Spirit of The Gamer
Chapter 2, Got a favs and follows! Much appreciated! Seriously I couldn't wait to get started on this. I will say I'm trying to make this a more slow paced build up to major events. While boss fights are awesome. Its the grind session we actually want to see for once, right guys?
I'm also tidying up the previous chapter, I kinda churn my words out so it can feel choppy or weirdly phrased. Any mistakes please point out.
Onward!
SotG
I did eventually haul myself down the ladder and past the closed windows of what looked like cut and pasted office cubicles. Mostly empty besides the odd worker who looked like they were ready for a long night in the office with hot coffee on the burner. The metal railing didn't shake or squeak as I moved down, thankfully.
I only realised that I could have most likely used Stealth outside the windows and levelled it up as I was leaving when dropped off of the last railing, not wanting to risk lowering the ladder. It was going to take time to adjust to the whole thing.
My new body, or old, if I had truly been de-aged in this case, was throwing my balance off kilter. Too much stretching with the legs when walking, arms not quite where I expected them to be. It was unsettling. I'm sure after a week or 3 I would create some synergy with my body as I relearned basic movement. I hoped it was my body. If I found a mirror and found a stranger looking back at me, I'd be torn.
New gamer powers. Excited was not the word I'd use.
At the cost of possession someone, a young kid at that? Not worth thinking about it for now. I could argue, blame and feel bad when I had a better grasp of the situation. I did feel like, if this was the case, I would hesitate, just a little, if someone offered me a return trip back to my old life and body right now and told me I'd be myself again.
I am horrible person. But facts first, guilt later. Maybe it would never be the case.
I landed with the noise of a pig landing on its feet, the ground was thankfully free of glass and chemicals that would be emerging in more fenced off or isolated parts of town. The centre of towns is usually where the wealthy rubbed money together. Dirty alleys would be tsked at, of course.
The path ran between two buildings and continued onwards to a t-section that splintered off into 2 different alleys. The other way went to the street with its people, traffic and colour.
Dark and isolated.
Bright and crowded.
Safety over risk. The sidewalk was busy but not enough that I bumped shoulders with any one. But I did get looked at. No shoes in sight and looking quite lost was most likely something that didn't happen often in a semi- business district. I could pass it off as a runner who took a wrong turn. I walked forward, with my head up. Confident that I knew where I was going. I didn't of course but appearances matter with people in suits. I strolled forward on the concrete and tar, only stopping at a traffic light. I smiled when the universal sign of stop was shown. Words changed. Other things didn't. I noticed a balding man step in line next to me, chatting calmly into a phone. I eyed him out the corner of my eye and muttered as quietly as I could.
"Observe".
A window popped up and I blinked.
"Officer Worker Lv1
HP: 20(20) MP: 3(3)
Ordinary human.
All humans have large potential but very rarely live up to it. With the common person, what you see is usually what you get."
His HP was only 20 and his MP was a measly 3. But he was the same level as me. How were our stats so different? Age? The Gamer title? Luck of a roll? I was brushed past by a woman who walked around me to cross the street. I blinked at the traffic light. The light had turned green without me even noticing. I hurried over the white striped crossing.
I wondered, if I used Observe enough, would I spot some irregular people? High spiritual folk, not the main cast but Aizen did choose this town in the end, risked all for a reason. This area just naturally had more energy about it. Unrestrained energy often affects everything around it, Ichigo himself was a prime subject of this early in the manga. There had to be some folks around who were a little bit different, if not outright powered.
Would it affect me? Would I soon be capable of seeing hollows? It wasn't guaranteed, people lived here all their lives and saw nary a sign of hollows or ghosts. This town could be invaded at any moment.
Then I paused. The thought skittered across my grey matter.
What if I was too late? What if I was waking up after Aizen invaded. Could the damage be done and I was to swim in unclear water. I didn't exactly read far past Aizen's defeat. Not that I disliked it or anything. Other manga drew me away, games were released. Life squeezed in between the cracks of free time. It just got away from me.
I chewed my lip, I was already hazy on the beginning parts. I couldn't exactly remember what happened first. Orihime or Chad would encounter a hollow. How long after the Menos' attack did the Shinigami turn up? I got worse from there on. I didn't exactly think I would need it to keep alive at the time. Hindsight eh?
But my thoughts lead me to the million dollar question. Why was I here? Did Gaia exist here? The mother consciousness of all things. Did it intentionally bring me here, if it was Gaia and not another persons will, like Aizen or the spirit king. I never knew if he got introduced in the manga yet.
Was I purposely murdered to be here?
Heavy questions, no real answers.
Actually that wasn't true. I did have a solution to one. The idea tossed and turned as I gave it thought.
I could find the earliest chronological marker in the series. Something that changed with each arc that passed. Each stage of its development offered more.
Ichigo Kurosaki. Kurosaki Ichigo? That was going to trip me up in conversations.
If I were to see him, observe in both skill and literal meaning, I might be able to guess where I was in in the time line. The skill could show me his level theoretically.
Low and basic, early series if not pre-series. But if I saw nothing but question marks it means Ichigo is much stronger in comparison to me. I would also spy on his interaction with others. If Rukia was around I could take a stab at the time line as well. If Rukia was here and if Orihime had her iconic hair pins, then I could be more specific. If all three showed question marks then I was going have to think of something else.
Now I could find out a date and a year. I could first find out if the high school was open, no point going if summer was here, and then find out the time difference between my old life and this new life. I thought of my old life. Good family, good friends and even a special someone. If I could find a way back I'll choose. I'll burn the bridge of that choice later.
Breathing out in a sight, I focused on a a man across the street.
"Observe"
SotG
8 more normal people were Observed and moved on without any one person having anything massively different in their status window. The name changed of course. Teacher, Cleaner, Dog-walker, Dentist. Besides that nothing really. 30 HP on a particular healthy jogger was the highlight. But wandering aimlessly didn't really offer much of a choice.
After the 10th person was Observed(a house husband) a window dinged at me . Nearly walking into the street in surprise, I stopped to read it.
"[Observe] level up!" It faded as quickly as it had appeared.
I blinked before turning to look back down where I just walked form, a man of medium height and slight roundness still sat on the bench eating his... noodles? A local cuisine crash course will be taken soon I think.
"Observe"
No new information appeared. Same health, same title(Dentist).
So each level in a skill doesn't always give a visible upgrade. Then again I can kinda guess the skill was also based off my current level. Higher level opponents would only have their information revealed when I approached their power. But I wasn't asking if the man could kick ass with dentistry equipment. Just general information.
So perhaps Observe had gaps of increasing the ability?
Lv1, then 4, then 9 or whatever the skills level up curve was.
A grind upon a grind upon a grind.
I stretched. The sun was moving slowly but the clocks around me on buildings and inside cafés and restaurants showed 5:15pm. It was warm now but most likely not for long. I looked down. I wiggles my toes for effect. I still lack essentials. Shoes for one. Money. Safety. A house.
Or maybe I didn't if this body was just heading somewhere when I zinged in and nicked it. With no shoes?
Weird but I was trying to level up here.
What could I nitpick about?.
SotG
I wandered in a random direction before I hit running water with two grassy slopes on either side. It was a running joke that all animes/mangas had these. The infamous riverside area. Watch fireworks. Battle punk rivals. Get beat up and so on. It went off in both directions. Had a bridge not far off. Pretty normal for a river if there ever was such a classification.
I was lost and I didn't have long before night would settle. I had no idea where anything was and what direction to walk in. Plus my feet were aching slightly. Complaining was not fixing it, I knew.
RPG heroes can continuously walk in any direction forever without suffering. It was a small thing really. You don't notice it but it's pretty weird when you do. I suppose there was a strike between gamer and human body really. RPG heroes are suppose to be human at core.
I stepped and sorta hopped down the side of the hill and landed on someplace where a flat concrete plane settled, designed to leak water back into the river in case of flooding but it was pretty smooth on the feet. No shoes meant stones and other crap that dug in but the stone plane was pretty clear, a limestone mix? The heat made it a slightly warmer surface but it wasn't bad.
Choosing to go right against the current of the river, I put my hands in the small pockets of the shorts and strolled onwards towards the bridge. It was about a 5 minutes walk, give or take, to reach its underbelly. Small working class cars buzzed over the top at lazy speeds. As I passed under the bridge, shadows covered me. The sudden change in temperature on my feet was soothing, cool stone nursing slightly cooked feet. My head felt better as well.
Question, would a fire elemental resistance cover sunburn? I could only hope it would in the long run.
Sitting down I laid back against the graffiti covered wall, Most of it so covered by other tags or marks that not one word or symbol stood out. A mass collage of individuality.
This area wasn't as clean as the open area. I assume I was getting closer to a side of the town. Not close but farther than the centre itself. Some broken crates sat splintered nearby. Observe revealed nothing spectacular about them.
"Wooden crate
Durability: 7(100)
A simple container that was used beyond normal repairs.
Dumped to rot and forgotten.
Materials gather able: Wood, Splinters."
I scratched my head. More than I got from people but splinters? I couldn't imagine a use for them.
Doesn't mean there isn't one.
RPG Game rule number 2: There is no useless items. Every item could be sold, upgraded, enchanted, traded or handed in for a quest.
Rule 1 was: You will have to grind. They write themselves really. I reached over and picked up a splinter. Rolling it between two fingers I wondered about a feature I haven't tried yet.
"Inventory"
A grid of criss-crossing columns and rows appeared in front of me. All spaces empty. The money symbol at the bottom sat at a big 0. Next to the inventory was a diagram of a man with both arms and legs spread out. Slots outlined the body.
One slot for both hands, weapons or defence items. A single equip slot for arms and legs each, the head got a slot, interestingly enough shoulders earned a spot, also the belt. The torso slot had my black shirt in it. The legs had the shorts. One slot for the feet finished it off.
I grinned. It was still so unbelievable. I pushed the splinter into the first slot and watched as it met with water like resistance before it sunk into the space and vanished.
In the first row sat a cartoon drawing of the same splinter. Pushing it once brought up a submenu window with three words on it.
Move
Drop
Examine
I jabbed at the examine button. Another window popped up, text flowing across it. A in menu Observe function. Handy.
"A simple sliver of wood. Bane of all children and construction workers. By itself it is rather useless but gather enough and maybe you can make something out all these nothings.
Skills usable: none"
That was detailed. For a splinter of wood I mean. I could think of two skills that I could learn that would use splinters off the top of my head. Crafting for simple rebuilding or model making. Or assassination via splinter. Would Assassination be a skill or would that be more like a title unveiled via the creation of several sneaky and one hit kill moves? So much unknowns and it was making me go off in circles and tangents.
Deciding to keep the splinter because I could, I stood up, eyeing anything else that stood out in the gloomy underpass. Bags, broken bottles and more junk I could most likely make a time machine with once I mastered the crafting skill but for now I could only gingerly step away from the splinters and walk closer to the other side of the pass.
I spotted something floating in the water, stuck to a naked umbrella pole. Twin laces bobbed back and fro. Luck strikes again it would seem.
A pair of old ratty shoes. They were once bright white, now a dark murky brown. I bent close to the edge of the water.
"Observe" I loved this skill a little more with every use.
"Torn Shoes(Equipable)
Shoes
Durability: 14(100)
These shoes were thrown away by a homeless man. He found better, you will too one day."
I was pulling a face. I couldn't help it. These shoes weren't even good for the poorest of people. I sighed as I reached for them. The Observe was as colourful as always. But it did tell me I could equip them, that meant some comfort at least. But not protection. No amour stat or DEF increase. Not that I was expecting much.
"Inventory"
The window opened and without pausing, I slid them into the second slot. Then I dragged them over to the shoe slot. A soft glow and my feet were suddenly encased in wet, smelling, old shoes. Not the best but no-one got epic loot on their first try.
Taking a few steps I noticed that, despite being one step from rags, the shoes fit quite well, almost perfectly. Really good luck stat? We'll they wouldn't be wet if they were. Or was it a hidden game mechanic at work? Have general equipment resized to fit? I could get used to that, might need to some messing around with it.
I walked back into the sun, as fading as it was it gave a fair heat wave. The shoes would dry and then they would only look dirty and smell.
Progress.
SotG
Back on the road I walked with some more vigour as I had shoddy support on my feet now, shoddy but working. I wasn't aware if anyone noticed the shoes but no one said anything anyway. I stood on one side of the bridge. Head craning to see anything distinctive that would give me a goal. The sky was going orange. Not long left on his futile self-given quest of no EXP to find the High school. A group of pedestrians turned a street as a traffic light had turned green not far off. As I looked at them I noticed two people in particular. I didn't know who they were, how old or what level, I didn't care.
They had school uniforms on. Bingo. The group passed me heading onto the bridge, narrowing to find room to stay to the side walk.
Now I didn't speak Japanese. I was working on that. But I approached them any way. My new gear better not have negative people skill.
"Excuse me?" They both turned to look at me at the same time. One was taller than his friend and had a square jaw. It was his most noticeable feature really. He spoke and I didn't understand a word of it.
"Sorry, do you speak English?" I asked in what I hoped was a polite tone. I might have broken a million social etiquettes and I'd have no idea.
They both looked at each other, tall said something to scraggly beard. Beard fired back before looking at me.
"I have.. little English" I breathed with relief. First shoes and now broken English. I was advancing fast!
I pointed at his blazer jacket thing.
"School? Where?" I asked slower than I usually talked. Thinking if knew any words that would help. Beard frowned, looking at his friend, more words were passed.
"School.. house?" The word Building might be pushing his limited vocabulary. I nodded enthusiastically. The boy scratched his beard. Bad habit maybe? I did it in my old life a lot too. He pointed over my shoulder at something, I turned but got lost when I saw nothing but city. Tall sighed and said something, the tone mocking but not directed at me I think. Beard blushed and waved him away.
"Red picture, Cola!" He said and pointed again. I again turned and scanned the sky lines of the buildings. On the third building back, semi-eclipsed by a larger building was a ad board with cola on it.
A literal sign.
"Thank you!" I bowed a little, hoping it wasn't too much, they both bowed their heads with grins. Waving me off they turned and kept walking down the road they were before I stopped them. A ping popped into the air. Not jumping was a victory.
"A quest has been created!"
A quest? My first quest.
"Education is your friend!
Find the Karakura High school building before 9.00pm.
Success: 30 EXP
Failure: None
Bonus: ?"
Below were two buttons. Accept. Decline.
I hit accept.
SotG
Hi there! Hope you enjoyed. I just threw this together, I hope there was no obvious mistakes or horrible plot points that put you off, I'm still quite new to the gamer mechanics so feel free if I over use or use terms wrong or skills are OP or incorrect. I would really appreciate it.
Ciao!