"You done gawking? Let's go." Eluzan didn't give Benjamin any more time to sit on his knees in a daze or a panic. He couldn't relate to what Benjamin was going through.
Honestly, neither could Benjamin since he didn't even know what he was going through.
He was grieving one moment and amazed at the physics of another world the next. He was only just starting to accept the fact that he was in another world. Accepting the deaths of people who had cared for him was still a day off. Understanding the physics of another world might never happen since he didn't even understand the physics of his own world.
Lost in his thoughts, Benjamin trailed behind Eluzan. He wasn't interested in asking the Black Fox God where they were going until half an hour later.
"Are we headed to another dungeon?" Benjamin asked.
"Nope. I might be fine in the forest even during the night, but you need civilization."
"Why?" Benjamin felt stupid just asking. It was a fantasy world. Whether it was day or night, he might be attacked by dragons or orcs or whatever else this world had to offer. It was only through civilization, through the combined efforts of multiple humans, that he could find safety.
Eluzan glanced back at Benjamin. He could tell that Benjamin knew the answer as soon as he asked the question.
"Safety is one thing. Information is another reason we need civilization."
"Information? About my classmates?"
"Among other things. Dungeons, primarily. Monsters. Targets."
Dungeons Benjamin understood. Clearing them meant achievements. Monsters were probably brought up for a similar purpose.
"Targets?" Eluzan asked.
"There are many ways to collect achievements." Eluzan didn't elaborate. Benjamin didn't want him to.
Instead, he let his thoughts wander.
"...Does magic exist?" He eventually asked.
"Magic?" Eluzan confirmed.
"Yeah. Since this is a fantasy world, I figured magic might exist."
"This world is normal to its residents, so be careful about how you speak. It's too soon to reveal your origins, especially with your classmates roaming the world. And of course, there's magic."
Benjamin's eyes lit up.
"Can I learn it?" He asked hopefully.
Eluzan stopped for a moment and glanced back, looking Benjamin up and down.
"You and your classmates were put on display before the gods of the Pantheon before you entered Arthea, right?" He asked.
"Yeah." Benjamin nodded. Even if it hadn't been an unforgettable experience, it had only happened less than a week ago for him. He remembered it clear as day when, one by one, his classmates were chosen by the gods of the Pantheon until he alone remained.
Naturally, he also remembered the silence, the scorn, and the mocking gazes from Tamzi and his classmates.
"And none of them expressed an interest in you?"
Benjamin shook his head with an angry expression.
Eluzan smiled as he sensed the dark feelings swirling around within Benjamin. The setting sun hid Eluzan's smile before he continued.
"In simple terms, the Pantheon put your talents on display for the gods. It probably gave a brief overview of your lives, characters, and personalities. Enough for them to judge whether they want you or not.
"Gods don't care about your pasts, your personalities, or whether you would help a bird with a broken wing. For the purpose of which you lot were summoned, the gods only care about potential."
Benjamin's expression grew even darker as Eluzan's explanation progressed. He didn't need his god to finish.
"So, since none of the gods in the Pantheon picked me, it's safe to assume that my talents are rock-bottom trash." Benjamin scowled angrily and kicked the ground.
"...I wouldn't go that far. It might have been that it just wasn't enough to pique any of the other gods' interest." Eluzan didn't want a talentless avatar himself, so he comforted Benjamin while trying to explain why he wasn't picked by any of the gods.
"Out of almost thirty students, I alone was not chosen. What are the odds of that happening? Does everyone else have outstanding talents enough to make my mediocre talent boring? Or do I have none of this supposed talent?"
"..." Eluzan was silent for a moment. A talentless avatar would make reaching his goals hell of a lot more difficult. But the fact that Benjamin had become his avatar was proof enough that he wasn't entirely useless.
"The Pantheon is a tool."
Benjamin just looked at Eluzan, wondering where he was going with that statement.
"I can't be certain, of course, but the Pantheon might not have shown your talent."
"And how likely is that?" Benjamin asked sarcastically.
"If your talent exceeded the Pantheon's parameters or if it's something that the Pantheon has never seen before, something like that could happen."
"So, it's safe to assume I'm trash."
"..." Eluzan didn't say anything. He neither denied nor confirmed what Benjamin said. But his silence revealed what he thought.
"...At least in the eyes of those gods." Benjamin's looked at the sky. The sun was just about to set, but the moons and stars had already started showing themselves.
He couldn't see the Pantheon, but he could imagine it, and he could imagine the gods sitting up there on their inflated asscheeks.
Without looking at Eluzan, Benjamin spoke,
"Eluzan, you mentioned revenge, right? Does it have something to do with those fuckers up there?"
Eluzan had butterflies in his stomach. He could feel the rage smoldering inside Benjamin's chest. Even if Benjamin was a talentless schmuck, Eluzan was confident none of his classmates would have been better suited as his avatars.
"Yes," Eluzan said and turned around to continue walking.
"But the road up there is long and arduous. There is no need to rush. The best revenge is a slow one."
"Mm." Benjamin grunted in agreement. He was still in a state of limbo mentally speaking regarding his position.
But he needed a goal. He needed someone to blame for his current situation. Who better than those judgemental pricks in the Pantheon and their doggy servant, the ridiculous Tamzi?
It was a distant goal. Benjamin didn't care. The longer it took, the better.
If he set a goal that he achieved before being able to return home, he wouldn't know what to do.