OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
There's also the prospect of taking our null resistance even further. Indomitability in the face of hostile sealers of significant power is another way to win in an impressive fashion.
A Simple Transaction I
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
- Original
It is pretty terrible.
Imagine arguing about the importance of a Social party member who can mitigate Curses...only to pushing her away immediately because shinies. When most people do no seem preoocupied about short-term power. And without access to Retinue to assure her loyalty in other ways.
It can be charitably called 'shooting oneself in the foot'.
It is inevitable, you mean. The path of mediocre, milquetoast compromise won the instant approval voting was permitted.
But seriously, Vanguard's not that bad. High survivability, a hedge against betrayal and potential teamwork synergies, it does a little of everything. Not trusting Gisena just feels like a waste when we spent a Lesser Remittance on her and there are material rewards for it. The other builds make good use of that fourth pick and we can't use the Null Resistance tactics without her collaboration.
[X] Unshattered
Some applicable quotes:
"Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife - chopping off what's incomplete and saying: 'Now, it's complete because it's ended here.'"
"Those who play with the devil's toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword".
The protagonist is complete as he is; I don't want him to reforge the blade and become the Forbearer/Tyrant. We are his ending, not his continuation. The long term power loss is unfortunate but there are other paths.
Some applicable quotes:
"Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife - chopping off what's incomplete and saying: 'Now, it's complete because it's ended here.'"
"Those who play with the devil's toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword".
The protagonist is complete as he is; I don't want him to reforge the blade and become the Forbearer/Tyrant. We are his ending, not his continuation. The long term power loss is unfortunate but there are other paths.
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
While that's true to a degree, I don't think that's necessarily bad for this early in the quest. We know pretty much fuck all about this world, its civilization and so we can't adjust our methods to suit it. Having a more versatile foundation like Vanguard means we can specialise once we have more information, instead of choosing now and risking an unsuitable build.
I don't think its quite as big of an issue as you're making it out to be. Yes, we're not quite as close to her right away but these people are in dire straights and that immediately creates a shared sense of purpose while her knowledge of our Doom means she'll probably play interference between us and the people to avoid the risk of an incident. Combined those with the bonds forged in battle and I think there'll be more opportunities to befriend her as time goes by. Moreover, from a purely in character perspective, the hero was just assassinated by those he'd fought beside. Why would he be so quick to trust an unknown stranger, no matter how convivial they might seem?
Also, grabbing some anti-magic resistance this early in the quest is just so damn nice to have when we have no idea what's coming for us. That's just another reason that Vanguard is the most prudent choice when we're so ignorant about the world.
Maragas
Nothing to see here.
- Location
- Tree House
Heavenly King of Curses: Lucky Day Indeed (Fanwork: 1000 Words)
This is the paradise. You only arrived here a minute ago but this is the paradise.
These are the only words that can describe the universe you were sent into for this mission. Everything in here is like designed for your specifications. The grass, the air, the trees, the sounds, the very concepts of this planet- no this universe speaks to you at a primordial level.
Hunger.
You thought you learned to satisfy it, to appease it. From simplest meals made by cooking the meat in an open fire to 10 Star Galactic Restaurants serving dishes at prices that can buy you an actual galaxy. The greatest ingredients to basic. At first it was a necessity, then just a simple enjoyment but you thought nothing of it.
You were wrong, oh so wrong. What you thought as greatest meals you ever had is nothing here.
The Galactic Jewel, a type of fruit sought after by an entire galaxy you accidently acquired 3000 thousands years before is nothing compared to the bundle of fruits you can see a few meters away from you.
The Ying Yang Treasure, a fish dish made for your honor after you saved an Empire 24.703 years before was capable of granting immortality and miracle cure to all illness. You can feel a swarm of fish similar if not better swimming across a lake.
The lake which you can taste its flavors on your tongue even from here makes the 999 Immortal Wine made from 999 different Immortality granting fruits from that Cultivation world look like a children's juice box.
The air that can contains traces of millions of different food that makes every meal you had before pale in comparison.
You are so hungry. The ring itches.
Your companion tries to get your attention but you are stuck starring at the sky. The feast up there makes the nearby food looks like trash. A huge herd of elephants? Mammoths? Making their way across the galaxy, each one size of a star. Their meat makes your mouth water even from there. Stars so hot and so delicious, their smell drifts across the universe attracting predators like you.
A solar system, so far away yet so close, bound by not silly things like gravity but by a delicious looking edible vegetable. Each planet made from a different ingredient whose sauce is their rings, the star is the alcohol you drink afterwards. Space is filled with giant delicious creatures, each one being prey or predator to each other. Each after the delicious food that makes the universe.
Like a dastardly snake you can see eating the before mentioned meal slowly, the nerve of the creature!
Nearby food slowly backs away, they can feel the hunger in you, and your companion sighs.
You can sense a family having a delicious meal in the nearby galaxy. Slowly eating away all the tasty food that makes the galaxies in this universe. It makes your heart ache along with your stomach.
This is the moment when Gisena stuffs your drooling mouth with a fruit from a nearby tree, all of its protectors gone thanks to you.
You can't even hear what is she saying as you are overwhelmed by the various attributes of the fruit. The sweetness, the juices, the sourness and things you can't even describe.
Every single thing about this fruit makes you want to eat it more. It satisfies you in a way that no other meal, meat or otherwise, did. You can even feel the universe itself acknowledge you as one of their own. The luck and destiny of the universe being one with you.
You feel like you should make a random guess about it so you make a random guess. And the first thing that pops to your mind is Food Luck.
A lucky guess you suppose. What does it do?
A small shiver and you can instinctively feel that the mission goal is accomplished and you are free to do as you wish for the rest of the time. Very lucky, rarely you ever need to spend so little time for a mission.
Can I have a house?
Suddenly a house appeared, two floors and a small garden with seemingly modern gadgets. It's expertly made with no flaws, even at atomic level.
You can feel the quantum fluctuations, an event with impossibly small chance happened. A variant of The Boltzmann brain event if you remember right from the university lesson you had when you were bored from a mission. Before you can continue with testing however your dear friend Gisena decided enough is enough and suddenly jumped on you. You instinctively grabbed her, though for some reason you ended up princess carrying her.
"So big hero, you saved the princess. Now can you explain why were you starring at the sky like a star gazer and drooled like a starved man? I am not even going to ask about the suddenly appearing house in the middle of an alien forest."
You tried to drop her to the ground before answering but suddenly a gust of wind blows a tree branch down to your head before dropping to the floor.
Nothing,
Just a stroke of luck you haven't thought you would ever get.
You say as you slowly make your way to the home carrying Gisena.
Better to pretend to not see the mistletoe that was not on the branch before it hit your head. Nor the one over the door to the house. Plus, the Hunger you are feeling, now of a different type, is definitely ignored.
AN:
Here is a small omake I wanted to make ever since we had Hunger as an option. What better setting to cross with than Toriko when you have Hunger?
I admit, it turned into a bit of shipping in the end but hey, I like waifu and I can't lie.
Supporting my two votes of course. Unshattered and Force Unto
This is the paradise. You only arrived here a minute ago but this is the paradise.
These are the only words that can describe the universe you were sent into for this mission. Everything in here is like designed for your specifications. The grass, the air, the trees, the sounds, the very concepts of this planet- no this universe speaks to you at a primordial level.
Hunger.
You thought you learned to satisfy it, to appease it. From simplest meals made by cooking the meat in an open fire to 10 Star Galactic Restaurants serving dishes at prices that can buy you an actual galaxy. The greatest ingredients to basic. At first it was a necessity, then just a simple enjoyment but you thought nothing of it.
You were wrong, oh so wrong. What you thought as greatest meals you ever had is nothing here.
The Galactic Jewel, a type of fruit sought after by an entire galaxy you accidently acquired 3000 thousands years before is nothing compared to the bundle of fruits you can see a few meters away from you.
The Ying Yang Treasure, a fish dish made for your honor after you saved an Empire 24.703 years before was capable of granting immortality and miracle cure to all illness. You can feel a swarm of fish similar if not better swimming across a lake.
The lake which you can taste its flavors on your tongue even from here makes the 999 Immortal Wine made from 999 different Immortality granting fruits from that Cultivation world look like a children's juice box.
The air that can contains traces of millions of different food that makes every meal you had before pale in comparison.
You are so hungry. The ring itches.
Your companion tries to get your attention but you are stuck starring at the sky. The feast up there makes the nearby food looks like trash. A huge herd of elephants? Mammoths? Making their way across the galaxy, each one size of a star. Their meat makes your mouth water even from there. Stars so hot and so delicious, their smell drifts across the universe attracting predators like you.
A solar system, so far away yet so close, bound by not silly things like gravity but by a delicious looking edible vegetable. Each planet made from a different ingredient whose sauce is their rings, the star is the alcohol you drink afterwards. Space is filled with giant delicious creatures, each one being prey or predator to each other. Each after the delicious food that makes the universe.
Like a dastardly snake you can see eating the before mentioned meal slowly, the nerve of the creature!
You can sense a family having a delicious meal in the nearby galaxy. Slowly eating away all the tasty food that makes the galaxies in this universe. It makes your heart ache along with your stomach.
You can't even hear what is she saying as you are overwhelmed by the various attributes of the fruit. The sweetness, the juices, the sourness and things you can't even describe.
Every single thing about this fruit makes you want to eat it more. It satisfies you in a way that no other meal, meat or otherwise, did. You can even feel the universe itself acknowledge you as one of their own. The luck and destiny of the universe being one with you.
You feel like you should make a random guess about it so you make a random guess. And the first thing that pops to your mind is Food Luck.
A lucky guess you suppose. What does it do?
A small shiver and you can instinctively feel that the mission goal is accomplished and you are free to do as you wish for the rest of the time. Very lucky, rarely you ever need to spend so little time for a mission.
Can I have a house?
Suddenly a house appeared, two floors and a small garden with seemingly modern gadgets. It's expertly made with no flaws, even at atomic level.
You can feel the quantum fluctuations, an event with impossibly small chance happened. A variant of The Boltzmann brain event if you remember right from the university lesson you had when you were bored from a mission. Before you can continue with testing however your dear friend Gisena decided enough is enough and suddenly jumped on you. You instinctively grabbed her, though for some reason you ended up princess carrying her.
"So big hero, you saved the princess. Now can you explain why were you starring at the sky like a star gazer and drooled like a starved man? I am not even going to ask about the suddenly appearing house in the middle of an alien forest."
You tried to drop her to the ground before answering but suddenly a gust of wind blows a tree branch down to your head before dropping to the floor.
Nothing,
Just a stroke of luck you haven't thought you would ever get.
You say as you slowly make your way to the home carrying Gisena.
Better to pretend to not see the mistletoe that was not on the branch before it hit your head. Nor the one over the door to the house. Plus, the Hunger you are feeling, now of a different type, is definitely ignored.
AN:
Here is a small omake I wanted to make ever since we had Hunger as an option. What better setting to cross with than Toriko when you have Hunger?
I admit, it turned into a bit of shipping in the end but hey, I like waifu and I can't lie.
Supporting my two votes of course. Unshattered and Force Unto
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Rihaku
The Internet
The Tyrant had his own weapon, no need for that of his Forebear's! Whether or not it was a mistake given the Forebear's greater power would be a matter of compatibility.
The Forebear's Blade is more resistant to theft than most. It can leap to your hand from some distance if necessary, after all!
If it resembled an orc, Gisena would likely have commented so!
Why discard the possibility that the hero is rather handsome even if maimed? Scars are the in thing.
Yes, much harder without Gisena, though not insurmountably so. If anything her knowledge was even more valuable than her powers, as going directly for the head is much more efficient than trying to wound its more accessible body.
Auspicious Vanguard is actually quite powerful in a fight, it has boosted stats and Fell-Handed Stroke, plus additional Intelligence guiding both the circumstances of battle and the tactics therein. Not as powerful as the overwhelming force of Force Unto, but that's to be expected!
You are voting for the option yourself, you know! Though I do think the Gisena relation is overblown, she's your ally either way, it's more a matter of their personal feelings rather than compromising practical effectiveness. A good relationship might lead to increased effectiveness; it would be in areas more subtle than "use the obviously best strategy in a given life-or-death fight."
- Location
- Pindorama
Currently Force Unto is winning with a five vote lead, so I don't think Vanguard is much of a threat. It seems the thread won't be dissuaded from choosing the "simplest" option. I think better decision making is impossibly valuable. If you are all so worried about the dangers of lack of information, isn't it best to get a build that excels at gathering that information and putting it to use? Increased intelligence is a far better insurance against unknown dangers than mere Null Resistance.
It's not about lack of specialty, but rather about lack of effectiveness. In general 2 point options seem just better than 1 points options, what with Curse mitigation and stuff bolted onto them. They are not versatile, sure, but they do their thing and they do it very well.
Meanwhile Vanguard is "well you are better at bunch of things and you are even better at stuff they do together too I guess". Like, it's not terrible .. but it's not an actual comprehensive increase in effectiveness that would drive our decisions either. It just is.
Compare it with either Force(which specifically covers downside of Feast in order to fully benefit from it) or Nightmare(which takes idea of accumulation of power and marries it to mental buffs) which have specific game plans which milk options for all their worth. Vanguard just makes you stronger and you can do some stuff with Gisena too.
Rihaku
The Internet
Hm. Though recent omakes from Force Unto voters have recovered its position somewhat. Presently the standings are -
Vanguard - Strongest omake power, second strongest arguments
Nightmare - Strongest arguments, second strongest omake power
Force Unto - Most votes, now decent omake power
One benefit of approval voting is that eliminating options is not as necessary, since most people have two votes already. I don't think we'll use it in the future though, it makes totaling omake power annoying.
Vanguard - Strongest omake power, second strongest arguments
Nightmare - Strongest arguments, second strongest omake power
Force Unto - Most votes, now decent omake power
One benefit of approval voting is that eliminating options is not as necessary, since most people have two votes already. I don't think we'll use it in the future though, it makes totaling omake power annoying.
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Of course a generalist option is less effective than a specialist in their area of expertise, without taking massive tradeoffs like Unshattered that will always be the case. But you can be a specialist and still be less effective than a generalist if your specialty simply doesn't apply. If our next immediate challenge is a sudden ambush by a second wave, Nightmare Praetor will likely struggle due to its lack of preparation time. If our next opponent has attributes significantly beyond our own, Force Unto will find its attrition style difficult to execute.
And this says nothing of the prerequisites that either Hunger option needs to be effective. Meanwhile, Vanguard has answers to both situations between its decent baseline, burst power and ability to fight through AoE Nullification with effectiveness not contingent on time or resources. When we get more information about the world we live in and begin to establish ourselves a little, I agree that we should specialize. But until we know what problems we're facing, we should keep our options as open as possible.
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Maragas
Nothing to see here.
- Location
- Tree House
To be honest, I hate seeing Unshattered fall behind the votes. The most likely reason is the slower advancement speed which I think sounds a lot scarier than it's actually is.
First, it only affects the Accretion.
Second, the power boost it gives makes up for the slower advancement speed in Accretion as we are already in a place where it would have took us time to reach before, effectible nullifying the slower advancement speed combined with the next point.
Third, because it only affects Accretion and we are already powerful in Accretion we can focus on other magical systems for powerful synergies and effects. They don't get reduced advancement speed.
Fourth, even if Accretion speed is lower we still have Hunger. To Shatter Heavens is already a long lost dream as Hunger reduces training benefits while increasing active benefits and Unshattered just puts the nail into the coffin.
Fifth, even with slower advancement speed, if we stick with Accretion in the long term, we still have monstrous advancement rate with Hunger.
First, it only affects the Accretion.
Second, the power boost it gives makes up for the slower advancement speed in Accretion as we are already in a place where it would have took us time to reach before, effectible nullifying the slower advancement speed combined with the next point.
Third, because it only affects Accretion and we are already powerful in Accretion we can focus on other magical systems for powerful synergies and effects. They don't get reduced advancement speed.
Fourth, even if Accretion speed is lower we still have Hunger. To Shatter Heavens is already a long lost dream as Hunger reduces training benefits while increasing active benefits and Unshattered just puts the nail into the coffin.
Fifth, even with slower advancement speed, if we stick with Accretion in the long term, we still have monstrous advancement rate with Hunger.
Except that's not the case? Vanguard is vastly worse in cases where other options try to operate while not being much better in areas where they do not. Take Nightmare as an example - it massively pulls ahead in area of mental buffs, it can hold it's own when it comes to stats so it comes down to Null Resistance vs Gisena Link and super attack vs both immortality and complete alternative system of advancement.
Even before we get into actual synergies Vanguard has less raw stuff than other options do, after which it gets blown out of the water because other options have choices that actively complement each other while any synergy in Vanguard is purely coincidental. Vanguard is slightly more fighty than Nightmare and slightly more thinky than Force, but it doesn't matter because other options are much stronger in other ways.
It's not bad. It's just milquetoast. There's neither enough value nor synergy to justify it.
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- Location
- Pindorama
Praetor would still be better than what we currently have against a second incursion. And it's really hard to say that Null Resitance and a limited burst option would be more collectively useful than just being significantly smarter. That's something that helps us literally no matter what.
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
I think I have really gotten invested in Super Attacks.
[x]Auspicious Vanguard
[x]Unshattered
[x]Auspicious Vanguard
[x]Unshattered
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
If I were to argue against Vanguard, I wouldn't point to practical issues at all because its an eminently practical option. The most practical, really. But that's pretty much all there is to it, base practicality. Nice, neat, efficient and hopelessly dull. This vote is more than just a simple power vote, its a vote on our playstyle and the way you'd like the quest to be going forwards.
It's Rihaku asking us, what would you like to see next?
If you choose [ ] Force Unto, its clear you want to see us charging into the fray as a champion, with appetites and indulgences and the martial prowess necessary to dam a river with the bodies of your enemies. The Charisma fits well with this and works to mitigate the Doom, win the hearts of the people not through word or scheme but through deeds. By shedding blood to shield them from harm. And people accept a lot out of their heroes, Agammenon could hardly court martial Achilles for his disobedience and sulking. I can understand the desire for this, even if I dislike the Feast.
If you want to go straight to conquest, [ ] Nightmare Praetor is ideal. Considering how thoroughly uncoordinated these people are, tripling down on our mental attributes would let us take advantage of our first impression and immediately initiate a take over by simple virtue of competence and confidence during a time of crisis. That we're spending time on temporal matters and not as a murderhobo doesn't even disadvantage us significantly since we gain strength through simply living life. Moreover, we're likely going to end up sticking around anyway given how ridiculously powerful the mech is supposed to be so ruling is incredibly viable since that lets us bypass the Doom entirely.
[ ] Unshattered meanwhile is to decide that the hero did his time desperately seeking power and just skips straight to having it, not a hero struggling with the world but a colossus that walks astride it. I'm sympathetic to this point of view because we've spent a lot of with young or inexperienced protagonists and it would be nice to have one that's had a few miles on him. The hero has been through a lot to get where he was. And while the loss of magical potential might sting a little bit, we're still a Progression type and our skills can (eventually) achieve effects that are effectively magic by another name. For a Progression type, the fastest way to accelerate power growth is just to skip ahead on the curve so why waste time? That he's more psychologically healthy is yet another benefit; perhaps the best chance we've got of living up to the Accursed's unspoken wishes.
But Vanguard isn't taking a stand, it can only offer a shrug to these matters. I'd say it's the waifu option because it's the best at fighting with Gisena but between pushing her away and substituting her abilities with the Stroke, it doesn't even seek that. It's choosing to pass the buck to the next build vote, lying in wait rather than speaking up.
But it's a good compromise, I guess.
-
P.S: 526 words, if this counts.
It's Rihaku asking us, what would you like to see next?
If you choose [ ] Force Unto, its clear you want to see us charging into the fray as a champion, with appetites and indulgences and the martial prowess necessary to dam a river with the bodies of your enemies. The Charisma fits well with this and works to mitigate the Doom, win the hearts of the people not through word or scheme but through deeds. By shedding blood to shield them from harm. And people accept a lot out of their heroes, Agammenon could hardly court martial Achilles for his disobedience and sulking. I can understand the desire for this, even if I dislike the Feast.
If you want to go straight to conquest, [ ] Nightmare Praetor is ideal. Considering how thoroughly uncoordinated these people are, tripling down on our mental attributes would let us take advantage of our first impression and immediately initiate a take over by simple virtue of competence and confidence during a time of crisis. That we're spending time on temporal matters and not as a murderhobo doesn't even disadvantage us significantly since we gain strength through simply living life. Moreover, we're likely going to end up sticking around anyway given how ridiculously powerful the mech is supposed to be so ruling is incredibly viable since that lets us bypass the Doom entirely.
[ ] Unshattered meanwhile is to decide that the hero did his time desperately seeking power and just skips straight to having it, not a hero struggling with the world but a colossus that walks astride it. I'm sympathetic to this point of view because we've spent a lot of with young or inexperienced protagonists and it would be nice to have one that's had a few miles on him. The hero has been through a lot to get where he was. And while the loss of magical potential might sting a little bit, we're still a Progression type and our skills can (eventually) achieve effects that are effectively magic by another name. For a Progression type, the fastest way to accelerate power growth is just to skip ahead on the curve so why waste time? That he's more psychologically healthy is yet another benefit; perhaps the best chance we've got of living up to the Accursed's unspoken wishes.
But Vanguard isn't taking a stand, it can only offer a shrug to these matters. I'd say it's the waifu option because it's the best at fighting with Gisena but between pushing her away and substituting her abilities with the Stroke, it doesn't even seek that. It's choosing to pass the buck to the next build vote, lying in wait rather than speaking up.
But it's a good compromise, I guess.
-
P.S: 526 words, if this counts.
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That does tend to mean that the limits it does have are individually more important, though.
As a fictional person once said, Information is Ammunition.
I'm a bit concerned about mental contamination, but not quite enough to pass up on the rest of that effect, I think
[X] Nightmare Praetor
[X] Force Unto
I wouldn't say that. It's also good for if the other options don't impress you.
- Location
- USA
I believe this to be very untrue. What level of rule are you thinking we are going to get early? Because unless we are ruling it all, which I find very very unlikely, Doom is going to cause significant problems with greater powers and with diplomacy.
Doom isn't a problem if we can rule the most powerful force and enforce our will over the rest, but at this point we'll maybe rule a city?
It gives us access to paper, rock, and scissors in the short term. Gives us strength to fight in the short term and the long term value of keeping Hunger upgrades open as well as giving us magic suppression defense, that combos well with our only ally.
Force Unto and Nightmare does neither of these.
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
And so you'll wait for the next build vote, yes.
And that's bypassing the Doom because the only thing that matters right now is this city and this giant robot. Establishing ourselves in their moment of direst need would let us deal with the rest of their civilisation and the city's leader, come what may.
This doesn't address the point at all because you're again talking in purely practical terms. To me saying "Vanguard is dull because it has a little bit of everything" your response is "But a little bit of everything is useful". Of course it's useful, why else would it be offered? But it doesn't actually give a direction for the quest.
To put it simply, what do you want to do next? Do you wanna fight? Do you wanna scheme? Do you wanna be an epic hero? Do you wanna fight alongside and get closer to Gisena? Or do you wanna just meander along, waiting for whatever happens next? Whether or not its strictly more optimal from a pragmatic perspective is entirely besides the point.
Fanwork#1182 Words
Omake: "Not A Simple Transaction"
It was nice to have access to some semblance of modern amenities. Not of critical importance, but life wasn't solely about grand deeds and deadly adventures. A bath, warm food and a soft bed went a long way towards reducing his unreasonably high stress levels.
Gisena had acquired one of the best places they could find in this half-destroyed town, and done it with less threats than he could have managed in that state. He'd been too high-strung, going from the still aching betrayal to waiting for his execution to miraculous rescue to a dangerous fight...
It had been too much, so he had left the details up to his new acquaintance and focused on taking stock of his partially restored capabilities. She'd performed admirably, finding a house with most creature comforts one expected. Even if it was some weird form of magitech only available to a select few rather than the half-remembered ubiquitous technology of his first world.
Technology and magic. A humanity under constant threat of alien invasions. An ignorant people protected by giant biomechanical robots of all things.
Such a strange world it was, full of contradictions and paradoxes. Not that the Hero had any room to talk, he's had his fair share of experience with bizarre circumstances and impossible occurrences. But things had been relatively straightforward back then, in purpose if not execution.
Kill the Tyrant. Protect his loved ones. Save the people.
He'd failed to achieve all but the first one, and even that had been a near thing. But the world didn't run on ifs and maybes. The Hero had been granted a chance that he'd do his best to hold onto, a chance many would give up an arm and a leg for, even with the price as high as it was.
Would his parents recognize him now? The visage reflected in the standing mirror held little resemblance to the boy he'd been at the start of his journey. Harsh sulfur-yellow eyes set on a weary face that had restored some of the vigor lost in the aftermath of the battle against the Tyrant. Scarred and half-complete as he was, the Hero was objectively handsome in a way that almost transcended mortal definition, though still quintessentially human.
This was far from the innate radiance of his peak, but it was both unnerving and comfortable to have the work of years restored to him with a single agreement.
The Hero wasn't just his Legend, but it constituted a major part of him and affected almost every facet of his being. In a strange way it paralleled what he perceived of the Sorceress. There were differences, sure, but they were both part of and separate from this reality, standing out like a torch in the night due to their presence.
The door swung open and Gisena barged in brazenly, a teasing grin on her face.
"What's this I heard? You wanted to see me in your chambers?" she intoned in a lilting tone of voice. "I knew you couldn't resist my charms forever, but I'm not that easy!"
The Hero closed his eyes in exasperation. A reliable ally she might be, but Gisena never seemed to take anything seriously, approaching life as if it was a fun game. He knew it was wrong to judge by appearances, but something about her just rubbed him wrong, and it wasn't just her unnerving ability to shut down magic.
Even so, he had made a decision. Turning away from the mirror he took a moment to simply look at her. She was annoying, bewildering, unpredictable and a bunch of other epithets, but at the end of the day she was a woman who had taken a stand and protected people when they were imperiled.
That was worthy of admiration. And maybe something more, if only he could make that last step. It was harder than he thought it would be.
A rare blush colored her cheeks.
"What are you looking at me for?" she mumbled, eyes darting to the side. "You're not really going to confess, are you?"
He would have smiled if his heart wasn't clenched in painful remembrance.
The Human Sphere was shattered, embroiled in petty conflicts and meaningless strife for what felt like frivolous reasons in the face of existential peril. The Hero couldn't fulfill his task on his own and needed help. He'd decided to trust Gisena, so this was simply an extension of that, the optimal course of action to take in these circumstances.
Offer to share his Legend. Acknowledge her as a Companion. Forge a bond that would follow them for the rest of their lives.
A Hero Never Stood Alone, it was one of the things that distinguished him from the Tyrant, a strength and a weakness both. The Forbidden Arts had burned his soul irreversibly, true, but more than anything losing his last link to his wife had shattered the Hero and turned him into the broken husk of a man he'd been afterwards.
Yet the words wouldn't come from his lips. He had spoken them to others before, and all that awaited her if she accepted was a meaningless death.
He'd never acknowledged the thought, never dared to consider it seriously lest he break to pieces, but in his heart of hearts he suspected that the Legend was what contributed to how readily and timely they sacrificed themselves for him.
He couldn't subject another to this-
"Hey," she patted him on his cheek, awakening the Hero from his reverie, "were you so blinded by my beauty that you couldn't speak? Don't worry, it's quite normal."
There was still a trace of teasing in her voice, but he could see that she was worried. Worried for him.
The tide of panic receded, leaving only calm acceptance in its place. It wasn't his place to decide, all he could do was make his proposal and await her response.
"Gisena," he said abruptly. "What I have for you is an offer. It is not a simple transaction - our fates will be bound together for good or ill should you accept, and in return you will be elevated to the ranks of heroes of yore. I don't know for sure what the future holds for me, but I can promise you it will not be an easy life. I don't need to hear an immediate answer-"
"Sure, sounds interesting!" she immediately interrupted with a cheeky wink. "Sign me up."
"This is not a joke," he frowned. "I'm not exaggerating when I say that it will be a life full of danger and risks."
She completely stopped smiling at that, looking him straight in the eye with all the gravitas the moment deserved.
"If I was afraid of death," she told the Hero serenely, "I wouldn't be here in the first place."
Ah, so that was what unnerved him about her so much. It wasn't so much that she wanted to die, but rather that she cared more about things other than her safety. How uncomfortably familiar.
"In that case," he sighed. "Speak after me..."
Omake: "Not A Simple Transaction"
It was nice to have access to some semblance of modern amenities. Not of critical importance, but life wasn't solely about grand deeds and deadly adventures. A bath, warm food and a soft bed went a long way towards reducing his unreasonably high stress levels.
Gisena had acquired one of the best places they could find in this half-destroyed town, and done it with less threats than he could have managed in that state. He'd been too high-strung, going from the still aching betrayal to waiting for his execution to miraculous rescue to a dangerous fight...
It had been too much, so he had left the details up to his new acquaintance and focused on taking stock of his partially restored capabilities. She'd performed admirably, finding a house with most creature comforts one expected. Even if it was some weird form of magitech only available to a select few rather than the half-remembered ubiquitous technology of his first world.
Technology and magic. A humanity under constant threat of alien invasions. An ignorant people protected by giant biomechanical robots of all things.
Such a strange world it was, full of contradictions and paradoxes. Not that the Hero had any room to talk, he's had his fair share of experience with bizarre circumstances and impossible occurrences. But things had been relatively straightforward back then, in purpose if not execution.
Kill the Tyrant. Protect his loved ones. Save the people.
He'd failed to achieve all but the first one, and even that had been a near thing. But the world didn't run on ifs and maybes. The Hero had been granted a chance that he'd do his best to hold onto, a chance many would give up an arm and a leg for, even with the price as high as it was.
Would his parents recognize him now? The visage reflected in the standing mirror held little resemblance to the boy he'd been at the start of his journey. Harsh sulfur-yellow eyes set on a weary face that had restored some of the vigor lost in the aftermath of the battle against the Tyrant. Scarred and half-complete as he was, the Hero was objectively handsome in a way that almost transcended mortal definition, though still quintessentially human.
This was far from the innate radiance of his peak, but it was both unnerving and comfortable to have the work of years restored to him with a single agreement.
The Hero wasn't just his Legend, but it constituted a major part of him and affected almost every facet of his being. In a strange way it paralleled what he perceived of the Sorceress. There were differences, sure, but they were both part of and separate from this reality, standing out like a torch in the night due to their presence.
The door swung open and Gisena barged in brazenly, a teasing grin on her face.
"What's this I heard? You wanted to see me in your chambers?" she intoned in a lilting tone of voice. "I knew you couldn't resist my charms forever, but I'm not that easy!"
The Hero closed his eyes in exasperation. A reliable ally she might be, but Gisena never seemed to take anything seriously, approaching life as if it was a fun game. He knew it was wrong to judge by appearances, but something about her just rubbed him wrong, and it wasn't just her unnerving ability to shut down magic.
Even so, he had made a decision. Turning away from the mirror he took a moment to simply look at her. She was annoying, bewildering, unpredictable and a bunch of other epithets, but at the end of the day she was a woman who had taken a stand and protected people when they were imperiled.
That was worthy of admiration. And maybe something more, if only he could make that last step. It was harder than he thought it would be.
A rare blush colored her cheeks.
"What are you looking at me for?" she mumbled, eyes darting to the side. "You're not really going to confess, are you?"
He would have smiled if his heart wasn't clenched in painful remembrance.
The Human Sphere was shattered, embroiled in petty conflicts and meaningless strife for what felt like frivolous reasons in the face of existential peril. The Hero couldn't fulfill his task on his own and needed help. He'd decided to trust Gisena, so this was simply an extension of that, the optimal course of action to take in these circumstances.
Offer to share his Legend. Acknowledge her as a Companion. Forge a bond that would follow them for the rest of their lives.
A Hero Never Stood Alone, it was one of the things that distinguished him from the Tyrant, a strength and a weakness both. The Forbidden Arts had burned his soul irreversibly, true, but more than anything losing his last link to his wife had shattered the Hero and turned him into the broken husk of a man he'd been afterwards.
Yet the words wouldn't come from his lips. He had spoken them to others before, and all that awaited her if she accepted was a meaningless death.
He'd never acknowledged the thought, never dared to consider it seriously lest he break to pieces, but in his heart of hearts he suspected that the Legend was what contributed to how readily and timely they sacrificed themselves for him.
He couldn't subject another to this-
"Hey," she patted him on his cheek, awakening the Hero from his reverie, "were you so blinded by my beauty that you couldn't speak? Don't worry, it's quite normal."
There was still a trace of teasing in her voice, but he could see that she was worried. Worried for him.
The tide of panic receded, leaving only calm acceptance in its place. It wasn't his place to decide, all he could do was make his proposal and await her response.
"Gisena," he said abruptly. "What I have for you is an offer. It is not a simple transaction - our fates will be bound together for good or ill should you accept, and in return you will be elevated to the ranks of heroes of yore. I don't know for sure what the future holds for me, but I can promise you it will not be an easy life. I don't need to hear an immediate answer-"
"Sure, sounds interesting!" she immediately interrupted with a cheeky wink. "Sign me up."
"This is not a joke," he frowned. "I'm not exaggerating when I say that it will be a life full of danger and risks."
She completely stopped smiling at that, looking him straight in the eye with all the gravitas the moment deserved.
"If I was afraid of death," she told the Hero serenely, "I wouldn't be here in the first place."
Ah, so that was what unnerved him about her so much. It wasn't so much that she wanted to die, but rather that she cared more about things other than her safety. How uncomfortably familiar.
"In that case," he sighed. "Speak after me..."