God’s Perspective

The people of Ravenshade were still in awe of the miracle that had unfolded before them. It took the village elder quite some time to calm the residents and send them back to their homes.

Though the village head was grateful, he couldn’t shake his wariness. Despite their isolation, he was the oldest living member of the village and had experienced the world beyond in his youth. He was familiar with the seven Orthodox deities but had never heard of a god of imagination.

He appreciated the god’s benevolence but couldn’t ignore his fears. What if this deity demanded a terrible price for its gifts? What if its intentions were not as pure as they seemed?

At that moment, a small, eager voice interrupted his thoughts. A seven-year-old girl darted toward him and hugged his leg tightly. “Grandpa, are you going to pray to the god for Uncle Tom’s healing? I want to pray too, but I can’t remember the words the god told us. Can you help me?”

The village head looked down at the girl, torn between his lingering doubts and the innocent hope in her eyes.

"Okay," the village head said, leading the girl to the central altar where they knelt together.

“O God of Imagination, who transcends time, you are the weaver of creation’s grand tapestry. You blend knowledge, magic, and dreams into a single vision. Bless our endeavors and inspire our journeys with your boundless creativity and favor.”

They recited the prayer once more, their voices echoing softly in the quiet space.

Suddenly, the village head felt a strange sensation. A golden holographic window appeared in his mind, and he was taken aback by the discovery. His eyes snapped open in surprise.

“Grandpa, look! I saw something!” the girl said, her eyes still shut tight.

Panicking at the unforeseen consequence, the village head gently shook his granddaughter, urging her to open her eyes.

“But Grandpa, it’s not bad,” she insisted, her voice filled with excitement. “I saw my name and… something else.”

The village head took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He recalled the five icons he had glimpsed in the holographic window. The icons were labeled: "User Information," "Communication," and three others he hadn’t had a chance to read due to his initial shock.

Determined to understand more, he steeled himself and joined his granddaughter in prayer once more.

As they recited the prayer, the golden window reappeared in his mind, displaying the five icons again, each with a distinct image that suggested its function. Then, a bubble of text emerged, instructing him to "Click the icon to open."

Confused by the mental display, he hesitated. However, as if the holographic window sensed his intent, one of the icons began to glow and expand. The window transformed, now detailing the information related to the village head.

(Expand for detailed description)

He decided to delve deeper into the expanded details, and was astonished by the depth of information available about him. His background, personality traits, and affiliations were all meticulously outlined. It was impressive, and slightly unsettling, how much the system seemed to know about him.

As he scrolled through the data, he noticed an empty section labeled Skills. The system indicated that he needed to reach level 1 to unlock a class and begin acquiring skills. The progress bar showed that 300 XP were required to level up. To advance, he clicked the plus button next to his current XP.

A prompt immediately appeared: “1 quark needed for a single XP.” The mention of quarks was new to him, and he had no idea how to obtain them. With this new puzzle in mind, he decided to exit the user info screen and turn his attention to the next icon, which was labeled Communication.

As he navigated through the icons, he noticed a new one—a sleek emblem of a flying messenger bird. The change piqued his curiosity, prompting him to click on it. A menu expanded before him, showcasing several distinct options: Forum, Chats, Notifications, Settings, and Help & Support.

Next, he turned his attention to the new icon featuring a basket. The label read “Store,” and he eagerly clicked on it. The store presented a categorized menu with the following sections:

The array of options presented in the store was vast, promising an abundance of resources for any need or adventure that might arise. Although everything has a price tag in quarks, a currency that feels entirely foreign to him.

“Grandpa! What does ‘saintess’ mean? It says I can get a saintess class if I accept it,” his granddaughter asked with a mix of excitement and confusion.

Brennan’s heart skipped a beat. The title of Saintess was not just any title—it was an exalted position, almost divine. Saintesses were revered as emissaries of the gods, entrusted with sacred missions and the responsibility to proclaim their deity's greatness. They were near-mythical figures, and the thought that his granddaughter might be on the brink of acquiring such a title was nothing short of astonishing.

“Are you sure it said saintess?” Brennan asked, trying to process the implications.

His mind raced as he considered the gravity of the situation. How had his granddaughter managed to attract such an extraordinary title? The answer seemed daunting, and he knew he needed to understand more about this mysterious opportunity before them.

“How do you get it?” Brennan asked, his voice laced with concern and curiosity.

His granddaughter replied with a look of wonder, “It says that the god of imagination is pleased with my devotion and will grant me 300 quarks to level up to 1 and accept the saintess title, with a corresponding class for it.”

Brennan’s eyes widened in disbelief. The notion of a deity directly intervening to bestow such a prestigious class was extraordinary. The god of imagination, a figure they starting to get to know had apparently taken a special interest in her. 

Trying to grasp the full implications, “It’s a sign of great potential and responsibility. We need to understand this fully before making any decisions.”

The weight of the situation settled heavily on both of them. Brennan knew they needed to carefully consider the ramifications of accepting such a class and the divine endorsement it implied.

Brennan glanced at his own profile and noticed that his class section was empty, indicating he needed to reach level 1 to access available class options.

He recalled there was one final icon he hadn’t explored yet. Curious, he clicked on it, revealing an emblem of a coin with the label Wallet.

Opening the wallet, he saw the following:

Below the balance was a detailed breakdown of quark's worth:

Brennan pondered the implications of each item. It seemed that quarks were crucial for advancing in this system, whether through acquiring classes, gaining abilities, or unlocking new opportunities. The choice of how to use his limited resources would likely have significant effects on his progress.

Brennan realized he would need 29 prayers to accumulate the 300 quarks required for him to unlock the class. Defeating monsters was another option to earn quarks, but as a village elder, his strength was no match for the challenges of combat. His only viable course of action was to pray non-stop to gather the necessary quarks.

“Wait for me to earn the quarks first before you do anything, okay?” Brennan said firmly to his granddaughter.

She nodded, her expression tinged with dejection but understanding. “Okay,” she replied softly, her compliance evident despite her disappointment.

Brennan settled into a quiet corner, preparing to begin the long process of prayer. The task ahead was daunting, but he knew it was essential to secure the opportunity for his granddaughter. As he focused on his prayers, he hoped that the effort would soon bear fruit and that he would be able to understand this.