Chapter 3: Chapter 2 – Heavens Blessing

A transparent screen suddenly popped into Joe's vision like something out of virtual reality. The shock made him fall backward onto the stone floor with a thump. 'It really is a system,' Joe mused. He tried to grab the screen, but his hand harmlessly passed through the bluish screen. 

Around the hall, similar scenes of people gasping in shock were being played out. Looks of amazement and horror could be seen on people's faces, each trying to comprehend what they saw. Joe looked around, but no other screens were visible apart from his own. 'Must be something that the user can only see,' he thought before turning to his own status menu. 

Name: Joe Heraldson

Level: 1

Experience Points: 0/350

Race: Human (F)

Grade: Mortal

 

Blessings: Heaven's Chosen

 

Strength: 12

Vitality: 14

Agility: 12

Will: 13

Spirit: 15

 

Free Stats: 0

 

The design felt reminiscent of old-school RPG games. Joe looked over his status in detail. ‘Looks like my stats are relatively straightforward, although not quite sure what Will and Spirit are. Perhaps something similar to Intelligence and Wisdom? I can only assume Vitality is connected to health—strength to power and Agility to speed. No sign of health, mana, or stamina, so I have no idea if this is really like a game or not. Hmm, strength and Agility are my worst stats'. Joe looked down at his large gut and could guess the reason why. He didn't know what Spirit or Will did. 'If it's related to what the Angel did earlier, sign me up,' he thought.

Level and Exp were easy enough to interpret. He had played enough games over the years to guess that level would rise by gaining exp, which would, in turn, lead to additional attribute points. Though, how one acquires exp made him shudder with anxiety. 'If we're going to have to fight demons to earn exp, I'm screwed.' 

Looking over the rest of his status did raise a couple of questions. The first was Grade, which was listed as Mortal. Did this represent a tier of power? Race and Blessings were also open question marks. Race defined him as human, which was pretty obvious. Yet the F grade against it left him scratching his head. Did humans have different ranks? What did those ranks do? He also wondered if there were other races out there. That alone would be a huge shock to discover humans were only one of many races out in the universe. Though, the discovery that Angels and Demons existed already proved that fact in hindsight. He couldn't help but notice that there was no line for class. Classes had always been a staple of a typical RPG, along with the classic stat screen. Did that mean classes like warrior, mage, and priest did not exist here?'. 

Suddenly, thinking of an idea. 

"Blessings," Joe said, hoping for an explanation of at least some of his questions and what they meant. Just as he wished, a new screen popped into his view.

Heavens Chosen: Conscripted to join the glorious armies of Heaven to fight the demon scourge. All stats +5

'Huh,' Joe curiously thought. If Blessings were rewarded for completing a task, other Blessings might be available. +5 to all stats was no small amount, especially when his base stats were so low. Considering this point, he soon realized that his base stats, excluding Spirit, would've all been under 10 before the Blessing kicked in. 

"If base stats were 10 across the board, then my starting point is way below average. I need to find some way to survive this place." Joe muttered with apprehension. Those beings the Angel showed them were no joke. How was an overweight nerd like himself meant to survive the horrors waiting for them?

Joe quickly tried calling out the other terms from his status menu without success, causing his brows to crease in frustration. The system didn't provide any additional information apart from the simple status menu, leaving Joe with many unanswered questions. Over two minutes had passed since the Angel last spoke. It continued to hover above the crowd in complete stillness and majesty. Joe was tempted to call out and ask it questions but dreaded the consequences of angering it. Luckily, he wasn't the only one with such thoughts. 

A suave-looking older man around 60 years old walked out from the crowd and approached the Angel. "Holy one, Please, I have a company, employees, and family who depend on me. War is something for the younger generation. Surely there must be a mistake?" He expounded with his head lowered in subservience. 

Joe's face scrunched up at the older man's comments. He was pretty bold to call out the injustice. Joe could respect that. Yet he frowned when he heard the man's argument. Did being a CEO make him more valuable than others? Don't other people here also have families? The man was some distance away, but Joe could see that he wore a nice three-piece suit with dress shoes. Not ideal for entering a life or death situation, but still better than what Joe was wearing, with only his brown-colored towel to keep his dignity intact.

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The Angel directed his gaze towards the older man causing him to flinch back in fear. The Angel's expression, hidden behind its gold helmet, seemed to smirk as though laughing at the idea that being a CEO would be enough to persuade an Angel that his life was more important than the fate of the Heavens itself. 

"Child, all here are equal under the eyes of Heaven. The Gods are merciful and have given you the strength to fight, regardless of age or gender." Ieshim responded with a gentle but commanding voice.

The older man stood there in hesitation, clearly wanting to argue at the unfairness. He wasn't wrong. Many here had families, wives, husbands, children, parents. None of whom they would see again if they were sent to war. Even Joe couldn't help thinking about his parents and younger brother. He hoped none of them had also been caught up in the machinations of the "so-called" Heavens.

"This isn't right. You can't do this '. The older man's outburst shocked Joe and those around him. Many slowly began to inch away, fear of suffering any repercussions. However, a few others in the crowd nodded and joined in, demanding to be sent home. Even the pious seemed unsure at being sent off to fight in a death tower. 

"Enough!" Ieshim flicked his wrist, causing a strong spiritual pressure to spread across the hall. Those yelling fell to the floor, unable to move or speak. Those unaffected like Joe could sense a foreboding force around them, threatening to crush him the moment he rebelled. 

"Heaven's will is absolute! While the Gods are merciful, I am not. You do not wish to test my patience." Ieshims deep voice reverberated across the hall with divine might. 

Ieshim hovered above in absolute dominance, ensuring his point had been made. With another flick of his wrist, the pressure was gone. The older man lay on the floor. His brows were dripping with sweat. Realizing the Angel meant business, he scrambled back into the crowd with his head down, unwilling to further argue his case. It wasn't hard to blame him.

Ieshim continued his sermon. "Now… let us continue. The heavens have seen fit to bless each of you with three gifts. The first is Heavens Mark, providing you the system to interact with the Heavens and control your fate.

The second, Heaven's Chosen, is a blessing that the Gods have gifted to help you overcome the challenges you are about to face. Those who complete incredible feats will have the opportunity to obtain more blessings in the future. 

Finally, the Divine Shop is a store unique to the Empyrean Tower. The shop will provide you with the skills, clothes, and tools needed to survive the Tower. You will have the chance to access the store while here in the Halls of Beginnings and at later points in the Tower." 

The chance to potentially buy some clothes was music to Joe's ears. The feeling of cold hard stone against his feet was already causing him to grab his arms to stop shivering. However, while tools were self-explanatory, what incited greater excitement among the younger members of the crowd was the mention of skills. Most had played enough games and read enough books to know what magical skills were. How there was such a close connection between Earth's culture and Heaven's system was a question Joe pushed to the back of his mind for a later time. 

"To access the store, you only need to place your hand on one of the altars located around the hall. The altars are interfaces that give you access to the store. To purchase anything, you must use Divine Points. You have already received Divine points based on Heaven's assessment of your potential and life achievements. Consider this recompense for the task heaven has set you. You may view your points when using the store. Do not fear! You will all have the opportunity to earn more as you progress through the Tower."

Everyone looked toward the statues and altars. The set-up finally made some semblance of sense. Many had looks of anticipation and excitement. Perhaps the concept of shopping brought a sense of normalcy. After all, who didn't love shopping for superpowers. 

"Be aware that the divine shop is only accessible in the Tower. Once you leave, you will need to find your own opportunities to grow, " The Angels' last warning brought everyone back from their reverie. Joe clenched his fists, making a silent promise that he wouldn't die in this place. He had a home and family to get back to.

"Once you are ready, you will find three gates at the end of the hall that will lead you into the Tower. Each gate will take you across floors with varying levels of difficulty. The blue portal level is normal, the red portal level is hard, and finally, black is Impossible. I strongly advise you to consider carefully should you choose to select the black portal. Hubris can lead to one's destruction if left unchecked. If you wish to know more, reach the 4th floor of the Tower. All will be made clear to you then."

"—my final word of advice. Remember! Only the truly virtuous will walk the path of ascension."

With his speech given, the air around the Ieshim twisted, inducing a gust of wind that blew across the hall. Light engulfed the Angel, and just as soon as he had arrived, he was gone.

The departure of the Angel caused the room to burst into a flurry of activity. Many stood still, transfixed by the reality that they were stuck in a tower of death, others by the fact that they had just met a God-like being. The only truth they knew for sure was that this was all to prepare for war beyond biblical proportion.

Joe wasted no time marching towards a statue where the closest altar was located. Hopes of learning more, or at least being able to buy a pair of pants, drove him forward with zeal. If he had to be pitted against nightmarish creatures, he would at least be fully clothed. Many others, having the same idea, began to make their way to the various altars located around the hall. There must have been over a thousand humans packed into the hall. The rush of activity gave off a similar vibe to a store during Black Friday. 

Joe soon found himself at the base of a statue. The statue depicted a man in full armor, equipped with a mighty shield and spear, kneeling in subservience to the heavens. Joe could only guess these statues were placed here to inspire awe and a sense of piousness into the new recruits. After spending a second admiring the sculpture, Joe queued up behind a few others that had also decided to benefit from a first-mover advantage. A young man around 18 years in age walked up and placed his hand on the altar. Joe recognized another gamer when he saw one. The kid buzzed with excitement at the prospect of becoming a mighty protagonist, slaying demons for lunch, and saving the world by dinner. As for Joe, no, thank you, he knew enough about reality to know that even a simple bullet could put an end to any self-respecting hero. His first and foremost priority would be survivability. As the young man placed his hand on the altar, a barrier of pure light materialized around the young man and the altar, making it impossible to see through. 

The same scenario occurred across the hall as barriers of light materialized. It wasn't until a full hour later that the light barrier fell. The young man appeared. His scrawny shorts and T-shirt had been replaced with a complete outfit ready for war. He now wore leather armor, vambraces, greaves, and gloves. At his waist hung a radiant broadsword around 30 inches in length. A large grin was fixated on his face as though he had just won the lottery. Everyone encircled him, impressed by the transformation he had undergone. Before anyone could even say a word, the young man lifted his hand, causing a ball of fire to form slightly above the palm of his hand. The fireball hung in the air giving off a brilliant sheen of light and heat that Joe could feel even a few feet away. The group jumped back, with shock and awe plastered on their faces.

"What was that?" A young woman in her 20s asked. The kid, realizing a pretty girl had asked him a question, struck an impressive pose and promptly answered, "It's a fireball! Incredible right! The store allows you to buy anything you want. Even powerful abilities! We can become literal superheroes here!" 

The crowd murmured to one another in excitement. 

"How did you afford it?" Joe asked. 

The young man looked over at Joe. Seeing the embarrassing state of dress Joe was in, he chuckled before answering, "Everything has an assigned price. Didn't you hear the Angel with the big wings? This awesome ability is called [Flames of Purgatory]. It cost a full 145,000 points. Once you're in the Divine Shop, you'll be able to see how much you have, though I recommend you first buy some pants and a gym membership if you can afford it" The young man laughed while walking off.

"What a prick," Joe muttered. He turned his thoughts back to his current predicament. He wondered just how many points he would have. 

It took another 3 hours until it was finally Joe's turn to approach the pedestal. Rubbing his sweaty palms on his towel, Joe walked up to the altar and placed his hand on its surface. 'Here we go,' he thought as the world around him abruptly went dark.

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