightly.

A flurry of emotions rushed through Sero. First disbelief, then anger, and finally, acceptance.

"Ok, whatever. I’m still annoyed, but you did say it’s your first time after all, plus you’re sending me back. I can’t be too mad at you." Sero sighed, feeling his emotions settle as he came to terms with his situation.

Aphiel immediately looked up at him. Her emerald eyes sparkled with relief and gratitude.

"Thank you for your forgiveness, champion! I promise, I will guide you to the best of my abilities."

Sero, slightly embarrassed, made a face and looked away. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Now send me back. I gotta figure out what I can do with this Scholar shit."

The goddess smiled sheepishly and fidgeted with her hoodie.

"Actually… Can you give me a second? I have to find out how to send you back."

Sero’s body stiffened. He slowly turned his head back to Aphiel.

"You serious?" he whispered calmly.

Aphiel nodded apologetically. "I-I'm sorry, I really didn't expect this to happen. I'll try to find a way to send you back as soon as possible."

"How soon?" Sero’s voice was threatening.

"I-in a flash!" Aphiel yelped and suddenly vanished into thin air.

For a moment, Sero wondered if the goddess had abandoned him.

As soon as he thought that, Aphiel blinked back into existence with a weak smile.

"Ok! I have found a way for you to return! Just hold on to my hand and close your eyes."

Sero looked at her with disbelief, but decided to trust her. He reached out his hand and tentatively held onto Aphiel's small, delicate fingers. She smiled encouragingly at him and closed her eyes, as if concentrating on something. He felt a strange sensation, like he was being tugged or pulled, and then everything went black.

When Sero opened his eyes in the next moment, he found himself standing in front of the convenience store that he worked at.

"Holy shit, I’m back." he muttered to himself, stepping into the store.

"Hello, welcome to Mart-Mart." A voice droned out to him.

"Hey–"

Sero paused with a frown.

"Who the fuck are you?"

An unfamiliar middle-aged man with gray hair stood behind the counter. Sero was absolutely certain that no one new had been hired yet.

"Uh, what?" The man replied with a bored expression.

"Are you new here?" Sero asked as he stepped up to the counter.

"No? I’ve been working here for a couple of months now."

Sero’s frown deepened. "How come I’ve never seen you around then? I’ve been working here longer than you."

The man stared back at him with a blank look.

"I’m sorry sir, but I’ve never seen you around here either. I don’t know what you’re on about, but I started soon after the monsters invaded about a year ago."

There was a moment of silence.

"A year… ago?"

The man nodded with a dull expression.

"...You've been living under a rock? There was an apocalypse about a year ago."

Sero suddenly gripped the counter as he felt overwhelmed and nauseous.

"I’ve been gone… for a goddamn year?"