If all men were equal then perhaps the world would be at peace, if the entire population of the planet had had superpowers from the beginning then perhaps there would have been no public lynchings or civil wars opposing the old generation of human beings and the new ones, those commonly called Mutants at the time.
This era seems distant to most people, thanks to the government's decision to treat yesterday's vigilantes as legalized heroes and make it a profession, it didn't take much to transform society into a comic strip come to life. For most people, it became the norm to see an entire building reduced to rubble by a villain using their Quirk, but it became even more normal to see men and women dressed as heroes acting to save the world.
Everything may seem ideal in this world when heroes are praised and idolized, but there is a population today treated as a relic of the past.
The Quirkless represent only twenty percent of the world's population; these humans have not found their place in this world filled to the brim with superhumans capable of killing them even with a stupid power like having sharp nails; treated as second-class citizens for more than thirty years, their situation was not enviable, and some believe that their number is decreasing much more because of cases of suicide than natural death; after all, it is normal that some see no way out of their situation.
This is the case of the hero of this story; his destiny was set to become one of the greatest superheroes in the world, then an eye fell upon him...and that changed the course of history.
~LH~
Describing precisely what his existence was all about would, according to him, be a literal waste of time; he was born as a child in the Ark of Creation and grew up normally while receiving an exemplary education; when his turn came to receive a function, he was disappointed not to be like his Destroyer sister ; no, he was elected Game Master , one of the most popular professions in the Multiverse.
Basically, this refers to someone who can create a system allowing anyone to become a Player, one of the most powerful races ever created by the Eicides, the true creators of the universe and not an entity crudely called God. In short, his job is to find acceptable candidates to pass the selection test, and if they succeed, they will become Players. His only problem lies in the fact that by giving this power to the strongest candidates, he ended up getting into trouble when Player number #729976# destroyed his original universe just to piss off a god who had beaten him.
There's no need to describe his boss's anger towards him that day; it's already quite humiliating, and besides, nobody wants to know that their boss is their mother.
So he is forced to correct his mistake by trying to create a less dangerous system for the universe; well, he will still be able to destroy a planet once a certain level is reached, but hey, that's not what he's there for.
Thomas Ludkage is just doing his job.
Like all the Eicides, he is ten meters tall, dressed in a grey suit that contrasts sharply with his curly neon green hair that reaches his ankles, dark skin, bright yellow eyes like molten lava, straightening his oval glasses on his nose, he observes the files of possible Players while trying to see their value and especially the interest that the Eicides might have in watching the exploits of their next candidate.
Oh yes, one small thing, Thomas is paid based on the number of viewers, so the more interesting his Player is, the more money he earns.
"Issei Hyoudou...profession...pervert? Since when is that a profession?" wondered the divine being's thin voice as he scanned the page, comfortably seated behind his desk. His jacket was off, revealing his pink shirt with the sleeves rolled up. "Worshipping Sacred Gear...surrounded by beautiful women...and...wait, how does he win with the power of friendship?...pffft, I must be dreaming, another obsessed idiot...how many times do I have to tell Musa that I don't need this kind of candidate!?"
Believe it or not, even divine beings want to watch something other than an OP candidate who's just having fun sleeping with every girl he meets.
"Let's move on and forget about that...so Tatsumi Oga, adoptive father of the devil who...no, he really doesn't need a system," he admitted, seeing the delinquent's fate. "Yugi Muto...neither...why do I only have des-"
"Sir !"
A small woman, reaching to his knees, dressed in a pink dress and an orange apron, with green hair framing her face, which had rabbit-like features with a tiny nose and lips forming a pretty little beak, and her huge pink eyes gazed adoringly at her boss while pushing a small wooden cart on which a cup and an assortment of butter biscuits could be seen.
"Musa" acknowledges the immense entity while showing the sheet he has just read. "Tell me, do you know why I only find myself with candidates from Japan?"
"Oh, Ms. Luludiel informed me that this is very trendy right now!" she said with a huge smile, revealing her gold teeth.
"What? But I thought Australia was in the lead this month?!"
"Yes, but since the last candidate came from there..." she said with a contrite look while serving hot chocolate to her boss, who displayed a bitter expression at the mention of his recent failure.
"How could I have forgotten that?" he muttered, picking up the cup and drinking it in one gulp. "Anyway... I'm not likely to be finished anytime soon, there's no shortage of protagonists..."
"Is it really a problem, sir?" the employee innocently asks, pouring another cup knowing he would empty it in a second.
"Yes and no Musa, just more complicated than expected, you see I have to choose one to attract new viewers but I also have to be careful that it doesn't become powerful in a week"
"Why not slow down the pace of the system's progression?"
"I've already tried it, and in the best-case scenario, the Player becomes reasonably strong, but he detaches himself too much from the world around him, and the worst thing is to run into a lazy one... #129998# ...that girl wouldn't have even made an effort to make herself a slice of toast."
"Oh...is that the one who died after being eaten by her cats?"
"No, that's #6192000# Another kind of lazybones, #129998# she died choking on her spoon," he recalls with a laugh.
"Hehehehehehe! These humans, what a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings!" she exclaims, finally placing the coffee maker on the cart.
He couldn't agree more, having worked with many of them and their equivalents across the universe. Thomas has no love for this race, far too entrenched in the idea that they are the best in their culture. He could well list the greatest crimes of humanity, but he has neither the time nor the energy to do so.
He slumps back against his office chair while Musa takes care of tidying up the scattered papers after the green-haired divine man's loss of patience.
"Anyway, I need a concept that's different from the usual, I need someone who isn't arrogant or obsessed with sex... but giving a system to a boy scout seems like the best way to bore the public," muses Eicide aloud, biting his index finger. "Or maybe a good old necromancer... no, I'm going to get fed up with looking for bastards capable of conquering the world... Oh hummingbird, bird of inspiration! To what distant land have you flown!?" he exclaims dramatically, letting his forehead fall back onto his desk as Musa looks at his boss with concern.
"Perhaps you should look at things from a different angle, sir." The lava-yellow eyes fixed on his in a sign of interest. "The public really enjoys seeing the Player fight for a specific goal, don't they?"
"Hmm, most of them, yes... even though some keep voting to see more porn," he replied, raising his head and moving his chair forward, then his gaze shifted to the ceiling. "Wait a minute... I'm doing this wrong, you're right. If I choose, say, a loser with no strength but who sincerely wants to fulfill a dream... yes, that's the kind of thing that could appeal, but for that I'd really need the weakest candidate possible... then I give him the opportunity and he takes it! And then everyone will be glued to their seats! Yes, it's brilliant! Musa, you deserve a vacation!"
"I don't want it"
"I knew it!" he exclaimed with a broad smile, nibbling on his finger. "Now who to choose?...ah, I don't want to remember...just a minute, Musa, what was the name of the Earth created by Syhoug?"
"Terre DX77, alias Cyberpunk"
"So no, it's not that one," he muttered, tapping his finger against his thin lips, "...hum, Cellia's?"
"Terre NGH, aka DC"
"Still not but...Ah! Gyslomok's?!"
"Terre HVH, alias My Heros Academia"
"That's it! Musa, I think I've found our next candidate! Oh, we're going to be rich and everyone will forget my blunder!"
"It's not pe-"
"Everyone, I said!"
~LH~
When those fingers managed to grab his notebook previously thrown out the window by his old friend Izuku Midoriya, he just felt his heart sink a little deeper seeing how people viewed his dreams and hopes, good only for feeding the luminous fish.
...
Blinking slowly, the fifteen-year-old watched the koi carp shine with a blue light and circle around his notebook; his mouth opened to scream in fear, but the next second the light caught him and made him disappear.
"Huh?" A student turns towards the fish tank, thinking she's seen something, but then dismisses it and returns to her conversation. "So, as I was saying..."
~LH~
Falling is undoubtedly one of the worst experiences a human being can go through, unless they have wings or a jetpack, except that as usual Izuku found himself without any of his advantages being Quirkless.
That explains his reaction.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The human body is really not made to fall for so long in a dark environment that makes it think its next destination is hell.
"HHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAA !" ~BOOM~ ghufff !"
Finally, he ended up crashing flat on his stomach, tearing the few breaths of air from his lungs. Gasping after experiencing the fright of his life, Izuku gets up while looking all around him. At the moment, he is standing on an orange glass platform, and apart from that, he feels like he is nowhere.
This explains her murmuring panic attack.
"T-tou...what am I doing?! I'm stuck?! My god how am I going to get out of here?! And mom! Oh no she's going to worry! I have to get out of here! Except there's nothing here and I have no idea if it's a Villain's Quirk that lured me here!...damn what do I do?!" wondered the green-haired boy on the verge of a nervous breakdown, running his hands through his hair.
"I've seen guys panic, but you're really one of a kind."
The voice startled him, turning around in a defensive position he looked at the strange man in a grey suit and green hair a few meters away from him in the company of a smaller lady resembling a rabbit.
"Is that really Musa?" Thomas asks, looking at the boy's face with those sunglasses.
"No doubt about it, sir, I was very careful when opening the gate," the little green girl assured with a proud smile.
"Good, you take care of the final checks, I'll take care of the rest," he said, taking a notepad and pen out from behind him.
"Heard !"
Taking off like a rocket, the little lady approached the young boy, who was completely paralyzed by fear and became stiff as a board upon seeing a female presence in his private space; in fact, it wasn't even an image, as his entire body was covered in a mauve aura from which snakes escaped, preventing him from moving.
"Wh-what-
"Calm down, my sweetie ~ Auntie Musa just wants to check something small ~" she assures in a cheerful voice that doesn't match her smile at all, which looks more like a shark's.
"Hey kid," said Thomas, striding towards the motionless young boy who could do nothing while the little green girl felt his legs and arms like a doctor would. "I'm sorry I took you without warning, but unfortunately something came up that forced me to speed things up. Anyway, to make a long story short, I'm Thomas Ludkage, I'm a game master, and I'm here today to make you a Player."
"Huh?! Phew!" His body was turned upside down, forcing him to stay upside down while Musa touched his stomach with his fingertips, making him laugh. "W-wait, s-pffff hahahahhaha!"
"Oh he's ticklish!" she says, amused, running her fingers along the sides of the green-haired boy who is still laughing.
"So here's what it entails," continued the two-meter-tall man, reading his text carefully. "In exchange for your cooperation, I promise to give you a System, which will allow you to gain powers by performing feats or defeating monsters."
Once he was turned right side up, Midoriya, who had been listening to his kidnapper's speech, felt quite incredulous at what he was hearing.
"What?! You want to give me powers?! But there's no such thing as a Quirk like that!"
"Exactly, consider me a god, it will help you accept things," the green-haired man said simply with a shrug, while Musa turned on a flashlight and looked through the young man's ear, who couldn't even squirm. "Anyway, becoming a Player comes with the following advantages: you will gain abilities, or in your language, Alters."
"Really?!" he asks hopefully, unaware even of how Musa is rummaging through his hair.
"You'll also have quests to help you progress; their difficulty will increase with your level, so don't expect to play in easy mode," Thomas warns, turning the page. "You can think of it as your life becoming a video game."
"Sure, it's happening again...just a minute! I must be dreaming! Or are you trying to brainwash me?" You can count on a comic book fan to imagine any scenario.
"Which brings me to what could lead to the breakdown of the agreement. First of all, you are strictly forbidden from speaking to anyone about your Player status. If you do, all your skills will be revoked, and you will also lose your memory of everything related to the System," he explains, finally removing his glasses. He watches the young man swallow as Musa adjusts his shoes and releases him from his grip, preventing him from moving. "Secondly, and this is in the event that you refuse my proposal, you will leave here the same way you came, and you will remember nothing."
"I-I don't understand anything... you're saying you're a god?!" he asked, bewildered, looking around. "And that you want to give me a Quirk that could make me as strong as All Might?"
"Whose...oh, him?" he inquired boredly before shaking his head. "Please! However powerful he may be, you will be a Player Izu-
"The Japanese only use the given name if they allow it," Musa happily warned.
"...Midoriya," sighed the green-haired boy, quickly biting his index finger. "I'm sorry I can't give you a more complete tutorial, but I have a lot of work today, so I have to keep it brief."
"Uh, sorry..." apologizes the teenager under the approving gaze of the Eicide.
"Okay, so to sum up, I propose you get what you need to achieve your dream and become a hero," he said, placing a hand on his hip. "Becoming a Player is the best way to achieve that, plus you'll only be limited by your work ethic."
"Okay...let's say I believe all of this," Izuku said slowly, drawing a circle to represent the strange situation or dream he found himself in. "You offered me this without asking for anything in return?"
"As I said earlier, I am a Game Master, which means I run a show in which the Players are the main actors; all the Eicides will be able to follow your adventures and even send you quests."
"...I don't really want everyone to see my life and my most intimate secrets," he said in a timid voice, imagining thousands of divine eyes on him while he was in the bathroom.
"Don't worry, I have a privacy form here. You just have to write what you're willing to show. I must inform you, though, that the more Eïcide sees, the more generous they become," he said with a mocking smile that the young man didn't appreciate at all. "Okay, Mr. Modest, let's forget about that for now. If you accept, the system will change your life completely. Nothing will be the same again, and you'll finally be able to realize your dreams."
"This is the winning ticket of the century!" Musa agrees with a sparkling smile.
This seems to be the case for Izuku, who took a moment to process what was happening. He, who had always dreamed of living a comic book life, was finally getting his wish. He was being given a chance to be on equal footing with the rest of the world, which until now had treated him with nothing but mockery and condescension. Yet he wondered if this offer was as advantageous as the divine beings before him claimed, who did not seem any more interested in his fate than the others.
(This might be my only chance to become a hero...) he thought, biting his lower lip. (I've hoped for years... I've tried not to be jealous, but today... I'm being offered what I've always dreamed of...)
"I accept"
"Wonderful," said Thomas with a broad smile, handing his notepad to Izuku, who took it with confusion. "Now you have to fill out this form, oh, and you have to sign at the bottom to give me the broadcasting rights."
"...I see..." said the green one, frowning at one of the questions.
-Do you accept that your sexual relations are visible? If not, indicate your level of visibility.
-Mist or other lucky object will mask the juicy details of your anatomy and those of your partner.
-Erasure of private parts for those watching.
-Pixeled.
-A time ellipsis that will stop once ecstasy is reached.
It was with a deep blush that the young teenager ticked the last box, the other questions concerned a lot of private life so it greatly calmed Izuku to be able to keep a semblance of privacy despite the fact that his life is now being sold as entertainment for divine beings, to think that this morning his only concern was not to arrive late to class.
Having finally finished the questionnaire, he handed it to the Ludkage, who read it quickly before nodding.
"Very well, now that the administrative formalities are completed we can get down to business, I will leave it to Musa to explain the rest of the events to you, I will come back later for the details, see you later Midoriya" concluded the Eicide with a snap of his fingers making him disappear in a pink cloud.
Swallowing slightly, he looks at the game master's assistant, a broad smile making the golden surface shine, reflecting the frightened image of the young boy who has just agreed to be a Player.
"Alright, Mido-chouchou, we're now going to look at the basics of the System that Mr. Ludkage has just granted you."
"I already have it?" he asks, looking at his open palms in confusion.
"Yes, sir doesn't like to bother with dramatic effects, he prefers a good old-fashioned signature," she laughs, clapping her hands together. "Well, now it's my turn to explain to you how to use the Player System!"
Swallowing his saliva while clenching his fists, the teenager mentally prepares to retain as much information as possible about the source of his power that will allow him to become a hero.
"To begin, we'll look at the features available at the start. Mido-chouchou, I'm going to ask you to think about the word 'Status'."
"Uh, very well," he said nervously as he carried out the task.
[Status]
Level: 1
Midoriya Izuku.
Race: Human.
Alias:The Player, Deku.
Credit: 0
A translucent green window with a black outline appeared in the upper right corner of his vision; stunned but above all amazed to be living a fantastic experience for the first time in his life, he ignored most of the information, simply moving his head to see the screen follow the movement.
"Incredible...well, not what's written, but..." he said with a trembling smile at the thought of finally having a Quirk of his own.
"I understand your joy, Mido-chouchou, it's not every day that our lives change so drastically," she giggled happily, raising a finger. "The Status indicates the most important general information for the Player; for now, it doesn't display much, but that will change as you become stronger."
"That seems logical..."
"Now let's move on to the statistics."
[Statistical]
Force:E
Agility :D
Constitution:D
Intelligence:C
Dexterity: C
Additional information on the ranks.
Each statistic reflects in real time the strengths and weaknesses of the Player allowing him to see his progress or shortcomings in order to fill them.
The power scale of the Ranks will be classified to match the standards of your world; to give a more concrete example, here are the statistics of the hero All Might.
Force:EX
Agility:SS
Constitution:S
Intelligence:B
Dexterity: SS
Here is the ranking:
AND
F
D
C
B
A
S
SS
SSS
EX
UL
Seeing all this made him feel like he'd been punched in the stomach, seeing his strength ranked immediately at the lowest level while his idol was only one rank away from reaching the top of the rankings, which made him curious about the meaning of Ul.
[UL: ultimate rank, once this rank is reached the Player can consider this statistic as the pinnacle of any individual on this planet because no non-Player can surpass the EX rank]
...that makes him a little excited.
"I imagine it's quite confusing, isn't it, Mido-chouchou?" Musa joked, rocking back and forth on his feet.
"Quite yes...but it's still incredible to see all this for real..." he replied, slightly embarrassed to see his strength in the last row.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it with time," she assured him with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Now I'm going to explain the latest features, even though some are locked for now. The first is the inventory; you can store anything in it as long as it's not a living being, so don't try putting rabbits in there...it's horrible to see them explode."
Not wanting to imagine the gentle creatures reduced to red mush, he quickly nodded his head.
"Then we have the equipment. It's not very interesting right now unless you pick up weapons or armor, but thanks to it you can save all the clothes you've worn in your life and put them on and take them off in a second, handy, right?" she laughed, now walking around the young man. "After that there's the Universal Shop. To buy anything there you'll need credits that you'll earn by completing achievements and quests, or by exterminating monsters in the Dungeons."
"Dungeons?" Izuku asks with an excited smile at the prospect of experiencing a Dragon Quest-style adventure.
"Yes, these are places, each with a difficulty level, just like your stats. Of course, only you and you alone can see them and enter them, so don't even try to bring any friends for a picnic!" she exclaimed with a stern expression that made her rather cute in the young man's eyes. "Of course, the dungeon doors are hidden, so to find one you have to keep your eyes peeled, understand, sweetie Mido?"
"Yes madam!" he said, his cheeks flushing a little from listening to the woman in front of him call him by that nickname.
"Good boy! Next we have skills, which are unique abilities unlocked by the Player. To help you understand better, here are the first two free ones!"
With her hands she summons a ray of red light and a green one, each striking the heart and forehead of the young man, who suddenly feels his body tremble for a moment as if he were caught in an immense shiver, while his mind becomes clouded as if he were waking from a bad dream.
[Congratulations! You have acquired skills!]
Skill:
Player's Body: Your body has broken free from the laws of this world; now you evolve in a way that is beyond the comprehension of other mortals.
Player's Spirit: Protects you from mental disturbances and helps you think clearly even in the face of death; your mind is finally free, enjoy it!
"Wow! ...It's..." the change is not as important as he would have thought but one thing is for sure Player's Mind is working at full speed given how his fear is starting to subside as he thinks rationally.
"These are the mandatory skills for a Player. Thanks to the first one, you can collect skills and use them. The second one primarily serves to prevent you from having mental disorders and also prevents others from snooping around in your brain and discovering the System," she explains, stretching her body upwards. "Well, that concludes my explanation of the Player System. Are there any questions?"
"Uh, yes! I'd like to know when I'm about to increase my stats? Do I have an experience bar or something like that?" the teenager asks with greater ease, which greatly surprises him, even putting a hand to his throat and noting no stuttering in his speech.
"Well no, to quickly rank up you need to train in a certain way. For strength and agility, you just need to do sports or fight. Your stats improve thanks to your efforts, Mido-chouchou, so don't expect to become powerful without doing anything," advises the pink-eyed Eïcide kindly, waving her finger. "Of course, there are hidden features that you can unlock as you go along."
"What? I don't have access to everything from the start?" he asks, frowning in confusion.
"No, you have to earn this kind of thing, my boy, but don't worry, you'll understand in due time," she assures him, taking an orange key from her pocket and throwing it to the young student who catches it with some difficulty. "Very well, I think I've explained everything to you, now I'll let you have fun!"
Quest Alert!
Everyone needs a tutorial.
You've been chosen to become the Player! The only problem is you're a complete noob who's never had any powers! That's why Musa suggests you practice in a Rank E dungeon to end the day on a high note!
Reward: Level increase, 5000 credits, [Turbo] skill.
Failure: You get nothing and you leave feeling like a loser.
For more information please consult the Player guide.
Staring intently at the text before him, the new player couldn't help but marvel at the promised rewards. He certainly wasn't about to refuse a skill to build his future heroic arsenal! He was so thrilled that he automatically accepted the quest. Once he did, the windows vanished, leaving him alone in the middle of the area. He then watched the key in his hands glow faintly.
[Congratulations! You have unlocked a skill!]
"What?! But I didn't do anything at all!"
[Player's Eyes: Unlike most mortals, your eyes can see hidden information in the world by concentrating on it; the amount of information obtained depends on your intelligence rank.]
[Bronze key]
[Open the Dungeon door [Zombie Park]
[Yes]
"Wow! That's incredible!" exclaimed Midoriya, letting out a cry of joy at seeing such a useful ability.
[To use the key, simply turn it in front of you and think of the "Open" command. Be careful, once the key is used you cannot leave the Dungeon unless you have finished it according to the victory or defeat conditions. Time will be suspended while the Player is in the Dungeon and will resume upon exiting. Once the Dungeon is finished you will no longer be able to access it.]
Upon seeing the explanation, Izuku began to think. On one hand, there seemed to be only advantages to entering the Dungeon immediately, if we forget that he had never fought in his life, having instead served as a human shield to protect others from Bakugo's bullying. Shaking his head to forget his bad memories, he straightened up slightly while turning the key.
(If I don't start changing now then all this power will be wasted!...I must not back down, All Might will not hesitate!) the young man mentally affirms as he watches the key sink into the void around which electric arcs jump before intersecting, creating a spark that quickly turns into a blazing flame that began to move like an infernal serpent, rapidly outlining the frame of the door which collapses in on itself from the inside, seeing only black and orange, the young man took a moment before jumping inside the portal.