"Talking"
"Thinking"
[Status Magic or other reference to a system or power]
NYC, The Bar With No Name, A Few Minutes before the Incident
Herman Schultz was reading a book. This wasn't that weird. What was weird was that it wasn't an engineering one but rather a fantasy one. The Bar With No Name didn't have that many events outside of the annual poker night or birthday and retirement parties because they brought too much attention, but thankfully a book club didn't count as too noisy.
"Enjoying your book, Herman?" Quentin Beck, better known as Mysterio, Master of Illusions (and the guy behind the book club—who knew a movie geek who liked books existed?), asked as he took a seat next to him.
"Yeah, it's been a while since I read Percy Jackson," Herman replied, putting the book down. "Let me guess, another cursed book was found?" he asked, being this meeting's designated cursed book disposer due to drawing the short straw.
Quentin cringed under his helmet. "Maybe. It scared The Hood, but Amora says it can only teleport people."
"Only teleport people?" Herman raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a minor inconvenience."
"Minor? Tell that to the guy who ended up in Antarctica last time," Quentin retorted. "Anyway, we need someone to handle it, and you're the one who drew the short straw."
"Great, just great," Herman sighed. "Where's the book now?"
"In the back," Quentin said, nodding towards a door behind the bar. "Amora's keeping an eye on it. She said it has some kind of magical lock, so it shouldn't go off accidentally."
"Shouldn't go off accidentally," Herman repeated, standing up. "That's comforting. Let's get this over with."
As they walked to the back room, the usual murmur of the bar's patrons faded, replaced by the low hum of an enchantment in the air. Amora, the Enchantress, was standing by a small table, a thick, ancient-looking book resting on it. Her eyes flicked up as they entered.
"Ah, Herman," she greeted with a sly smile. "Ready to play the hero again?"
"Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with."
Amora chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Very well," she said, gesturing to the book. "I've contained its magic for now, but you'll need to be careful. One wrong move and—"
"Antarctica, I got it," Herman interrupted, taking a deep breath. He approached the table cautiously, eyeing the book as if it might spring to life. "So, what's the plan? Do I just pick it up and hope for the best?"
"Not exactly," Amora replied. "You need to read the content of the book. I'll block any magical surges while you do. That should nullify the teleportation spell."
Herman nodded, taking another deep breath. "Okay, let's do this."
Amora handed him a piece of parchment with the incantation written on it. "Read it slowly and clearly," she instructed, positioning herself nearby, ready to channel her magic.
Herman picked up the book, feeling its strange warmth against his hands. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, beginning to read the content.
It was boring as hell! The Book (If it could even be called that) was about some Four Cardinal Heroes of Legend and their Legendary Weapons that Amora never heard of. The book was clearly unfinished and the characters unlikable with the only saving grace being these Waves of Calamity that must have been inspired by The Convergence. The Author even seemed to forget about the last hero and went on to write about a side character. She was a princess and was somehow even more bitchy than Amora not that he said that aloud but from what he saw even she annoyed, but that could have been for having to waste time with me.
When he finally finished the chapter about the princess he found blank pages. "Uh Amora we may have a little problem here!" He yelled.
Before Amora could respond, a blinding flash of light erupted from the book. Magic surged uncontrollably, overwhelming Amora's protective barrier and started to envelop Herman.
"Oh fuck!" He yelled before everything went white.
Kingdom of Melromarc, Royal Castle Summoning Room, Half a minute after The Summoning.
The moment he opened his eyes again Herman knew he wasn't anywhere near Bar anymore. The first thing that tipped him off was that the floor he was on was made from stone instead of wood. The second was the fact that he couldn't smell the alcohol and drugs that always filled the Bar with no name.
As he tried to get up a voice that spoke with an accent he never heard before spoke up. "Oh great heroes, please save our world!" "
Heroes? What?!"
Frantically looking around Herman noticed the speaker was a man in some kind of religious robes. Surrounding him were a group of similarly dressed men and women and Herman had been around long enough to recognize a cult...or wannabe sorcerers. Both were bad news. Herman felt something heavy on his hand.
"Why is there a shield on my arm? Wait....OH FUCK!"
He breathed out to calm himself as the light started to fade. He was standing in the fastly fading magical circle but he wasn't the only one. There were three other guys with him. They all carried the weapons from the book (which intensified Herman's fears that he got tied up in a Superhero event). All were Asian, two of them were teens of varying age and the last one was just leaving his teens which made Herman the oldest one in the room that wasn't a cultist.
"Please dear heroes this world is in dire need of saving!" The cultist repeated.
"Sorry buddy i am no hero. Should have summoned the Avengers." Herman thought.
"What do you mean its in need of saving?" The Bow-wielding teen asked.
"The story behind it is long and complicated. But suffice it to say is that you are the four Cardinal Heroes. And you were summoned here using an ancient ritual." The cultist explained but Herman noticed one glaring detail. He got here by reading a cursed book according to Amora who is the most knowledgeable magic user that he knew personally. So either she was wrong or these guys were lying. Or someone or something was playing a game. He would figure it out sooner or later. For now he would play along with the cultist. "Our world is in a fragile state and teaming on the edge of destruction. So we beg you O Brave Heroes, please lend us your aid!" The Cultist finished his speech.
The oldest one was the first one to speak. "I guess I can hear you out."
Herman was about to agree only to be interrupted by the youngest just as he opened his mouth to speak. "I refuse."
"Now that´s a surprise. What kind of hero did these cultists summon? They probably messed their ritual up somehow seeing that I am here."
"Likewise." The final boy said as he stared at the cultist almost as if he wasn't just teleported. Must be from Westview.
"We can go back to our world, right?" The oldest asked the question that Herman wanted to broach once he was sure it wouldn't get him killed. Hopefully if they tried to kill him they would spare those that didn't ask the question. "We´ll talk about your problems after that." Jesus this guy keeps digging his grave.
"Don't you guys feel any guilt for bringing us here without our consent?" The youngest boy who started this whole mess asked and Herman decided that he didn't like this kid.
"And if you send us back home as soon as peace is restored, we would have worked for nothing." The other youngest boy said. Herman couldn't believe this. These guys were worse than Fred! He would at least pretend to be a hero before asking for payment!
"Okay, that's enough kids. You haven't let the man finish and are already asking questions." Herman finally spoke up to salvage the situation. Oddly few of the cultists glared at him even though he was defending their boss.
"Something to keep an eye on." Herman thought as the other ´heroes´ looked/glared at him.
"Hey who are you calling kids?!" Two of the boys except for the youngest one who kept glaring asked him with indignation. "And what are you wearing?" The oldest boy asked.
"What he never saw a superhero or villain costume?" Herman thought for a second before ignoring the last question.
"Who do you think now let the man finish his speech." He commanded before looking at the cult leader who looked at me not with weird, hate the others showed but with confusion.
He coughed into his hand before speaking. "Thank you Shield Hero." The other cultist glared at him but they were trying to hide it. Guess he isn't the leader of the cult. "Brave heroes our King Aultcray Melromarc XXXII will give you the answers you seek. You can negotiate the reward with him." The Cultist Herman decided to call Charlie till he learned his name finished, his speech. The boys seemed to want to add something but Herman glared at them and they went quiet before answering.
"Fine."
"Whatever."
"I guess we can see this king."
"Lead the way." Herman said before he started to follow the cultists the boys following behind him.
"Guess these boys do have some brains after all." As they walked up the stairs Herman tuned out the boys who started small talk. Instead, he looked out of the window and tried to identify the city outside. It was European architecture with vague Latverian designs. The city was missing modern street lamps. And there were no cars. So either he was teleported backwards in time or into a different dimension that didn't industrialize yet. Hopefully the king had some answers.
Kingdom of Melromarc, Royal Castle Throne Room, A long walk later...
Herman's legs hurt. This castle had too many stairs. But they finally entered the throne room. Herman didn't know if he should kneel. He will if they tell him to. The throne room was full of people wearing clothes and armor straight from the renaissance fair with the most over the top, dressed one sitting on the throne. The Queen's Throne was empty Herman noted as an important fact to investigate later. He quickly took of his mask as a sign of respect.
"So these men are the Four Cardinal Heroes of legend?"
"Close there are only two men and two boys here." Herman answered in his head. "I am King Aultcray Melromarc XXXII of Melromarc."
"The kings last name is that of the kingdom? The founder of this nation must had bigger ego than Tony Stark during the whole reverse morality mess." "Heroes name yourself." The king commanded snapping Herman from his thoughts.
"Amaki Ren, sixteen years old, high schooler." The boy carrying the sword and the first one to refuse the offer back in the basement said.
"I'm Kitamura Motoyasu. Twenty-one, and a collage student." The guy with the spear said with the confidence of a brand new hero or villain.
"Guess its appropriate for the situation."
"I suppose I'm up next." The bow-wielder said next. "Kawasumi Itsuki, seventeen years old, and a high schooler." He finished.
"All of them are Japanese...did I get fucking isekaied?"
"And I am..." Herman started his introduction but the king interrupted him.
"I see. Ren, Motoyasu and Itsuki, huh?" The king said as if he didn't pass over the last guy there. This set off alarm bells in Herman's head. He didn't do anything to these people yet and they already were treating him as a problem. They were planning on backstabbing him somehow for some reason.
"Well, they would try. No one messes with The Shocker!"
It would be weird if he didn't voice an objection to this and he wanted more info so he spoke up. "Sorry, your majesty you haven't let me introduce myself." Herman said with the voice he reserved for the rare moments he was in the presence of Doctor Doom.
"Hmm? Oh, forgive me." The king was trying to play it off and it was convincing if it wasn't for the fact that he was trying to convince a professional criminal.
"It's alright your majesty it happens to the best of us," Herman said trying to make a convincing smile. "My name is Herman Schultz, I am Forty-two years old and I am a retired Thunderbolt which is a special detachment of city guard." He didn't lie. All of it was true, he just didn't mention why he was retired.
"Now I suppose I owe you an explanation."
"He didn't say all." And he was ignoring him unlike the others as if Herman was an annoyance at best. The king continued. "My country, Melmorac, and the entire world is headed toward destruction."
"Oh yeah they should have summoned the Avengers. None of us are hero material and I only know these guys for few minutes!" While Herman mentally panicked the King continued on for the whole hour. It was the plot of the book. Waves of Calamity were threatening this world and they needed us to stop them because the legendary weapons chose us. Each nation has a Dragon Hourglass which predicts the Waves. The first Wave has already happened which is why we were summoned because each Wave after that will be worse and our weapons are the only ones who can stop the crisis. "We have underestimated the Waves. We realized that we only experienced one and that only our Cardinal Heroes could counter them. And so we followed the legend that summoned you four. We have no time to loose!" The King urged but Herman already imagined what the others would say.
"We get the gist of it now." Amaki began as he put his sword down with a loud clang. "Anyway, you didn't summon us expecting us to save you for free." This kid was starting to give Herman a headache.
"Of course, once you repeal all the Waves, we shall reward you handsomely." The man standing besides, the King who gave Herman major Tywin Lannister vibes which made him nervous but his words made him excited. And Kitamura seemingly agreed based on the big smile on his face.
"Will you now? Well, as long as we have your word." Kitamura said.
"We'll work with you provided you don't turn on us. But don't for a moment think that you can tame us." Akami added like he was some badass. But who was Herman to talk. He got his ass kicked by Spider-Man who was a teen when they first fought.
"Exactly we can't have you looking down on us." Kawasami added his two cents to the conversation.
"So much for doing things from the goodness of your hearts." Herman muttered with no one noticing though he could have sworn he heard a chuckle.
"I trust we have an agreement. Then, Heroes, you should all check your statuses." The King said.
"Check our what?" Herman asked his eyebrows raising and Kawasami seemed to be confused too.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Akami asked. "It should have been the first thing you noticed in this world." He said as if he wasn't the youngest guy here.
"Get over yourself kid." Herman said out loud earning himself a few glares with Akami just starring at him.
"There is an icon in the corner of your vision isnt there?" He asked and Herman looked. Indeed there was one. "Focus on it." He said and Herman did so.
"WHOA!" Herman yelled out as words filled his vision.
[Notice] [Help Menu]
[This screen is called status magic]
[Name: Herman Schultz]
[Class: Shield Hero]
[Equipment]
[Legendary shield (locked)]
[Otherworldly Clothes]
[Otherworldly Gauntlets]
[Notice: Otherworldly Gauntlets can´t be used as weapons!]
[A Purse]
[Hp: 150]
[MP: 41]
[SP: 43]
[Atk:1]
[Mag: 11]
[Def: 17]
[Mdef: 17]
[Agi: 11]
[Level: 1]
Herman read the information. Then he yelled out. "ONE ATTACK? THIS IS BULLSHIT!" This startled few of the courtiers though Herman noticed that the King smirked before returning to his normal expression. He ignored the following conversation and sulked. One Attack. He was fucked. Defense was good but leveling up would be hard if his time babysitting his nephew though him anything it was that one attack was a death sentence.
"We should be able to level up easier once we form a party." Kawasami said when Herman started to listen to the conversation again. "That's a good point. I will keep them alive and they will give me exp."
"One moment, Heroes." The Lannister wannabe spoke up drawing our attention. "You will each recruit and adventure separately."
"Why?" Herman asked with a deadpan.
"It is said that the legendary weapons repel each other by nature." The man explained and Herman tuned him out as the [Status Magic] confirmed what he was saying and he didn't want to hear the whole speech.
[Notice] [Help Menu]
[The four holy weapons dampen one another's power while within close quarters. Distance advised whenever possible]
It also informed me that the shield translated everything he was hearing into his native language. "Useful feature but not so much if i want to insult somebody without them knowing."
"The Sun is about to set." The King noted. "Rest up tonight, and set forth tomorrow." He commanded. "In the mean time we will gather our best warriors for your parties." He finished.
Then a fine lady walked to them. "We have prepared rooms for you. Please come this way." Herman wanted to whistle but his mom raised him better. Kitamura´s mother clearly didn't raise him the same way.
