Ann was slapped awake.

“Huh?” Ann said, rubbing her cheeks.

“Wake up, today is your lucky day,” her attacker said.

The eclipsing face of a man hovered over her.

“Who—”

“I’m making you my apostle. Henceforth you will climb the Tower and claim the orb of wish for me. The name is Bob.”

“I must be dreaming,” Ann said.

Slap.

“No, you’re not, I assure you,” Bob said.

“Will you stop slapping me?” Ann said, rubbing her other cheeks.

Bob walked over to a table.

It took Ann’s eyes a second to adjust to the lighting in the room.

“Okay, but first sign this contract.”

Bob leaned in to give Ann a scroll and a quill pen.

She had a closer look at Bob. Monocle, mustache, hairless, his buttons on his shirt about to give way.

“First off I don’t know you, second where am I, did you kidnap me?” Ann said.

Bob, still leaning forward with the pen and paper in front of him said, “I just told you who I am, I’m Bob. Oh, sorry. I didn’t properly introduce myself, but first I must tell you something.”

Bob stood up.

“I’m sorry to say this but, you died Miss Carter. I caught your drifting soul and created a new body for you.”

Ann's face whitened, vision dimmed.

“What?”

“I am Bob the merchant god. You are standing—sitting in my humble abode.”

Ann looked around the room. On the contrary to what Bob said, it was not humble at all. The room was heavily decorated extravagantly. Chandeliers above, tea set, carved intricately, chairs, bookshelves, books, everything.

Memories flooded her mind.

“I can’t breathe,” Ann said. “I want to go home.”

Tears welled up.

“Please take a seat, this must all be hard on you. I apologize for slapping you.”

Bob helped her to a chair.

Ann sat for a while.

Bob didn’t know how to comfort her.

“I can’t go back home?”

“No. I’m sorry. It isn’t within my powers.”

Silence.

“What’s this thing about … a tower?” Ann said.

“The Tower, it holds challenges, one hundred challenges to be exact. Once a challenger climbs and overcomes all one hundred challenges, they obtain the orb of wish; It can grant any wish the wielder desires,” Bob said. “I can’t climb it myself, only mortals or apostles can. Right now you are a mortal, but I can grant you a boon if you become my apostle.”

“If I climb this tower and get you this orb of wish, what do I get?”

“What do you want?”

Ann thought for a moment.

“I,” Ann paused. “I think I got what I want, a second chance at life.”

Bob’s eyebrows raised.

“Good for you,” Bob patted her back. “But that doesn’t sit well with me.”

Bob grabbed the contract. It burned to a crisp.

“You see, in my line of work there should always be an exchange. Let me write up a new contract for you.”

Bob materialized a new sheet of paper and started writing. He handed it to Ann once he was finished.

Ann read the contract. In exchange for handing over the orb of wish, Bob would grant her one wish that was within Bob’s powers.

“Is this agreeable?” Bob said. “Since you can’t think of anything right now let us leave it at that.”

Ann took the pen and signed the document.

“Wonderful. You are now my apostle,” Bob said.

Ann didn’t feel any different after signing the contract.

“Now then to explain your boon. Everyone who enters the Tower gains a menu screen ability. It has some communication capabilities, forums, blah blah blah you get the picture. Now one of the tabs should be named shop. That’s your boon. With it you can purchase items from any store you have ever visited, isn’t that amazing?” Bob said with his arms crossed, chest puffed out. “Here.”

Bob handed her a coin purse.

“What’s this for?” Ann said.

“It’s a magic coin purse imbued with space magic. It holds 1000 gold coins for your shop ability.”

“I have to pay for the items?”

“Yes, so don’t lose this.”

Ann didn’t think the shop's ability was all that special.

“How do I contact you once I’m at the Tower?”

“Through the menu ability. Now off you go.”

“Wait.”

Ann vanished from where she stood.

“And please don’t die.”

*

Ann fell on her butt.

“That stingy jerk.”

Ann was wearing rags. It didn’t cover much of her.

She stood up. Barefooted.

A city with a tower in the center could be seen in the distance.

“Couldn't that jerk transport me next to it?” Ann sighed and looked down on herself. “I can’t use my shop ability, can I? I’m not in the tower yet.”

Ding. A transparent blue screen popped up in front of her.

“Wha.”

Ann looked at it. Is this the menu ability? Shouldn’t I get it when I am inside the tower?

She pressed the blinking message tab. Pulsating with a red dot on it.

xXMerchantOfDeath(0.0)Xx: You are on floor zero of the Tower, the residential floor. Hurry up and get me my orb of wish! P.S. This is Bob

Bulging veins formed on Ann.

She wants to give him a piece of her mind.

Typing up a message and then pressing send, a warning message popped up.

Please enter your username.

It had a strange layout.

She pressed 3 and enter. They were the closest keys together. Too short, please enter another username.

She held down 3 and pressed enter. Too long, please enter another username.

What is this?

Removing a couple 3s, it accepted the username.

33333333333333333: Stop acting like a jerk! It’s getting on my nerves.

Ann huffed.

Why didn’t she say this sooner to him?

She thought back. It might have been because of the pressure he was emitting. It felt Divine? Suffocating. She couldn’t think straight then.

Ding. She looked.

xXMerchantOfDeath(0.0)Xx: Who’s this?

Ann exhaled.

33333333333333333: It’s Ann, your apostle!

You have been blocked by xXMerchantOfDeath(0.0)Xx your message did not reach them.

What the heck?

Whatever.

Got to change clothes.

Ann pressed the shop tab. Shops she had visited were listed. The name of the store and thumbnails were on them.

Oh, it even has a search function.

Clothes.

Stores with clothes in them were listed, removing all others.

The listed items were tagged as tier 0 with brief descriptions.

Hmm. How do I pay for these?

Insert currency here.

Taking out a gold coin from the coin purse she dropped it on the transparent screen. It disappeared.

Thank you for shopping!

The screen changed.

Items. Change.

Ann dug her hand into the rectangle screen and grabbed silver and copper coins.

She had been wondering for some time now how all this was possible. Magic. The only explanation.

It all still feels surreal to Ann.

She pocketed the change.

Digging into the rectangle labeled ‘item’, she held onto a couple of sticks.

Popsicle sticks?

There were writings on it.

“Break this then toss the remains to someplace with enough space. Warning: Do not hold onto a broken item stick.”

Ann gave it a try.

Breaking one stick labeled shoes, she tossed it on the grass a few feet away from her.

Poof.

In its place was a pair of shoes.

Ann was in awe of the sight.

She tossed more broken sticks.

Poof. Poof. Poof. Poof. Poof.

Ann changed into her new clothes. She was wearing cargo pants with a shirt and a light jacket.

Ann hadn’t been to a gun store so she couldn’t arm herself. She thought about purchasing a kitchen knife, but in the end decided against it. Bob wouldn't send her to her death off the bat right? It should be safe enough.

There, now to the city.