Chapter 127 - My SI Stash #27 - Power Corrupts by Ideas-Guy (Gamer Multicross) (1/2)
-If you liked The Dark Wolf Shirō fics you'll most likely be in to this as well! Well written and lengthy SI multiverse story~
*SI starts in Danmachi
*QuestionableQuesting story, so make sure to have an account, also verify your email once you've created one. I suggest typing the link in word by word if you're not able to copy/paste.
Sypnosis: ???
Rated: M
Words: 140K
Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/power-corrupts-gamer-si.10700/ (Ideas-Guy)
PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (*´ー｀*)
-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)
Chapter 1 - Making the Best Me
Dying really didn't feel like I thought it would. Maybe I just watched too many movies where the protagonist/love interest/best friend/redeemed villain and so on got to say a few dramatic words before they died, but I always thought I would get to say...something. Something beyond 'oh shit' before truck-kun crossed three lanes, rounding on me like I owed him money then splattering my brains over his front bumper.
You are dead! Would you like to start a new game?
”...yeah, I figured that out. Thanks, though?” I tried, eyeing the words in a floating text box warily. Because, you know, floating text box. Then my eyes narrowed in suspicion. ”Did I just get isekai'd? Am I the gamer now?”
Yes! Since you are familiar with the concept, would you like to skip to the world selector?
I scratched at an unshaven cheek, taking in a bracing breath. I feel like I shouldn't be handling this so well. Gamer Mind? Or did I just desensitize myself by reading so many self-inserts before my untimely demise? At this point, it could be either. Regardless, I was glad that I wasn't if only because it made moving on that much simpler.
”Yeah, let's do that.” I agreed. I was the Gamer and I was about to be isekai'd. And you know what? I'm pretty okay with that.
RWBY
Danmachi
Fallout
Halo
Mass Effect
One Piece
Tokyo Ghoul
Evangelion
Attack on Titan
Eyeing my choices, I immediately tossed Attack on Titan, Mass Effect and Halo out. I loved the worlds, but I don't want to start out on the losing side of a genocidal war. Mikasa's abs weren't worth it. The same for Tokyo Ghoul, Evangelion, and Fallout -- Craving human flesh, dealing with madmen playing god, or living in a post-apocalyptic hellhole weren't worth the waifus they offered.
”That leaves RWBY, Danmachi, and One Piece.” I mused, frowning at my choices. RWBY was technically a post-apocalyptic world, even if they never really showed it...so it was out. Danmachi or One Piece... if I had the power of the Gamer, I needed to think about what kind of soft level cap there was. What did the endgame look like? And what was I looking at in terms of midgame?
One Piece had people cutting mountains in half, able to jump from orbit head first and be totally fine, and power that treated the laws of physics as a suggestion. Early and mid-game would be determined by pirates I could fight, if I could find a decent teacher and failing that, being self-taught.
Danamchi... had a lot more structure. The Dungeon offered more stable sources of exp, what's more, it was set up in a way that I always had an idea of what I would be facing. If I found an established familia then I would have a support structure. Endgame was able to blow up mountains and wipe out armies, but those were a lot fewer than One Piece. And…
I was totally biased.
I pressed Danmachi then another list appeared.
You have selected Danmachi. You can now proceed to the character creator.
Previous game data has been analyzed. You earned: 2000 points during your last game!
The great nothingness that surrounded me began to shift until I found myself in the Sims character creator. Standing on a platform was me, or a creepily accurate doll of me. I looked at myself for a moment -- truth be told, I wasn't horrible looking. My hairline started to recced already, I had a bit of a stomach since I hadn't worked out in some times but I was hardly fat...I supported the whole body acceptance thing mostly because I didn't really care about it. But now I had a chance to give myself the body of adonis? Yes, please.
Human: (Race already purchased)
Amazon: 250 (Female player models only)
Demi-human: 150 (Click here to see subcategories)
Pallum: 100
Elf: 300
Dwarf: 250
Spirit: 100,000,000
God: 1,000,000,000
Xeno: 50 (Warning: monsters, mortals and gods will want to kill you.)
I made the changes, then pausing to admire my work. I handcrafted the best looking version of myself. Well muscled, handsome and...my lips pressed into a thin line, tilting my head as I looked at my best reflection. It was me. Maybe if I made myself a little taller…?
Giving myself an extra inch, I finally broke the six-foot barrier. Then I gave myself a few more inches. Then a foot. Then one more inch. And another inch. And one more just to be sure until the doll in front of me became a 7'5 giant of a man. Fiddling with the skinny/fat/muscular window, I maxed out muscular, all the muscles bulging out almost comically, so I scaled it back just a little.
”Hmm…” I should give myself a tan. I was Irish, so the sun burned me and nothing else. Looking at my work now, I saw that my face really didn't suit the mountain of man standing in front of me. I squared my jaw a little bit, keeping my stubborn chin...yeah, it was better, only now my hairstyle looked completely out of place. Cycling through the presets, I eventually found a wild mane of hair that looked-
”...” Huh. I looked like Conan the Barbarian. Or Broly. Since I was going to an anime world, I was going to say I more or less looked like Broly.
And you know what? I was pretty okay with that too.
”I'm done,” I said aloud, not seeing a Next icon.
Please select your start:
Wannabe adventurer: 350 p
Rookie Adventure: 100 base p. Additional cost included: (dependent on God chosen) Rank S: 10000. Rank A:5000p, Rank B:4000, Rank C:3000, Rank D: 2500, Rank E: 2000, Rank F: 1500, Rank G: 1000, Rank H: 500, Rank I: 350
Novice Blacksmith: 500 (start with level 5 in blacksmithing)
…
The list went on for some time, listing out various crafting starts. I skimmed them over for a long minute before I pressed Novice Mage. It was magic, how could I possibly resist? A giant warrior man flinging lightning from my fingertips...I couldn't wait. I could even up with Danmachi's necessary chants to use magic.
Please purchase your perks. Points remaining: 1000
Strong: (250) All strength exp is increased by 5%
Weak: (+125) All strength exp is decreased by 5%
Natural deodorant: (100) Natural musk never smelled this good.
Reek: (+50) A bath and soap won't wash that smell away
Song bird: (100) Angels wish they sounded as good as you
Annoying voice: (+50) Your voice has a habit of getting on people's nerves
Limber: (250) All dexterity exp is increased by 5%
Stiff as a board: (+125) All Dexterity exp is decreased by 5%
Perfect memory: (500) Every moment of every day is perfectly recalled at any time
Great memory: (250) You can recall most things with a passing glance
Fast learner: (500) General exp gain increased by 5%
Forgetful: (+150) Where are my car keys?
Warrior: (250) All endurance exp increased by 5%
Wimp: (+125) All endurance exp decreased by 5%
Super immune: (200) Great resistance to Disease and Toxins
Sickly: (+500) Max HP is halved with greatly decreased resistance to Diseases and Toxins
Durable: (500) Physical damage reduced by 5%
Frail: (+300) Physical damage increased by 10%
What kind of build was I going with? I was built like a mammoth, so definitely a warrior build. Up close and personal combat. Strong and Fast Learner for exp gains, leaving me with 250 points. Then I pressed Limber since the only thing better than being big and strong was being big, strong and dexterous. Bringing my total to zero.
Despite myself, I found myself lingering on Natural Deodorant. I was going to be doing a lot of fighting, a lot of killing and I wasn't sure what Danmachi's hygiene situation was. Did they have modern showers there? I recalled Hestia and Bell having to use some kind of brush. Not to mention the days I would end up spending in the Dungeon without a convenient way to bathe.
”This is dumb,” I told myself, going back to the previous tab to reselect my Start. Should I pick a few bad traits? No, I don't want to if I can avoid it. The negative traits were a little too harsh one way or the other, and they only gave me half of the points I bought the positive one with.
I pressed Wannabe Adventurer since it was the cheapest, bringing my total up to 650 points. I could always learn magic later, but who knew when I would get this chance again? With that, I made pressed Natural Deodorant, my final total being 550. Naturally, I made one final choice of Durable, since any reduced damage as a warrior was a must, leaving me with 50 points left.
Cl_i_c_k_i_n_g Next, another list appeared only this one was long and broken up into countless tabs. Weapon types, armor, potions, spells, materials and so on. Hundreds of thousands of choices, maybe even a million. Out of curiosity, I went to the bottom of the swords list before quickly scrolling back up, wincing internally at the billions it would cost to buy a diamond enchanted sword possessed by the soul of an ancient evil god.
”Warrior type build,” I muttered, planning out my goto build in RPGs. High Strength, high Endurance, Dexterity lagging behind with Intelligence being my dump stat. So, I needed armor and weapons. I eyed my total, wondering if I should go back to pick a bad trait or two to get some more points.
I needed to prioritize. What did I need? Armor first. I searched for something that was cheap and would cover my torso. My arms and legs would have to be left b_a_r_e for now, it was more important that my insides stayed inside. I found a steel set of armor, blackened with a piece of metal jutting up at the front to protect my neck. The layered plates should make sure that I had full range of movement. 20 points left.
Weapons... I was pretty big. Huge, really. My reach was long already. As much as I wanted a humongous sword, they were too expensive. I found something that would suit me, a steel longsword. It would look out of place, but it would do. I could always make money and buy a better one. This was just to make sure I had some starter gear without taking any loans.
That cleared me out except for a few points. Not knowing what else to do with them, I changed them out for some valis, the currency in Danmachi. I don't know if 1,000 valis was a lot, but it was better than nothing.
”Neat,” I said, satisfied with my choice. Perhaps it wasn't the best build for Danmachi, but when in doubt, go with what you know. And I knew warrior characters from over a decade of DnD and RPGs.
Are you satisfied with your choices?
”I am,” I said with a nod. I took my time with it, so there was no point in second-guessing myself.
Game system reformatting to sync with world...enjoy your game!
And, just like that, I found myself standing in a busy street filled with all kinds of people. Demi-humans, amazons, elves, dwarves...oh, and humans. The smell wasn't exactly pleasant, but it wasn't the typical stench I associated with a big city. Not everyone wore armor like I was, all the things that I bought on my new body, they wore brightly colored dresses or fur or pretty much anything that wasn't modern attire.
For a long minute, I just took the city in. Slowly, my gaze drifted upwards, spotting the white spire that stretched over the city, piercing the sky until it touched the clouds. The Tower of Babel. Inhabited by gods, actual gods.
”...” Right. Speaking of gods, let's go find Hestia and become an adventurer. With that thought in mind, I started walking, watching the people as I went. I saw girls with cat ears, dog ears, pointed ears and so on. The city felt like a giant melting pot of cultures, I noticed as I walked by a stall selling rice-based food next to something that looked like lasagna. There was a smell of spices in the air as I wound up wandering further into a food district, towards the Tower of Babel.
I wandered the streets, the food eventually giving way to shops that lined the street filled with more adventure-oriented supplies. The closer I got to the tower, the more common they became. Potion shops, arms, and armor, tailors and so on.
I kept my eyes peeled for the goddess of hearth, only to find no trace of her. It was surprisingly easy since I towered over everyone, having over a foot on the biggest people around. More than a few stopped to look at me, gaping at my new height. Making myself this big might not have been the best idea, but I was going to make the most of this second lease on life and that meant indulging myself.
The anime never gave a hint exactly where her stall was located, so I was left searching for a needle in a haystack. Which was fine for now, I guess. It gave me time to get a lay of the land, so to speak.
Eventually, I made my way towards the Tower of Babel, seeing a long set of stairs leading to it while the entrance was richly decorated. It was easy to forget that there was a vast sprawling dungeon beneath my feet teaming with monsters that wanted to kill everything that wasn't a monster. And some monsters that were monsters. If anything, it reminded me of a bank.
An idea struck me, driving me to cross a busy street into a large plaza filled to the absolute brim with people dressed exactly like me. Some had much finer armor, weapons and clothing, I noted, eyeing a group of seasoned adventurers that I didn't recognize. Others had worse armor, I saw, spotting a lone elf limping his way out of the tower, his iron armor battered and bent.
I made my way into the tower, stepping foot into the Guild, the organization that made its profit by exchanging magic stones for money. Stepping inside, I was struck with familiarity. It looked like a bank lobby. Complete with a front service desk, an exchange off to the side, with a sitting area on the other. A few doors marked different hallways, but my gaze was drawn to a seemingly inconspicuous staircase. Nothing stood out about it other than it went down.
Down into the Dungeon.
I searched the adventures for a familiar face, only to find none. The main cast was rather small in the grand scheme of things, so maybe I just missed them. Or maybe I was at the start of canon or a little before. Striking out on the adventures, I turned to the sharply dressed Guild employes.
I didn't see Enia, the Guild advisor that helped Bell out in canon, unfortunately. From what I understood, she was the type to go above and beyond for those shes advising. Instead, I caught a glimpse of strawberry pink hair, a petite girl dressed in black business slacks, a button-down white shirt, and a black vest. It really shouldn't work, but she made it work for her. More importantly, I recognized her even if I didn't remember her name.
Walking over, she looked up to catch me approaching. Instantly, she put on a well-practiced smile, one that I recognized after working a few years in retail. ”Good afternoon, how can I help you?”
”Uh,” I started intelligently, ”I was hoping to become an adventure, and I was wondering if, uh, there was a familia recruiting? Hestia, she should have descended from Heaven not that long ago?” I asked, heat rushing to my face as she gave me a well-practiced patient look.
Her light brown eyes dipped down to rack over my body, probably thinking that my appearance and personality didn't match, I would imagine. ”There's a notice board over there that gods sometimes post on if they're looking for a new child that has certain characteristics, like being an elf or really tall.” She tapped her chin, tilting her head in thought. ”I don't think a goddess named Hestia made a notice, but I remember hearing some rumors about her.”
”Oh?” So I wasn't something like a decade before the start of canon. That was great. As much as I could use the time to get some gains, I came to this world with a very specific purpose in mind.
Misha winced, ”w-well, maybe you should consider another god?” She tried to nudge me off my chosen path. ”From the looks of you, most familias would be willing to take you in,” she said gesturing to my...everything. I guess I looked the part, giving the impression of experience even though the closest thing I have ever been to a fight was that time I got punched in the face for skipping in line for wiffle ball. I was six.
I shook my head, ”sorry, but if you know anything about Hestia, could you tell me? I, ah, made a promise,” I said, heat crawling up my neck to my cheeks. Apparently, after dealing with adventurers and heroes all day as her job, she accepted the vague motivation with a nod of her head. Though, technically, I did make a promise. It was just to myself.
The girl nodded, a look of resignation on her face. ”Lady Hestia works at a jagamarukun stall on by Spirits Cross, just off the main road. Short, black hair, blue eyes, bells in her hair. You won't be able to miss her,” she explained, offering up fairly detailed information. Most of it I already knew, but now I had a lead.
”Thanks,” I said, giving her a smile.
”I hope to see you again. Good luck!” She said, giving me a wave as I walked away. I waved back, making it a couple of steps before I realized that those directions didn't do me a lot of good because I had absolutely no idea where Spirits Cross was or the main road.
I didn't turn back, though. It would be too embarrassing to ask for more help after I already walked away. If I had to guess, the main road would be the one that leads to the Tower of Babel. So, if I just went straight then I should eventually find her stall. With that thought in mind, I resumed my blind wandering through the city, taking in the sights. All around the tower, the Dungeon rather, were all kinds of shops. In the central plaza, stalls of all kinds could be found.