His next stop was the Status Station. Time to see if he had gotten any stronger.

  —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  There were rows of these scanners lining the edge of the room. It was a busy section as people upgraded their gear and modified their bodies. Thankfully, he only had to wait about five minutes before the next one opened. Swiping his I.D., Jax stepped inside and lay within the pod. The top closed, and the device started to hum. The first step was a full body scan followed by various blood draws. It only took about thirty seconds before the stats appeared on the screen.

  Strength: 12

  Intelligence: 8

  Constitution: 10

  Agility: 11

  Will: 10

  Charisma: 7

  These six numbers were what made a person. Sure, there were a variety of sub-stats. Things like perception were a combination of agility, intelligence, and constitution. But these base stats were the foundation of all slayers. Strength was the focus of physical power, larger muscles, and thicker bones. Intelligence was more booksmart, solving equations, and quickly gleaning important information. Constitution was the overall health, how fast wounds healed, and endurance. Agility was reaction speed, flexibility, and overall body awareness. Will focused on the non-intelligence parts of the brain. The ability to resist divine effects, street smarts, and power through the worst times. Lastly, charisma was good for persuading, investigating, and general likeability.

  Overall, the stats were not…bad. His Strength was above average for an everyday mortal, while his charisma and intelligence were a bit trash. It didn’t help that he had to quit school early to help with the family bills. Still, all that labor had built up his muscles.

  What he was hoping for was a godly infusion. The fickle nature of the divine let it leach into the surrounding regions. It changed what it touched, building up within mortal flesh and altering it. While this device couldn’t extract the essence, it could modify its effects. If left to grow, it ended in bulbous growths or the creation of mindless constructs. But now, Slayers could channel it into upgrades and various powers. While not as powerful as better gear, each addition was a permanent upgrade. Over time, these little boosts led to some mighty and long-living beings.

  Swiping over to the essence menu, he was thrilled to see a few available options. Each one was dependent on where and how the essence landed. What he did fighting the gods would directly affect the possible upgrades. Jax took a moment to read through his options.

  Drug Addict: +1 Constitution - Wow, you abused sanctioned chemicals. You might as well get some good out of the bad. Future overdoses have reduced effects but significantly reduced side effects - Precursor to unstable stimulants and other dangerous enhancements.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  That wasn’t great. Sure, it helped reduce the side effects, but lowering their effectiveness was a considerable drawback. The constitution buff was a nice bonus.

  Miniscule Death Resistance: You saw death and conquered it…or a tiny portion. Grants a tiny resiliency to instant death attacks - A precursor to high resistance tiers.

  That one was ok. Passive abilities were always extraordinary to get, no matter how minor their effects. Still, he wished some would have boosted his base stats.

  No Pain No Gain: +1 Strength - Taking on so much damage and still powering through is impressive. When you take a savage hit, you gain a minor boost in strength - A precursor to rage and other reckless skills.

  This was a really nice passive skill, but a savage hit meant he had to take a near-fatal blow for it to activate. It would be good as a last-ditch attack, but he’d prefer not to be the one taking damage.

  Deflecting Palm: +1 Will - What’s cooler than outplaying a god? Burn up a tattoo’s energy to activate this skill. Redirect the target of a divine-empowered effect. Note that this directly scales based on the nature of the attack and its power. Don’t try this on an outer god; you’ll still get squashed like the bug you are - Precursor to Defensive and Retaliatory effects.

  Now, this was something. Being able to reflect on an attack was very powerful. However, that drawback was terrible. Tattoos were not cheap, and he could only afford them in a limited amount. If he used it at the wrong time, he’d be dead. He was only standing because of that last layer of divine armor. Still, he could always use a bit more Will.

  Lightfoot: It’s just hardcore Parkour. This one has no drawbacks but not much to gain. For the next five minutes gain increased balance and greater flexibility. Precursor to self-buff and dexterity-based skills

  Damn, that one is boring. It could lead to many better stats and skills, but it wasn’t a good option overall.

  Heavy Strike: +1 Strength - I bet you liked that bone crunch, didn’t you? Well, here is your chance to experience it again. Temporarily boost strength stats by 10% for one attack. Better make it count cause for the next five minutes, you lose 20% of strength. - Precursor to exhaustion-based skills.

  That was a really good skill to pick. The bonus strength was a massive buff and could be used as a finishing blow. 10% could be an enormous boost as he gained more skills and equipment. He’d have to be careful, as that debuff was nasty.

  Overall, the device said he could take two. There was no saving essence; keeping it pent up would lead to nasty side effects. Heavy strike was the first option; nothing would change that. He decided to go with the deflecting palm as well. Hopefully, he could deflect and attack, then move in for the kill. Still, both were single-use in a fight, and he’d have to plan accordingly.

  “FUCK” He cried out as he selected his options.

  The device didn’t care about pain; hundreds of needles penetrated the skin as chemicals were pumped into the blood. Various scalpels sliced open the flesh, and metal rods shifted the sinew within. His muscles tensed up, and he buckled against the restraints. He could feel microfilament wires working their way through his internals. Each one poking and prodding at the gathering pockets of divine essence. With delicate finesse, the device wove the lingering magic throughout. Tiny streams of power reinforced the muscles. His brain went hazy as one entered through his skull. No doubt this would let him control that new skill, but he felt violated. Every few moments, he felt an intense burst of pain followed by the smell of cauterized flesh. He could have paid for anesthesia and painkillers, but with the lack of funds, he couldn’t afford it. Instead, he bit his lip and endured the surgery.

  Congratulations on your upgrades. We wish you a safe return.

  A cheerful little tune played as the device retreated. The straps disengaged, and Jax was free. He hobbled up, the lingering pain slowing his movement. But seeing his stats go up made it all worth it. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and left the room. He needed something to eat and to stop by the healers. But, there was still one spot to visit: The Appraisers.