The question is whether Greg has the intelligence to immediately raise his Wisdom. He strikes me as the type to spend stat points like water as soon as they become available.
Wait... 80% reduction of Wisdom, not a hard wisdom penalty...
80% of 5 is 1, so base Wis is 5, plus 4 statpoints is 9. 1/5th of 9 is 2, rounding up. That's.... Remarkably inefficient. Damn near crippling, especially since Wisdom is a survival skills, not just a stat.
Shit, son, you better make a quest for removing ambiguous disorders.
Dexter "Fingers" Clark glanced up from where he sat, slumped against an alley wall, and looked in the direction his friend, Knives, was gesturing in.
The sight was enough to make him raise an eyebrow.
Fingers had seen his fair share of odd-looking figures. It kind of came standard once you became a Merchant. You saw weird shit all the time. Sometimes, it was cape shit. Capes were always a little bit off.
Everyone knew that.
Sometimes, it was just regular people being weird as fuck.
In this case, it seemed more like the second.
As Fingers spotted the person walking towards them, he was already suspicious. This side of the Trainyard belonged to a few specific types of individual. Namely, the homeless, drug addicts and gang members. Unsurprisingly, members of the Archer's Bridge Merchants were usually all three.
It was well understood that people in this part of Brockton Bay had certain common identifiers. No one that clean and in clothes that new was in this part of town because they belonged here, no matter how weird they looked.
Fingers snorted. "Yeah, I'm seeing this. It ain't just you."
"Whaddya think it wants?"
"It's a he, Knives."
"The fuck I care? I want his hoodie." Knives punctuated his sentence by spitting up a thick wad of phlegm right at Fingers' feet, causing the larger man to send his partner a dirty look. "And his pants too."
"I mean, he doesn't look like your size," Fingers muttered, pulling himself to his feet. "Probably outweighs you too."
"You think I wanna wear that GAP-looking shit?" Knives shot back, baring stained and dirty teeth in an annoyed grimace.
Fingers snorted at Knives attempt to look threatening, fixing the black man with a glare of his own. "You got on a ratty-ass wife-beater that stinks like shit. those jeans are dirty as fuck and your shoes are torn all to hell. You need clothes more than I do."
It wasn't even an exaggeration. What they both had on, ratty and stained as it was, was par for the course when it came to most of the Merchants. Oversized, or undersized, stained or mismatched, it didn't really matter. They wore what they could.
"Who the fuck asked your horse-looking ass?" The tiny man raised a hand to scratch at his patchy beard, clearing his throat roughly as he did so. "Fuck it, I say we find out what this fuck wants, then we jump his ass, take his wallet and sell the rest of his shit."
Fingers shrugged, uncaring.
"Sure, why not?" It's not like he was the type to turn down a chance to make money.
The bundled-up figure walked closer to the two Merchants, allowing Fingers to get a good look at him. With him wearing a hoodie, a pair of goggles, and a scarf over his face, not to mention the odd gloves, shoes and sports pads he had on, it was hard to tell what the person actually looked like. For a moment, Fingers was wary. The thought that this could be some new cape looking to pick a fight flashed through his mind and his fingers clenched into a fist.
*...uh, Hey."
With dawning surprise, Fingers realized that the figure huddled up in these clothes was a kid.
Then, the kid spoke again.
"Uhhh… um, do…" Fingers raised an eyebrow at the cracking voice, expression growing more incredulous as he saw the kid's hands tapping at his sides in a nervous tic. "Do… do you guys know where I can… uhh… get some… uhhh… get some... some drugs?"
The last word came out in a conspiratorial whisper, the boy leaning in slightly as if anyone in the Trainyards would bother listening in.
Fingers snorted again, turning his head down to laugh into the back of his hand. "Fuckin' first-timers, man," the gang member muttered to himself, wiping his nose with wrist.
The tattooed man shot a glance over at Knives, raising an eyebrow at the way the tattooed man eyed the boy in front of them. He could tell his friend was getting ready to pounce, just by the way his thin fingers trailed over his switchblade as if petting a small animal. Putting a hand on his partner's shoulder to get his attention, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder, giving Knives a signal to hang back while he did business.
Knives shot him a dark look, his eyes flicking back to the kid for a second, before finally nodding and turning the corner, stepping deeper into the alley.
Shaking his head, Fingers turned back to the kid, flashing the twitchy-looking brat his nicest smile before he got it in his head to run away. He leaned forward, still smiling as warmly as he could. "So, kid, what are you loo-"
"[Angry Straight!]"
Before Fingers could finish the sentence, a gloved fist slammed into his stomach.
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Dexter "Fingers" Clark
Lv 4 Merchant Gofer (Junkie)
HP: 90/120
Greg blinked in surprise as he watched the gangster's HP fall. 30 points! Awesome!
After equipping a thick hoodie that granted him an extra ten HP, a pair of sports goggles that unlocked his [Reflexes] ability, and a scarf that gave him +2 to [Feinting], all in addition to his kickboxing equipment, he had decided to go hunting for a bad guy to punch.
Setting out towards the Trainyards was a great idea for anyone looking to get into trouble and a perfect place to beat up some gang members. Once the system has confirmed his great idea by granting him a free WIS point, Greg was dead set on heading down there.
Setting out to the Trainyards around three o'clock in the afternoon was less of a great idea, considering Merchants tended to be nocturnal creatures. Despite all that, after walking around the Trainyards for a bit, it didn't take Greg all that long to find a couple of them.
After confirming with his [Observe] that these were actually Merchants, and not just two guys down on their luck, Greg struck.
Specifically, with his [Angry Straight].
The man stumbled back, a look of pained shock on his face as he clutched his stomach. Greg brought his fists up, ready to react if he moved at him. Yeesh, I thought that would at least knock him down!
The taller, lankier man didn't fall, instead collapsing back against a wall with an audible groan.
His friend, the smaller man barely up to Greg's shoulder, rushed out of the alley. His eyes flickered to his fallen partner before those same twitchy, bloodshot eyes darted over to Greg. In a burst of motion, he lashed out, a visible glint in his right hand.
Greg recoiled in pain, hissing as he felt something slash the arm of his hoodie. Despite the heavy blend hoodie supposedly granting him +10 to health, that extra ten points didn't seem all that useful right now. He bit down another shout as the man lunged forward again, the blade jabbing him in the stomach.
Greg's eyes widened as he felt the familiar warm, sticky sensation of blood as it hit his skin. The teen scrambled backwards, screaming out "Power Sprint!" at the top of his lungs. In a burst of yellow, he ran back a few meters, surprising the short man in front of him with both the surge of speed and the flash of light.
"Knives" Freeman
Lv 6 Merchant Slasher (Junkie)
HP: 170/170
Crap! Crap! Crap! Greg's face paled. I don't have enough Will to Angry Strike them both to zero.
"You little shit! Fuck you think this is?" Knives rushed forward again, cursing up a storm as he bared his rotten teeth at Greg. "I'll fucking cut you! I'll rip your fucking guts out!"
Greg dodged the first lunge, but let out a small shout as the second managed to scrape his side.
-5 hp
His breathing coming rapid and quick, Greg jumped back and shouted out "[Inventory: Hammer!]"
Said hammer flew from Greg's hand, appearing out of nowhere, straight toward the head of the Merchant. Simply out of raw luck, the man dodged, his head whipping to the side as the heavy tool rushed by his unprotected cranium. Greg winced as his attack missed. Crap on a cracker. I mean, I didn't think that would even work but still… crap. Why did I only bring one?
The gangster whipped back to Greg, surprise and a hint of fear mixing in with his anger. "What the fuck? The fuck is this shit?"
Greg didn't waste a single moment to even glance at the pop-ups. "[Power Sprint!] [Angry Straight!]"
His body and fist glowing a bright yellow, Greg rushed forward. Enhanced by his momentum, his hand plowed into the man's chest, knocking him back with a powerful blow.
"Knives" Freeman
HP: 120/170
Knives bared his teeth and grunted as the hit rocked him, the tiny man powering through the strike with a rabid fury. With a snarl, he lunged forward again, swinging wildly at Greg with his switchblade.
Greg's wrist snapped up, the back of his hand catching the underside of the gangster's wrist and striking it downwards. The black man's eyes widened as his knife fell from his grip and clattered down the street.
Breathing heavily, Greg didn't let up, driving his fist into the man's face and doing the same with his other before screaming out, "[Angry Straight!] [Angry Straight!] [Angry Straight!]" His fist glowed as he continued striking the man, interspersing regular hits in between his uses of [Angry Straight] and pummeling the man with a blistering six-hit combo. A heavy sensation began to crawl up Greg's muscles and his eyes widened.
Stepping back from the gangster, Greg shouted out "[Power Sprint!] [Inventory: Gatorade!]" As he ran a few feet away, a bottle of the flavored water appeared in his hand. Twisting off the gap, Greg gulped the drink down, not even bothering to avoid spilling any on his clothes.
Greg blinked, his breathing still heavy as he stared at the fallen thug. The tiny man lay slumped on the ground, bruising already visible on his face.. "Is he done?" Greg voiced aloud, while in his head, he couldn't help but wonder, Is he dead?
Tentatively, he stretched his foot out, poking the Merchant with the tip of his toe. As Greg's foot touched the man's side, he let out a groan, the sound nearly causing Greg to jump out of his skin.
The teenager held his breath. 1… 2… 3…
The Merchant didn't move.
"Yes!" Greg's hands went up in the air, his fingers on both hands forming into a "v". "I beat my first bad guy! Operation: Unlimited Power is a go!" With a relieved sigh, the teenager glanced back down at the unconscious thug, simply giving a shrug at the sight. Someone'll find him. It's not like he's dead or anything.
As he turned around to head back home, Greg suddenly stopped after brealized that he hadn't received either a quest notification or a level up notification. But I beat the b-
Something slammed into him from behind, hard and heavy. Greg stumbled forward and fell to his hands and knees, his head feeling like someone had taken a bat to it.
-30 hp
Greg coughed and sputtered as his hands and knees hit the ground, rolling to the side on instinct. To his right, a hammer hit the ground, cracking the concrete as the curved end hit the building material. My hammer?
Shocked, Greg scrambled back on his hands and knees, glancing up to see the person holding the hammer.
Dexter "Fingers" Clark
Lv 4 Merchant Gofer (Junkie)
HP: 91/120
The guy I hit before? How'd he get my hammer? Greg thought, confusion visible on his face. A moment later, he remembered what he had used it for. "Oh… oh yeah, that was a dumb idea."
Fingers stared at him with manic eyes, more tired than bloodshot, and raised the hammer again.
Greg acted without thinking and jumped forwards, pouncing on the merchant. His hand snapped out, grabbing the junkie's emaciated wrist and squeezing as tightly as he could.
"Sorry, but this… this is mine." With a twist, he wrenched the hammer from the junkie, slamming an elbow into the man's throat at the same time, his legs straddling the man's torso. "You shouldn't steal!"
"Taking people's stuff is wrong!" Greg brought the hammer down.
The thug jerked, lunging at Greg with a curse on his lips.
Greg did it again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
Breathing heavy as the junkie lay still beneath him, Greg let out a relieved sigh. "At least that's finally over."
"Niiice." Smiling widely as he stood up, Greg wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead with his free hand. Tossing the hammer up into the air, he caught it again, noting with slight interest how much easier that was to pull off than when he tried it at home.
Shaking his head, he intoned, "[Send to Inventory.]" The hammer vanished, leaving both of Greg's hands free and allowing him to wipe his blood-covered hands on his black jeans. "Uggh, is this mine or theirs?"
Glancing back at the two fallen thugs, Greg couldn't hide the smile on his face. He had done this, all by himself. Taking down two grown men in about five minutes wasn't something a lot of kids his age could say. Unless you're the Wards, Greg admitted to himself. Those guys can probably say that all the time.
"This win kinda feels empty, ya know? You know what this moment needs?" Greg nodded to himself as he began to walk back the way he came from. "Some victory music. Not like theme music, more like a BGM to play after I win a fight or something. Don't I have an options menu to set that in or something?"
Greg mulled over it, his head already nodding along to the victory music he had chosen in his head. "Eh, I'll check when I get home."
Leaving behind two bleeding and unconscious bodies unattended in the worst part of town, Greg Veder began to make his way home with a smile on his face and a song in his heart.
Leaving behind two bleeding and unconscious bodies unattended in the worst part of town, Greg Veder began to make his way home with a smile on his face and a song in his heart.
Yeah, they dead. I mean, between exposure, the neighborhood, blood loss, and the fact that being knocked out for any length of time tends to result in permanent brain damage, it doesn't look good for them.
Will Greg get an exp bonus when they die? Maybe an extra quest to clean up the evidence?
Yeeeaaaaah. I like - in a literary appreciation sense - that Greg is oblivious to the fact that he did just basically leave those two to their deaths.
I wonder if this will put him on the police or PRT radar. Weirdly, bashing Fingers with the hammer repeatedly didn't kill him. Greg's videogame powers must be semi-protecting his targets, too. (Incidentally, I like that this version of hp-ifying his damage leaves real wound effects and actually hurts. The 'light bleeding' actually being a cut that bled was a nice touch.) Nothing Greg did to them screams "Cape;" it's all stuff that a single well-trained normal could do, or a larger gang of normals. So more likely police attention, at least until he gains a reputation somehow. Sophia was only caught and pegged for the near-murder of that thug because crossbows are signature. If Shadow Stalker was a gun-toting vigilante, proving it was her gunshot rather than that of any other gangbanger or even self-defense-oriented civilian would have been much, much harder.
How are you a hundred percent sure he didn't kill him? He checked if the first guy was dead and you saw that the first guys HP only said KO. However, I never gave any indication whether Hammer guy survived. In fact, I purposely left it vague.
How are you a hundred percent sure he didn't kill him? He checked if the first guy was dead and you saw that the first guys HP only said KO. However, I never gave any indication whether Hammer guy survived. In fact, I purposely left it vague.
Ah; I took the checking as being on both. And I figured Greg would notice the sickening level of "crunch" involved in beating somebody to death with a hammer.
It's not randomly changing but with the debuff for wisdom being 80% of his overall, he won't be able to have two wisdom until he has at least 8 overall points there. The debuff is increasing and number because he's gained more points to his wisdom but not enough.
It's not randomly changing but with the debuff for wisdom being 80% of his overall, he won't be able to have two wisdom until he has at least 8 overall points there. The debuff is increasing and number because he's gained more points to his wisdom but not enough.
His -80% penalty to WIS means that the -X value is actually -(WIS*.8). Right now, his actual unpenalized WIS would be 7. The value of 7*.8 is 5.6. The system either applies a ceiling function to penalties, or it rounds them, because ceil(5.6) and round(5.6) are both 6. Either way, he has a WIS of 7-6=1 effective right now.
When he hits 8 base WIS, his penalty will be 8*.8=6.4. If the system is using a ceiling function, he'll STILL have a WIS of 1, and will do so until he hits WIS 10 (at which point 10-(10*.8)=10-8=2). If it's rounding the penalty, however, 6.4 rounds DOWN to 6, so a WIS of 8 will yield a final penalty of -6 and his total will be 8-6=2 WIS.
Either way, that's a MASSIVE penalty, and will greatly slow his WIS advancement.
His -80% penalty to WIS means that the -X value is actually -(WIS*.8). Right now, his actual unpenalized WIS would be 7. The value of 7*.8 is 5.6. The system either applies a ceiling function to penalties, or it rounds them, because ceil(5.6) and round(5.6) are both 6. Either way, he has a WIS of 7-6=1 effective right now.
When he hits 8 base WIS, his penalty will be 8*.8=6.4. If the system is using a ceiling function, he'll STILL have a WIS of 1, and will do so until he hits WIS 10 (at which point 10-(10*.8)=10-8=2). If it's rounding the penalty, however, 6.4 rounds DOWN to 6, so a WIS of 8 will yield a final penalty of -6 and his total will be 8-6=2 WIS.
Either way, that's a MASSIVE penalty, and will greatly slow his WIS advancement.
It rounds. It's not a ceiling. This was partly to prevent Greg from becoming rapidly OOC within a few chapters. What teenage boy wouldn't immediately powerlevel his CHA or WIS if he could?
It rounds. It's not a ceiling. This was partly to prevent Greg from becoming rapidly OOC within a few chapters. What teenage boy wouldn't immediately powerlevel his CHA or WIS if he could?
CHA I get, but for WIS: Man, that's such an useless stat. Who needs it? I have better things to spend my stat points on.
Investing in wisdom is a wise decision. Thus, an unwise person will not make it.
It rounds. It's not a ceiling. This was partly to prevent Greg from becoming rapidly OOC within a few chapters. What teenage boy wouldn't immediately powerlevel his CHA or WIS if he could?
A lot, actually, I'd bet. Gamers who want the mage path will, because WIS == will save and/or mana regen or something like that. If they're D&D 3e or later types, Cha might be a casting stat to them.
Most teen boys would like to be more popular, so Cha would be attractive to them, but they also might associate popularity with accomplishments that seem to bring it, and go for STR. In fact, STR would probably be most teenaged boys' preference, because it's the most obvious "super" stat and it allows them to be "handsome" if they think it comes with musculature. VIT for those who think fitness over muscle will do it. A few who already are athletic might know to appreciate DEX.
The trouble with low WIS and low INT is that you may not realize, with them low, that having them higher would be good.
WIS, in particular. INT? That's grades. That's maybe being a nerd, but nerd-wizards are powerful and while nerds aren't cool, being smart like them without having to spend all that time studying would be cool. WIS, though? What's it good for?
How many teens do you actually hear saying, "Man, I wish I was wiser?" Smarter, faster, stronger, prettier, more popular, sure. Wiser? They often think they ARE as wise as they need to be.
Veder is going to go on suicide risk if/when the debuff is removed and he remembers some of the fucking stupid stuff he has done. It'll be a 500% increase in wisdom instantly, that sort of epiphany is going to send him insane......unless you are planning on a downgrading the debuff as he becomes more self aware.....or that one giant devastating dump of awareness is what you want.
That's kind of evil.
Repressing a snort, Greg turned his head slightly, locking his gaze on the girl a few seats across from Micah. "[Observe.]"
Janet Barry
Student - Cheerleader
Lvl 2
Huge boobs. Real annoying voice, though. Called you a "mucho creepazoid" in Freshman year after you asked her to Homecoming. Kind of a bitch.
Has a crush on Empire wannabe, Mal Steiger.
His head lolled as he rested his chin on an upraised palm, glancing away from the busty bitch of a cheerleader before she noticed him staring. That was a situation that he didn't want to have to deal with again. His head turned listlessly to the side and locked on another girl.
Ever since his little outing yesterday afternoon, Greg had gotten only one more quest and that one almost wasn't worth it. Only getting 75 XP for cleaning up the mess he made in the garage was kind of a letdown, but Greg didn't let it bother him too much. Instead, he decided to spend the rest of the day grinding his stats, to mild success.
However, that was when he was at home.
At school, he couldn't exactly do pushups until his body gave out to level STR (+2) and neither could he slam a pan into his face over and over to bulk up his VIT (+1). In class, there was nothing for Greg to really do as he sat here, especially considering Sparky had been suspended since last week.
So, Greg simply sat there with nothing to do, barely listening to the teacher as she went over something related to the chapters of some book they were supposed to have read over the weekend.
Nothing to do, except power-level his [Observe] skill, of course.
Madison Clements
Student
Lvl 2
Tiny and cute. If life was an anime, she'd be a loli. Desperately wishes she had gotten into Arcadia. Terrified of Sophia Hess.
Greg raised an eyebrow at that description but didn't pay it much thought, turning aside to someone else. "[Observe.]"
Nina Barry
Student
Lvl 3
The bitch's fraternal twin. Less annoying voice. Actually kinda nice. Has a girl-crush on Glory Girl. Big cape geek. Wants to be a parahuman more than anything.
Greg blinked, his head tilting as his gaze tilted downwards towards Andy's waist. A moment later, he shook his head, shuddering. I really didn't need to know that.
Skill Level Up!
Observe Lvl 3 A skill to find out basic information relating to the chosen object.
Reveals more information about the subject dependent on your level compared to theirs.
Nodding at the screen's message, Greg glanced towards the back of the room, eyes glazing over as he spotted a familiar head of beautiful, brown hair. An earnest smile immediately leapt onto his face as she lifted her head and caught his eye, the same smile dimming slightly when she simply stared past him like he didn't exist.
Greg sighed slightly, before shrugging his shoulders at the usual behavior from her. "[Observe.]"
Wait, what? Greg did a double-take, not at Taylor's… interesting description, but at the fact that her level and class were hidden behind a wall of question marks. The question marks themselves were doing a great job at drawing his attention away from the super embarrassing color commentary his [Observe] had given him. Where's her stats? I've never seen anyone have question marks before.
"Weird." Greg pursed his face. Maybe I need to level up [Observe] more?
"Mr Veder!"
Greg flinched, jerking back to attention at the sudden shout of his name. Glancing up, he spotted his English teacher glaring at him over her glasses.
"Uh…" Greg froze as he realized that the whole class, sans Taylor, was staring at him, most of them with mocking smiles on their own faces.
"Uhhh… yes, Ms Gherry?" Greg gulped as the look on her face seemed to tighten. Ms Gherry was apparently in one of her moods. Most of the time the woman was distant and barely paid attention to the class except to read from a book. On other days, she was a complete battle-axe.
Greg guessed her anger issues stemmed from man troubles. He also doubted her ability to keep a boyfriend when she add anger issues, causing her to keep looking for another one. A vicious cycle, really.
"I was just about to go over the homework and I noticed you were busy paying attention to something else with no assignment even on your desk." The woman folded her arms over her chest, slowly walking over to Greg where he sat at the corner of the room nearest the entrance.
We had an assignment? Greg winced.
When she reached the front of his desk, Greg was forced to crane his head up especially high to stare at the statuesque woman. He bit his tongue, the first words on his lips almost being, "Speak louder. I cant hear you from up there."
"Mr Veder, I have to ask if you did the homework I assigned?"
"The… the homework," Greg blinked, trying his hardest not to phrase it like a question. He glanced at the desks surrounding him, his heart dropping into his stomach as he realized everyone else had papers on their desk, either written or typed. "You're asking me if I did it?"
As Ms Gherry raised an eyebrow, Greg hurriedly answered. "Of course! Of course, I did it. It's just… I left it at home." Greg spouted the lie, doing his best to sound like he believed it.
New Ability Gained!
Bullshitting
First, you tell a lie; then you believe it; then you become it.
Greg did his best not to twitch or even stare at the screen that appeared over his teacher's bust, locking his eyes directly on her face.
"Tell me, Mr Veder." Her steely eyes narrowed, and Greg found himself tilting backwards in his seat as she leaned forwards, clasping a manicured hand around the corner of his desk. "Be honest with me. Did you even do the reading of Part 1 of the Divine Comedy? The Inferno? The same reading I assigned on Thursday?"
Greg could hear snickers and the sound of muttering wafting throughout the class, before Ms Gherry snapped to face the other students, quieting them down with a stare.
"What? Come on, Ms Gherry," Greg scoffed, averting his eyes for a moment. "Of course I read Dante's Divine Comedy."
Greg knew very well that the book sat on top of his dresser, unopened since he brought it home. "I loved it. It was a great book. I just forgot the homework – that I did do – at home." You sit on a throne of lies!
Ms Gherry seemed to relax slightly, unfolding her arms as she stared down at him.
Greg, taking cues from her, released a breath he wasn't aware that he had been holding and let out a relieved sigh.
"You know, I was considering giving you detention for being the only one in the class not to have completed either the reading or the assignment," Ms Gherry began. "However, since you claim to have completed the assignment and read the Inferno, I'll give you credit for both."
Greg's jaw dropped. "Really?"
The teacher's announcement was met with loud jeers from most of the class, the students vocally upset about an arrangement they considered unfair.
"Quiet." Ms Gherry only had to raise her voice just slightly to shut down the noise, the iciness of her tone conveying the message well enough. "I wasn't done speaking." Turning back to Greg, she gave him a slight smile, the facial expression making Greg tense slightly. "Now, Mr Veder, I'll give you full credit for both assignments," she held up a finger, "on one condition."
"And the penny drops," Greg muttered to himself.
Ms Gherry's smile turned cold as she stretched her arm out, gesturing toward the front of the classroom. "The condition being that you give a short presentation – an oral report, to be exact – on everything you wrote, the summary of part one of Dante's Divine Comedy and what you felt it means. If you can't do it, then you have detention… for a week."
Someone in the class let out a soft "Oh, damn."
Wincing, Greg raised a finger. "D… did you say a week?"
"A week, as in seven days. Starting today and ending next week Wednesday. But all that is just a formality, really." The teacher continued smiling coldly, her eyes showing how little she meant it. "After all, you said you did the work."
Quest Created!
Pull Something out of your Butt
Details: Get through this presentation any way you can.
Success: Increased reputation with Nicole Gherry. 500 XP.
Failure: Decreased reputation with Taylor Hebert, 7-Day Detention
If you're gonna screw me over that badly, you freaking Amazon, you might as well take me out to dinner first. Greg closed his eyes and let out a quick breath before opening them a moment later, flashing his Literature teacher his brightest grin. "No problem, teach. I can handle this."
As he stood up from his desk, Greg began to plan, his mind whirring as he tried to find a way to get through this. Dante's Divine Comedy. Dante's Divine… Comedy. Why does that name sound familiar? Where do I know this from?
As Greg faced the class, he could see out of the corner of his eye that Ms Gherry was just standing up against the wall, eyes firmly on him.
He opened his mouth. "Hey, guys. Umm… today, I'm going to talk about Dante… Dante and his Inferno." I swear to God that name sounds familiar.
"Dante," Greg continued, "I mean… Dante, we all know who Dante is, right?" He spread his arms out as he gestured toward his audience, receiving nothing but bored and amused faces in return.
"Yes", interrupted Ms Gherry from her position on the wall, "yes, they do. They did the work. This is about your knowledge, Mr Veder."
Greg laughed, his voice cracking slightly as he tried his best not to sound nervous. "Yeah, of course. I know that. Engaging with the audience is just part of a presentation, Ms Gherry."
Ability Level Up
Bullshitting Lv 2
First, you tell a lie; then you believe it; then you become it.
Increases chances that any lie you tell is successful by 2%
"Uh-huh," the teacher's smile tightened, "Engage less. You do realize, that when you get detention, I will be calling your mother."
Wow, not if. When. God, she's not just screwing me over. She's going in dry too. "G-got it," Greg replied.
Turning back to the class, Greg began again. "Dante's Inferno is about… is about..."
Greg paused, familiar memories hitting him. Memories of nearly four straight days on his console playing and replaying a great game. Holy Hell, that's it! Dante's Inferno! How did I forget? I played the story mode so many times.
Greg smiled at his classmates, mulling over what little he remembered of the game's plot for a moment.
Then, he spoke.
"Dante's Inferno is about a man named Dante who enters Hell through a crack in the ground. He enters Hell to go and find this girl named Beatrice, I think, who died," Greg said, shrugging.
"Anyway, Dante really loves her 'cause she's his girlfriend or wife or something. So, the guy heads into Hell and ends up at this big river." Greg paused, holding up a hand. "Actually, before he gets to the river, he meets this dude named Virgil and then he gets past a gate or something to get to the river, I think.
"Anyway, the river is where souls cross into actual Hell and Dante has to get across. To be honest, I didn't get why there was a lake in Hell. Bad writing, maybe. Even if there's a lake, why can't he just swim, right?" Shaking his hand, Greg continues. "Forget the swimming part. So, he goes through Hell, and basically, Hell is divided into like nine areas or, I think, circles or something? And it goes like," Greg held up nine fingers and began counting down.
"Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger… uhh, Heretics, Heresy?" Greg shrugged again, shaking his head. "And… uh, Violence, Fraud and Treachery. I also didn't really get why violence was separate from anger and greed was separate from gluttony. Why add two extra circles when you could have just had seven, am I right? Like, save yourself the time. Oh, yeah, there was also a city in Hell, which was really weird because who's gonna live there? Demons? Why would they need a city? They're demons."
Greg couldn't help but emphasize this part as it never made sense to him in the game. "Who's the mayor of Hell? Lucifer didn't live there so it couldn't be him. Does the city have a stable economy? Do they pay taxes? I'm assuming this was kind of a type of fanfiction of the Bible but since I don't ever plan on reading the Bible, I'm gonna assume it is." Greg nodded, turning back to his teacher. "That's it. That's basically all I remember from the ga-"
Greg's eyes widened as he caught himself from ruining his whole speech. "That's all I remember from… from what I wrote. That's all of Dante's Inferno that I can remember."
Ms Gherry stared at him with half-lidded eyes, her smile long gone. After a few seconds of tense silence, she let out a deep sigh. "You know, Mr Veder. I'm surprised that you weren't actually lying."
"Me? Lie?" Greg made a raspberry noise, averting his eyes again. "I'm a terrible liar."
Ms Gherry nodded in agreement. "I know. That's why I said I was surprised. Full credit. Now get back to your seat."
By being extremely convincing, your CHA has increased by 1.
Through recalling long-forgotten but relevant information, your INT has increased by 1.
Flashing his teacher and the class a shit-eating grin, Greg walked over to his seat. "Anyone wanna give me one up top for that awesome presentation I just pulled off?" Greg grinned at the three people sitting closest to him, raising a hand to be high-fived. "Andy? Janet? Madison?... No?"
Greg shrugged. "Fine, be haters. I'll high-five myself."
And he did.
It felt awesome.
AN:
After some complaints, I have noticed that the way I display stat modifiers is somewhat confusing. After some notes from a beta reader who I consulted solely regarding the numbers involved in this fic, I will be changing the way stat modifiers are displayed in the chapter on Greg's stat list from this point on. Please look below to how that will be displayed. Also, I removed the 50% bonus to CHA and just increased it from a +5 CHA bonus to a +9 CHA bonus. Thank you.
Will he make the connection between Taylor and Sophia Status (when he sees them both) with the Status of other parahumans that he will encounter ? I just want to see that little moment of realization enter his mind, maybe waking up suddenly at 4am with a "Holy Fuck !"
And offcourse, his INT or WIS increment for the revelation.
Gamer's Body (Passive) Lv. MAX Allows you to live life as if were a game.
Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects.
Gamer's Mind (Passive) Lv. MAX Grants immunity to mental status effects, trauma and severe or debilitating emotional states.
Observe Lv 3 (XP: 5%) A skill to find out basic information relating to the chosen object. Cost: 1 MP
Power Sprint Lv 1 (XP: 90%) Need to get away or get to someplace slightly faster than just regular running? Use this skill. Cost: 1 Will every ten seconds.
Angry Straight Lv 3 (XP: 95%) Hit like an amateur light-weight using your anger in place of actual, physical muscle.
Damage: 30
Cost: 5 Will
Dash Straight Lv 1 (XP: 25%) Force equals Mass times Acceleration.
You may suck at physics, but you know that much.
By combining Power Sprint with Angry Straight, you smash your fist into a target while moving at high speed.
Damage scales based on distance Power Sprinted. (1.25x Damage Cap)
Damage: 40
Cost: 7 Will + 1 Will for every meter power sprinted
Raging Combo Lv 1 (XP: 25%) A blistering barrage of belligerent blows built to batter baddies.
By repeatedly using weaker forms of Angry Straight, you pummel your target with raw frustration and anger. (6 Hits)
Damage: 60
Cost: 10 Will
Basic Fighting Lv 1 (XP: 95%) The best fighter is not a Boxer, Karate or Judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt to any style.
Basic Fighting involves the understanding of proper stances as well as the correct way to throw and block a kick or punch.
Basic Footwork Lv 1 (XP: 85%) Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Basic Footwork involves keeping your balance and controlling your positioning during a fight.
Blunt Force Resistance Lv. 16 (XP: 8%) Going from punching yourself in the face to actual self-mutilation?
Bold move, Veder. Let's see if it pays off.
Reduce all blunt force damage by 12%.
Brawling Lv 1 (XP: 80%) [Basic Fighting] variant I'm whatcha call a street fighter, a knuckle brawler.
Grants limited knowledge of dirty fighting techniques.
Bullshitting Lv 3 (XP: 25%) First, you tell a lie; then you believe it; then you become it.
Increases chances that any lie you tell is successful by 6%
Disarm Lv 1 (XP: 75%) Take their weapon from their warm, living hands.
Increases chance of disarming the enemy by 2%.
Parry Lv 2 (XP: 50%) To deflect an attack is a double-edged sword;
Risking more damage for the chance to inflict the same.
Increases the effectiveness of any attempt to divert or deflect a physical attack by 4%
Piercing Resistance Lv 1 (XP: 50%) The thrust or stab is risky because it can kill and yet not stop.
Reduces piercing or stabbing damage by less than 1%.
Slashing Resistance Lv 1 (XP: 90%) The cut will stop but not kill.
Reduces slashing or cutting damage by less than 1%.
Thrown Weapons Lv 1 (XP: 15%) Throwing your sword always works. Except, you know, when it doesn't.
Increases the skill, range and force by which items and weapons can be thrown by 2%
Will he make the connection between Taylor and Sophia Status (when he sees them both) with the Status of other parahumans that he will encounter ? I just want to see that little moment of realization enter his mind, maybe waking up suddenly at 4am with a "Holy Fuck !"
And offcourse, his INT or WIS increment for the revelation.
