Chapter 12: Oops, I’m the Main character

Ezra’s eyes widened, his heart racing with a mix of shock and excitement. Not that he hadn’t realized it yet after Marea’s explanation, but he was still shocked after hearing it directly from another goddess. That shock quickly gave way to something exhilarating. He wasn’t chosen? He just... showed up? A wild grin appeared across his face, half disbelief, half pure thrill. He was the universe’s biggest oopsie and he loved it! The idea of being free, not tied to any goddess’s plan, made him feel unstoppable. "So, no one’s pulling my strings. I’m my own boss!" Marea’s face crumpled like someone had spilled something a on her robes. Her calm shattered, replaced by raw panic. "An ’anomaly’? Astraea, you’re saying there’s a wild card running loose in our realm? Something we didn’t summon, script, or control?" Her voice shook, her usual sass buried under fear. "What kind of chaos is he going to unleash just by existing?" She was okay with it at first, but now that had changed. Perhaps it had more to do with her distrust of Astaraea, not necessarily Ezra. Astraea, cool as ever, barely blinked. Her crystalline eyes flicked from Marea to Ezra like she was assessing a chessboard no one else could see. "Not an anomaly," she said calmly. "Uninvited. But not a disaster. A catalyst. He’s the spark we didn’t know we needed. The Fade is just a symptom, Marea. He might be the cure." She faced Ezra fully, her gaze sharp but curious. "What do you think of this world, Ezra?" Ezra shrugged. "Something’s need to be changed, but I like it, " Then he asked. "Okay, serious question, why did my system just wake up? Wasn’t it supposed to.... I don’t know, kick in when I landed?" Astraea’s expression turned thoughtful. "Normally, it would’ve activated once you built up enough... intimate energy." Ezra blinked in surprise. "Intimate energy?" She nodded. "But in your case, danger triggered it instead." Ezra’s jaw dropped. He blinked, then he couldn’t help it, a slow, mischievous grin spread across his face. "Wait. You’re saying my power-up comes from... sex? The more action I get, the stronger I am?" He stared into the starry void, half-laughing. If that was really how it worked, then yeah, it was insane. A power-up fueled by intimacy? Ezra was all for it. Honestly, who wouldn’t be? Well... maybe a monk. Or someone more into meditation, monster-hunting, or other men. Or someone who preferred swords over curves and thought grinding XP was more fun than grinding hips. But for Ezra, this was cheat-code paradise. The dream. Marea groaned in annoyance . "Astraea, this feels like your doing. A system powered by that? It’s not random. It’s designed." She pointed at Astraea, eyes narrowing. "You’ve got a plan for him, don’t you?" Ezra nodded, suspicious. "Yeah, she’s got a point. You’re acting like you’ve got me all figured out." Ezra couldn’t understand this goddess Astraea, it felt like she was trying to manipulate him, he couldn’t help feeling that way. Especially since she was being too nice. Was it possible that Astraea had brought him here, but was just pretending she didn’t? Astraea didn’t even hesitate and answered. "It suits you. And yes—I designed it. But I swear, I didn’t summon you. No one did. You just happened." Marea rubbed her temples. "This is why I stay out of mortal business. Every time, it ends with planetary collapse or divine lawsuits." She glared at Astraea, "You clean this up." Ezra raised a hand, brow slightly furrowed. "Mind putting that in plain Common? Preferably without the cryptic goddess filter." Astraea nodded, her voice smooth, just shy of teasing. "Your system strengthens you through bonds. Emotional, physical... intimate. The closer the connection, the greater the growth. It’s tailored to your nature." Ezra absorbed that in silence for a beat. Then a slow grin tugged at his mouth. "So I get stronger the more... connected I get. That’s surprisingly practical." He really liked this system. He thought when he finally got a system it would be something boring, but what a relief, that it was associated with this. Astraea’s lips twitched, almost a smile. "I thought you would like. It matches who you are." Damn right it matched him. Ezra though, didn’t want to come off too eager so he just gave a nonchalant nod. "Do you like it?" Astraea asked. "Yes, I do like it?" Ezra nodded. Marea groaned louder, throwing her hands up. "Of course you’d love it, you’re a pervert!" She glared at him. "Come to think of it, men like you are either violent, selfish, or useless, or all three. And you, Ezra, are a walking disaster of all of them." Ezra raised an eyebrow. "Wow, you really hate guys, huh? Did you start the Fade to wipe us out or what?" Marea’s eyes blazed, her voice icy. "Men blew up the world, poisoned the seas, and wiped out species for their own greed. Weakening them was a kindness." She stepped closer, her stare cutting through him. "You’re Astraea’s problem, not mine. I’m not training some cosmic flirt." Astraea’s smile grew slightly. "His ’flirtiness’ is his power, Marea. It fuels his growth. And he’ll find someone in his world to guide him." She looked at Ezra, her voice firm. "You need to train, Ezra. You’re strong for a man here, but not strong enough for what’s coming." Ezra frowned. "Hold up, what’s coming? I’m not signing up for some grand quest. I just want to chill with some cute girls, not play hero." Marea eyed him with a smirk, crossing her arms,"You didn’t think you’d just laze around in this world, did you? As common as it sounds, you still have a goal to reach, and unluckily for you, your new world’s future might depend on it." Astraea’s voice cut in, calm but heavy. "You must defeat the Dragon Lord. He’s behind the Fade and the monster invasions. If he wins, he’ll take over this world." Ezra blinked. "Dragon Lord? Seriously?" ’What a cliché, he thought. Next thing you know, I’ll be handed a glowing sword and a destiny scroll.’ Ezra muttered to himself internally. At first, he might’ve been fine with that. Goddess meeting, chosen mission, a god-tier skill, classic setup. The kind of thing he used to binge-read back on Earth. But now? Knowing he wasn’t summoned, wasn’t chosen, just happened to be here? Yeah, screw the prophecy. He wasn’t anyone’s pawn. Astraea nodded. "He’s the root of the chaos. I can give you a God-Tier Skill to make you stronger than your system alone." Ezra’s eyes lit up, then narrowed, even more suspicious. "God-Tier Skill? That sounds awesome, but... I’m not here to be your puppet. What’s the catch?" "No catch," Astraea said smoothly. "You’re free to walk away. But if the Dragon Lord isn’t stopped, he’ll wipe out all men." Ezra’s jaw tightened. "So this Dragon Lord started the Fade to kill off guys and... what, steal all the women?" He was half joking. Astraea’s gaze darkened. "Exactly. The Fade targets men, twisting them, wiping them out. He wants to enslave the world after the men are gone. You, immune to the Fade, are his biggest threat." She softened slightly. "But you’re safe from the Fade. Only the Dragon Lord himself could kill you." Marea cut in, rolling her eyes. "If you don’t want the skill, fine. The War-Ladies will handle the Dragon Lord eventually." She glared at Astraea. "Giving a man that much power is reckless. History proves they can’t handle it." Astraea ignored her, focusing on Ezra. "Marea’s scared of a world with strong men. You don’t need to fight the Dragon Lord yourself, but my god tier skill would give you a shot. So, Ezra, what’s your choice? Time’s running out."