Lukas was ready to slam his head into a wall. For two straight days he did nothing but attempt to create his first mana potion—the easiest potion to make. Up until then every single attempt had failed, resulting in useless sludge that Lukas dumped in the sink. He was making progress, inching closer to his first successful craft. That being said, things were beginning to slow down as the energy he was trying to wrangle became more unwieldy the closer he came to completing a concoction.

  Lukas’ first lesson in this came when he failed a craft that proceeded to explode out of the cauldron like someone had dropped a firecracker in it. The experience had left him covered in burns and a sludge that likely wouldn’t be coming out of his clothes. There were even a few that blew up more violently, leaving him swearing and glad that he was wearing the mask he’d frankly forgotten he had.

  Despite how annoying the whole ordeal was, it was something Lukas needed to experience. By the third morning, he had a thick stack of notes that described every one of his failures in detail. The only good thing was that he wouldn’t be running out of materials anytime soon. The only bottleneck in his progress at this point was his limited pool of mana.

  Even though Lukas had never successfully made a potion, each attempt still consumed his mana, leaving him with one hell of a headache whenever he ran out. It was during these times that he took a break, taking the chance to do more reading, shower off gunk, or sleep to restore his reserves faster. That led to a strange, inconsistent schedule, his ability to feel when it was night or day proving that out.

  It was partway through the third day that Lukas was finally seeing real results—results that left him covered in one failed concoction after another. He had to keep his frustration in check, but the constant failure wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as it meant he was getting closer and closer to making his first successful batch of mana potions.

  He’d already been forced to take a break once, using the time to go over his accumulated notes. Lukas was confident that today would be the day he finally succeeded. It might seem like he was progressing fast, but he knew that wasn’t the case. Based on what he’d read, even the most inept at mana control could kick out a basic mana potion within a day. Learning that had only served to make him feel like even more of a dunce, but he didn’t care—he would get it eventually.

  It was when his mana pool was down to around half and during a tricky attempt that something changed. Lukas was so focused on trying to feel and sense the energy of the mixture that he barely registered a change in his own body. The sensation distracted him just enough for the concoction to deteriorate into yet another useless sludge.

  Groaning, Lukas took his hands off the cauldron, staring at it for a moment. With a shake of his head, he turned his attention to the new notification he had gained:

  Level gained: [Combat Alchemist] has reached level 1 - Stat points allocated.

  Lukas’ eyes had barely gone over the first two words before he threw his hands up in celebration. “Yes!”

  He’d finally done it. He’d finally gained a level after all this time. All it took was failing to make a mana potion over and over again. He could only imagine how fast he’d be able to gain levels once he could actually make concoctions reliably. The moment he could, he’d be a leveling monster, going until he couldn’t.

  Unable to keep a stupid smile off his face, he checked his status screen:

  Lukas Hellstrand

  Race: Human (Outworlder [unique]) - Level 0

  Class 1 - Combat Alchemist - Level 1

  Class 2 - N/A

  Health Points: 370/370

  Stamina: 255/260

  Mana: 128/270

  Stats:

  Vitality: 37

  Endurance: 26

  Intelligence: 26

  Wisdom: 27

  Agility: 27

  Perception: 25

  Toughness: 27

  Strength: 28

  Willpower: 28

  Free Points: 2

  Titles:

  Prodigious Dimensional Traveler, Unkillable, True Heart of a Warrior, Indomitable Worm.

  Abilities:

  Race abilities: (Dimensional Traveler), (Tribute of the Fallen), (Steel Gut), (Tongue of the Multiverse), (Stranger in a Strange Land).

  Looking over his status page, the smile didn’t fade. Despite the fact that his race level was still zero for some reason, and the stats gained from the level were tiny compared to what he’d gained from his titles, he knew it was just the beginning. The percentage increases he had due to those titles would mean everything later on.

  Seeing that he had two free points, he wondered what to put them in. Then the answer slapped him in the face as he saw his half-empty mana pool. Throwing the two points into wisdom, Lukas checked his mana:

  Mana: 158/300

  His maximum had grown by thirty instead of twenty thanks to his titles, as had his current mana, going from 128 to 158. Lukas sure as hell wasn’t going to complain—it just meant he could make more attempts at a mana potion before needing to stop.

  Still grinning from ear to ear and feeling great, Lukas picked up the cauldron with the ruined concoction and took it to the sink. He happily dumped it, rinsing out whatever residual goop was left behind. After drying the cauldron, Lukas turned around, excited to keep trying.

  When he turned back to face the lab, however, he found that he was no longer alone. The appearance of the other person spooked Lukas so badly that he jumped, the cauldron flying out of his hands. He was quick to react, though, and by the time the cauldron hit the ground with a loud CLANG, he already had his sword pointed at the person.

  It was a woman—the most beautiful and perfect-looking person Lukas had ever laid eyes on. Just gazing upon the woman had turned his brain off briefly. Her fair skin was supple, radiant, and blemish-free as though she had walked right out of a skin-care commercial, only she wasn’t wearing any makeup. Her chocolate-brown hair was silky and put into a simple braid that fell gently down one shoulder. She wore a simple yet elegant white shoulderless gown that hugged her waist, showing off the athletic form that would make Olympians jealous. Then there was something that wafted off her like a perfume, but it was something he could only feel with the new senses gained from the stone of rebirth.

  “Hello,” she said, her voice gentle and pleasant as it blessed Lukas’ ears. Her eyes twinkled with amusement, and a small smile pulled at her soft lips.

  Despite the impossible beauty of the woman in front of him, Lukas didn’t let his guard down. This lady—if it even was a lady—had just appeared from nowhere and, as far as he knew, could’ve been behind him before he’d even cleaned the cauldron. The thought made Lukas’ hair stand on end, but he didn’t let the unease show. Mostly due to the mask.

  “Who are you?” he asked evenly, keeping his sword leveled at the woman. He was so startled by her appearance that he didn’t even consider identifying her.

  “I am your benefactor,” she said sweetly.

  “Benefactor?”

  “Where do you think this place came from?” she asked, gesturing around the room. “Did you think it just popped into existence?”

  Lukas shifted uneasily, knowing what she was getting at. “I don’t know where this place came from,” he said carefully, unsure of how much he should say.

  “I don’t suppose you would, coming from a place without magic. All this must be very interesting for you.”

  Below the mask, Lukas frowned, and his mind began to race at a frantic pace, trying to figure out what was going on and what to do. “How—?”

  “You are an outworlder,” she smiled, “someone who comes from a world without any magic.”

  Lukas froze, his mind thinking back to the description of the Stranger in a Strange Land ability. He couldn’t remember the whole thing, but what he did remember was that it gave him the ability to obfuscate certain aspects of himself and that people would take an interest in him and his appearance in this world.

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  “There’s no need to be so tense,” the woman laughed lightly, as though she had no care in the world. “I have no nefarious plans. I just saw you as an opportunity.”

  “Opportunity? What kind of opportunity?” He prodded cautiously, shifting from foot to food uneasily.

  “Why don’t we sit down? I know you have many questions, and I must admit to having a few of my own.”

  Lukas stared at the woman for a moment, unsure of what to do. He did know that the woman was strong, extremely strong. He wasn’t sure how he knew; he could just feel it, like instinct or intuition. He also knew that if she did want to do him harm, there wasn’t anything he could do about it. All he could do was remain interesting enough that she decided he was a worthwhile opportunity for her.

  Hesitantly, Lukas stored his sword in his inventory, knowing full well that attempting to use it would be pointless.

  Smiling, the woman gestured at the lab table between them before taking a seat on the stool Lukas had been sitting on. Again, Lukas was hesitant to act, but eventually, he sat himself down across from the woman.

  “Who are you, and what do you want with me?” Lukas demanded.

  “I am a goddess, and I want you to be my disciple,” she said simply.

  Lukas blinked, dumbstruck. He wanted to dismiss the notion out of hand, but he couldn’t. This wasn’t some methed-up homeless person proclaiming to be the second coming of Jesus, but a strong and elegant woman. That still would’ve gotten someone labeled crazy no matter who it was, but there was something about the woman that radiated divinity. Lukas could feel it inside himself—something that told him the woman sitting across from him was what she said.

  “Wha—?” was all Lukas could get out.

  The goddess laughed, a pleasant sound that momentarily turned his brain off. “I must admit, you’re taking it awfully well. When most mortals realize they’re before a god, they drop to their knees and bow.”

  “Uhm, sorry?” Lukas said. In all honesty, he felt nothing after the realization but an understanding of what that strange sense he was feeling meant. He didn’t feel any sort of urge to kneel, show deference, or whatever you were supposed to do before a goddess.

  “There’s no need to apologize. It’s just one more thing that makes you even more interesting. In fact, I suspect it’s due to your unnaturally strong soul.”

  “Hang on, soul?”

  “Oh, yes, but that's a topic for later. For now, let’s get back on track. I saw you stumble upon the entrance to my cave and what you did from there. I saw you had a natural talent for alchemy, so I created this place for you and gave you the means to pursue alchemy properly.”

  “But why me?” he asked, his mind reeling.

  “Because I saw an opportunity and took it, and so did you by choosing to enter.”

  “Okay,” Lukas said, trying to wrap his mind around what was going on. “So you want me to be your disciple and learn alchemy from you?”

  “Just so, and you’ve shown meteoric progress already.”

  “Really?” Lukas asked skeptically.

  “Oh, yes. For a person who grew up with magic, your performance has been quite poor, but for someone who only gained the ability to manipulate mana just over a week ago and has never seen how to do so properly, you’re doing very well.”

  Lukas sighed in relief. “That’s… nice to hear. I read that even the worst of the worst can manage a basic mana potion in just a few hours. I was afraid I might not be made for alchemy.”

  “Nonsense,” the goddess smiled. “I’ve been watching you since you entered, and I’m very pleased with how you threw yourself into it. Your thirst for knowledge is admirable—a trait not enough people have.”

  “Uhm, thanks. So what am I going to be learning from you?”

  “For now? Nothing,” she said, surprising Lukas. “You have everything you need for the moment—enough to learn how to make the most basic of potions and poisons. Your mana control is coming along nicely, although slowly. I have no doubt that you’ll be making potion after potion in no time. When the time comes and you’re ready for more, we’ll speak again.”

  “Then why talk to me now instead of then?”

  “Curiosity. I have questions, same as you.”

  “What kind of questions could a goddess have for me?”

  “You have a dimensional storage ability of some kind, don’t you?” the goddess asked curiously.

  Lukas nodded in confirmation. “I do. I also have four others.”

  The goddess frowned, seemingly concerned about something. “That’s what I figured. And what of the others, what are they?”

  “I have one that makes it so I don’t have to eat or drink very often. It also gives me an increased resistance to poisons and an improved constitution. There’s one that allows me to loot enemies that I’ve killed. One that lets me speak any language. The last one lets me change certain aspects of myself somehow, as well as giving me access to see my stats, stat points, and free points,” he explained, not bothering to hide anything from the person who could probably reduce him to ash in an instant.

  The goddess ran a hand over her face. “Oh, no. That’s a lot to take in, but I already know you’re in trouble. What’s that last ability that lets you see stats? I’ve never heard of anything like that before.”

  “Hang on,” Lukas said, putting out a hand to stop the goddess. “What’s this about me being in trouble?”

  “We can go over that once I have a better understanding of what we’re dealing with. Now, please explain this ability.”

  Lukas frowned, more concerned about this trouble the goddess had mentioned, but what could he do about it?

  “It lets me pull up a screen that gives me a basic overview of myself, including class, level, stats, and abilities.”

  “Really?” she asked, astonished. “What does it look like?”

  Hesitantly, Lukas pulled out a piece of paper from his inventory. One side was covered in the notes he’d taken, so he flipped it over and began writing down his status screen there. The entire time, the goddess watched on eagerly.

  When Lukas was done, he spun the paper to face the goddess, and she looked it over.

  “This isn’t good. An ability that breaks down your power into levels, shows you exactly how strong you are, what classes you have and your abilities, exact counts on your resource pools… and I don’t even know what titles are.”

  “What do you mean this isn’t good? It’s a great ability,” Lukas said, confused and worried by the goddess’ words.

  She pointed to the paper. “Based on your ability and what you’ve told me, these are all race abilities, correct?”

  “Yeah?” Lukas said, not getting the point.

  “Do you know what racial abilities are?” the goddess asked. Lukas shook his head. In all the books he’d read, nothing about race abilities had come up, so the goddess explained, “As the name indicates, those abilities are tied to one’s race. Typically, humans don’t have any racial abilities. Those that do are usually royalty of some kind. You, however, are an outworlder and have all five possible abilities—abilities that are completely unique and unlike any I’ve ever seen.”

  “Okay?” Lukas said, still not getting it.

  “There are other races in this world, all with varying types of racial abilities. This is important because of how racial abilities are gained.”

  The prospect of there being other races piqued Lukas’ interest to no end, but he knew that was a topic for later, “And how are they gained?”

  “By being passed down. They are hereditary.”

  Lukas had a pretty good idea of what that meant and what kind of trouble the goddess was worried about now.

  “You should be very careful about telling anyone you’re an outworlder because if people learn about that, you’ll have powerful people throwing their young flowers at you as though you were the main attraction at a parade.”

  Lukas had never been much of a people person, nor had he ever been a ladies’ man, so the thought of having women thrown at him was honestly terrifying. But not as terrifying as his imagination could conjure up, because there was something else he was fretful of.

  “They wouldn’t try to kidnap me or anything, would they?” Lukas asked, afraid of the answer.

  “Luckily, no,” the goddess said, shaking her head, her perfect chocolatey hair bouncing in a mesmerizing fashion. “The moment people realize what you are, you’ll have too many eyes on you for that kind of thing. Even if they did, it’s not like they’d be able to chain you to a bed and make you pump out babies.”

  “They couldn’t?”

  “Not since you absorbed the Stone of Rebirth, no. The stone transformed your body into one able to wield and manipulate mana, but also gave you better control of your own body. Intent is an important part of magic, no matter what field. This means that no matter what they do to you, if you don’t want to impregnate someone, you won’t. That being said, I would advise against using that to get some easy tail, unless you want to end up dead fast.”

  Lukas shook his head. “No problem there. Just so long as I don’t get snatched up, I’m happy. But what was it you said about other races? Do you mean like elves and dwarves?”

  The goddess just smiled, a twinkle in her eyes. “That is one of many questions I will not answer.”

  “What? How come?”

  “I think we both know it’s something best learned on your own, rather than by being told by me. Where’s the fun in that?”