Disclaimer!
I do not own DC Comics or any of its media. I claim no money from this fanfic and the only things I own are my OC's/Original Characters and original ideas.
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Issue 2: Tutorial Part 2
Date: 2nd of February/2024
Location: Keystone City/USA
The walk to Joseph's place was difficult to say the least and the trio of friends found themselves in a rough situation to say the least and couldn't truly make eye contact with each other for the entire walk.
When they entered the Nates residence, they were greeted by Maria Nates aka Joseph's mom who helped bandage up her son before the four of them all sat in the living room awkwardly as they waited for one another to say something. Say the thing that they all wanted to say but somehow couldn't bring themselves to bring it out to the surface.
"I'm sorry. You both shouldn't have gotten caught up in my family's mess." Joseph said sincerely.
"Joseph…What is going on with you?" Kenny asked before Joseph looked at his mom for approval and she nodded her head once and allowed her son to speak.
"The Extremist are a lesser syndicate and are known for occult rituals and curses and stuff from the news but what the news and people don't know is that a lot of the stuff is true. And not only is it true, but the syndicate forces magical families or citizens into their gang through any means necessary. My dad was a member and so was I, but we wanted to get out of that life.
The life that was forced onto us. So, we and a few other families rebelled into what could be considered a gang civil war. Originally it was created to help the Homo-Magi but as you can see. The leadership took a drastic change and now they are hunted down all the people who rebelled against them because they are planning something big and don't want any unexpected surprises in addition to the attention they'll get from the superheroes in the Justice League." Joseph explained.
"Why?" Santos asked with his fists balled up. "Why did you lie to us all this time dude?! Were supposed to be friends and you just kept something like this in your back pocket? And what the hell was that monster thing that tried to kill me and Kenny?!" Santos asked with his face turning a bright red from anger.
"That thing is a demon from hell. And my question is how the hell did you manage to kill it?" Joseph asked while turning his head towards Kenny who had been quiet.
"Honestly, I've been keeping a secret too, but mine is nowhere as big as yours Joseph." Kenny replied before he explained how his life had seeming transformed into that of a videogame and as proof, he opened his Inventory which appeared as a dark blue game screen before his eyes in a grid style and took out the skill book he had gained from killing the demon.
"Accelerated healing and pseudo infinite stamina via level ups and certain buffs, plus some form of dimensional storage-based ability goes beyond the norm even for a Homo-Magi." Maria said in slight shock at what she saw.
In truth only Kenny saw the game screen, but Joseph and Maria could feel slight dimensional magic being used and saw the book being dragged out of some form of pocket dimension while Santos only saw his friend pulling a thick book out of empty space.
"You're telling us that your life transformed into a videogame, and you didn't say anything either?" Santos asked while still pissed off, but he reeled in his voice to avoid screaming again.
"Would you have believed me yesterday if I told you this without us being caught in the middle of some magic fight?" Kenny asked Santos bluntly and his friend's response was to give Kenny a glare before he crossed his arms and looked down at his feet angrily.
"So, what happens now? Are you and your mom going to try and erase our memories or something?" Santos asked Joseph and Maria.
"Nah. Too mind rape'y and I don't see why I should. You guys just need to stir clear of any magic crap or books that aren't from fancy Las Vegas shows, and you'll be fine." Joseph said with his own form of bluntness.
"But what if those guys try and attack you again?" Kenny asked.
"If they wanted me, they could have taken me by force today but luckily enough they decided they didn't need me anymore and spared all our lives. So, we just need to keep our heads down and personally I'm taking this chance to get out of the magician's life as fast as possible. It's been nothing but a headache." Joseph admitted with a sigh.
"Seriously? You're not going to try and be a hero or something?" Kenny asked while Joseph scoffed.
"I'm not selfless enough for any of that crap. I'm only worried about my mom and you guys. Besides I didn't see any heroes helping my family when things got rough and lastly is the fact that I'm not going to start risking my life for total strangers who might spit in my face later." Joseph replied firmly and Kenny could see the logic in his friend's words because Kenny didn't know if he could be that selfless either.
"Speaking of headaches, I have a killer one right now and I seriously want to take a nap…So, can we please just forget any of this happened?" Santos asked as all his anger had given way to exhaustion and mental fatigue.
"I think that would be for the best." Maria admitted and just like that, Santos and Kenny headed their separate ways home. Kenny thought about what he should do with these weird powers he was given and about the skill book he had placed back in his Inventory before he decided to put the thoughts away and simply move on with his life.
The minute he got home he said high to his siblings Nicole and Danice. Twins and both are eight years old with light brown skin and black hair done in pigtails while watching cartoons on the living room tv while his mom Alice was in the kitchen preparing dinner.
Alice sports fair skin with dull brown hair combed down to her shoulders with a slightly overweight build and is dressed in a modest T-shirt and jeans.
"Took you a while to get home Kenny. Were you hanging out with Joseph and Santos without calling ahead of time?" Alice asked with a hum of thought making Kenny freeze in place.
A rule for getting a cell phone was to let his mother know where he was after school since he had a bad habit of hanging out with his friends without letting her know which worried her, or he got into trouble with other boys and got into fights.
"Sorry mom. Today was just a brutal day, is all." Kenny said back to his mom who looked at him from over her shoulder.
Her look changed from slightly annoyed to worried after seeing her son's face.
"If everything alright?"
"Yeah mom. Just had a bit of an argument with Joseph but we're good now. I just want to go to my room and do my homework and relax." Kenny admitted, and he hated telling his mother half-truths, but he couldn't exactly tell her that he fought a demon, could he?
[The skills [Acting] and [Lying] have levelled up respectively!]
Kenny felt a vein in his head about to pop as his game alerts had returned and apparently decided to piss him off. He mentally dismissed the screens and simply did his homework in his room before laying across his bed and drifted off into sleep.
Apparently even if his body is healed from a level up. His mental fatigue wasn't and that helped contribute to a status condition known as Fatigue which came from various factors instead of just exercising too much.
Date: 3rd of February/2024
Location: Keystone City/USA
Waking up early in the morning and with a yawn, Kenny sat up in bed and unexpectedly felt a weight over his legs and for a moment he thought one of his sisters was trying to surprise him but when he looked down, he saw a bizarre and unfamiliar sight.
A girl near or at his sister's age but she has pale skin with chin length blonde hair and is dressed in a golden sleeveless golden dress that went past her feet and her eyes are covered by rags tied around her head as if she was blind.
Rosalia, Level: N/A
N/A!
Her level and title were unreadable, and she seemed like a normal albeit adorable girl, but her information told Kenny that something wasn't right.
The girl seemed to wake up with a yawn at that point and raised her arms with a stretch and a nearly silent yawn before her head turned towards Kenny.
"Ummm…Hi?"
"Hello." Rosalia replied with a soft voice before hopping off the bed and allowing Kenny to swing his legs over his bed and properly sit upright.
"Who are you and how did you get into my home?"
"My name is Rosalia, and I am your loyal attendant. You have been chosen to be a champion that this world needs, and I am to remain by your side till the end of your life." Rosalia said and just when Kenny was about to make a smart mouthed remark, the mark on his hand glowed and warmed him a bit and experimentally he reached out and felt the warmth increase until he rubbed Rosalia's head.
She didn't fight it and seemed to enjoy it.
"You're just a kid. How do you know any of this stuff?"
"It is information that has been instilled within me since my creation. And I appeared before you because you have gained access to what is known as the Abyssal Hold, but I think it would be best for you to get stronger before going there." Rosalia said bluntly before a new game screen appeared before Kenny's eyes.
[You are now able to collect Souls!]
[You now have a Loyal Attendant that is your soul bound partner!]
"I'm guessing that place is rough and dangerous."
"It can be. However, it is also a place where you can acquire trainers of some renown or access things such as a blacksmith or trader for general wares or spell books. Speaking of; you still haven't learned the spell you have been given from your first monster encounter." Rosalia replied softly which made Kenny roll his eyes.
"I guess it couldn't hurt." Kenny said before he once again took out the book and received a game prompt.
[Would you like to learn the skill in this random skill book? Y/N?]
With a click of the yes button the book burst into golden flower pedals that flowed into Kenny's very being and as a result he gained a new skill.
[Observe
Active
Type: Carnal Magic
Level: 1
This is a low-level scrying spell that allows you to magically sense the strength and possible abilities of other beings within your line of sight and can be used to get item descriptions as well.
Range: Line of sight
Cost: 2 MP!]
"Whoa." Kenny said in slight surprise at the information that just entered his mind as he now knew a spell from the branch of Carnal magic.
"That spell could be extremely useful at higher levels, but right now I think it would be best if you avoided using it against beings with magical capabilities or psychic abilities." Rosalia warned and Kenny couldn't help but agree.
"Thanks for the warning. Anyway, my family should be waking up right about now, so is there a way for you to sneak out or something?"
"There is no need. I can safely store myself away within your soul and speak with you and only you telepathically if you wish." Rosalia offered and Kenny nodded his head in agreement before Rosalia seemingly turned into golden whisps of energy that flew into the mark on Kenny's hand.
"Will this suffice?"
"Yeah. And sorry, but I don't want my mom to think I'm doing any weird shit. That is one explanation that I don't need to try and think of. Especially since I can't tell her about these weird powers." Kenny replied before he felt the connection between himself and Rosalia go silent.
Somehow, he knew that Rosalia could still speak and interact, but right now she was giving him privacy of a sort so he could go through his normal morning routine without the thought of being spied on by his new companion.
1
Walking to school instead of taking the bus was something that Kenny did when he needed to have some time to think about things or if he needed exercise to help him train and keep up with his workout regimen. He was also known by a few unsavory individuals as a person not to be messed with as far as small-time gangs are concerned since he had a habit of beating people up.
Sadly though, there are always new thugs looking to shake things up and right now Kenny was flanked on both sides by a few thugs looking to take down the Keystone City Protector as he was called.
"Don't take this personal dude. But the rep I'm about to get for taken you down is too good to pass up." The leader of the crew said while Kenny gave them a flat and uninterested look until he saw a new screen.
[Quest Alert!
Name: Random Encounter
You have been surrounded by thugs looking to make a name for themselves at your expense. Teach them whose boss.
Objective: Defeat all the thugs.
Rewards: 300*10% XP, 400 Souls and 1x Mystery Item!
Do you accept this quest? Y/N?]
Kenny simply sighed before mentally accepting the quest.
"They lack weapons or firearms. So, this could be what you'd call. Easy grinding." Rosalia commented mentally while Kenny suppressed a chuckle.
"Alright pricks. You want to get famous for taking me down. Then come on and get your asses kicked." Kenny challenged before the thugs all rushed.
Kenny quickly charged at the nearest one with a spear-like tackle which knocked the thug down and gave Kenny some room to hit another thug with a high kick to the jaw. Kenny heard the snapping sound of bone and knew that guy wasn't going to be eating solid food for a while since he fell to the ground crying and holding his now bleeding jaw shut.
The next thug tried to punch Kenny, but Kenny easily dodged the overextended blow and countered with an uppercut followed by a few quick jabs before grabbing the thug with his shirt collar and threw him into the other thugs that tried to rush in.
"One punk to take down three. And to think I'm falling behind in math class." Kenny taunted before raising his elbow and forcing it backwards to hit the face of a thug who tried to sneak up on him.
The entire fight was a one-sided beatdown and eventually all six thugs were groaning in pain on the ground while Kenny didn't have a scratch on him except for a little bit of dirt on his pants leg.
[Quest Complete!
Name: Random Encounter
Rewards: 330 XP, 400 Souls, Draining Claymore!]
"That is a rare drop. Not overly powerful but against technique type fighters it can help turn the tide of battle in your favor." Rosalia said making Kenny raise an eyebrow, but before he spoke, Rosalia spoke again. "Also, with your ability to absorb souls. It has awakened something already within you and now your race has changed to accommodate."
"Seriously? Do, I have a stats window or something that I can use and see for myself?"
"Yes, and if I'm being honest. I'm surprised you haven't tried that already."
Kenny couldn't help but hum and have a bead of sweat from his head before he resumed his school walk after summoning up his stats screen.
[Statistics
Name: Kenny Reigns, Age: 17, Race: Human/?
Title: Keystone City Protector/The Player, Alignment: Good, Level: 5 [330/1,400 XP]
HP: 530/530, AP: 300/300, MP: 260/260
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 19
Endurance: 19
Charisma: 17
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 8
Arcane: 5
Faith: 10
Stat Points: 5, Perk Points: 1
Souls: 400
Perks: [Players Mind, [Players Body, [?]
End!]
"What?" Kenny asked in total confusion after seeing the unknown perk and when he selected it to try and get a detailed description, he was shocked yet again.
[Perk
Name: ?
Rank: MAX
This perk is unique to your race and until you discover what is missing within you, you cannot see the effects of this perk, however at every level you gain 2 Arcane, 2 Faith and 2 Endurance points.]
"Okay. So, what's up with my titles?"
[Title
Name: Keystone City Protector
You have been identified as a protector of people within Keystone City and as a result you deal an additional 15% damage against any evil aligned residents or hostiles while inside of Keystone City and its territories.]
[Title
Name: The Player
You have been given the power of the 'system' and as a result you can now live your life as if it was a videogame and now you gain 10% more XP from all sources.]
"I guess these titles are things I'll be keeping active since I don't plan on moving anywhere." Kenny said before he started using his stat and perk points.
[Statistics
Name: Kenny Reigns, Age: 17, Race: Human/?
Title: Keystone City Protector/The Player, Alignment: Good, Level: 5 [330/1,400 XP]
HP: 566/566, AP: 320/320, MP: 260/260
Strength: 21
Dexterity: 19
Endurance: 19
Charisma: 17
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 8
Arcane: 5
Faith: 10
Stat Points: 0, Perk Points: 1
Souls: 400
Perks: [Players Mind, [Players Body, [?]
End!]
[Perk!
Name: Endure
Just like in a popular monster game, you have gained the ability to survive a lethal blow on 1 HP if an attack would have been able to kill you.]
"I don't plan on dying any time soon but it's always good to have a backup plan in case something happens." Kenny said to himself before making his way to school.
2
After school ended, Kenny was making his way out of the school grounds alone once again since Santos and Joseph were still a bit hesitant for the group to be together again and Kenny could understand but he still didn't like the fact that his friends were avoiding each other.
"Yo, Kenny. Hold up, a minute." A voice said from behind Kenny, making him turn around and see the familiar face of Val Armorr. Another friend of Kenny's and the guy he used to take martial arts classes with when they were kids.
"Hey, Val." Kenny replied as he looked at the fair skinned and brown-haired teen along with the information above his head.
Val Armorr, Level: 4
The Karate Kid
Kenny mentally rolled his eyes at the nickname his friend had. Everyone always joked that the karate kid movies were what Val wanted to do with his life as a martial artist and now it seemed that the name stuck.
"Sorry to bug you man but I need your help."
"Help with what? Is someone stepping out of line in the martial arts club?" Kenny asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not anyone from the club but there is a new thing going on and to make a long story short a bunch of school martial arts clubs are meeting near midnight for an underground fighting tournament to see which school has the best fighters and I want you to help us win." Val said bluntly.
"I'm not in the martial arts club though."
"True but you've still kept up with your training and honestly, I need to find some other fighters to join us too. The club members all declined since the last time we went up against a school in a legal tournament we lost badly." Val explained while Kenny scoffed.
"Your teammates hardly train outside of the club and barely put in effort. So, the loss is on them."
"Again, you're not wrong but that isn't exactly helpful in my situation. I'd be willing to fight on my own but having you backing me up would be cool and I'd owe you one." Val said while Kenny was prepared to agree before a new quest screen appeared before his eyes.
[Quest Alert!
Name: Midnight Ironfist Tournament
Your friend Val has asked you to join him in an underground fighting tournament to help prove that your school can make decent fighters.
Objective 1: Help recruit as many trustworthy allies as possible.
Objective 2: Help Val and your teammates win the tournament.
Rewards: 1,500 XP, 1,000 Souls, 1,000 US Dollars, 1x Random Skill Book, Increased reputation with Val and any allies you gather.
Failure: Null.
Do you accept this quest? Y/N?]
"You know I got your back dude, and I can think of at least a few people willing to help out." Kenny replied to Val who smiled and raised a clenched fist towards Kenny.
"You're the best Kenny." Val replied while Kenny smiled and proudly bumped his fist against Val's in a brotherly manner.
"Damn right. Now, give me a day and I can start recruiting tomorrow." Kenny said before he started making his way home.
"This tournament is a good challenge you can use to level up. Although I assume that you would have helped your friend regardless." Rosalia said telepathically and with a tone that sounded like approval.
"Of course I would. Val's one of the boys even if we don't hang out as much since he's the star of the martial arts club now."
"A spot originally meant for you."
"A spot that I never wanted to begin with. Besides, I'm not the leader type nor some bleeding heart. If Val wants to lead others and risk getting put in more situations like this, that's on him. But I'll be damned if I'm not going to help him out of trouble and kick the shit out of the wussies that decided to leave the club when things get rough." Kenny said firmly as he walked home unaware that he was being watched by a figure standing on top of a nearby building roof.
Date: 4th of February/2024
Location: Keystone City/USA/Keystone High School
"Come on man. Val needs our help and it's not like I'm asking you to magic your way into a win." Kenny said to Joseph as they walked the halls of the school along with Santos as the trio now finally felt comfortable hanging out together again.
"There is no way my mom is going to let me out the house after curfew until the heat with the 'Extremist's' dies down." Joseph replied.
"I promise you that it won't take too long and when you come back to the house, she won't have even noticed that you left." Kenny said, making Joseph groan.
"Fine, but don't expect any magic. A fist fight is being solved with a fist fight." Joseph said as he made it clear that he was done with any and all forms of magic in his life and Kenny and Santos could respect that.
Magic hasn't been all fun and games like in movies or anime and instead had been a shackle around Joseph and his mother's necks. So, if he was done with it then that was his choice, and his friends wouldn't try to change his mind or take that choice from him.
"I'm coming too." Santos said boldly before Kenny gave him a flat look.
"You can't throw hands…At all." Kenny bluntly announced making his friend wince a bit.
"I'm going as moral support. Besides, watching fights like this is basically like watching eighties and nineties martial arts movies in person." Santos said while Kenny rolled his eyes.
"I have two more people I need to recruit into this little get together, so wish me luck." Santos said as he entered his next class and hoped that with his online studies of sign language that he would be able to hold a decent conversation with his target.
Kenny walked up to Cassandra which got her attention as he awkwardly moved his hands to speak with her.
'Hi…I'm Kenny…Can we…Talk?'
Kenny was unsure with his sign language skills but could understand the girls reply as she signed something back.
'I can hear just fine. I just can't speak. And sure, we can talk.' Cassandra signed back, making Kenny breathe a sigh of relief.
[The skill [American Sign Language] has leveled up! Level: 5-6!]
Ignoring the message, Kenny spoke to the girl.
"I was wondering if you'd be interested in helping the martial arts club with an upcoming tournament. You're strong and I know you've got serious martial arts skills, so your help would be appreciated." Kenny explained while Cassandra wore a slightly confused and slightly bored expression.
'What makes you think that I have any martial arts skills?'
"Well…I'm assuming that an assassin is trained in martial arts." Kenny said in a low voice so a few other students wouldn't hear and when he said that Cassandra gave him a furious look that sent a cold shiver down his spine.
'If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get.' Cassandra warned as she was quick to get up but stopped for a split second when Kenny raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender.
"Easy, I'm not trying to fight you. I get that it's your private thing but I'm low on time and I seriously need a person with your skills to help us. So, can you please help the martial arts club without trying to kill me?" Kenny asked while the girl slowly sat back down to calm herself as a few eyes now lingered on them.
'Fine. I'll help but afterwards you are going to answer my questions. Now please leave me alone. I'll show up at the club after school.' Cassandra signed and Kenny made his way to his seat with a few people glaring at him with the misunderstanding that he offended the girl somehow or did something else bad.
He didn't care in the least.
"Not one for the cloak and dagger tactics?" Rosalia asked.
"Don't have time to beat around the bush and now I've got her help. If she's pissed, I'll just have to deal with it when all this is done."
"It still isn't wise to anger an assassin." Rosalia advised while Kenny sighed.
"Maybe, but I've got a gut feeling that she isn't as cold blooded as her titles make her out to be. Otherwise, she wouldn't be getting so involved with other students or helping out with class projects. She'd do the opposite and try to blend into the woodwork."
The mental conversation ended as soon as class began and when it ended, Kenny made his way to his final recruit that was sitting at a table in the back of the lunchroom by herself.
Stephanie Brown, Level: 8
Spoiler/Mockingbird
Stephanie, as luck would have it was another martial artist, and the odds might have seemed astronomical but as the old saying goes. Birds of a feather fly together. The difference however was that even though they were on friendly terms, Stephanie didn't hang out with him or his friends much at all and instead normally isolated herself for some reason.
Not out of malice or anything but she just seemed overly reserved and anti-social.
"Hey, Steph. It's been a while." Kenny said as he took a seat across from the blonde Olympic level athlete girl who seemed to have a high level compared to 'normal' people whose levels ranged from one to four.
"Yeah. I've been busy." Stephanie said between bits of her sandwich.
"I need your help with something."
"The illegal martial arts tournament?" Stephanie asked which took Kenny by surprise.
"Val isn't as secretive as he makes himself out to be. But don't worry about it. I'll help. This will be a test of my skills and help me get stronger." Stephanie replied easily enough, which again took Kenny by surprise since he had to force his other friend and Cassandra to join the tournament.
"Meet at the martial arts club after school. And thanks." Kenny replied before taking his leave and at the same time he couldn't help but pat himself on the back for successfully getting the best fighters in the school to help him.
END!
A/N: Okay another chapter is done and gone, and the social circle is expanding because Kenny has quite a few friends and, in this world, they aren't their usual comic book counterparts. The Karate Kid, Spoiler and Cassandra Cain are characters that don't get shown a lot of light and will be important in this story in order to properly give them justice.
But this also raises questions. Like whom was the person watching Kenny and what is Stephanie's story with her slightly above average level of strength and also if Cassandra is a pure human with no powers, how is her level so high in comparison?
Stay tuned to learn the answers to these questions.
Also, remember to fav, follow and review.
Moo.