Eden. Despite the lofty sounding name, as Freyr dragged me around the place, I noticed that it really wasn't much different from any other city on Earth.

Oh sure, the *people* were different. After all, it was kind of hard to not notice the beastmen, slimes, elves, and other people/things/monsters milling about. Especially when they were all fully equipped in fantasy gear and *much* stronger than me.

Well, not to the level of Freyr, but still, I suddenly had a real sensation of what it must be like to be walking around naked in the middle of a jungle filled with dangerous beasts.

Fortunately, I was good at staying calm and bluffing. And since [No One's Story] was hiding my status, as long as I played it cool... and as long as I was with Freyr, I was fine.

...Yeah, I just had to keep telling myself that.

Shifting my gaze away from the many, many things that could kill me if I so much as looked at them funny, I decided to check on where Freyr was leading me.

We had gone past the main streets that were lined with shops like a strip mall, and now we were heading down a side alley leading into the deeper part of the concrete... Well, 'marble' jungle.

I frowned and then glanced at Freyr.

...Despite the shady looking surroundings, she seemed perfectly fine. In fact, she looked excited, her blue eyes sparkling and her pink lips set in a happy smile.

Which was odd, considering we looked like we were heading into a place where thugs could jump us at any moment like a random encounter from an RPG.

And speaking of random encounters...

I subtly adjusted Avalon on my left arm. My trusty shield was with me as usual, unlike a certain sentient system AI. And with recent events, it had changed a bit again, now a sleek obsidian color with golden trimming.

I wasn't sure about the cause for the change, but Avalon seemed sturdier than usual.

Smiling, I lightly tapped it and muttered, "I'll be counting on you so I don't get ohko'd alright?"

"Hm?" Freyr turned to me and said, "Ohko'd? What does that mean, Vain?"

"It means that I'm worried about where we're going." I glanced around at the cracked walls of the buildings and at a few cliched looking thugs eyeing Freyr up. I frowned and said, "Please tell me that this isn't a trip to spread justice in the world by cleaning up the underworld of Eden... Or a trip to help me level up by cleaning out the local scum."

Freyr blinked and then shook her head. "As always, I am astonished by your thought processes, Vain."

"You didn't answer my question, Freyr."

The thugs started edging closer.

Seeing that... And remembering Freyr's issue with cliched developments, I decided to nip the problem in the bud.

[Loki's Blessing (Minor) activates!]
[Synergy with No One's Story creates a flawless disguise!]
[The essence of Flames of Muspell creates an indomitable aura!]

An invisible ripple. Nothing physical changed with me. And truthfully, neither did anything with my stats.

But only I knew that.

Almost immediately, the generic thugs backed off, vanishing back into whatever hiding holes they popped out of.

Freyr pursed her lips and said, "You did not have to do that Vain. I could have handled them."

"Again, not answering my question." I adjusted Avalon just in case. Because knowing how my day was currently going and who was in charge of this city- No, the entire contained world in this floor, I wasn't taking any chances.

Freyr sighed and said, "We are meeting someone who can help you get stronger."

I glanced at Freyr and said, "Uh-huh... And you couldn't have just helped me level grind off some monsters outside the city?"

Freyr frowned. "...I could. But... Well..." She stared at me and said, "...It might be difficult for you at the moment."

I sighed. "So I'm that weak, huh?"

Freyr quickly shook her head. "No! You are the strongest person I know! But... Well, your physique is kind of..." She trailed off.

I waved my hand. "Yeah, yeah. Squishy mortal. Got it. Then we heading for a black market salesman who's selling performance enhancing drugs?"

Freyr blinked. "Performance enhancing- What?"

"Elixirs, Freyr. Are we heading to get elixirs?"

"Not... quite?" Freyr came to a stop in front of a building and said, "I considered it, but since Lord Lucifer opened the Merit Point Shop and Auction House I think the best course of action would be to purchase those in the safety of our quarters."

"*Our* quarters, huh?"

Freyr coughed, her face reddening a bit. "I-In any case... Normal elixirs will help you become stronger, but I do not believe they will help restore your bonus points. So-"

"Are you going to stand there all day, Little Valkyrie? Or are you going to come in?"

A calm and slightly monotone male voice. Rough, but also suave, like a charismatic general.

I frowned and glanced towards the source of the voice.

A man, leaning against the doorframe of the building we were standing by. A head of black hair with streaks of silver that betrayed his youthful face. Electric blue eyes hidden beneath a thick pair of rectangular glasses. And a lean, combat-trained body on full display beneath a tight-fitting black striped tunic and pants.

My first impression of the guy? Dangerous. And not just in raw power. Those eyes of his seemed like they took in everything around him and parsed through it. A sharp gaze that was all too familiar.

After all, I did the same.

My second impression? He was... weirdly familiar.

But before I had time to examine him further, Freyr coughed and said, "M-My apologies, Uncle Sjur."

'Uncle Sjur?'

It was clearly Norse... or something like it. But that wasn't the name of a god.

...Dammit, Alice. Where are you when I need you?

[This is an automated response. I'm currently in hibernation to restore mental energy after dealing with the mess revolving around you. Time remaining until my return: 12 hours.]

Oh.

Sjur sighed and said, "It's fine." He pushed himself off the doorway and walked inside the building. "Come inside. I'm not in the mood to deal with pests."

I glanced at Freyr. "So... This is the guy we're supposed to meet, huh?"

Freyr shook her head. "Uncle Sjur is a bit gruff, but he is..." She paused and said, "I can explain later. For now, we should follow him." After that, she grabbed my arm and pulled me along with her into the building.

I frowned and said, "You know, Freyr. I appreciate you and all but should I be concerned? Not to doubt your Uncle Sjur, but the last time you took the lead-"

Freyr blushed and said, "The dungeon was different! Something like that will not happen here."

I glanced at some dried blood staining the walls as well as the racks of rusted swords hanging there.

Freyr followed my gaze and coughed. "M-My uncle has an eclectic sense of interior decor?"

"Riiight."

Suddenly, Sjur's voice echoed. "I can hear you."

Freyr flinched and quickly responded. "S-Sorry, Uncle Sjur!" Freyr increased her pace.

I sighed and mentally prepared [Disengage].

A winding hallway, more rusted swords and dried blood, and then finally, we caught up to Sjur.

A barren room with a single black steel throne. Behind it, an azure flame burned in the midst of a pile of shattered swords.

That was where the hallway ended up. And leaning on that throne was Sjur.

When we stepped into the room, Sjur nodded and took a seat on the throne. Crossing his legs, he looked at Freyr and said, "You made it."

Freyr nodded. "Yes, Uncle."

A meek response. Completely out of character for Freyr.

I frowned and stepped in front of her. Keeping a steady gaze on Sjur, I said, "You know, a good uncle wouldn't be terrifying his niece like this."

Sjur raised an eyebrow and glanced at Freyr.

I blocked his gaze again.

"V-Vain!" Freyr stepped to my side and quickly shook her head. "This is a misunderstanding. Uncle Sjur is just-"

Before she could finish, Sjur spoke up.

"And who might you be?" Sjur stared at me. "A mere mortal clinging to a goddess?" He adjusted his glasses and then said, "No, a shameless flirt that captured the heart of my pure niece and sent her astray."

[Crystallized Wisdom peers into your status!]
[No One's Story blocks the attempt!]
[!!!]
[Crystallized Wisdom has discovered the nature of No One's Story!]
[Crystallized Wisdom has detected the attempt to conceal information!]
[Crystallized Wisdom connects the disparate information left behind from the attempt to conceal your status.]

[Facing a higher league of existence, your skills have been suppressed.]
[Divine Anathema and your traits rebel against the suppression.]
[The origin of ??????'s story is human tragedy. Divine Anathema does not apply. The rebellion fails.]
[Your status has been completely-!]

[As the Hero Creator, you reject the existence of tragedy.]
[As the World Creator, you declare the existence of a world without tragedy.]
[This is no one's story but your own.]

[Crystallized Wisdom is eroded.]
[??????'s story shudders.]

[Warning! The Overseer has detected your existence!]
[Warning! The One who Seeks the End has detected your existence!]

...Note to self. Freyr's good-hearted intentions *always* go wrong.

Secondary note: Luck is just a number.

Dammit.

-V-

[Status Screen]

-Biography-

Name: Vain Glory

Age: 20 (Adjusted)

Race: Human (Heaven Defying)

Class: Shameless Flirt

Current Condition: Healthy

-Racial Traits-

Divine Anathema - Those not only forsaken by their gods, but those who have killed their gods and constructed their own. Drastically reduces effectiveness of Divine Attacks. Minor probability of obtaining partial Divine Authority through analysis and perception. Greatly increased hostility by Divine Beings.

-Traits-

Man of a Thousand Faces (Can filter emotions and experience through personas)

Well-Read (Increased intelligence growth)

Self-Determined (Luck is treated as 100 for calculations)

-Titles-

World Creator (Minor) - Allows construction of non-magical items through one's will

Hero Creator - Removes growth limitations on user and their allies. Rapidly accelerates growth of allies.

-Parameters-

Level: 5

Strength: 18

Agility: 23

Vitality: 18

Intelligence: 77

Mana: 70

Luck: 15 [100]

Bonus Stat Points: -77

-Skills-

No One's Story - A gambit that defies the gods through sacrificing one's identity and very memory. All attempts to scry your status are denied. Removes skill requirements. Memory and visualization abilities are enhanced.

A Different Path - Direct interference with a hero's fate, granting him a new path and divergent futures. Allows reproduction of 'conceptual weapons' provided the requisite materials. Allows reproduction of 'sword skills' provided the requisite understanding.

Flames of Muspell (Degraded) - A spark of the flames that will harken the end in Ragnarok. An authentic spark of the world-consuming flames that can burn even the divine. Immune to all but extreme temperature changes. Moderate resistance to Absolute Zero or Absolute Flame. Can summon a handful of Ragnarok's flames.

First Aid - A basic healing spell that stops bleeding and accelerates the body's natural regeneration.

Disengage - A skill that allows the user to immediately retreat from battle as well as return the user's condition to the state prior to engaging in combat. Can be used once per engagement per hostile opponent.

Loki's Blessing (Minor) - A blessing from the Trickster God, Loki. Can change and conceal one's appearance. Due to synergy with No One's Story, it is a flawless disguise, capable of fooling even Loki without intense scrutiny.

Item Box (Minor) - A skill that grants the user a small spatial pocket to store items. Time is slowed within the spatial pocket to 1/10th of the normal flow. Can hold approximately 1 cubic meter of items.

-Class Skills-

Silver Tongue - A skill that aids in persuasion and manipulating the emotions of the target. Super effective against members of the opposite sex, or those interested in the user. Chance to instantly charm the opponent. (Extreme Synergy with <Well-Read> and <Man of a Thousand Faces>)

Rapport - A skill that builds rapport with the target. Passively increases general likability. Similar to <Charisma>, but the core of this skill is trust and empathy rather than admiration. With enough mastery, it is possible to create allies willing to throw their lives away for your sake. (Extreme Synergy with <Hero Creator> and <Well-Read>)

-Inventory-

N/A