CHAPTER 6: Boons of The Traveller

'What are Boons?' Col asked the system. 'Mavambo talked about this too. It said my boons are in your hands. What are they?'

'DING! Boons are a sort of ability of Origin. They exist only on Origin. They are sort of a reward for great Feats. Their power can propel you to greatness or bring you to ruin. It depends on fate. There is an aspect of randomness to it.

 The ones you have been given are of the highest order. They can be trash, but their potential has been elevated to the limit. Even the Paragons of this world wish for them. However, you are still too ignorant to make use of them. A waste it is.

The boons you possess are called the essence of Origin. One unit to a boon. Essence is also a kind of energy. Although telling you is of no use. The gist is it is too precious and powerful to be used without consequence. That is why there is a restriction. You can only use one boon per Step. A boon of Essence is different from other boons, which are clear-cut in what they offer but may be random. With a boon of Essence, all you have to do is define what you want, and the boon will do the rest.

However, this is more dangerous, as it is completely random and not regulated by the system. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get more than you bargained.'

Col quieted down as he mulled over and digested and mulled over what the system had to say. He tried asking it what would be the optimum boon to ask for but it just responded that system capabilities were frozen for any aspects other than boons.

He even tried wishing to be sent back home but even the boon did not have enough energy to tear a hole in spacetime for that long.

After a long deliberation on what he needed, he realized how vulnerable he was. He had been in the clearing for 2 hours after the fight now, communing with the system and asking questions, testing the limits of the boon.

It was then that he realized that none of what he could gain from the system would matter if he was dead. So, he made up his mind.

'System,' Col said 'Give me a path that would be most suited for me and my environment, whether in terms of Survivability or gaining power'

The system was quiet when he said that. After a moment of silence, it replied.

'Ding! Are you certain? It would be better to summon minions to protect you or ask to be sent to civilization. That is within the purview of the boon.'

Col just sighed. 'The random nature of the boon worries me. Not to mention I know nothing of society here nor am I powerful enough to survive.'

Col was suspicious of the system. It seemed to be more than just stuck up and opinionated. It might have a motive that did not involve Brian succeeding here at all. Enough MCs were backstabbed by their system for him to be on edge.

From withholding details to giving flawed information, the system was not performing as one would expect of such a high-performance system. Not to mention giving him subpar options.

It would seem as if the system meant best by suggesting minions but how loyal would they be? How powerful? Was he just supposed to expect that a being powerful enough or with the potential to help him in this situation would spew forth from the boon? What were the odds? In a random system?

If Cok was lucky it might work out. But one of his titles was touched by luck. The system refused to tell him about anything other than paths, stats, and boons. He had no idea how that might play out for him. He certainly wasn't going to test it.

And even if it succeeded what then? He had no path meaning no steps meaning no next boon. It was beyond wishful thinking to think that the minion(s) would have on or even be able to share it. So he'd be stuck in a dead-end.

It was the same with asking to be sent to civilization. That was a very weak-minded way of thought and his father taught him better. He might find help and protection in numbers…. Or would he? Would he even know the language?

Would he be accepted? He was weaker than a 16- year old and didn't have any money of use in this world. Could he find work? Were Paths that easy to find? Could he ascend in that kind of situation?

Not to mention he had no idea if Boons were detectable. He had a hot potato on him so personal strength was a must. Not to mention, Strength was cool. He couldn't pass up the chance for literal superpowers!

The weak get weaker and the strong stronger. That was a universal rule even in his past world and it most likely held here. Not to mention the danger mentioned by Mavambo of 'Them'. The ones strong enough to fight an entire world whatever that meant. And they would come for him if they learned about him.

And these dangers were all assuming it worked. He was an inferior human. Would he even be accepted, or would he be a slave? His previous world discriminated against each other based on color alone and committed atrocities. What about here where even the where even the world agreed they were inferior? In a wolf eat wolf world what was a dog?

And what did civilization mean in this context exactly? Was Humanity the only race? He doubted it based on what he knew of fantasy worlds. What would happen if he were to be transported straight into the Demon King's throne room or Elvin's queen's bedroom?

 Or into a top-secret facility? It did not specify where in civilization and what kind. Those kinds of specifications were beyond the boon anyway.

So no, those options sucked. If the pain wasn't making him think he would have jumped at them in excitement but he was somber. Dark approached and his Health continued to drop. Not to mention the mana in the air had been accumulating since Mavambo left.

It was quite concentrated at this point. It had reached the point that even Pathless Col could sense it. The air practically shimmered with the pure white glow of pure mana.

Col asked the system and he got his answer. Wherever the world went, it would leave a seed of its children behind. The seed of an elemental spirit was about to be born. It would have been well if not for the fact that Col could barely move and even a seed of a spirit could erase all traces of his existence without trying.

What's more, as a newborn, It would have barely any consciousness and would go berserk till it matured a bit. And that could take decades unless another spirit reigned in. Col's life was in danger once again.

It seemed like it had been an eternity but his first day on the Origin had yet to pass. He had already faced insurmountable odds twice but the world just kept on throwing more at him. And he was tired of being carried by its whims. He was tired of being thrown at its whims and the whims of powerful beings.

And most importantly of all…. He was angry.

"System," Col asked with a voice colder than ice, "Why did you not tell me that this was going to happen?"

'DING! Apologies host, the host had not asked me to warn the host of any dangers to you. I will do so starting now. I suggest host run.'

Col's pupils narrowed "So you can't tell from reading my mind that this is something I would appreciate?"

'DING! Acting on your thoughts is not within my purview though I can do it at times.'

Col sighed "Understood," he said aloud. He was losing his temper " Then from now on can all permissions related to reading my thoughts be revoked from the system? I want all thoughts saved from the ones I intentionally send to you to be bared from you. Understood? Is that possible?"

'DING! It is but it is unadvised-'

"DO IT!!" Col shouted despite himself. He had no intention of letting a being such as this loose on his mind. If it was possible he'd want to cut himself off entirely from the system. He had already activated skills without it anyway. But that would be unwise. No matter what he was in a foreign world and he did not know. He needed it.

'DING! It is done. The mind bridge between the system and host is now closed until the host says otherwise."

Col nodded and calmed down. Now that that annoyance was taken care of, there remained the elephant in the room. The spirit that was about to be born. According to the system, it was a Noble spirit of duke rank and above. That was the least that Mavambo's presence would cause. Try as he might he saw no way he could survive as long as he was in a hundred-mile radius.

That's how devastating these entities could be. Suddenly Col thought of the one thing he could use. His gun was useless against a spirit but that left his boon. He grinned. He had asked for a Path that would allow him to survive in his circumstances right? It was time to see if the highest level of boon could live up to its name.

Col laughed wildly as the mana whipped up a wind towards the center of the clearing. It seemed the seed was almost formed. All that was left was a Hail Mary to see if he could make it.

Col grinned a maniacal, rictus grin as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "System!! Grant me my boon!!"

'Sigh, Ding! As you wish.'

The world froze.