The Grand Laughter: (Dancing Devil Clown Emoji) Oh, Victor! Your face...Mwahahahaha...so precious. But yes, I have fucked, figuratively and literally, countless Mothers, in ways you can't even begin to conceive of yet. I wear that title with pride. And I have done SOOOO MUCH WORSE! (Devil Clown fist pumping)

Rip'em Good: (Battle Helm rolling it's eyes) Buddy, trust me, you don't want to know anymore than you absolutely have to about this fucker. Don't Worry, I'll catch him one of these days. (Battle Helm with a Chainsaw!)

The Dead Lord: They're so messy, I'm still cleaning up blood from the last time they visited. (Skull with a Sponge)

I clenched my fists in frustration. Then I used an old trick where I touch my finger tips with my thumb, back and forth, while counting prime numbers. It seems silly, but it worked.

So much was becoming clear, they scrudged with my emotions, probably right after them summoned me. I have a feeling they were not allowed to mess with things once the choices began. Once they knew the outcomes, they threw wrenches in the works. My mind raced trying to think of all the ways they could be sabotaging me.

There was likely no way I could wrap my head around the plans of Ageless Beings that had Lived through the Births and Deaths of Universes. I'd drive myself nuts trying. However, some of it was immediately apparent.

Cattleton was in west Texas, roughly between Lubbock and Big Spring. There wasn't much there on my old Earth. Unless things were very different here, it was many hours drive to anything one could consider proper woodlands, never mind "Deep" woods.

I've already drawn the attention of Busybodies like Rage. Too quickly. Someone caused his attention to be there when they then threw that Random Encounter at me. He will definitely be a detriment to my growth.

For what? One reason was easy to see, Entertainment. They wanted me to flounder, to struggle, because they enjoyed it.

No, you know what, I going to ignore it. For now. I can't do anything about it anyway. Put a pin in it and come back to it.

I buy basic knowledge of Stats then Skills. Two more burst of pain. Huh, felt a little more like a drill this time.

[ The starting information Guided can perceive is limited. The number is an average of locked statistics. Access to these stats can be purchased in Meta Options.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

The Letter designations are rantings for the realm of effect. Small Animals and Children start at E Tier. Average members of most species are D Tier. The most advanced athletes or scholars can reach into the C Tier within their specialties.

Progression from E to C Tier is fairly linear. Progression beyond that is exponential. If one advances beyond S Tier, they are considered to have left the Mortal realm for that stat.

Stats and Tiers can be advanced by both Experience and Essence.]

Made sense, I'm not getting all the information on my stats. I seem quite well off for the moment, but that won't last. I need to find out what Experience and Essence are and how to obtain them. I didn't see them on the knowledge list.

Until I can stomp Cthulhu level threats into the dirt, I'm probably not safe.

A voice like skin being flayed from a thousand cats whispered, "Not even then."

A Literal Devil speaking into my soul. It was too much, and I just stopped caring. Too Trite, Too Overdone, Too absurd. Trying to distract me. Keeping me from making connections.

Perhaps the longest sigh of my life escaped my lips.

[ Skills are magnifiers. They add on a percentage to succeed. They also stop or mitigate negative effects. In rare cases they increase the effect of a success, or decrease the effect of a failure.

Each ranking adds a ten percent chance to succeed, and a five percent mitigation.

Skill can be ranked up by Experience or Essence. ]

Simple enough. I could already imagine what Abilities and Traits will say. Something like Abilities are active use powers, and Traits are passive characteristics. I figured there are Titles too. Probably unlocked later. No need to waste Guide coins on them now.

Wait a minute, I didn't earn any Experience or Essence in that fight earlier. I wonder why. Was it because they were no real challenge? Is it another way I've been screwed?

I started pacing around the Apartment. I felt like I'm falling behind. Behind what, I didn't know. I don't like sitting still.

Both my thumbs tapped each of my joints on every finger, I don't pay it any mind.

I decided to open Meta Options.

I cackled madly, and immediately bought the first option. I may or may not have been dancing while I did it.

I turned off the Gods Be Damned Boxes!

A Waste you say? Fuck you says I. I despised those filthy ugly boxes.

Now everything will appear in my head just like the knowledge uploads.

I also bought the second option.

I turned off the chat. No more idle banter. I would now only receive notices for Donations, Subscriptions and Private messages. As an added bonus PMs had to have an attached donation now.

I also bought two of the later options. The Experience and the Essence Functions. They came with explanations.

Experience came from doing. Doing what? Literally any and everything.

Essence had to be absorbed. From what? Again everything.

There were some catches though.

For example, I could kill a monster, gain exp, then remove it's core to draw essence. You couldn't do that to sapient beings, it's one or the other. You have to pick before you kill them. Of course, if you don't kill them you could still get exp, but you could only draw essence if you kill them.

Also, say that you found an area rich in ambient magic. You could draw essence from it, or receive a bonus to exp gain for certain activities while there. You couldn't do both at the same time.

I grinned. I couldn't wait to try it. To grow stronger.

Perhaps soon, given that Mick Rage had just arrived.

And he brought friends.