The Seraphic System
Disclaimer: I don't own Highschool dxd or any other universe used in this story. This goes for all my chapters.
Chapter: 01
Warning: The gamer system will be a little different since I don't really just wanna copy it
Future note: I wrote this story a long time ago and i would suggest waiting or skipping to chapter 9 where my writing gets a lot better in quality. Just a warning.
(Second Chance)
It's crazy what religions and people have to say about afterlifes. Some say that you would end up on an island floating on top of clouds. Some say that you would suffer hunger and thirst in a desolate world of ash, no matter your deeds.
Yet, I understand them. Death is terrifying. In the face of something so vast and incomprehensible, the only thing they can do is grab themselves a bottle of copium and try to come up with something that can explain Death.
Their fear-induced load of improvised lore, however, is not helping me right now.
I am dead. A thought I have had multiple times in my life, but it had never been truer than right now.
These were my thoughts as I 'stared' at the emptiness in front of me. There was quite literally nothing in front of me. If the afterlife was meant to be an eternity of just existing into nothingness, I would much rather be alive.
That's quite the opposite of what I used to think before my death. I didn't have the best life out there, at least nothing good enough to make me want to cling onto it.
The only reason I had chosen to stay alive? Spite.
I had always felt like a misfit in my family.
Born into wealth and privilege, I was expected to be perfect in every way. Failure at something wasn't a choice I had. It was as if I owed the world something for being born. At first, I didn't mind those expectations. After all, I wanted to be excellent as well.
Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I could never measure up to my older siblings, and apparently that's all that mattered to my parents and the world.
It didn't matter how good I was, cause that was never the point. My siblings were better. And so, I was always the black sheep, the problem child, the one who never quite fit in their otherwise brilliant world.
I was rejected by everyone. Too good to have normal friends. Too disappointing for the 'friends' that I was supposed to have.
The only person who made living barely worth it was my grandfather. He was a simple man. In his youth, he had earned all the wealth that my father and uncles stood upon. After handing over the business to my dad, he had just decided to live a secluded life in his mansion.
That mansion was my sanctuary. The five months I spent with him were what allowed me to live through the other seven. He was the only one who didn't care about comparing me to my siblings, but rather seeing how much effort I actually put in.
He was perhaps my only friend and teacher.
When he passed away? I lost all reason to live. I had thought that day to be the worst day of my life, waiting under the white fluorescent lights of the hospital and hearing that news, surrounded by people who claimed to be family but didn't even shed a tear at his passing.
That, however, was only the beginning of my nightmare.
It turned out that my grandfather had left me his entire fortune. That didn't sound like a bad thing at first, and I was touched by his gesture as well. Of course, my jealous and greedy siblings saw this as a threat.
They were determined to get their hands on his inheritance, because obviously they were better than me and deserved it more. They saw me as nothing but a desperate fool who couldn't grasp the opportunity he was handed.
They were unfortunately right about the desperate fool part. With the old man gone, I was desperate for some connection to hold onto.
I was naive and foolish, trusting too easily and believing that my family had my best interests at heart. But in reality, they were manipulating me, using me to get what they wanted.
And when I was left with nothing but scraps that I was supposed to use to learn how to manage such a big inheritance, they didn't hesitate to pay someone to take me out.
What hurt the most was their betrayal, for I had never expected it. In their greed and lust for power that they inherited from their parents, they were ready to break bonds of blood. I had no desire for those riches, and probably would have given them all of it had they asked and left me to my own devices.
I still remember that day when Grandpa laughed at me. It was when I told him the quote that I read somewhere. "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
He had laughed at me, as if what I said was something foolish. It was then he said something that only now I truly understood.
Power doesn't corrupt, it brings forth the worst parts of the one wielding it. It's like alcohol. Once you taste it, it's a challenge to maintain your sanity. The more addicted you get, craving for more without reason? The more of your sanity you sacrifice.
In the case of power, what you sacrifice is your Humanity. If you aren't willful enough, in the pursuit of power, you would sacrifice the only thing that separates you from a monster.
Wise words. Unfortunately, it seems like grandpa never taught this to my siblings. They had, after all, turned into quite the horrible monsters. The fact that they thought of him as a senile man probably had something to with it.
Anyway, I died with a knife stabbed into my lungs, choking on my own blood. Only able to watch as my siblings stood on the side smiling like kids who just received their Christmas present.
Now here I was. Drifting across an endless expanse of darkness, with no body and only a weird translucent spirit that didn't resemble a human whatsoever.
I wasn't able to measure time, but it's definitely been more than hours since I have been here. After all, I have been through my memories multiple times and even grown a bit after analysing the worst of my mistakes.
I have even gone through the plot of Lord of the Rings two times.
That was the only source of entertainment I had other than the thought that my 'family' would have to go through this same torture of an afterlife.
As I floated in the abyss, lost in my own thoughts of schadenfreude, I suddenly saw something that made my thoughts die.
A massive dark purple rift in space had formed out of nothing right in front of my eyes. That was perhaps the first colour I had seen after a long while of emptiness.
Before I could even begin to question what was happening, I was violently pulled through the dark swirling purple rift and ended up in a new space.
I am currently floating in a space that can only be described as the center of a galaxy. All around me, there were thousands or perhaps even millions of bright stars. All of them shone with flames that ranged from violet to red, covering all colours I could imagine and then some more.
This was a huge change from the void I was previously in.
There were even thousands of colossal chains around these stars, as if binding them to each other and forming a pattern that I couldn't comprehend.
Despite all of that, I didn't feel any sort of discomfort. For that matter, I didn't feel anything at all, even back in the void. It was as if I was robbed of all senses but my sight and a slight sense of position.
I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to me, and why I was sent to this place.
Was this the actual afterlife? A different dimension? Or something else entirely?
What the hell was happening?
[START]
A giant purple box appeared out of thin air right in front of me and illuminated the surrounding area in a soft purple light. The words "START" were written on it in golden letters, and the box seemed to pulse and glow, almost as if it was alive.
I should be feeling scared right now, but strangely enough, after reading the words woven of light in front of me, I felt a sense of calm and curiosity. It was strange.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should press it. Well, I didn't have hands…
As if my intention was enough, the box disappeared and then was replaced by another box.
I was trying to make sense of what was happening, but failing miserably.
[LOADING…]
What…?
[DATA LOADED…]
Ok...
[Congratulations you have died!]
I blankly stared, still unsure on what to make of this entire situation.
[You have been chosen to receive the System]
I felt more than a little shocked.
I had a sort of idea of what was happening but the idea was so outrageous I wasn't ready to accept it.
The logical side of me didn't believe it since something like the stuff that happens only in novels, should be impossible right? A complete disregard of all reality and sense. Then again, I was dead. Who the fuck knows what happens to laws of casuality after death.
Potentially, I have gone insane and was conjuring up this whole scenario to escape the boredom of being in a literal void. Perhaps this was my mind's coping mechanism.
I felt oddly comforted by that thought.
Skill added…
{Gamers mind} (Passive)
[Negates all mental attacks regardless of power difference and allows the user to focus in difficult situations.]
Skill added…
{Gamers Body} (Passive)
[Grants a body that allows for the user to live real life like a game, negates all curses and permanent damage.]
I looked over the description thoughtfully and shrugged, even If I had gone insane I might as well just go with it at this point. It's not like I have anything else to do.
[Your name has been set: Kai]
What? Did they not require my permission to select my name? What happens to my—
…
…
Why can't I remember my past name? Or any name for that matter? Or the details of how anyone, even I, looked? And why am I not disturbed by that?
[RACE SELECTION]
[Please select a race.]
[Human] [?] [?] [?] [?]
I am quite sure if I had eyebrows, they would be twitching by now. There was definitely some mind-fuckery going on here, and I was made to not care about it.
To be honest? I didn't mind it either. If this is really what I think this is, then I would very much like to forget information that would only hold me down in the future.
I wasn't sure if that thought was even me.
Anyway, changing my race? That's a pleasant surprise, to say the least. I hadn't thought of the possibility that I would be able to be something other than human.
I had a brief idea of what would happen if I selected the question marks but selecting them without knowing what they are would be supremely stupid.
Hey uh, system? What would happen if I selected one of the question marks instead of the human one?
[Selecting [?] would mean getting a random race. This can both have upsides and downsides. You could become something extremely weak like a {Cockroach} or you could become something extremely powerful such as a {Dragon God}]
I nodded my non-existent head in understanding. It was basically what I had suspected.
I debated on whether to risk it or not. Based on the fact that Dragons and Gods were options, I was getting isekaid in a world that was fictional. Even if I end up having some lesser race, I am sure I can evolve past it and grow stronger. Fictional worlds always present such opportunities after all.
The chance to end up as a God from the start was too much to pass up on.
Fuck it.
A massive golden wheel suddenly popped into existence, its light drowning out even the radiance of the stars around me. Slowly, it began to spin and picked up speed.
I saw multiple names go past. Such as Titan and God, but also saw names such as Slime and Parrot go by.
I was slightly nervous as the spin started to slow down. It eventually stopped on a name with fireworks going on behind it as if to congratulate me.
I stared at the golden name floating in front of me with amusement.
{RACE SELECTED}
{ANGEL}
I asked for an explanation on what it was, and apparently it was just your cookie-cutter biblical version of humanoid figures with white wings, capable of throwing around Light constructs.
I was still very excited, since this was definitely way better than just being a Human. At least, I think so. Who knows, I can end in a world where Angels can be the weakest guys around.
Thinking of wings, I wonder what type of body I would end up with. Do you have any clue for me, System?
[You shall receive the body you desire.]
Oh. That's cool? I guess so. This really does feel like the start of a game. I suppose that's part of the theme as well.
[Race Selection Complete. Initiating Wheel of Fortune.]
Now what's that?
[Wheel of fortune will give you one spin to obtain a unique power.]
There's a surprisingly high amount of gambling involved with this system… I suppose, Gachas are games as well.
Still, I felt excitement at the prospect of potentially gaining something powerful. After a few moments of thinking about what I could get, I gave out a mental command.
A new screen appeared with a wheel on it and golden words presenting the Wheel Of Fortune.
A big red button with the word Spin appeared on it.
Not needing to be told what to do, I thought of pressing that button, and then there was a flash of red as the wheel started spinning.
It spinned for what seemed to be an hour, before stopping.
{Unique Skill Gained}
{Download} (Passive)
[Allows the user to Download a character from fiction and select one of their skills. Can only download one character at once. The time required to Download a character depends on their Powers and potential relative to yours.]
I grinned as I quickly scanned through the description.
The ability to download characters and choose one of their skills sounded incredible. Even though I could only get one skill at a time, it was still something invaluable to have.
The only downside was the amount of time it would take.
Overall, I was pleased with what I had gained.
Loading Status…]
{Name: Kai}
{Power level: 440}
{STR: 20
{DEX: 20
{VIT: 20
{MAG: 20
{CHA: 20
-STR, stands for 'Strength'. It shows you the amount of physical might you possess. The amount of STR you have can be increased through levelling up or through physical training.
-DEX stands for 'Dexterity'. It shows you how fast you can move and react.
-VIT, stands for 'Vitality'. It determines how fast you regenerate and how much damage you can take.
-MAG stands for 'Magic'. It determines the amount of total mana you have in your mana reserves and how fast you regenerate said mana.
-CHA, stands for 'Charisma'. It quantifies compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others and your overall looks, presence and how favourably you affect others. The amount of CHA you possess can be increased through physical appearance and social interactions.
I scanned through all the new information provided by the system and furrowed my brow in slight confusion. Several questions popped into my mind
Hey system, shouldn't I have levels and stat points?
[No. Yes. You can earn points through training or quest rewards.]
I see. Also, what's up with the power level display below it?
[It's a measure of your power with more accuracy. Your power level will increase as you gain more stat points.
Warning: Skills aren't part of Power Level. Beings with strong skills can defeat beings of higher power levels.]
I looked at the 'notification' and eventually nodded my head in understanding, it was pretty simple.
While the view of multiple star systems spinning around me was indeed breathtaking, I sorely wanted to get all this over with. After being trapped in the abyss for so long, I was desperate to be alive again.
So, now what?
[You shall be given four spins, one for a weapon and one for an ability. The last two for perks]
Oh! Even more gambling! How exciting… Well, at least I wasn't losing anything.
[Would you like to spin for a weapon?]
[Yes/No]
I thought of pressing 'Yes', and watched as another gacha-looking light construct appeared and began flashing through multiple names.
Eventually it stopped.
[Murasame]
[Murasame is an extremely powerful cursed blade that can kill a creature with a single cut. Once the sword pierces the skin, a poisonous curse will spread through the victim's body, killing them within seconds by stopping their heart.]
[Murasame has an enhancement known as Little War Horn, that strengthens its user with the power of its cursed poison.]
[Abilities: One-Cut kill, Little War Horn] [Passive effects: None]
[Warning: Beings with sufficient power will be able to resist the curse. However the more cuts you give them, the higher the chance that the curse will overwhelm the resistance they put forward.]
That was pretty decent.
Being able to one-cut creatures even if higher beings could resist it was awesome.
A new screen popped up after a while of observing the description of my new weapon.
[Would you like to spin for an Ability?]
[Yes/No]
I thought of pressing 'Yes'
I didn't understand why it even offered the option. After all, why would I even think of pressing 'No'?
The Gacha-like construct spun, displaying multiple names along with weak and overpowered abilities, leaving me feeling anxious.
It landed on an ability that made me feel slightly surprised.
[Mokuton] (LVL: 0/20) {Novice}
[Wood Release (Mokuton) is a nature transformation kekkei genkai, a combination of Earth and Water Release. It was famously used by Hashirama Senju, At its simplest, Wood Release allows the user to create wood, essentially converting their chakra into a source of life. At its greatest, mighty trees of various sizes and shapes can be created.
The Wood Release was also equally famous for its power to manipulate, suppress, and/or absorb a target's Energy]
[Grants User the ability to use Wood Release Techniques]
[Passive effects: Natural Affinity towards Earth and Water and Nature, Enhanced Chakra]
That's pretty good! The ability to absorb energies? That sounded mighty useful. Mokuton was pretty awesome from what I remembered of it. Being able to create entire forests was kind of like forming your own domain.
I was happy with it.
[Would you like to spin for a perk?]
[Yes/No]
The construct spun again as I accepted. Eventually landing on a perk that made me raise my non-existent eyebrow.
[Allure] [Passive]
[Allure is a power that bestows upon its user an irresistible aura of extreme charisma.]
Well, I could see the use. Charisma was its own type of power and it would make it easier if I got myself stuck in a situation I couldn't fight my way out of.
[Would you like to spin for a perk?]
[Yes/No]
This time the perk I got was a bit less embarrassing.
[Prodigy] [Passive]
The Prodigy perk unlocks the true potential of the user's mind and body, When harnessed, Prodigy enables the user to rapidly absorb and assimilate knowledge and skills. Allowing them to learn things at an increased rate.
Physically, the Prodigy perk enhances the user's agility, reflexes and magical abilities, From combat techniques to athletic prowess, the user effortlessly adapts, quickly gaining proficiency in various physical activities and achieving feats that would typically require years of dedicated training.
I grinned in excitement. The Prodigy perk seemed pretty invaluable since it would lessen the time required to learn new skills and help me gain power much faster.
Before I could think further on the newly obtained perk a golden light surrounded me.
I tried to stabilise my body as I was chaotically pulled through space.
[Entering the world of DXD…]
"Wait right now? isn't this a little sudden?"
I got no reply as the golden light brightened and in a flash. I was shot through space at unimaginable speeds.
-{???}-
Infinity chased Dreams, and seethed. Both of them stood still, as something else entered their realm. Something foreign. Yet, too feeble to pose any threat to them.
It appeared and disappeared within a single moment, not leaving any time for them to react.
They both resumed their clash, back on the path they were initially on.
Both thinking that they would investigate that later.
-END-