My Heroic Levelling

[Ars Longinus]

You are Izuku Midoriya, a, formerly, quirkless kid. You say formerly because you suddenly gained the ability to treat the world like your favourite game not long ago. With your new power, you aim to become a hero. But watch over your shoulder, for both those who lurk in the shadows, and they who walk in the light aim to stop you in your path.

So, before we begin, you voters will be choosing which video game set up our little hero will be using in the story. So my friends, below are your choices:

[ ]A very loose system with unclear rules, meaning exploration is easy, but restrictions and unforeseen consequences are common.
[ ]A more fixed set of rules, so less manipulation with each power, but restrictions and consequences are a more clear factor.
[ ]A controlled system, where all power progression can only be made by levelling, gaining new items and such, however all restrictions are plainly known and so are consequences.

So, just to make something clear. Despite this being a gamer story, you will not be overpowered at the start, or ever. Levelling may feel a bit slow, so massive increases in power that way won't be common. Most of your increase in strength will be learning and exploiting what you can currently do. What I mean is that your strength will all be determined by how interestingly you can use magic, physical abilities, weapons and other things you may gain.

TL;DR: No OP Izuku

Other notes for the story:
Other MHA characters gaining abilities, equipment and such is unlikely to occur unless directly chosen by the players.
Any major departures from MHA cannon can occur due to the actions of the player, so you can derail at any time, just make my life difficult!
But seriously, there are no assurances this will follow cannon due to the choices you make.

 

[Ars Longinus]

So... an unsurprising result, considering how I wrote the choices. I hope you have good karma with the Dice Gods and RNGesus, cause I don't, and they are who now hold your fate. Enjoy!

A piece of advice before we begin. You have chosen the option with the least pre-defined... everything. This means three things:
1. New ways of using powers are better learned during free time. If you try to use powers in completely new ways in combat, you will be rolling with negation and/or disadvantage, depending on the situation.
2. You have limited hours in a day, as well as resources. Manage them! Don't, and we will get a dead end, and I don't want to deal with those. Everything takes something, remember that.
3. Skills and abilities will be ill-defined, so there is manipulation there. BUT, so are the restrictions and consequences, so things like sudden failure if I and the Dice Gods decide you went outside the capacity of the power WILL occur, so please don't blame me for stoping creativity. This is the consequence of the system you chose.

Have Fun!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
White.

That was all you could see as you stood in the blank void, an ethereal white space that seemed to contradict itself in every way possible. It shined yet looked dull to your green eyes. Seemed flat yet had depth.

"W-w-where am I?" you mutter, glancing around at the endless plain of white. Suddenly, a trio of ornate doors appear around you, each at equal distance from each other and you.

The door to your left was carved stone, the face depicting an ornate and complex scene of a hydra swallowing the planets and sun, its every scale and muscle perfectly defined in the façade.

Glancing right you see another door, this time made of black metal. Its structure was as if it had been made of separate sheets of metal had been welded together, its' interlocking pattern making it appear as if the door was a picture of two dragons battling each other.

Finally turning to look at the last door, air caught in your throat. What stood in front of you was a structure of glass shards, compiled together to form this door. The lines of glass formed an elegant eight-pointed star, with an open eye at its centre.

The glass door begins to shine, a chromatic display constantly gaining in intensity as more and more light seeped out of the gaps between the pieces of glass. Fractures began to spread like a virus across its surface, breaking the façade.

The last thing you could see before the door shattered, and you were blinded by the light, was the eye of the star looking directly at you, accompanied by a burning sensation along your arms.

As the world began to fade away, you heard a voice ring through your mind.

「Game Start」
「New Game Save Created」
「"Welcome Player, to Eye of the Star"」​

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You wake up, blurry-eyed and breathing heavily, sweat soaking your clothes and the sheets of your bed. 'What was that?' you question as you raise your hand to rub sleep out of your eyes. You stop as you notice something in the corner of your eye.

「Izuku Midoriya, has participated in a long rest. Status: Null; Mana: Max」
​

That message floats in the air in white text on a blue screen. Your eyes widen as you look at it, but the screen disappears before you can confirm what you're looking at is real. "W-what?" you question as you stare at empty air.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[ ] Ignore it
-[ ] Go to the bathroom
-[ ] Make breakfast

[ ] Investigate

Voting Closes: 12:00 PM Tuesday
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

[Ars Longinus]

So to explain somethings in the coming chapter. One, the reason for no stats is that the 'Game' that Izuku is playing is more like the Witcher and D&D in style, so capabilities are restricted by active abilities and skills. And yes I know D&D has stats, but those act as bonuses to rolls for things, not as fundamental stats. That will be represented more specifically by advantage or addition if you have a skill/ability that applies.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You stare at the empty space where the message once was. 'What was that?' you question, swiping at where the screen had been a moment before. Slowly moving your stiff muscles as you attempt to get out of bed, you think of a reason for the strange screen, beginning to mutter.

"Maybe it's an illusion? No, no one in the building has one. Do they? Even then, illusion quirks that work outside of physical line of sight…". Finally, on your feet, you stumble to your desk, where Hero Analysis for the Future v13 lies open, an incomplete update to the note about the new number 1 heroine in Russia, General Frost.

Glancing over the page, reaching to grab the original book in the series to make sure. He halts as another screen pops up.

「New Entry Added To Index: General Frost」
「New Entry Added To Index: Hero Analysis for the Future v13: pg. 72 General frost」
「View Entry?」​

You stare at the screen, surprised at the sudden appearance. Without thinking you stutter an affirmative, causing the screen to disappear and a new one to emerge.

「

General Frost/Olivier Armstrong
​

Hero Name: General Frost

Real Name: Olivier Armstrong

Appearance: Olivier is a pale-skinned woman who bears waist-length blond hair that is noticeably curled at the ends despite being otherwise relatively straight with parts of her hair usually covering her right eye, light blue eyes, long eyelashes and her lips are clearly defined and appear full. Though slender, Olivier also sports a rather muscular build, which gives off a clear air of legality and command.

Quirk: Winter Command
…

」​

You stare at the screen, shocked at what you're seeing as you step back. "O-okay, definitely not an illusion" You state, turning away from the screen, towards your cabinet, and the mirror hanging on it.

The first thing you notice as you gaze at the mirror, is what looks like blue circuitry within your eyes, spreading from the pupil. The second is what looks like something black spread across his arms beneath his long, white pyjama shirt.

Before he could investigate, a new screen appeared, forming in such a way as if it is covering the mirror.

「

|[Character]|Inventory|Skills|Magic|Index|
Izuku Midoriya​

Status: Full Health
Mana: 30/30

Title(s):
Deku: Another pronunciation of Izukus' name, stated to mean useless
Quirkless: A type of human without a quirk

Race: Quirkless Human

Traits:
Pyromancer: As the son of Hisashi and Inko Midoriya, Izuku gains the natural affinity for Fire Magic.
Analyser: Due to Izukus' pass time of breaking down that which he sees into information, he gains access to the Tactician Skill Tree

Equipment:
White Pyjama Top:
A plain white top meant to be slept in.
Bonuses: N/A
Black Pyjama Bottoms:
A plain pair of black sweatpants meant to be slept in.
Bonuses: N/A

」​

You stand dumbfounded as the screen, unsure of what to do
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[ ] Experiment with the system, maybe you can figure something out that way.
-[ ] {Suggest an order}

[ ] Go get a shower, maybe your hallucinating. A shower may clear your head.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In a small back alley, an abandoned storefront warped to show a dark coloured store front, with pristine windows, and the name in gold letters written across the storefront, Dante's Café and Bookshop.

Along the main road of the shopping district of Musutafu, a shop with the sign 'For Rent' was replaced with a warm wood storefront, designed to be of Art Nouveau architecture. The large window showed a variety of pieces of jewellery, clothing and other items. The name hung on a sign, hung on a post jutting out from next to the doorframe, The Vizima Emporium.

An old, abandoned church at the edge of town, near a cliff by the sea and a forest became a renewed building. Walls all fixed and paint pristine. An old man, sitting on a bench next to path that led to the, formerly, dilapidated church continued drinking, not at all acknowledging the change.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Voting closes at 12:00 PM Friday

 

[Ars Longinus]

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You continue to stare at the screen, hesitant as you look across the bar of options at the top, noticing one option was different from the others. Probably the page he was currently on. You begin to mutter to yourself, "M-maybe there will be an explanation in the Index? T-that's how it's in video games!"

Reaching out to the mirror, you tap the label for Index.

「

| Character | Inventory | Skills | Magic | Index |
​

People:
|General Frost/Olivier Armstrong|

Bestiary

Locations

Text

」​

You select each of the minimised tabs individually, checking for anything that looks like a manual. There is only one entry in the text and location sections, your Hero Analysis page and your room, whilst there are two in the bestiary, quirked human and Quirkless human.

A thought came to mind, you gained these entries by reading a page of your notebook, "Maybe I can try gain some more, maybe it'll activate some form of guide if I consciously figure something out" you mutter as you turned to your table, flipping through your notebook quickly, making sure to read over each page properly.

「New Entry(s) Added To Index(People): Radiation Panther, Tide Wolf, Brunestud, Fujii Jurou, Freeshooter, Obsidian Cut, Tobe Kin, Sakamoto Yoshihiro, Ramasseum Takeda Tsuyoshi, Lucky Lass…」
「New Entry(s) Added To Index(Text): Hero Analysis for the Future v13」
「View Entry?」​

"No", you mutter, "Well that worked, what if I read something online?" you wonder as you grab your phone, quickly searching up an article about a new manga. You read over it thoroughly, but no screen pops up. Beginning to be more perplexed by this strange system, you turn to the mirror and tap the inventory tab, 'What is going on?'

「

| Character | Inventory | Skills | Magic | Index |​

Carrying:
|White Pyjama Top|
|Black Pyjama Bottoms|
|Phone|

Room:
| Hero Analysis for the Future Series|
|Assorted Pro Hero memorabilia|
|Wardrobe|
|School Homework|

」​

Okay, it seems that the inventory was linked to locations where you owned things, not some magical infinite pocket like in most video games. It didn't show your locker at school or other places in the house, so it looked to be tied to current location as well. 'Still no explanation of what's going on' you think, growing more desperate as you click on the skills tab.

「

| Character | Inventory | Skills | Magic | Index |

Skill Points: 2
| Crafting | Mental | Combat |​

Acquired:

|Tactician|​

Tactician: The tactician skill allows its user to quickly break down information, categorise events and apply it to a situation to create an appropriate course of action to solve or minimise the effects of a situation.
Note: Most effective in a combat situation.

Locked:

」​

You quickly glance over the page, noting the skill points for later as you again glance at the bar at the top of the page, halting as you see the final, unopened tab. "Magic…" you mutter, hand slowly hovering over the option as your breathing slows. You had always wished for something like magic to be real. A method to negate your quirklessness, another path to become a hero. You shake your head, and firmly press the option.

「

| Character | Inventory | Skills | Magic | Index |

Ability Points: 2
| Elemental | Invocation | Ritual |
| Basic | Advanced | Complex |​

Unlocked

|Fire|​

Fire magic allows the user to utilise their mana to produce fire based spells, cantrips and effects.

Locked

|Water|
|Earth|
|Air|
|Lightning|
…​

」​

You stare at the screen, eyes wide as you read, and re-read the short, matter of fact, description of the unlocked 'Magic'. You stare at the palm of your hand, shakily bringing it up to your face as you look at it longingly. "…Please…" you mutter as you attempt to do something, anything.

Closing your eyes you take in a breath, and attempt to imagine a flame in the palm of your hand. You feel nothing happening for a moment, then another, and another. You persist however and you begin to feel something begin to happen.

A, for lack of a better word, flow began, starting in your chest and ending at your hand. Something seemed to fill in you palm and, once there, began to heat up and then leave your hand, causing more of the flow to replace what was lost. A faint light began to shine on your eyelids.

Slowly, you open your eyes to see a small flame flickering in your hand, lying on your palm as if you are holding it. You can feel heat coming off it, yet it isn't burning you at all. As you continue to stare at the flame, a new screen popped up.

「New Spell Created: Unnamed Flame Creation Spell」​

As you go to investigate the new notification, someone bangs on your bedroom door, causing you to cut the flow and causing the flame to go out. "Izuku! Wake up, Breakfast is ready!" Shouted Inko Midoriya as she again knocked on the door.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[ ] Respond to her immediately and go get breakfast
-[ ] Tell her you now have a quirk
-[ ] Don't tell her yet

[ ] Tell her to wait a moment
-[ ] Note what you've found out so far in your notebook
-[ ] Get a shower and get dressed

[ ] Scream inchorent noises of joy.

Also, second question so I don't have to remember later

[ ] {Insert name for Flame Creation Spell}
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Voting closes 12:00 PM Sunday

 

[Ars Longinus]

Index:
Only can be updated by information read from books and not the internet/online.

Inventory:
Only counts current location and what is equipped to your person.

 

[Ars Longinus]

So, sorry about the shortness of this chapter, but with the given situation, I couldn't play it out any longer. Just a few statements to clarify the quest.
1: For the most part, you will only be affecting the decisions of Izuku Midoriya.
2: Infrequently, you will get post chapter extras to build other characters in this world, such as how changes affect MHA characters, and some character building for the few OCs'. These will start next chapter
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You continue to stare at the spot the flame had once been, ignoring what your mother had said as you focus on that single point in your palm. A wet feeling began to spread across your cheeks as the flow again began to leak from your hand, causing a steady set of red flames to spread across your palm and cover your hand.

You attempt to form some kind of word, but all you could get out was a chocked sob as the rate of tears began to increase, your vision growing blurry until all you can see was a blurry red. You began to laugh, a joyous sound that began to be mixed with your echoing sobs as a massive smile began to spread across your face.

The sound of a door opening echoed through the room, the creaking sound of old hinges being forced to move against their will, for whatever will a hinge can have. "Izuku? What's wro…" Inko began to say, trailing off as she fully entered the room, now being able to see the scene before her.

Inko Midoriya entered her sons to room to see him standing in front of the mirror, green hair matted close to his scalp, dripping with sweat. He was wearing a normal pair of pyjamas, although it as well was soaked through with sweat. This sight was normal, if rare to see.

What stopped her cold was the thing she could see in the reflection of the mirror, an event that she had, sadly and with a heavy heart, affirmed she would never see her Izuku do. There her son stood, somewhere between laughing and crying, as he focused intently on his hand that was covered in soft, red fire.

The woman stood silent as you continued to stumble your way through senseless noises of joy, before she raced towards you and grabbed onto you, joining you in the odd laugh crying that you had begun.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You now sit in the living room next to your mother as she raced through question, her mouth moving a mile a minute, much like you when analysing something. Unsurprising, after all, you had to have inherited it somewhere.

"…ow did you get it? When did you get it? What does it do? Wh…" questioned the elder Midoriya as she raced through possibilities and alternatives for how, why, when and so on. You didn't attempt to answer as you yourself are distracted by the screen floating in front of you, although seemingly invisible to your mother.

「

| Character | Inventory | Skills | Magic | Index |

| Profile | Spells |
​

Fire:

Candle​

Description: A fire element spell that creates a small amount of flames within the users' palm that produces light but cannot burn things.
Cost: 1 Mana per minute
Efficiency: Lv 1

」​

"…we need to get registered with the quirk registry!" Exclaimed Inko, causing your head to snap to face your mother, a million answers racing through your head. Yes, the quirk registry, what were you going to do about that?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[ ] Go along with this and register. It gets it out of the way quickly

[ ] Try stop this, whatever this is, it isn't a quirk. After all, this is far too varied
-[ ] Attempt to explain what is really going on to Inko so as to convince her.
-[ ] Tell her that you want to experiment a bit more before you register
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Voting closed 12:00 PM Monday

 

[Ars Longinus]

Sorry about the long wait and the short chapter, my family is kinda hectic around Christmas and new years. On top of that my school just got back in so I've been spending the time getting back into rhythm. From now on we will be back to a good pace between vote ends and posts.

Also, an interesting question. Do you want Mineta in 1A?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"No!" you state, your voice, surprisingly, firm and resolute, the perfect antithesis to how you truly feel about this decision. Yes, she was right, quirk registration was the first and most fundamental of the quirk-based laws. 'But is this truly a quirk?' you question, once again glancing down at your hands, phantom sensations reminding you of the fire you briefly held.

You were human, smart, sometimes frighteningly so, but still human. And part of being human was that knowledge was limited, but if there was thing you knew a lot about it was quirks. From esoteric to mundane, public to some of the most hidden of the Regression, the age that followed the advent of quirks.

No matter how varied, no matter how distinct and separate powers seemed, all the strings could always be tied together for a single, encompassing origin. Yet this… this was beyond your ability to simplify so. Screens containing information, the ability to produce fire, and many other things. You were no idiot, you knew there was more, although the question was how much.

You snap back to reality as you notice that your mothers constant rambling had halted, leaving the room eerily silent. You glance up from your hands, seeing your mother halted mid stride, head turned towards you and mouth hanging open mid-sentence. The question in her gaze was clear.

"I-I-I don't want to waste their time! I-if we wait a bit I can experiment, and we won't have to be a burden by giving them more work if we found something wasn't right!" You stutter out, your inner turmoil leaking out a bit, making your clearly reflect your nervousness.

Your mother shuts her mouth quickly, head nodding rapidly as she hastily agrees, awakening, somewhat, from her daze. "O-oh, your right! Quirks aren't always what they first appear as, and we don't want to be any more of a burden than we already will be! Afterall, we're over a decade late!" Exclaims Inko.

A ringing sound caused you both to snap towards the clock hanging on the wall, and upon seeing the time, your eyes widen in shock. 'I..' you begin, but are interrupted by your mother. "Oh no! Hurry up and get dressed dear or you'll be late!" The elder Midoriya voiced your thoughts exactly.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You pack up your books after the final class of the day, a sigh escaping your lips. It had been a long day, and when the adrenaline of the morning finally ran dry, you realized just how tired you were.

You hoist your bag onto your back, walking out of the empty classroom, passing the noticeboard on the way out. The main thing on the board was the notice that this was the last week for club registrations. You put that out of your head for the moment, something to be decided later.

Heading towards the gate, you look out onto the street, trying to decide which path you should take home.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[ ] You feel to tired to stay out for much longer, take the shortcut by the underpass home, it's the quickest way.

[ ] Take the main road by the commercial district, maybe you could browse around a bit. Afterall, you had just received your monthly allowance.

[ ] Go by the forest on the long way home, maybe the fresh air by the woods and cliff will help you wake up.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Vote closes 12:00 PM Saturday

 

[Ars Longinus]

Hello guys! I hope you like this chapter, a bit short, but they will be getting longer again soon! And as promised, the first of the extra info series. The priest Amakusa Shirou and the drunken Nagato Tohsaka.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A yawn escapes your mouth, creating a loud sound before you slap your hand over your mouth, halting it. You face reddens slightly as you glance around, 'The underpass, definitely the underpass. I am way to tired stay out.' You think, turning quickly down the alley that lead to your back-alley shortcut.

Your mind wanders as you tread the familiar path, landing steadily on school, and, more specifically, the club notice you had seen on the way out. Before now, you had always decided to refrain from things like clubs, and other extracurricular school activities. After all, one couldn't be ostracized if one never put oneself forward in the first place.

'Maybe it can be different now?' you question, taking a left turn and taking the steps down to the road leading to the underpass, and further on into the old market district. Now with this power, whatever it was, you could at least fain a quirk, bypassing the usual exclusion that happened when people heard of his Quirkless status.

You were nervous, as the thought of actively trying to search for social interaction hadn't crossed your mind in ages, not since he was around four, when Bakugo attacked him for defending a girl from his bullying. That had been when you stopped looking for new friends, just sticking with Bakugo and a few others.

Finally entering into the old market district, you pass by a few run-down shops, with boarded up windows and chipped paint. You stop in shock as you see a store in perfect condition right next to the alley that led onto the final road to your home.

A warm interior, if darkly coloured, was easy to see through a set of pristine windows. Golden lettering forming a sign, placed on a background of dark paint, recently re-applied. "Dante's Café and Bookshop…" you mutter, reading over the shops name.

This was new, of that, you were certain, but how? While you haven't been down this path in a few days, you doubt that was enough time to set up a shop, and even then, why set up in the old district. There were a reason people avoided this place, why the new market district was built.

However, there was more to your shock than just the stores' sudden appearance. You could feel something coming off it, an energy you were newly familiar with. It was the same energy you had used this morning to create those flames this morning.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[ ] Investigate the store. Strange as it is, maybe the owner could help shed some light on your new situation.

[ ] Continue home. For all the answers it could hold, the place was to mysterious to be trusted.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A man walked slowly down the dusty dirt path towards the church, two heavy bags of groceries in each hand, four in total. The man had pale skin and long, untamed black hair that reached to the bottom of his neck and golden eyes. He wore the black robes of a priest, a small golden cross hanging around his neck.

The man sighed as stopped next to a passed out drunk on the bench to the church, placing down his bags and attempted to shake the man awake, speaking clearly as he did. "Nagato-san? Wake up Nagato-san, this is no place to take a nap." The man states, his shacking becoming more vigorous with his shakes before giving up.

The man stepped back, sighing as he did with a small frown. He begins to speak again as he raises his hand, the back of his hand facing the passed-out man. "You make me do this far to often, my friend." He states as a red symbol briefly appears on his hand, before a sound like shattering glass echoes across the clearing, two words following.

I Command
​

The man lowered his hand and again began to speak, his voice ethereal, layered as if he was speaking the words several times at once. "-you, Nagato Tohsaka to awaken!" Nagatos' eyes snapped open as he lurched forward, mistakenly throwing himself from his seat onto the dust path.

The priest had already picked up his groceries as the Tohsaka scrambled to his feet, carefully holding his head. "F-f-father Amakusa?! I must have dozed off again, eh? Sorry, for forcing you to wake me up again, but could you not have left me with the hangover?" Nagato questioned, a groan escaping his lips as he stood, squinting his eyes to block out as much of the burning sun as possible.

Amakusa turned to him, a small smirk on his face as he looked upon Nagatos' dishevelled red suit and matted long black hair, staring into the bloodshot eyes of the man. "I told you to stop drinking so much when you come for confessional, it's your turn to deal with consequences." States the priest, his face serious, although his smirk ruined the stoic façade.

Tohsaka chuckled to himself, wincing as he did as he slowly followed after the priest, waving his hand after the man of god as he muttered. "Yeah, yeah I know Shirou. It's just been so long since I did this, that I went a bit overboard."

Nagato halted when Amakusa responded, shocked he could even hear him. "Doesn't matter Tohsaka, you shouldn't torture you liver as you do. I'll just be putting away my shopping, so wait for me in the confessional. I have a student coming later, so our time is limited." Shirou called back as he disappeared into the church.

Nagato shook his head, slowly stumbling after the priest as he laughed, muttering under his breath as he did. "It always seems to be these days, my friend. It always seems to be."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Vote closes 5:00 PM Monday

 

[Ars Longinus]

Hey guys! So new chapter, and the longest one yet, I think. This'll be the theme from now on, since we've got the basic set up done with, for the most part we're ready to pick up some steam. Hope you enjoy.

Also, just so this is done ahead of schedule:
Give me a one word concept, your only restriction is no Omni- types.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You draw in a breath, steeling your nerves as you walk towards the store, reaching out to push open the door. You don't feel right about this, but right now? Right now, what you need is answers, and so far this is the first chance you've gotten.

A bell rings out as the door swings inwards, knocking against the wooden interior with a light thud. You slowly walk into the store, taking a look over the pristine shelves full of books. You cautiously tread forward, passing the massive wooden bookshelves that must make up the bookshop part of the name.

Each shelf was stocked to the brim with books of all kind, with stamped golden letters on the side of each shelf informing a curious browser of what genres were laid out on each. You walk through a maze of these shelves for ages, never running out of new shelves packed to the brim with books of all sizes, from pamphlets of less than a dozen pages, to tomes that were thicker than all your textbooks combined.

You swear your you've walked the outside length of the store a dozen times, if not more! In a futile attempt to make the journey more entertaining, you begin to read some of the genre labels. '…science-fiction; dystopian fantasy; philosophy for heroics; invocation; Viking rom…' you stop, halting your progress as you turn back to the previous shelf. Invocation, that word felt familiar, as if you had seen it somewhere else…
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Roll(1d100)-10(Exhaustion):
29,-10
Total:19
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

'W-wait… that was one of the categories under the Magic page!' you realise, as you stare at the shelf in shock, before shaking your head. 'N-n-no! I-it probably doesn't mean anything anyways! I-invocation can be connected to lots of things, not just magic!' you attempt to rationalise.

This place may feel like it has answers, but there was no way that it could be that easy, right? Despite your thoughts, you reach out for one of the books, picking it up and flipping through it to a random page.

'…invoking the abilities of extradimensional existences is more difficult than either interdimensional, or intra-dimensional existences. This difficulty usually stems from their innate opposition of this realities System-' you shut the book quickly placing it back on the shelf. Extradimensional beings? Invoking abilities? Realities System?!

There was definitely nothing mundane about the contents of that book, yet even in the little you read, this strangeness was written in such a matter of fact way! Almost like the tone found in a guidebook, or even a textbook!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Roll(1d100)-10(Exhaustion):
42,-10
Total:32
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yet other than the abstract contents, the book felt completely normal. "I-it's probably just some occult enthusiast!" you mutter, attempting to convince yourself. Occultism, and the interest in magic in general, hadn't gone down much, even with the advent of real-life superpowers.

Yeah, people could see some fascinating things in the waking world these days, of that there was no doubt. Men who punch with the force of nuclear warheads, women who could freeze areas the size of some countries, and leaders who could fire beams of energy that could permanently scar the earth were all a part of the new norm.

However, humanity would never escape the true awe that came with the idea of magic. The amazement that an image of a monstrous dragon, protecting its hoard spawned in peoples mind, or the terror, and yet intriguing though of a demon offering your greatest dream in exchange for your soul.

Even you yourself, for all your obsession with quirks and heroes, had dabbled in such once. It was after you were deemed Quirkless, after you were told you would never be able to become a hero, when you still believed magic was real. You had researched and purchased a few books on the subject, in the hope it could be an answer to all your problems.

'Funny how that worked out.' Chuckling to yourself as you remember that the screens called the energy you used mana, and the ability, a spell. Continuing forward, you finally find yourself out of the labyrinth of shelves, standing not so far from a man who was leaning back on a chair reading, feet propped up on the table that must make up the store's sales counter.

Of what you could see, the man was fair skinned, although you could tell he spent a fair amount of time outside. His clothes were a simple pair of pants and a shirt, darkly coloured, although even your untrained eye could tell not overly so. Short purple hair, sleeked backwards sat atop his head.

The man, seemingly having finally noticed you standing there, began to speak. His voice was robotic, and the words practiced, probably something he said to every customer. "Welcome to Dante's Bookshop and Café. My name is Dante, do you ne…" He trails off as his posture shifts, quickly removing his feet from the desk and standing up the moment the chair came back to rest.

The slamming of his book down on the table causes you to jump back, nerves on end and heart beating a mile a minute. "So, you're the one who walks by here so often, eh? Took you a while to come in! You finally wake up?" Questioned the man, his yellow eyes seemingly boring into your soul, a glint in your' eyes.

You just stand frozen, incapable of forming a coherent sentence as Dante stares you down expectantly, beginning to drum his fingers on the desk. The purple haired man sighs, falling back into his chair. "You going to talk, or are ya just going to stand there and gape all day?" questioned the man.
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Choose 2

[ ] Ask the man who he is, you now his name is Dante, but there is obviously more to him than that.
[ ] "You finally wake up?", wake up to what?
[ ] "you're the one who walks by here so often..." What does he mean, how can he know you come by here. The store just showed up today!
[ ] What's with this store, It's absolutely massive inside compared to the outside!
[ ] Why is the store giving off energy?
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Vote closes Friday 12:00 PM

 

[Ars Longinus]

Hey guys! Sorry about the delay on this part, but its out and about now. Also, just to clarify the concept thing is still open, and just to clarify due to the actions of a few, you don't have to post the concept publicly, but it is preferred so as everyone can see. Including the two who PMed me, here are the concepts so far:
Heroism(Appropriate considering who it is)
Cat(Why...)
Analysis(Same as the first)
Death(...Again, why?)
Game(Obvious, but still interesting)
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You continued to stare at the man, attempting to bring your heartrate back within a normal range. Your mind latches onto a single part of Dante's words, "W-w-wake up? W-what do you mean wake up?" You questioned, finally managing to get a full sentence out of your mouth.

The purple haired man just continued to stare at you, although he had stopped drumming his fingers against the desk. After a few more moments of this he groaned, placing his head on the table as he does. "You've gotta be kidding me! You really have got no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" Questioned the man glancing up to look at your face.

Seeing no change, he dropped his head back onto the table, groaning. You winced at the banging sound the action produced, waiting for the man to continue as you shifted around uncertainly. "…Just… give me a minute…" Dante muttered, his head never moving from its position on the desk; despite the rummaging sounds that could be heard suggesting he was looking for something.

"…And there. We. Go!" Exclaimed the yellow eyed man, pulling a medium sized book from under the counter, dropping it next to him as he raised his head. You stared on in confusion, glancing between the book and Dante. You went to question the man, but he suddenly stands up and moves around the desk to stand on the same side as you, sitting on the desk.

"Sooo… I'm not as good as the church at this, although realistically there are worse people you could've got for your intro to this world, but I'll try my best to explain. Welcome, to the world lit by moonlight, where magic is real and monsters lurk around every corner, some better hidden then others!" Stated the man, raising his arms with a flourish, as if to emulate a presenter.

Patting the book by his side, he picks it up, tossing it to you. You caught it, barely, as the throw caused you to stumble back. You look at him in confusion, to which he again answered the unasked question.

"That, my friend, will be your life-line when dealing with the magic side of Japan. The law book of Japan's main governing body, the Ancestral Sea. It's got an actual government office name, but the priest is the only person I've ever actualy heard say it, and I can't remember it." Dante explained, rubbing the back of his in embarrassment at the last part.

You glance down at the book in your arms, looking over the mostly pristine cover, the words 'Codex of the Ancestral Sea' inscribed across the front. Before anything else could be done, a screen popped up over the book.

「

Quest Complete!​

Quest:
Welcome to the moonlit world

Status:
Completed

Details:
[X] Visit the church, Dante's Bookshop and café or ███ ██████ ████████ to gain an understanding of what's going on.

Rewards:
Codex of the Ancestral Sea

」​

'Quest complete?!' You wondered, eyes widening in shock as you re-read over the screen. 'How did I not notice starting a quest?' you questioned glancing back up at Dante, who was again sat on the chair on the other side of the desk, grabbing a glasses case from under the table.

Something still caught in your mind, something that still bugged you, "B-but why did you call it waking up?" You questioned, shifting the book to be under your left arm; so as to be easier to carry around until you could put it into your bag.

Dante smirked, a faint chuckle escaping him as he leaned forward in his seat, gathering a few pieces of paper strewn across his desk. "Heh, that's an old joke amongst the residents of the moonlit world. It's just a play-off of the fact that most normal people are basically asleep towards the comings' and goings of our world."
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Roll(1d100)-10(Exhaustion):
54,-10
Total:44
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'Asleep towards the comings… and goings…' you pondered, coming to a conclusion over the store's sudden appearance. 'I-I must now be able to see it because of having magic!?' you realised. The explanation seemed obvious to you know that you thought about it; after all, a store like this would take ages to set up, so the short time since you'd come this way wouldn't be long enough.

Add to that the fact that this Dante had obviously sensed him come this way before meant it already existed the last time you rushed by. An impossible feet since you'd never noticed it before. Yet if you take into account that maybe people who could use magic could see and enter it, it easily explained away the inconsistencies.

"S-so that's why the store gives off so much energy…" You muttered to yourself quietly, although obviously not quietly enough since the rooms second resident caught the last few words. Dante scoffed, finally finished prepairing… whatever he was preparing.

"So much energy, ha! Kid, even the best ward forgers and bounded field crafters would hard-pressed to limit the leakage to as little as it is. Afterall, you try and stuff this many ancient grimoires and innately magical texts in a single building; and not turn it into the biggest magical beacon this side of the Yazd Atash Behram!" Dante exclaimed, opening the case to extract an ordinary looking pair of glasses.

'That's a small amount of energy?!' you question, remembering the absolutely electric feeling that was surging off the store when you were outside. Whilst you contemplate the terrifying prospect Dante had presented you, just what it would feel like if all the energy was allowed to escape, the man himself placed the glasses on his face, looking you over.

"Now kid, I'm a do you a favour and te…" The jovial man trailed off, mouth hanging open in shock as his green eyes raced over you form once, twice, thrice before halting to stare you dead in the eye. "What. The. Fuck." Breathed the man, eyes wide as he stared you down.

You shifted uncomfortably under the emerald eyes of the man before you, slowly baking away. "W-what's wrong Mr Dante" You asked carefully, still caught in his unblinking gaze.

"When did you first find your magic?" The man asks, ignoring your question as his gaze shifted to focus specifically on your arm. You stutter out a quiet today, and his face darkened, gaze only intensifying. "You asked what's wrong? It's easiest to show you, roll up your sleeve and focus on the mana in your body." The elder male instructed.

Hesitantly, you do as instructed, getting the sleeve to just past your elbow before it became too difficult to roll it further. You concentrate mana to your hand, trying to replicate what you did this morning, unknowingly muttering under your breath. "Candle" Red fire springing to life on the tips of your fingers, just as it had that morning.

What train of thought halted as you stare down at the elaborate markings that suddenly appeared across the entire surface of your visible arm, as well as the back of your hand. "Focus seals of better quality than I've seen in ages, of an ancient style on a first gen kid who just woke up this morning! And you've already created a spell?! What are you kid?" Dante muttered, continuing to stare at your arms.
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[ ] What the hell are these seals on your arms, where did they come from and what's got Dante so shocked about them?
[ ] Was it really so impressive that you managed to create something so simple as flames that couldn't even burn?
[ ] First gen? What does that even mean, what does any of this even mean?
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Vote closes 2:00 PM Tuesday