-Prologue-
-Character Creation-
Damn, it looks like I died, or in the process of it anyway. The glass shards in my neck look like a bad sign. I thought I'd feel angry or sad that I was dying, but I'm more disappointed than anything else. I was actually looking forward to college. After getting that acceptance letter, I was excited to move out and finally start life. If there's any higher power out there, please, I'll do anything for a second chance…
[…]
Ugh, what the hell just happened? I feel like I just stubbed my toe, but the pain is everywhere. I attempt to get up and I hear something. It sounds like coins jingling in my pockets and when I look where I'm laying, I just see a glowing sea of gold coins.
Did I die and go to Scrooge McDuck's money bin? I… don't know how to feel about this. Is this Heaven? Hell? Whatever this is, something isn't right here. Something in my gut is telling me that this isn't the end.
I hike up a hill of gold to see what I'm dealing with. God, as if normal hiking wasn't exhausting enough. I could barely get my footing on the ground as the gold coins shifted beneath me like sand. After slipping and tripping more times than I'd like to admit, I finally get to the peak.
Wow, this place is massive. Far off into the distance, I could see the horizon line! How big is this place?! I sit down to catch my breath and look down at my surroundings. This place is actually kinda pretty. Rolling hills of gold coins with priceless treasures beneath its golden sands. On my way up here, I'm pretty sure I saw a Rolls-Royce just half-buried in here.
What is this place? A monument to humanity's greed? A vault for some deity's offerings? Was this a dragon's ho- uhh, what the fuck was that?
The ground beneath started to shake and I slowly began sliding off the peak. The deafening noise of all this gold and treasure shaking like someone was running with a pocket full of change. I panicked and tried running to try not to get buried. I failed.
When it stopped, I was fortunately just buried up to my hips, but I could barely move. That's when I saw it. Scarlet wings unfurled from the sea of gold as a massive red dragon revealed itself. Holy… Shit…
My heart stopped when we made eye contact with each other. I struggled to get out as it came closer, but it was pointless. Its shadow loomed over me as it looked down at me, like a child looking at a lone ant. Then it spoke.
"How delightful~ Another mortal has wandered into my hoard. Tell me, boy, what brought you here?"
I wasn't expecting such a fatherly-sounding voice, it kinda sounded like my dad comforting me after mom passed away. It was strangely soothing and I can feel my heartbeat settling down.
I finally mustered the courage to speak, "I don't know, I just remember being in a car crash and I woke up here."
"Hmm, it seems one of my servants brought you here. Tell me, did you think you lived a fulfilling life?"
Woah, that's a weird question, "No, I don't think so. I only graduated high school a few months ago. I was about to go to college and then I ended up here."
"I think I have something that'll benefit us both. If you would indulge me, I can tell you a way to get out of here."
"Really? Why would you tell me this?"
"It is quite simple. I cannot enter the material realm, none of my kind can. We need avatars to interact with the material realm. If you accept my offer, I will send you to any world of your choosing. All I ask is you become my avatar."
"Alright, but what will I be doing as your avatar?"
"I want you to become the guardian of the world I send you to. Much of my brethren would send their avatars to wreak havoc unto any world they're sent to. They are servants of entropy who live to spread misery from one world to the next. I have seen the true potential of mortals if nurtured and cared for."
"That's a pretty tall order for someone like me. I barely had my life together back when I was alive. How do expect me to protect an entire planet?"
"I didn't say you'll do this without help."
"Oh?"
"I shall grant you a morsel of my power to aid you. I've looked through your memories and you seem to be a fan of video games and anime, yes?"
Oh god, is he gonna say what I think he's gonna say?
"If you accept my offer I shall grant you powers akin to a video game. You shall see life from a new perspective. With your new powers, you can achieve powers humanity could never achieve through evolution in 10 million years! You shall use these powers to protect your new home from those who would destroy it."
HELL… FUCKING… YES! Holy shit, that sounds awesome! But wait! Hold yourself together man! Let's not get too excited here, "Well, all of that sounds amazing, but what happens if I don't accept your offer?"
"If you refuse, I will not force you. I will simply cast you out of my sanctuary and you will be at the mercy of the rest of my kin. Many will forcibly bind you to their will, others will simply eat your soul."
I can't tell if he's lying or not, but I don't feel like spending the rest of eternity between the stomach and small intestine of some void monster. "Alright, I'll do it. What happens now?"
"Excellent! However, I must be sure you can handle the monumental task ahead of you. I shall grant you one year to prove yourself responsible with my power. If you squander this opportunity, I shall destroy your body and your soul shall join the others in my hoard. Prove youself worthy and you get to continue your new life and greater boons shall await you. Do you understand?"
"Yes"
"Good. Now I need you to answer a few questions before I send you on your way. First off, what world do you want to be sent to?"
Ooh, that's an interesting question. If this is going to be the world I'm living in for the rest of my life, it needs to be a good one. I'm not going to pick any 'normal' settings, I've already lived through that. As much as I love D&D and the Elder Scrolls, those are a no-go. I quite like the conveniences of modern life.
I don't plan on going to post-apocalyptic settings either. Fallout has some great games, but I'm gonna pass.
You know, I've always wanted to visit Japan, so maybe I'll pick an anime. One of my guilty pleasures was High School DxD while I was in middle school. I was rewatching it a few months ago and even started getting into the light novels. The setting's pretty cool, the powers are awesome, and the waifus are top-tier. While there are some terrifyingly powerful characters, what's life without a little risk?
"Can you reincarnate me into High School DxD?"
There was a moment of silence between us.
"H-Hey, you know what? Scratch that! I-"
"Ahahahaha! This will be entertaining! Is this your final answer?"
"Uhh… Yes?"
"Excellent! Next, we need to create your new body. I feel like you will want to change your appearance for this new world."
A few seconds passed and then a holographic interface popped up right in front of me. It showed me a perfect replica of my body and I browsed through the menus. Wow, I can change almost everything about myself: height, weight, skin color, hairstyles, and even my dangly bits! There was also a list of species I could choose from, but my options were limited. Human, devil, or angel.
My greatest strength going in is my knowledge of the setting and story. If I go in as a devil or an angel, I'll definitely lock myself out of ORC's story. Getting access to the major characters of the setting with be a god-send, pun definitely intended.
After what felt like a few hours, I finally made my new body. I was boring and just made myself, but more handsome. My new body was a towering 6'6 with deep tan skin. My face has a masculine appearance with a well-defined jawline. My physique was lean and muscular. I want to become a mighty warrior in my new life, so I should have the appearance of one.
Oh yeah, I also gave myself a bigger dick. What? You wouldn't?
"Ah, you are finished. The next step is the most important part, your actual stats. I have based the power system on the games you've played."
"Alright, that sounds awesome. Where do I begin?"
"Here, just fill out this sheet and let me know when you are ready."
A piece of paper materialized right in my hands and it was a good 'ol character sheet. It was very similar to a D&D character sheet, but instead of the usual stats, it used the SPECIAL stats and skills from Fallout. A few skills were added and removed to fit more into the setting, but this was all familiar.
The traits system was different though. Instead of Fallout's traits system, it more resembled Project: Zomboid's. I would pick out positive traits that had a certain value, but I had to balance them out with negative traits that were equal to or more than the value of the positives. With that in mind, I began making my character.
In my old D&D group, I was usually the tank of the party. I was usually leading my party into a glorious victory, or a humiliating party wipe. In all the games, cartoons, and TV I've watched, I've always liked the powerhouse characters. I don't care about leading a group. All I care about is looking at a scary-ass monster and playing wack-a-mole with its face.
All the traits I wanted were pretty expensive, so compromises had to be made. First, I've picked some minor traits that penalized skills that were low priority. Stuff like sneaking, lockpicking, and barter. I've also picked out traits that affected things I didn't worry about in games like food buffs and slower reading. Lastly, to get some expensive traits I really wanted, I gave myself a few phobias that increased damage towards certain enemy types.
After I picked out my flaws, I could finally pick out some positive traits. Many of the traits I picked will help me in combat or accelerate my growth. Guns are cool, but my main source of damage shall be glorious melee combat! After I picked my traits, I tagged Guns, Melee, and Unarmed.
[...]
Character
-Name: Arthur Freeman
-Species: Human
-Level: 1
-HP: 260
-AP: 80
-XP: 0
Traits
Positive Traits
-[+4] Built to Destroy: +5% critical chance
-[+5] Fast Learner: +15% XP gain
-[+5] Skilled: Gain +5 points for every skill
-[+6] Beefy: +2 END, +50 HP
-[+6] Eagle-Eyed: +2 PER, +20% accuracy
-[+6] Strong: +2 STR, +15% melee damage
Negative Traits
-[-2] Disorganized: -10 Carry Weight
-[-2] Slow Reader: -30% slower reading speed
-[-3] Butterfingers: -15% debuff to Lockpick
-[-3] Conspicuous: -15% debuff to Sneak
-[-3] City Boy: -15% debuff to Survival
-[-4] Refined Palate: Effects from food below Epic quality is -50% less effective
-[-5] Acrophobia: +30% more falling damage
-[-5] Entomophobia: Insect-type enemies do +30% more damage to you
-[-6] Restless: -50% less HP and AP recovered from resting
Stats
-STR: 9
-PER: 6
-END: 8
-CHA: 5
-INT: 6
-AGL: 5
-LCK: 7
Skills
Combat Skills
-[STR] [TAGGED] Melee: 43
-[PER] Explosives: 23
-[END] [TAGGED] Unarmed: 42
-[AGL] [TAGGED] Guns: 36
Utility Skills
-[PER] Lockpick: 20
-[END] Survival: 23
-[CHA] Barter: 21
-[CHA] Persuasion: 21
-[CHA] Intimidation: 21
-[INT] Medicine: 23
-[INT] Repair: 23
-[INT] Science: 23
-[AGL] Acrobatics: 21
-[AGL] Sneak: 18
Crafting Skills
-[INT] Alchemy: 23
-[INT] Blacksmithing: 23
-[INT] Carpentry: 23
-[INT] Cooking: 23
-[INT] Gunsmithing: 23
[...]
"Hey there, I'm done picking out my stats. What's next?"
"We are almost finished. All I need you to do is sign this contract."
A glowing golden contract materialized right in front of me, along with an inked quill. The contract was written in a script I didn't recognize but I could understand it like it was English. After reading the contract, it looked like an oath that a paladin would take. They are called, the Doctrines of Dukrongruth.
1. All who bow to me shall be under my aegis. Loyalty is freedom from hunger, hostility, and hopelessness.
2. All species shall be welcomed into my embrace. All life has a role to play in the Great Game.
3. Although war is part of my domain, my followers must never attempt to instigate or revel in war.
4. Power is freedom from life's cruel injustices. The mortals blessed by mine shall safeguard the weak and the vulnerable.
5. Prevent others from using their power to oppress others. Followers who abuse the powers bestowed upon them shall be severely punished.
6. Magics of all forms are allowed. The only exceptions of magics created by other gods.
7. Mortal laws shall not apply to my followers. The only laws that apply to them are mine and mine champions.
8. False idols shall never be worshipped. I am your one true master.
I didn't have any objections to the oath. I thought it was pretty reasonable. I signed my name at the bottom of the contract and it quickly vanished.
"Now our contract is sealed and you shall begin your new life. For this new life, you are now indebted to me for the rest of eternity."
A golden glyph was glowing beneath my feet for a few seconds. First, there was a flash of light, and then darkness. My new life awaited me.
Author's Note: Alright, I've been getting reviews that have been disappointed with how the power system is going and the story are going, and I wanted to tell the rest of you what you should expect in my fanfic. I also wanted to tell you that I haven't read the source material from where the Gamer System came from. I just read a bunch of fanfiction featuring it and said to myself, "Ooh, I wanna do that, but with RPGs that I played."
This is the story of a young boy who got duped into signing a contract with an eldritch monster he'll never truly understand. This story is about this boy trying to live his ideals in a world that will soon be filled with gods and monsters that are totally anathema to them. This'll be a story about someone in a gilded cage and if he can escape it or not.
Sorry if this isn't the story you wanted. There are probably others out there that'll suit your fancy. I just wanna put out a fanfic that I would've read and see if I can push myself and my writing ability. Stay safe out there folks.