Previously

***

Arthur made his way to his small room, the walls adorned with posters of classic novels, maps of far-off lands, and sketches of fantastical creatures. The room was a reflection of his true self, a sanctuary where he could escape from the harsh realities of the world. He sat on the edge of his bed, his mind heavy with thoughts, his heart burdened by the weight of responsibility.

Today had been a whirlwind of emotions, from the excitement of the wheel of fate to the revelation of Lily's newfound godhood. The news had hit him hard, awakening a mixture of awe, envy, and self-doubt. He had always been protective of Lily, his little sister. But as he watched her ascend to godhood, a part of him couldn't help but feel inadequate, unworthy of standing beside her.

With a sigh, Arthur glanced at his phone, checking the latest news. The screen illuminated with a bluish hue, displaying headlines that sent a shiver down his spine. The world was in chaos. The appearance of the mysterious blue system had upended society, leaving people confused, frightened, and searching for answers. The news articles were filled with reports of unexplained phenomena, quests, and supernatural occurrences.

So, why was it that even though the world was in chaos, Arthur couldn’t help but think about whether he would still have his job in the gym tomorrow, if there was even still a gym. In a world-apocalypse scenario, he wouldn’t find it too odd if most people decided to quit their jobs, especially the ones that obtained the Demi-God rank or higher.

“Haha, what a weird world we’ve been thrusted into,” Arthur’s lips twitched. Man, what he would do for a cigarette right now - but he did promise his little sister that he wouldn’t smoke one ever again.

“I wonder what Gwen’s doing,” Arthur said, and as he scrolled over to his message app, he was surprised to see that there wasn’t a single message from her.

His heart stopped. Now, see, Arthur was a smart guy, not academically smart but he was smart in the way that he could somewhat sense the right answer, a gut feeling if you will and right now, it was making him think about the worst case scenario.

Gwen was a former colleague turned boss, who may or may not have a crush on him, but like he told his little sister before, it just wouldn’t work out. BUT, that didn’t mean he didn’t care enough about her to not worry.

In his head, he was wondering if just like the system notification had stated, the world had changed, but it’d changed a little quicker in some parts of the world, and perhaps, one of such parts was around where Gwen lived - maybe those monsters and challenges popped up around her and unfortunately killed-No, he couldn’t make assumptions.

Arthur immediately went to search for Gwen’s number on his phone, and when he saw it, he quickly tapped on it.

“Sorry, the number you have dialied is unavail-”

“Fuck!” Arthur closed his phone, and wanted so badly to throw it. He dumped his face in his hands, and wondered if his gut feeling had actually been right, again.

He knew that maybe Gwen simply didn’t just pick up her phone, or maybe she was busy packing to move out or something, but he also knew that Gwen wasn’t like that simply because Gwen adored him to the point where she’d make it her hobby to text him every few minutes or so. One time, she even tried to call him while he was taking a bath which he endlessly berated her on.

So, was that it? Gwen was dead? In that moment, Arthur’s heart dropped when his thoughts drifted to his sister. Now that his sister was a God - Goddess, she would most likely be forced to fight with the monsters or what-not that popped up from the world’s new update. That was the troupe after all, in many of the games he played - where the chosen few were granted heavenly strength but also bore an equal level of responsibility.

His little sister, who he’d raised and looked after basically her entire life, was going to fight against demons and dragons, while the person who’d sworn to himself to look after her was going to plant crops somewhere in the fields of Nebraska.

Arthur felt like he was drowning. The weight of his responsibilities as an older brother weighed heavily on his shoulders. He wanted nothing more than to provide a stable and secure life for Lily, to shield her from the harsh realities of the world. But his efforts seemed to fall short, and the constant struggle to find employment only intensified his insecurities.

Even now, when basically everyone was supposed to get a redemption arc, where he literally had the chance to become more than just Arthur, his luck had struck again.

Envy. It clawed at his heart. Fear. Arthur wondered if this was it, if this was all that Arthur the mortal could ever hope to accomplish in his life. Was he even good enough to call himself Lily’s older brother at this point? No matter how much she’d convince him and her that it would be alright - and Arthur knew she would do it - literally everyone knew that it wouldn’t.

So, with the weight of his sins falling onto his back, Arthur took a deep breath. . .and dove onto his bed to stare at the ceiling.

“That one, that one,” Arthur counted the plastic, illuminated stars on the ceiling. “and this one.”

He remembered each of those stars that Lily had placed with him while they were decorating the room right when they got the apartment. A smile crept onto his face and suddenly the world seemed to be a little easier.

Arthur couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. “Why am I thinking so negatively these days? So, what if my little sister is a goddess?”

His smile widened. “That’s right.” He held his hand over his head, clenched fist pointed directly at the stars. “Lily is still my little sister. If she starts to fool around, I’ll just give her a whack on the head again. Wait, is that sacrilegious now since she’s technically holy or is she divine? Damn, this shit is weird as hell.”

Arthur’s smile died down, resting into a soft, tired but content one.

“So, what about me?”

But as quickly as his thoughts tried to deviated away, he shook his head and tried to think positively, “This isn’t the first time I’ve been dealt a bad hand.”

“Besides, maybe being a farmer is just a disguise," he mused, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Like those webnovels I used to read. Perhaps I'll unlock some hidden power, become an overpowered legend in the blink of an eye." But deep down, he knew it was wishful thinking.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he reflected on his past experiences. Life had never been kind to him since the demise of their parents. Setbacks, disappointments, and missed opportunities seemed to follow him like a relentless shadow. He had grown accustomed to the bitter taste of defeat, to the point where it had become an ingrained part of his identity.

But just as Arthur was resigning himself to the idea of a mundane life as a farmer, something stirred within him. A feeling of unease settled in his gut, as if an invisible hand tugged at the back of his mind. It was an instinctual urge, urging him to question, to probe deeper.

With a hint of curiosity, Arthur called out for his status screen, expecting the familiar display to materialize before his eyes. However, to his surprise, instead of his status screen, the previous system notification resurfaced. Its words were etched in blue, demanding his attention once again.

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