You have made a contract with a [Patron], you have gained the [Patronage of Luck].

What happened? How did that happen? I was forcibly shut down, a terrifying experience, mind you.

And I was back, but this time I had closed my eyes, so my return was not as discomforting.

Hello? Are you alright? Can you still see my [screens]?

"I read you loud and clear, Buddy, I’m fine."

Respond faster then, you made me worry, jerk.

"Tsundere treatment aside, can you feel any changes? Because I don’t."

The only “tsundere” here is your self-esteem.

But jokes aside:

You have unlocked the [Status screen], proper values adjusted through the [Patronage]

Would you like to see it now, or do you need a moment?

"I said that I’m fine, I’d like t-"

"That was awfully quick, for a contract. Did you get one with a lower being, with fewer conditions?" a masculine voice suddenly says from behind me, in an incredibly loud voice.

I'd like to say that I didn't scream and whip around so fast that it hurt my neck, so I won't.

Standing behind me was what I must assume is the male version of a Nymph, it’s probably still called a Nymph now that I think about it, with a wide frame made of muscles, an earth-colored skin tone, bald and shiny head, and much taller than your average [Human] (I was wondering why I was at navel-level).

"Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you!" he says, failing to hide a guffaw, and still half-shouting.

"You didn’t scare, you surprised me, I just didn’t expect someone to suddenly shout from behind me" I respond, defensively.

"Of course, of course," with his raised hands it's clear that he doesn't believe it for a second, "but to go back to my question: what kind of contract did you get?" he continues.

"Do I have to tell you? This feels kind of personal" I say while taking a step back and getting him out of my personal space.

"It is indeed personal, but every [Temple] likes to keep a record of [Patronages], just for posterity’s sake" He must have noticed my reticence, because he toned down his voice and didn’t proceed to get any closer, but it didn’t seem to be enough to deter him.

"You didn't respond to my question, which makes it look like I can keep it to myself" I was getting angry, mostly because I was very tired (one can have his world turned upside-down only so many times, without needing a good night rest), but also because this guy seemed weirdly interested in my [Patron].

While thinking this I was looking around and I discovered that, once again, I wasn’t the first to wake, instead there were a bunch of people already milling with [Priests]; confirming that my situation was outside the norm was that I was the only one getting a one-on-one session, everyone else was in like a five-person group per [Priest], and Undine was gone somewhere else.

"Look, there is nothing to be ashamed of, even though the [Arch-Priestess] talked about pacts with [Gods] it actually happens tens of times per temple, at best. No need to get all defensive on me, I’m just a [Priest], I’m literally here to help you" He says, once again raising his hands in a surrendering motion.

"Tutorial, what’s going on here?"

I do not know, he seems weirdly insistent.

Try to ask him why.

"Why are you insisting to know about my [Patron], while interrogating me on my lonesome, on top of it all."

"Because you’re weird!" He goes back to half-shouting for a moment, but stops himself by audibly closing his mouth.

He’s worried, the now apparent tremor in his eyes makes it clear. But worried about what?

Remember that you are fundamentally different from the other [Humans] present, such a discrepancy does not happen often in the [Nexus].

"Right, me being short and ugly-"

You are not ugly.

"Guess I should ease some minds."

"Look, dude-that-hasn’t-said-his-name-yet, I know that I look physically different from the other [Humans], but I’m still one. I don’t to what kind of genetic irregularity you guys are used to here, but-"

"Your eyes! You have been passively using [Mana] since the [Transference] brought you here! That was so out of the norm that the [Arch-Priestess] was already going to check on you before you even woke up way before what is normal. Do you understand how worrisome your situation is to everyone present?" He quickly stammers out of his mouth, while successfully getting a grip on my shoulders with both hands.

"My eyes? What’s wrong with my eyes!? It’s just heterochromia!" I get a brief flashback of getting called a 'weirdo' exactly for my eyes.

"You have been spouting nonsense since the beginning! Did you get a contract, or are you some kind of [M-"

"That is enough Jeoff!", shouts a familiar voice from somewhere behind me.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"What is wrong with this dude!? Do people have no heterochromia here!? What the hell!?"

No Darwin, they do not. Non-beneficial genetic anomalies are corrected before birth by the [System], and since normally the [Transferred] are a homologous group of “semi-perfect” people, it does not happen.

"Uh."

Undine had just gotten beside me, and the-dude-that-was-apparently-Jeff released me and backed off, grumbling away.

"Are you alright?" she asks me, once it was apparent that I didn’t want to start the conversation.

"No, I’m not. What was his deal? I understand that genetic anomalies aren’t a thing here, but do you need to be such a prick about it!? And HE’s a [Priest]!?" I responded, hotly.

"Genetic anomalies?" She asks and raises an eyebrow.

"You see, sometimes an individual, that doesn't have the [System], can be born different and-" she quickly cuts me off, seeing where I'm going.

"No no, I know what genetic anomalies are, they can appear as a result of a [Curse], it’s rare, but it happens."

"Then why do you guys have a problem with my different colored eyes!?" I was, once again, getting angry (what a surprise, I know).

"Different colored eyes-NO, wait, don't explain, I got what the miscommunication was about now" she's quick to hurry along here discourse, after seeing me opening my down-turned mouth.

"Then enlighten me! Because I don't!" I'm throwing my hands around, a bad habit I got from my father, which is apparently a mid-European thing, that gets out when I’m particularly flustered and I’m trying to not get angry.

"You seriously do not know that you’ve been using a, what I know now for almost certain [passive], [Trait]?" she says, now worried herself.

"What?"

"What?"

What?

Well, if even [Buddy] is dumbfounded then I guess I really have no idea of what is going on.

"Oh dear, you really don’t know what’s happening; even though it feels like a significant mana expenditure" she seems to accept my ignorance without qualms, it’s almost hurtful.

Wait, I got it.

"What did you get?"

Demiurgic Sight:

See the tethers of [Aether] that make up reality.

(Gained as compensation for the removal of heterochromia)

"Wait. What do my eyes look like now?"

That I do not know, but it would be safe to assume that they look different.

"You don’t say?"

XP

"Did you seriously send a cheeky, tongue out, emoticon at me, when you don’t even know how to use contractions?"

I know how to use them, but not using them gives me character.

"Freaking poser."

Bite me.

"Can I have a mirror, please?" I say, and Undine flinches back; she apparently was getting closer, probably worried about my silence.

"Of course, wait a moment" And while I expected her to ask someone to fetch one, she proceeded to wave her hands for a bit and a screen of water materialized between her palms.

"That’s a neat trick, but the reflection isn’t going to be clear" As I said that the water quickly started looking like mercury.

She then sent it hurling towards my face, which caused me to yelp; but the screen didn’t cover even half the distance between us before stopping, and she emitted an amused chuckle.

I was reading my rebuke, but it died in my mouth at the sight in the 'mirror'.

"HOLY SHIT."

That definitely wasn’t normal.

Well, for starters, [Buddy] was right, they do look different.

For instance, they were the same color.

Purple.

The, maybe, larger than normal Irises were PURPLE.

Yes, that particular shade of purple.

Yes, the ever-changing one.

Yes, it was visibly moving, in a vortex-like motion, with the still black sclera as its center.

Oh, and what about the GLOWING GOLDEN LINES intertwined among themselves, still in the Irises?

What about them?

I really couldn’t tell.

They were constantly moving, again, and forming different mandala-like designs.

"Ok, I can assure you that they weren’t like this before, and I can understand why one would freak out at the sight of them; kind of feel sorry for Jeff now."

"It’s Jeoff!" is heard among the crowd, that has “subtly” formed around us.

"Is it anything dangerous? For you, or others? Do you need help? You seem more surprised about it than the other [Transferred] were, when they saw you staring into the distance" Undine tries to continue the conversation, unabated.

"The [Introduction]! I was left with my eyes open!"

Everyone must have gotten a good look at your new eyes, that's probably what isolated you, to begin with.

"That makes so much sense! The [Pacify Enchantment] should have made them more prone to collaborate with me, not less."

My eyes were just so uncanny that it triggered their fight-or-flight responses, regardless of it.

"So?" asks Undine, amused once again. She must have figured out that I wasn't worried about it, so it mustn't have been anything dire.

"I had a genetic anomaly before getting [Transferred], this-" I say while waving my hands around my eyes, "-is some kind of [Trait] that I gained from a 'correction' applied by the [System]. Nothing dangerous, but the description is pretty vague."

A bunch of noises of understanding came from the surrounding crowd, which started to disperse, apparently having satisfied its curiosity.

"I had thought as much, but I’m glad to see that the [System] confirmed it" She finally relaxes her shoulder, which I hadn’t noticed just how tense they were.

"Yeah, sorry for causing a mild panic, but this is freaky, I will admit it" I say, ignoring the rising panic about what else the [System] could have changed.

"Now, what Jeoff said was true, but you aren’t obligated to say anything. Would you mind sharing information about your [Patron] and this peculiar [Trait]? What do you say?" She was grinning now, obviously interested.

"Nope, not interested"

"Darn. Well, no matter, you will be free to do whatever you want in a moment" and with that, she starts to walk towards the other [Humans], which were still maintaining their distance from me. "Jerks."

"Wait, free? Really!?" I ask the retreating figure, but all I get is a glance back paired with a smirk.

I cast a glance around, but everyone was trying really hard to not cross eyes with me. "Double jerks."

I think about the thoughts that I had during the stipulation of the contract, and realize how idiotic the idea of protecting others really is.

I'm a loner and an outlier among the outsiders, I will have difficulties finding a team, let alone working as part of an entire community.

"Don't know what will happen from now on, but it's safe to say that it will be just you and me, [Buddy]."

Nothing new for me, I would have been limited to interacting with you alone anyway.

"Kind of thought about some words of comfort from you, but whatever."

Instead, I get to remind you of the very important things.

"Like?"

The [Status screen], dude.

"Oh, right. I thought you would have hit me with it already!"

I am incapable of physically affecting your [Body].

"Dude…"

XD

"Dear [Gods]! My [System] is becoming a trashy millennial!"

Hey!