Important: Please Read
Hey all, let's get the stuff you should know out of the way first. So, in this fic Izuku will be a little more pessimistic than in canon, at least at the outset. In addition to that, he will bottle up his emotions a fair bit. Secondly, here, Sludge Villain never happened, so that means Izuku never met All Might as well. Thirdly, Bakugou's character may feel different than you're used to, but who knows, maybe not. Anyway, that's the important stuff out of the way, so if you just want to read, get to it!
So, I met the deadline. I am proud of myself. I'll have you folks know that to finish chapter 2, I wrote from 10 PM until 8 AM, which is when I'm writing this author's note. I tell ya, writing takes me a heck of a lot longer than I thought. The combined writing time of chapters 1 and 2 together has crested at least 35 hours. Which, maybe that's not a lot to you, but for me, you better believe it is. Okay, final thing. Thank you to all of those who are returning readers. Hopefully, you'll find this story much better than the old one.
PS: Sorry for all the scene breaks, it just turned out that way. Chapter 1 really do be like that sometimes.
"Unfortunately, Izuku is quirkless. I'm sorry."
"Are you sure? Can you test him again? My husband and I both have quirks. Izuku should too." Words fell from Inko's lips like a waterfall, yet they rang hollow and unsure. Her hands began to shake.
She heard something in front of her. She barely noticed it. Her ears were ringing. She felt queasy.
"Mommy, am I really quirkless?"
Inko turned around. her poor baby's face was pallid and covered in tears. His gaze was empty. He was too young to look like that.
"Doctor, I..."
"Be honest with him, Mrs. Midoriya. Lying will only make it worse." The doctor soundlessly left the room and shut the door.
"Can I still be a hero?"
"No, Izuku. I don't think you can." She hated this. All of it. Why him? Poor Izuku.
"Ah." Izuku let out an involuntary noise as his mouth hung open, jaw and lips quivering. His eyes locked onto something Inko couldn't see.
"I'm so sorry, Izuku!" Inko scooped him up into her arms, holding him as tight as she could.
Maybe it would make him feel better. Maybe he would be happy to know she's there for him. At least like this, she couldn't see his face. She wished he would stop crying, though. She couldn't ignore it and it broke her heart.
Izuku was sitting by the ocean. Not on the beach as it was covered in trash, but still close enough to feel the breeze. Today had been one of the worst days of his life.
"You okay, kid?" An average-looking man walked up to Izuku, clearly worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for your concern, though!" Izuku's smile was bright and warm.
"Oh, okay. Just looked a little down is all." The man regarded Izuku a moment longer, then turned around. "Well, anyway, have a great day!"
"Yeah, you too." Izuku let his hand fall away from the cheek he was covering as his smile faded. Dried blood and dirt stained it. Explosive punches hurt.
The water always looked so calm. It helped him settle down. Nothing but blue for miles and miles. Sometimes he wished that he could just start floating in those endless waters, fall asleep and never wake up. Izuku leaned his head on his knee, disappointed with himself. He knew he shouldn't think like that.
He had been accepted. The entrance exam was in five days, and he was almost excited about it. A bitter smile had now replaced the fake one from earlier. There was no way he'd get into U.A. Quirkless, weak, unremarkable. He was being negative, but it was also the truth. He sighed.
Taking one last look at the ocean waves gently lapping against the shore, he got to his feet and began ambling home.
"Sleep well, Izuku," Inko's voice carried from the hallway and through his door, soft and caring.
As Izuku lay in bed, he hoped for the future. Hoped that he could be something more. He did this every night so that maybe one day it would come true.
He wanted to help others. He really did. He wanted to be seen; for people to care about him and appreciate his efforts.
He stared at the wall, thinking about everything and nothing at all. The weight of his world was heavy on his shoulders. He closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and let the weight fall away. As he waited for sleep to claim him, he once again turned to hope. Something more.
[Good morning, Izuku. I am Bell, your guide. Congratulations on your awakening. From this moment on, you will face obstacles, defeat powerful foes, clear Instances, gain power, and ascend beyond your current self. Would you like to take the tutorial?]
Izuku jolted awake and could do nothing more than sit there, stunned, lips half-parted in silent disbelief. "I, you, wha—"
He inhaled, slowly and carefully, as if to not disrupt a dream, then let out a deep, shuddering breath. "The tutorial?"
[The tutorial is a brief explanation of the basics of your powers.]
"My... Powers?" Izuku rested his hand on his nightstand and began drumming his fingers to ease his sudden anxiety.
[Your powers are explained in the tutorial. Would you like to begin the tutorial?]
"Y-yes." He thought he might've gone crazy, but he knew for a fact that the voice in his head was not his own.
[You are a Chosen. As a Chosen, you have been granted powers and a path to gain more. You will begin your journey at level 1 and may advance as far as you can. Do you understand so far, Izuku?]
"I-I think so. Is this tutorial replayable?"
[You may replay this tutorial any time you wish. Continue tutorial?]
"Yes, please." Izuku was twitching all over. It felt fake, but he could tell this was real. He didn't understand why or really what was happening, but he didn't want it to stop.
[You may open your user interface by thinking of doing so.]
Izuku did. A translucent green rectangle appeared before his eyes, bordered by a neat, white trim and shining with a gentle light. He gaped.
[If you direct your attention to the upper left of your user interface, you will find seven tabs. These all serve their own important function. You may examine them now.]
Just as Bell had said, seven tabs sat neatly on the screen, overlapping one another.
[Character Sheet]
[Skills]
[Attributes]
[Inventory]
[Shop]
[Quests]
[Journal]
Izuku took the time to study each one briefly, then focused his attention on the top option.
[Character Sheet]
|Name: Izuku Midoriya|
|Level: 1|
|Class(es): {See Skills tab}|
|HP: 80/80|
|STA: 90/90|
|MP: 120/120|
|Blackout: 0/28|
|Health Regen Per Hour: 8|
|Stamina Regen Per Minute: 30|
|Mana Regen Per Minute: 39|
|Stamina Based Attack: +14%|
|Mana Based Attack: +26%|
|Attack Range: +10%|
|Critical Strike Chance: 2.5%|
|Strength: 7|
|Constitution: 8|
|Endurance: 9|
|Dexterity: 10|
|Intelligence: 12|
|Willpower: 13|
|Charisma: 9|
|Luck: 10|
|EXP to next level: 0/50|
Izuku thought he understood now. It was like a game, but this was his reality. Izuku fell back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling, hardly believing his eyes.
[Your Character Sheet displays the majority of the information that you will need to know about yourself at a moment's glance. For a more in-depth description of any one piece of information, simply focus on it.]
Izuku directed his attention to the HP line.
[HP—an acronym for Health Points—is the measure of your total life force. If this number reaches 0, you will die.]
Izuku suddenly remembered something. Touching his cheek, he found that there was no pain; the damage to his face had entirely healed.
Biting his lip, Izuku thought of closing the user interface and the green screen instantly disappeared.
[Would you like to pause the tutorial?]
"Yes." Full of wonder and equally as anxious, Izuku sighed and pushed himself off his bed. He thought he could use a shower right about now.
After a long shower and breakfast, Izuku got right back to business. He took an extra second to think of unpausing the tutorial instead of saying it out loud; he had started blushing during breakfast when he realized he had essentially been speaking to empty air. Then, he blushed even harder when he remembered that he did that anyway, though it was less 'imaginary friend' and more 'thinking through his face'.
[Welcome back, Izuku. To resume where you left off, pull up your user interface.]
Most everything on the Character Sheet had been self-explanatory to him, so he figured he'd move on to the next tab.
[Before being granted access to the Skills tab, you must first choose your class or classes. Before you is a list of every class available to you. It is recommended that you inspect each one thoroughly.]
Izuku already had many questions, but he held them back for the time being. In front of his eyes was a list of 317 possible classes. Taking a deep breath, he began to go through them one by one. It was a daunting task.
There were all of the expected classes and many variations on them, and some classes that were entirely new to Izuku. One called 'Glass Shifter' sounded especially unique. He brought up its description.
[Glass Shifter is a mana-based class that focuses heavily on auto-targeting, continuous streams of damage that are able to be directed towards as few or as many targets as instructed. Its main method of damage comes from the build-up of microscopic glass particles coalescing into large explosions that tear the target apart from the inside. Additionally, Glass Shifters are adept at creating corporeal illusions that can manifest with a variety of practical effects.]
There were many other classes like this one that had interesting premises that got Izuku very excited. However, even with that being the case, Izuku wanted something that could make him a hero and not just a killing machine. Something Paladin-like came to mind, but he also wanted something fast and versatile. Izuku scratched his head in thought.
As he continued to examine classes, he came upon one that almost fit his criteria. Something called a Star Breaker.
[Star Breaker is a dual-focus class that relies on heavy bursts of damage made stronger by a large area of effect. Its attacks are slow, making planning and strategy essential for maximizing its potential. A Star Breaker also comes equipped with powerful, time-dependent movement techniques and minor healing abilities that can substantially influence total damage output.]
It was good, but there were a few drawbacks he didn't like: slow attacks meant dealing with faster villains was harder. Having movement techniques that were 'time dependent' sounded oddly worded and rubbed Izuku the wrong way. And finally, in a perfect world, he would want to do it all; the thought of not being able to save someone's life when they needed it most scared him. Therefore, he wanted more than just minor healing abilities.
He continued to search, struggling to find a class that struck the right balance. He knew he was being picky and silently chided himself for doing so. Put another way, choosing a class was basically getting to choose whatever quirk he wanted.
After making it well over three-quarters through the list, he decided to ask Bell a question that had been occupying his mind. "When you said I can choose a class or classes, what did you mean, exactly?"
[As a Chosen, you have many powerful and often unique attributes. You, in particular, Izuku, have the option to choose between harnessing the power of either one or two classes. However, having two classes comes with drawbacks: the rate at which you gain skill experience will be reduced by 25%, and secondly, you will be unable to choose your classes.]
Izuku almost liked the thought of class choice being taken from him; it would make the whole ordeal so much easier. On the other hand, though, the chance of being given a class he didn't want wasn't zero. For now, Izuku exited the 'Skills' tab and moved on to the next one.
[Attributes]
|Strength: 7 (+)|
|Constitution: 8 (+)|
|Endurance: 9 (+)|
|Dexterity: 10 (+)|
|Intelligence: 12 (+)|
|Willpower: 13 (+)|
|Charisma: 9 (+)|
|Luck: 10 (+)|
|Unallocated Attribute Points: 0|
Now that there was practically a spotlight on it, Izuku felt disheartened by how low his strength was. He knew better than anyone that he was weak, but it wasn't like he didn't try. Especially after school had ended, he had made an effort to lift weights in the hopes of getting stronger. Izuku sighed, then refocused and listened to Bell.
[The Attributes tab is where you will allocate your attributes points. Each level will grant you 5 points, excluding every tenth level, which is special. For attributes specifically, this means that you will receive 10 points instead of the usual 5. {See the Skills tab for the second effect.} Additionally, attribute points may be earned upon completion of Pop-up Trials.]
Committing the information to memory, Izuku nodded to himself and moved to the next tab.
[Inventory]
|[_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_]|
|[_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_]|
|[_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_]|
|[_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_]|
|[_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_]|
If this inventory worked the way Izuku hoped it did, then it was priceless. He couldn't help but break into laughter as the absurdity of something like this hit him.
[The Inventory tab contains a 50-slot grid that can store any items you wish. These items are stored in a soul-space and therefore do not weigh anything once inside. To place an object inside, hold it in your hand and think of depositing it in your inventory. To remove an item, think of what you'd like to withdraw and present an open palm for it to appear in. Currently, only items obtained via Instances may be stored within.]
No, it was even more absurd than he had hoped. He laughed even harder.
"Izuku, honey, are you okay in there?" His mother's voice carried from the hallway, sounding concerned.
For some reason, that made it worse. His sides began to hurt as the laughter brought tears to his eyes.
"Izuku!?" Inko knocked on the door this time, clearly worried for him.
"Yeah, mom. I ju-" He laughed again. "Sorry, I just, I don't know. I found something really funny. It's nothing to worry about." Izuku wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and let the last few chuckles make their way out of him.
"Well, alright. But I want you to tell me what was so funny at dinner time! It's katsudon tonight."
"Great! Thanks, mom." Taking a moment to stretch after sitting on his bed for so long, Izuku pondered how or even if he should tell his mom about his... Power. He'd have to seriously think about it.
Sitting back down, Izuku massaged his jaw. There was one thing he found strange about the Inventory tab's description. It specified being able to store any items he wished, then went on to say that he could only put something obtained from Instances inside. Come to think of it, he didn't even know what an 'Instance' was. Speaking to Bell in his mind, which felt anything but natural, he asked, "What is an Instance?"
[Instances will be explained in satisfactory depth once you have entered one. For now, know that they are spaces separate from this world, composed of challenges to be overcome.]
He scratched his head at the vague answer, but after creating a picture in his mind of something dungeon-like, he moved on.
[The Shop will be unlocked upon reaching Level 10]
[The Shop tab is where you will buy and sell everything of potential value. For example—armor, weapons, single-use enhancements, and Instance Keys.]
Rather than disappointment, Izuku felt anticipation. Now that he had a way to grow, there was no chance he'd be frustrated at something this minor. It was a goal that he'd put his mind to reaching. "Two left."
[Quests]
[The Beginning —Clear your first instance. You may not leave until either the boss has been defeated or you have died. Reward: 600 EXP + 5 Vyra]
Izuku's heart skipped a beat; he hadn't considered death. With his mind turning over possibilities and feeling no small amount of hesitation, Izuku inquired about his fear. "If I die in an Instance, what happens?"
[Death in an instance is the same as in this world: permanent.]
Izuku blanched and tried his best to steer his mind away from that reality. He would find a way to come to terms with it later.
[The Quests tab is where you will gain experience points and Vyra. Experience points may also be obtained via the extinguishing of life. For now, this is limited to the lives of those within Instances. To start a quest, set your desired quest as active, place your hand out in front of you, and say the name of the quest aloud.]
Izuku's complexion whitened further and he began twitching anxiously at the thought of killing someone. To him, it was decidedly scarier than his own death. However, after taking a few deep breaths, he did his best to put it to the side as he had moments ago. Though he once again noted the distinction of limiting something to Instances. It was odd.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Izuku asked another question. "What is Vyra?"
[Vyra is the sole currency for transacting in the Shop, excluding Instance Keys.]
Instance Keys were also something he was curious about as they sounded rather important, and based on name alone, were likely vital to progression. So, as with Vyra, he inquired about them.
[Instance Keys are, with exclusion to the tutorial, required to create an Instance quest.]
Finding that he understood for the most part, Izuku quickly navigated to the final tab.
[Journal]
[Your Journal is an endless space to keep a written record of anything you wish.]
Izuku instantly knew what he would do with this, and he could hardly wait to get started. He was already imagining how good it would feel to have his hero notebooks stored in a place where they couldn't be destroyed. Though he would still keep adding to his physical notebooks as the drawings in them were helpful aids.
Thinking about heroes caused Izuku's eyes to suddenly light up and he swiftly found himself back at the 'Skills' tab. He was going to put every single class description in his journal. This would serve a dual purpose: he would always have the information at his fingertips just in case, and this way he would be able to better learn and hopefully understand each class more thoroughly. He started with the first one on the long list.
[Soulcatcher is a mana-based class that uses the souls of those it fells to summon powerful minions and imbue itself with a multitude of temporary enhancements. A Soulcatcher's damage is heavily reliant on the quality of souls it catches, and soul quality is deeply tied to the efficiency of kills a Soulcatcher makes. They also rely heavily on defensive abilities, as their movement is poor and their healing potential is below average.]
On a hunch, Izuku tried to bring up the 'Journal' tab at the same time as the 'Skills' tab. Surprisingly, it worked. His user interface expanded and both tabs were displayed side by side. He got to work.
Transferring the information was rather odd. Izuku would first read the class description, followed by momentarily storing it in his head, which felt stranger than it sounded, and then finally pasting it into his journal. It was all done with his mind and writing without physical interaction was something he was going to have to get used to. Thankfully, he had plenty more class descriptions to do just that.
By the time he finished filling his journal with all 317 class descriptions, it was almost five o'clock. He hadn't even realized it until he had glanced at his alarm clock with tired eyes. But he had done it, and he was proud of himself. With a quick look at any class name on the list, he could tell if it was stamina or mana-based, or dual-focused, and give a basic description of what it did.
Now that he had copied everything down, he needed to decide what he was going to do. The problem was that it was not easy to decide. Looking over everything in his journal, he figured he'd try something. Thinking of the word 'heal,' Izuku attempted to create a filtered search. In an instant, every class that contained the word in its description was before his eyes ordered in accordance with its page number.
It took him around ten minutes to get a full count, and the result put him in a contemplative mood. There were a total of 92 classes that mentioned healing. That was more than he had expected and caused him to seriously consider going with two classes. But even with two chances, there were 317 total classes. That meant the probability of obtaining a class with healing was under fifty percent. Still... Izuku needed a walk.
Opening his door, he made his way to the living room and heard his mom's voice from the kitchen.
"Dinner will be ready in half an hour, Izuku!" Inko's voice was bright and cheery.
"A-alright, mom, I'm just going on a quick walk. I'll be back in a bit." Slipping on his shoes, Izuku opened the front door and began sauntering about the neighborhood, deep in thought. There was a slight, cold wind that eased tension in his shoulders and worked in tandem with the setting sun to quell his fears about the coming days. As he walked, he appreciated the quietness around him that was only interrupted by the occasional noise of a car or bike somewhere nearby.
He wanted to be a hero. That was, of course, his ultimate goal regardless of what his powers were. Up until today, he hadn't even thought he'd have powers at all. So, that begged the question: what should he do?
"If I choose to go with a single class, I'll be guaranteed the powers I want. Well, maybe not. Who knows how accurate the descriptions really are. I want to be strong, but if I'm only strong then that limits how helpful I can be. What if I—no, I need to be well-rounded. So, maybe—"
"Hey, stop."
"What?" Izuku was suddenly jolted from his musings as he locked onto the source of the voice. A man of about 60 stood across the street from him, looking like he had no place to be.
"Look in front of you. Almost kissed the wall there, boy."
Izuku removed his gaze from the man and did as he was told. He was about a foot away from a not-so-soft-looking concrete wall that would've certainly hurt to slam his face into. He blushed. "T-thanks for that, sir. Sorry to trouble you." Izuku looked down at the ground as he finished speaking, embarrassed.
"No problem, kid. And a word of advice from this old man: ain't no shame in doing what you can, but there certainly can be in doing what you can't." The man flashed a sympathetic smile, then continued walking. "I remember when I was your age. It's hard. There's nothing more frustrating than having all that potential and not knowing how you should apply it." He continued walking as his voice trailed off. "Don't worry too much. You're on the right track."
Instead of being more flustered at the realization that he had been talking out loud to the sidewalk, he mulled over the man's words. Truly, Izuku just wanted to be a hero. That he knew for certain. There was absolutely nothing more he wanted in this world.
Ideally, he wanted to be the best in all respects. He realized he was being selfish. There was nothing wrong with doing a couple of things really well. After all, he wouldn't be the only hero. Izuku made up his mind.
There were no bad classes, per se, and agonizing over the right choice was eating up his time and causing inaction. Presumably, this choice would dictate the pace of his entire life going forward. So, he was going to choose. If he got the best outcome possible, great. If not, he would work as hard as he could to make the best of whatever hand he was dealt. Well, he would do that anyway. In some ways, he already had been.
In the future, he wouldn't allow himself to regret this choice. He had been given a chance to achieve his dreams, and he wouldn't squander it. To help as many people as he could, the choice was obvious.
The walk back to the apartment was short and sweet, and the prevailing thought that occupied Izuku's mind was of katsudon. There was, however, just a hint of having no idea how he was going to explain his powers to his mom, but that was secondary. Surely.
"So, honey, what was so funny?"
Izuku deliberately shoveled a mouthful of pork and rice into his mouth before responding. Normally, doing this would be rude. However, in a life-or-death crisis, he was not averse to using any and all resources he had to stay alive. "It was uh, well, it's something... It's something you might not understand." He scratched his cheek and glued his eyes to the bowl of half-devoured food.
"Izuku."
The sternness in her voice caused his head to shoot up like gravity had just reversed with a vengeance.
"Did you look at something naughty?" Her face was disapproving in the way only a mother's face could be.
"W-w-what? N-no! Of course not. It's just—" Izuku put his hands out in front of him and felt his face heat up like a tea kettle. "It was something that's only funny if you're in on it, y-you know?" He kept his hands raised and warily peeked between them to see his mom's expression. After he saw it, he dropped his guard and let out a sigh of relief.
"Yes, I know what you mean. I still want to know, though." Inko crossed her arms and waited for his response.
"Well, I uh—" He was going to lie. He didn't know enough yet, and he had no idea if it was safe to tell his mom about everything. "I was writing and lost my grip on my pen and it went into the air and it landed in my hair. That reminded me of this interview with All Might where he was giving an autograph to a fan and the same thing happened to him." He was talking too fast and he knew it. He needed to relax. Thankfully, if nothing else, he knew his story checked out as that had indeed happened. Sometimes it pays off to know too much about something.
"Oh." Inko forced a chuckle. "Well, I'm glad something like that can make you laugh so much. It makes me happy to know that you're happy."
Izuku smiled and took another bite. He wondered if this was how villains felt when they got away with committing a crime.
"So, are you doing anything tomorrow, Izuku? You were in your room all day today. I know it's almost time for the exam, but I think it would do you some good to go to the park or something."
"I am, actually. I might be gone for m-most of the day if that's okay with you." He was planning to go on his first quest tomorrow morning. He had no idea how long it'd take, but he couldn't put it off if he wanted to have a chance at the exam. Though he couldn't be sure what the exam would entail, he knew a physical evaluation of some kind was guaranteed if common sense and the forums online were to be believed.
"I don't mind as long as I know what you'll be doing." Inko's lips curled upward and she leaned forward in anticipation.
"Well, w-would you be mad if I told you it's a secret? It's just kind of s-something that's new to me and I wouldn't know how to feel if you knew about it." He made an effort not to lie this time, and hopefully she would accept his reasoning without asking too many more questions.
Inko's face went through several permutations before settling on gleeful shock. "Does my little Izuku have a girlfriend?!"
Izuku's mouth hung open and the heat from before returned. Though this time it was more like an active volcano. He was too stunned to respond.
"Oh. My. God. You do. I'm so proud of you, Izuku. You stud, you!" Inko started hugging the air, then she did some weird worm dance, and finally settled on running over to Izuku and tugging his cheeks.
"I—" He shut his mouth and decided to run with it. This was certainly not the worst outcome. He did feel like going to hide in a cave somewhere for around twenty years or so, though.
Inko suddenly stopped tugging and stepped back, taking on a motherly tone. "Make sure to be safe, Izuku. And if it comes to it, use protection. I know, I know—" She put a finger to his lips before he could say anything in response. "Trust me. You never know when you'll need it. I didn't think I would, but look where we are now."
Maybe twenty years was conservative. He could still be a hero over 65, right? 'Izuku, the Senior Citizen of Justice' had a kind of ring to it. At least, he thought so.
"Anyway, you got this, Izuku. And If you absolutely must sleep over, don't let me stop you." Inko did a little dance again before returning to her seat with a massive grin splitting her face. The rest of dinner was strangely quiet.
It was time. Izuku pulled up the 'Skills' tab and confirmed his decision. A bolt of lightning shot up his spine as anxiety-riddled his entire body. His heart hammered in his chest and his fists clenched subconsciously. With adrenaline coursing through his veins and mind racing, he resolutely waited for the results of his decision.
[Your skill experience will now be permanently reduced by 25% and your classes will be randomly selected.]
[Assigning classes...]
[Congratulations, Void Mage]
[Congratulations, Silent Monk]
Izuku's head hit his pillow and he stared at nothing. Unmoving but overcome with a myriad of emotions, he fought to regain control of his faculties. Minutes passed as he laid there. The course of his life was now irrevocably changed. Body shaking, Izuku pulled himself out of bed and trudged to the bathroom sink. The cool water that engulfed his face had never felt so good.
After a few more minutes that Izuku used to calm himself down, he stepped back into his room. Situating himself on the floor, he once again brought up the 'Skills' tab. It looked different now.
[Skills]
[Class: Void Mage]
[Class: Silent Monk]
[Blessings: {Reach Level 10 to receive your first blessing.}]
[Evolution: {Reach Level 30 to unlock your first evolution.}]
Before Izuku did anything, he waited for Bell's explanation.
[The Skills tab is where you will find your classes, skills therein, blessings, and evolutions. Each serves its own significant purpose.]
[All classes have skills, all skills level up, and every skill chosen leads to more skills being unveiled. Beginning at Level 5 and from then onward, you will receive a skill point every five levels. Skill points are single-use and nonrefundable. To enter your classes' skill window, simply focus on the desired class with clear intent.]
To Izuku, all that sounded simple enough. Though, only getting a single skill point every five levels sounded rather harsh. However, he couldn't really judge until he had a fuller picture. So, for the moment, he absorbed the information and stayed quiet.
[Blessings are gained every tenth level and offer a variety of boosts to choose from. All blessings are randomly selected, so it is unlikely that you will ever see the same blessing twice. You may only choose one blessing from the list provided upon reaching the requisite level.]
[Topic: Evolution. Information unavailable —reason (hidden). No details regarding evolutions are available at this time.]
That was... Odd to say the least. But if it was hidden, he doubted that he could just make it suddenly appear. Still, he was certainly curious why it was concealed. Aside from evolutions, blessings sounded very useful. He could imagine all sorts of powerful buffs that would augment his abilities and bring about sleepless nights dedicated to agonizing over whether he made the right choice.
Izuku wished he was more decisive. If nothing else, that was one thing he admired about Kacch—no, Bakugou. Izuku's mood soured a bit at the thought of him. Moving on, Izuku selected the Void Mage class and brought up its description.
[Void Mage is a mana-based class that excels at high damage ranged attacks that end lives as fast as possible. The vast majority of Void Mage skills are potentially lethal and can cause enemies to cease existence. In addition, its utility abilities are numerous and extremely powerful.]
Izuku found this description, along with many others, lacking. It was hard to grasp exactly what he could expect. Speaking truthfully, this was one of the classes he hadn't really wanted; killing wouldn't make him a hero. But as he had told himself, he refused to regret it. He would find a way to make it work. Next, he examined Silent Monk.
[Silent Monk is a stamina-based class that mainly focuses on melee-range attacks that are entirely soundless. A number of its combat abilities are quite versatile and carry few restrictions. As well as having movement aptitude, Silent Monks are adept at physical enhancement and can be competent healers. However, if a Silent Monk speaks while using a skill, the skill will terminate. This can have negative consequences.]
This class was one of the few Izuku had been seriously considering. While its main drawback could be disastrous, it had serious potential. To add to that, it had healing abilities. That alone caused Izuku's anxiety to lessen considerably. With nothing else left to do, he entered the Void Mage skill window.
Before his eyes were two glowing circular icons. Beyond them was a sea of unpierceable, billowing darkness. He directed his attention to the first of the two icons.
[Void Flame]
|Level: 0/10|
|0% to next level|
|Description: Call forth a marble-sized ball of black flame that erupts into a small inferno upon physical contact. To use this skill, point in the direction you desire the flame to go.|
|Damage: 12.6 (10 * 1.26) + 3.78 (3 * 1.26) damage per second for 5 seconds
|Range: 55 ft (50 ft * 1.10)|
|Cost: 15 MP|
|Cooldown: 3 Seconds|
He already knew he didn't want this skill. He had trouble thinking of any utility it could bring to the table beyond murder. It was just pure destruction.
[All skills level up through use. Some require unique actions to improve and are judged on a case-by-case basis. Leveling a skill will generally cause an increase in either damage or range. Some skills, however, will instead receive a reduction in cost or cooldown. Upon leveling a skill for the first time through use, you will choose an available upgrade path for the skill to follow. As an aside, please note that the calculation for skill damage is based on an ideal outcome.]
To Izuku, everything surrounding skills was easy to grasp, at least so far. Remembering his character sheet, he recalled the mana and stamina-based attack lines. That was likely where the extra damage was coming from. Eager to move on from the 'Void Flame' skill, he quickly summoned up the second option.
[Void Scythe]
|Level: 0/10|
|0% to next level|
|Description: Conjure a meter-long scythe blade composed of the blackness of the void that slices its target. To use this skill, trace an arc in the air with your hand that you wish the blade to mirror.|
|Damage: 31.5 (25 * 1.26)|
|Range: 33 ft (30 ft * 1.10)|
|Cost: 20 MP|
|Cooldown: None|
This one was more in line with what he wanted. Though it was still meant to kill, he could think of situations where it would serve a different purpose: cutting through bonds, disabling a weapon, triggering a trap. He could comfortably say that he liked it. Mind made up, Izuku confirmed his choice.
[You have unlocked a skill: Void Scythe]
As soon as he acquired the skill, the Void Scythe icon lit up with a deep purple light and its level increased to 1. Conversely, the Void Flame icon's glow disappeared. A moment later, it was swallowed up by the sea of billowing black, leaving behind only absolute darkness.
Izuku wanted to try out his first skill. To him, that would truly confirm that all of this was real and not some dream brought about from desperation. However, he had waited so long already and he didn't want to pay for a new wall, so he could afford to wait just a bit more. A few seconds later, he was scrutinizing his Silent Monk skill options.
[Blinding Pulse]
|Level: 0/10|
|0% to next level|
|Description: Emit a large pulse of energy that slams into its target and temporarily blinds anything within a 20 ft line of sight. To use this skill, extend your arms forward and lay one hand atop the other, palms facing outward.|
|Damage: 28.5 (25 * 1.14)|
|Range: Touch|
|Cost: 25 STA|
|Cooldown: 15 Seconds
Izuku liked the sound of this skill a lot. The way it was worded led him to the conclusion that he didn't have to hurt someone to attain the blinding effect. The cost, however, was high, though not unwarranted. All in all, he could definitely see himself using it. He was excited to see its competition.
[Empowered Strike]
|Level: 0/10|
|0% to next level|
|Description: Deliver an empowered, concentrated blow that impacts its target with a compact cone of force. To use this skill, strike the intended target with the appendage of your choice.|
|Damage: 17.1 (15 *1.14)|
|Range: Touch|
|Cost: 10 STA|
|Cooldown: None
This one was extremely flexible and practical for his current self. Its cost was the lowest so far and didn't seem to have any downsides besides being unexceptional. When he learned to fight properly, he could see this skill being a great foundation for anything that followed.
He only deliberated for a moment before deciding to go with Empowered Strike. He wasn't sure if he would have the option to pick up Blinding Pulse in the future, but barring the possibility that every skill after these first two were perfect in every way, he eventually would if given the opportunity. Izuku selected his winner.
[You have unlocked a skill: Empowered Strike]
This time, instead of purple, the icon lit up with a vivid gold. As before, however, the skill leveled up to level 1 and the unchosen ability was taken by the sea of darkness. With that done, all Izuku could do was wait until morning. To kill time, he further familiarized himself with his user interface, after which he copied the information from his hero notebooks and added it to his journal. By the time Izuku was finished, it was well into the night.
As Izuku laid in bed, his mind buzzed with so many thoughts and emotions. He was worried that when he woke up, his power would be gone. He was scared of dying; he couldn't leave his mom all alone. He wanted to be stronger. He wanted more than anything to be a hero, but what if he failed... Izuku took a deep breath and shut his eyes. He would be a hero.
Izuku woke early in the morning. He hadn't gotten a full night's sleep, but he didn't feel at all tired. He was nervous, anxious, and overcome with a sense of dread, but he pushed all that aside.
The first thing he did was check to make sure his user interface was still there. Izuku nearly shed tears of relief when the glowing green rectangle materialized into being. Swiftly, he pulled himself out of bed and prepared to face his fears.
The morning passed in a blur. He wolfed down breakfast in the blink of an eye and was standing outside the apartment door before he knew it. Prior to leaving, he made sure to say goodbye to his mom. Embracing her, he told her he loved her and that he'd be back as soon as he could, remembering to add that he would text her when he was on his way home. She just told him to have fun and be safe, blissfully unaware of the danger he was in.
Soon, Izuku was standing beside a familiar river. He denied the memory that tried to surface, instead choosing to focus on scoping out the area. No one was nearby—none that he could see or hear at least—and the water was calm. Izuku traced an arc in the air with his hand and a meter-long curved blade composed of dense, purple-tinted darkness sliced a section of the river in half. In less than a second, it reformed like nothing ever happened. But Izuku had done it, felt it, and seen it. This was real.
He found a boulder. It was about the size of a small car and smooth to the touch. Worn by time, it was old in a way no living thing could truly comprehend. Standing at arm's length, Izuku squared his shoulders and threw a punch with all his weight behind it. A warm glow encompassed his fist as the blow landed, and not even the trees heard it. The surface of the boulder cracked. Izuku just laughed.
Before he could convince himself otherwise, Izuku entered the 'Quests' tab and set his quest as active. Then, he placed his right hand out in front of him and said, "The Beginning." A portal, green as his user interface and as tall and wide as a door appeared before him. Heart pounding like a drum, Izuku strode decisively into the unknown. It really was just the beginning.
