The word: Choices hung in front of me. Hmm, I don't get it, what choices? Under it were the words: World, Difficulty and Scenarios. Okay I still don't get it, where even am I right now? All around me was just colors, some darker than others that held brighter blinding colors within... it was quite pretty actually.
A multitude of options sprung up when I touch each word and I was befuddled. No, not befuddled, more like geeking the hell out. Are you what I think you are power lottery? I hope so, all right let's take a look at all this stuff.
- [Multiversal Magic] -
You can choose the magical abilities and systems that you have used to travel the multiverse. All the options that grant travel are capable of travelling to at the very least any setting within the world list, and likely more.
- [Magic Powers] -
You can choose magical powers that aren't necessarily tied to other magic systems, and don't warrant a whole section to themselves.
- [Combinations & Upgrades] -
Here you can purchase combinations and upgrades that generally include non-canon combinations and upgrades to the powers you've picked.
- [Perks] -
Various bonuses that can help you out. These tend to not be powers in and of themselves, but mundane sorts of skills or benefits related to your powers in some manner.
- [Drawbacks] -
Drawbacks you can inflict on yourself for points. Any of them that relies on a persistent effect to work will wear off after 20 years. Something like a missing eye won't wear off after that time, however.
Oookay, this is a lot.
...Still gonna fuck around though. But I would be lying if I said that this didn't get more real all of a sudden. Okay let's see what we got here then. Going through all the options I see that I have... points? Huh, didn't expect that.
All right points and... magic points, I think I see where this is going. Going over a bunch of choices, chief among them being the world I would be going to, what powers I could have, stuff to traverse universes and multiverses and so on. When I ran low on points, I turned my attention to the Drawbacks and browsed over the options that were laid out in front of me.
Taking a few to get my points back up, I buy the rest of the ones I wanted but missed due to a lack of points. Happy with my choices I pressed confirm and everything appeared back in front of me.
- [Difficulty] -
Normal
Gain: 0 Magic
Gain: 0 Points
This'll be fine, not easy, not hard; should be just fine.
- [World: DC] -
Gain: 35 Magic
Gain: 35 Points
You appear in some version of DC's multiverse. The commonalities tend to be superheroes such as Superman, Batman etc. and heroic groups such as the Justice League who tend to face world ending threats. These worlds also have quite a bit of magic and a wealth of powerful supernatural beings.
Okay, this won't be boring at the very least then.
- [Multiversal Magic] -
Elder Blood (The Witcher)
Cost: 10 Magic
You possess the Elder Blood, a magical bloodline that grants you the ability to travel to other worlds and have vast magical power.
Hopefully I'll be able to control this better than Ciri did; oh, who am I kidding, I'll probably travel to some place designed to kill me specifically. Ooh, what is that-- buy immediately!
- [Magic Powers] -
Navigation
Cost: 6 Points
Your ability to navigate using your Multiversal Magic, especially in conjunction with your magics here is nigh on perfect. You will always find yourself at the specific world you are looking for when you travel. This is temporarily superseded by Turbulence.
Aha! Loophole achieved baby. Let's go. But Turbulence, the hell's that?
Homo Magi (DC Comics)
Cost: 5 Magic
You become a Homo Magi, a race that can naturally, directly use magic, such that the very first word out of a baby Homo Magi's mouth may have been a spell. You gain enough mastery to cast a few basic spells to do things like set fires or clean. You start as someone with general but basic knowledge of Magic.
Magic man baby.
Spell Expertise
Real Magician
Cost: 3 Magic
You have gone beyond mere tricks and can pull off incredible things such as energy blasts, transmutation, and teleportation.
- [Unique Abilities] -
Demon Blood
Cost: 3 Magic
Injected Demon Blood which reduces the cost of magic use, slows ageing, painfully heals others who receive it in a transfusion, heals you without that same pain, kills those who drink it, and noticeably moves beneath your skin when evil is near.
Magic Conduit
Cost: 35 Magic
You are a conduit for magic like Merlin or Timothy Hunter, having the potential to become one of the strongest Magicians.
That took a HUGE chunk of my magic points and I hope to God that this shit is worth it. Don't know how this will react to the Elder Blood I chose before, eh, that's future me's problem to deal with (this'll definitely come back to bite me in the ass).
And now we move on to the perks and there are oh, so many I picked.
- [Perks] -
Clarity
Cost: 3 Points
Your mind has been enhanced to be more perceptive and focused. Your thoughts are clearer and sharper, and you can view things without bias.
Archive
Cost: 3 Points
Your memory has been enhanced to be functionally perfect. You won't forget anything important, although perhaps some minute details may escape you.
Mind Fortress
Cost: 6 Points
Your mind is a fortress. Successfully attacking it with hostile effects is practically impossible and anything that manages to get through will be functionally useless.
This'll be good for obvious reasons.
Shrouded
Cost: 6 Points
Attempts to divine information about you tend to fail. This effect is not absolute, but it can spoof most common of types of divination.
It's nice that I've got some protection against precogs at the very least, but it seems that stronger divinations involving me would most likely affect me. Eh, what can you do? Though this is likely to have a bigger impact on me unless... to be honest I don't know where I was going with that train of thought.
Identity
Cost: 2 Points
Wherever you end up, you have an identity for yourself set up. This will not pass a detailed and persistent observation, but it should allow you to have the basic documentation you need.
History
Cost: 2 Points
Required: Identity
You have a history in your chosen world, not just a paper-thin disguise. You are actually someone who lived there and knew people.
This should keep eyes off my 'circumstance', but I am a little concerned about what this means. Thinking back on it while the points were necessary, I'm not very comfortable with this bit. What if 'my' history is something bad like being the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul or being in the magic business with someone like Constantine. Christ that might actually get me killed on the first day I'm there.
Soul Shield
Cost: 6 Points
Your soul has special resistance against forms of corruption or soul-based attacks. This probably won't block direct attacks, but it should be able to block passive effects.
This, now this was. A. Must. Especially in a world where beings played with souls like it was hot fuckin' potato. A form of defense against soul attacks was always going to be useful when going to different worlds, even if said world had no powers that be that could mess with my soul.
Eye Catching
Cost: 2 Points
Incompatible: Bizarre
There is something about you that catches the eye and calls attention. Usually, positive attention though it depends on the circumstances. You are a clearly unique person.
I don't think this will negatively impact me necessarily so... yoink.
Body Modification
Cost: 0 Points
You have the ability to modify your body however you please, but only once. You can give yourself a peak physique, perfect looks or whatever it is you want. This includes altering your biological sex and removing illnesses or physical disabilities.
Did I pick this so I could change how I look specifically, yes, I did. But it also came in the form of no points spent so that was just a bonus.
Fighting Talent
Cost: 3 Points
You are innately very talented at fighting in all forms, but especially at learning how to use your magics to fight, even in conjunction with mundane fighting styles. You start off with high levels of skill in your chosen magics but will have to use your talent to learn fighting skills otherwise.
Now this is going to be more useful than I think, especially so with what I linked it to.
Tooth and Nail
Cost: 3 Points
You thrive when things are at their worst. The worse the circumstances and situation, the better you are at pretty much everything. Your instincts are infallible when it comes getting yourself and others out of something alive, and the more of a disadvantage you're at the quicker, cleverer, and more skilled you are. Being trapped in a dead end with no escape, almost dead from blood loss, exhausted, alone, and with the entirety of an enemy's forces bearing down on you just means you're at your most dangerous. This doesn't make you invincible; you just thrive under pressure when other people break.
I am about to be one of the most dangerous fuckers to mess with (I'm delusional), fear me.
Adaptation
Cost: 15 Points
You have the ability to adapt to the magic of whatever world you go to. It takes time for this adaptation to take place, generally in the range of 3-6 months and it is dependent on a variety of factors such as the complexity of the magic, how common it is, and it's strength. If that world has multiple magic systems, then you adapt to them simultaneously. You can choose to reject magic systems you don't want.
Conversion
Cost: 5 Points
You can now convert one type of magical energy into another at will. This extends to things as simple as elemental alignments to entirely different types of energy. You have to be able to wield any type of magical energies that you convert.
Limitless
Cost: 8 Points
You can now break the hard limits of the function of a system with enough research and exposure to esoteric elements within that system. It will not be by any means easy but there will be few horizons beyond your reach now. This does not however have an effect on the mechanism of how the magic system is wielded.
Savant Syndrome
Cost: 15 Points
You are now a Savant at wielding magic. Magic is something that will intuitively make sense to you on levels that will make you easily on par with the most intelligent of geniuses, though only in Magical Fields. Everything just comes easier to you, and you can just... figure things out with magic sometimes. You can on the fly come up with magical formulae and spells to solve your problems.
Worth every fucking point.
- [Drawbacks] -
Reviled
Gain: 5 Points
You are regarded with suspicion and disdain by society. Your reputation will lead people to suspect you of doing something nefarious. Law enforcement will not arrest you solely based off of suspicion, but they won't be pleasant.
Rough Start
Gain: 6 Points
Your first day in your new world is rough. Maybe you run into hostile forces, maybe everyone who you meet just dislikes you, and maybe you get the attention of dangerous enemies. You won't get much rest or time to think here.
Okay, just need to survive for a day. No biggie. Gotta make a plan before I get to DC to survive.
May You Live in Interesting Times
Gain: 5 Points
A quiet life is not for you. You will often find yourself embroiled in some adventure or mystery. They won't necessarily be enough to uproot your life, but they will be persistent.
Pipsqueak
Gain: 5 Points
You are de-aged to 8-12 years old. People will be less likely to believe you and will often write you off as just a kid, and you'll have to go through puberty again.
Arcane Mark
Gain: 8 Points
Your magics will mark you with their nature, mentally and physically. Necromancers may become pale and cold to the touch and have a morbid (though not necessarily pessimistic) mindsight. A pyromancer might be hotheaded or energetic with fire for hair or eyes that glow like embers.
Alright, it could have been better, more so with the Pipsqueak drawback and Arcane Mark but I'm more or less happy with what I've got here. Some kind of interface poof'd into existence and it took me a second before I figured out that it was most likely for the Body Modification.
A shapeless and near structureless body was in front of me, to my right was an interface that had whatever I needed to change what my body'll look like or 'would' look like in the future when I wasn't a tiny little shit. I kept my height which ran in my family, more specifically us boys. I was the shortest among them at 6'3" with my oldest cousin being 6'7" or 6'8".
I cycled through hair colors and styles until I settled on one, I thought looked good on me. Dark curly hair, the sides of my head faded to the skin, the top of my head was left untouched, and I shortened the back of my hair a little.
I made myself immune to diseases, taking advantage of the benefits the Body Modification I removed any disabilities that might plague me in the future and also giving myself a peak physique. Wait, can I make myself more durable, more so than what a peak physique can give me?
If so-- No me, be happy with what you've got. You wanna get stronger, do it on your own, not taking the easy way out.
God, being a kid again is gonna be fun. Fuck all expectations and getting into some tomfoolery and shenanigans sounds like a great time. Though the Arcane Mark seems like it could affect my mindset, hopefully my mind related Perks'll offset any negative side effects while all the good (if there were any) side effects.
Alright, I'm done. Now, where's that confirm button/icon? Aha, there you are my friend, you've been found. I pushed it and a countdown popped up and began counting down the seconds I had left before I'd be whisked away to my new world.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought that this was still a dream. A nice dream from which I might stay in. I think that'd be nice, don't you? I closed my eyes and away I went to my new everything.
***
...
...
...
In the beginning there was He, the One, a Presence. You already know how the rest of it goes, seven days, light and dark. That kind of stuff. Now why am I talking about this you may ask dear reader, it's because our, yes, our little friend is currently being born. And I'm a little bored.
Now I've taken the liberty of changing his little CYOA in order to... spice things up, so to speak. Now I'm sure there will be some of you that will complain about this and that, and I have but two words to say to that: Tough titties. Get over it, you aren't in our friend's position, so you don't need to complain and bitch and moan about how unfair it is, yada yada.
Now let's take a peek at the situation with our protagonist, shall we... oh where are my manners? Enjoy the show!
***
The sounds of screaming were heard all around the room, echoing off the walls. The wails of a mother continued; grief filled the halls of the home as she wept for her child.
There was a veil of sadness that covered the home, the fear of a missing newborn held the home in a tight grip, the only thing worse than that would be a dead newborn baby. It wasn't fair. But like life what happened next wasn't fair.
In the dead of night, the mother dropped dead. The servants of the house had their bodies mangled and dismembered. Their limbs strewn and strung up all around the manor. The father was nowhere to be seen.
Their attackers were like ghosts. Their mounts were like hounds on the prowl, on the move for their prey. A hunt was afoot, and they wouldn't stop until they got what they want.
***
I woke up slowly, my eyes trying to blink the sleep and blurriness away, I don't think waking up should be this damn difficult. Finally opening up my eyes, pain struck me and irritated my now sensitive eyes.
Where am I? I was in a dessert that stretched far and wide, dunes even formed in the distance. It suddenly hit me that I shouldn't be able to see that far. This was my first clue that something was wrong, that and the glaring fact that I was a fucking baby!
What the hell? I thought the Pipsqueak Drawback was ageing me down to somewhere in between 8 to 12. Not back to a bloody infant, shit. This isn't good at all.
Wait, if I'm a baby now where the hell are my new parents? And why am I in a goddamn dessert?! "WAAAHHHH! WAAAHHHH!"
...
...
...I think I need a minute.
- One Mental Breakdown and a Baby Life Crisis Later -
Okay, think me. You're in DC, your parents aren't here (most likely dead), you're an infant and if that isn't the worst thing then being displaced by the Elder Blood has got to take the cake. Okay, think, think, you have to get out of this fucking place immediately before something comes along to kill you.
Feeling for the magic in me, a tingle went up my underdeveloped baby spine and my skin felt like pins were stuck in there. Thank God I took that Savant shit, I have a feeling it's going to save my life more and more in the future.
My itty-bitty stomach churned as I teleported...? Away from that damn dessert and appeared in front of what appeared to be an orphanage. Guess this will be my new home, alright time for the water works.
"WAAAHHHH! WAAAHHHH!" I cried for a few minutes before someone came out and picked me up, it was a girl. They undid the wrap I was in and gasped, huh, guess the Arcane Mark kicked in right away. Come on girl, please... please don't leave me out here.
Hesitation was all over her face, she looked back and forth between the orphanage and me. I turned on the doe eyes, cried a little more and bam, the rest was history. She took me inside, put me in a cot in a room and then, and only then, did I let myself breathe easy.
I was safe. Phew.
Seems like I can finally breathe without having to worry if someone or something is coming to end my newly acquired life. I might have to have some words with the bastards (provided I'm strong enough to kick their asses of course).
Rough Start huh, this shit's too easy. I took a nap for what I think was a few hours, by the time I woke up the night sky held the stars.
A rattle of the doorknob startled me, the door slowly opened, the annoying creaking grated my ears like nails across a chalk board. Please for the love of God just be the staff and not an intervention for the Rough Start shit. Or was it the Leading an Interesting Life one?
The first thing I noticed after I was done thinking was nothing. The silence, and only silence reigned supreme in my room. That definitely wasn't scary. Not at all. And my fears were proven right when, and get this, a fuckin' demon came into my room.
When I tell you that this thing was the most grotesque abomination, I have ever laid my eyes upon, you better fucking believe me. It wasn't the typical red skinned demon that paintings and pictures depicted no; grayish skin with black blood running down its arms, its eyes were literally hollow, almost like they were carved out.
Its deformed body crawled along the hardwood floor like it was crawling for its life. It was disturbing and vile beyond any belief I had. It gurgled out what I think were words like they physically pained it; the sound was similar to someone choking on their own blood.
Nope, nuh-uh. Not doing this shit. Not today, not now, not EVER!
A blast of magic erupted from me and sprung upon the demon, incinerating the damn thing. But the magic attack didn't stop there, it was slow at first, but the fire was spread within the blink of an eye. The next thing I knew was that I was at the center of a firestorm and the orphanage was set ablaze.
I imagined for a moment if the staff of the orphanage, more specifically the woman who saved would be okay. Their screams were going to haunt me for the rest of my life I'd imagine. I want this to stop, please... just STOP!
The flames fizzled out not a moment later, a few licks of flame were all that was left to ravage the orphanage and the staff. The demon too. Sobs wracked my body; I need to get out of here. Right now.
Focusing again and finding that feeling from before, I disappeared. When I reappeared, the sky was darker than I ever thought it could be. I didn't know where I was, so I did the only thing that I felt I could, "WAAAHHHH! WAAAHHHH!"
I hate this day already. Damn it.
***
I think a day has passed since then, and I still have no clue what to do. I mean I'm a baby (magic baby with cheat codes sure), but realistically what the fuck can I do? Involve myself with the heroes? I have no idea how I would even go about doing that in the first place.
Teleporting in front of another orphanage yet again, I cried. A few minutes later a man came out and picked me up, checked if I was injured and aside from a little ash and soot, found nothing the opened up the little wrap I was in.
Though, he didn't make any hostile movement or anything else that would show he's unsettled. That's... odd. Does he know about magic on a deeper level than most? The sharp look in his eyes were starting to make my skin itch.
"Dear lord, thank you for this gift." he murmured quietly. Don't be a religious crackpot. Don't be a religious crackpot, for the love of G-- hmm, for fucks sake. Yeah, that's better.
He took me inside the orphanage/church (was it a church too?), put me in a room and lay me down in a cot (again). "What's your name little one? Hmm, what do we have here," he moved to look at me again... no, not me. He was looking at something else that was attached to me.
"Cain. A strong name for a strong boy."
Huh, I don't have a brother named Abel running around, do I? Because that would really suck and make this day worse than it already is on top of that.
I'm think I'm gonna take a quick nap, just close my eyes... just for a bit.
***
The newly named Cain slept soundly, not a worry in the world for his situation. The man who found him peeked through the door and looked at him, smiling kindly.
He closed the door softly and a conflicted expression replaced the kind one that previously graced his face. It seemed the man was faced with a choice. "No... I'm different now, I can do this. I have to. I'll make sure of it," he prayed silently to God for the strength to raise the... child that appeared on the doorstep. It would be a true testament to his character.
One thing he was sure about was that the years to come were definitely going to be interesting. Going back in the room to get a better look at the marks that covered his body, he stopped in his tracks when the baby's skin started shifting.
It moved like something underneath it was alive and trying to get out. No... trying to get to him-- Dodging a blast of fluorescent magic that just nicked him cheek, he gasped. "What in the name of..." Cain, still asleep was writhing around; the peaceful look on his face was replaced by one of pain.
The baby opened an eye, slowly blinking and locking eyes with the priest. Fear hooked its grips into him as the both of them just stared at each other. Getting up slowly, he made his way out of the infant's room, never leaving his eyes for the fear of death as irrational as that sounds.
Only when he closed the door to the room did he let out a shaky breath of relief, thankful that he wasn't looking at that thing anymore.
***
I really can't get a break, can I?
Man, this is annoying. The excruciating feeling of pain faded, leaving a dull ache that hit me harder than I'd want it to. I suppose that was the Demon Blood doing its thing. Takebacks please? I really didn't think taking this would hurt so much.
The dull feeling faded after some time. I hope it's something that I get used to over time and doesn't hurt nearly as much as this later on in my life.
Trying to get some more sleep before I was so rudely interrupted by someone with 'evil' within him was hard. He took me in when he didn't have to, gave me a place to sleep and stay (hopefully permanently, even with the little mishap), so it was hard to imagine that he was 'evil'.
But not impossible, mind you.
I suppose this is my life now, orphan at birth, hunted by demons and marked by magic. Heh, this shit is gonna be great, walking cheat code here and I'm going to abuse that absolute hell out of that.
Those were my last thoughts before I drifted asleep, for real this time.