A Pyromaniac's Ascent

Finn's fingers twitched, itching to test out the new skill. His mind raced with possibilities—how the Fireball might look, how much damage it could deal, how it would feel to wield such controlled power. But he quickly pushed the thought aside. The White Room wasn't the place for experimentation.

Though he doubted even a fully charged Fireball could leave so much as a scratch in a space as seemingly indestructible as this one—especially under Halgon's watchful eye—caution still felt like the smarter choice. He made a mental note to test it later, somewhere safer.

Pushing the urge aside, he navigated back to the shop. His next focus: basics like mana and health potions. To his relief, the lowest-tier potions were affordable, priced at just 5 VP per bottle. He quickly added a few to his cart. Yes, there was even an add to cart option, which he found oddly amusing in such a fantastical setting.

Still, he refrained from purchasing anything else for now. Finn figured he'd ask Yukha for advice before making any major decisions. The Fireball skill was the only thing he felt confident about for the moment.

He noticed other items in the shop, some with descriptions that hinted at temporary buffs. However, they were far more expensive, and Finn decided they weren't worth considering yet.

Done with his immediate shopping, Finn returned to the stats menu and scrolled down to the last sections—ones he hadn't looked at before.

"The Blessings. How are they different from skills?" Finn asked, glancing at Halgon.

"Blessings are bestowed directly by the Gods," Halgon explained. "You can think of them as higher-tier passive skills. They often enhance your abilities in ways that go beyond the limits of ordinary skills."

"And how do I get more of them?" Finn asked.

"By earning the favor of the Gods," Halgon said. "That can happen in several ways. Sometimes, a God might take notice of an action you perform and grant you favor directly. Other times, they'll assign you quests. Completing those quests may earn you rewards—anything from weapons to equipment, items, or, if you're particularly fortunate, blessings."

"I see." Finn nodded thoughtfully before his gaze dropped further down. "And what about these Vows?"

"That is a much deeper version of the Blessings," Halgon explained. "To put it simply, a Vow is a direct pact with a God. You make a vow, and in return, you receive something of equal worth. What you gain depends on what you're willing to give up. However, to even be eligible to make a Vow, your relationship with a God must be very strong."

"I see," Finn replied, nodding slowly.

His brain was beginning to feel overloaded with information, but the concepts were straightforward enough to grasp. His gaming background and experiences certainly helped. Even so, there was a topic gnawing at him, something he was even more curious about: the Corrupted Elementals.

He'd heard the term repeatedly—first from Yukha, then from Halgon. He'd gathered that they were dangerous, hostile, and likely out to kill him, but beyond that, he was in the dark. The name itself hinted at something tainted or corrupted, but the "Elementals" part left him clueless.

If he wanted to survive, he needed more information.

"I've been meaning to ask this earlier, but I got too caught up in the system. What the hell are Corrupted Elementals? And why are they out to get us?" Finn asked.

Halgon opened his mouth to respond but suddenly froze, his gaze shifting upward, just as he had done before. Finn recognized the gesture—it was likely how Halgon communicated with the Gods.

After a few seconds, Halgon finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Finn, but I'm being called back now. I may have stayed here longer than I should have. Something big is happening at the Tower, and as this year's organizer, I need to return and oversee things."

Finn's brow furrowed, but Halgon continued before he could interject. "You asked about the Corrupted Elementals, right? You can ask your orc companion about them. He has plenty of experience dealing with them."

"Right. I forgot about the tower. I remember a lot of them have already teleported there before I even got here," Finn said.

Halgon nodded. "Indeed. But before I send you back to The Threshold, I have something for you."

Finn tilted his head in curiosity as something materialized out of thin air. At first, he couldn't recognize what it was, but after a few seconds, the shape became clear.

"A coat?" Finn asked, his voice tinged with surprise.

"This is for you, Finn. A gift," Halgon said with a small smile.

"From you?"

"No," Halgon replied. "Remember the human I told you about earlier? The one who came here before you and became a demigod? When he heard another human had been summoned, he got excited. Said he finally has a comrade. He's cheering for you to conquer the Tower and can't wait to meet you and 'talk about Earthly things'. He asked me to give this to you."

Finn grabbed the brown coat, running his fingers over the fabric. As he examined it, glowing words appeared in front of him, hovering above the item.

Keenweave Coat

Curious, he mentally clicked the label, and a description popped up:

Keenweave Coat - A rare jacket woven from enchanted threads. Increases user's Perception by X2 and gives 20% Elemental and Physical damage resistance.

Finn's eyes widened. "Isn't that buff way too strong?"

Halgon chuckled.

"Is it allowed to give me free stuff like this? I thought only the Gods could do that," Finn asked.

"Anyone can give candidates gifts, even other candidates," Halgon replied. "As long as they can afford it."

"That coat is expensive," Halgon added. "It's something that would take an ordinary challenger about a year of hunting Corrupted Elementals to afford. So you can see how much excited he was by your arrival."

"Another layer of pressure on me, then," Finn muttered, gripping the coat tightly. "Just surviving seems hard enough, and now I have someone's expectations on top of that. But still, tell him I'll do my best not to waste this amazing gift."

"I'll make sure to let him know," Halgon said with a nod.

"Anyway, I'll be taking my leave now, Finn. I'll teleport you back to The Threshold. You can take as much time as you need to test your system and prepare before heading to the Tower. That's what I'd do, at least, if I were you."

"Thanks for the advice. But before you go, I have one final question," Finn said.

"What is it?" Halgon asked.

"Do you think there's a chance for me to make it to the top of the Tower?" Finn asked, his voice steady but carrying a hint of uncertainty.

Halgon sighed, pausing for a moment. "I don't know, Finn. Unfortunately, I don't have the power of foresight. None do—not even the Gods."

His words were firm, yet tinged with empathy. "We can only speculate based on what we see right now. And, to be honest, at this moment, your chances look very small. I think even just surviving will be a struggle for you. My advice? Stick close to your orc companion. Follow his guidance. That alone will raise your survival rate.

"That being said," Halgon continued, his voice softening, "even a small chance is still a chance. The smallest stream can carve a canyon if it flows with purpose. So struggle, Finn. Struggle even to the end. And I wish you luck."

With that, Halgon snapped his fingers, and his figure vanished.

The White Room around Finn began to disintegrate, its brilliant glow breaking apart piece by piece, swallowed by encroaching darkness. He barely had time to brace himself before the familiar sensation of teleportation took hold, for the fourth time now.

The first thing he felt was the cold wind brushing against his skin, followed by the lush green surrounding him as he opened his eyes. The vibrant greenery was a stark contrast to the sterile brightness of the White Room, and it brought some relief to his vision.

Looking around, Finn noticed the space was almost deserted. Only a handful of scattered creatures remained, making the vast emptiness eerily quiet. The biting wind gave him a slight chill, especially after the almost unnaturally perfect temperature of the White Room.

Thankfully, Finn now had the perfect solution.

He slipped on the coat Halgon had given him—a gift from his mysterious human 'friend.' It fit him surprisingly well, snug and comfortable, as if tailored just for him. Glancing down, Finn noticed how perfectly it complemented his gray polo shirt, denim pants, and white rubber shoes—shoes that were once covered in dark spots but now gleamed spotless, thanks to Halgon's water magic.

It was, admittedly, a good outfit. If only he weren't about to walk into a Tower where it would probably be torn to shreds while he fought for his life against God-knows-what.

As he considered this grim reality, his hand unconsciously brushed the scar on his face. For a brief moment, he wondered if the shop had something that could cover it—perhaps even an item with attribute boosts. That thought, however, would have to wait until he earned enough Valor Points. If he could even get any.

"You look good," Yukha said, his voice cutting through Finn's thoughts.

Finn grinned, a bit of confidence returning to his stance. "Damn right."

"Where'd you get that? And why do you look so... clean now?" Yukha asked.

"This coat?" Finn tugged on the fabric. "Halgon gave it to me. Said it was a gift from someone—a human like me. It has insane buffs, too. Doubles my Perception and adds some resistance to physical and elemental damage. As for the cleanliness? That was Halgon's doing."

"What?!" Yukha exclaimed. "A buff like that is even possible? Wait... Did you say Perception? Does that mean you finally have the system now?"

"Right again," Finn said, his grin widening.

"Well? Don't keep me waiting. Tell me about it!" Yukha demanded.

"All right, all right," Finn said with a chuckle. "But don't get your hopes too high. You might be a little disappointed."

"Just tell me already!" Yukha said.

Finn explained everything the system had granted him, from the class he had chosen to his attributes, elemental affinities, and even the first skill he had unlocked—Fireball. He also mentioned how the Gods had amplified his affinities for the elements.

"Choosing Mage as your class was the right decision," Yukha said. "You are already making wise choices."

"When I first saw you, I thought you looked as fragile as glass. Your body was soft—untouched by battle or hardship. But the scar on your face, the dirt on your clothes, and that look in your eyes… that told a different story. You've experienced something. Still, I could tell you weren't a fighter—more like an elemental specialist, perhaps a Mage."

"Well, you nailed it on the first part," Finn replied.

"Knowing your current attributes, though…" Yukha paused, his tone darkening. "They are comparable to what a child's might be. You have a long road ahead of you if you want to improve them."

Finn couldn't help but wonder what he might have been like if he had grown up in a world like Yukha's, where fighting Corrupted Elementals was a part of daily life. Would he have been stronger? Hardened by the constant battles?

"But," Yukha continued, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "your meager attributes lend some credibility to a theory I've had for a long time."

"What theory?" Finn asked.

"It's about the system," Yukha said. "I believe the Gods have some way of hacking into our bodies. When we first receive the system, it evaluates us based on our current physical and elemental strength—our potential at that moment. When I received mine, my attributes and affinities were far greater than yours, likely because I had spent my entire life fighting before that. The system must have analyzed our physical condition and converted it into numbers. Then, whenever we level up and assign points, it 'hacks' us again to improve a specific part of our bodies."

Finn listened closely, his curiosity piqued.

"But here's the thing," Yukha continued. "No matter how much we train, there's a limit to how strong we can naturally get. Yet the system allows us to push past that limit. When the Gods gave you extra points for your affinities, they essentially forced your body to surpass its natural barriers."

"That makes sense," Finn said, his mind racing. "When I was a kid experimenting with fire, I remember feeling completely drained afterward. If your theory is right, maybe I 'ran out of mana' back then, even though I didn't know what mana was or even have the system yet. And that could also explain why my mana wasn't full when I first received the system—I must've already used some before I was summoned here."

Finn remembered his desparate attempt at breaking the wall from inside his burning house with his own fire.

"Possibly," Yukha said with a deep chuckle. "An interesting thought, but hardly useful. The system does what it does, whether we understand it or not."

"Fair enough," Finn said with a shrug.

Yukha's tone shifted, becoming more commanding. "Now that you have the system, I assume you're eager to test your abilities. And do not concern yourself with mana—I will handle that. It's better for you to grow familiar with your powers before we set foot inside the Tower."