"Welcome, Tolir!"

The young man stared at the woman of uncertain age standing before him. Her timeless beauty amazed him before the strangeness of the situation struck him:

"Who are you? How do you know this name?"

"I am Zali, a deity of this universe. I know you because your skills and abilities caught my attention. That is why I have chosen to summon you here to restore my authority and fulfill my will."

He raised a wary eyebrow. What a strange request! Especially coming from a person claiming to be a goddess. Skeptical, Tolir asked:

"Not that I don't believe you but... Would you have any concrete proof of your claim?"

Zali smiled warmly, took two steps away from him, her ethereal tunic floating lightly behind her, and then raised her palm. The next moment, the walls of the palace they were in became transparent, revealing a breathtaking spectacle. Countless dots of multiple colors shimmered in what appeared to be the firmament.

Tolir fell to his knees, tears flowing from his eyes at this magnificent sight. All the questions he had sought during his former life vanished in that instant. A deep feeling of bliss came over him, never before had he known such a feeling of completeness. Puzzled, he turned to the deity he now recognized as such:

"I am sorry I doubted you... I promise to serve you with devotion until I die."

"Get up, young Tolir, your doubt was legitimate. Know that I shall not deceive you and that I shall answer all your questions."

The young man breathed a sigh of relief before straightening up.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"To begin with, I'm going to send you to a primitive world that you'll have to take over. Let's just say it will serve as both a training and a test."

He knelt down to signify his approval of the order without questioning it. The goddess raised her hand this time in Tolir's direction:

"Since you accept this mission, it is time to depart, Tolir. I leave you free to carry out your task. Good luck, my young avatar."

The glow from her palm enveloped Tolir, who closed his eyes to avoid the blinding light. When he finally opened them again, he was in the middle of a clearing under a glowing sun. All around him were trees that reminded him of those in his world.

For a brief moment, he thought he had dreamed the meeting, before a voice, in every way similar to the goddess's, announced to him:

"You have acquired a Status. You have acquired the title of Avatar. You have acquired the ability Aether Mastery."

Intrigued, he searched for the source without success. He had the impression that it was located directly in his mind. Moreover, what was this story of Status? As soon as he thought of this word, a screen appeared in front of him:

>>>>> Tolir's Status <<<<<

Health: 10/10

Mana: 5/5

Strength: 5

Agility: 6

Stamina: 8

Will: 9

Spirit: 9

Experience: -

Abilities: [Aether Mastery]

Skills: -

Title: [Avatar]

He squinted, wondering what this information meant. A snippet of his old life reminded him that this was a character sheet, a common element in the role-playing games he loved so much. However, the numbers associated with these characteristics gave him no indication. He turned to the ability and title to understand their effects. As he hovered over them with his finger, a new screen appeared to inform him of their effect:

[Aether Mastery: allows you to interact with the aether.]

[Avatar: Prevents experience gain. Unlocks the Aether Mastery ability]

Apparently, the title explained the lack of numbers on experience. Disappointed at not being able to taste the joys of gaining experience, he turned his attention to the enigmatically titled ability. He tried to open a window that would help him use this ability, without success. He decided not to bother and closed his status with a thought. Instead, he chose to look for a place to settle down. Perhaps he would find people who could give him information or help him?

To prevent the sun from bothering him, he walked in the opposite direction. After about ten minutes of walking, avoiding the brambles and stones that tried to trip him at the slightest inattention, he saw a silhouette farther into the forest. Delighted to finally meet someone, Tolir rushed in his direction.

As he got closer, however, he realized that something was wrong. The figure was too small for an adult. He thought it was a child's figure, but he was shocked to discover that the shape of the head and the length of the limbs did not match those of a human. Worried, he stopped. But it was too late. The figure had detected him and was now closing in on him. As it emerged from the shadows, Tolir swallowed. Opposite him was an authentic goblin.

He knew from experience that these creatures showed hostility to humans. However, the goblin approached with a nonchalant pace, contradicting Tolir's expectations. He hesitated about how to behave, since in the creature's right hand was a crude club. Either he would confront it relying on his status but unarmed, or he would flee...

As he weighed the pros and cons, the goblin stopped five meters away from him and then dropped a knee to the ground with his face towards the ground. His attitude stunned Tolir. He stayed at a distance, observing the goblin's general stance, unable to decide how dangerous it was. After a while, he noticed a strange glowing mark hovering above the creature.

Suspicious, he approached it, ready to jump back at the slightest suspicious move. Less than a meter away from the goblin, he reached out as far as he could to touch the glowing mark. Immediately, it broke. Surprised, Tolir took a step back as Zali's voice announced:

"The bond with Goblin Recruit has been formed. You have acquired the Goblin Recruit aetheric knowledge."

So that would be related to the mysterious ability, he concluded. The goblin stood up and then remained motionless in his seat. While wary of the creature out of the corner of his eye, Tolir thought of a window that might fit this aether thing. In response, a new window materialized in front of him:

>>>>> Mastery of Aether <<<<<

Aether: 0

Aetheric knowledge: [Goblin Recruit]

Invocation: [Aethereal Core I] (5 aether)

The invocation part surprised him. From what he understood, it corresponded to a kind of invocation against aether. Thus, for 5 units of aether, which seemed to behave like a resource, he could summon an aetheric core. However, the absence of aether did not allow him to test his hypothesis for the moment.

He turned his attention back to the goblin who was still in place, staring at him with a dull look. Tolir understood that he was waiting for something but what? He asked him:

"What do you want?"

"Me wait for the master order."

He gasped, not expecting any response, and then he analyzed it. According to all logic, the master in question was himself. However, what kind of order could he give to the creature? Since it was able to speak, why not question it after all?

"What are you able to do?"

"Me to fight, to explore... Me to do anything master wants."

Tolir frowned. He didn't like the idea of enslaving a living being to fight for his cause, but this ability seemed to come from Zali to help him in his mission. In the middle of a moral debate, he probed the goblin once again:

"And you, what do you want? Doesn't it bother you?"

"Me to want what master to order."

It appeared that the creature was not bothered by this idea. Tolir sighed, putting off his doubts for later. He thought about what order to give it for now. From what he understood of the situation, the deity was guiding him indirectly. After all, didn't she mention training and testing at the same time? In all likelihood, his ability and his encounter with the goblin were tools to help him. In doubt, he might as well dig in that direction. As he was about to hand out his instructions to the goblin, an idea popped into his head.

"Can you guide me from where you come from?"

"Me can."

"Then show me!"

The goblin walked off as Tolir followed him, congratulating himself on his idea. The goblin must come from a goblin village! There, he will find others with whom he can bond! At the same time, it would perhaps allow him to improve his aetheric knowledge. Even if he didn't know the use of it for the moment, he supposed that it would be useful for later.

After a long hour's walk during which Tolir planned his next move, they reached the top of a rocky hill. There, an unexpected surprise awaited him.