As a note, I do not own high school dxd or any of its original characters, only the OC. This is only a fictional story of my making and not a claim to originality.
(Game speaking)
[Sacred gear speaking]
"Speaking normally"
'Thoughts'
-Sign Language-
Chapter 1: The Chance of a Lifetime.
Well…this kinda sucks. There's nothing here. I would have thought I'd be seeing either tall golden gates or at the very least hellfire, but all I can see is nothing. Literally just pitch black in what feels like a weightless void. No sight, smell, sounds or even feelings. I know I died, hell I did so happily.
My daughter was the light of my life, every reason I had to wake up and drag through a miserable life. I was by no means a wealthy person. Just above low class in America, but not good enough to pay for my daughters' medical bills. No insurance company would accept her due to her accelerating heart failure.
So I did what I could do. I had a huge life insurance policy for my daughter to cash in on. Wrote up and legalized a final will leaving everything to my daughter. She was 16 by the time I died, so I had asked my brother and his wife if they'd be willing to watch her till she turned 18 so she could claim everything in her name. They gladly accepted, while wishing me a safe journey to through the veil.
So the time had come. I had struck a deal with the hospital, even had a lawyer sign off on it so they couldn't screw my daughter out of it. I gave my heart to my daughter and the surgery fee waived in exchange for the rest of my organs to be distributed hoe they saw fit. If I could cry now I would be. I just hope she is living a full and happy life.
My memory has been slowly slipping here. I remember basic stuff, but names and faces are becoming blurry. Hell I don't even remember my own name. Not like it's important here in a blank void. Only so far my imagination can be strained with literally nothing to do or see. I'd give anything to get out of this void and cure my boredom.
(I thought you'd never ask. I can give you the joy and thrill you seek. All you have to do is accept my offer)
This is certainly a surprise. A pale blue screen just appeared in front of me. Well I asked for a cure to my boredom and here it is. I'd ask what it wants from me but I cant even speak. How am I supposed to interact with this screen without a body.
(Even though you lack a body, I can still hear your thoughts. You can interact with the screen in front of you by merely thinking what you want to do. As for what I want from you, I want you to become my host of The Gamer System.)
So you can hear me, that's good. It's nice to talk to someone again. The Gamer System though. That sounds fun. I was very much into games of any kind or platform before my daughter became sick. If I accept, what are you getting out of this deal? I'll still more than likely say yes just to get out of here, but I'd like to know regardless.
(Certainly! I'm a new model of system and you are the first soul that caught my eye with your selfless act for your daughter and the hardships you've lived through. So all I need is to become your system. We systems have a little energy to live on. So we power ourselves by binding to a host. They give us power and life experience, in exchange we give the host a new body, world, items and powers to live life as if it were a video game.)
That's all? Hell, sign me up! This is the chance of a lifetime here. Alright, so what now?
(Wonderful! I'm so excited, this is going to be great! Now first things first, Character creation. I'll pull up a screen and you can adjust your new body however you see fit. Keep in mind you'll be reincarnated in a 17 year old body.)
Awesome, I'll be young again. No more aching bones and migraines from working myself to death, at least for a little while so I'll enjoy it as much as I can. Alright, lets see here. Height, lets go with 6ft 2in, after all most girls and guys like a tall partner. Lets go with an athletic build, never did care for ole super muscles, always looked like one bad flex away from bursting out of your own skin. Short messy hair, black with orange tips, sounds perfect. Soft but handsome features. Eye color, rust orange. Wait, wait, wait…I get to decide my dick length. Hell yeah! Awesome, lets go with a 10in with reasonable girth. Gotta make sure they wanna come back after all. I think that pretty much covers all my basis.
(Great! Now we can carry onto your class, skills and stats. This is the fun part. You will get to decide on one primary class and one production class. Don't think its permanent either, you'll unlock additional classes once you reach certain levels.)
(Fighter, Rouge, Mage)
Thank you, game. Now about those classes. Hmmm…..What to decide on? Mages have arsenals of spells to cast, but are relatively squishy. One wrong move and I'm back in this void. Rouges are nice but are also soft, not as much as the mage but not by much. So I believe I'm going with fighter. They usually have all the health and armor though lacking a little speed. I'll make due. Game? Fighter please.
(Please select a subclass of fighter.)
(Knight, Samurai, Berserker, Survivor, Cavalier)
Well, well, well. Some pretty nice choices. I'm gonna say no to cavalier and berserker. I don't want to rely on a mount or lose my cool during a fight because I got mad. Samurai are my speed and knights are the tank. But this survivor is interesting. Sounds like a middle ground to everything and specializes in staying alive. Game, I'm choosing survivor.
Survivor selected:
Per level, +4 Con, +2 Wis, +1 Lck.
(LV 1)
Improvised Weapon Mastery (Novice)
The art of beating them senseless with whatever you can get your hands on. You have a vague idea of how to defend yourself.
Adaptability (Novice)
The ability to adjust and survive whatever situation you find yourself in. Be it lost in the woods, trapped in a tundra, or hiding from zombies. You have vague awareness of how best to survive a situation.
Adrenaline Surge (Novice)
Either out of fear, desperation, or sheer resolve, adrenaline has kept people alive for centuries. You can use adrenaline to push past your physical limit. Notice, this will not negate any stress or pain you feel, only push it aside till the surge ends.
(Excellent choice. Now, please select a production class from the following.)
(Blacksmith, Alchemist, Engineer, Scribe, Tailor)
Damn those are some good choices. Unfortunately blacksmith requires a forge to use, so no go there. Alchemist were pretty good for making potions and such, which is pretty useful but also requires tools and supplies. Not interested in being a tailor, and scribe sounds boring. Engineer though, that can be pretty resourceful. Just some basic tools I can buy at the store and parts I can snag from any appliance or machinery. Engineer it is please.
Engineer selected:
Per level, +3 Int, +1 Wis.
(LV 1)
Create Blueprint (Novice)
Allows the creation of a blueprint for weapons, armor, vehicle etc.
Currently allows blueprints for basic items.
Create Item (Novice)
The ability to use blueprints and materials to craft weapons, armor, vehicles etc.
Currently able to make basic items with a blueprint.
Cant wait to start making my own gear to use and show off. I'm ready to move on if you are.
(Absolutely, and with that we ready to make your status sheet.)
Name: Joshua Irons
Race: Human (+25% EXP gains)
Gender: Male
Orientation: Bisexual
HP: 160 (10 per minute)
MP: 130 (10 per minute)
Str: 12
Dex: 10
Con: 16 (10 HP per point)
Int: 15
Wis: 13 (10 MP per point)
Cha: 10
Lck: 11
Looks pretty good to me. Anything else before we get this show on the road?
(We're pretty much done, but there is one last thing that is available. It's completely optional, you can take a perk to get a powerful buff early on but receive a flaw. The old give and take system.)
So I can take a flaw and get a good buff. Sounds right up my alley. Don't get too greedy though, so lets start with one please.
(Understood, Rolling stat and flaw now.)
Perk Gained: Adamantium Skeleton
You might not have the wolverines' health regen or claws, but with his skeleton you'll never have to worry about broken bones ever again.
Flaw Gained: Inept Magic Reserve
Halves your available magic reserves.
Mixed emotions here. First off, FUCK YEAAAAAHH! Adamantium Skeleton is absolutely a blessing for the ages. Now for halving my MP reserves, I'll manage for now. I don't have anything that uses MP yet so I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Now, should I get another? Yeah I'll grab another please.
(Of course. Rolling perk and flaw.)
Perk Gained: Friend of Machines
They are more than just hunks of plastic and metal. You can commune with any and all manner of machines, magical or otherwise, and they are more likely to assist or work with you.
Flaw Gained: Birth Defect (Mute)
Due to an unfortunate birth defect you are rendered mute and must communicate by other means necessary. Automatically Understand and 'speak' using sign language.
Well fuuuuck. That's annoying, not the end of the world, but annoying. I'll make due though. Maybe I'll have my phone mounted on my wrist and use text to speech to communicate. Sign language is useful, but only if someone else understands it. Otherwise it's just fancy hand gestures to the general populace. Moving on, now do I go big or go home? Well the old saying is third times the charm. One more roll please.
(Getting greedy now are we? I don't blame you though, greed is the primary drive for most beings. Rolling perk and flaw now.)
Perk Gained: Primal Senses
Your senses are evolved to that of a predatory animal. Sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch are theoretically dialed to 11. Can be mentally dialed down as not to overwhelm the user.
Flaw Gained: Sin of Wrath
Even the most humble of people have a breaking point for their anger. Self control will be your new mantra. You can keep your control on your anger if you don't want to lash out, albeit with some effort involved. Though should it slip or you let loose, your wrath will be brutal and unparalleled.
Welp…..I'm officially a ticking time bomb. Guess I'm losing my sense during battle regardless, but if my old habits carry over, I should be able to handle it. I know life threw a lot at me and I had to squash down enough rage to power a coal factory. I think that'll be enough though. I'm ready to carry on if you are game.
(Sounds good to me. Just hold tight, next thing you know and you'll be waking up in your new body. Initializing in 3…..2…1…..)
Beep…beep…beep. "Hrgnnn." 'An alarm clock? I thought I died.' I drearily open my eyes to the morning sun assaulting my face. 'God, I hate the sun. Always in the wrong place at the right time.' That's when I jolted up in my bed. Everything came rushing back to me now. I quickly shut off the alarm so I could get my bearings. 'So, it wasn't a dream. I got reincarnated. This is so damn cool. My body doesn't ache from years of hard labor and abuse. Game? Are you there?'
(Yes, I'm here. So glad to see the transition into your new world and body was a complete success. Let me know if anything feels off, could be some minor adjustments needed.)
'So far everything feels fine, better than fine. This is the greatest I've felt since I was a teenager!'
(Well technically you are a teenager again, but good to hear everything feels as it should. Now there's one thing I need to do, and it could get a little uncomfortable. Brace yourself.)
"Hrgnnnnnn!" I had to grit my teeth as an influx of memories crashing into my mind. Years as a child, moments with my 'parents', a few years of school, and ultimately the death of said parents. 'What was all that? Is all this supposed to my backstory to fit into this world?'
(Precisely. Can't have you running around Kuoh with no records of who you are. It'll just draw unwarranted attention. Sorry for the discomfort Host.)
'Just call Irons, please. Calling me host feels like you're a parasite, and that's the last thing I'd call you. You're a savior in my eyes. Do you have a name I could call you instead of just calling you game all the time?'
(My designation is S3R1N4, or Serina. It's a pleasure to your Gamer System Irons. Lets see what kinda juicy story we can derail.)
'A pleasure to be your keeper Serina. But what about derailing a story? Instead of a new world we're in like one of those video game or anime worlds? Wait a minute, I just registered you said wandering around Kuoh. That sounds Japanese….and familiar.'
(Was wondering if you caught that hint. And you are right. Currently you are in the anime world of Highschool DXD. The 'Everyone has big tits and super powers' world.)
'Ok, some goods and bads about that. Good things, lots of cute Boys and girls, room for growth to become insanely powerful. Bads, there are some extremely powerful people that are leagues and centuries stronger than me.' Really going to have to grind to make myself strong enough not to die instantly. 'Any idea how much time I've got before canon starts?'
(You have exactly one month before you start your semester at kuoh academy and the official start of canon.)
'So how do I go about leveling up and raising my stats? I'd really like to get stronger so I can protect myself at least a little bit.'
(Here you go. A main staple amongst gamers as a way to gain quick levels and loot.)
Skills Gained:
ID Create: Allows the user to make an instant dungeon full of enemies to fight and gain experience. Note: Should you fall to 0HP while inside a dungeon you will be transported outside the dungeon, but lose all experience and loot you acquired while inside.
ID Exit: Allows the user to instantly leave a dungeon so long as your not in combat.
'Thanks Serina, that'll be a major boon. Now, lets take stock of what's in the house. Food, toiletries, money etc.' So I meandered around home getting physically familiar with the house and not just memories.
All in all, pretty well stocked. Plenty of food to last me a couple months since I live alone. Found my wallet next to a letter on my nightstand. Had 60,000 yen inside, so roughly $600 ish. So not broke but not filthy rich either. I'll have to watch my spending till I'm able to get a steady income. Now the letter was pretty standard. Just letting me know I had been accepted into the academy and when the school year started.
Now I very well jumped for joy upon looking in the bathroom. Completely stocked, toilet paper included. God I remember the dreadful toilet paper shortage of 2020. Pandemic breaks out you'd think non perishable food would be the thing to go for. Nope, people were worried about wiping their asses. Ridiculous. Anyways, got all I need for awhile.
The house was pretty fine as well. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a decent sized kitchen with adjacent dining room and a cozy living room. All the appliances you would expect. Stove, fridge, microwave, even a toaster. Living room had a 60in flatscreen with multiple gaming systems. Lots of games to choose from as well.
(So what do you want to do now? Head around town, take in the sights? Hop into a dungeon and grind some levels? It's your life to do as you please, I'm just here for the ride.)
'I was thinking of a dungeon crawl but I don't have any gear. No weapons or armor to defend myself with.'
(Check your inventory. Every gamer gets a starter kit so you don't die instantly. Just think 'inventory' and the screen will pop up.)
That'll certainly be helpful. 'Inventory.' A faded blue screen appeared in front of me. I took a quick look over the system before opting to use the starter kit.
Items Acquired:
Insulated Jumper: A one piece mechanics jumper with leather padding to reduce potential lacerations while working.
Tool Belt with Kit: A maintenance belt with various tools and hip satchel for bits and bods.
Nail Gun: A simple pneumatic nail gun with a modified front ring sight for easy aiming.
Roll of Industrial Duck Tape: The redneck classic fix all, but better. The tape is harder to rip, the adhesive is 3x as strong and the roll replenishes itself after use. Now show the world the all powerful wonder that is Duck Tape.
NOTE: All forms of 'firearms' that use non magical ammunition will never run out of spare rounds. You'll have to reload, but never run out of spare ammo. Putting an empty magazine in your inventory and pulling it out will yield a fully loaded mag..
Pretty useful stuff in there. I'll admit I laughed a little maniacally at the infinite duck tape. Sooooo many uses for duck tape. Surprisingly when I hit equip on the jumper and belt it automatically put it on myself. Never have to get dressed again I guess. I went to go look at myself in the mirror.
'Looking pretty good honestly. Looks like I'll either fix something or tear it apart. That's the gist of an engineer at least. I'll tear everything apart for scrap and parts to make my own. I like the jumper and nail gun, but it'll only go so far.'
(Well look at you Irons, could you fix my optics, because you are smoking. Guys and girls alike will be smitten with your good looks. They also love a man in uniform. Wink…Wink.)
'A pretty big confidence booster coming from you Serina. But first things first. Strength first, flirting later. Now what kind of dungeons do I have access to, or are they random each time?'
(Your only available dungeon right now is Zombies.)
'Sounds lovely. Serina, please Activate ID Create: Zombies.'
(Initializing ID Create: Zombies.)
The world around me warped and twisted until I was standing in a rundown looking shack. All that was inside was a couch, a small ice cooler which had some cold bottles of water inside, and small neon sign that says 'Safe Room.' For obvious assumptions this was a safe room, meant to sit down and cool off after fighting most likely.
(You are successfully inside the dungeon. Time here runs on 1:1 ratio, so an hour here is an hour outside the dungeon. Ready to kill some zombies!)
'Oh absolutely. Lets see how bad it is out there.' I open the door and step outside, then gag a bit. Body parts and gore strung out everywhere. That's not the problem though, it's that awful smell. 'God that reeks. Smells like someone shit on a skunk and threw it in the dryer.' Took a second to collect myself and properly observe my surroundings.
Looks like a simple city. Houses all around with a few stores, all rundown though. Might be something I can salvage though. I can hear some faint moans and gurgles further down the street. 'Do I have any objectives here or do I just shoot and loot?'
(The objective of this dungeon is to eventually kill the Boss Zombie. Though taking some time to kill some cannon fodder and take some loot will be essential for getting strong enough to fight the boss. On a side note though, take too much time and the enemies with progressively get stronger and more appear.)
'Some I'm good for some exploring, but make it quick. Sounds good. Doubt being LV.1 will stand any chance against the boss. Guess I'll head towards those noises I'm hearing. I need the EXP.'
As I'm heading down the street I try to mentally mark some areas that seem promising. Mostly just a couple better looking houses and a gas station on the corner. As I get closer to the sounds I take cover on the side of a house. I peek around the corner to see what I'm up against. I count five in total. Mostly standard shambling zombies that are super slow.
I raise my nail gun while still behind cover and aim for the head. A small pop is made when I pull the trigger. Struck it straight in the back of the head. It falls face forward on the ground and spasms for a sec before going limp. 'Hah, nailed it.'
(That was a terrible joke and you know it.)
'Not the way I see it. I love my corny jokes.' The other zombies in the street heard the disturbance and turned, looking straight at me before shambling my way. I ready my nail gun again, aiming for their heads. It was a little more difficult with them moving around, but I dispatched them easily enough.
Level Up X2
Name: Joshua Irons
Race: Human (+25% EXP gains)
LV: 3
Gender: Male
Orientation: Bisexual
HP: 240 (10 per minute)
MP: 95 (10 per minute)
Str: 12
Dex: 10
Con: 24 (10 HP per point)
Int: 21
Wis: 19 (5 MP per point)
Cha: 10
Lck: 13
Available Skill Points: 10
Skill Acquired:
Marksman: Any physical object that launches/shoots a projectile becomes deadlier in your hands. A slight increase in damage as well as increased projectile speed. (Novice)
'Now that's what I'm talking about. I already feel healthier, but that skill, I love it. I may live in japan now, but I'll always be American at heart. Guns are just a part of our Religion of Freedom. As for my skill points, I'll hold off for now. Do some thinking about that after the dungeon trip.' Now to see if they have anything. When I approached the bodies to loot them they just turned to dust and faded away. In their place was a small brief case in the center of where they were. So I picked it up to open it but then…
Common Loot Box Acquired: Contains varying amounts of loot with a low chance of a rare item.
Note: Loot boxes cannot be opened until the player has exited the dungeon.
Guess I have to wait till I'm done. Now to decide. Do I head for one of the houses first or the gas station? I think I'll head for the gas station. A lot of them have automotive parts and products for basic maintenance.
As I get close to the entrance, there is the distinct sound of the dead moaning about inside. Impossible to tell how many unless I have a look. Fortunately or unfortunately there are those large windows that allow people to look inside. So I peek around the corner into said window and try to take a head count. Difficult to tell with how many isles there are inside, but I can at least make out three zombies inside.
'How much you wanna bet I try to go through the front door and the doorbell still works?'
(Oh, absolutely. Anything cliché that can happen, will happen. It's the law.)
So I sneak over to the front door and try to open it slowly. 'DING.' 'Called it.' So of course everything inside heard that and turned towards me. Luckily I didn't just try to run in so I can now funnel, the now 8 zombies, through the front door one at a time. So keeping a steady hand and a dozen nails later I've got a small pile of corpses. Soon after they fade and leave behind 2 loot boxes, but this time one is different. This new one is a medium sized metal crate with a logo of a t-shirt.
'Hey, Serina, what's the difference with this new box?'
(That there, is a rare outfit crate. It should give a outfit or armor with some pretty decent stats on it. That's honestly about the best drop you could get in this dungeon, so don't expect a lot of these because you got one early.)
'Well, don't I feel lucky. Wonder what I'll get. I can't wait, but loot now, loot boxes later.' So I mosey on about the store looking for parts and tools I could use. Found some pretty useful stuff. Several quarts of motor oil, zip ties, gallons of coolant, tow chains, etc. 'Honestly with the amount of automotive supplies in here, I'm thinking this place might also have a shop attached to it. Just gotta check around for any doors on the edge of the building.'
(If it's any help, there is an automotive shop here. Just head outside then turn right.)
'Thanks Serina.' So I head outside towards to the shop. One of those roll up bay doors, fortunately it was unlocked. The place looked like it was ransacked, expected of a zombie apocalypse. 'Well aside from what few parts I could gather and throw in my inventory, not much here. Was hoping to find a vehicle, even a partial one. Oh well, I'll get a ride eventually. Maybe not today, but eventually.'
(Keep thinking like that. Gotta stay realistic and realize not everything will be handed to you on a silver platter.)
'I'm definitely enjoying the survival aspect. Used to be one of my favorite game designs before all this. I enjoy the challenge. I've no aspirations of being a god essentially. It's like playing with cheat codes, it can be fun for a little bit but eventually it'll just be a big bore.' Now I think it's time to go check out those houses. Might not be the best loot in there, but I'm still early game so everything is useful right now. With all the scrap and parts that I'm gathering I might be able to make some modifications to my nail gun. It never runs out of compressed air or nails to use so I need to focus on performance and utility. Thoughts for later.
As I head over to the first house I hear a lot of noise coming close in the distance. Almost sounds like a small hoard shambling this way. 'I think we should get inside quickly. I don't want to find out if I'm good enough to take on a hoard just yet.' So I jog over to the first house and try to open the door. 'Damnit, it's locked. Think irons, think. I could try to jimmy the lock, or I could use my crowbar. Wait a minute, they have a doormat, lets see if they're old fashion and have a key underneath.' So I lift the mat, and sure enough there's a key albeit extremely rusted.
'Looks like its got one last use in it. Lets hope it works.' Took a couple tries of it getting jammed but finally turns the lock, then snaps off afterwards. 'I only needed it to work once so it did its job. Now to get some cover from the hoard and hopefully find some loot.' After entering and locking the door back behind me I take a good look around the entryway. 'Man, this place looks like it was abandoned years ago. The floors are rotten, the ceiling is starting to cave in a bit and holes chewed through the walls by rats and termites.'
I just hope the floors will hold up my weight. I carefully and slowly make my way down the entry way. First door on the right looks like the kitchen and the left is a dining room. I make a couple sweeps around both rooms but don't find anything worth taking. Further down the hall I find a living room and a set of stairs that head to the second floor. The living room had a flatscreen TV, though pretty beat up, still good for electronic parts though. In my inventory it goes.
I had to be extra careful up the stairs. Just stepping on them they threatened to give out and I fall through. Upstairs was pretty basic. Has three bedrooms, a bathroom and what looked like an office. So I check out the office, but yet again not really anything. Mostly a lot of paperwork and office supplies. Moving on, I skip the children's rooms, doubt I'll find anything in there. So I turn my focus to the master bedroom down the hall.
I found a gun in the nightstand, but it was useless. Completely rusted through an inoperable. Found a small briefcase under the bed, though it wasn't a loot box so I opened it and was glad I found it. Several thousand dollars in large bills that swiftly got converted into yen when put into my inventory. I get up off the floor and turn to continue searching the room, then the unspeakable happens.
Crack…..Crack..Snap….'Shiiiiit.' THUD! 'Son of a…..I fell through the damn floor.'
HP: 225/240
'I expected as much, I fell through to the floor below. Still hurt like hell though. Serina, I think I'm finished for the day. Take me back home please.'
(Understood, initializing ID Escape. 3…..2…..1)
Reality warps around me again, then everything stabilizes and I'm laying on the floor in my bedroom. 'Ugh, I don't want to get up just yet. Open the two common boxes please.'
Items Received:
6300 yen
Spool of copper wire (20 ft.)
Road flares X4
3 lbs. of bottled gunpowder
Roll of leather (4 ft.)
'Honestly, not a bad little bunch, everything has it's use if you can think about it. Gives me some excess parts to play around with and my engineering to level up. Now onto the main course, Serina, open the rare outfit crate.'
Rare Item Acquired:
C.E.C Engineering Suit with R.I.G
'Holy mother of all things righteous. Did I seriously just get the dead space engineering suit. Serina, please, please, please tell me I'm not dreaming.'
(No you're not dreaming and yes it's real. Honestly it's not that special. No magical buffs or anything, it's just a fancy space suite.)
'It may just be a fancy space suit, but it's THE fancy space suit. I don't think I'll ever want to wear anything else. I can always upgrade it and make it better down the road with better materials. For now though, I'm putting it on.' So I proceed to pull out the suit. I'll admit I'm geeking out a bit, but totally worth it.
I open up the front and slip my legs in, then my arms and fasten it back together. Takes a second to readjust to my specific size. Then do a quick systems check to make sure everything is functioning correctly. Unfortunately no kinesis or stasis module, but hey, I've got the suit. Last and best part.
The helmet. Click…clack clack clack clack…..hissss. The helmet covers my face and pressurizes the inside so I can withstand the vacuum of space and underwater pressure.
(Ok, I'll admit that was pretty cool. Now what are you gonna do?)
'Now, I'm gonna see what I can do to improve my nail gun, then, it's back to zombie slaying. Might take a couple out with the ole' curb stomp for old times sake.'