Chapter 265 - To Live On
"Where did he go?"
Jack clutched his head, trying to make sense of what just happened. And, when he came to, the man he was with had already left him alone. While he had no idea how much time he spent in a trance, Jack knew it was long by the aching of his feet.
With Jack being alone, there was no telling what made him lose consciousness like that. The last thing he remembered was the man's hand coming towards his forehead.
And, after that, it was blank.
What does he make out of it now? Jack couldn't ask another soul about what he saw or, more accurately, what he experienced. The only clue that remained now was the message he got from the System.
Jack had become the Frost God's Chosen without any trials or tribulations. It had happened at the most random of times, and, from what Jack knew, it didn't come to him naturally.
In a sense that, while others had to go through the process of becoming a god's Chosen, Jack didn't have to go through the same troubles. He had become one in a matter of hours after he had met the wandering hermit. And, the funny thing was that the man didn't seem to realize it.
The sole idea of choosing a mortal to become a god's Chosen wasn't clear to everyone. While Jack have heard of the process of becoming a Candidate from Rynold and Leo, Jack didn't know what the next step after that was.
Will they become their respective god's Chosen right away? Or will they have to go through a series of challenges before they could? At this point, Jack didn't even know what conditions these gods had to consider a mortal to be a Candidate.
However, it was at this moment that Jack realized something from everything he's gathered.
The conditions that make certain individuals as Candidates or Chosen were arbitrary. At best, each god had its own personal measures to determine a human's worthiness to be chosen, whatever that may be. But, generally speaking, it was ultimately subjective.
"Huh."
Jack felt stumped upon that realization as his thoughts slowly moved to the message hovering before him. The words Frost God's Chosen felt a bit out of place for him, concluding that he was far from being worthy.
Even so, there was no denying it now. And, as far as he could tell, the supposed dethroned Frost God hadn't realized what he gave Jack. So, with that in mind, how did the system know?
It felt like a mystery; an unnatural and unexplained phenomenon Jack couldn't put together. While he tried the best he could, Jack couldn't come up with a worthwhile answer. That was until he finally opened the message, reading his new Class in all its glory.
===
[Class Advancement: Frost God's Chosen]
With your resilience and wisdom, you have impressed the Frost God, granting you abilities in his favor. You are hereby bound to the Frost God's will, his Chosen.
Strength +20%, Agility +15%, Stamina +10%, Endurance +25%, Ice Affinity +30%
Learn Passive Skill [Frostbound Mana]
Learn Passive Skill [Mana Generation: The Source of Frost]
Learn Passive Skill [A Certain Promise]
Learn Active Skill [Neverending Frost]
Learn Active Skill [True Frosted Guard]
Learn Active Skill [Cold Sentiments]
===
"It's a bit excessive, right?"
Jack asked himself, wondering if he had truly deserved such a gift. In hindsight, Jack would have left with nothing more than a hole in his chest considering what he did to the Frost God. Acting friendly and, at times, stand-offish to a god was not the brightest of ideas.
Despite all he did, the end result was the opposite. Jack was given the opportunity to be better than he was ever before. For whatever reason, though, Jack had yet to find out.
===
[Frostbound Mana]
Passive Skill
Increases maximum Mana by 10% of the user's base Strength (before bonuses apply). Dealing Ice-Attributed Damage to targets increases this bonus by 5%. Maximum of 5 stacks. Stacks last for 10 minutes or until bonus Mana is drained.
===
Jack fell in awe as he realized how powerful this Passive Skill was. It wasn't anything that Jack had seen before. The description meant that Jack would essentially never run out of Mana. He could keep fighting as long as his body allowed it.
After realizing the power of becoming a god's Chosen, Jack excitedly read the next skill on the list. But, even so, Jack was somewhat anxious bearing this much power.
===
[Mana Generation: The Well of Frost]
Passive Skill Lvl 1
A modified Mana Generation skill created by the Frost God, adapted for mortal use. The user is then hereby granted one of the following effects at any given time:
- The Frost Bellows: Increases the user's Ice-Attributed Damage by 50.
- The Frost Calls: Ensures the user's Health and Stamina would never go below 10%.
- The Frost Whispers: Increases the user's Agility and Perception by 5.
Under specific conditions, the user can gain all 3 skill effects simultaneously. While in this state, the skill's effects will be reduced by 50%. The user can also level up this skill, increasing the effects. Conditions of which are stated below: [See more]
===
'A leveled passive skill. Huh. First time I've ever seen one of these.'
As Jack reread everything, he soon realized that the effects at their current level were far from worth it. Although, the second effects were pretty good in ensuring his safety. Unfortunately, though, the others not so much.
That said, Jack soon realized that there wasn't any way for him to tell which skill was activated. The skill description was far too wordy but lacked the necessary methods for him to activate which effect. While he knew which one to activate, he couldn't actively choose which.
But, then again, this Passive Skill wasn't half bad. Jack could level it up by following the condition specified. However, the ambiguity of the skill sets the balance of it off.
A skill he couldn't control was far from reliable.
Seeing as how he couldn't understand how the skill worked, Jack felt his confidence shaken. He felt as though he wasn't worthy to have this title in the first place. Being a god's Chosen was too much for someone like himself to handle.
So, with an unsure heart, Jack moved on to the next.
===
[A Certain Promise]
Passive Skill, Locked
Imparted upon the user by the Frost God, this skill is locked under certain conditions. The user is left with the following clue:
"Mortal, I cannot say for certain what will happen to you once this passes. If you see this message, it means you have made it out alive. That is to say, your body did not succumb to my imparting of knowledge to you.
...
Until our paths cross again, do not die. I urge you to find your life's purpose, whatever risks that may bring. Only then will I impart the true power of Frost to you."
===
"What the hell was that?!"
Jack replayed the message multiple times after the first time he heard it, trying to grasp the Frost God's true purpose for leaving him as his Chosen.
Was it desperation? Was that why Jack repeated the message for the fifth time in a row?
He had hoped that things were easy. That there was some hidden message or meaning the Frost God had left behind to reaffirm Jack's confidence. But, Jack found nothing. He played the message over and over again, desperate to find an explanation for why the Frost God had done this.
As his finger hovered over the 'Play' button for his seventh replay, Jack paused. He slowly lifted his head up and reread the name of the Passive Skill again.
"A Certain... Promise."
It was only then that Jack realized that there was no sense in trying to listen to the man's explanation any more than he already had.
The name of skill alone was more than enough clue to give him what he needed. As vague and as unsure as Jack may be, it was enough to keep him going.
"That cheeky bastard," Jack smiled as he closed the window in satisfaction, leaving the rest unread. Jack then looked over to the horizon, thinking about how stupid and bizarre all of this was. "He could have just said something before doing all that."
Jack was far from what people would consider normal. He fought against people, monsters, and even stood up against gods. He nearly bled to death by his own blade. No person had ever done the same.
Despite all this, Jack always felt unsure, even if he hadn't realized it. And, even then, he just kept trekking, giving his all in every mission he handled.
Right now, that all seemed to change.
Jack needed answers because, for the first time in his life, he asked the right questions. And, the answer he got gave him the edge to keep going, no matter how vague it was.
[End of Volume 5]