A small, curious fox emerged from the underbrush, its bright eyes glimmering with intelligence. "Hello, young one," it said, surprisingly articulate.
"What brings a human to these lands?"
"With everything going on, I'm looking for survivors like me. Have you seen anyone?" Selene asked, hopeful.
"There are others," the fox replied, sniffing the air.
"They are scattered and afraid. It will take courage and time to gather them. I can help you if you would like, but there is something I would like to know."
"Thank you!" Selene felt a wave of relief. With the fox's guidance, she might be able to be prepared to face whatever challenges came next. "What do you want to know?" Selene asked. Trying not to sound impatient with the fox that was willing to help her.
"Why do you smell different? " the fox asked.
"What do you mean I smell different?" she demanded, now losing her patience with the fox. I mean I haven't showered today but damn, when was the last time that you bathed?
The fox chuckled, no offense was meant, human cub. I meant that you smell amazing, like you have something that everyone wants but can't have. You smell, I don't know, heavenly if that helps.
"What do you mean by heavenly? Like the Pope and whatnot? Well, yes and no, as long as you don't kill yourself, you could end up being a god of whatever you choose.
Are you saying that god is real?
Why yes indeed, but I would wager that like most system-less universes and planets, that just means you forgot. I bet that if you took all the theology about religions every last one of them are true.
Do you think just some mortal could kill a Naga like Medusa? Said the fox.
Wait, you're telling me that we have a world full of gods? She asked.
"No, not at all, the opposite actually. Why do you think that the planet has so many ruins that are difficult to explain.
What happened is that humans are by their nature destructive, so magic was removed from your planet, and communications were cut off. Well naturally, your predecessors sat by and just accepted this, absolutely not, they were livid and like most things that get that way, they got violent."
The first purge was all the well-connected nobles and houses who tried to leave and were met with a magical barrier surrounding your planet.
What do you mean, my planet, you're here, right? Selene demanded.
Not even in the slightest would I be from this backward planet, but I also find myself fascinated by this planet. Your species was deemed too dangerous to be allowed to keep magic; it was sealed away, and yet here we are with magic coming back to this planet. Just wait until the rest start changing into their normal looks.
Then the second purge, nothing was spared this fate; they scorched anything out of any records, except with a small singular exception. There was a secure back door to allow powerful and influential people to come to Earth as a vacation, where they marvel at the lack of magic and act pretentious like their shit didn't stink.
Well, evidently, someone figured out how to not only use the backdoor but also allowed for the barrier that had been put in place so long ago, as if it were a child's endeavor.
So is that what you were doing on Earth then? She asked. Not at all child, I was traveling recently when I felt the pressure wave come out of here like a supernova. Well I had to come see this planet. To see what all the hubbub was about.
Were there ancient powers just hanging around, acting like barbarians? Imagine my disappointment when I get here and it's not any of those things, instead it's a bunch of weak basic ass barbarians that fight over invisible lines from when there was magic and there was balance with all the species in a giant coop. So boring.
Don't worry; you will understand once the changes are implemented fully."
What do you mean changes, like to us or something, because I already have something for that."
No that is not at all what I mean, the world in its enti… wait what did you say. You have something that makes changes to you, like an enchantment or something.
"No it says I basically get to pick my race, and have thirty days to choose. Id imagine that's it's the same with everyone else with a system."
Um yea no, nobody gets to pick besides gods, and you don't smell like…ARE YOU A GOD? How big of a power squish did you receive and why are you trying to deceive me about it."
"I am no god I am just Selene, plain old Selene."
Well, just Selene, why do you smell divine?
CRAP, CRAP, CRAP is this what the system was warning me about? Tobez is still doing whatever a companion would do, not that I have any idea what it is, Selene thought.
You, my dear, have horrible control over your emotions. I'm going to take a guess, and you have a god system. Please don't deny it, I can tell by your smell, but so can others, not as quickly or as accurately as I can, but I am, well, I'm different. And no before you try to run or fight me, not that you could win, I have zero desire to try to capture you or try and take it from you. One of the things that you will learn and learn it well is, not everyone is going to be your friend, or enemy for that matter.
The closest allies, to the worst enemies, I have seen them all surprise me at one point or another by switching sides for some reason or another.
I am fascinated by you, though, so maybe this trip has been worth it. Once the plains merge fully, you won't be safe unless you get strong enough, and if I remember, not very many of you make it to adulthood.
"What do you mean by the plains merging?" Selene asked.
The planet you know as Earth will be incorporated into the pre-cutoff version that the Tribunal kept. That world is already merging, and well, the place you knew no longer exists, really.
But the most hilarious thing about this is the fact that if you know that all the "fossils" were from extinct creatures. I assure you that they are not by any stretch of the imagination. However, they aren't all mindless heathens either. So whatever you do, try to remember that there are no limits that apply to what you can do in the universe that you don't force upon yourself.
There will also be a time for you to make the powers that be explain the why behind all of this. You have a god system so that means almost no limits that I can think of."
Selene looked deep in thought when she absent-mindedly blurted out why a divine system matters so much, there were at least 3 of her out there.
You have a what now, he sniffed the air right next to her. You have an upgraded god system. I take it back you literally have zero limits, I thought these systems were a myth. Those are the systems of the high gods. I know they give one out technically each flare of new magic, but none really survive more than 30-40 years, not truly an adult to the system if he was a high enough is system capabilities. You aren't just in danger, but are danger manifested.
Does this mean that you wont help me anymore? Selene asked.
No, you are completely stuck with me here on out, I'm shadow by the way.