To stand on the front line of battle requires courage. Not every one can do that, but those who can are always capable of being heroes.
I am not a hero.
I can't stand on the front lines... but I can create the people who do.
***
[Awakened Talent: Avatar]
I stared at the screen that appeared before me in a haze.
I looked around and saw the endless expanse of white that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The last thing I remembered was slipping on a patch of ice and falling off the edge of a bridge into a lake.
"If this is the afterlife its a little lacking..."
I tried standing up and walking but there was no end in sight. After ten minutes of walking I was drenched in sweat and decided that it was futile.
If there was an end my fat ass wouldn't be reaching it.
Since I had nothing else to do I turned my attention back to the floating screen in front of me. Originally it had been entirely in my face but I found I was able to move it by using my hands like a touch screen.
I didn't see any other buttons so I just tried tapping the screen, and to my surprise it went away.
Only to have another one take its place. I let out a sigh before reading it.
"I have to read even when I'm dead. I must be in hell I guess."
[You have been selected as a "Player". You can return to your world after you complete the first stage and purchase a Return Ticket.]
I tapped the screen to move on. I had questions but it seemed more intuitive to read all the messages first. They would likely answer my questions anyways.
[As a player you can challenge different stages to earn rewards, experience, and climb your way higher for the most precious thing in any world: Power.]
My finger hovered as I looked at the words on the screen. It might have enticed others but I wasn't that interested in living out some fantasy power trip. I actually liked my simple and meaningless life style. I hesitated clicking on the screen because I got the bad feeling that this was going to make my life harder.
I looked around again and thought about trying to walk until I found an exit.
In the end I shook my head.
Immediate discomfort or future discomfort?
I chose to let the future me deal with it. For now I didn't want to go back to walking.
*tap*
[You have awakened a Talent. These are unique and very defining. How you utilize everything at your disposal is the deciding factor of success.]
[Would you like to enter the first stage?]
[Yes]
I waited for a moment but after a couple minutes I felt a vein bulge out of my forehead.
"Why even ask if there is only one option to choose from???"
I was frustrated but I endured. I would vent once I got out of this hell hole. I clicked yes, the only option, and immediately my surroundings changed.
One moment I was in a empty purgatory and the next I was sitting in a forest.
Surprisingly I didn't experience any feelings of disorientation. So I must not have been 'moved' but some sort of teleportation.
Then a new screen appeared in front of me.
[Stage 1: Forest of Wolves]
[Objective: Defeat 10 Wolves.]
[Reward: 10 gold, 100 XP]
"Am I supposed to fight bare handed? Not even a weapon?"
Angrily I tapped the screen.
[Iron Sword has been acquired.]
[Check Inventory.]
[Inventory unlocked.]
[Status unlocked.]
My anger dissipated a bit after reading that I did get a weapon. Two new buttons appeared in my vision. One was a bag, which I could only infer was my inventory, while the other looked like the silhouette of a head, so I clicked on the other one.
Immediately my status appeared before me.
[Name: Alexander Green]
[Level: 1 (0/250)]
[Class: Unlocked at level 5.]
[Talent: Avatar]
[HP: 100/100]
[MP: 100/100]
[Attributes]
STR: 1
CON: 1
AGI: 1
DEX: 1
INT: 1
CHR: 1
LCK: 1
I didn't have any thoughts on my stats. Not that I knew what a good amount would even look like. I was pleased to find I could click on things for simple explanations though. The attributes were the normal ones you found in games so I didn't need any explanation on those. Instead my attention was drawn to my talent. The only other thing that needed an explanation.
[Avatar]
[Description: Create an avatar. They are capable of autonomy however they can also be controlled through thought. Each has different Talents. Avatars can only be resummoned 24 hours after they are destroyed. Avatars: 0/1]
"Hm. This is a talent that really matches my personality. I don't think I could fight a wolf, but I am great at handling logistics."
Immediately I tried focusing on imagining myself creating an avatar and as if responding to my will a new screen appeared before me.
It was a fully customizable character creation screen that reacted to my thoughts.
I changed his features to be what I wish I looked like.
The finished product was a 6 ft 8 giant. He had wavy brown hair that was wild and went down to his shoulders. A thick beard that was well trimmed and clear blue eyes that seemingly drew you in just by looking at them.
He was handsome, manly features and a strong square jawline.
He looked impressive so I quickly confirmed my selection in my mind.
The character I designed slowly formed next to me. First his bones, then the nerves and tissue around them, finally the organs and the skin filled out around the skeleton. After just a minute the person I designed appeared in front of me.
However...
"Why is he fat like me..."
There was no option to pick any other physical features so I just assumed he would be in decent shape.
Also he was not wearing any clothes which bothered me because I had to look at the smooth area at his groin.
"You're like a giant doll. Although it is actually better than if you had junk and I had to see it. Unfortunately I don't have any spare clothes so you'll be fighting naked for a while. Now. Let's see what talent you awakened."
I turned my attention to a new screen.
[Would you like to name your avatar?]
"Dante Viene."
[Dante Viene has been summoned.]
[Dante has awakened Talent: Pacifist]
"Pacifist... Please don't tell me..."
My fingers trembled as I clicked on the new icon of a few silhouettes of heads.
It was a screen of my avatars' information. I pulled up Dante's and selected his talent for more information.
[Pacifist]
[Decription: Neutralize attacks but be unable to attack yourself.]
Silence filled the forest clearing as I looked at Dante with clear disdain.
"What good are you if you can't even fight for me... This whole situation better be a bad dream because I can't see myself staying here any longer. Wake up wake up wake up!"
I slapped myself a few times but the stinging pain confirmed my suspicions that this was all actually real.
The fatigue from walking earlier was pretty convincing but I still held out hope that it wouldn't be true.
Sighing I looked at Dante's stats. I saw that they were incredibly different from mine.
[Attributes]
STR: 10
CON: 10
AGI: 5
DEX: 1
INT: 1
CHR: 10
LCK: 10
Apparently 1 was the lowest possible value for a stat. This reinforced the idea that I wasn't meant for combat.
"But how the hell am I supposed to fight wolves when my Avatar can't even fight?"
The previous confidence I had quickly disappeared. Dante looked imposing but it was all useless.
Shaking the disappointment off I quickly sent a mental order to Dante.
'Bring me a wolf.'
Immediately he started walking in a random direction and quickly disappeared from my view. I wasn't too bothered by this since on my Avatar page I was able to pull up a screen with his perspective on it. I climbed a nearby tree and started watching like it was a movie.
Dante wandered for a while before he suddenly stopped in place. He had heard a branch snap and his head turned just in time to see a maw filled with razor sharp teeth snapping at him.