*Ceakkk
*Ceeeaaakkk
The rippling sound of cicadas announced the arrival of summer.
The early morning sun gave light to the soon bustling streets.
Soon enough, as the sun's rays become a golden yellow movement overtakes the city.
Morning in Osaka
Four high schoolers are seen walking down the busy sidewalk chatting and laughing while dodging oncoming pedestrians on their way to school.
Isamu
Haruto
Kenji
and
Hazuki
Isamu, A lightly muscular kid with brown eyes and blond hair. He is captain of the soccer team and vice class president. Outgoing personality and is playful towards his friends.
Haruto, A slim kid with black hair and green eyes. He likes to dress himself up. Ironed clothes and well-kept hair. The most handsome guy around, but he works to keep it that way. The jokester of the group and the last guy picked for cleaning duty.
Kenji, A normal build with brown hair and blue eyes. He's the smart one. Signature glasses to show character. Loves books and games. Usually, the shuttle bus for games, but gets aggressive when challenged.
Hazuki, A normal build with Black hair and black eyes. Unkempt short hair. Can rant about nearly anything.
All four dressed In grey long pants a blue blazer with white undershirts.
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'A side character'
"What are everyone's plans for summer?" asked Kenji
'If this was a story I'd be a side character'
"My family is going back to Biratori for the summer" Haruto responded
'It's so boring'
"Dam, the whole summer?" Isamu chimed in
"Yep" responded Haruto
"I've got no plans. Do you wanna hang out?" Isamu asked Kenji
'Ah summer break. I think I'll just sleep.'
"Sure," Kenji said excitedly
'Sounds like fun'
"Hazuki!" Kenji shouted
'I got that new game to play'
"Hazuki" Kenji repeated
"Huh?" Hazuki looked up toward Kenji and the rest staring at him interrupting his thoughts
"Are you good man?" Kenji questioned
"Yeah, sorry didn't get much sleep last night" Hazuki retorted
"Do you have any plans for the summer? Me and Isamu are gonna hang out. You could come with us" Kenji stated
"I've got nothing particular. I'd be down" Hazuki responded
*shouting in the distance
"It's gonna just be us three. Haruto is leaving" Kenji said
'It's boring' Hazuki thought to himself
'Why should I bother'
*Tire skidding is heard in the distance approaching
Hazuki stops walking for a second staring at a cicada crushed on the sidewalk.
"Hey if you stop now we're gonna be late," Isamu said turning around to face the frozen Hazuki
*get out of the Way! Someone shouts in the distance.
Hazuki Looks toward the voice.
A Semi truck barreling toward them immediately instills fear. Without a second thought, he drops his stuff and runs toward his friends.
In turn to Hazuki's sudden actions, Isamu glances toward the noise before his expression turns to horror.
"Run!" Isamu shouted before turning directions and gaining traction on the cement.
But his foot gave out.
Falling face-first into the pavement didn't help him outrun the truck.
Haruto and Kenji frightened by the sudden outburst failed to even notice the truck.
Stopping to help Isamu up it was already too late.
.01 seconds
Both Haruto and Kenji Grab Isamu by the arms and hoist him up.
.05 seconds
Hazuki stares in horror as the truck enters his peripheral vision, his legs can't take him to his friends fast enough.
.08 seconds
The truck barrels into the Three now-standing kids in an instant.
.11 Seconds
*shrooom the truck struck the kids and continued into the building behind.
.20 Seconds
Hazuki falls struck by a wheel on the trailer of the truck.
.27 Seconds
The truck crashes into the building flattening like a pancake against the steel frames
Hazuki stares in horror at the wreckage unable to move with his legs torn from his body.
Bystanders Lucky enough to avoid the interaction scream in terror.
Sirens and people shouting are all that can be heard
Hazuki's ears start ringing. Sound distorting.
Hazuki feels something wet soak his hands.
Vision fading a putrid smell assaults his nose.
The overwhelming smell of iron and petrol fills his mind.
An LED light from the building sparks igniting the spilled oil and creating a huge fireball
In his last moments Hazuki's last thought.
Was of how he wasn't bored anymore.
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The pain had subsided.
There was no more pain assaulting Hazuki's mind no more noise and no more smells.
His consciousness returned and his eyes shot open.
An empty room.
Pure white.
Thoughts swirled within his mind as he recalled what happened.
He remembered the truck, his friends, and his demise.
His brain is assaulted by the memory of death. The feeling of cold encroaching and the feeling of emptiness.
Falling to his knees he retches unable to vomit.
A state of panic sets in as he remembers his friends.
Franticly jolting his head around he spots them.
They're all in the white room with him.
On the ground in a similar situation as him.
Hazuki composed himself and stood up stumbling toward Haruto who was closest to him.
Haruto is on his knees face first onto the floor dry heaving feels someone touch his back and shouts in surprise.
Turned around to see a familiar face tears streamed down his face full of concern and fright.
Meanwhile, Isamu is the next to gain his composure,
Seeing Haruto and Hazuki together he heads toward Kenji on his side weeping.
Positioning himself sitting he shakes Kenji.
Feeling someone's touch he reacts and gets up wiping his tears.
Kenji assaults Isamu with a flurry of questions.
Yet neither of them knew. Neither where when or how.
A similar situation across the room as Hazuki helps Haruto to his feet.
As they head over to regroup a man appears in between them.
A slim man with a pointy face in a red suit and tie. Combed hair. Slim glasses and a mischievous look upon his handsome face.
The four registered the man all at once.
All of them had gained their sanity and were standing staring at the man in front of them.
"Greetings. I am Tenshu. You may know me, You may not." The man said
His voice rang inside Hazuki's head like a gong.
Glancing toward the others the same reaction was given.
Hazuki tried to speak only to find his voice had been silenced.
"Now I know you all have many questions and many concerns. All of which will be ignored." Tenshu responded to their actions with a grin.
Pulling a notepad out of his suit he begins to read
"You four have been chosen. There is a world threatened by a demon lord. The four heroes of this land must work together to save..... Yea no, too boring." He said sarcastically before the notepad burst into flames.
With a devious smile, he again spoke
"You died. So sad. But now you'll work for me."
"There's a planet similar to yours. Further behind in technology. But to make up for it there's Magic" As he announced the word magic Tenshu grabbed a fistful of confeti out of his pocket and threw it in the air.
"It's a battleground for gods. To gain power you have to participate. And you unlucky lot were chosen to fight for me."
"Don't worry though. I'm not asking you to do this for free. I will be giving you the power to fight in this world. Wouldn't want you keeling over as soon as I send you."
Kenji's face was brimming with excitement. He had loved Iseaki manga and was getting to experience one for himself. However, he had doubts. This was unlike the ones he had read before.
"Now any questions?" He said retorhickly
Everyone tried to speak but they were still silenced.
"Let's start with getting your abilities," He said snapping his fingers
A large gumball machine appeared in front of everyone as well as a list.
"Let me explain"
"There are 6 tiers of abilities. Sorted into grades. Poor normal Uncommon rare epic and legendary. Each ability comes with its ups and downs. You get 10 points to start. each ability Has its respective point cap. The list here will tell you what they do."
"Poor grade abilities are things you can learn. Swordsmanship, Art, Simple magic. Everything you can learn. These cost 1 point each to choose. If you wanted you could be a jack of all trades." He explained as he pointed to the list
There were thousands of Poor grade abilities maybe tens of thousands. Ranging from Throwing rocks to Building rockets.
"Normal grade abilities are your basic skills. Unlike Poor abilities, which have a set limit these can grow according to your usage. These cost 4 points each Poor abilities but better."
The List was the same size as the poor but instead of the brown colored letters, these were white.
"Uncommon grade are you nonrun of the mill abilities. Such as stat boosts and intellect enhancers. Your passive abilities. They can't grow, If you get stuck with a bad one you're screwed. These cost 5 points each"
The list of these was in a green color likely a recurring pattern. Whilst the Normal and poor grades had Tens of thousands there were mere thousands of these.
"Here's where it gets fun," He said with a smirk
"Rare Grade, These are your genus traits. They cost 6 points each. They consist of a skill bonus, a passive bonus, and a skill. These break the laws of nature!" He said excitedly
Pointing to a random stat on the list he said
"Look at this one"
_______________________________________
King of Mining
Hp +100
Strength +100
Exp gain +20%
Mining Yeild +120%
Mining Speed +120%
Damage with package +10%
Incoming Damage from Earth -10%
_______________________________________
"You can get more materials than what physically exists. Isn't that cool" He said with a grin
Everyone but Kenji had an emotionless expression on their face
Kenji had a big grin and seemed super excited
"This guy gets it," He said pointing at the Overjoyed Kenji
There were only a few hundred of these on the list all with a blue glow.
"Next we have the epic grades. These are your rare grades but better. They can grow. The downside is they start very low. But with one of these, you could become the strongest being alive. Or dead if you're into that. These cost all 10 of your points."
These shone a purple and matched the same amount as the rares
"Last but not least Legendary grade. These are your ultimate skills. Epic can't even compare. Even one of these could get you close to ascension. There is no growth limit on Legendary skills but they start at less than poor grades. These cost 100 points. No one can afford these right? I'll explain how you'll get them." He said stonefaced
He pointed to the large gumball machine floating in the center
"This is the Skill Gacha. One of the creators took a page out of your world's gambling. If you want to try for a legendary skill you can take a chance. But it will cost you. 5 points per try. Remember you only have 10 points and if you get a poor you pay 5x the price. I'll give you a day to decide how to spend your points. Just touch a skill on the list and hit confirm to purchase one. Odios." He said playfully before disappearing.
Kenji was the first to speak.
"Is this real? Am I dreaming? What's gonna happen to us?" He said hesitantly
"Calm down" Isamu responded
"How can I?" Kenji Said
"Everything is going to be fi.." Isamu was cut off from mid sentance
"This is amazing!" Kenji shouted
"Don't you realize, we can become heroes from stories. We can become powerful" Kenji shouted
The others weren't so impressed.
Haruto was staring at the list.
"Wait don't pick anything yet!" Kenji shouted at him
"This is like a game. We have to pick skills that match with each other." He said calmly
"I hate to agree with him but he is right," Isamu said coldly
"Let's scan through and take mental note of Useful skills." Hazuki Chimed in
Hours passed and skills were Decided on.
Isamu took one normal and one rare skill
Isamu
____________________________________________
Normal:
Swordsmanship Lvl 0 (0.00%)
Exp to Nxt Lvl: 100
Strength +2
Agility +3
Defense +1
Gain Skill:
Slash Lv1
Stab Lv1
Block Lv1
Rare: Combat Genus Lvl 1 (Max)
Exp to Nxt Lvl:0
Strength +10
Agility +10
Defense +10
Stat Bonus:
Damage Bonus With Weapon:
+25%
Unarmed Combat bonus:
+10%
Parry/Block Chance:
+0.3
____________________________________________
The classic swordsman build and a matching skill to boot.
Haruto took 2 normals and a 2 poor
Haruto
____________________________________________
Poor:
Cooking Lvl5 (Max)
Gain Skill:
Cook Lv5
Clean Lv5
Butcher Lv5
Slice Lv5
Portable Kitchen Lv5
Calculate Lv5 (Max)
Gain Skill:
Enhanced Calculation Lv5
Normal:
Assassination Lvl 0 (0.00%)
Exp to Nxt Lvl: 100
Strength + 1
Agility +5
Stealth +6
Gain ability:
Poison Lv1
Backstab Lv1
Acting Lv1
Night Vision Lv1
Workshop Lvl 0 (0.00%)
Exp to Nxt Lvl: 100
Strength + 1
Gain Skill:
Smith Lv1
Repair Lv1
Craft Lv1
Analyze Lv1
____________________________________________
Kenji took an epic skill
Kenji
____________________________________________
Epic:
Master of Magic Lvl 0 (0.00%)
Exp to Nxt Lvl: 100
Mana +20
Intellect +10
Gain Skill:
Mana Tracking Lv1
Mana Sense Lv1
Magic Craft Lv1
Elemental Magic Lv1
Non-Elemental Magic Lv1
Healing Magic
Stat Bonus:
Mana Regen +100%
Mana Effencency +10%
Casting Cooldown -30%
Mana pool + 10%
____________________________________________
Hazuki didn't fit any of the builds.
He couldn't decide.
So he didn't
"Everyone but one has chosen" Tenshu announced as he reappeared.
"You didn't choose. I'm guessing you want to spin the Gacha?" He said curiously
"Yes?" Hazuki Said questionably
"Welp if that's your choice. I've never actually seen something good come from this before." He responded
"Wait maybe I don....." Hazuki interjected before being cut
"Here we go!" He said before grabbing a handle on the side of the large gumball machine and pulling down.
Clinking noises and sounds of an old arcade played as it started to shake.
The shaking stopped and a little clink was heard at the bottom
A purple ball was sitting at the dispensary at the bottom.
When Tenshu saw the purple ball his somber eyes lit up.
"Wow, You got an epic. Chances for that are low. Go collect your prize." He said with an evil grin
Hazuki shuffled over to the Collection port of the Large Gumball machine and picked up the purple ball.
As he went to back away Tenshu Pulled the lever again
"The second time's the charm" He chuckled to himself
The Gumball Machine started to violently shake. The glass at the top started to crack and deform
Tenshu stared in shock for a moment before shaping his fingers and repairing the damaged machine
"I've never seen anything like this," He said growing more concerned.
A violent red light appeared around the Machine
And yet a plunk noise revealed a brown ball.
"Aww a dud. I thought it was gonna be something huge. Congrats on the poor grade." Tenshu said his grin ever growing.
"Just open those and tear the slips and you'll get your abilities," He said Returning to normal
Hazuki did just that.
The purple ball popped open easily and revealed a slip of paper.
A crude drawing of an eye was placed off-center of the piece.
When torn in half a purple light was absorbed into Hazuki.
Next the brown ball.
As he opened the brown ball The slip of paper was bright red.
The symbol on it was a black broken clock.
As he tore the Paper a blinding red light Appeared and Caused an excruciating headache in Hazuki.
This wasn't a normal ability, far from it.
Yet no one knew, not Tenshu nor the 4 high schoolers.
Hazuki
____________________________________________
Epic:
Eyes of Truth Lvl 0 (0.00%)
Exp to Nxt Lvl: 100
Intellect +20
Gain Skill:
Deep Analyze Lv1
Night vision Lv1
Lie Detector Lv1
True Sight Lv1
Mana sight Lv1
Corrosive Eye Lv1
Curse Eye Lv1
Evil Eye Lv1
Healing Eye Lv1
Stat Bonus:
Sight +200%
*%!&@#)!%:
!%@!%!@%: Lvl 1 (Max)
Ability Of !%*!@) 1@!%(!*%
And !)%!@%(* heir to %!@%_
Unrestrected !%@!!@%
%!@%!@%!%@!%!%
%!@%! of %!@%!@%
%!%1%@ + 1
Stat Bonus:
!^##@ +10%
____________________________________________
"And with that. I wish you luck in your adventure"
Tenshu chuckled to himself as he snapped his fingers once again.