After having talked with Gothra, we decided to just show each other our own unique skills with the promise to not tell anyone else, and to form an unstoppable duo party and take this game by storm!

It's doubtful if that last one would truly ever happen, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying the game while aiming for the top. I'd like my character to get stronger anyway, as strong as it can get, and I'm sure Gothra feels the same way. That's kind of the point of the game, but not really. Many people just wanna grind, kill some monsters, and not think too hard about other players. That's honestly more of where I land.

Anyway, I brought up my character status window and saw my starting stats.

__________________________________________________________________

[Name: Fira Draconir]

[Level: 1/99]

{Status Effects: None]

[HP: 25/25] [+]

[MP: 25/25] [+]

[Strength: 5} [+]

[Magic: 5} {+]

[Defense: 5] [+]

[Resilience: 5] [+]

[Speed: 5] [+]

[Stat Points: 20]

{Skills:]

[]

[Unique Skill:]

[Gratitude]

_______________________________________________________________

"Pfft- Bwahahahahhaha!" Gothra suddenly exploded into laughter after seeing my stats.

"What? I'm new here! You are too!"

"Weak! Weak! Weakling! Hahahahaha!"

"Grrr...! I'd like to see yours then!"

"Oh, ah... the Unique Skill. Show me what it does!"

"No, show your own pathetic weak starter stats first!"

"No, no, no! don't get distracted, the Unique Skills come first!"

"You're the one who started calling out my weak stats!"

She stuck out her tongue and looked away, pretending like nothing was amiss.

This girl...! Ah, fine, it is funny, hahaha.

"Oh all right. What a child. Here." I said as I brought up another status window.

_____________________________

[Unique Skill: System Reverence]

[A unique skill bestowed upon the one who is grateful and content. The target of the user's gratitude is the system, therefore all system-esque things in this game are enhanced.]

[Effects:]

[System Grand Blessing: The game system is altered in order to favor the user. Grants 100% more stat points per level up. Provides bonus proficiency for the acquisition of skills.]

[System Algorithm: Allows you to predict the trajectory of enemy attacks and your own. Aids in evasion, and also the accuracy of your own attacks.]

[System Overdrive: Speed up your perception and view the world in slow motion. [Duration: 3 seconds(Real time)] [Cooldown: 10 seconds(Starts after the effect ends)] ]

_________________________________________

"Oh wow..." What's up with those effects? Though I suppose they are very fitting of a Unique Skill based on the system, and I can see why I would be granted that Unique Skill.

This entire game is handled in large part by the actual system, the big one. That's the reason why it's even possible to create such personalized unique skills.

"Eh, that skill..." Said Gothra rather confused.

"Yeah... Now that I think about it, Unique Skills says a lot about the person wielding them, huh? It is very personal..."

"Yeah, but..."

"Yeah, I should've maybe checked it myself first before showing it, perhaps. Hahaha. But well, I don't really mind, though it is rather embarrassing."

"It's not that. That's kind of the point of Unique Skills, I think," she continued while browsing through her own status screen, "It's well... take a look at mine."

_____________________________

[Unique Skill: System Reliance]

[A unique skill bestowed upon the one who is and has been protected. The user has relied upon the system heavily, and is thus helped by the system even within the world of Souls Unlimited Online.]

[Effects:]

[System Grand Blessing: The game system is altered in order to favor the user. Grants 50% more stat points per level up. Provides bonus proficiency for the acquisition of skills.]

[System Protector: Your System Avatar is able to manifest itself as an ally. The manifested System Avatar has the same total number of stats you have, but distributed differently (25% Defense, 20% Resilience, 25% health, 15% Mana, 10% Strength, 5% Speed, 0% Magic.)]

[Ever-present Protector: When the System Protector's health reaches zero, it enters into a cooldown and will respawn in [10 minutes]. Half of the System Protector's defense and resilience is transferred over to the user while the System Protector is inactive.]

_________________________________________

Oh wow... I can see why she was surprised. This... we have very similar Unique Skills. And what does it mean by that description? It's really personal... though I guess people wouldn't really normally just share it. It is private. We're the two weirdos around here showing it off strangers we just met.

"So what do you think? I guess we're more similar than we thought huh?" She chuckled, but with a hint of nervousness.

"Yeah..." I got really curious, but I really shouldn't pry. This is an online game after all. "I guess we are..."

"Yeah..."

Awkward......

"Ah, but I got better bonuses than you, hahahaha!" I said to lighten the mood and change the topic.

"Wow. Change of topic. Very smooth! Hahaha!" She gave me a big thumbs up with a stupid grin on her face.

"...You're not supposed to mention it, you fool!" Ugh, this girl... "Why did I even bother?"

I put a hand to my head in an exaggerated manner.

"Hahaha! Don't worry about it, don't worry about it! I'm curious about your origins too, you know? Though well, we don't really know each other enough to just openly talk about that. I'm just curious... I've been around forums and such, but I'm still not really sure what people really think about The System. Well, I knew what SOME people thought of it. I know that very well..."

"R-right... well, I'm just grateful because it's only really helped us. I can see why people wouldn't like it. Humanity is no longer at the top, our needs and even our wants are well met, but that may have taken away the purpose in life for a greal deal of people. Birth rates are also controlled for everyone, but that is with the trade-off of giving every single person the opportunity to become age-less and immortal." I paused for a moment, thinking, "Still, even with all that, I cannot imagine a greater entity than The System. Not just in power, but also for all the decisions that it's made. If The System was even remotely like how AI are usually depicted, specially in the olden days... Or if it is anything like Humanity, its predecessor... I shudder to think what would've become of us. SIgh. If nothing else, what I can say is that I have certainly always enjoyed the system's influence."

"Oho, I can see that~" Gothra said coquettishly, giving an obvious glance to Ciraphim.

"H-hey! What are you trying to say?! Mine's at least a lot more normal than whatever yours is!!" I pointed at Bereo, her system avatar!

"What!? That's... I don't... Don't make it weird Fira!"

"You're the one who brought it up! Again!"

"Nuh-uh! I said nothing. You got all defensive! What have you got to hide huh? Feeling guilty??"

"N-no... y-you're the one feeling guilty! Just admit it, it'd be a weight off your chest!"

"Yeah!? Well, you'd be releasing a lot more weight than just on your chest if you just admit your perversion!"

...

"Eh? What weight is there other than the one in my chest? And I didn't know that we were talking about perversions...? Was that what you had in mind all this time, horny Gothra?"

"Huh? That's... what you had in mind too!!"

I looked around me, putting a hand to my forehead to see better. "Proof, proof... where is the proof... None! There is none!"

"Gah! Well... you purposely made your System Avatar dress sexily! It's very obvious you pervert!"

"Hah, and you also had your System Avatar cater to a VERY specific fetish!"

...

Oh no. I just realized. And this damned Gothra sure as hell won't let it go either.

"Hehe..." she chuckled under her breath. Malice dripped like poison from her very mouth.

Goddamit.

"Ehh? But he's just wearing a cute teddy bear suit and a goth maid dress? That's a fetish? Lil' ol' me dun' know no such thing... Does Fira boy have such a fetish? Does this... turn you on!?" She said, exaggeratedly presenting Bereo as he posed with his wild getup.

I forfeit. I lost. Complete defeat. Fuck.