The sensation of leveling up, which at first was agony, felt more energizing than anything else now. I was starting to acclimate to the world and it felt good.

Even with the slight sense of accomplishment filling me, hunger gnawed at my stomach and quickly drew my thoughts to food, and by extension to the daunting tasks of disassembling the ‘grand tuna’ and preparing my first long awaited hot meal. Thoughts of fresh grilled fish filled my mind as I added a few chunks of scrap wood to the fire and made my way down the stairs to my makeshift ice house.

It had been some time and largely the fish had finished draining of blood; now I stared at it, knife in hand with a serious dilemma to overcome.

“Alright… so… how the fuck do I get the meat out of there?”

My dagger had done just short of nothing to the scales in battle, and the traditional methods of descaling fish didn't seem too relevant with a beast like this; I doubted that a fishing knife would much either. Even the ragged mangled section near the head was still beyond my knife’s ability to puncture.

I puzzled over it for a while, and I’m pretty sure I dulled my knife something fierce with random attempts on various sections of the scaly hide before inspiration struck.

“Hang on… [Detect Structural Weakness]!”

I hadn’t messed with the ability yet and as I activated it I found my mind once again filled with foreign information, three days prior it would’ve given me a migraine, but by then I had gotten better at processing the floods of data that skills and abilities manifest as.

Looking at the room around me revealed sections of stone that to a casual observer were no different than any other, but through new eyes I came to see that they were weak points; Sections where faults in the mineral composition met or weight was unevenly distributed.

All of it was laid out clear as day, begging to be exploited. 

“Woah… this is like… the bombable spots from retro RPGs… sick.”

I suppose the explosives handling skill factored into my assessments because I could tell at a glance how much blasting putty it would take to bring this whole place down around my ears; the answer by the way, was ‘not much’.

Turning my attention back to the fish I was… sorely disappointed. Nothing.

Well, not nothing.

[Error: Invalid Target]

The system communicated with me through a voice for the first time that day, I wasn’t in a state to appreciate the significance of that at the time or analyze what I was hearing, but to give a more clear description it was an androgynous voice that had a sort of pleasant lilt to it. It sounded kind of nice and even a little friendly; except at the time I wanted to punch it in it’s nonexistent face.

“Seriously? Doesn’t work on animals or does it only work on buildings?”

I didn’t get an answer to my question, and I wasn’t about to test the limits of my new ability to process information by going outside and checking. So instead all I got was:

[Error: Invalid Target]

“I heard you the first time!”

The skill was draining my mana at a staggering rate, the bar was ticking down at close to 5 points a second; but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I’d already proved the system was based on perceptions and I have a bit of a reputation for being stubborn; I wasn’t about to give up. I’ve played plenty of dnd before, gmed too, and I'm the sort that believes the rules are guidelines; if something makes more sense, that becomes the rule. 

[Error: Invalid Target]

“That is bullshit, and you know it! This thing is dead, how is it different from a rock? For that matter, how is a living one different?”

Now, some might call it stupid to stare at a dead fish trying to glean information from it with a voice literally telling you it can’t be done, and maybe they’re right; but spite motivates me. So, I studied it, this dead thing was an object but beyond that aren’t all bodies just made of the same stuff as everything else anyway? carbon and all of that? A weak point in a bone or joint is no different from a structural weakness in a machine.

I believed.

[Error: Invalid Targe-]

“This fish is… no different from a rock, or a tree, if I can pick out the best places to break those… I can do the same for this thing.”

I Interrupted the voice mentally this time and somehow cut it off every time after, slapping down it’s denial of what I knew was true. I ignored the repeated warnings and just glared at the carcass, poked sections of it, looked at the joints and examined in detail just how they flexed.

[Error: Invalid Tar-]

"No it's not."

[Error: Invali-]

"Perfectly valid target."

[Error: Inv-]

"Not an error."

[Erro-]

"Nope, works perfectly."

[Err-]

"I can do it too, Error"

[Er-]

"Error!~"

[E-]

Yeah, that back and forth went on for a while, but I'll spare you and jump to the conclusion.

Teeth grit in what was probably a manic smile and sweat pouring off my head, I considered relenting until I noticed something; it might've been my imagination, but the voice seemed to be getting annoyed and less enthusiastic. I was wearing it down.

"I've used Windows all my life, if you think error messages can stop me, you're wrong. I will fight you on this every step of the way, you dumped me out here, I need this ability to live."

Just then, it stopped, and I finally saw what I was looking for.

System Message Your dogged persistence and unique perspective have unlocked a new Ability at a discount. Additional upgrades and conversions may have additional costs. Pay 0 Ability Point(s) for Ability Upgrade? [Identify Structural Weakness] ► [Identify Physical Weakness] ►Yes/No

“Damn right!”

I shouted and fist pumped in celebration, elated by my small victory; mind over matter works. The additional cost bit was concerning, but I was too caught up in excitement to be worried for more than a second.

“Oh, I am going to abuse this knowledge most maliciously.”

Now when I looked at the fish I could more easily see points where the scales were unevenly layered and I knew just where to slip the knife in to take it apart with ease. The one uncomfortable downside of this development was seeing my own body through these eyes and all the places dreadful harm could be done with little to no effort. 

Human bodies are flimsy, I was always aware of that to some degree, but knowing it in such acute detail was chilling. Especially with the mangled remains of the giant monster's dagger-like teeth in my periphery, reminding me of just how close I came to being dinner rather than getting dinner.

“This leather armor isn’t going to cut it in the long run…”

After that it didn’t take long to figure out how to cut between the scales on the underbelly to efficiently get to the meat. The skin underneath the scales wasn’t soft as I’d expected despite it’s flexibility; I folded it up and set it aside in one of the little stone cubbies with the intention of seeing if I couldn’t use it later.

From there, I remembered something about removing the guts to prevent spoilage, that went quick enough even if the mess was a bit smelly. Thankfully I had an old bucket I’d found while searching the ruins to keep the innards in. I’ll have to think about what to do with them, I’m not about to waste anything if I can help it; who knows how long it’ll be before I can take one of these down on my own.

 

With the fish roughly ‘cleaned’, I cut and chopped at it with an eager if somewhat amateur hand and came away with a chunk of beautiful ruby colored meat rippled with thick pearly waves of fat; it looked good enough to eat right then and there, though that might’ve just been the hunger talking.

“Shit, it’s no professional fillet, but goddamn does it look nice!”

System Message Learned Skill! [Dismantling] Lvl 1 ►Confirm◄

“Nice.”

"Weird way of putting it though, but that's the wording they used in those light novels..."

Past that, it was just a matter of figuring out how to cook the fish. The pan and cauldron I’d found had seen better days so I settled on breaking off a small tree branch and carving out a rough skewer. It took a few tries to get it right, but I managed and got another skill as a cherry on top. I soaked it for a while in some filtered water to prevent charring.

System Message Learned Skill! [Whittling] Lvl 1 ►Confirm◄

By the time I made my way back to the hearth inside, the fire had burned down and only needed a little poking to reveal the hottest coals. Cooking over a roaring fire might be fun imagery for tv, but the coals that come after that actually get the work done; they’re hotter and less likely to flare up and burn you.

“Perfect.”

From there it was a matter of cutting the massive slab of fish down to size, 4 cm chunks seemed just about right. With everything in order, I slid the cubes of meat down the shaft of the skewer and did some tests to make sure they were well anchored before I carefully extended the skewer over the coals.

I watched in sheer delight as the cubes of garnet red meat sizzled, the rich and enticing aroma wafting up to my nose as dribbles of fat spilled away from the juicy chunks of fish and sputtered and popped in the low hot fire. That's about the point my cooking skill unlocked.

System Message Origin World Skill Unlocked [Cooking] Lvl 3] ►Confirm◄

Tentatively I held up the skewer and examined the meat to make certain it was evenly cooked; part of me regretted being so thorough because I know just how good a rare tuna steak can be, but caution is important. After I was satisfied I pinched one of the hunks of meat between my fingers and without a moment’s hesitation tossed it into my mouth.

Even though it was a bit too hot due to my impatience and slightly charred at the edges, the first bite was sheer bliss; the fish was succulent and flaky with a delicious mild savory flavor that made me want more, I actually enjoyed the char a bit too. Seasoning and spices are wonderful of course, but they say that hunger is the best sauce and this experience proved the adage true.

Beyond that, this was worlds above any fish I could remember eating, every single bite was so wonderful; I could feel lost strength returning to me. It was so good in the moment, I almost didn't notice the sensation of tears on my cheeks. I know it’s a cliche in those stories for people to cry when eating good food… but I couldn’t help it, not that the stuff was that amazing beyond just being hot and not requiring an hour of chewing.

It brought me back to grilling out on the beach, camping, and time spent with the people I cared about and would probably never see again.  As far as I could tell, everyone I knew and loved was scattered well beyond my reach; probably hastily dumped into other worlds like this. I tried to call to mind my incomplete memories but they were just a blur...

“I can’t even… remember their faces.”

I shouldn't have said it out loud, I should've just had a single dramatic tear drop fall and move on. But instead, I fell into the messy ugly throes of sobs. My cheeks burned and my vision blurred... If I had been in my right mind I would've tried to calm down and keep quiet, but that just wasn't possible. I hadn’t really given it time to sink in before now.

I was alone in a strange world that didn’t even have the same laws of physics, surrounded by things that could and would kill me on a whim, and only living by sheer luck. The place was pretty, I had food and shelter for now… but what about next week? The one after?

Sense of accomplishment? Horseshit! I was measuring my life expectancy in weeks instead of days now, that’s it. The heat of emotion boiled off and I found myself a wet snotty mess, the lukewarm fish skewer still tasted amazing to me but the icy cold of despair sank into my bones.

“I’ll probably die before I see another human…”

Things were quiet for a while after that.

I stared into the fire silently.

Memory is a funny thing, they say smell and taste are deeply linked with it; in that moment I remembered my name.

System Message [Universal Administration] is happy to provide an update, your restoration process has reached [35%] completion. Thank you for your patience and efforts to aid in the recovery process. ►Confirm◄

A lot of things slotted back into place, I took a deep breath

“Everything wants to kill me? I survived the end of my universe, you think you can do better?! Fuck that noise, I am AMBER GODDAMN WILSON! Come and TRY motherfuckers.”

Status Updated! Name changed to [Amber 'Goddamn' Wilson] ►Confirm◄

“That’s fucking right!”

I wiped my face clean and cooked another tuna skewer, this time a bit rarer.

“I’m going to survive, I'm going to get the rest of my memories back, and I'm going to have a fucking awesome adventure!” 

 I looked to my kit all neatly laid out on the recovered table and then down at the skewer... I tore into the meat with reckless abandon.

“I will kill and eat anything that so much as looks at me funny in these woods.”

In the end I cooked and ate four skewers of that tuna and half of a fifth before I’d had my fill; It was some time late at night when I'd finally calmed down and cleaned myself up for bed.

---

The next morning, dawn was beautiful; The light gently cascaded through the stained glass windows of the chapel and painted everything in a soft golden light.

With that sight, my mind turned to the divine, or more specifically the 'Unnamed Goddess' who'd been providing me shelter.

"I've been squatting in this temple for about a week now... I guess I should... give another offering?"

After some consideration, I set the leftovers of the last skewer on the altar in front of the crumbling statue; I didn’t know anything about religion in this world, but it felt like the right thing to do.

I stuck with the casual tone for the prayer again, but I think I was a bit more genuine than the first time.

“Look, whoever you are… I don’t even know if you understand my language, but if you do I just wanted to say thanks. This place has been well… hah, a godsend.”

“I made a bit more food than I meant to, and where I come from some cultures have a tradition of offering food to gods, so… I hope you get this somehow.”

“I have a long road ahead of me, and if you’ve get my back, I’ll keep the offerings coming.”

The food vanished in a flash of golden light the moment I finished that sentence and a prompt was helpfully provided by The System.

Your Prayer Has Been Heard Form a [Divine Compact] with Ikenia, goddess of Protection, Generosity, Faith, and Hope? Terms of Compact: A regular offering of food and prayer in exchange for protection and guidance. ►Accept◄

The word 'guidance' concerned me... but I had an idea. I assume The System knew what was up, because almost immediately the window changed into something like a text editor.

“So that’s your name, huh? Well Ikenia, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Amber ‘Goddamn’ Wilson apparently. If this relationship is going to work out we’re going to need to lay out some ground rules, define some terms; my last god was, putting it mildly, an ass."

It probably wasn't necessary to go into detail on that, so I kept it short.

"He never answered calls directly and took a hands off approach to things if he even did exist; that was a thing by the way, we weren’t sure he was real; I like you though, so let's start with this…”

With that, I cracked my knuckles and set to typing. I spent a lot of time sifting through half remembered bible stories and tales from other religious traditions and including clauses and conditions against shall we say the undesirable tendencies of gods. I might've gone a bit overboard, but I feel like I was reasonable.

About two hours later, I was left with this.

Your Prayer Has Been Heard Form a [Divine Compact] with Ikenia, goddess of Protection, Generosity, Faith, and Hope? Terms of Compact: The two parties, Amber ‘Goddamn’ Wilson and Ikenia goddess of Protection, Generosity, Faith, and Hope; here on referred to as ‘The Worshiper’ or Amber, and ‘The Goddess’ or Ikenia respectively agree to enter into a [Divine Compact] with the following terms.   Section 1: Services offered up in good will by Amber Regular prayer: Once per day, time and circumstance reasonably permitting, The Worshiper Amber will provide ten uninterrupted minutes of prayer to The Goddess Ikenia. Offerings of Food: Once per week at minimum, time and resources reasonably permitting, The Worshiper Amber will provide one hot meal of equal quality to her own meal of choosing to be offered up to The Goddess Ikenia Restoration of Places of Worship: Whenever reasonably possible, The Worshiper Amber will restore or reconstruct places of worship still held holy by The Goddess Ikenia to the best extent of her abilities; so long as danger to life and limb do not become a more pressing concern. Funding or Construction of New Places of Worship: Whenever reasonably possible, The Worshiper Amber will assist in but not be solely responsible for the funding or construction of new places of worship in locations deemed safe and acceptable by both parties; so long as danger to life and limb do not become a more pressing concern. Spread of Worship: Whenever encountering an individual receptive to hearing of Ikenia that is either unaffiliated with a deity, unhappy with their deity, or allotted the worship of multiple deities, The Worshiper Amber will make due diligence to make them aware of the existence of Ikenia and blessings granted by her; so long as danger to life and limb do not become a more pressing concern. Being ‘Good’: At all points now and in the future, The Worshiper Amber will do her due diligence in being morally upstanding to her own understanding of the terminology which may not agree with the morals and standards of commonly accepted cultures or civilizations. Certain circumstances may provide justification for acting outside of this or any code of morality as very few moral codes may be considered absolute or without flaw. In good faith these works are offered and will continue to be offered until such time that both parties agree unanimously to cease the [Divine Compact] or one is in dire breach of the terms of the [Divine Compact].   Section 2: Stipulations made by Amber No Crusades: At no point now or in the future will a Crusade or Holy War be initiated against another religious faction at the behest of The Goddess Ikenia for any reason aside from the continued preservation of the lives and livelihoods of worshipers. Acceptable points for the initiation of hostilities are to be determined on a case by case basis and will require a unanimous vote including The Goddess Ikenia, The Worshiper Amber, and any additional religious leadership in good standing. No ‘Tests of Faith’: At no point now or in the future will The Goddess Ikenia attempt to engage in or arrange a ‘Test of Faith’ for The Worshiper Amber, here defined as an act requiring sacrifice of beloved, favored, or otherwise desirable objects, actions, creatures, or persons to no material benefit for reasons of affirming loyalty or exclusivity of affections in the direction of The Goddess Ikenia. No Prescribed Sexuality: At no point now or in the future will The Goddess Ikenia attempt to impose limitations on who or whom The Worshiper may engage in sexual or romantic relations with so long as both parties in such relations are willing and consenting adults of their respective species with the ability and awareness to clearly communicate and reaffirm such. No Prescribed Diet: At no point now or in the future will The Goddess Ikenia attempt to impose limitations on the dietary choices of The Worshiper Amber for any reasons beyond concern for health and safety. No foods or ingredients are to be considered taboo without clearly reasoned and logically grounded arguments against their consumption. No Prescribed Means of Dress: At no point now or in the future will The Goddess Ikenia attempt to impose limitations on the clothing choices of The Worshiper Amber for any reasons beyond concern for health and safety. No styles of dress or presentation are to be considered taboo without clearly reasoned and logically grounded arguments against them. No Prescribed Method of Life of Livelihood: At no point now or in the future will The Goddess Ikenia attempt to impose limitations on the career or chosen lifestyle of The Worshiper Amber for any reasons. No choices of livelihood are to be considered taboo without clearly reasoned and logically grounded arguments against them. No Meaningless or Irrelevant Observances: At no point now or in the future will The Goddess Ikenia attempt to impose religious observances without meaning or purpose beyond purely symbolism, they may be recommended or requested but the matter of participating is to be left ultimately to The Worshiper Amber. Clarity of Communication: If The Goddess Ikenia finds relevant information it must be communicated in a manner as clear and unambiguously as reasonably possible. Garbled prophecy, statements of cryptic nature, or unexplained labels such as ‘unclean’ or ‘abomination’ are unacceptable and a full explanation is both expected and required if any communication is to be had at all. No Unprovoked Cessation: The [Divine Compact] and it’s benefits for both parties cannot be ceased unilaterally without provocation by the other party. Non-exclusivity Clause: The agreement between The Goddess Ikenia and The Worshiper Amber does not, never has, and never will represent an exclusive arrangement. The Worshiper Amber may at any point make agreements with other entities of divine or supernatural origin without being in breach of this compact. The aforementioned stipulations are to be considered concrete and breaking them at any point without unanimous agreement between both parties is grounds for complete and total cessation of all other terms the [Divine Compact].   Section 3: Boons Requested in humility and respect by Amber Comprehension: At all points now and in the future, The Goddess Ikenia will provide assistance in comprehending the rules and laws that govern the world and actions within it to the best of her ability holding back no information unless said information would be deleterious to the physical, mental, or spiritual well being of The Worshiper Amber. Guidance: At all points now and in the future, The Goddess Ikenia will provide clear and unbiased guidance to The Worshiper Amber in aid of the completion of her goals and desires so long as they do not conflict with the terms in section 1 or the interests of The Goddess Ikenia in an irreconcilable manner.  Blessings: At all points now and in the future, The Goddess Ikenia will to the best of her ability, provide blessings and benevolent supernatural effects relevant to the circumstances and challenges faced by The Worshiper Amber. If both parties accept, the [Divine Compact] will go into effect and both parties will be expected to fulfill their agreed upon responsibilities at their earliest available convenience. ►Accept◄

“That looks good on my front… if you’re fine with it, I am.”

System Alert! Learned Skill [Contract] Lvl 1   Event Bonus! For striking a bargain few would dare to suggest, and even fewer would succeed at sealing, you've earned the title [Shrewd Negotiator]! Effect On Equip: Some might call you impetuous, but you know that sometimes you've got to take the advantage where you can find it to get the best out of a deal. When making bargains, contracts, or deals of any kind you find you have an easier time reading between the lines and discerning hidden and alternative meanings of otherwise innocuous phrases and getting the better of otherwise more heavyweight negotiators. +10 Charisma +10 Wisdom Title [Shrewd Negotiator] automatically equipped. ►Accept◄

"..."

"That's fair."

---

Far above the world at about the same time, a goddess sat holding an amateurishly carved skewer stabbed through four cold pieces of fire roasted fish; the meat on it was a bit charred at the edges and lacked seasoning, but it was… Real.

Real in a way that the ephemeral dreamlike realm she existed within couldn’t mimic. As beautiful as her carefully constructed afterlife was was, forever sunny and bursting with game, fish, forage, and produce, it was all lacking in a way that only became apparent when something from the mortal realm was offered up.

Ikenia stared at the few cold bites of fish on the ragged skewer and after some consideration ate one of them. Her palate, so used to the imagined facsimile of food present in her ream, found such joy as it flaked apart in her mouth. Briefly, she considered keeping the rest of it to herself but opted instead to set it aside to share and read over the terms of a [Divine Compact].

It was a most unusual scenario. Traditionally a mortal or god expressed interest in a [Divine Compact] and the terms are determined by the deity presiding. Amber had taken it upon herself to write a detailed series of terms that made the Ikenia's head spin. Thankfully the details of the compact were anything but unfair, and most of Ikenia's desires were already met in the proposal Amber had laid out, though it was concerning that she seemed aware of her superior bargaining position.

The specific details of the prayer initiating this compact were full of subconscious and unspoken references to some other god that Ikenia didn’t recognize; Based on what the girl was saying, the goddess didn’t blame her for her caution.

The goddess carefully considered the cost in Prayer Points to fulfill her end of the bargain and before making her final decision decided to confer with Uleg.

Her faithful believer arrived quickly when called, bursting through the treeline and freezing when he saw what she had resting on the table next to her. Ikenia had almost entirely forgotten the very real food she'd received and there was a moment of awe shared between them before he finally spoke.

“Lady Ikenia… is that?”

“Yes, it is! The girl Amber in the old temple sent it, and she’s going to send more if I make a divine compact with her!”

“That’s amazing news my lady, have you accepted?

“That’s the thing… she has… conditions.”

"Conditions?"

Uleg was stunned as he read over the sprawling document, taken aback by the boldness of the girl effectively bartering with his goddess.

“Who does she think she is to speak to you this way? I know you think she could be a prophet, but honestly."

“I know you have your concerns Uleg, but nothing she’s put forward has been entirely unreasonable. I can only assume this is how mortals interact with the gods where she’s from. She definitely doesn’t seem to be from Malcordis, unless a lot has changed recently; though the god she described did remind me of Usvalen.”

"... can you afford to hold up your end?"

That was indeed a concern, Ikenia had been just barely maintaining the daily upkeep for her paradise and existing holy grounds.

“I think so under the right conditions."

"She seems surprisingly well versed in survival, until now I've been watching carefully and driving off any stronger creatures with the [Aegis of Faith] property, but that may not be necessary. She used some sort of earth magic ritual to cleanse her water, and though I didn’t see how, she managed to kill a [Grand Tuna] without much injury."

Several times now she’d used her holy ground property to drive off larger threats like [Thorn Jaguars],  [Ferrous Deer], and [Blink Hogs]; without that as a requirement, it could be done.

"I think I may not even need to waste the divine power to directly drive monsters away if she’s that capable.”

"It's settled then, isn't it My Lady? As hesitant as I am, you seem to have it fixed in your mind already."

Without much more deliberation, Ikenia accepted the compact. It might've been unconventional and a move of desperation, but it seemed to her to be the best move she could make.