It was the start of a brand new era. A sight that she would never forget. The smell of old stone and ozone filling her nose.
Ashley Williams looked up at the sky as everyone around her began to notice the clouds turning dark despite it being the afternoon. Ashley's bewilderment was reflected through the crowd as fear and chaos spread throughout the masses. The skies split open, the grounds shook, and a mysterious light emerged from the opening in the sky. Panic and hysteria raged through the crowd. A child crying into her mother's arms, a husband calming his family, an elderly man bewildered at the sight that was unfolding in the skies. Screams echoed into the sky as people shoved each other around, terror marked on their faces as a celestial being descended from the heavens.
A God-like being with golden hair and wings so plentiful it covered the sky. Standing on the asphalt road, she stood as tall as 10 skyscrapers combined. This being opened her eyes, revealing the same golden hue that her hair had shown.
Ashley was filled with a warm feeling, akin to a mother caressing her child. The celestial being opened her mouth but no words emerged. Instead, the words were transmitted directly into the minds of the people as they looked on in awe.
"Fear not, my children. The time of reckoning has come. The reckoning of [#####]." A sharp sting echoed in the ears of everyone as they could not comprehend the words of this grand being. "But I have not abandoned you. I shall bestow every single human on this planet, and the future children of Man, powers to overcome this trial. This is the least I could provide, as your benefactor," the celestial being said. Her voice contrasted the feeling of warmth that she had shown thus far. Being cold and unfeeling despite the seeming compassion in her words.
As Ashley stared into the visage of the celestial being, she was filled with courage. She is someone who is destined for greatness. She was "chosen", so to speak. She had always known that someday, even before the Era's End, her moment would arrive. She would rise to the top as the leader of this New World Order.
After the words of the celestial being, a bright light appeared in front of everyone's eyes, flickering once, twice, before finally revealing letters that are legible.
[The Goddess of [######]]
> The Goddess has provided you with a gift
> Will you accept?
[YES] [NO]
Everyone hesitated at first. What would happen if they were to refuse? Scared of what might happen if they clicked the other option, everyone pressed *YES*. Bewilderment arose from the people as they pressed the button. Suddenly, they were met with another message presenting their gift. Cheers rose for the ones who managed to receive something great.
"What?! [Fire Manipulation]?!", a man in his mid 20s shouted as fire emerged from his fingers, adeptly manipulating it to his will.
"Whoa! I can fly?!", another added as they suddenly rose from the ground and into the air, soaring with the birds.
Then came the cries of despair.
"What the fuck do you mean, 'You received [Advanced Sewing]?! What the hell am I supposed to do with this?!", a young biker member yelled as he tried to punch the status window, phasing through it and stumbling into the ground.
Another man curled himself to a ball as he cried. "An F Skill?! And it's about measuring?! Why did I end up with such a useless skill…?"
Ashley looked, seeing the different reactions of the people around her before looking back at her own status window. Some were met with pride and confidence while others cowered in despair. Some were confused while others contemplated how this will affect their lives. She regained her composure as she took a deep breath. With a confident smile and a future laid out before her, she pressed the button.
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2 Years Later
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As the evening sun sets and the orange hue of the sky pierce the girl's bathroom window of Raventhal University, a splash of water hits the ground. Ashley Williams was leaning against the bathroom wall as several other girls surrounded her, holding the same bucket used to drench her. Their laughter echoed as they laughed at the state Ashley was in.
"How does it feel sitting on the bathroom floor, 'Miss Williams'?" the girl with the [D Rank - Voice Projection] skill chided. Her voice rang ever so loudly inside the small bathroom.
"To be honest, it perfectly suits you now. You have no place in this university," the other girl who has the [D Rank- Hair Manipulation] skill added as she playfully rolled her fingers through her wavy hair. "Unlike you, some of us actually have [Skills] that DO matter."
"Daddy's money ran out, huh?" Finally, the ringleader spoke as she dragged her finger across the floor, making small sparks by imbuing the small puddles of water on the ground with her skill, [D Rank- Static Electricity]. "You can't hide behind money forever, you know. In the end, you're worthless without your family." She turns around beckoning her cronies to leave with her. "You're better off just selling yourself in the back of a bar. At least that way, you're not disgracing our university."
She can't fight back. And even if she wanted to, what could she do? She might as well be living in a completely different world. Those girls didn't even have particularly good skills either. They can only act that way because they know that whatever Ashley had, was worse than what they got. Not to mention the fact that fighting back doesn't necessarily mean she'll win. Ashley still remembers when 2 students with F Rank Skills fought back against someone who had just a C Rank Skill. The punishment was immediate expulsion for the F Rank Students. The C Rank? Got away scot free.
Their words continue to ring and echo inside the small, tiled bathroom. Soon enough, the girls got bored and left. But not before throwing the bucket at Ashley, hitting and landing on her head. She took a moment to take a deep breath before standing up and placing the bucket back on the floor.
Her clothes were drenched. She can't leave the bathroom like this. She has already been humiliated so much. But she has no choice. Trying her best, Ashley attempted to drain the water from her hair. Wringing it into the sink before leaving the bathroom.
As she slowly opened the door, she bumped into another girl.
"Hey, watch where you're goi—", the bespectacled girl shouted as she saw who she bumped into.
"Oh, perfect timing. Professor Nikita was looking for you and it didn't look good.", she chimed. "You should have just left when you had the chance". A common comment when it comes to Ashley Williams.
"Anyway, that's all I have to say. If you have any questions, just ask the professor," she casually dismissed and walked off. Not even looking back at Ashley.
With nowhere left to go, Ashley started heading towards Professor Nikita's office. Ashley knocked once, twice, thrice before a voice telling her to enter appeared. With a slow flick of the door, Ashley entered the office. Sitting behind the desk was Professor Nikita, Head Professor of Skill Development and Research.
"Take a seat," she said with a professional tone. She wore her long black hair in a high ponytail, her long lab coat draped over a pencil skirt that showed her figure while remaining modest, and looks that accentuated her professional style. Her eyes were the kind that could instill fear on anyone they landed on. Professor Nikita was a highly respected member of the university.
Reluctantly, Ashley sat down, droplets of water dripping onto the leather chair. She already knew what this conversation would entail.
"We both know why you're here," Nikita coldly said.
"You are not suited for this course. No matter how hard you try, you will never bridge that gap without a skill," Nikita added absentmindedly as she parsed through some papers.
"Well, you 'do' have a skill but its applications are so limited that you might as well have no skill. In fact, you should have just said no during the [Gift Event] considering that those who didn't accept their gifts managed to attain something usable like [Stat Distribution]. But instead, you accepted the gift and ended up here. Of course, you had no knowledge that you would gain such a skill but that might just be a testament to your luck and perhaps your karma." With an abrupt motion, Nikita placed the papers back on her desk.
"What I'm trying to say is," Nikita paused. She looked at Ashley's haggard appearance. She knew what she had been suffering through but that is the way the world works now. This was her way of giving Ashley solace.
"Ashley Williams, drop out of Raventhal University."
The silence hung in the air for what felt like hours on end. But with a deep breath, Ashley answered.
"Will that be all?"
Ashley stood up, turning her back towards Nikita and leaving her office.
The orange, evening hue covers the streets. Cars honk and drive by, heading to their destinations. Ashley looks up at the buildings. The vast amount of advertisement and recruitment ads to join a Raiders Guild and venture into the Dungeons in hopes of returning with treasure. A dream that she could never reach.
Ashley soon reached her apartment after walking through the dingy alleyways that connect to the inner city. Fumbling through her pockets, she managed to find her keys and enter her apartment. A flick of a switch and the room brightens up as the light turns on, revealing a somewhat messy room. Clothes are strewn about haphazardly on the floor, the kitchen sink is full of dishes, and the bed still shows signs of use from this morning and the previous nights. With a weak drop of her arm, Ashley lets her bag drop onto the floor with a thud. Her steps slow and weak as she walks towards the bathroom and washes her face.
When she looked into the mirror, what was reflected was the visage of a disgraced daughter of a CEO. A failed child prodigy meant to lead the future generations. A mountain of wealth at her disposal crumbling into dust. Her blonde hair looked frazzled and unkempt from being unable to receive the same treatment as she once had. Her slender figure which everyone adored had now been reduced to a shadow of its former self. Ashley was no longer at the top of the food chain. All because of one thing that decided her fate.
Ashley raised her arm as if to touch an invisible wall and spoke, "Status Window."
A bright light flashes which then reveals legible text.
[Name: Ashley Williams]
[Title: Disgraced Nepo-baby/Failed Prodigy/Wilted Flower]
[Strength:] 2
[Endurance:] 1
[Dexterity:] 2
[Intelligence:] 10
[Luck:] -30
[Skills:]
[F Rank Skill - Steam Conjuring:] Allows the user to release steam from their body and control it at will.