The sun hung low in the Nigerian sky, casting its golden rays across the sprawling urban chaos of Benin City. Streets buzzed with life—a cacophony of honking cars, shouting traders, and street performers drawing small crowds. It was a city alive with determination, but beneath that energy lay a collective sense of unease. The world had changed drastically in the past twenty years, and even here, far from the influence of the world's dominant gods, the effects were felt.Efe Okoro adjusted the strap of his worn leather bag and quickened his pace down the cracked sidewalk. His wiry frame stood tall at 6'2", his dark skin glistening with sweat under the relentless heat. His closely cropped hair had flecks of dust from the construction site where he worked, and his sharp brown eyes darted nervously to the shifting shadows of the alleys. A faint scar ran along his left jawline, a remnant of a fight he barely remembered—one of many struggles that had shaped his life.He wore a plain gray T-shirt, now darkened with sweat, and a pair of patched jeans. His shoes, worn and slightly mismatched, made soft, hurried thuds against the uneven pavement. Though his expression was stoic, his thoughts were a maelstrom."It's not fair," Efe thought, his jaw tightening as he dodged a group of children chasing a soccer ball across the street. "We work ourselves to the bone, and for what? The gods don't care about us. The government doesn't care about us. Everyone's too busy looking after their own interests."He glanced at his watch. The glass was cracked, but the time was clear—4:45 p.m. School would be letting out soon, and he had promised his younger sister, Ada, that he'd pick her up. The thought of her made him smile, even as frustration lingered. Ada was his reason for enduring it all. At just 12 years old, she was wise beyond her years, her bright eyes and infectious laughter a rare source of light in Efe's otherwise grim reality.The walk to Ada's school took him through one of the quieter parts of the city. Here, the bustling energy gave way to dilapidated buildings and overgrown plots of land. The air was humid, and a faint smell of wet earth mingled with the tang of distant diesel fumes. The sky was starting to darken, heavy clouds gathering in the distance, promising rain.Efe's thoughts wandered as he walked. He thought about the monsters—stories of them creeping into villages and cities at night, snatching livestock and people alike. He thought about the champions—Ascendants blessed by gods with powers unimaginable, their battles shaking the earth. And he thought about the system—how random people across the world would wake up one day with golden screens flashing before their eyes, granting them abilities and quests."It's like a game," Efe thought bitterly, kicking a stray pebble. "A game for the gods. And we're just their pawns."The Turning PointAs Efe neared the school, a strange sensation washed over him—a faint vibration beneath his feet, like the hum of distant machinery. He stopped, frowning. The street ahead was deserted, save for an old man pushing a wheelbarrow of scrap metal. The man, stooped and wiry, wore a tattered agbada and a wide-brimmed hat that obscured his face. His movements were slow and deliberate, but something about him felt… off.Efe shook his head, trying to dismiss the feeling. He was just tired, overthinking things again.But then the air shifted.A sharp, electric crackle filled the silence, and a bright flash of light erupted in the middle of the street. Efe shielded his eyes, stumbling backward as the world seemed to ripple and distort around him. The old man dropped his wheelbarrow and ran, his cries of alarm echoing in the empty street.When the light faded, Efe found himself standing before something he had only heard about in rumors: a dimensional rift. The tear in reality hovered a few feet above the ground, a swirling vortex of gold and black energy. Its edges shimmered like liquid light, and its center seemed to pull at the very fabric of existence.Efe's heart pounded in his chest. He took a cautious step back, but the pull of the rift was impossible to resist. It wasn't just a physical pull—it was as if the rift were calling to him, whispering in a language he couldn't understand."What… what is this?" he muttered, his voice barely audible.The street around him seemed frozen in time. The air was eerily still, and the distant sounds of the city had vanished. Efe glanced around, searching for anyone else, but he was alone.As he took another step back, the rift surged, its energy reaching out like tendrils. Before he could react, one of the tendrils wrapped around his arm, pulling him forward. Panic set in as he struggled, but it was no use. The rift's pull was too strong."No! Let me go!" Efe shouted, his voice breaking.The last thing he saw before the rift consumed him was the darkening sky, the clouds swirling ominously overhead.A New WorldWhen Efe opened his eyes, the world was unrecognizable. He stood on a barren plain, the ground cracked and glowing faintly with red and gold veins of energy. The sky above was a swirling mass of black and violet, with flashes of lightning illuminating distant mountains that seemed to float in the air.The air was heavy, charged with an otherworldly energy that made Efe's skin tingle. Strange, twisted trees dotted the landscape, their bark a deep obsidian and their leaves glowing faintly blue. In the distance, he could hear the low, guttural growls of creatures he couldn't see."What… where am I?" he whispered, his voice trembling.As if in response, a golden screen appeared before him, glowing softly in the dim light.
[System Activated.]
[Welcome, User. You have inherited the Celestial Inheritance System.]
Efe stared at the screen, his mind racing. He had heard about the system before, seen the headlines about people becoming Ascendants, but he had never imagined it would happen to him.
[Trait Unlocked: Ogun's Iron Will.]
[Abilities Available: Forgecraft (Beginner), Iron Skin (Passive).]
Before he could process the information, a low growl echoed behind him. Efe turned slowly, his breath catching in his throat.A creature stood there—a grotesque amalgamation of claws, fangs, and scales. Its glowing red eyes locked onto him, and it let out a deafening roar.Efe tightened his fists, his fear giving way to a steely determination."I don't know what's going on," he muttered, "but I'm not dying here."
To be continued…