CHAPTER 2
Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia or The Gamer. If I did, you wouldn't find me writing fanfic about my own creation, now wouldja?
(AN): Remember when I said 'maybe I'll upload this week?' Yeah, midterms happened and I kinda of pushed writing into the depths of my mind. Sorry about that.
On another topic, I'm impressed with how many people liked this story. I wasn't expecting that many follows and favorites. Thanks to everyone for keeping up with it, and extra kudos for everyone who took their time to review.
Izuku inserted the pen back into his inventory, grabbed his notebook and did the same. In fact, he started putting anything of importance inside it. His wallet, all the other hero notebooks, his phone,charger, and the list went on. Nothing escaped the grasp of his newly discovered pocket dimension.
While his hands moved automatically to grab new things, he thought on how to improve his stats.
'Gamer's Body sure is incredible. Since all damage to my body is dealt in HP loss, The most I'll suffer from working out nonstop will be some potential fatigue. I'll have to research some training schedules to reinforce the physical stats, increase WIS and INT while in school and figure out CHA and LCK as I go along' At some point, he grabbed back his new notebook and started writing everything down.
By planning ahead your training, you gain +1 INT!
Now, let me teach you about [Quests]! They are the main method you'll use to gain EXP. Quests are created spontaneously by the player or NPCs. Different quests give different rewards, and most of them have optional objectives that reward you even more.
Quest Created: Interactive Tutorial, Phase 1.
Time for a test-drive of the quest system! complete this in order to progress your tutorial.
Objectives:
Read 'Mana For Dummies'.
Rewards:
200 Exp.
As soon as the quest popped up, a book materialized on top of his bed. It had a blue cover, with golden stylized letters saying 'Mana For Dummies'.
Izuku had to give it to his quirk: When it mocked him, at least it was creative. Sighing, he begrudgingly picked up the book.
This is a skill book! They teach you skills instantly, so try to find more of them in your adventures as [The Gamer]. The rarer the skill books, the more unique the skill will be.
You've obtained a skill book for [Mana Manipulation]. Do you wish to learn this skill?
{Y/N}
He selected 'No' and opened the book. By RPG rules, there was a big chance that if he selected 'Yes', it would disappear forever, so he wanted to take a look to test if he could understand it, and then learn the skill without consuming it. Most of his confidence stemmed from the fact that the thing was pretty small. It probably wasn't going to be that hard…
"Welcome to 'Mana For Dummies'. This book is a simple guide for anyone who wants become a motherfucking wizard, but can't even cast a measly Mana Bolt. After reading this, you'll have taken the first steps in learning magic. To learn more shit you probably shouldn't trust a book to teach you, check out my other works: 'Potions For Dummies', 'Your Affinity and You' and 'How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Runes'.
Mana is the spiritual energy that every living thing possesses. On humans, it is generated by the soul and stays around the brain, moving between the nerves. However, some individuals can make it flow around the entire nervous system. This flow is what allows the use of mana, and subsequently, magic. Living organisms that don't possess a nervous system also have mana, but much less. It also radiates out of the physical body in very small doses. This occurs unconsciously, and it allows some mages to use magic with the ambient mana instead of theirs. However, someone can also suppress this effect through various techniques."
In the next pages were images of the human nervous system, and a diagram explaining the difference of mana between species. Fairies had the most, humans and animals came second and plants were in last place.
"To utilize mana, one must open its flow to the rest of the body by manipulating it with your mind. It sounds easy on paper, but this requires extremely high body control and intense concentration, so it might take weeks or even months, if you have low mana reserves. Some tips to fasten the process are meditation and constant exercise. Healthy mind, healthy body.
There are some spells that unlock a person's mana, but since you're reading this book, you're probably in the level of desperation of someone who has no other option."
The following text had some breathing exercises and tips on a diet for keeping the body healthy.
" After you unlock your mana, things become pretty simple. It is connected to your soul, so it'll respond to your intent. Try some basic things, like expelling from your body with force, or making shapes with it. After you mastered shaping and expelling your mana, try some basic attacks, like Mana Arrows or Mana Bolts.
All of that is pretty neat, but the most valuable technique you can learn at your current skill level is Reinforcement. Just focus your mana on anything and focus your intent on 'strengthening' it. This will increase the efficiency of the target. Hell, if you want to, you can even reinforce even yourself!
And that's a wrap. Practice a lot, and maybe one day you can become a good enough wizard to not need shitty guides like this."
By reading a book and learning something new, you gain 5 INT!
'So either spend days trying or unlock it instantly. What a difficult choice.' Izuku thought sarcastically. He would try meditating at least once just to have a basic idea on how difficult it would be, though.
Storing away the book, he sat cross-legged in his bed and started inhaling and exhaling slowly, trying to clear his mind by focusing it on the rhythm of his body moving along with his breathing.
Let it be known that meditating with Gamer's Mind was the easiest thing ever. After some minutes he had entered a state of calmness he never experienced before. In normal circumstances, his mind was always active, always thinking about something. This was actually helping him relax for a change.
He didn't know how much time he spent there, just sitting on his room, reflecting and trying to feel his mana, but eventually, he opened his eyes and was greeted by various screens.
By achieving a state of clarity through contemplation, you have learned [Meditate]!
[Meditate] Lv.1 (Active): The skill to sharpen focus, order thoughts and increase clarity of mind. While meditating, your MP/min increases by 50%.
[Meditate] is now Lv.2!
[Meditate] is now Lv.3!
[Meditate] is now Lv.4!
He dismissed all of them and retrieved the skill book. No matter how much he had concentrated, he hadn't been able to make any progress on unlocking his mana. He wasn't really up to spending weeks trying do it by himself instead of simply learning instantly. Call him hasty, but he thought that taking the shortest route was the smart thing to do.
Really, the only reason he went through all of this in the first place was because he was used to doing things by himself without the aid of a quirk. That, and his stubbornness.
This is a skill book for [Mana Manipulation]. Do you wish to learn this skill?
{Y/N}
After he selected 'Yes', the book disappeared like he suspected it would.
Suddenly, he lurched forward, a gasp escaping from his lips. His arms spasmed and his fingers twitched, but there was no pain. He looked at his upper body alarmed. There was a glow under his skin that was spreading to the rest of his body, slowly coming into a shape. He then recognized the pattern forming as the outline of the Peripheral Nervous System. After that, he relaxed his body, laid down on the bed and let the process continue.
In a matter of seconds, Izuku had unlocked his mana. Raw spiritual energy coursed through his body, and the tingling sensation not unlike electricity was almost addictive. He got up looked at himself. While he wasn't glowing anymore, there was no doubt major changes happened within his body. He didn't feel faster or stronger, just… better than before.
You have learned [Mana Manipulation]!
[Mana Manipulation] Lv.1 (Passive): You can generate, shape and manipulate mana, the spiritual energy that all living things possess. Allows use of raw mana.
Quest Completed: Interactive Tutorial, Phase 1.
You gain 220 EXP!
You leveled up!
I know you must be pretty proud of yourself for completing a quest as difficult as that one, but it's time to continue your tutorial.
[Instant Dungeons], a.k.a IDs, are the main method you'll use to gain items and hone your battle skills. They're spaces filled with monsters and loot so that you can have adventures even in a modern society with no monsters!
But why just tell you about it? Let's go inside an ID right now!
As the game went on with its explanation, a violet portal appeared inside of his room. It was slightly bigger than himself, and was large enough for 2 people to slip in at the same time.
"..." Izuku stared at portal with a blank stare. Sure, just go opening portals inside the room without his consent.
You can access IDs through portals or barriers. They can be generated by yourself in the menu or found throughout the city by exploring. Although the spaces you generate have several limitations because of your current level, it is also possible to find special items that unlock extra IDs. But that depends on your LCK, so it's better to explore the world you're in and save yourself the trouble. To give you an incentive to start this ID, I'll give you an objective to complete, along with some rewards.
Quest Created: Interactive Tutorial, Phase 2.
Time to explore your first dungeon! Complete this to progress your tutorial.
Objectives:
Kill all the monsters inside the ID. (0/8)
Rewards:
300 XP
x1 Random Skill Book
Well, he couldn't say no to more skill books. Shrugging, he took a step forward. The faster he finished this, the faster he could use his quirk without any tutorials. Another step. He wasn't really worried about defeating those monsters; Since this was a part of the tutorial, It had to be something easy, like some rats or weakened enemies.
It's not like he could die to an effect of his own quirk.
He took the final step and entered the portal, not once looking back.
The place he appeared was something out of a generic game phase, which really shouldn't be surprising considering his quirk.
The sunlight shining down on him wasn't a good fit with this place. Earth darker than it should be possible, covered by uncontrolled vegetation and various graves, set this cemetery as the scariest place Izuku had ever seen. And as a young man that constantly watched hero fights and their battlefields, this was saying a lot.
All the zombies and skeletons roaming around certainly didn't do him any favors.
Shit. Shit! He was trembling uncontrollably, and the only reason he wasn't screaming his lungs out was because he didn't want to catch those monsters' attention. Goddammit why, couldn't this be a normal tutorial?! Why didn't he suspect anything when the game offered all of those rewards!?
[Gamer's Mind] Activated.
His shaking stopped gradually. He couldn't afford being afraid. Panicking right now could make him lose this battle, or even die.
'First step: find a safe location' He recited this in his mind like a mantra, looking around for anything that would make good cover. After spotting a patch of thick foliage, he crouched low and slowly walked towards it, making sure to not cause any noise.
[Sneak] Activated!
Arriving at his advantage point, he wiped sweat from his brow and let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding. What the hell was he thinking when entering without any preparation!? Oh, yeah: 'It's not like it'll be hard, it's just a tutorial!' Fair point, but he was on his goddamn casual clothes. He was wearing sandals, for god's sake. Sandals!
[Gamer's Mind] Activated.
Shit, he lost his focus again. Damn it, Izuku! This was no time to let emotions go haywire. He could reflect on his mistakes after, when he escaped this situation.
'Second step: Analyze the situation. I'm alone, against…' He took a second to remember. 'eight enemies. No backup is coming. All I have is some notebooks, an extra batch of clothes and my cellphone.' He materialized his phone and checked it. No signal, as he expected, but there was no harm in making sure. 'None of which can help me here. The skills most useful in this situation will be Sneak, Sense Danger, Martial Arts and Mana Manipulation.'
Now, he had to analyze his enemies. However, before he could start using Observe, he noticed something at his side: The tutorial screen. 'Was I so scared I couldn't even notice it?' he pondered.
This is an standard ID. Right now, you're in a different dimension of space, and the link between this place and your room is the portal, which closes automatically after you enter. If you use [Escape ID], the portal reappears to your side no matter where you are. Be wary though: once you enter the ID again, you will spawn in the place where you exited from.
This are the basics for IDs. Some of them have special rules, so if you're confused, just use the [Help] menu.
Izuku took the new information in quickly. So, he could still go back to the portal quickly and close it before the monsters came. Yeah… that's right, he could just… close it, and forget about the mission. He wasn't going to risk his life for a book and some EXP!
'But is that really it? Why even have Instant Dungeons at all-No, have a quirk, if all you're going to do is get scared and run whenever something new happens? What happened to being a hero, huh?' A part of him asked. But this was different!
'You see, this is why you never succeed at anything. How do you expect to save people, if you can't even win against a bunch of tutorial enemies? Do you think the villains will just defeat themselves? C'mon, you're not that naive!' His traitorous mind continued to egg him on.
'Is this the limit of your will to become a hero? Will you just run with your tail between your legs, and prove everyone that thought you couldn't accomplish anything that they were right? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, MIDORIYA IZUKU!?'
At this point, the answer was already clear within his mind; He wasn't going to run.
He would fight, and win.
Your willpower and sheer desire to win have created a new skill!
[Fighting Spirit] Lv.1(Passive): Every human has the basic instinct of 'fight and flight', but you have harnessed the strength that comes from conflict. Increases all stats by 1 when in combat.
If anyone looked at Izuku right now, they wouldn't be able to see the same skittish, meek young man that stuttered at every word. His eyes were sharp, burning with a determination so intense, that you'd be able to see them glowing. His posture was like that of a snake coiled, ready to jump at one of the monsters at any moment.
With his mind focused and his body fueled by Fighting Spirit, he rose from his hiding spot and Observed one of the skeletons.
Skeleton Lv.10
A corpse reanimated by necromancy. It is wielding a Rusty Short Sword.
STR: 20
DEX: 28
VIT: 30
WIS: 6
INT: 12
CHA: 3
LCK: 1
[Condition]
HP: 170/170 MP: 0
[Undead]: This creature has no mana of its own. When its HP reaches 0, it can do a VIT Will Save to come back with 10% of its HP. It takes 300% extra damage from holy attacks and is immune to the effects of poison.
He did the same with all of the other skeletons. Only the first one had a weapon, and all of them were just walking back and forth without purpose. His eyes eventually found a zombie. Its skin was the unnaturally gray of a rotting corpse. It had no noticeable wounds, meaning it wasn't murdered. It had an average height, but its hunched position made it look smaller. It was wearing ragged pieces of clothing that were ripped to pieces and barely covered its modesty
Zombie Lv. 8
A corpse reanimated by necromancy.
STR: 25
DEX: 12
VIT: 32
WIS: 3
INT: 6
CHA: 1
LCK: 1
[Condition]
HP: 185/185 MP: 0
[Undead]: This creature has no mana of its own. When its HP reaches 0, it can do a VIT Will Save to come back with 10% of its HP. It takes 300% extra damage from holy attacks and is immune to the effects of poison.
The thing wasn't moving. It was just staring at ahead with a blank, disfigured look, fitting its namesake. Izuku was finding Gamer's Mind to be a blessing right now, and he had a feeling this would be common in the future.
[Sneak] is now Lv.3!
Now that he had analyzed the situation, he had a small plan to deal with it. He lifted his right arm and focused his intent. Green spiritual energy started seeping out slowly and he shaped it into a small sphere.
With his other arm, he grabbed a small stone that was separated from its grave and threw it as hard as he could without reinforcing himself with mana. The small object bounded away and landed at a grave 4 meters away from the armed skeleton, catching its attention. The undead looked at the place it landed, and walked towards it.
Izuku cringed slightly at the sound of bones rattling, but even so he stalked his target, taking care to not to alert any of the others.
[Sneak] is now Lv.4!
The skeleton reached the stone and picked it up, looking at it with an unreadable expression. The green haired boy acted quickly, pointing his right arm and firing away the mana sphere at his target's head.
Critical Hit!
The attack collided with its head, making a hideous crunching noise. The skeleton stumbled forward due to the surprise attack, but before it could even turn around, Izuku fired away two more times with no hesitation. The first blast hit the neck and the second one hit the shoulder area, breaking the collarbone and making the rest of the body fall forward with a thud.
Critical Hit!
You gained 82 EXP.
Three of the skeletons started approaching slowly, being disrupted by the loud sounds in quick succession. The other monsters were too far and didn't hear it.
He wasted no time and ducked lower than before, grabbing the rusty sword off the ground and sneaking away to another bush.
[Mana Manipulation] is now Lv.3!
By shaping your mana and expelling it away, you have created a new skill!
[Mana Blast] Lv.1(Active): Expels mana in the rough shape of a sphere. Costs 4 MP.
[Mana Blast] is now Lv. 2!
This time, with more targets, he had to be more precise than before. Only one of his attacks had hit the desired mark before. He was Lucky that they counted as critical hits, or else the skeleton might've been able to counterattack. He released more mana from his body, and this time shaped them into arrows. These would be more aerodynamic, and could pierce their skulls more easily.
By creatively shaping your attacks, you have developed a new skill!
[Mana Arrow] Lv.1(Active): Attacks with an arrow made of mana that pierces through armor. Costs 4 MP.
Perfect. Now that he'd taken the only armed enemy, there was no serious threat. That meant he could afford to defeat them faster, at the cost of stealth.
"Mana Arrow!" He cried out, rising from his hiding position and firing six arrows, two for each skeleton's head.
Critical Hit!
Critical Hit!
Critical Hit!
You gained 246 EXP.
You leveled up!
[Mana Arrow] is now Lv. 2!
[Mana Manipulation] is now Lv.4!
They were killed instantly. Well, as killed as they could be, considering they were already dead. The arrows hit their mark right on, piercing their skulls, hitting the ground and dissipating.
[Sense Danger] Activated!
He turned around and fired two more arrows at an approaching skeleton. By now, all of the undead were aware of his position, and were rapidly approaching. Well, the zombie was being pretty slow, but you get the idea.
Critical Hit!
You gained 82 EXP.
Two skeletons ran past the 'corpse' of their 'comrade' and the one most close to Izuku swiped his hand at him. He sidestepped to the left and punched it in the skull with a mana enhanced fist, sending him flying towards the other one. To finish them off, he fired three mana arrows.
Critical Hit!
Critical Hit!
You gain 164 EXP.
[Mana Arrow] is now Lv.3!
[Mana Manipulation] is now Lv.5!
By enhancing the power behind your blows with mana, you have developed a new skill!
[Power Strike] Lv.1(Active): Attacks with a mana enhanced strike. Costs 8 MP.
He looked at the last enemy standing. The zombie let out a hideous gurgle and took another step forward, his arms outstretched in a classic horror film pose. Izuku fired a mana blast right at his throat. The attack sent it backwards and took off its footing, making it fall down unceremoniously.
Critical Hit!
As he was about to turn around and leave, he heard a meaty squelch and looked back. The zombie was up again, but barely. Its head was almost out of neck, hanging on through a few bits of bone and flesh.
If Izuku wasn't being affected by Gamer's Mind and Fighting Spirit during these last minutes, he probably would have vomited at least five times.
He aimed at the neck once again and let out another blast.
You gained 82 EXP.
[Mana Blast] is now Lv. 3!
[Mana Manipulation] is now Lv.6!
Quest Completed: Interactive Tutorial, Phase 2.
You gained 330 EXP!
You gained a Skill Book for: Electric Aura!
You leveled up!
After the notifications appeared, his body collapsed and he fell into the ground on all fours, panting loudly. To his right, he could see the skill book on top of a skeleton. He looked around and realized he was surrounded by the bodies of his enemies.
For a someone who never fought once in his life, he did pretty damn good.
'And it was easy', his mind supplied. Most of the enemies didn't have any weapons or armor, and were extremely predictable. They looked scary, and that was all they had going on for themselves. He completely wiped them out, without losing any health.
His freakout at the start was unfounded. It was just irrational rambling caused by fear of the unknown. Once Gamer's Mind had activated, he quickly found a way to victory.
But at the same time, if he didn't possess Gamer's Mind, he would never be able to make the logical decisions necessary to overcome this dungeon, meaning there was a real risk.
Dammit, why did this have to be so complicated? He just wanted to be a hero!
You're no longer [Refreshed].
You're inflicted with [Exhaustion]!
Thanks, but he didn't need a notification to know that. The Status Effect combined with the loss of Fighting Spirit's boost made him feel like he was carrying five times his own weight.
It took seven minutes to pick himself up, grab his reward and leave the tutorial, but when he left, it was with a sense of satisfaction.
Izuku turned the shower handle around, stopping the water. His Exhaustion had already faded a few minutes ago. After he arrived home, he had put the skill book on the inventory and went to take a bath. He had also closed the tutorial temporarily. For now he just wanted to take a little break from it.
He dried himself and grabbed some clothes from his inventory. After dressing up and leaving the bathroom, he entered his room and booted up the computer.
While the machine was turning on, Izuku checked his status page.
Midoriya Izuku, The Gamer
[True Name]: Midoriya Izuku
[Title]: The Gamer
[Level]: 5(85.20%) [Race]: Human
[Money]: 4000 yen {Specifics}
STR: 19
DEX: 26
VIT: 26
WIS: 39
INT: 41
CHA: 26
LCK: 5
Stat Points: 40
[Condition]
HP: 149/149 MP: 164/164
40 stat points to spend. Where should he put it? Should he even use them now? Probably not. Higher stats meant they were harder to increase; This way, if he upgraded them right now, his future training wouldn't have any significant effect.
He turned to his computer, but a knock on the door stopped him on his tracks. Damn. He forgot about his mom. He wasn't ready for this. He turned his head around and looked at the alarm clock.
11:30 AM
Wow, he spent way too much time messing around with the tutorial. But hey, you couldn't blame him for losing track of time after getting a brand new quirk and fighting a bunch of monsters, Right?
He heard footsteps increasing in volume and a muffled "Izuku?" that sent his mind back to the present situation. Right, what the hell would he say to mom? 'Hey mom, remember that time when the doctor said I should just give up? Well screw that, here's a pocket dimension.'
[Gamer's Mind] Activated
His nervousness decreased. It was okay. This was his mom, the kindest person he knew. She wouldn't react badly. Why would she even react badly? She would cry a lot and fuss over him during the rest of the day, but this was something he was used to. He'd just approach her, make some small talk and then reveal everything. Simple and effective. His previous nervousness completely disappearing, he smiled and exited the room, walking towards the apartment's entrance.
Gamer's Mind sure was useful.
Midoriya Inko sighed and returned to stocking the kitchen cabinet. Her son was sleeping late again. She really should stop Izuku from pulling those all-nighters. He was a growing boy, and couldn't afford to keep such a bad sleep schedule. But what could she say to him? They both knew the reason for why he had to do this.
She shook her head to stop the unwanted thoughts. But no matter how much she tried ignoring it, the situation within the Midoriya household was only worsening. Izuku was becoming more reclusive everyday, and whenever she'd ask about it, he would just give an excuse that she always saw through, but never had the courage to call him out on it. But judging by the way he looked at her after every lie, he was also aware of it.
Both of them were just keeping up with this facade, because they were afraid of what would happen if they came clean.
Finishing her chore, she rose and turned around to go wake her son up, only to come face to face with him. "Good morning mom." He said smiling, already wearing his casual clothes. Wasn't he supposed to be asleep?
"G-good morning Izuku. Did you sleep well?"
"I did. Do you need help with the groceries?" His smile was replaced with a frown that couldn't be taken seriously due to his cute baby face. She shook her head at him, smiling all the while. Always looking to help, her Izuku.
"No need. I'm all finished, see?" She stepped to the side, showing the cabinet filled with all sorts of products. In total, there wasn't much, but that was to be expected in a house with only two people.
They made some small talk, and as the minutes passed, her previous worries subsided somehow. He was probably just starting that phase. He was already thirteen, after all. There was nothing to worry about. But she still worried and fussed over him, because that's what a mother does. Gosh, single parenting was hard.
She was just about to suggest going to the living room to watch something together when he voiced the six words that brought back her previous feelings back ten times stronger.
"I need to tell you something."
She sat down at the dining table, not bothering to hide her apprehension. He remained standing and she waited for him to talk. He looked excited about something, which was weird considering he only took that kind of expression when talking about heroes.
"I have a quirk." He said with the brightest grin she'd ever seen on his face. But before she could utter a word, he proceeded to make a pen and notebook appear out of thin air.
Minutes passed, and she stood still, her only movement being a slow slack of her jaw.
Distantly, she could see him gushing about his new quirk, saying it was probably a mutation or late blooming. But she couldn't hear any of it. her mind was still reeling from the news.
Izuku had a quirk.
Her baby boy wasn't quirkless.
She couldn't express her happiness with words. But she didn't need to.
"Izuku~!" She wailed.
"And I can also use some sort of energy to-Oof!"
Her sudden movement made him flinch, but it didn't stop her. Leaping from her chair and wrapping her arms around him, she could already feel the tears flowing out of her eyes.
Unknown to them, the same scene played for a split second in both of their minds. A young Inko hugging the small form of a 5 year old Izuku, asking for forgiveness.
"I'm sorry, Izuku, I'm so sorry…!"
But no more. No longer would he suffer for something out of his control. Teachers and acquaintances wouldn't look at him like some sort of abomination. With this quirk, he could have a normal life, the sort of life she had always wanted to give him.
"I'm so glad for you!"
And for the first time since that fateful visit to the doctor, Midoriya Inko felt in peace.
The two Midoriyas just stayed there for a few minutes embracing each other, both of their faces filled with tears and a giant smile.
Your relationship with your mother has been strengthened!
Midoriya Inko's Social Link is now at Rank 9!
You gained 900 XP!
You leveled up!
You leveled up!
Sheesh Izuku, how come you couldn't even finish the whole tutorial? Time for another explanation. [Social Links] are the bonds you form with people. They grant you special abilities when you MAX them, but some have extra abilities sprinkled between other ranks. It is literally the power of friendship.
Eventually, they separated, and Izuku took his time explaining everything to his mother (again), omitting the game details. He had showed up with his Status screen open, and when she didn't react to a giant blue display in the kitchen, he found out that nobody but him could see this part of his quirk.
He would tell her eventually, when he discovered some sort of magic to prove it. Like some sort of 'See through my eyes' spell or something similar. But right now, he was just enjoying the moment.
"I'm so glad for you." She repeated, sniffling. He gave her a box of tissues from his inventory. She muttered a quick 'thank you' and started wiping the tears away.
While she was cleaning her face, Izuku took a second look at his stats again.
Midoriya Izuku, The Gamer
[True Name]: Midoriya Izuku
[Title]: The Gamer
[Level]: 7(32.85%) [Race]: Human
[Money]: 4000 yen {Specifics}
STR: 19
DEX: 26
VIT: 26
WIS: 39
INT: 41
CHA: 26
LCK: 5
Stat Points: 60
[Condition]
HP: 149/149 MP: 164/164
Nice. Now he had 60 stat points to use. Now that he had them in excess, it'd be good to use some, just to test it out-
"Izuku, what are you looking at?" her voice brought him back to the present situation.
"N-nothing!" he answered too quick for anyone but her, who lived with his mannerisms during her whole life, to understand what was said.
"Izuku…" She spoke slowly. He looked at her. Her face was contorted in a serious expression. "I… I said something awful to you when you were just a child. I've always regretted that. Back then... I just gave up on you... but you never quit, Izuku. You kept chasing after your dreams. And now that you have a quirk, I believe in you! I feel like you can become a great hero. And I also feel… like this is somehow worse. I feel exactly like all of those people that brought you down just because you weren't born in a certain way. I'm truly sorry for that. I should have believed in you from the start. Can you forgive me?"
He stared and saw the sadness and regret residing on her eyes. He saw the guilt that plagued her since he was five years old.
He took a deeper look. Saw the lines in her face, signing her age. The bags forming under her eyes that he never noticed before. The weight she had been putting over the last months, coinciding with when Kaachan started to get more aggressive.
She… she had been suffering just as him, hadn't she? He wasn't the only one affected by his quirklessness. How could he not have seen this?
It was probably his increased intelligence that brought the answer easily: He was ignoring her just like he ignored everyone else. In order to not collapse under the weight of all the people putting him down, he ignored everything but his pursuit of becoming a hero.
By gaining insight on your mother's point of view and your own mistakes, you gain +5 WIS!
She smiled at him and gave him back his pack of tissues. Why though? He just gave it to her because she was crying, he didn't need it back or anything-
Drip
Oh. He was crying.
He muttered a quick thanks and started wiping his own tears. After that, he threw the package back into the inventory and faced his mom.
"I… of course I forgive you mom. You may think you were bad, but for me, you did a great job. I can't possibly think of you as a bad presence in my life. I-if anything, I should be the one apologizing. I was so focused on my dream that I stopped paying attention to you." He never blamed her for his situation. Hell, he just discovered that she was blaming herself for being part of his hardships.
Inko quietly listened to his answer, and when he finished, all of her previous seriousness evaporated into laughter. It was just like him, to find a way to forgive her and shoulder the blame to himself.
"I'm not blaming myself." He announced, surprising her. "It's just-There is no single 'culprit'. That's just the way society as a whole is. Nowadays, quirks are super important, so I was ostracized for not having one."
It was a sad reality, but a quirkless person wasn't treated like any other person.
For convincing your mother, you gained 1 CHA!
She smiled softly at him. "If you say it's not my fault, then I'll believe it too." When had he become so confident?
"Well, we shouldn't just stay here. Let's go to the living room. You can tell me everything about your quirk there. Knowing you, there's probably already two notebooks' worth of notes on it" She teased him with a knowing tone.
"Mom!" He exclaimed, embarrassed. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks, turning his face bright red. He wasn't that bad! She just giggled and started walking towards the living room. He followed her while fighting a losing battle against laughing too.
"You know…" He said, breaking the silence. They had been watching TV for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's company and sometimes talking about random things. Izuku honestly missed this kind of thing. Throughout the years, he was steadily spending less time with his mother. But now…
Now that he had 'reconciled' with her, the atmosphere around their little apartment felt lighter. She turned to him and tilted her head, signing him to continue.
"What about my quirk registry? Can it just change from 'quirkless' to 'has a quirk'?" He asked.
"Yes it can." She readily answered. "It's funny you ask. Your father had to change it once when he discovered he could generate scales along with his fire breathing. He looked so embarrassed that day. I know I'd be too if I lived my whole life without knowing my own quirk!" She laughed, but he could see that it was forced. His father was a bit of a sore subject to his mom. From what little she told Izuku, he abandoned her while he was still a baby. She gave all of the neighbours the excuse that he was working overseas. He still sent money to cover all expenses, but never came in contact.
After watching the rest of the show, they lunched together and he told her about his plans.
"I'm going to start training to get into a hero school. I have to catch up, since everyone else will have twelve years getting used to their quirk at the time for exams." He explained after finishing his food. She looked at him and sighed exasperated.
"Izuku, you don't need to tell me that, sweetie. You wanting to be a hero is something I'll always take for granted." She said fondly, her smile still in place since the end of their talk.
He smiled bashfully and scratched the back of his head. She grabbed his empty plate and ruffled his hair. "But know this." Her tone suddenly changed to a serious one. "This time, I'm going to support you through every step of the way. I'll be cheering you on with everything I got!"
At that moment, with her 160 cm of height, chubby face and green eyes full of determination, Midoriya Inko looked more imposing and awe-inspiring than any pro-hero.
He nodded, fully believing her. Satisfied for saying her piece, she turned around and went to wash the dishes. The rest of the day passed on a lull, with the Midoriyas spending more time together as mother and son. Both wouldn't have it any other way.
(AN): The tutorial fight wasn't supposed to be really a fight. It's a moment of character development for Deku. In the anime, we only see him act like a badass at first when he has to save someone. The zero pointer, the Stain fight and the Bakugo rescue, all of those times Deku fights because of his wish to save. Not this time. This time, he fights because he wants to win. The U.A exams and the hero business in general is pretty cutthroat. We see that on the first episode when Mt. Lady steals Kamui's spotlight. Deku wants to be a hero, so he rises above his fear and fights everything on his way.
For the skill book, I used the random page function of the superpower wikia. the ones I got were Werepire Physiology(Isn't a skill), System Manipulation(Which is too OP), Mortality(Which also isn't a skill) and finally, Electric Aura.
Also, I'm sorry this fic is going slow. When I wrote the first chapter, I only had the base for this whole thing. There was no endgame established, no idea on how the arcs would go, etc, etc. So I'm trying to plan ahead to not write myself into a corner.
As always, leave a review. I want your input so I can make this fic better.