Chapter 3: God Of Fiction
Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared in front of Arthur, who was still holding Bounciechomie close. The smoke smelled like... ink and stale coffee? From within the cloud emerged an old man with disheveled white hair, thick glasses, and a long beard. He wore a robe that resembled a graduation gown, though its origin was unclear.
With dramatic flair, the old man raised his hand, looking at Arthur with an expression that... wasn’t entirely serious.
"Arthur D. Bump!" he declared, straightening his posture dramatically, only to cough as he choked on his own smoke. "I am... the God of Fiction, from the Web Novel Department!"
Arthur stared at the man, his face a mixture of confusion and suppressed laughter. "God... of Fiction? Wait, who?"
The old man brushed off his robe with exaggerated flair, trying hard to appear convincing, though not quite succeeding. "I am the one who brought you here! I’m the one who trapped you in the body of... ahem... Arthur D. Bump, a minor character with... let’s say, minimal luck," he chuckled to himself.
Arthur gave him a skeptical look. "So, all of this is because of... your whim?"
"Don’t call it a whim, boy! It’s art!" the old man protested, wagging his finger with exaggerated seriousness. "You’ve altered the fate of this character, Arthur D. Bump, by rejecting Kaelthorn’s offer of dark power. Because of that... I have a reward for you."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "A reward? Like compensation?"
The God of Fiction laughed heartily. "You could say that. But it’s no ordinary reward. I grant you... SSS-Rank Slap Skills!" He spread his arms dramatically as if announcing the greatest prize in existence.
Arthur blinked. "SSS... Rank... Slap Skills?"
The old man nodded enthusiastically, like a game show host unveiling the grand prize. "Yes! Your slap will be so powerful it can knock out any enemy, even monsters! But that’s not the best part." He tilted his head, a mischievous smile on his face. "The best part is... SSS-Rank Slap Heal!"
Arthur felt his head spin from all this. "Slap... Heal? You mean I can heal people... by slapping them?"