A Gamer's guide to villainous escalation
Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or any other Franchise.
Beta'd by the Inquisitorial Beta, Podge and Hipnyah
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'Have you any idea what it's like to be surrounded by heroes, legends, literal gods, and be average? To not only know them on a first name basis, but to have them treat you as a niece, when you don't compare? To be surrounded by mountains that cast shadows that literally change the world, and be a pebble submerged in the dirt?
I do. I hate it. Hate the fact that every time I see my own family I'm reminded of my ineptitude. I've been scaling a sheer cliff face all my life trying to be notable, and I've been doing it with my bare hands.
But now I've been given a tool. My nails have been sharpened, and by god it doesn't matter if I need to shatter them a thousand times. I will rise to the top of this cliff, I'll go from a pebble to a mountain, and I'll drop from the shoulders of giants to stand amongst them.
I've been no one so long that I'd do anything to be someone. I just didn't know what I'd have to lose to get there.'
Chapter 1: Wait, there was a Tutorial?
I fucking hate math class. What dead bastard thought that I would ever need more than simple arithmetic in day to day life… not like I'm ever gonna get good at it.
Even as I scribbled down my notes, I could only let out an annoyed sigh as I glanced to the side. Osborn was in the same boat as me, but he didn't even bother trying to actually keep up. He's the kind of student who zones out after a while before tuning in and attempting to understand what's happening again, after a few minutes.
But then…. There were people like Stacy and Parker. They were able to absorb the information just by being in the same room as a teacher…
Dammit, I shouldn't be thinking like this.
Need to focus on the class and the equation…. I continue copying what I see on the blackboard, only understanding half of it. I'll need to go over it all later.
Just as I write down another line of numbers and letters, I'm distracted by a blue light shining onto my table. I look up and recoil slightly as I see a glowing blue panel hovering in front of me.
The motion of me skidding back on my chair alerts a few of my classmates next to me…but for some reason they just give me an odd stare before focusing on the class again.
Am I the only one who can see this?
I keep looking around the classroom and the absence of disruption confirms my thoughts…
So I've either gone insane, or aliens are beaming stuff into my head. The only aliens we know about right now are Thor and the Chitauri after all, and that alone established a decent variance. So who's to say just what this is?
The text on the panel has been there since it appeared, but now that I'm focusing on it, it slowly begins shifting until the sentence is written in perfect English.
Congratulations User "Marie Stark" You have been selected as the 57th candidate for the Multiversal Evolutionary Drive, or GAME System.
Your current options are
Status
Inventory
Good luck in the battles to come!
As I read the last word, the panel simply disappears. Nothing left to indicate it even existed…
But it did.
Remembering the options provided, I whisper, "Status".
Another panel shows up, this time showing rows of numbers and statistics
Marie Stark
Lv = 0 (0/100XP)
Health = 100/100 HP (Con x 10 + LV x 4)
Health Regeneration = 0 HP/m (Con x 0.1 + LV x 0.04) (Inactive until Level 1)
Mana = 140/140 MP (Int x 10 + LV x 4)
Mana Regeneration = 2 MP/s (Wis x 0.2 + LV x 0.04 )
Damage Reduction = 1 DR (Con/10 + Armour)
Stats:
Strength = 11
Dexterity = 13
Constitution = 10
Intelligence = 14
Wisdom = 10
Charisma = 11
Armour = Plain Clothes (0)
Core Skills:
Gamer's Body (Max)
Gamer's Mind (Max)
I admit, I was interested now. Video games have always been a fun pastime, even if neither of my parents approve of me being cooped up in my room.
Can't say I appreciate my stat block though. Also, why was I level 0? Don't games start with level 1 usually? It's a bit odd…
It also prevents any health regeneration. Though, once I hit level 1…does that mean I would be able to fully heal from any injury within two hours? That would honestly be amazing.
And there's also Mana? Does that mean I can cast magic now? I mean, I know Thor was technically magic…. Wonder if I can do something similar then? That…
I'm getting distracted.
But for now, I ought to focus on my class. Once I'm heading home, I can make an effort to figure this whole thing out.
Looking back at my notes, I quickly try to focus on the class again. A few seconds pass before another pop-up suddenly appears.
[Skill: Mathematics (Lv 9) has been created.]
+1 Int
Further Skills are being created based on user's experience
Wait, what? Is this a system where I can individually level up skills and whatnot? If so, then….that has a lot of potential if I'm being honest. And an extra point in Intelligence for keeping up in class? That's one hell of a motivator.
And I'm curious what other skills it deemed compatible from what I have so far.
Opening up the status menu once more, I go down to the skill section
(Core Skills):
Gamer's Body (Max)
Gamer's Mind (Max)
(Novice Skills):
Mathematics (9)
Engineering
Electrical (0)
Mechanical (0)
Language
English (87%)
Deception (15)
Performance (6)
Driving (3)
Hand to Hand Combat (1)
Focusing on the skills gave me a small description on what they did in addition to their names.
Performance for instance was more or less based around entertainment. I probably got it because I've been trying to learn how to play music on a guitar in my free time. But judging by the level, I'm not particularly good at it. I'm barely getting by in Math class after all, and that skill has a higher level.
Deception came as quite the surprise. As the name implies, it's about lying or tricking people. Apparently everything from misleading, lying, trying to con someone, faking a physical reaction or hiding one, gaslighting and pretending to tell the truth with a straight face…. I can't say that I really do any of them that often.
It's odd.
Engineering at level 0 was disheartening, but not a surprise. I'm not smart. Never have been, despite my dad being the opposite. Heck, the things he had done by the time he was my age?… I'm never living up to that. And he tried…here and there.
But he quickly learned I wasn't cut out for what he did. What came to him as second nature needed hours for me to even begin to understand. And apparently, barely anything he tried to teach me actually stuck.
I shouldn't think like that. Judging by…if this system is real and not an elaborate alien prank or hallucination…then maybe I can turn that around. Could I, through simple studying and hard work, potentially understand all I had previously failed to?
I wonder, just how do I compare to others?
I look towards Gwen Stacy and see if I can maybe trigger her status pop-up. She's the smartest girl in our class after all, so it would give me a good baseline to compare myself to by seeing how many points she has.
But as I look at her and subvocalize "Status", only my own box pops up. Willing it away works here and I once more and continue staring at her for another moment to figure out how to do this.
Through continuous observation to determine target's information, the ability "Observe" has been created.
So I can technically create skills just by doing them? That's handy. Using Observe on Gwen sadly didn't tell me much.
Gwen Stacy
LV = 24
Oh…apparently that was it. Just a level….OK…shit, what does it mean for her to be level 24?
Is she secretly an alien? Or one of those mutants? Or an Inhuman or…. wow, as odd as it might sound, but we have way too many super-powered beings in the world. I look around and notice that Peter Parker's level was over 60.
He might actually be something different, as most other students were only between 16 and 28. A teacher wasn't that much different, and-
Observe (1) ⇾ (2)
Oh hey! I wonder if I can see more now!
I swivel my head back towards Gwen and give her another look.
Gwen Stacy
LV = 24
Str = 10
Dex = 20
Con = 13
Wis = 19
Int = 40
Cha = 18
Ok wow… her intelligence score. God-damn. And here I was sitting with an 8, thinking I was somewhat decent….
How the hell is this fair. She's hot, smart and athletic too….what about Peter though? He doesn't have much going on for him, so why is his level so damn high?
I turn around again and can't help but widen my eyes in shock.
Peter Parker ( )
LV = 68
Str = 150
Dex = 65
Con = 40
Wis = 16
Int = 63
Cha = 6
Yeah, Peter can't possibly be human with that statblock….was he replaced or…is he is just like this? Also, what is up with the empty bracket next to his name?
Observe isn't giving me any other information but… I think I'll stay my hand for now. Realistically, I can't do much personally, but I would know who to call at least. He's far stronger than I am and I'm not sure where SHIELD or the Avengers lie when it comes to comparison.
For now I…yeah, focus on the system and try to use it to…what?
I'll have to see where it goes.
I continue focusing on class and the Mathematics skill actually levels up two more times, while my Intelligence also goes up by another point. I can't help the smile forming on my face. Especially because I can also sorta…sense the effects.
The equations became easier, and I was just a little faster in understanding everything the teacher said. The numbers flow on the paper, and before I could really realize it, the bell rang.
I give a quick look around to see the other students packing up their bags, and I quickly do the same before leaving my seat. Time for the Lunch break. And after that, four more classes….
But fuck that.
I make my way over to the teacher. He was also fairly average compared to the others I've observed so far. And I also need to see if my Deception skill is as good as my powers say it is.
"Mr, Jones, I…I'm not feeling so well today and wanted to ask if I could go home early?" I try my best and I think it somewhat worked…but my Charisma isn't exactly the best…
But before long, I get a ping.
Deception (15) - (16)
+1 Int
"Well…you aren't known for being sick often. Take this paper and the secretary should give you a pass" The teacher tells me with a suspicious tone. I give him a light smile before taking the paper with his signature.
A boost in Int for that was…odd. But maybe it's because I'm actively using my skills for this? Another thing to test, I guess.
Getting everything checked out was fairly easy after that. Before long, I found myself outside the doors of Midtown High. Honestly, I never fully warmed up to this school. I much preferred living in California and at least I had friends since first grade there…
Here, I'm the new kid..or I was. I've been here for a year now and I can't really claim I've managed to properly befriend anyone. Harry Osborn is pretty decent, but it feels more like we've become acquainted because we are the only people of the same age when it comes to socialite events outside of school.
Ned Leeds is…he plays games and I can talk about that with him, but being around Peter and Gwen is just…awkward I guess. I'm barely friends with the group so I can't really…try and sit with them during breaks.
But I guess there's a silver lining in all this. No one will notice my absence. I sent Happy a message saying that I'll get myself home today. He's technically Chief of Security now, but he still makes sure I'm driven to school every morning. Though not by him personally anymore…well sometimes he still does it.
It's pretty nice of him.
With the message sent from my phone I…honestly, I'm unsure where to go…although there are some things I could try. Using the map app on my Stark Phone, I look for the nearest gym.
After a few minutes of walking, I find myself in front of a fairly decent-looking fitness studio. Stepping inside, I greet the receptionist.
As expected, she tries her best to get me to sign up for a program or a long-term subscription to use the gym. She eventually lets up when I simply tell her that I just want to try out their equipment and pay a larger fee just for today.
I follow their program and begin with the treadmill. After about five minutes of jogging, I get another popup.
Through continuous sprinting, ability "Dash" has been created.
Dash (1): Increases movement speed by 20% when active. Uses 1 MP/s to use.
Ok, not too bad. Especially for a starter skill. I continue running for a while and manage to improve the abilityl by another two levels. It apparently increasesthe movement buff by one percent per level up.
It's not a big increase but it seems at least that the costs don't increase too drastically. I do wonder if other abilities have their level's experience costs increase linearly or rather exponentially.
After that, I continued with further exercises and managed to gain 2 points in Strength and another in Dexterity…
I…. I could feel my body improve. I could tell the differences even if they were very small. But I noticed the change in what I could lift or how my balance was now better. I think even my posture may have been somewhat improved as well.
But I've taken too much time and I promptly leave the gym and start heading back towards the tower. The New York subway gets me most of the way and after that, it's only a quick walk.
On the trip, I continue using the Observe ability and manage to level it up once more. I now got some kind of…Reputation Tracker with anyone I looked at.
I quickly slipped through the lobby and made my way into the private elevator with the intention of going to my room immediately.
"Miss Stark, Chief Executive Officer Stark has asked for you in her office" the voice of the tower's AI Jarvis tells me over the elevator's speakers. I can't help but let out a sigh. I'm guessing my absence from school was already noted. Or my phone was tracked…
The idea never really irked me as I didn't really do many things worth keeping private…but now? Now that I… now that I'm special?
Probably better to just leave it at home when I want to experiment with this system. Though, the lack of quests is an issue I'm noticing. Can't exactly level up without experience after all.
While I can improve myself just by creating skills and training them or my stats with the relevant exercise…my level won't improve. And I'm guessing what I'm doing now will eventually give me diminishing returns. Not to mention that I will want to keep my improvements secret for the time being.
Just outside the CEO's office, I steady my breath before slumping my shoulders forward. I open the door while making as little sound as possible. Stepping in, I take a look at my mother talking with someone on the phone. Seeing the dozen folders on the desk made it clear that she's probably going to have to work until the evening once again.
Mom is…busy as usual. Considering she has to run a multi-billion dollar company, get it. It was always a bit of an exchange with her and Dad. But Dad's an Avenger now, and he's away most days anyway.
So I mainly interact with Mom these days, although, I'm curious what she thinks of me. Observe
Virginia "Pepper" Stark LV 28
Reputation = 5
Loyalty = 60
Affection = 55
Str = 18
Dex = 19
Con = 20
Wis = 36
Int = 32
Cha = 27
Her affection…could have been better, honestly. Is it my fault? I wouldn't be surprised. We've never really….bonded since she took over as CEO, so we barely see each other. A quick "hello" and "how was your day" during the evenings maybe. But barely more than that. Should I have tried reaching out more? She was always busy so I didn't want to be a bother. She has more important things to care for than me.
I should just focus on the other things.
Loyalty confused me a bit, but I managed to wrangle a description out of the system. And if I managed to understand it correctly, and If the observe skill cannot be spoofed, then she won't do me any wrong under the current circumstances.
Loyalty has a range between -100 and 100. She rested at a level of 60 which to my understanding means that she will never actively betray me while also having my back and listening to small requests. Anything above 50 seems to go more to personal loyalty, things like taking orders and commands from me personally... I think.
I'm guessing the other parameters also scale in a similar way.
Reputation was a more impersonal value. It described her opinion of me and my achievements. It was essentially how high she held me in her esteem. The low number shouldn't be an insult… but it still hurts to see it.
But I couldn't disagree with it. After all….I'm not really anybody. Everything of value when it comes to me is purely from my heritage. I myself am completely average, nothing special here. When Dad was my age, he was halfway through college, had already built engines, circuits and had started working on AI Technology….
And I was struggling with Math.
It's inevitable that Mom would compare me with him, and I know I don't match up in any way.
Hell, I don't even match up to her. Every stat of hers was in the double digits. She was healthier, smarter, better. Why would she respect me? I was a shut-in most of the time.
But with my new gifts, maybe I can change that now.
Shaking my thoughts from my mind, I take a seat in one of the chairs in front of her wide desk and wait for her call to finish. Before long, she places down the receiver and turns her swivel chair towards me. The expression on her face wasn't one I was familiar with.
Her red hair framed her face in a rather nice way. And it's something I would far rather pay attention to than the words coming out of her mouth.
"You know, when I was notified you had called in sick and left school only to actually play hookey, I had to double-check. But I guess there's a first time for everything" Mom said, her voice laced with concern and curiosity. She paused, her eyes studying my face intently. I wasn't familiar with that expression.
"You…I can't think of a single instance of you ever skipping school before" she continued, the concern in her voice deepening. She stood up, crossing her arms as if bracing for something. "Did something happen in class today?"
Her tone conveyed genuine worry. Dammit.
I didn't even have to fake a guilty expression, given my current mood. "I…I wasn't feeling well, but…I just needed to get out of school for a bit. I'm sorry, it won't happen again," I quickly stated.
Her expression didn't show any sign of relief. Instead, she stepped closer, her concern etched on her face. "Does this have anything to do with your grades getting worse?"
That did hurt a bit, that her first suspicion was about my grades but it was understandable. And I guess I wasn't hiding it well that I disliked my current situation. "No. It's just… I'm still having issues fitting in with the other kids there. And today I just felt… lonely, I guess."
Before long, I felt myself being wrapped up in a warm hug. Mom held me gently, her embrace providing a sense of comfort I hadn't realized I needed. "I know you've been having issues… And I'm sorry I couldn't help more…would you…ill be done here in 2 hours. Would you like to go out and do something afterwards? Just the two of us?" She asks while stroking the back of my neck.
It was soothing.
"You don't have to do that, Mom," I replied, my voice barely a whisper, the weight of my emotions making it hard to speak. I felt bad lying to her, but…it's not something I hadn't done before. And I can't let her know about the system until…until I know everything I can about it. Until Ii can use it to be something more, something better than I am now.
If I told her, she'd tell Dad…and Dad…he's a good person but if he saw the System…he'd try to replicate or remove it. Either way, my access to it would be limited. I should probably be more paranoid considering the entire situation, but….I need this to be real.
I extract myself from Mom's arms and promptly ask, "Could you also not tell Dad? He's got enough on his plate and…he'll either not understand or come up with the dumbest solution."
My mother pulled back slightly, her hands still resting on my shoulders, her gaze unwavering. Her eyes held understanding as her mouth turned to a smile. "What, like paying the other children to like you? Tony isn't that shameless."
A small, choked laugh escaped my lips, a feeble attempt to lighten the heavy atmosphere that surrounded us. "He'd probably do it just for the joke alone."
For a moment, Pepper didn't respond, her eyes searching mine, as if trying to find the right words to say. Then, with a soft smile, she brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, her touch gentle and comforting. "Yeah… he probably would."
Mom was….she's good to me. And as much as I don't want her to worry for me, I don't want her to know too much…So iI have to lie.
"I think I'm gonna go out tonight. Just… go through the town for a bit," I said, my voice steadier now, the remnants of my earlier state fading away.
"You sure? Want Happy to go with you?" Mom's concern was palpable, her worry for my safety genuine. Once again, I appreciated that.
"I think that defeats the point," I replied, managing a small smile. "I'll have my phone with me, so you'll know where I am. And it's not like I'm that recognizable to most people."
She hesitated, her eyes lingering on mine for a moment before she finally nodded. "...Try not to stay out too late then. It's still a fairly dangerous city at night."
"Don't worry Mom, I'll be fine," I assured her, my voice softening. "Have a good evening!" With those words, I left her office.
After a step or two, I got another ping from the System.
Deception (16) ⇾ (17)
+2 Cha
By convincing someone else to do your bidding, skill "Persuasion" has been created.
Wow, to think a simple conversation could grant something like that. Not too bad.
Now, I just needed to head back to my Room. I'd have to take the phone along considering what I told Pepper, but I'd stash it somewhere when I was actually busy. Or…I mean, I'm just heading back to the gym, right? And if anything I should be able to create a quest somehow before then.
Actually, I also need to test out the Inventory System before that. Now that I'm in my room and away from Jarvis' prying cameras, I begin experimenting.
And I learnt exactly how good the Inventory is.
So, I can essentially just touch an item and pull it into the Inventory. It doesn't seem to have any hard limits other than things that aren't bolted down or things that aren't too heavy for me to lift. So I wouldn't be inventorying my bed or the door any time soon.
But even so, this had potential. It worked on liquids as well. I stepped into the bathroom for a shower and basically made an effort to absorb all the liquid spraying against my palms, the location being the primary limitation. Then I managed to spray it out from my hand like a beam. It was fun but not much more powerful than a water hose.
Not exactly fitting as a superpower.
But all in all, not too bad. I can't wait to see what I manage next.
4 Days later, Late afternoon
New York City
Marie Stark.
Fuck, Fuck, Fuck. I really should have put more thought into this mess. God fucking dammit. I had imagined this situation, even planned for it, but now that I was in it, I was shit scared.
I had found myself encountering an issue the past few days and I chose the worst plan to remedy it. Simply put, I didn't get any Experience points. I managed to continue exercises and also studied far more, paying full attention in class and even doing more when I was home.
I managed to get my Strength up to 20, and only thenrealized the main problem. The stat didn't increase further no matter what I did. I trained the other stats as well, getting Dexterity up with cardio. Once again, it stopped improving after 20. It was the same with Intelligence.
While I was ecstatic with the newfound ease that my schoolwork came to me, the entire experience was soured by the idea it might stop after reaching 20. And as expected, it happened again. At least I managed to get Constitution up by 3 points due to the sheer exhaustion from my workouts.
But I had a working theory. I had to level up in order to grow further. Because for now, I was capped at 20 in every stat. I also improved my skills and to my relief, they didn't seem to be limited, but their growth certainly slowed.
I didn't have much more to complain about than that though. Feeling the growth in my body was honestly an intoxicating sensation. Just the fact that I could improve what I considered a constant for so many years was baffling to me.
Looking at my current stat sheet really filled me with pride
Marie Stark
Lv = 0 (0/100XP)
Health = 130/130 HP [?]
Health Regeneration = 0 HP/m [?]
Mana = 200/200 MP [?]
Mana Regeneration = 2 MP/s [?]
Damage Reduction = 1 DP [?]
Stats:
Strength = 20
Dexterity = 20
Constitution = 13
Intelligence = 20
Wisdom = 10
Charisma = 13
The question marks next to the stats were new. When I stared at them for a moment, they simply revealed themselves to be the calculation data of the stats themselves that I saw previously.
But back to the sheet. Other than those changes, I tried improving my skills that weren't too conspicuous, but I only managed maybe about one or two levels at most per skill.
But levelling will probably be the main way of progression as in any other game…and I need to beat or kill enemies for that. And well…I considered that. I really did.
I thought, hey, this is New York. If I go out at night, there's bound to be someone who will attack me, right?
I've even got a few cans of mace and a knife with me in my inventory, it should be fine right?
That was my thought.
So, I wandered into a dark alley with the intention to catch some gang member off guard and spray him in the face before beating him unconscious.
At least that was until I got the following message.
-50HP
Status effect acquired:
Bleeding (-1HP per second)
In other words, I really fucked up. I was down almost half my health, all because I didn't expect that the first person I would come across was a junkie who would absolutely just rush straight at me rather than threaten me first.
He had plunged a knife in between my ribs. The pain was intense and sudden, shooting through my chest and knocking the air out of my lungs. But I guess this is where Gamer's body comes in handy.
The pain wasn't debilitating, I could still see, I could still breathe. While the emaciated man held tightly onto the knife still lodged in my chest, my arms remained free. I summon a can of mace into my hand and begin spraying him directly into the eyes with little restraint. The reaction was instant. He ripped away from me, tearing the knife out in a violent motion.
-40HP
Status effect change:
Bleeding (-2HP per second)
Ignoring the pop-up, I grabbed his retracting hand with my own and pulled him close. With the other hand still holding the can of mace, I promptly slammed its bottom into his forehead. He screamed from the pain and I slammed it into him once more.
-2HP
He tried tearing away, and I bash it up into his nose. Blood began dripping from the wound as I let go of his hand and he collapsed to the ground cradling his face.
Backing away a few steps, I inspect my own injury. I couldn't see much from the hole in my top, but seeing the blood gush out of what was clearly a nasty gash was certainly not a sight I wanted to see.
I lost 90HP from the wound…and I was bleeding 2HP per second…and I only had about 38HP left…that meant 19 seconds. And once that reached zero I'd probably be dead
If I had the regeneration, I might be able to counteract the bleeding long enough until I could patch myself up…
-2HP
With the time limit becoming glaringly obvious, I dropped my knee onto the man's chest before beginning to beat his face with my bare fists. My strength was that of an average adult after all.
-2HP
I continue punching him, him desperately trying to block his face, unsure of whether to try and rub the spray from his eyes or to defend himself from my assault.
-2HP
My attacks became far more violent and wild, just wailing on the bastard with everything I had.
-2HP
I decided to use the can of mace again, the metal bottom slamming into his forehead, causing fresh bruises.
-2HP
Again and again
-2HP
Until his body stills,
-2HP
and the can slams through his skull
+300XP
Level Up! X2
Health and Mana have been restored.
A soothing energy fills my body and any pain left from the wound practically disappears instantly. Looking down, I see blood no longer seeping out of my chest. Lifting my shirt revealed that the wound itself was now replaced with flawless skin.
I slump to the ground and can't help but breathe out a sigh of relief… I wasn't dying anymore. And I just killed someone, the skull caved in…
I… I can't be seen like this, I can't be seen here.
I look down at the body and grab hold of his foot before dragging him further into the Alley. With him being dragged on his back, not much blood is left by the movement. I come across a putrid-smelling dumpster and reach under the dead man's shoulders.
With no small amount of effort, I'm able to lift him up and quickly stuff him into the disgusting dumpster. Wait…I could have hidden him in my inventory instead.. I can lift him now after all… I reach back into the dumpster and touch one of the body's legs and have it promptly vanish. While the idea of having a dead body in my inventory did nothing to improve my mood, it's probably better in the long run to hold on to it.
With him sorted for now, I remove my jacket which is quickly followed by my bloodied top, leaving me in nothing but my underwear. I use the ruined top to wipe away some of the blood before having it vanish into my inventory.
I follow up the action by grabbing a clean T-shirt I had placed in there a day earlier when I was experimenting with the sorting system of the Inventory. I dress and zip up the jacket before pulling up the hood attached to it, in the hope that I'm able to conceal my face until I get home.
With me now prepared and…a bit rattled at the experience, I turn towards the other end of the Alley….
Only to see a man staring right at me with a wide smile. I freeze as I take in his features. Middle-aged Caucasian, definitely taller than me with a fairly built body. Full head of hair and a clean-shaven face. For his outfit, he wore a solid white jumpsuit.
And I do mean solid white. Even his boots and his belt were a solid white.
Oh yeah, his eyes too. Completely white as well as glowing.
So obviously I observed him because whatever this was, it was undoubtedly miles above my league.
The Beyonder Lv = Definitely more than you
Title = The One from Beyond
Reputation = Not too bad
Loyalty = Obviously nothing
Affection = I'd say about 20.
Str = I won't bother adding anything here.
Dex = It would be rather pointless after all.
Con = I do work out though.
Wis = In case you wondered.
Int = /
Cha = /
My eyes threaten to pop out of my skull in response to seeing the man's stat sheet. And my following response was one I had no issue uttering,
"Fuck my life"
Elsewhere / 10 feet away from Marie
Unbeknownst to the freshly minted teenage murderer, the man in front of her revelled in the unfolding drama. His grin, subtle yet mocking, hinted at the amusement he derived from her bewildered state. Manipulating the System was his forte, after all, he created it. This, for him, was a calculated gamble paying dividends in pure entertainment.
"I must say, the method you chose to ascend to the first level was rather unconventional. Murdering the homeless and all that. Not to mention the surprise that it came from someone like you who seemed so... inexperienced." he mused, his voice dripping with a smugness only a being of his calibre could convey.
A dramatic pause followed, executed with precision.
"Marie Stark" he pronounced with deliberate emphasis, relishing in the shock that danced in her widened eyes and the fear that gripped her.
"Who..who are you?" she stammered, insecurity dripping from her words. Seizing the opportunity, he teleported a foot in front of her, his body hovering inches above the ground. The theatricality of his entrance only amplified her distress.
"Come now, Marie. Did you really believe your System materialized out of thin air?" he taunted, watching her stumble backwards.
As her fear began to wane, her calculating gamer's mind kicked into gear, suppressing her emotional outbursts. She was thinking properly now.
"So, you made the System" she stated.
"Indeed, I did" he confirmed, his smirk deepening.
"And you gave it to me?" she inquired.
"Correct, but not exclusively. Remember, you were candidate 57. Unlike the others, you reached Level 1." His amusement lingered. "Be proud. The other 99 candidates didn't achieve what you did." A pregnant pause. "Oh right, speaking of those 99…"
He snapped his fingers, the sound resonating in the eerie silence. Nothing visible happened, but an unseen shift in the fabric of reality occurred. Marie squinted, trying to discern the nature of the unspoken change.
"What did you just do?" she demanded, her gaze fixed on the being in front of her.
His response was a mere smile, cryptic and enigmatic, before he casually stated, "Just cracking some bad eggs really. The others weren't cut from the right cloth so to say… I disposed of them."
The weight of his words hung in the air, the ominous revelation settling like a thick fog. The unspoken implication lingered; he had orchestrated the demise of the other 99 candidates. Marie's eyes widened as the gravity of the revelation hit her. He killed them all.
"Why were they… and myself chosen for this? Can I expect more trials that can just end in my death?" she questioned, her voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. The uncertainty of her fate loomed before her, and the answers she sought remained veiled in the mysterious aura of the Beyonder.
But instead, he just shook his head. "In reverse order, the System is now yours. Any trial will yield concrete rewards, and I've already relinquished any administrative control of the system. If I ever wanted it back or intended to disable it, I'd have to kill you."
He continued, "To your first question: you were selected because you were unremarkable. Destined for no particular greatness, your genetics held no special power, your soul possessed no inherent magic, and your mind harboured no spark of genius. Now, a good majority of people fall into this category. But you and the others were different because you despised that state of being. You hungered for more than life was offering you, so I provided."
"Then why did I pass?" she questioned.
"Because you murdered something. With little hesitation at that. Sure, it was driven by desperation... but you also came here for the conflict. Even if you had succeeded in just incapacitating a man, you would have prioritized your future over his life and killed him anyway" he stated matter-of-factly.
"Of course, the others might have figured out what to do in time, but you were the first, and this challenge would only have one winner" He added on.
Hearing it sent a pang through her stomach. The realization that she had so callously abandoned a cornerstone of moral humanity weighed heavily on her. But, as the truth settled in, she also understood that disturbing as it was, he was right. She would put her life above that of others when push came to shove.
Obviously, the Beyonder knew her better than she did. She had one hell of an inferiority complex, even if she didn't show it to anyone else. She considered herself a waste of space compared to her parents so she was willing to throw herself headfirst into using this System, even if logic dictated that it wasn't quite trustworthy.
And that would be a true assessment. Not everything would be clear at first…but this girl was meant to shake things up…and she couldn't do that if she became another Hero.
Thinking back on the girl's question, the Beyonder addressed her once more, "And that's precisely what I was searching for—a person with ambition and the unwavering will to claim their desires. No frivolous games" he explained, his voice carrying an undertone of amusement.
"So... that's why you chose me. But why bestow this power in the first place? What's the purpose? Why grant me this extraordinary ability?" Marie inquired, her curiosity tinged with a hint of scepticism.
"Honestly just for entertainment. Empowering you has the potential to throw this reality into chaos, and I find that thoroughly amusing" he confessed with a nonchalant shrug.
"Entertainment? I haven't been chosen for some grand destiny; I'm just a source of amusement to you?" she questioned, a mix of incredulity and resignation in her tone.
"Yes, and you were also selected at random, so there's that" he added casually, as if the randomness of her selection was an afterthought.
"And once I'm done entertaining you, I suppose you'll just reclaim this power?" she guessed, suspicion lingering in her eyes.
"Where's the fun in that girl?" he chuckled. "No, as I already implied, the system operates independently of me. It mainly gains power from your actions, or the people you kill. Quests that should now be available indicate ways to further improve. Believe it or not, but that System could even surpass me in power one day. I merely assist with the gacha."
"I'll ignore the fact that you're emulating predatory business practices that drain wallets like happy hour at a campus bar. Why give me a power that could grow exponentially?" she questioned, a hint of disapproval in her gaze.
"Why not? I seek entertainment. So why not grant a random human the potential to surpass gods?" he mused.
"I mean…" Marie began, her thoughts trailing off.
"Would you prefer I shackle you with limited power, instructing you to defeat some great evil, or sacrifice your hopes and dreams for the greater good? If I were doing that, I'd have ensured you underwent mantling," he challenged, a playful glint in his eyes.
"What the hell does that mean?" Marie questioned, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"It means you have a fairly decent resemblance to Oda Nobunaga, so the possibility of you mantling her is not out of the question."
"I not only don't know who that is, but I also have no idea what the heck that means" she retorted, a mixture of frustration and curiosity in her voice.
"Don't worry about it. No point in dwelling on 'what ifs'; only the Watcher cares for those. Let's move on to what destiny you would like to pursue and why being fated to some divine purpose sucks."
"I... well, if I were destined to be a hero, then maybe..." she hesitated, the words hanging in the air before being abruptly cut off by him once more.
"Oh yes... well, you can't force a hero, not a true one at least. If anything, you should tread that path yourself. Be the hero you want to be, and I'll gladly watch what you become, dear User" he concluded, a sly grin on his face.
With another snap of his fingers, he simply disappeared.
Back in his own realm, he relaxed with a sense of glee at the events he had now set in motion.
Marie on the other hand was left with her thoughts of the enigmatic encounter, as well as a panel showing her the rewards for levelling up. While she was now preoccupied with that, many places around the world were in a state of panic.
It was realized about a few hours later that at least 78 people around the world suddenly had a vital organ explode at the exact same time. There was no sign of an explosive or readings of any known form of energy, leaving the authorities scratching their heads at the surreal phenomenon.
Obviously, an attempt was made to keep the public from finding out what exactly happened and how potentially dangerous such a phenomenon could be. But alas, when Norman Osborn publicly leaked the event on account of his own son being one of the victims, no small amount of panic had set in with the people of the world.
A panic didn't last for long though, as it was deemed better to let the story calm down rather than inducing panic for an attack with unknown capabilities. The people that died had seemingly nothing in common, they were just normal people around the world. No access to confidential data or anything of international value like that.
Some Senators made attempts to abuse the incident as an excuse to implement some anti-mutant laws again, but considering that the X-men had made a public statement discrediting the attack not to be of mutant origin, that quickly fell through.
While the trusted hero team's statement already helped, it was rather unexpected when news told that the government of Genosha, who also had a victim among their citizens, confirmed that no mutant was involved in the incident. As Genosha has been a vital collaborator in Trask Industries Mutant Detection technology, this statement held some weight.
A true discovery of the incident's nature wasn't truly discovered until a few months later, when a certain Latverian dictator managed to fully analyse the remnant energy found on one of his citizens. A citizen that had also perished from that same incident. His findings weren't publicized, but it was safe to say that he would be taking matters into his own hands to discern who dared harm a citizen of Latveria.
That evening
Stark Tower, New York City
Marie Stark.
Looking at my status screen, I couldn't help but feel relief at the newest development. Once I got home and took a proper shower, I inspected my status window and then promptly hit the books. About an hour later, I got the ping telling me that my Intelligence was now at a value of 21.
As much as I wanted to consider what that man, the Beyonder, told me…he also stated that he had no power over me. And when it comes to beings that are that powerful, there's not a lot of reason to lie…
And he kinda seemed insane enough to mean it.
But nevertheless, the system was unlocked now. I was notified of this after the level up, and I could see that it was the truth. My health regeneration was active, and I had a Gacha section available now, but I hadn't used it yet.
I received 3 tickets for reaching level 1, but I couldn't exactly gauge just how valuable those were until I used them.
On other topics, I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't just level up twice, I also apparently got 5 stat points for every level I gained.
Which is why my current stat sheet currently looked like this.
Marie Stark
Lv = 2 (0/300XP)
Health = 208 HP
Health Regeneration = 2.08 HP/m
Mana = 248 MP
Mana Regeneration = 2.08 MP/s
Damage Reduction = 2 DP
Stats:
Strength = 20
Dexterity = 20
Constitution = 20
Intelligence = 24
Wisdom = 10
Charisma = 13
I got my Constitution up to a higher value and dumped the remaining points into my Intelligence. All in all, I was very satisfied.
But, I still had some unsure feelings. That Beyonder mentioned I was a person who would take this power and not hesitate, and while I can't really come up with an argument against using this System….
Why did he make it sound like a bad thing?
Another ping alerted me as a tab opened up named "Quests"
Opening the section, I'm greeted by the following page:
Gangs of New York:
Greetings User! For your first fully functional Quest on the path to becoming a hero, you are tasked with destroying or usurping any criminal organisation in New York City.
Upon completion of the quest, you will be rewarded with one additional Gacha Token as well as the system expansion of the Dungeon. Dungeon's are Areas and Realms created by the System and populated with unique creatures designed to test your limits!
Good Luck Hunting!
Author's Note:
Hope you liked the chapter!
This story…has been rattling in my head for a long long time. I think I had a lot of fun writing my original gamer story and I really want to try my luck at that again. Don't consider this a Reboot, or a Remake.
This is a new story, and it will take some very different Directions. Either way, I hope you can enjoy it!
It is also meant to try some funky stuff with characterization and character development over the course of the story. And i hope you stick around for the ride. And also tell me if it's trash. I admit, I am considering making writing a full time thing and I do wanna know if people actually like it.
So yeah, I have a . I post chapter previews and deleted scenes there.
Pat reon Link: ww reon La_Pucelle_Altre