I stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything. The fights, the prophecy, the people who had already risked their lives for me—it was a lot. Too much.
With nothing else to distract myself, I decided to do something I’d been putting off since the moment I arrived in this bizarre world: figure out how this whole “Chosen One” thing actually worked.
I closed my eyes and focused, willing the UI to appear. It was almost instinctive, like flexing a muscle I hadn’t known I had. The screen flickered to life in front of me, glowing softly in the dim room.
Welcome, Chosen One.
“Oh, here we go,” I muttered, sitting up.
The UI was simple, almost sterile. Floating tabs hovered in the air, each labeled with a single word: Inventory, Character Sheet, Quests, and Abilities.
“Well, better late than never,” I said, reaching out to tap the Character Sheet tab.
The screen shifted, displaying a series of stats and attributes laid out in neat columns.
Name: Ash
Class: Thief of Shadows
Level: 4
XP: 2,125 / 3,000
Health: 95 / 120
Stamina: 80 / 100
Mana: 50 / 75
Attributes:
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 14
Intelligence: 10
Charisma: -1
I frowned at that last one. “Negative Charisma? Really?”
Scrolling down, I found a list of skills and abilities tied to my class.
Skills:
- Stealth (Rank 2): Increased ability to move undetected.
- Lockpicking (Rank 1): Basic proficiency in opening locked doors and containers.
- Sleight of Hand (Rank 1): Minor ability to manipulate objects without detection.
Abilities:
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
- Shadow Step: Teleport a short distance to a location within shadows. (Cooldown: 30 seconds)
- Shadow Strike: Deal bonus damage to an enemy when attacking from stealth. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Fade: Temporarily increase Stealth and reduce enemy detection range. (Cooldown: 1 minute)
“Okay,” I said, leaning back. “Not exactly a powerhouse, but it’s something.”
Next, I tapped on Inventory.
The screen shifted again, displaying a grid of boxes. Most of them were empty, but a few held basic items:
- Dagger of Flickering Shadows: A basic weapon infused with minor shadow energy. Damage: 10-15. Effect: Grants a slight boost to Stealth while equipped.
- Traveler’s Cloak: A worn but sturdy cloak. Effect: +2 Dexterity.
- Rations (3): Basic sustenance. Restores a small amount of stamina.
- Healing Potion (1): Restores 50 health.
I sighed. “Well, it’s not much, but it beats starting with nothing.”
The dagger caught my eye. I hadn’t noticed its effect during the fights, but now that I thought about it, it did seem easier to move unnoticed with it in hand.
I flipped the blade over in my palm, watching as its edge caught the faint light from the window. “Looks like you’re going to be sticking with me for a while,” I said quietly.
I opened the Quests tab next.
Active Quests:
- Rally the Resistance: Locate and recruit allies to aid in the fight against Ecclesion. Reward: +3,000 XP, ???
- Survive the Hunt: Avoid capture by Ecclesion forces. Reward: +2,000 XP, ???
Completed Quests:
- Defend Ecclesion’s Forces (FAILED): Neglected to aid Ecclesion’s forces at the Eastern Border. Penalty: Decreased Alignment with Ecclesion.
- Find Shelter: Secured safe locations multiple times. Reward: +250 XP.
Alignment:
Ecclesion: Hostile
Rebellion Forces: Neutral
Independent Villages: Cautious
I stared at the failed quest, my stomach tightening. “Decreased alignment with Ecclesion?” I muttered. “I’m pretty sure we skipped ‘decreased’ and went straight to ‘burn on sight.’”
Finally, I opened the Abilities tab.
The screen displayed a tree of interconnected skills and abilities, most of them grayed out and inaccessible. A few near the top glowed faintly, indicating that they were already unlocked.
Ability Points Available: 1
“Wait, I can upgrade these?” I said, leaning closer.
A notification appeared:
Spend Ability Points to unlock or enhance skills. New abilities can only be unlocked at designated milestones.
“Alright,” I said, scanning the tree. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”
The first ability on the list caught my eye.
Shadow Veil (Upgrade for Fade): Extends the duration of Fade and reduces cooldown to 45 seconds.
“Sounds useful,” I muttered, my finger hovering over it.
Another option was farther down the tree, still grayed out but visible:
Phantom Step: Allows movement through enemies during Shadow Step without being detected.
I frowned, debating the options. Shadow Veil seemed practical, but Phantom Step hinted at something more creative.
Eventually, I sighed and selected Shadow Veil, the screen flashing briefly as the point was spent.
As the UI faded, I leaned back against the wall, my head spinning with the sheer amount of information I’d just absorbed. The mechanics felt familiar enough—like a game I’d played a hundred times—but the stakes were painfully real.
“This is insane,” I whispered to myself.
It was hard to believe that just a few days ago, I’d been sitting in my apartment, worrying about bills and groceries. Now I was dodging monsters, fighting soldiers, and trying to navigate a world that seemed determined to kill me.
But at least I had a better idea of what I was working with now.
For the first time in days, I felt something almost like confidence.
Almost.