Pandora Hero Chronicles
Chronicle 1: Trust Issues
Pain. That's all I remember… Before a flash of light blinded me. Then, a void and a voice calling to me and something attaching to my wrist… Like a cuff and a rattle following the sound. Well, that's a way to start this story… But, that is what happened to me. Well, that is happening to me right now… Let's start from the beginning shall we? My name is James Edward Scott, a 21 year old junior college student that is a total weeb. Yes, I classify myself as a weeb because I decorate my room with a bunch anime posters and figurines from my all time favorite anime and manga. I also have extensive knowledge from the anime and manga, going deep into lore of the shows that I watch. It's a blessing and a curse, let me tell ya. Well, there is this one anime that I have gotten into called The Rising Of The Shield Hero. It's about 2 years old around this time and hasn't gotten a second season and I am reading the light novel now. Let me tell you, this anime and manga can get EXTREMELY dark at points. It's quite an enjoyable series, too… The main hero, Naofumi, goes through SO MUCH SHIT because of the Melromarc family, mainly the king and daughter, Aultcray and Malty. It is infuriating to see since they basically got away with it for a while after a botched first trial at the beginning. Thank God the queen kicked their asses at the near end of the first season and nearly executed them had Naofumi not step in like a total boss and spare their lives. Well, that's all good… But, I would not let them off without a final laugh. Nah, probably not. That can probably bite me in the ass… Anyway, enough about the anime. I will be part of it, anyway. Another thing to note is that I grew up in a rough neighborhood, where my family was harassed by the police constantly… Being black, I kinda despised authority growing up. Maybe that might be a reason why I hate the king. Well, let's get back to our regularly scheduled program.
-Scene Skip; Kingdom Of Melromarc-
I laid on the ground in a large open space, groaning in pain. I sat up and rubbed my head, looking around. Then, I noticed 4 pairs of eyes staring at me. Rather, 4 familiar pairs of eyes that I have seen on the other side of the screen. Ah, shit… That's Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki, and motherfucking Naofumi! How in the living shit is that possible?! I stood up and groaned as I rubbed my chest. I looked down at myself and noticed that I was covered in bruises and dried blood caked my clothes, which was a white t-shirt with the logos of Panic! At The Disco on the front of the shirt with some of the blood covering the Disco part of the name, torn black jeans, and tattered red sneakers. My wounds started healing automatically as I looked back up at them.
"Uhh… This is awkward. Hi, I guess?" I said, remaining calm in front of them. Did I die and go to another world? Well, clearly that answer's yes! That also means I went to the world of The Rising Of The Shield Hero! How?! What happened?! Jesus, give me a sign! I heard some chain rattling and I looked down at my left hand. There was a silver cuff with weird writing on the cuff as well as a red chain attached to the cuff and a weird brown and red briefcase on the other end of the chain. I pulled on the chain and the briefcase came to me and the handle appeared in my hand. I gripped the handle and looked at the briefcase in full. Why did this remind me of Pandora from Devil May Cry?
"Wait, there are 5 people? I thought we called for 4 heroes," a voice called from behind the 4 heroes. I looked behind them and blinked in shock. There was a congregation of people in purple cloaks and robes and sitting on a throne behind them was fucking Aultcray Melromarc, the piece of shit himself. Goddamn, I hate this man… Wait. Who was that girl beside him? She wasn't Malty… But, she was extremely good looking and sexy. She had red hair that partially went over her left green eye and the rest went past her shoulders. She also seemed to have large breasts packed up in her dress. Was she wearing a corset or something? She noticed me looking at her and she looked away, blushing slightly. Looks like feelings mutual… Or, maybe she is shy.
"Uhh, yeah… Where are we? If you don't mind me asking," I said and I couldn't help but notice that there was a HUD in my peripherals.
Name: James Edward Scott
Class: Hero
Hero: Pandora Hero (Legacy Hero)
Weapon: Briefcase (Pandora)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Level: 1
STR: 10
DEX: 12
DEF: 9
VIT: 10
INT: 11
LUCK: 15
MAG: 12
HP: 150
MP: 300
Oh, it's like Untold Legends: Brotherhood Of The Blade. I seen stats similar to that in that PSP game. Damn, I miss my old PSP… I had so much fun playing the shit out of that. Now that I think about it, this reminds me of a lot of Gamer fics that I read in in past, too. Huh, wonder if that will transfer over here, too. Anyway, I glared at the king after looking over my stats. I wanted to kick the shit out of this guy so much and he hasn't done anything to me as of yet… Bad memories of watching him torture Naofumi in the show surfaced in my mind and I willed my hatred for him down. Then, I realized something crazy. My stats said that I was a Hero… And, I was the Pandora Hero. Wait! Was I part of the 4 Cardinal Heroes unofficially? Oh, that's gonna play in my favor. What is Legacy Hero, anyway?
"You all are in the kingdom of Melromarc, and we have summoned you to aide us in the waves. We were hoping for 4 heroes, but we have gotten 5. This is an unprecedented event, but good fortune nonetheless," he said and the girl looked at him. Well, he wasn't hiding the fact that he summoned me by accident. Question is, do I let this play into my hands? Or wait until Naofumi is framed? Decisions, decisions… Ah, fuck it. If I wanted to fuck with the king and Malty, then I will have some fun with it.
"So, what you're saying is I am an accident? Well, call me a red headed stepchild while you're at it, why don't you," I said as I raised an eyebrow. The room went silent at my words as I continued.
"Look, I appreciate you saving me from death… But, I ain't nobody's lapdog," I continued as I folded my arms, "If I am gonna be helping, I want some form of incentive. Give and receive, am I right?"
"What would you require?" the girl said in a voice I recognized from a certain video game series I enjoyed as of late, Hyperdimension Neptunia. She sounded like Blanc! Yes!
"To be honest, something that can help me prepare for the journey ahead. And, a party of my choosing, of course," I said nonchalantly as I looked at him, "Oh, and a lot of this world's currency." The 4 heroes looked at me.
"What? Not like you guys wouldn't want the same thing. Besides, I am more of a Chaotic Good person. I do things with intentions that can benefit me. I don't harm innocents nor do I kill those who don't deserve it." Well, I have killed someone… But, that's a story for another day.
"That can be supplied to you when business is done here," the king said smugly and I frowned at that, "Something the matter?"
"Sorry… I don't really trust authority. Growing up, authority failed me way too much," I said plainly, "It's not warranted. I much rather learn things on the go… Get a little worldwide experience."
"You need to show some respect to the king! He is the leader of this kingdom!" another female voice said out of nowhere as Malty Melromarc stomped up beside the other girl and glared at me. I rolled my eyes and stared at her with no emotion, which caused her to step back in shock.
"Yeah, no. Again, he failed to acknowledge me since he was surprised that 5 people were summoned here and he intended to summon 4 people. Whose to say he might turn on one these guys next?" I said, implying the impending betrayal of Naofumi. The king glared at me and I turned away from him, about to leave.
"Wait!" the Blanc sounding girl said from the throne and I stopped to look back at her curiously, "I will supply you with whatever you need. Just follow me, if you like." I turned back to her and smirked smugly at Malty and the king.
"At least someone here has some consideration and common sense. Lead the way, miss…" I said and she blushed slightly again, clearing her throat.
"Myra B Melromarc, 2nd in line to the throne," She said calmly as she regained her composure.
"Myra," I said in admiration. Sexy name, too. Let's hope she isn't like Malty with her leading me into a trap. Better keep my guard up. I followed behind her as a few guards followed behind me.
"Leave us," Myra said seriously as she glared at the guards. They backed off and bowed to her. I like her… She either is confident that she can take me… Or is smart enough to know that I wouldn't try anything unless I'm not gonna do anything. In reality, I wasn't gonna harm her… Unless she was gonna have guards follow us.
-Scene Skip; Hallways-
Myra and I walked through the hallways of the large castle in silence. I decided to speak up and know about her a little.
"So… What's the deal with your father?" I asked her as I brought my hands behind my head and looked out the large windows.
"He is an asshole who shouldn't deserve to be on the throne. But, ever since my mother has been out… He has seized the throne and has promised Malty the crown as long as his youngest daughter don't come home," she said over her shoulder. I could hear the annoyance in her voice.
"Wait, you aren't the oldest? It looked like it," I said and she stopped as she turned to me and sighed.
"No, I am the middle child. Malty is the oldest and my youngest sister, Melty, is with our mother. Honestly, my father was married into this family and doesn't care about her or me and Melty. He gives Malty all the attention," Myra said acidly as she looked down at the ground.
"Jeez, talk about your dysfunctional families," I muttered to myself. She heard me and shook her head.
"No shit," Myra said and I was taken back by that, "Oh, sorry. Father said as always need to have a more regal air about me at all times. But, seriously… Fuck my father. I wanted to be an Adventurer, being on the front lines and battling to defend my kingdom. I am a woman of action, and always am." Ah, I see… She hates politics and sitting on her ass. A woman of action… Why does she seem so much hotter, speaking her mind? It might be the Blanc voice doing things to me… Shit.
" Well, I did say that I wanted a party of my choosing. Can I take her along with me?" I thought and shook my head, " Probably not. But, Malty got to go with Motoyasu, the tool, just to fuck with Naofumi. Hmm…"
"Is it possible to bring you with me? I mean, I have to know what type of class you are before I make any choice," I said out of the blue and she was taken back by that, "Err, never mind."
"Oh, don't even worry about that. I am more of a Mage/Cleric mix class, if you are wondering," Myra said excitedly. Well, This was a turn of events. I probably would be hunted for this… But, again… Fuck Aultcray and Malty. I wonder if I can get into the good graces of her mother. Did her mother's name get mentioned at all in the anime? Or, did I not pay attention? Ah, I will figure it out later. Hmm, what to do with this situation?
"I may have an idea… Why not wait until tomorrow? I mean, if I leave now… Your father might send assassins after me to get you back," I said to her and she shook her head, "What?"
"He… Dislikes me. How did you say it? I am literally the redheaded step child he does not want," she said nonchalantly, "I only stay to keep an eye on him for my mother. Well, that will only last for so long before he gets sick of my shit." I laughed at that. Worded exactly how I would say it. I really like her.
"Okay, then. We should still wait… You know, to make sure he doesn't hunt my ass down," I said and she nods her head, "However, I have no idea who I wanna add to my party besides you."
"We'll figure it out. Oh, I should mention… I'm a sleep cuddler," Myra said and I blushed at that. Top 3 things I didn't need to know at this point of time. Well, I got a plan of action… Next thing is to wait until tomorrow and set out with Myra. And, I trust Myra more than Aultcray or Malty any day. Is that bad if I trust a new character over existing characters?
"The money, I can supply you with right now, if you like. Meds, no problem. However, after what happened in there… I might be the only one in your party. I don't think there will be anyone who will join someone who badmouths my father and sister like that. Just saying…"
"Well, I wasn't really going for a big party anyway. Maybe 6 people, max," I said as I rubbed the back of my head and she folded her arms across her chest.
"Where are you gonna find 4 more people to join you?" Myra asked me and I scratched the back of my head.
"Dunno… Making this up as I go along," I said and suddenly a small screen pops out of my peripherals again. I looked down and it was a notification… On a Quest. Huh?
Main Story Quest: Gotta Team Up!
Quest Information: Looks like you have been dropped into an alternate version of The Rising Of The Shield Hero. You can use whatever knowledge you have and completely fuck over some characters or keep some things intact! Whatever you choose will have a butterfly effect down the line. For now, your first main objective is to gain 2 new team members! You have 7 days to do so before you can't anymore… So, good luck!
Quest Requirements: Myra as a mainstay in your party, visit slave trader before Naofumi does, defeat robbers on way to slave trader
Bonus Objective: Attend Naofumi's betrayal meeting
Quest Rewards: 1000 Gold Coins; 20 Gacha Coins; 4000 EXP; Skill Obtain
Bonus Rewards: ???
Quest Failure: Go Along without early team members, miss chance to gain EXP and gold
Do you accept this Quest? Y/ N
Whoa, that's meta as hell… I just got a story Quest like in those Gamer Fics! Holy shit! Well, I know what I am gonna do for new teammates. I will have to gain some demi-humans. By the way, the no option is blurred out, so I have to accept this no matter what. Hell, not like I was gonna deny this Quest. Also, Gacha Coins? What the hell is that? Wait, the bonus objective… It wants me to go to that meeting where Naofumi got betrayed. I might as well… I accepted the Quest and some confetti appeared at my peripherals. Fanfare, cute. I looked at Myra with a wry smirk and she raised an eyebrow.
"How do you feel about… Demi-humans?" I asked her and she gasped with delight.
"I adore them! Honestly, I wanted to adopt a small Demi-human and raise them to be my own," she said in glee and I snorted at that. I barely know this chick and I really like her. She is nothing like Malty and Aultcray and that is a good thing.
"So, where exactly do I stay for the night?" I asked her and she giggled as she took my arm, "Hey! Don't pull…" She tugs me down the hallway in excitement, probably because she has a new purpose. Well, I am glad she has one that makes her happy.
-Scene Skip; The Next Day; Throne Room-
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I stood there with Myra at my side and the other 4 heroes looking at me in confusion. Well Ren, Itsuki, and Naofumi looking at me in confusion while Motoyasu, the tool that he is, glaring daggers at me. I have to mention that I am not a morning person… So, I might be a little cranky in this conversation. Just a heads up.
"Myra, explain yourself. Why are you with him?" Aultcray said seriously as he looked at me.
"It's her choice. Why are you already on her case?" I said in a sparky tone. He glared daggers at me and I did the same to him.
"Father, I have already made my decision. I want to travel with one of the heroes and protect our people from the waves," she said and looked at me as I gave her a faux confused look, "I will explain later…" I already knew quite a bit about the Waves of Catastrophe from the show and looking it up online when I was still alive in my world. Shit sucks, since they have a predestined time to strike and a time limit for the monsters in the waves to have free reign of destruction on whatever they get their hands on.
"Well, if that were the case… Why not go with one of the other heroes? Why go with the mistake?" he said as he points to the other 4. I gritted my teeth at that and I swear I heard Naofumi growl in anger. Heh, even before he got betrayed he does not like the king.
"Well, you called him here. So, he is still your responsibility," Ren spoke up as he looked at the king, "He is not a mistake. That is disrespectful."
"I mean, yeah… He is an idiot, but at least he looks like he can pull his own weight," Motoyasu said and I swear I wanted to punch him in his smug jaw.
"He deserves to be here, like the rest of us," Itsuki said and I rolled my eyes at the king again.
"Not to mention that he is still a hero. So, show some form of respect," Naofumi said seriously and I wanted to give him a pat on the back for that.
"Fine… But, she is my daughter and I will make her choices for her," Aultcray said and some guards surrounded me.
"Yeah, no. I told you that you are not the boss of me. Only mother tells me what to do," Myra said as she glared at him, "You may not like it… But, I am making my own choices. Period."
"What exactly do you see in him? You just met him," he said as he glared at me again.
"Hope," Myra said plainly and if my mouth could drop to the floor, it would. That was so cliché, that made my jaw hurt. Hope?!
"Hope? We have these 4 for hope. He is a blight of nature, in league with the Demi-humans," he said and my left eye twitched from anger.
"Is it me or does that sound SUPER racist?" I muttered and Ren and Itsuki both nodded their heads while Naofumi sighed and shook his head, "Good, so it's not just me."
"Enough of your bigotry, father! I am going with him and that is final!" Myra exclaimed as she took my arm and turned to leave, "And, you will not have to worry about sparing any people for us. We will find some we can rely on and not cut and run." She pulls me out of the throne room, her father calling her name after her. When we left the throne room, she sighed deeply and shook her head.
"No offense, but your father is a dick that can't listen," I said and sue looked at me and nodded her head, "So, what now?"
"Well, that honestly went a little more south than I hoped… But, at least he isn't sending guards after you," Myra said as we walked down the hallway quickly, "We need to hurry. The sooner we leave, the better."
"Myra, be honest with me. Why are you with me in the first place?" I asked her again as we rushed down the hallway.
"…Okay, honest truth: I wanted an out. And, you were my best chance. Plus, I do want to be on the front lines, protecting my country, instilling hope into my people," Myra said as she looked back at me, "I want to be of use instead of staying back and letting others die in the line of fire for me. I want to be the protector instead." Ah, so it's kinda like Lucina from Fire Emblem. Commendable, and I can understand why she wanted to join my party so much. And, I could guess that she knew joining the others wouldn't benefit her too much. Well, if she would have joined Naofumi… That would be a best 2nd choice. Ah, well…
"How are we getting out of here? He probably positioned some guards at the front of the castle," I said to her and she stopped when we came across a large doorway to our left. She opens it and pulls me inside. In the doorway was a vast room full of weaponry that were ranging from Swords, crossbows, spears, cudgels, Morningstars, shields, suits of armor… The works. She pulls a chest plate off of the wall and puts it on me for protection and fastens it around my torso and grabs some metal gauntlets and boots and hands them to me. I quickly slip them on and she places a female version of a chest plate on her torso, fastens it and slips on some black gauntlets over her hands and boots on her feet. Then, she pulls out a jagged dagger from the wall and hooks the holster to her left thigh and grabs a brown tome and hooks that onto her right side while holding her hand out to have a silver staff appear in front of her hand. Then, a screen pops up out of nowhere in front of my eyes and it scans Myra. After that, her stats pull up.
Name: Myra B Melromarc
Class: Mage/Cleric
Weapons: Mage Staff; Mage Tome; Dagger
Alightment: Lawful Good/ Chaotic Good
Level: 1
STR: 8
DEX: 14
DEF: 10
VIT: 12
INT: 15
LUCK: 15
MAG: 20
HP: 175
MP: 400
Wow, she has more magic than I do as well as more Dexterity. Hell, her stats are well rounded, like mine. Her Strength is lacking, but it makes sense that she would have low Strength since she is a Mage class. And, just like that… Her stats went away and what looked like a skill tree appeared in front of me. Huh? Wait, was this… The screen started scanning the weapons all around me and took one of each weapon type it saw. One for Sword, one for crossbow, one for the Morningstar, one for the spear, one for the club… You name it, it took a sample from it. Yeah, like how Naofumi got his different shields from mixing minerals into his shield. The screen stopped and there were multiple skill branches going off if different directions, each one of them saying Common and the weapon it specified, like for example Common Sword and it showed a normal short sword. It's like a level up system that I can keep up with… And I can dig it.
"Oh, it must be Pandora doing that. Interesting…" Myra said as she saw my screen and I looked at her in shock. She can see it?!
"How are you seeing this?" I asked her and she giggled.
"It's showing me, silly. There is a screen out in front of your face, can you not tell?" Myra asked me and I took another look. Indeed, there was a screen in front of my face. Weird, I thought it would still be in my eyes… Well, I will figure this out later. We need to hurry! I waved my hand in front of my face and the screen disappeared.
"So, how do we get out? Is there a way out of here?" I asked her and she kneeled down onto the floor, where there was a carpet covering the middle of the room. She moved the carpet and there was a trapdoor underneath.
"Huh… Well, someone's prepared," I said as Myra opened the trapdoor and stood up.
"Close the armory door, Quick! I hear footsteps coming," Myra said and I looked back at the door. I went over to it and closed the large doors behind me and pressed my back against it. Myra came over to me with a large wooden plain in her other hand and hands it to me. I took a look at the plank and then at the door. There was a place to firmly place the plank right behind me, so I slammed that wooden plank in and made sure it wasn't going anywhere. There was banging on the door after I placed the plank on the door.
"Princess Myra, please come out! Your father is very upset!" a voice called from the other side of the door. It was Motoyasu's voice from the other side. What a tool… Myra and I went over to the trapdoor and I stopped when I heard Naofumi's voice call to me.
"Yo. Don't listen to a word that man says. If you want to change the world for the better, I'd say go for it. Just don't let anything stop you from doing it," Naofumi called and I smirked at that.
"I wish we'd met on better terms, Naofumi… I wish you luck on your journey," I told him and turned to Myra, "I will be fine. Don't you worry about that." Myra and I hopped down into the hole and Myra used some Wind magic to move the carpet and trapdoor back into place. Myra and I raced through the underground passage under the castle for what seemed like several miles until we came to a grate above our heads that led upwards and a metal ladder that would let us climb. Myra went first and I followed, allowing me to see up her dress involuntarily. I blushed as I saw a black garter belt and pink striped panties. Well, this is awkward… Myra made it to the grate and pushed it out of the way. She got out of the underground passage and helps me out of there as well. I pushed the grate back into place and dusted my hands off. I looked up at Myra, who wiped some grime off of her forehead and smiled at me as her staff appeared in her hand.
"Well, that was seamless," Myra said with a jovial attitude and I sighed as I now knew this might make me public enemy no. 1 in the kingdom. Looks like I am gonna be on the lookout from here on out. I folded my arms and thought about how to find the slave trader from here. I was unfamiliar with this territory but Myra wasn't. I looked at Myra and she gave me a curious look.
"I do wanna recruit some Demi-humans to our party. But, I don't know where to find some," I said and her face soured.
"I… Know a guy," Myra said and she looked at me carefully, "But, you have to promise that you will not get mad."
"As long as it gets us more help, I don't honestly care where it comes from," I said as I stared at her, "What is it, some sort of farmer?"
"Close. He has done some shady deals with me in the past… And, he owes me a few favors. I am gonna make him owe me today… But, he only operates at night," Myra said and I raised an eyebrow, "First, let's get some good gear and find out your elemental affinity. This is essential for you." She went to the end of the alleyway and looked up and down the streets. She came back over to me and frowned as she began to think. She must be wondering how to go out without drawing attention to herself.
"You need a cloak. Hmm…" I said as I looked around and spotted a black cloak hanging down nearby from a clothesline. I went over to it and snatched it down and looked at it. It was warm and dry, like it had finished drying. I went over to Myra and placed it on her shoulders. There was a hood on it and I moved the cloak hood over her head, concealing her face.
"Perfect. Come on," Myra said and took my hand and went out into the street. I wouldn't really stand out since no one would think twice to look my way. We made our way through the streets, passing by people until we came to a magic shop and went inside. A woman wearing a witch's costume was sweeping the floor stopped what she was doing and looked over at us.
"Ah, hello! How are you 2 today?" she said as she came over to us, "Oh, Lady Myra! I didn't know you would be visiting my shop today…" Myra took off her hood and shushed the woman.
"We are not here for small talk today. We are kinda in a hurry… This is James, one of the Legacy Heroes you were talking about the other day," she said and I flinched at that. This woman knows about that?
"Is he really? What weapon does he wield?" she asked skeptically as she eyes me and spots Pandora hanging off my left side and the cuff that it is chained to, "That's…"
"Pandora, I know. But, This is my second day with it and I haven't used it in battle yet," I said and she nods her head.
"I see. Well, I can enlighten you on some history, if you'd like," she said and I shook my head.
"We don't have enough time… We have to get moving," Myra said as she moved me over to a weird looking crystal ball, "Sorry for this, Juliet. But, we really need to get out of the kingdom… My father isn't taking into account that I am grown enough to make my decisions. So, he might send someone to try and get me back. Not like he cared in the first place…"
"You left your father? Myra…" Juliet said as she looked at Myra and sat down in front of the crystal ball, "Was it worth it to get your father all riled up?"
"I could care less about what he wants… He never cared for what I wanted, growing up. He always paid Malty all the attention, never really caring from me or Melty in the process," Myra said seriously as she shook her head, "Honestly, I should've stay with mother."
"Myra…" Juliet said and shook her head, "I just want you to know that I support you, no matter what. Just be more… Vigilant, okay?" Myra sighed and nods her head as Juliet turns to the crystal ball.
"Now, let us begin. Place your hand on the crystal ball," she said and I did as instructed. Several different colors were shown in the middle of the ball and they expanded around the ball. Then, the ball was coated in a large flash that made us cover our eyes. When the light disappeared, I uncovered my eyes and looked at the ball in confusion. Then, I glanced back at Juliet who had a shocked look on her face.
"Was that bad or…?" I said as I looked at her and then at Myra, "Did I break it?"
"No, far from it! Well, I do need a new crystal ball since this one has seen better days… But, you have no elemental affinity. Well, a main one," She said as she pushed her hair out of the way of her face, "Here, let me explain: There are multiple elements in this world: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Light, Dark, Poison, Metal… You name it, there is an element for it. You have access to about… From what I saw, 9 elements. The 8 I named are 8 of the 9 and for 9th one you have is Blood. Yes, in this world Blood is its own element," Juliet said before I could interject that Blood wasn't really its own element. Well, never mind… 9 elements. Shit, that can come in handy. She stood up and walked over to a shelf to pull out some ancient looking scrolls and come back to hand them all to me. There were about 20 of these things…
"These are Skill Scrolls. You can find these in the world, off of monster spawns. They can teach you skills of any of the elements you have in your arsenal," She continued as she held up one scroll and hands it to me. I looked at the scroll and there was a description of the skill on the inside.
Skill: Chaos Fireball
Description: An enhanced version of a normal fireball spell. Has a 30% chance of causing Shadow Bind.
Damage: 30-50 Damage
Lasting Effects: Burn status for 20 seconds, Shadow Bind for 10 seconds.
Class Usage: Mage, Cleric, Hero
Usage: Unlimited, Multiple Party Members Can Learn At Once
Oh, so it's a multiple use Skill Scroll. Interesting. I then felt weird, as if something was being absorbed into my skin. I looked at my arms and saw what looked like runes going up my arms. They disappeared after a second and I gasped as I felt the feeling go away.
"Whoa… What a rush," I said and my peripherals had showed up a HUD that showed a few sentences appearing out of nowhere.
(Hero) Learns -Chaos Fireball-.
(Mage/Cleric) Learns -Chaos Fireball-.
Oh, so whoever can learn it in the party can immediately learn the skill. I looked at Myra, who had looked at her staff and waved it around slowly, a small trail of fire following behind it. The fire disappeared after a second and she looked at me.
"Okay, that is a cool feature," I said and she nods her head with a smile, "All right, so what if I wanna learn the skills later?"
"Just store the Scrolls away in your inventory. When you wanna grab a specific scroll, just say the element you want at that moment and the scroll corresponding with that element will be brought into your hands," Juliet told me and I looked at the handful of schools in my hands, "Oh, don't even worry about paying me. They are on the house. If you want more, however… You will have to pay for them." Okay, makes sense.
"Understandable. Thank you," I said and the scrolls disappeared into thin air except for a blood red scroll in my hand, "Uhh… I thought I put them all away."
"Well, that's the thing… Almost all the scrolls can be put away. But the scrolls that are colored blood red cannot be stored away. They MUST be used immediately or else they will evaporate into thin air, unusable to anyone else. Unfortunately, no living being that I know can learn Blood Magic. So, it is best that you leave that one here."
"Now, hold on. Let me take a shot at it… If it doesn't work, that will be it," I said and looked at the scroll as it opened up and showed some bright gold text within the blood red pages.
To whomever open these pages, beware. You're about to embark on a dangerous path of magic. This scroll is the beginning of your descent into madness. Tread carefully and good luck, wielder.
Skill: Blood Ties: Skewer
Description: Uses caster's own blood to severely damage opponent with needles of blood and cause Terror status.
Damage: 100-200 Damage
Lasting Effects: Terror Status for duration of battle
Class Usage: Hero, Fallen
Usage: Only those who are worthy can wield this skill
All of a sudden, I felt the same feeling as the absorption feeling came back. The runes had reappeared on my skin again… But, this time they looked more sinister. The absorbing feeling lasted longer this time, like a good 10 seconds. When the feeling went away, more golden text appeared on the scroll and a different skill had appeared on its pages.
"What?! This is… Incredible! I never seen anyone learn the Blood Ties abilities… Let alone another skill appearing out of nowhere!" Juliet said in shock as I read the description of the new skill.
Skill: Blood Ties: Constrict
Description: Uses caster's own blood to entangle anyone in its bindings, trapping anyone and causing Shadow Bind for as long as the caster wishes.
Damage: 40 Damage for as long as the caster wills
Lasting Effects: Shadow Bind
Class Usage: Hero, Fallen
Usage: Only those who are worthy can wield this skill
The absorbing feeling happened again and I shuddered at the feeling. Shit, that feels weird. Is this how those who can absorb people feel? Probably a whole lot different than how I feel. Again, more golden text appears on the pages and I stared at the pages as Juliet was silent at this revelation as well as Myra.
Skill: Blood Ties: Enhance
Description: Casts an invigorating aura around teammates and enhances their overall stats by 300%. Comes at a cost of 5% of the caster's HP.
Positive Effect: Boosts party stats by 300%
Negative Effect: Cost 5% of Caster's HP
Class Usage: Hero, Fallen
Usage: Only those who are worthy can wield this skill
Again, the absorbing feeling came and went. And, this time… The scroll vanished into thin air and a blood red ring appeared on my left ring finger. I stared at it and tried to remove it. But, it wouldn't budge no matter how hard I pulled.
"Well, I'm stuck with this thing… Better get used to that, then. Anyway, let's get going. I hope we haven't attracted any unwanted attention to ourselves," I said as I looked at Myra. She looked out the window and looked up and down the street. She glanced back at me and shook her head.
"We are good. Thanks again for the help, Juliet. Here, take it," Myra said as hands Juliet a small sack of gold coins, "It's for your services. Don't even try to deny it because I will just make you keep it." Juliet sighed and took the sack and put it away in her robes. She went over to a counter and picked up a medium sized trunk and brought it to Myra. Myra took it and placed it on the ground and opened it. There were medium and small sizes bottles of green, red, and blue vials of weird liquid and different types of herbs and medicine.
"It's medicine and herbs that can help you on your journey. You will definitely need them on your journey," Juliet said as she bowed to Myra, "I hope all goes well with you 2." Myra closed the chest and it vanished into thin air. She must've put it away in her inventory to keep it safe.
"Thanks, Juliet. Hopefully we can come back here and do more business with you," Myra said as she bowed to Juliet, "We will see you again." Juliet giggled as she helped Myra stand back up.
"No need for your formalities," Juliet told her, "I will have none of that. We are longtime friends, after all. Just be careful." Myra took my hand and Juliet waves to us as we left the shop and Myra pulls the hood over her head and face to conceal her identity.
"Best wishes on your journey!" Juliet called and the door closed behind us. Myra and I quickly moved down the street to a less crowded part of the kingdom where we stopped and Myra turned to me.
"Well, that went well. Next is that guy we need to visit… He is this part of town," Myra said as she looked around, "I wish nighttime would come sooner. If night could come any sooner, that would be wonderful." Then, I noticed something at the end of my menu… A digital clock? It read 2:31 PM. Oh, I can tell time too? Cool.
"Well, it's afternoon right now. Wanna get some lunch?" I asked her and she nods her head at me while raising an eyebrow at me.
"How can you tell what time it is?" Myra asked me and I scratched the back of my head.
"Honestly, I have been able to tell what position the sun is in the sky and tell that what time it is," I said, which was a half-truth. I couldn't really find out how to tell her that I have a digital clock in my menu screen. She would just think I am crazy.
"Oh, is that a skill you picked up in your world?" Myra asked me in intrigue and I nodded my head, "I wish I could do that." Can't believe I got away with that.
"There he is!" a voice called and I glanced behind me and I saw several guards coming towards me, "Return Princess Myra to us immediately, Hero of Pandora!"
"Wow, your father really can't take no for an answer, can he? I would be impressed if I weren't annoyed by him," I said sarcastically as I glanced at Myra and then back at the guards, "Well, we can't really brawl out here. Too many innocents in the way."
"…We need to divert them away," Myra said as she looked at me and I glance back at her and saw her solemn face. What was she planning all of a sudden? She took off her hood and took my hand with her free hand as she swung her staff out behind her.
" Glyph Bright!" Myra called as a white glyph appeared behind me as we ran away from the guards. A bright flash enveloped the street block behind us as we ran. I heard pained cries behind us as we kept running. We didn't really get that far as more guards showed up in front of us and blocked our way forward.
"Damn it! Well, no choice now…" I said as I gritted my teeth. Myra twirled her staff in front of her and got ready for battle. Wait, she was fully prepared for this outcome?
"Myra…"
"I will explain later, James. Just fight!" Myra called as she had a steeled look on her face. I nodded my head and grabbed Pandora and slammed it down on the ground. I figured it would work the same way it would work in Devil May Cry and I was RIGHT. It began morphing into a short sword and I grabbed it by the handle and held it in front of me. This is gonna get messy, in more ways than one…
-To Be Continued…-
-All Right, ladies and gents! This one came out of nowhere for me… But, after rewatching Shield Hero… I couldn't not do a story on this. However, like Reborn, Maybe? And Blessings Suck… I will make this OC-centric instead of closely following canon, like I usually do. That means that this story will mainly follow me around as I travel around the world of Shield Hero. Also, there is the manner of my weapon, Pandora. I was debating on using either Rebellion or Ebony and Ivory… But, there is already a Sword Hero(Ren) and there is proof of muskets in this world but not handguns, so I had to make a last second decision on Pandora. And, yes… I am aware Pandora has rocket launchers and laser cannons in its arsenal. So, I am omitting them to make it a little more balanced. However, I gave myself Blood Ties again. To those who knows what Blood Ties is in my continuity, it's an original ability I created that uses the caster's Blood to heal, attack, defend, inflict status… The works. Blood Ties has shown up in Realm Warrior and that's it, I think. I will have to look again but that is the only work I remember putting it in. Next, Myra B Melromarc… An OC I had planned to put in the story. She was always gonna join my party as a mainstay… And, I had planned to have at least 7 members besides myself in the party. I will be getting 2 more by the end of the next chapter. Both are Demi-humans and one of them will be a crossover character from another anime that I recently seen… I want you all to guess who it is by the end of the 3rd chapter. The other will be an OC that you all know and love... But, I will not reveal his name until I show who it is when we get to it. Next to last, what type of pairing is in this story? Harem, actually… Who is in it? Well, definitely not Raphtalia. I will not do that to Naofumi… Nor will I ever separate them. I love these 2 together… And, nothing will change my mind. And, no Malty or Melty. I already have Myra as a confirmed member. The Demi-human won't count since she will be like a daughter to me. Lastly, This is another Gamer Fic. I am on a binge with that at the moment… Since it is easier for me to write them. Anyway, that's it for now! Anything I missed, always PM me or leave a review. SONIK OUT! A/N.-
(P.S.; All stats will be put at the end of each chapter to catch everyone up on who is in the party and what their class and stats are. All right?)
Name: James Edward Scott
Class: Hero
Hero: Pandora Hero (Legacy Hero)
Weapon: Pandora (Briefcase)
Equipment: Blood Ties Ring
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Level: 1
STR: 10
DEX: 12
DEF: 9
VIT: 10
INT: 11
LUCK: 15
MAG: 12
HP: 150
MAG: 300
Elemental Affinity: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Metal, Light, Dark, Poison, Blood
Skills: Gale Force Palm; Chaos Fireball; Blood Ties: Skewer; Blood Ties: Constrict; Blood Ties: Enhance
Name: Myra B Melromarc
Class: Mage/Cleric
Weapon: Silver Mage Staff
Equipment: Mage Tome
Alignment: Lawful Good; Chaotic Good
Level: 1
STR: 8
DEX: 14
DEF: 11
INT: 15
LUCK: 15
MAG: 20
HP: 175
MAG: 400
Elemental Affinity: Lightning, Fire, Dark, Holy
Skills: Zweit Lighting Shot; Chaos Fireball; Glyph Bright; Heal; Cure; Demoralize; Revive