I had finally done it! After fifteen years of working under some of the best (most maniacal) chefs in the world, I had finally scrimped and saved my way into opening my own spot. It was a small place with a long, beautifully cared for bar. There were a few tables spread throughout the dining room and a section that I had filled with vintage arcade and pinball machines. The decor was a hodgepodge of collectibles from my favorite games, movies, anime, and comics. (Yes I am a nerd;, no, I will not apologize for it).
Behind the bar was my kitchen. It was wide open to the dining area. I wanted people to interact with me while I cooked for them, to talk with me, and watch as I put all of my creativity and love into each of their meals. It wasn't enough for them to have a good meal; I wanted them to feel like they would cooking a meal at home with friends or family. My desire was for the people who came here to be able to hit the pause button on life if only for a short while. It was why I had chosen the name that I did. Little did I know how fucking apt that name would become in the future.
The Save Point.
On opening day I arrived almost before the sun came up. It was filled with prepping ingredients, double checking my stock, making sure everything was spotless and working perfectly. My best friends Mike and Alex would be arriving shortly to do the same to the bar and dining section. We were in this together, living the dream we had built from when we were teenagers. I was damn near vibrating from anticipation and anxiety so I decided to go grab some tea and take a walk to burn off some of the adrenaline.
It happened on my way back. The blue of the mid-day sky turned dark instantly. The cars on the road just stopped. In the sky above me I could see a plane just sitting there as if it were hung from wires on a child's ceiling. A horn blew so loud and invasive that it felt like it was coming from inside me and suddenly a screen appeared in front of me. There were three people on the screen. On the left was a deeply tanned man in plain jeans and a work shirt. On the right was a beautiful Hindu woman in a Sari. I could feel my brain flicker when I realized she had a few extra sets of arms than I was typically used to seeing on a person. In the center of it all was a mountain of a man. He had a large, well kept, grey beard and was wearing a suit that looked almost out of place on him. On one of his eyes was a patch.
(Oh you have got to be shitting me. I spent so much time getting ready to open, and my brain chooses now to devolve into hallucinations? This couldn't have happened any other goddamn time?)
As I looked around, I realized that couldn't be it. I could see the same screens in front of the people around me. They all had the same bewildered expression that I'm sure was on my face as well. There was a woman next to me, but when I glanced at her screen all I could see was a glowing white light. My attention snapped back to my screen as the man in the center began to speak in a low booming voice.
"Greetings to our children the world over. It has been ages since we have interacted with you personally. We have allowed you to struggle and grow without interference for centuries and, for the most part, we have been proud of what you have accomplished.
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Unfortunately that has changed and things have happened that force us to take a more active hand once again."
The woman took over, her voice soft and comforting,
"A threat is coming to our Universe. One that we Gods cannot deal with alone. You are not the only civilization receiving this message today, but the others are the responsibility of their own Gods.
The time for meeting them will come later. We have decided to bestow upon you mortals a gift to enable you to fight and survive what is coming, but the path to prepare you will not be an easy one. For this we are deeply sorry. In the coming years many will perish and when the invasion begins so will many more.
To make this transition easier for you we have created a system much like the video games you mortals, and some Gods, have come to love so much. Each of you will be given a class based off of your greatest talents. For your young this will happen at their sixteenth birthday and for those that are older it will happen once we have finished our message. By completing quests and using your talents you will receive skills and equipment. The harder the task, the greater the reward you will receive."
The construction worker began to speak, his voice tinged with a slight middle eastern accent,
"Over the millennia you have created a great many things with your creativity and imagination. Heroes and villains, monsters and magic. All of those things will now become real. As you level up some of you will be chosen by these creations. Their power will become yours.
The greatest of you may be offered something higher. You will become an avatar of one of the true Gods. You will receive the skills and abilities of the God who has chosen you. You will be our true champions against the coming tide. Know that through all of this we shall be there, fighting by your sides, and guiding you to ever greater heights."
Once again the man in the middle took over.
"In seven days training will begin. We have designated safe areas across the world where you will not be harassed by monsters, but know that every year more safe zones will disappear. You must grow stronger. You must fight for your survival. Eventually there will be no more safe zones and, at that point, you will be expected to fight and defend your territory without the protection of the Gods."
As he said this a map appeared on my screen showing the United States. Large portions were covered in blue marking the safe areas where no monster would be spawning. I assumed people in other parts of the world were recieving similar maps. I found that if I thought of an area the map would automatically zoom in further. (Nifty trick that one).
"We have been with you for all of your history. We are your creators and sometimes your destroyers. We are death and life. We are everything. For the first time in the history of the Universe, the Gods of all pantheons stand united against a threat from outside; you will be our champions. Your mission is to show, not only our Universe but those that wish to do harm from the outside, that the Earth is the strongest of them all."
With that the video cut off and on my screen appeared a status window.
CHEF (lvl 1)
Titles: N/A
Skills: N/A
AGLl 10
STR 13
CON 15
DEX 10
CHR 17
INT 15
WSD 12
LCK 30
ITEMS: N/A
I spent a long time staring at the screen, oblivious to the chaos going on around me. I hadn't even noticed the sky turn back to it's normal color and the vehicles start moving again. Eventually I made my way back to The Save Point. I poured myself the biggest beer I could and sat at the bar, once again staring at my screen. The sun had already set before I had come out of my stupor.
(Fuck.)