Congratulations!
'What the hell?' I thought as a floating blue window, like one you would see in a video game, appeared in front of me.
Due to the Universal Lottery of Souls, you have been chosen to be the next wielder of the power known as [The Gamer]
"Uhhhh…" I tried turning my head away, only for the window to follow my line of sight.
Not only that, you have been chosen to Beta-Test an all-new Player Class in the Gamer System! Whereas most Gamers would have the choice to be a [Warrior], [Thief], [Mage], or any other fighting class that can be used to force their way through whatever multiverse they were pushed into, your Player Class has been pre-locked!
Raising my hand, I tried touching the holographic-looking rectangle. Too my shock, my hand didn't pass through it, instead pressing against it like a solid object. It even felt like smooth glass. This cemented one of two theories in my mind: A) I finally snapped and was now standing at the edge of the rabbit hole that would plunge me into full-blown madness; or B) This is actually happening and my entire concept of what was real and imaginary was going to be shattered within the next few hours.
'Well, might as well ride it out either way,' I thought.
Noticing that the window had stopped there, I made the assumption it was waiting for me to respond to it. "Alright, mysterious gaming system box. What is the Class I'm being locked into?" I asked.
I'm so glad you asked, Player!
"My name is Kevin."
Not anymore, but we'll get to that later! The class you have been chosen to test out for the foreseeable future is the [Merchant] Class! This class introduces a new taken on [Experience], [Inventory], [Skills], [Status] and other iconic features of our system!
To begin, say or think the word [Status].
"Can I ask a quick question?" I interjected, raising my hand as if I was in a classroom.
What would you like to ask?
"Am I supposed to still be in my bedroom for this? I mean, I've read a lot of stories based on this trope, but they almost always start out after a person dies or in some kind of black or white void. Just wanting some clarification, you know?"
That will be addressed in the [Skills] section of the [Tutorial].
"Cool. Okay…Status."
What popped up next was a typical screen showing all of my stats, along with what looked like a shadowy outline of a human body to the right of them.
[STATUS]
Name - [Undecided]
Title - [None]
Class – Merchant [LOCKED]
Age - 17
Level – 1
EXP – 0/10
HP - 100/100
STR - 10
DEX - 10
VIT - 10
INT – 10
CHA – 10
LCK – 10
Stat points - 5
Currency: 0
Shop Points: 1000
These are your base stats! As you can probably guess, each stat will raise as time goes on. They are able to be raised through special actions, skills, quests, and traits gained throughout your journey! In order to get a better idea of each, say [Help]
'Better than doing nothing.' "Help."
Name: This is the name you choose for yourself upon completing the [Tutorial]. It may not be the same as your old one, because to be honest your old one was boring.
Rude, but fair.
Title: Titles are given when certain criteria in the system are met. Titles grant special boons to the player depending on what has been done to earn them
Class – Normally, this would show what class you are currently in just in case you have multiple.
Age: Self-explanatory. I aged you down because I know how much you miss your teenage years. You're welcome
Level: Once again, self-explanatory.
EXP: Experiences points allow you to level up. Unlike with normal Gamers, Merchants do not gain EXP from defeating enemies. Instead, you gain EXP from making sales! The amount you gain depends on the Rarity of the item you sold.
HP: Hit points determine how close you are to dying. Duh.
STR: How much force you can put into your muscles. Automatically goes up one point per level, but can be increased manually via pushing your strength to its limits.
DEX: How fast and dexterous you are. Automatically goes up one point per level, but can be increased manually via feats of skill and speed.
VIT: How healthy and fit you are. Automatically goes up one point per level, but can be increased manually via physical conditioning and surviving things you really shouldn't have
INT: How smart you are. Automatically goes up one point per level, but can be increased manually via making specifically intelligent conclusions without assistance from the System and increasing your knowledge base.
CHA: How easy it is for you to get along with people and convince them of your point of view. Automatically goes up one point per level, but can be increased manually via social interaction.
LCK: How likely things are to randomly work out in your favor. Automatically goes up one point per level, but can be increased manually via incredibly fortunate outcomes happening to you.
Stat points: These are the points given to you upon leveling up. You can decide where to put them.
Currency: The amount of money you have for the world you are in. Can be increased by selling items, purchasing with shop points, or completing Quests.
Shop Points: Like EXP, shop points are gained by selling items and completing quests. Shop points can be used in the Warehouse to purchase additional Items, Skills, and Currency.
I can honestly say that a few of those caught me off guard, specifically the EXP and Shop Points. It seemed a bit novel to not gain EXP by killing, but then again shop owners weren't known for their tendency to kill things. They were more known for giving others the means to kill things.
For correctly determining the motivations of the System, you have gained 1 INT.
Alrighty then. That confirms that.
Next, you need to say or think [Quests]
Naturally, I obliged.
[QUESTS]
[Tutorial]
You are new to the Gamer System, and especially the Merchant Class. Follow all of the steps given to you by the System to get a head start on your journey!
Objectives:
[X] View [Status]
[X] View [Quests]
[ ] View [Skills]
[ ] View [Inventory]
[ ] View [Warehouse]
[ ] Create Player Model
Rewards: 1 Legendary Gacha token, 15 Minutes of Preparation time.
That last objective would explain the blank silhouette on the status page. Not really going to complain seeing as I was never the most attractive person in the first place.
Might as well get onto the next objective. "Skills."
[SKILLS]
Gamer's Mind (Level: MAX) – Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows a peaceful state of mind. Grants immunity to psychological status effects.
Appraise [Level: 1/10 0%] – Replaces the [Observe] skill found in other Gamer Systems. Allows the user to determine the Rarity, origin, stats, and approximate price for any item. Capable of appraising living beings at later levels.
That seemed like a bit of a disadvantage. Only being able to see the information of objects rather than the enemies I might be facing was a bit of a rip-off.
Your complaint has been noted and will be brought up to the Administrators.
Silver lining, I guess. Moving on.
Fictional Adaptation (Merchant/Games Edition) [Temporary: 15 Minutes After completion of [Tutorial]]- Allows the user to select video games in the immediate area and integrate them with the System. Instead of gaining skills like the normal variant of [Fictional Adaptation], the Merchant/Games Edition of this skill allows items sold by any NPC within the game to be added to the user's [Inventory] for sale. Note: Higher Rarity items may need to be unlocked.
Infinitory [Rarity Level: Common 0%] – Allows the user to have an infinite stock of any item in the [Inventory] which either meets or is below the current Rarity level of this skill. Levels up through sales. Note: Unique Rarity items are immune to Infinitory.
Okay, those last two were really cool. The ability to sell anything from the video games that I have lying around? And possibly in infinite amounts? That was both broken, and worrisome for whatever world I end up in.
'Well, that's all of the skills. Lets check out the Inventory."
Upon me saying inventory, the display once again changed to show a 12x12 array of empty boxes. At the bottom there were greyed-out buttons that would allow me to change pages, possibly alluding to an infinite number of individual items I could have.
"Wait as second. System, do items unaffected by the [Infinitory] skill stack?"
Yes. Any items that can be classified as identical in their descriptions will stack on top of each other, with the number stacked appearing in the lower right of the box.
"Oh thank god." Games that didn't have stacking were a nightmare, plain and simple.
The next thing to catch my eye, aside from the obvious previewing window to the left of the boxes, was the Sorting option at the top right. It allowed items to be sorted by ascending or descending Rarity, Quantity, or Price. Speaking of Rarity, I decided to ask the System what the Rarity ranks were.
Rarity rankings are as follows: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Mythic, and Legendary. One more classification that can be paired with any of these is the Unique Rarity. As such, an item can be Common, but at the same time be Unique for one reason or another.
Fair enough. Moving on to the Warehouse.
I was met by a window that looked like a typical mail-order website. At the top was the description.
[WAREHOUSE]
This is where you spend your Shop Points. Currency, Items, Skills, Assistants, and so much more can be purchased here with but a tap of your finger! Daily Deals are displayed on the front page, while the tabs along the top and the Search Bar can help if you are looking for anything in particular!
It was obvious that this would be a major resource in my future, but for now I could ignore it. I didn't want to waste valuable points on anything before I even knew what universe I'd be going to. Imagine if I bought medieval weapons and ended up in a futuristic landscape.
Now that you have looked through all of the currently available menu options, it is time to create your Player Model!
Surprisingly enough, this was the part that I was dreading the most. My creativity when it came to customizing my appearance in any video game that allowed it was incredibly lacking, to say the least. I usually just went with whatever default model would be provided to me.
If you are having trouble with the customization of your future appearance, you can always choose a base appearance from any fictional character and progress from there.
"Thanks, System. Hm…" My mind briefly wandered to the various video games I'd played lately. There were so many different characters I could choose from, but I wanted to pick one that would suit my role as a merchant. 'Merchant…merchant…mer- wait a second! I got it!' "System! I want my base to be the Merchant from Resident Evil 4."
Instantly, a mirror appeared in front of me. What looked back at me was one of the creepiest, yet also one of the most helpful NPC's to ever grace my XBOX 360. The hooded leather coat that held an armory's worth of firepower and hung down to the boots; the purple stitched facemask that covered what was most definitely a grin, if the glee in the glowing silver eyes was anything to go by; the backpack that held what couldn't fit on his person. It was all there. The only main difference was that he had obviously been scaled down to match my new age of 17.
Would you like to make any changes to your player model?
"No. It's perfect."
Upon confirming, I felt a change within my own body. I became slightly shorter, and could feel the Merchant's heavy clothing and equipment being magically displaced onto my body. Looking down at my fingerless gloves, I couldn't help but let out a chuckle in a voice that sounded both familiar, yet slightly higher than the rough one I was used to hearing from this character.
Just for kicks, I gazed back into the mirror again, placing a hand on the right flap of my coat. "Got somethin' that might interest ya, stranga'," I stated before pulling it to the side, revealing…faded cargo pants and a black wool shirt. Nothing else, though multiple pocks were stitched into the inner lining of the coat.
My little reenactment was cut short by the System popping back into view again.
What would you like to name yourself?
That was another big question. The System said I couldn't use my old name, no matter how attached to it I was. I also didn't want it to be something stupid or boring, as it would be with me for the entirety of the foreseeable future. I'm not going to lie; it took me twenty minutes before I came up with one.
"Simon."
Do you want a last name?
"Nah, if anybody asks me for one, I can always say that I was an orphan."
Clever. It will make sense in most universes, and in certain ones only the rich or important have family names.
"Hehehe, thank you," I chuckled, complete with the Merchant's accent.
For using that quote with perfect timing and accuracy, you have gained 1 CHA.
Sweet.
QUEST COMPLETED: [Tutorial]
Rewards Earned: 1 Legendary Gacha token, 15 Minutes of Preparation time.
Please use your preparation time wisely.
With that, a timer appeared in the upper right of my vision, starting from 15:00 and counting down second by second. I personally didn't need any more motivation to get my ass moving, immediately throwing my bedroom door open and dashing through my house for my living room. That was where all of my video games were stored, after all, alongside my XBOX ONE and PS4.
For the millionth time in my life I thanked the gods that I had enough foresight to organize all of my videogames alphabetically in the bookcase I had them on, especially now when finding the right ones could determine my future.
The first one that caught my eye was a classic series that I'd spent hours on, all in one game case: The Bioshock Collection. The moment I held it in both hands, it dissolved into motes of light that flowed into my chest. A pinging sound rang in my ears, likely a notification of the system as to what had been integrated into my inventory, but I couldn't waste time reading through them. I only had twelve more minutes left, seeing as the novelty of absorbing the game stunned me for about thirty seconds.
The next ten minutes were me sifting through all of the games and determining which of them had anything good sold in their stores. I mostly played games for their stories, so most of the ones in my collection didn't have anything too good in them. The exceptions I found aside from Bioshock were Bloodborne, Fallout New Vegas (the best Fallout game, in my opinion), Final Fantasy XIII, Kingdom Hearts 2.5, and Mass Effect 3. It was at that point that I realized something crucial.
More than half of my games were downloaded directly onto my consols themselves.
"System! I have a question!" I called out, slightly panicked with only 2 minutes left. "If I were to grab my XBOX and Playstation, would the games saved on them be integrated into [Fictional Adaptation]?"
Yes, they would.
"Oh thank god!" was my response as I practically dived for my entertainment center. The first to go was the PS4, and I had just managed to get the XBOX ONE in before the timer reached 0:00.
Time's up! Skill [Fictional Adaptation] has been removed from user!
Compatible Integrated games: Bioshock Collection, Bloodborne, Code Vein, Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3, Fallout New Vegas, Final Fantasy XIII, Kingdom Hearts 2.5, Mass Effect 3, Nier Automata, Resident Evil 4.
Warning: Some items from integrated games have prerequisites in order to use and/or manifest.
Added items to user's Inventory: (1) BOR Parasite, (1) ADAM Slug, (1) Old Blood + Contract, and (1) Android Blackbox.
Added Skill:
Surgical Implantation (Level: Max): Allows the user perfect knowledge of the human body and the methods of implanting foreign organs/organisms inside of them.
Note: Level is maxed out from the start in order to prevent both loss of life and valuable items.
"Okay…that's a thing," I mumbled. Looks like I'll be creating Little/Big Sisters, Androids, Hunters and Revenants in the future. I honestly didn't know how to feel about that.
Starting World Selected.
Of course I wouldn't be allowed to choose which world I start in.
World: Teyvat. Prepare for transportation.
'Well,' I thought, looking around at my apartment's living room. 'Looks like I won't be seeing any of this for a long time, if ever again. Goodbye boring life…
'Hello Insanity.'
The jump was Instant. One moment, I was waving farewell to my relatively normal life; the next, I'm standing in the middle of a clearing of trees. There was no sudden jolt or reorientation accompanying it, only a smooth transition change of scenery that may have made me jump if it had not been for the [Gamer's Mind].
Speaking of the scenery, it was breathtaking to say the least. The trees were three to four times my height and bore fruit I'd never seen before. Along the ground, in between the scattered rock formations, grew a rainbow of flowers that created a symphony of smells as the wind gently swept through them and rustled the leaves on the trees. A few yards behind me was a small waterfall leading into a pond with a few fish swimming around in it. It was the perfect combination of beautiful and peaceful.
It was about five minutes into my enjoyment of the tranquility of the area when I noticed something very important: everything was animated! From the grass to the water, all the way to my own clothing, everything looked like a cross between anime and 3D animation, which completely rocked in my books. I'd always thought I'd like life better if it was an anime.
Welcome to Teyvat!
"Thanks," I said aloud, nodding toward the glowing words. "For both the welcome, and the seamless transition."
You're welcome! Now, onto the introduction! This world, Teyvat, is not one that you know about. This was done on purpose due to it being deemed unfair if you were to start in a world where you knew the future of the narrative! The game this world takes place in is called Genshin Impact, which was released shortly before you were chosen!
'Now that I think about it, I do recall the hype about that game. If I remember correctly, it was a free to play title that was on the PS4, Windows PC, and android or something like that.'
Correct! You have been transported here, to the edges of the kingdom of Monstadt, approximately one year before the start of the canon timeline. This will give you plenty of time to learn about the land, establish your reputation, and level up so that you may weather the storm that is coming.
"…is it just me or was that ominous?" I questioned, slightly off-put by the implications it was making.
This is the perfect opportunity to use the Gacha Token you received from the tutorial!
"Just going to ignore my question and move on, then?" I asked rhetorically, then sighed. "Alright. Inventory."
Upon it opening, I was once again greeted by the same series of boxes. Only this time, instead of all of them being empty, each one had something occupying it. I concluded that this must be the items that were added as a result of the [Fictional Adaptation] integrating all of my video games. I recognized some of them, such as the First Aid kits from Rapture, Ethers and Potions from Kingdom Hearts, and various qualities of Titanite from Dark Souls. The majority of the items had a number 1 next to them, while the rest had an infinity symbol, proving that the [Infinitory] was in full effect for common items.
Navigating to the sorting options, I set it to only show legendary items. It was narrowed down to the BOR Parasite, ADAM Slug, Black Box, Old Blood and Contract, and the Legendary Gacha Token. The system did say that the higher-rarity items would be unlocked as I leveled up, so I wasn't surprised that it was just these five. Upon selecting the token, it appeared on the left display screen with a description.
Legendary Gacha Token: Flip to receive a random Legendary item/skill from the multiverse! One use only.
With a thought, it materialized in my hand and took the form of a golden coin. I didn't waste much time in positioning it and sending it into the air with a flick of my thumb. Contrary to my expectations, it disappeared the moment it reached its peak, replaced by another floating window appearing before me.
Skill Learned: [Merchant Immortality]
…what? I quickly opened the Skills menu to see what the hell I just obtained.
Merchant Immortality (Level: MAX): Have you ever noticed how in some games you can kill the guy who sells you things, yet he appears in another location just fine? Well, now you can do it too! If you are ever killed in any way, shape or form, you will respawn at a location nearby the moment your corpse is unobserved. Looting your body is also rendered impossible with this, as any items taken from you while you remain deceased will similarly disappear when unobserved.
"What kind of overpowered bullshit is this!?" I shouted, nearly falling on my butt from shock. "I was expecting a cool sword or the ability to fly or something like that, but immortality? Just what kind of drugs are you on, System!?"
Do not blame me! I'm just as surprised as you are! This is an end-game skill that literally costs 1 billion Store points to acquire, and your LCK stat is the bare minimum for Gamers who don't have some kind of curse or debuff effect on them. The chance of you getting this was so low there isn't even a number for it. I'm not even going to try and sort through the coding that resulted in that roll and just give you this.
For having an incredibly lucky break, you have gained 1 LCK.
"So, it really was just pure chance?"
100%
"Then I'm gonna do the smart thing and stop looking a gift horse in the mouth." With that, I walked over to one of the trees, dropped my backpack onto the ground, and sat up against the rough bark. "The last thing I need to do is look at that Warehouse again and see what I can purchase with my points."
I was quick to check what the Daily Deals. There were four of them, two skills and two items, and boy did they look tempting.
Familiar Egg (1000 pts) [Rarity: Rare]: An egg that hatches into a familiar that is best suited to the one who owns it. Can be anything from a simple cat to a majestic manticore. The possibilities are dependent on the individual!
Random Companion Gem (750 pts)[Rarity: Rare]: Summons a random companion from the multiverse to assist you in your endeavors. Summoned beings are informed in advance by the system that they are going to be summoned, but they have the full right to reject the offer and go back to their universe. Results may vary.
Lift With your Legs (250 pts): Negates the effects of weight on any item that has been added to the [Inventory]. Even objects weighing in excess of 2000 pounds will remain light as a feather when in your hands! Only works for Merchant and assistants.
What's Mine is Mine (500 pts): Depending on the level of this skill, allows the user to wield any weapon, tool, or other usable items with a certain amount of proficiency. Starts with Novice, but can be leveled up to Intermediate, Adept, Skilled, Expert, and Master.
I won't lie, all of had them potential to be extremely useful in my immediate future. With only 1000 points, I could either just buy the Familiar Egg, or buy a combination of the latter three. The last one was what really caught my eye, because if I were to level it up properly, I could be a one-man army with all of the weapons I could add to my inventory, especially if I added any legendary weapons to the mix.
"Yeah, definitely taking that one," I concluded as I tapped the Buy button.
Skill Learned: [What's Mine is Mine (Level: Novice 0%)]
With that done, I had a question for the system. "Hey System, what's the conversion rate of Store Points to this world's currency?"
One Store point is equal to 50 Mora.
"And what will 50 Mora get me?"
Well…it's almost enough to get you a small jar of salt.
"That low, huh?"
The administrators prefer not to crash a world's economy.
"Guess I won't waste my points on those, then," I mumbled, bringing a hand to my chin. "I do want to get that [Lift With Your Legs] skill, but something in the back of my mind keeps telling me that I'm forgetting something. You got any idea what it is, System?"
It may be the fact that you are in a potentially hostile world and have nothing to defend yourself with in your inventory. All weapons are ranked uncommon and up.
"Why?"
Reasons.
I sighed. "Could you at least give me a suggestion for what buy?"
Instead of receiving a written answer, the Warehouse interface shifted to the search screen. The words in the search bar were "Bioshock Vigors", and below eight ornate glass bottles appeared. The were ordered from least to most expensive, with the cheapest two being [Murder of Crows] and [Return to Sender] sitting at 500 points, while the most expensive were [Undertow] and [Devil's Kiss] at 2500.
Considering the Resident Evil 4 motif I was going with, my eyes were drawn the former of the lower priced Vigors. Crows were a major resource in RE4, providing ammo, grenades, and sometimes gems to be sold to the merchant. This tonic would complete the "creepy merchant" vibe I was going for with black scavenger birds hanging around me. I picked it without a second thought.
Retrieving it from my inventory was a quick thought and flick of the wrist away, my eyes only briefly hanging on the description.
Murder of Crows Vigor [Rarity: Uncommon]: Grants the skill [Murder of Crows]
I felt my inner Booker Dewitt come out as I twisted the stylized crow-head stopper off. "Well, bottoms up," I quoted, lifting it to my lips in and downing it in one go. Oddly enough, it didn't have a taste, the experience akin to drinking a bottle of water. Once it was empty, the bottle disappeared, leaving me to the after-effects.
My head started to ache as my vision darkened, making me glad that I was sitting down for this. On a whim, I raised my left arm and looked closely at it. A crow with blood on its beak and what looked like a tendon in its mouth flew in from outside of my vision, landing on my arm and twitching its head to look me in the eye. Seeing this on the screen when playing Bioshock was one thing, but this was an entirely new level of freaky and cool. Luckily, my [Gamer's Mind] kept me calm, with me even going so far as to pet the bird.
Skill Acquired: [Murder of Crows]
Stat Unlocked: Salts
When my vision finally returned to normal, I was shocked to see the crow still perched on my forearm, only without the splash of red it had before. It just continued to stare at me as I stroked its feathers. Now was supposed to be the part of the animation where it would fly off, yet it refused to follow that script.
Pulling up my skills list, I discovered why.
Murder of Crows [Level: 1/20 0%]
Cost: 40 SLT
Active Effects: Allows the summoning of crows in order to attack an enemy, as well as the ability to leave a Nest Trap. Number of summoned crows is 3 x (Skill Level)
Passive Effects: Allows user to have an autonomous crow familiar. The crow familiar is an extension of the user and is capable of sharing senses for reconnaissance. Further abilities will be unlocked as skill levels up.
"Guess I'm stuck with you then, huh?" I asked the crow. "What should I call you?"
He responded with what looked like the bird equivalent of a raised eyebrow, as if to say "Why are you asking me?"
"Yeah, I know, stupid question," I conceded, tilting my head. "How does Qrow sound? You know, with a Q instead of a C?"
The stare he was giving me turned accusatory.
"It's a cool name!" I said defensively. "I mean, Qrow Branwen was one of the most badass Huntsmen in the show RWBY. I thought it would fit."
There was a brief moment where I could actually feel the bird reaching into my mind via the link we shared in order to verify what I was saying. He must've found what he was looking for, because within five minutes he closed his eyes and briefly nodded.
"Glad you agree. Now, I'd say it's time to get this show on the road. Wouldn't you?"
Qrow nodded again and left my forearm to rest on my shoulder as I stood and slipped my arms through the straps of my backpack. Once I was sure that I had everything ready, I took one last look at my [Status] before heading down the dirt path.
[STATUS]
Name -Simon
Title - [None]
Class – Merchant [LOCKED]
Age - 17
Level – 1
EXP – 0/10
HP - 100/100
SLT – 110/110
STR - 10
DEX - 10
VIT - 10
INT – 11
CHA – 11
LCK – 11
Stat points - 5
Currency: 0
Shop Points: 0
