“Alex, man, you look like shit.” Tj bellowed as he caught sight of old friend a split second after entering the bar. Alex paused, bringing the bottle to his lips to look his friend over. Unlike the last time he had seen the man back in their national guard days. His tall thick body had put on weight that only comes with fatherhood. The man’s wide smile was only emphasized by the bit of baby fat his cheeks held.


    “Life has been good for you, I see.” Alex replied with a grin before finishing the last of his beer and setting the empty bottle down on the bar. Standing from the stool, they took his friend’s hand while pulling him into a brotherly hug. “How the wife and kid?” he asked


    “Jackson doing great, he’s already in the second grade. As for Sarah, she’s excited about our second kid.” Tj answered when they separated. Taking an empty stool, he flagged down the bartender and ordered another two beers.


    “Another kid, damn it was hard enough to believe you reproduced the first time.” Alex said jokingly, like old times. Tj laughed as he received his beer as he replied. “Well, it helps I have good blackmail material to use.” Turning back to Alex, he asked. “Really man, how are you doing? I know the hell you went through with Angie.”


    Taking his beer from the bartender, Alex looked down at the scarred wood of the old bar. “I don’t know. Part of me is relieved that it’s over, while another part is still looking over my shoulder. Worried that she’s going to stab me out of nowhere.” He said as the years of abuse he suffered at his ex-wife’s hands. “It was bad, real bad, especially at the end. I nearly took my own life. The constant fights and beatings were more than I could handle. She had managed to cut me off from anyone willing to help. I spent so many nights sleeping in my car because she would convince the cops she had nowhere to go.”


    “What happened?”


    “My attorney.” Alex answered cryptically before continuing. “I was sitting on a bench in a secluded corner of the park. I was about to slit my throat when he found me. It took some time, but he talked me down and got me some help.”


    “Fuck man.” Tj said in a whispered voice.


    “I was a mess, I had just gotten out of jail from where she staged another abuse call saying I had hit her. I had to walk twenty miles because I didn’t have access to my cards as she kept my wallet. When I had gotten back, she was in jail herself because the detective found my mini cams and got ahold of the videos.” Alex said before he took a deep pull of the beer. Taking a moment to savor the cold brew, he started again. “I had barely been back twenty minutes when two guys bust down my door and proceeded to beat my ass for her. Got that on video as well. Anyway, I was wallowing in misery after getting out of the hospital and planning to off myself when this attorney pops up out of nowhere and talks me out of it. Next thing I know, papers are filed for divorce and I’m ushered into hiding. All while that’s going on he looked back at all my previous cases involving her and got that removed from my record. Almost a year went by and to make a long story short, I’m finally free.” He said with a pained smile as he turned the bottle in his hands.


    The look of horror that came across Tj’s face nearly made Alex laugh. Out of the few people, Alex called friends throughout his so-called life. Tj was the one that understood him, as they both grew up in the foster system. While Tj was a foster because his folks both passed away in a traffic accident. Alex was there because of his abusive parents. Even at an early age, his body was covered in a layer of scars from his mother’s inventive abuses. While Tj was one of the lucky ones that found a home, Alex had a different experience, almost as if fate conspired to make his life as filled with pain as possible.


    “Damn bro. I… had no idea.” Tj said genuinely sad over his friends suffering.


    “It’s cool.” Alex said in a neutral tone.


    Tj let out a deep breath as he sent Alex a meaning full glance. “So, what’s next? You gonna get back in the pool?”


    “Fuck no.” Alex replied with a snort. “I’m… leaving. Bought a bit of land out in the mountains, with a cabin and everything I need.”


    “Sounds boring.” Tj said with a sour look.


    “After what I’ve been through, boring will do me good.” Alex said with a small smile. Turning up the bottle, he finished his beer while flagging the bartender down.


    After three hours of trading stories and more than a few rounds of beers and insults, Alex watched as Tj was driven off by his wife. Feelings of shame burned within as he could remember the fear he felt when she spoke to him. Sarah was a wonderful woman from what his friend had told him. After everything he had been through, Alex didn’t know if he could ever not be afraid of his life when near a woman.


    Pulling up his hood over his shortcut brown hair, Alex turned away and started walking back to his hotel. Grumbling to himself as rain started to fall, he popped an ear bud in an ear with one hand while fishing out his phone. Flipping through a couple of screens, he found what he was looking for and started the audiobook. Setting off at a leisurely pace, Alex smiled as he took in the crisp night air. The walk back to the hotel was a long one, especially during the chilly late November night.


    Listening to the book, his thoughts turned to the past as his feet carried him to his destination. Memories of the cruelties he somehow survived that were horrifying enough to be featured in modern cinema played through his mind. When asked how he managed to struggle through all that, his only answer was books. Even as a little kid he loved to read, after all, out of everything in his life, books were the only things that never hurt him. For him, a good book was an emotional and near physical escape from the suffering of daily life.


    Eventually he went from reading books to escape to writing them. Luckily his book had its place amongst readers eager for something new. It was the first time Alex had truly felt good about himself. Using this success, he continued his writing career even as he served in the nation guard where he met Tj. It was their similar upbringings and their mutual love of tabletop games that cemented the friendship that lasted for well over a decade later.


    While Tj had eventually moved away with his wife and son, Alex stayed in Texas having met Angie. What started as a dream for him proved to be a nightmare after their wedding. The two of them had met a gaming convention one weekend after he had closed his stand promoting his latest litrpg series. Angela was smart and beautiful and just as much of a nerd as he was. Well, that was the side she had portrayed. It was after their honeymoon when things started to change.


    Shaking off those thoughts, he instead thought about his upcoming plans. The cabin and land he had purchased in the Colorado mountains were ready for him to move in. Alex had even gone as far as to ensure he had satellite internet setup so he could continue his writing, and his ongoing anime and gaming addiction. And when those got to be too much, he could just step away and spend his time fishing in the nearby river and lake that bordered his land.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    It was the sight of the familiar hotel sign that brought him back to the present, while the chirp of his phone text message cause him to stop. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he thumbed in the pin and looked at the screen with a frown. On the screen was the message from a blocked number that simply read, “I’m behind you.”


    A feeling of icy dread ran down his spine as he looked behind him.


    “I told you I’d get you.” Angie’s bitter voice came as pain shot through his back. Stumbling away, Pain flared as the blade was ripped from his wound, causing him to fall to his knees. Clutching his free hand over it to staunch the flow of blood with his free hand, Alex fumbled with his phone in his other. Weakly standing to his feet as his ex-wife stepped in front of him, he knew it was too late even as he heard 911 respond. The last he saw before darkness took him was the sneer on her face as the blade pierced his heart.


    “Oh, my, you poor child. To have lived such a life of suffering. Even those who should have protected you showed you nothing but cruelty.” The child like voice’s words brought him back to consciousness. Looking around, he found the source of the voice came from a being of pure light, within he could barely make out a feminine form. Instinctually fear welled up inside him and he attempted to move away. Only to find he had no legs or arms. Hell, he didn’t even have a body. Alex was just an orb of blueish white light.


    “To answer your question, you are dead, murdered by your former lover.” The being of light said in a solemn tone.


    “Then why am I here?” Alex thought, finding himself incapable of speech.


    “You have been chosen to be given a second chance at life, Alex Jensen. Through no fault of your own, your former life was filled with nothing but cruelty directed at you. Yet you still remained a kind soul.” The voice said as the light faded, revealing a woman of unparalleled beauty, with raven locks that fell over a white robe with golden adornment on its seams. Sensing his rising anxiety, she raised her hands in a placating gesture, showing she meant no harm.


    “Please be at ease Alex, you are safe. After reviewing your past, I understand your fears.” The woman said with a soft smile.


    “Who are you?” He asked mentally


    The woman’s smile faltered momentarily, causing his anxiety to spike before she lowered her head.


    “Forgive me Alex, allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Amora, the goddess of reincarnation. It is my duty to see those chosen for their new lives.”


    “Do you… normally interact with those you choose?” Alex asked.


    “No, usually I just send them on without a word. But I felt I had to step in, in your case.” The goddess answered assuredly.


    “Why?”


    “I wish to give you my blessing,” Goddess Amora said matter-of-factly.


    “Your blessing?”


    “Yes, Volderon is unlike Earth. It is a world that has a labyrinth at its heart. Many of its people choose to explore the great labyrinth and discover its secrets. Also, unlike Earth, its people possess the ability to use magic and skills.” She started to explain.


    If Alex had eyes, they would be big as saucers at this news. Remaining silent, he continued to listen to the Goddess’s words.


    “With my blessing, you will be able use the system before normal, along with being allowed to choose some extra skills.”


    “System, and skills. You mean like a character sheet in video games?” Alex asked excitedly, his nervousness around women forgotten.


    “Yes, you will have a character sheet to see your progress as you gain experience throughout your life. Much like these video games you speak of.”


    “Do people not have access to their character sheets on Vol…”


    ” Volderon.” She answered. “And yes, they have access to their sheets once they become Fifteen years of age and are given their class when they begin training to enter the labyrinth.”


    “How does having early access to my sheet help?”


    “It will allow you to better understand and hone your abilities to have the best chance of attaining the life you choose.” That statement stopped him. What kind of life did he want to live? Part of him wanted the quiet life of solitude he had planned before… Angie killed him. But another part, a much bigger part, salivated over the thought of exploring this labyrinth the goddess talked about. Deciding he might as well see what skills she was promising to let him pick from, to get a better picture of his situation. What he wasn’t expecting was for him to be allowed to pick from a list that hovered in front of him when he asked about them.


    As he read over the seemingly endless list of skills and abilities, a question popped up in his mind “Will I keep my memories?”


    “If you, that is your wish.” She replied with a soft smile.


    The first of the skills to catch his eye was called Double up. If he read the description correctly, it doubled both its stats and stat gains as a passive skill. Even if it only just doubled his stats, that was still a hell of an advantage. While in the mindset of how to best survive on his own, he found another skill that piqued his interest.


    With the identify skill, not only did it give him information equal to his level plus ten. Also, if his level of identification was higher than anyone trying to identify him, it would come back with nothing. Choosing Identify got him thinking about other potential uses when he came across another peculiar skill, Crafting.


    According to the description, the skill crafting was a catchall of all the crafting skills. While it would give him a plus one to any crafting attempt he made, he could never become a true master of any single crafting skill. Though if he took for example, bow crafting, he would start with a plus 2 to any attempts at making a bow. With a mental shrug, he thought. “I always preferred being a jack of all trades; after all, it’s better to be good at many things than only one thing.”


    Continuing through the expansive list, he found another passive skill that seemed useless, but when combined with his double dip, it would be extremely helpful. Compacted mass basically ensured his body maintained and athletic build even with his soon to be doubled stats. As he thought about it, he realized that he would need to drop extra points into any speed stat to compensate for the increased weight of his new body. Another peculiarity of the skill was he could turn it off, causing his body to swell up in size, kind of like the Hulk.


    Leaving his thoughts of going Hulk on someone that deserved it left his mind as another skill caught his eye. Considering he was still choosing his life of solitude, he knew this one would be needed. Healing would allow him to heal any wounds he had as long as he had mana to channel the effects. Looking over the skills he had picked, Alex felt good about his choices when he felt the gaze of the goddess on him.


    “While I see the wisdom of your decisions, are you planning to live a crafter’s life?” She asked, apparently knowing of his choices.


    “Won’t I be able to learn to use a bow again with some practice? Like I did in my old life.” He asked mentally. The Goddess gave him a contemplative smile and a nod.


    “I suppose that is true. It is often those who seek the life of a warrior often choose abilities suited to such a goal when offered.”


    “True, but from what you said, Goddess, I have time.” Alex answered nervously; almost immediately he felt something almost comforting emanating from her.


    “Please be at ease. I did not mean to doubt your choices. As you said, you will have time before you come of age to take a class. Perhaps these may prove useful in getting one you would find desirable.“ She replied with a soothing tone to her words. “Now then, it is near time for you to depart. Before that, I would like to ask if you wish to be born the child of a noble or merchant family? Perhaps that of a smith or artisan going by the choices you have made.”


    The Goddess’s question did more to strike fear in him than she may have realized. If he had a face, he was sure it would have been deathly pale.


    “No!” Alex’s mental voice was nearly a shout as he answered, causing the Goddess to jump with a start.


    “Please, no family. Not after… I’d rather wake up alone in the mountains than risk going through that hell a second time.” Alex’s voice nearly cracking as memories of his mother’s cruelty entered his mind.


    “Very well. I can arrange that. But, are you sure?” Goddess Amora started asking but stopped, sensing his distress. “Then I hope that you find the happiness that you seek.” She said as everything went dark.