DISCLAIMER
The following is a fan-based
FICTION
F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.
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Chapter 1: First steps in the Game
Shirou.
That was his new name and.. he wasn't sure how to react to it.
While his amnesia had blocked important parts of his memories and had incredibly removed his name from his status menu, he didn't felt pleased to know he was named after 'Snow' of all things.
Why Shirou? Why not something that was much more easy to relate him.
Haru (Spring) or even Akage (Redhead) if the man, Kiritsugu, lacked the creativity to make one.
It was oddly frustrasting and the newly-named Shirou couldn't but feel confused, shocked and somewhat weirded out by this stranger that had turned to be his new guardian or father.
The word tasted foul in his mouth as he felt he was betraying someone by calling the unnervingly calm man a parent of his.
But he complied, he had to. What was the alternative especially when the man had told him so many things, things that are meant to be unknown to normal people?
The curiously named Moonlit World started to grow more and more realistic, true, the more the black-haired man continued to talk so.. honestly.
That was another thing he couldn't understand of Kiritsugu. His actions in approaching him, explaining all of this and then adopting him was... forced.
It felt like he hadn't planned this to happen but was struggling and pushing for this situation to happen, against any common sense he might had.
His current living condition wasn't something he should actually complain about, the household the man had brought him to live with him being something relatively new and.. massive.
Its style resembling much of the old houses in the noble quarters of Fuyuki, used by influential families of old to rule over particular section of the town.
There were two to three bathrooms, two living rooms and... why he had bought a house this absurdly big?!
Ignoring the motivation that urged him to buy something this much empty and cold most of the times, Shirou's mind wandered to a very interesting subject of their first interaction.
Magic, or at least something similar to it, was real.
The man's descriptions denied the capacity of such power to accomplish miraculous deeds, saying that 'magecraft' was pretty much similar to tricks from some circus magician, incredibly limited by the world around us.
Kiritsugu called it 'Gaia' and Shirou was surprised to know that there was something that made things happen.
Surprise tainted by dread at the mere idea that the world had knew about his plight and.. had ignored him.
The explanation ended pretty much with the brief explanation around the 'will of the planet', the man suddenly getting quite secretive with further information regarding the 'new world'.
Shirou would have been compelled to ask why, to press for more, to understand how his savior came to be.
But he didn't. Curious he was but he was also polite.
The man had his secrets and.. Shirou had now to deal with this mess he found when he woke up.
[Status]
Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 1 - Exp: 0.00%
Health Points (HP) : 100
Mana Points (MP) : (Blocked)
Attributes
POW: 3
INT: 4
AGI: 3
WIS: 4
VIT: 4
CHA: 5
LUK: 10
What was he staring at?
The quick answer was that this was... his current state in the world.
Something that he doubted Kiritsugu could even grasp had happened during that fire and.. he was 'The Gamer'...
What is a Gamer?
The question was innocent and Shirou couldn't get a proper depiction of the supposed title until two days after settling in his new home.
The cause of the previous inactivity was the need of recovery imposed by the doctors in the hospital.
He was mostly fine, but his lungs were still recovering and he to do little activity for them to do a full recovery.
It was annoying at first, knowing that he was stuck at home with nothing to do.
He was still a child and.. he wanted to do something.
But it was during the first day in that Shirou made a terrible discovery and a pleasant revelation.
Kiritsugu was.. useless in preparing food. The kitchen had lit horribly as the man tried to prepare some eggs.
How do you fail this much?!
As the kitchen was saved by the tempestive intervention of the very responsible of the accident, Shirou's eyes seemed drawn by the room.
It was a very little section that was connected to the living room and.. he opened the cooking book that had survived the man's onslaught.
Few moments later, Kiritsugu blinked curiously at the simple plate with some scrambled eggs on it.
The smell was delicious and the texture seemed to have a pleasant color.
The man took just a bite, his mouth chewing close and slowly as the boy stared at any possible reaction.
It felt.. familiar. He could feel like he had already cooked before, that he had already done this particular activity in the past.
[Thanks to a particular action a forgotten Trait has been restored!]
Natural Prodigy (Cooking) - You are incredibly proficient in cooking, it is in your blood. Food prepared by your hands receive a 25% Boost to their HP recovery rate.
Traits! The Game enables this functionality to optimise your growth through your life. Some Traits will be unlocked by accomplishing certain Quests, actions or even unlocking them from your past.
Shirou ignored the boxes at first, his attention still focused on his guardian and, as the man let a quick smile that disappeared back in his seemingly permanent thin line he had for a mouth, the boy turned to glance at them.
The task was seemingly... difficult as the man noticed the distant look he had adopted while reading.
"Is something wrong, Shirou?"
A cold shiver went down his spine but the child merely blinked at the man. "N-Nothing."
Kiritsugu stared a little longer, trying to deduce more from the youth's silence but.. he returned soon to eat his food. "You should start eating, the food is getting cold."
The boy nodded and lunch went uneventful after that.
Once his body had fully recovered from the traumatic experience, Shirou was able to go for a walk around the city and.. he found what he was searching for.
Electronic Games and Magazines
The small shop seemed relatively new and lacking the usual lines people would expect it to have.
The boy didn't give it much of a thought as he entered the shop and took notice of the shopkeeper.
"Good morning.." He muttered softly as the man on the other side of the counter merely nodded in recognition.
The red-haired child was thankful that there were tags that helped to identify the few sections in the place and soon he walked towards the magazines' part of the shop.
[Warning! A set of actions has triggered a new Quest]
-First Steps-
Time Limit: Unlimited
You need to learn more about the Game but the only solution is to buy the right magazine. Find and buy the magazine that best fit with your needs.
Hints
This Game requires your mind to strategise and improve.
Reward
-500 Yen-
-LVL UP-
Failure or Refused
-Beginner's Malus: 500% decrease in your EXP gain-
Accept?
Y/N
Pushing the Y, Shirou looked around the display of the few, different copies, trying to find something regarding 'strategy' as the Game as not-so-subtly implied.
His search ended as he grasped the magazine titled 'Dengeki Nintendo' and gave it a quick look before taking it to the shopkeeper.
Super Metroid? Street Fighter? Why were those named like these?
Maybe it was because Shirou had never played with a videogame, or at least from what he could remember (and that wasn't much), but the names sounded curious to read and the images.. Maybe he will research further those when he will have better funds.
The magazine was priced.. 720 Yen!?
The boy had to double-check the price as a grimace settled in his face.
he had thought this kind of magazines would have been cheaper and maybe even manage to get an ice cream before returning back home.
He just had 800 yen... but he gulped down the sour defeat as he went to pay for the magazine.
The shopkeeper glanced at his face as he left the shop, confused by the fact the young client's depressed outlook after buying something usually enticing for someone his age.
Shirou's return back home was uneventful as he had expected and he already planned to go back in his room and study the curious magazine in his hands.
The boy realised that his plans were foiled as soon as he stepped inside the mansion and-*Thud* he was on the ground with an older girl pressing him and snuggling him close to her.
..What?
His reaction would have been richer if it hadn't been the fact he had lost the opportunity to get some nice ice cream as a meal, so he merely blinked as he tried to understand what was going on.
Fast forward five minutes and the boy was sitting in the living room with Kiritsugu and Taiga.
Taiga Fujimura was an incredibly cheerful girl that was finishing high school.
The reason why she was here? Kiritsugu was her English tutor and.. Shirou could now understand the defeated look the man had adopted as soon as we reached him.
The girl had apologised for her quirky mannerism but that didn't mean in her mind that she would by then stop pounce him down.
It was ironic how someone that disliked being called Tiger (even through her name meant exactly that) was prone to adopt this predatorial tactics in her friendly approaches.
What truly made him fear the smiling girl by his side was the dream she had so happily told him.
She wanted to become a teacher.
...For some reasons he felt like that very decision was going to impact on his life quite harshly and unavoidably.
Ten minutes in the private lesson and Shirou was already out of their sight, closing behind him the door of his new room.
He sat on his bed and gave a long stare at the read in front of him and.. he opened the first page of the magazine.
Ten minutes later and he was incredibly tired and confused.
*Ding* You have levelled up!
[Status]
Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 2 - Exp: 0.00%
Health Points (HP) : 150
Mana Points (MP) : (Blocked)
Attributes
POW: 3+1
INT: 4+1
AGI: 3+1
WIS: 4+1
VIT: 4+1
CHA: 5+1
LUK: 10+1
The Game was just like one of those JRPG games that had started to appear in this time.
The Protagonist had to level up to face stronger enemies and succeed in his mission, just like a hero in some fairy tale.
But what was his mission?
What was he supposed to do now that he had learned about this much? What could be a good reason to get stronger?
It was difficult to miss the familiar Quest Box popping up and Shirou's eyes widened in surprise at its content.
-Grand Quest: The Tutorial Arc-
Time Limit: 1 Month
It's in times of need that heroes appear. The hopeless ones are usually hidden by the darkest of secrets and only justice can bring true order in this world. Kiritsugu's hold the key to someone that is dire need of help, someone he can't save because of -?-. Become stronger (LVL.10) and demand an explanation from him.
Hints
You will have your opportunities to improve. Don't wast them.
Reward
-25000 Yen-
-Improve Kiritsugu's closeness-
-Improve -?- closeness-
Failure or Refused
-Beginner's Malus: 500% decrease in your EXP gain-
-Secret Route is closed-
- -?- fate is sealed forever..-
Accept?
Y/N
Who was -?- and why he/she needed his help? Why was he the one that could do what Kiritsugu couldn't?
No answer, he thought sadly as time passed by and nothing popped up.
Hesitation played in his mind of a while but...
He pressed Y.
AN
The Prologue and this chapter had been prepared much earlier than the others, the third and the ones following are still under grammar revision and will take some time to be ready.
I'm happy for the positive response and that is why I'm posting this early on. I remind you all that the reason I cannot give too much priority to the story is because I have other fanfics (within my scheduled plans) to update. I'm sorry I cannot make updates quicker but this.. is for the best. It gives me the time to revise some mistake while I am at it.
Complete status will be added next chapter as I plan to make Shirou starts through the new Tutorial Arc. It will be quite unique as I had avoided utilising this one for.. reasons, first of those being that time my first round doing a Gamer!Fic. I (think I have) grow(n) up from that and hopefully will manage to make it good for all.
The story is going to be slow-paced and... will lack ID Dungeons.
Hard decision, one that many will condemn, but there is a reason I am doing this: ID Dungeons are... too much op. They usually rush things way too quickly and sometimes cause trouble when trying to keep up with the pacing. Shirou will have the means to level up, I promise you this, but I will not make him too much OP so early on. Plot Armor is still a ghost haunting my ass right now..
Review Q&A!
klim770: The Pewds' version! xD
merendinoemiliano: Thank you. The reason it turned up like that was because I rushed so quickly in certain bits. Expanding the story will help to reduce this issue and maybe even removing it from happening again.
OSR fanatic: Thank you!
The Rupture: I will!
MWkillkenny84: I have seen some cringe-worthy stories and I know the first draft of mine wasn't.. bad. But I still think that if I had done something like that right now I would have tried to find out if I was drunk or high while writing. (even through I don't smoke nor do drugs (Winner don't do drugs- Reagan) )
Guest (Chapter 1): If you mean doing an x-over with some of those Nasuverse works, then yes. If you mean stories detached from this one.. I might in the distant future, right now I have a strict schedule to follow.
Gadget Boy: Mind you that this was the first time I wrote something this much massive but now I kind of got the things learnt and can do it (hopefully). :)