Authors Notes:
Credit to life-writer on tumblr for the cover art. If they want it down, then let me know! Also, formatting on this site is terrible, so all my fancy spacing things are gone... so enjoy 'horizontal lines' everywhere!
Level One
Headaches. I've been having them for a few days now, and they're really getting annoying. Life is hard enough, it always has been, but I've been getting weird thoughts. Visions of people I didn't know, in places I'd only heard of. By now I thought I'd gotten used to all the crazy shit that had started happening to me. Thought I might've finally gone insane.
Waking up in a dark shack, though? Couldn't say that's a daily occurrence, to be sure. I slowly sit up, sighing deeply and running a hand through my hair in a haze of exhaustion. It's still there, thankfully, since being bald or something would not have surprised me at this point. I look around, the sounds of nature outside only making things weirder, when-
Welcome to the Game!
You have been chosen by ę͜ń̶͝͝t̸̸̛̀͡ḑ̷̶̀͜l̀h͢n̶̴͠͠͏f̷̀̕͢͞a͏̵̸͢͢l͜҉͡o̡̢͘͠
to experience and change the world around you how you see fit!
To continue, please speak aloud or think the word 'Continue'!
…
What.
Blinking, I wave my pale hand in front of my face with narrowed eyes, trying to dispel the strange text box in front of me. It's a blue, two-dimensional box, and moves wherever my eyes are looking. The Game? This is certainly a weird dream… but I decide to humor it, if only for now.
Continue, I think, watching the text box grow larger and add new text.
Well Done!
Shown below is your statistics, which you can see again by speaking aloud or thinking the word 'stats,' 'sheet,' or 'statistics!'
STATISTICS
Name: Roman Torchwick
Level: 1
HP: 100/100
AP: 170/170
AURA: 110/110
Title: Petty Thief
STR: 9 + 0
DEX: 16 + 0
CON: 10 + 0
WIS: 11 + 0
INT: 14 + 0
CHA: 16 + 0
LUC: 20 + 0
Free Points: 0
...Firstly, 'Petty Thief?' I am surely better than that! I've pickpocketed… well, a few people, at least! I'd certainly say that's alright!
Secondly,
WHAT.
Okay, is… is this one of those 'lucid dreams' where you're fully aware of your surroundings and that everything's a dream? I certainly didn't picture it like this! Waking up in a shack and being told that, in video game terms, I'm utter shit at practically everything! This isn't my semblance, it couldn't be. Semblances are quirks, one little thing, this-
Moving on, your skills and abilities! To view any skill or ability in more detail, speak aloud or think 'show' followed by the skill or ability's name! To return to this table, speak aloud or think 'skills,' or 'abilities!'
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Aura LV 1
Observe LV 1
Pickpocket LV 1
Sneak LV 1
Not too many…
Feel free to fix that by trying new and exciting things, reading books, or watching others! The only limit is your imagination, for the most part! To continue, 'Observe' the door!
Okay… if I could stop being interrupted from my own thoughts for five seconds, that would be amazing. Reading over this new textbox with a sigh, I slowly stand from my position on the hard floor and look around. A small, dark shack, with a low wooden ceiling and what equates to a blanket where I had slept. Now the intense ache in my back actually makes a bit more sense.
Doing what the text box says, despite my better judgement, I look towards the door. It's wooden, just like the shack, obviously, but it seems loose on its hinges. Light pours in through the wide opening between the door and the doorway, as if whoever had built this place had accidentally cut the door slightly too small. There is no knob, but also nothing keeping it closed. I can easily just push it open and leave.
Good!
Your use of 'Observe' has caused it to level up! Observe the door again.
Watching the textbox disappear just as I finish reading, I sigh. Looking at the door, I notice the same as before… but near the bottom is a white string, leading from the door and across the floorline to…
"Okay, what in the hell is happening?" I ask myself, walking over to the loaded pistol buried halfway into the far wall. Carefully, I untie the string and take the gun, looking it over with wide eyes. This is heavier than what I imagined a gun would feel like, and yet… I shake my head and close my eyes. Just a dream, no matter how realistic.
Be sure to observe everything you can! Activate skills and abilities by performing the specified action, which you can find by looking into their details. Most are self-explanatory, but certain abilities will require stranger actions, thoughts, or spoken words to perform.
You have received a Quest!
R.T. Phone Home!
-Discover where you are.
Rewards: 5000 XP - 100 Lien - "Inventory" Ability
Each window only closes just as I finish reading, another weird quirk, and I rub my face. "Fine, fine, we're doing this," I mutter, looking down at myself. Ugh. I'm wearing what is basically some goth's clothes, with a black shirt and white pants. Black sneakers, too… Such awful style. Shaking my head, I fiddle with the gun's safety. It doesn't even have labels, and I've never been very good with guns… so I flip it to one setting, aim at the floor, and pull the trigger.
Only for the trigger to stop abruptly.
Makes sense that the gun would be off safety in the trap… Sighing, I jam the gun into my pants and hide it with my shirt, then push the door open and step out. A blinding light hits me, making me cover my eyes.
Adjusting to the light at an annoyingly slow speed, I'm finally able to see my surroundings.
"I am in the middle of the forest," I say to myself, in utter disbelief. "I am… in the middle… of a forest."
Hunching over and putting my head in my hands, I take a moment to collect myself. I'm in the middle of a forest. In the middle of nowhere. A FOREST. I've never even been outside of Vale! Why would I be, there's nobody around, no use for lien, and then there's Grimm…
Whatever. Whatever! I'll just… start walking. Checking my pants, I am totally unsurprised to find a lack of wallet, mine or otherwise, nor any lien. Just yesterday I was sitting pretty, writing up my application, and collecting the lien to buy a weapon! Collecting as in pickpocketing. Obviously.
There's no trail, just an open field around the shack I'd woken up in. Then trees. So many goddamn trees. I shake my head and set off in a totally random direction, hoping to all there is to hope to that 'LUC' means luck and that '20' is a high score. Reminded of that, I narrow my eyes.
"Sheet," I announce to the open air as I walk, opening up the text box in front of me again. Curious, I grab at the box and try to move it… to no avail. There's a new button in the bottom right, though, and touching it closes the menu. Alright…
"Luck."
LUC: Luck! Random chance! The higher the score, the luckier you get! Higher dice rolls, better chances for critical damage, and better loot! Luck does not affect most skills and abilities directly, but those that have a percentage chance of working are mildly buffed based on 2% of your luck score. (Currently 0.4%)
Is that going to appear every time I say the damn word? "Just my luck," I test, with the intention of not opening a menu. I'm… pleasantly surprised to find no menu in my face, and smirk as I push my hands into my pockets.
"Alright… Show Sneak, show Pickpocket, show Aura."
Sneak
LV 1
Passive: Move (5+LV+DEX)% quieter. (22%)
Active: Move (10+2LV+DEX)% quieter. (28%)
Activation: Think of, mouth, or speak the word 'sneak.'
Cost: 20 AP/Minute
Pickpocket
LV 1
Passive: You have a (50+LV+0.5DEX)% chance of pickpocketing your target. (59%)
Active: You have a 100% chance of successfully pickpocketing your next target.
Activation: Think of, mouth, or speak the word 'pickpocket.'
Cost: 50 AP
Aura
LV 1
Passive: Each level increases AURA by 10.
Active: HP damage is converted to AURA damage.
Activation: Activate your aura as normal.
Cost: 1 AURA/Hour + (50-LV)% HP damage (49%)
Damn. Useful, but whatever 'AP' stands for is apparently an annoyingly finite resource. 'DEX' is-
DEX: Dexterity. Agility. The higher the score, the more flexible, careful, and fast you are! Better reaction times, quicker sprints, better aim, and wonderful dancing skills! Dexterity directly affects certain skills and abilities, while also increasing your movement speed and reaction times. (Currently 8% and 4% respectively)
Okay. Okay. Good information, I guess, but not exactly what I was aiming for seeing right this second. AP. A. P. Ugh. Whatever it is, it's incredibly useful and running out would probably be a bad idea. Since I'm not doing anything dangerous, I may as well activate my aura, maybe level it a few times.
Plus, who knows, maybe AP also stands for 'Aura Points' or something.
I sigh lightly as the familiar orange glow envelops me for just a single moment. I had to learn my aura from a goddamn street urchin for some lien, but it's served me well since. Plus, it apparently makes me immune to all harm until my AURA hits zero, I'd assume.
It doesn't really matter, and the added bonus of feeling stronger is certainly welcome. Trekking through the woods like this would probably mess up my hair without aura, too! I need to find a mirror, now that I think about it. Will I, Roman Torchwick, thief and Huntsman, look like a common thug due to this… this… Game?
Er, wait. This is a dream. Why should I worry about that? I mean, I'd usually want to make sure I look perfect, even in a dream, but, well..
Being lost in the woods is, oh, I don't know, distracting? It's definitely the least sensical dream I've ever had, and in the last week I've had dreams about ice cream, roses, and-
Snap!
...That was not me. That was definitely not me, given that the sound was about ten feet behind me, and followed up with a deep, rumbling growl. I am not going to die in a dream, damn it. Reaching into my pants, I pull out the pistol, flip the safety off, and spin on a dime, immediately spotting a white skull and glowing red-
Grimm come in all shapes and sizes, and upon death, they supply you with XP and Lien based on their level. In this first encounter, you are going to face a Beowolf. These Grimm are fast, but relatively weak and fragile. Try shooting it now!
I fall backwards, tripping on a branch and waving my hand in front of my face to try to dispel the textbox as the massive creature pounces on top of me. It roars and pulls back a massive claw, preparing to maul me, when I shift the gun and fire blindly, emptying the entire clip into its hide. With a whimper, the creature goes limp on top of me, and the textbox glows impatiently in front of my eyes.
If I had a bullet left I'd probably shoot myself right about now.
As the Grimm fades, I collect myself and ignore my racing heart, carefully climbing to my feet with aching joints. This feels entirely real, up to the rancid smell of the Grimm's decaying fur. I wave my hand in front of my nose and cringe, trying to dismiss the smell as I walk away. This… this isn't a dream, is it?
I don't think it is… and that is making me panic far less than I expected.
A now much lighter and empty gun in hand, I sigh. Still no idea where I am, or if I even look as devilishly handsome as I should. Thanks to the wonderfully helpful textbox popping up, I had to use every bullet to avoid death, so I may have to develop a 'running' skill if any more Grimm pop up.
...But maybe they won't. I exit the treeline and step onto a dirt trail, having arrived right at a three-way intersection. Signpost included! Apparently, I'm between Vale, some village, and Mountain Glenn. With that subway system in place, and the fact that everything on the surface is a ghost town, why would anyone take the dirt road?
Quest Updated!
- COMPLETED: Discover where you are.
- Make your way to Vale.
Well, I guess today's my lucky day. Or, rather, it would be, had I not woken up in a shack and nearly been killed immediately. I turn and put my pistol back into my pants, starting to walk down the dirt path. My head is pounding by this point, and not just from the close call with the Grimm. There's a phrase, in my voice, that just won't leave my mind.
"Isn't it past your bedtime?"
Is this a dream? Just some screwed up, realistic dream? Why else would I be thinking that…? I smirk out of habit, running a hand through my hair. Probably just some side effect, or something. Feeling the headache subside, I keep walking, and Beacon Tower eventually fades into view above the treeline.
I must be due south of the city, then. Knowing the general layout, that'd put me right up to the entrance of the industrial district. Perfect! Once I get there, I suppose it'll be time for the next quest…?
The walls of the city slowly come into view, and I jam my hands into my pockets with a smirk. If this is really just some strange semblance, then maybe I can finally…
I pause at the gates, before walking inside uninhibited. The walls haven't been used to keep anything but Grimm out since the Great War, given anyone who passes through is usually some merchant, traveler, or Huntsman. Besides, this is the gate to the industrial district.
Abandoned is certainly one way to phrase it, glancing at the empty street.
Quest Complete!
Reward: 5000 XP - 100 Lien - "Inventory" Ability Unlocked
Level Up!
Reward: 50 HP - 80 AP - 50 AURA - 5 Free Points
Dismissing the boxes, I smile and think, Inventory. As expected, a menu appears, listing off my belongings, including my wallet, the ID cards within, my application, and a whopping 910 Lien. Testing, I pull the gun from my pants and bring it up to the box, feeling it disappear from my hand.
That'll be a fun trick…
I close the menu and grin, walking through the streets with new vigor. If I keep finding quests, levelling up, and unlocking new abilities, I'll be unstoppable. I'll finally be able to do everything I've wanted to do, and… and…
I pause as an intimidating figure turns a corner up ahead, swiftly walking. Immediately squinting, I feel a flip switch in my mind, and 'Observe' activates… giving me more information than I thought it would. It's a woman, and as she approaches, I notice her cloak, and beneath that… her stunning, silver eyes.
Above her head I see text, which slowly comes into focus as she walks.
[Savior of Remnant]
Summer Rose