Chapter 5: Be As Free, As You Can Be
He should've known that, after such a long day, he wouldn't be catching a break anytime soon. He also figured that, since he finally got his 'quirk', he would be challenged against time to start figuring things out before the Yuuei Entrance Exams; this was not what he was expecting. Actually, there was not a single time in the past twenty-four hours where Izuku had any clue as to what was going to happen next.
First, he woke up with this new, incredible power that he greatly doubted having. Next, he discovers that he's not crazy! And that he really does have one! Until finally, he is attacked by a sludge villain, meets All-Might, is rejected, activates his 'magical abilities', shoots ice from his fingertips, and summons an 'elemental being from another dimension called Oblivion!?'
Izuku shook his head but quickly regretted his actions when the mild migraine returned. However, his MP wasn't the problem, rather the tiny trickle of blood that led from his forehead to his nose. In a panic, Izuku rummaged his hands across his forehead, checking for a cut, or even a bruise, but there was no sign of any damage. Just blood? He wondered curiously.
Turning around, ignoring the plethora of screens that followed, he found the source of impact. A rock covered in blood; he probably hit his head and went unconscious when he… 'when I was…' his eyes widened.
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In front of him, as he turned again, was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. His mind became stuck in a fantasy-fever, which made sense given the circumstances. It was only after a sweat drop and a prolonged gasp that Izuku took attention to the flickering abundance of red and green lights in his peripherals. They seemed almost hungry for his attention.
Trying to ignore the beauty that lay before him, Izuku begins to read the descriptions, wasting no time in trying to figure out what was going on by his own means. Upon spotting the first screen, his eyes bulged at the length of those behind it, nearing his own height with nothing but words.
[Update: Due to the unknown Malfunction of "OuterWorldly Transportation" {User} has been randomly transferred within the Merildek dimension. Immediate return to Earth is not currently possible but will be available soon! ??:??:?? Cooldown!]
Pure panic began to fill Izuku's body. Was he trapped here? For how long? If he returns, will he be teleported somewhere random on Earth!? Will he be drifting in the endless ocean upon arrival? Would he be dead before that!? So many thoughts began to rush through his head, and he shook in panic, slowly crumbling to his knees. It had taken him a few minutes to gather his thoughts and breath to come to terms with his conditions. 'I'm in the middle of nowhere, trapped in a 'supposed' dimension that goes by the name 'Merildek' and have no clue when I might return. My head is bleeding from an unknown source, and I might or might not have a concussion. I have little food and water in my backpack—' Izuku turns his head towards his backpack, layed neatly on the ground, a few water bottles hanging on the outskirts. Just how much water did this kid carry!? '—try to remember those survival videos online!'
Quickly whipping out his "always-on-hand" journal, Izuku made sure that "survival" was still a category. Luckily, it was, so that was out of the question now. It had been only after a solid minute more of thinking that Izuku flipped his palm upwards, swinging his fingertips in the air. Doing this caused the screens to come back up, displaying a lengthy show of words.
'Let's start with this one…'
[Location Saved & Marked: Y:? X:? / Lands Of Bladelbem]
[Second Day] +9% EXP Gain [24:00:00 Hrs]
[You Had A Bad Fall, But You Are Determined!] +2% EXP/INT/WIS/AGI/DEX/VIT/WIT Gain!
[You Have Slept And Are Fully Rested!]
[HP/MP/ST Have Been Fully Restored!]
Currency Conversion Complete [Increased Currency]: 5500 Yen to 15 Silver and 1 Copper!
Upon reading the last statement, Izuku quickly searched his All-Might wallet, only to find that his money had been, in fact, turned into fifteen silverish coins, and a singular copper penny. Or, was it a penny? Probably not… 'Just what kind of quirk is this!?' he questioned, unknowing of what he should feel about it. And, was it even a quirk in the first place? Izuku, the Quirk Intelligence Extraordinaire, had never heard of a quirk like this. So far, he had been able to gather that his quirk was not one… but many. Many, upon many.
Screens, a common quirk amongst societyRealistic Journaling System, also a fairly common quirk Status Applicators, a rare quirk in TokyoHealing Quirk, another fairly rare quirkIce Quirk, an exotic quirkMap Navigation System, an uncommon quirkMatter Manipulation, an aberrant quirkAnalyzing, an uncommon quirkP.D.Detector, one of a kind quirk External Quirk Enhancer, an uncommon quirk Teleportation, one of the rarest quirks Wikipedia Quirk, American Commodity quirk Dimensional Manipulation, only one in existence The Gamer? Never mentioned in any documentarySo. Was this even a quirk to begin with? Well, for Izuku's sake, he had hoped so. The complication was the last thing he wanted right now, as he was already in quite a pickle already. Speaking of complicated, Izuku had been stuck in a trance again, causing his pop-ups to cower away, only for him to swipe them up again. Honestly, he was really wasting time, and he was scared to find out what happens at night in this foreign land. If bears and wolves were the main problems, then maybe he'd feel a little more at ease; now that he has an 'Ice Quirk' he was fairly confident that he could scare them off at the very least. The main source of his fear was in temperature, bugs, and disease. If he got sick, he would certainly die. If he ate the wrong berries, he could die. If he drank polluted water, he would get dysentery. He shivered at the thought but stood firm. There was hope for him yet.
He stares at the first word on the list.
Hello, {User}. As you can see, you have entered an entirely new dimension, called the "Marildek" dimension, with just over its first three billion populace! Here, everybody has potential! Especially you! However, don't let your abilities deceive you, as you will find that you will begin to falter in progress the further you get, but don't be twice as fooled, as you can always push past your limits with pure determination and great intellect. Worry not about language, as your mind will quickly adjust to their speakings; spells still need to be studied in order to be understood.
[New Quest!]
Learn About The Cursed Lands Of Merildek!
While you are within this wonderful dimension, Time Moves in a very strange way but works with whatever situation you're in, and you will be notified when something important is occurring within even when you are not inside, and so on! Do not be discouraged to enter Marildek in fear of aging too quickly! Why? Because your age is not affected in both worlds in one time-singularity! However, if you die in Marildek or Earth, you will no longer be able to enter the dimension, and will be kicked into the next unlocked one! Note: You can bring visitors from Marildek to any other Dimension you currently know, including; Earth!
Oh, Lucky You! {User} has been officially spawned near the Bladelbem Kingdom! One of the many Kingdoms—the fourth-most wealthiest—that exists within this realm.
Turns Out You're Not So Lucky! {User} has been spawned many miles away from the Kingdom, and is currently lost! Find a mountain to determine where you are!
[New Main Quest]
Here, you may learn how to;
Brew Fantastical Potions! {Quest}Meet Wild Beasts And Tame Them! {Quest}Find Your Spirit Animal! {Quest}Learn About The Towns And Kingdoms That Make Up The World! {Quest}Learn The Elements That Form Magic! {Quest}Discover The Properties Of The Natural Balances! {Quest}Enchant And Bewitch However You See Fit! {Quest}Curse And Hurt As Your Heart Desires! {Quest}Save Lives, Become A Hero, And Give To Charity! {Quest} {Quest} {Quest}Defeat Evil And Corrupted Creatures, Explore Dungeons, And Loot Away! {Quest} {Quest} {Quest}Make New Friends, Work, Pillage, Conquer, Fall In Love, And So Much More! {Quest} {Quest} {Quest} {Quest} {Quest}
{QUEST ALERT}
[New Main Quest]
Climb A Mountain! Find Refuge In Bladelbem! {Marked On Map!}
[19 New Quests]
Tap For More Information …↓
[Would You Like To Activate All Quests?] [Y/N]
[No Penalties]
Overwhelmed. To put it simply, he was overwhelmed. Raising his finger, Izuku pressed the Ybutton, seeing no harm in doing so. In fact, he could already tell that by doing these quests, he would most likely be getting awards from them. And, not only was he informed that 'Merildek' had a populace of just over three billion—nothing close to that of the ten billion on Earth—but he was also informed that there was a… Kingdom by the name of Bladelbem. Fortunately, he was close. Well, if an unknown amount of miles was close, then yeah; that didn't matter. 'Climb a mountain…' Izuku began, searching around.
In the distance, Izuku spotted a fairly decently sized mountain, triple checked his bag, put on his backpack, and started to make his way towards the slope of the rock he was sitting on. Just before sliding down the side, he opened his menu.
[Map]↓
{Would You Like Activate Open Your Map? Y/N?}
Without hesitance, Izuku pressed Y and looked up to find a two-dimensional image with a small, yet clearly visible cursor—it was blue—and another dot on the map, highlighted as "MISSION OBJECTIVE." Well, that was fairly useful. Not only was it marked on the map, but the greenish line from the beginning of all this madness had also made an appearance. In fact, it had been there this entire time… how did I not notice that? He thought, "maybe I have to focus on it?"
With one last readjustment to his bag, he set off further into the forest—scared, yes—and took a final look back for good keeping. He'd remember to mark his 'spawn point' on his map.
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Honestly, Izuku would be understating the difficulty he had trying to cross the large river that separated him from freedom, but it was well worth the trouble. It had been a good thirty minutes to get to the other side and had cost him a few bruises to his hands and legs. The last time he had a workout like this was too long ago. Should've hit the gym more, really. At the same time, who would've guessed that he'd need it?
Now, instead of a rocky water-scape covered in water, was a long and flat landscape. Around him were plenty of mountains, and strangely enough, a faded gravel path embedded into the ground. Despite his discovery of a trail, he was more flabbergasted by the strange fauna that surrounded him, ranging from smiling-flowers and glowing mushrooms, all the way to random green-moss-ish stumps, meeting parallel in the sky.
From here on out, Izuku only needed to follow the gravel trail—he could see the shining waypoint just a small way ahead of him—sloped upwards.
"Menu," Izuku ponders, activating his 'quirk.' When the all-too-familiar screen pops up, he swiftly opens the 'Help' option, continuing the guidelines given to him.
Thirty minutes pass and Izuku is half-way to his marker; so far, he's discovered that his map actually has a 3D feature, leveling system, and a locator for nearby bio-life. He had discovered that his map had given him a form of ESP to locations that he has already been in, and documented everything within a fifteen-meter document. This included land, bio-life signatures, but not everything. The map was wonky and amazing in its own charming way, but it could absolutely be improved.
"Q-quests," he pondered again, causing a red and blue flash to steal his vision. The list of quests he was recently given began to appear, and a small scroll bar revealed itself to the right of it. To the left of each quest was a distance meter, which he had recently learned, and was the reason that he was looking this up now.
[Main Quests]
[218.02 m] Climb A Mountain! {Marked On Map!}[Nearby]
[?] Find Refuge In Bladelbem!
[6,437.18 m] Learn About The Cursed Lands Of Merildek!
[Side Quests]
[?] Brew Fantastical Potions!
[?] Meet Wild Beasts And Tame Them!
[?] Find Your Spirit Animal!
[?] Learn About The Towns And Kingdoms That Make Up The World!
[6,633.98 m] Learn The Elements That Form Magic!
[?] Discover The Properties Of The Natural Balances!
[?] Enchant And Bewitch However You See Fit!
[?] Curse And Hurt As Your Heart Desires!
[?] Save Lives
[?] Become A Hero
[?] Give To Charity!
[?] Defeat Evil And Corrupted Creatures
[?] Explore Dungeons, And Loot Away!
[?] Make New Friends
[?] Work
[?] Pillage
[?] Conquer
[218.19 m] Fall In Love [Nearby]
'Fall… fall in love?' Izuku wondered, a dry sweat running down his chin. Slowly, his finger approached the screen, and a small popup revealed itself.
[Are You Wanting To Track This Quest? Y/N?]
He pressed… Y.
Chapter 6: Hina Katsuma
Having been given the delightful news—his quest being very near—Izuku had assumed that he would be getting to his destination within the hour. Oh, how much of a joke that was. It had turned out that the red dots on his map were aggressive animals, and they had littered the mountain. How did Izuku figure that out? Well, luckily, he had only run into a strangely dirty raccoon that had tried to attack him. Why was that a good sign? That's for you to figure out. Random dimension… yeah, ther're probably evil demon creatures laying about.
At first, Izuku had thought that the red dots were bugs and mushrooms, but once he ran into the devilish raccoon, he was quick to return to the guideline handbook— {Red dots: Aggressive Creatures! Make Sure To Take Advantage Of This Feature!— and wished that he had looked more into it.
Oh! You might be wondering, what happened to Izuku? He ran. Once Izuku had come into the encounter with the raccoon, he instinctually blasted it with an 'Ice Ray' which ended up, not only freezing the raccoon's feet to the ground, but also leveled up his Frost Bite to level two. According to the handbook, this allowed him to use the spell for a longer duration and used up fewer magic points. After freezing the raccoon in place, Izuku didn't hesitate to get back onto the trail and continue his quest. Of course, he would try to explore a little bit on his own, that numb-skull!
[58.22 m]
A sudden smile seemed to crawl onto Izuku's face. Unknowingly, he had been following the luminescent green string for quite some time and had ended up reaching an endpoint. The problem? The string was now entirely wedged into the side of the mountain. Not only was there no slope , but it was a wall of dirt, moss, vines, flowers, and strange stones around the entrance . Despite this, Izuku moved around a bit and noticed that the string had been leading at an upwards angle, almost 70 degrees to be exact, through a crevice in the wall.
Being stuck in the loop was starting to, in a sense, scare Izuku. He had been pondering in place for a short while, staring and analyzing the situation, but had come up with nothing. This continued for some time, until Izuku finally had the epiphany…
Staring long and hard at the wall of dirt in front of him, Izuku called out to his innate abilities, "Analyze."
[Lesser Hidden Passage: This strange bundle of dirt and nature is actually a hidden shortcut to the top of the mountain! Good eye!]
[Analysis Has Level Up To 9!]
'It was a p-passageway?' Izuku thought, moving closer to the dirt wall. He softly layed his palm against the wall, feeling its edges, before accidentally pushing it inwards. Strange. Trying it again, but with more force, the wall began to give in, almost like a double-door. In fact, it was exactly like that, and the door started to open, revealing a somewhat long staircase going upwards. Izuku was hesitant to enter at first, but quickly made his ascent after analyzing the inside a little bit more; both naturally, and ' quirk given. '
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Once Izuku reached the top of the stairs, he was delighted to see the green string come to an end, yet not quite finished. It was certainly nearly faded out but had extended past a conveniently tall bush that stood just a yard from the exit. First, he checked for stickers, or any strange oils on the fauna, but found nothing. After a quick Observe and Analysis , he had actually learned that the bush was a 'Mountain Whipper,' originally named after the death of somebody by the name of Geronimo Kentavis III. Izuku had no clue who that was but remembered to write it down in his notebook just in case. You have leveled up Note Taking!
Then, he stepped on a branch, and his quest popup flashed red—his map, too. He hadn't realized it before, but there had been a small green dot just a few meters in front of him. {Green Markers: Friendly Or Non-aggressive Entities} That was the moment he remembered his other quest, "Find Love."
"Ha—" a feminine voice began, making crunching sounds beneath their feet as they moved around. "Hello?" the voice continued. Izuku seemed to sweat at her voice, taking a step back from the Whipper bush, only to step on another stick. His map lit up, and his eyes turned.
"This is not a joke! State your presence, immediately! Or else! "
The previously green dot had suddenly become orange. {Orange Markers: Entities That Are Slowly Becoming Aggressive. If Not Dealt With Soon, This Will Turn Into A Red Marker}
'C-crap…' Izuku thought, giving in to his misfortune. And, as hard as it was, he put his hands above his head and passed through the bush. Finally passing through the Whipper, his quest screen appeared before him, congratulating him for finishing one of the quests, but not the other; he would've checked, but kept his eyes on the blade that was pointed directly between his eyes, merely a yard away. His eyes seemed to close in panic."I-I d-didn't mean to s-startle you!"
Now wielding a sword in hand, an eyebrow raised, she began, " how did you find this place? And state your name and birth-nation before coming any closer; for all I know, you may be a spy sent by the N-allë federation." The-what now?
Shaking, Izuku dared to open an eyelid, taking a glance at his capturer—his mind went numb. For the first time in his life, his heart had skipped a beat, several, even. The only problem was that this wasn't fear, joy, sadness, panic, shame, or even embarrassment. It was something entirely new, and it would be edged into his mind for eternity. His body went frozen, and he could feel an aching pain in the depths of his heart. He started to crack. Uh oh.
"Did you not hear me? I said, what's your name—"
"I-Izuku!" his hands found their way to his mouth as soon as he had shouted the words. There was an innocent look in his eyes as he bowed slightly, "s-sorry, I-I didn't m-mean to y-yell at you." A small silence passed, and the breeze seemed to pick up their hair, drifting gently in the wind. A tiny bundle of flower petals found themselves in that current, whizzing by them.
The girl in front of him seemed to lessen her handle on her rapier after this, but kept a firm grip non-the-less.
"Do you have a heritage name?" she asked, her voice becoming raspy in the cold mid-day air. 'A… heritage name? A last name?'
Izuku raised his head, "Izuku Midoriya… a-and I'm not from around here if that's what you mean," he lied. What was he supposed to say? I'm from another world? Was he even in another world to begin with, or was this still a big joke being played out by very unfortunate events? He wouldn't know. After saying his piece, he noticed that the orange marker had faded back into green, but it didn't seem to mean that the girl in front of him would put down her rapier. It might've gotten closer, actually.
With quick precision, she looked at Izuku's outfit and nodded approvingly; his uniform was similar to that of the scholars at the Kingdoms Magical-High. At first, she had assumed that it was a college uniform, but his punny appearance said otherwise.
"How did you get up here. This location is forbidden to the scholars of Bladelbem, you know?"
'Scholars of… Bladelbem? Like a school inside the kingdom, perhaps?' Izuku wondered. However, he was quick to respond, "W-well… you see, I-I u-um…" man, he hated lying, "I kind of got lost?" His heart started to pound again.
The girl seemed to raise a smirk at that but remained chivalrous with her stance—her brows started to loosen up. "Lost?" she sneered, only for Izuku to nod his way out of speaking.
"I-I figured t-that I could find my way back if I could get somewhere high enough… so I climbed the mountain—?"
"—Impossible. The only way to get up this mountain is by taking the passageway; how did you find it?"
That's when another bead of sweat had started to make its way down his face again. Would she even understand if he told her? No, probably not… looks like he's stuck with lying for right now.
"My… my quirk sensed it?" he replied. The girl seemed to tilt her head.
Liar Skill Has Leveled Up!
"Your… quirk? " she questioned, "Is that just another way of saying 'ability?' or 'Magic,' perhaps? "
Without going too far into it, he nodded again, agreeing, but he couldn't shake off the fact that… 'Do they call quirks magic or special abilities here?'
"Well, in that case, sorry for my sudden aggressiveness," a sudden chuckle made itself known, lightly tingling Izuku's ears. He'd never heard a more beautiful voice…
"Yeah, let's just keep this between us. Sorry for making it a scene—I won't tell the overwatch that you were here as an apology." Quickly, she slid her rapier back into her side holster and bowed her head. This was something that Izuku has never had the luxury of being a part of; nobody had bowed to him before, so it was only natural for him to do the same—only to end up hitting his head against hers in an audible Bonk .
VIT Has Leveled Up!
Instantly, Izuku's face turned bright red, and his heart seemed to sink—only for it to rise back up when the girl in front of him smiled. And laughed… 'Cute…'
Wait. Did he say that out loud—
His process of thought was cut short by a sentence-cutting cough. Looking back up at her, he could now see the red that had stained her face— "A-are you g-getting cold? S-should w-we… leave? " Now that he thought about it, and now that he'd brought up the subject, he hasn't felt cold since he arrived… He knew that it was, but it didn't poke at him, rather, he felt kind of at home.
" No ," she replied simply, "I'm an Ice-mage, just like you, actually." Izuku propped up at that, and she was swift to notice; "O-oh! My bad!" she apologized, "I could tell because of your fingers—also, your hair and eyes also give it away." There was that beautiful chuckle again.
'My eyes… and hair?' Izuku wondered, moving his hand towards his hair before tugging at the front. To his surprise—and absolute terror—his hair had turned into an icy light blue. In fact, as his fingers caressed his tangles, he could see and feel the comical snowflakes falling off. What would his mother think of this!? Then, his mind went backward as it remembered two very important things.
Appearance Has Changed Due To The Combined Arts Of Frost {ACTIVATED}
Description: Due to your permanent proficiency in the Arts Of The Cold, your hair has turned into an icy blue, replacing the forest green, but not the blacks. Due to your enhanced immunity to the cold, your eyes have changed to an icy blue, and your skin is now normally measured at 30 Degrees Fahrenheit. Bonus: When you are asleep, you form a protective shell of ice around your body to protect yourself, and those that accompany you for bed, from harm. This ability can be turned off in the settings menu; appearance is permanent…
And finally;
"I promise to bring you back as soon as I can!"
"Are you alright, there?" the girl asked, "you went, er, very pale for a second, y'know?"
"I-I'm fine! I-it's j-just that… th—uh, you n-never told me your name?"
" My name?" she asked, almost as if curious herself, a finger on the tip of her rapier's handle; she replied anyway, but not before covering the handle in ice.
"I'm Hina Katsuma , and I'm a Senior at Sentaba, the school for upcoming Elemental Mages."
She gave him a warm smile. Izuku returned it, albeit awkwardly.
"Would you care to tag along? I have to head back anyway; good thing it's the weekend—we should both get back to our studies before dawn."
Chapter 7: Trail To Bladelbem Kingdom
[Congratulations! CHR Tree Has Been Unlocked!]
[2 Quests Completed!]
[Climb The Mountain!]
[Fall In Love!]
Rewards:
1000 XP
Lesser Life Potion x4 [INVENTORY]
Lesser Magic Potion x6 [INVENTORY]
Silver Coin x20 [INVENTORY]
Lovers Necklace x2 [Unequipped]
Unfortunately, The Link Is Unavailable!
[Main Quest Active!]
[Reach the Bladembel Kingdom!]
[4,712 m]
16 Minutes Later…
After their encounter, 'Hina' tagged along with Izuku back to the Kingdom. For most of their descent down the mountain, Izuku would casually mention his troubles traveling to it, and how he had "g-got lost behind a massive pond!" And how he had to go around it; he thought it wiser to not enter the unknown waters. As it turned out, he was more than right to trust his instinct, as Hina had explained to him that the pond was filled to the brim, "with some of the most potent Dead-Water. It's known for sapping those who enter it from their magic, and then their life force, which in turn feeds the water's beauty. After this revelation, Izuku shivered, himself catching the attention of Hina. Shortly after, she asked if he wanted to stop and warm up—only to remember that he probably wasn't cold. Despite this, they rested under an entanglement of vines and trees. Silence pursued during the break, but the noise soon came back as they got on track. It was now that Izuku began to clear up the misconception about his origins to Hina—he mentioned his age too, ending up with even more information about her in return. She was also his age, and her birthday wouldn't be too long from now.
"Oh," Hina sighed, "sorry for assuming that you were enrolled in Sentaba—your uniform resembles the school's daily-ware, so, I assumed you went there; not to mention that you've unlocked an element for ice, like me; doesn't usually come naturally to most commoners. That's my fault—"
"N-no!" Izuku denied, "i-it's not your f-fault at all… b-besides, I kind of showed up out of nowhere, and I didn't really deny your accusation earlier, so i-it's m-my fault, really."
A small silence ensued.
"So, if you didn't attend Sentaba, then what school did you go to? Was it Demara, or maybe ElderHold?"
Izuku came to a pause, but didn't stop walking—
"I, uh, never actually attended any of the schools here in Bladelbem, nor any of the other Kingdoms," he replied. He'd assumed that there were more nationalities amongst the world, and he would be surprised if stood incorrectly. Despite his lack of knowledge about the world, common sense never hurt anybody.
Hina seemed to choke a little on the air surrounding them, staring at him inquisitively. "You're saying you've never attended any of the mage schools in Merildek?" she asked, her voice filled with surprise. Izuku turned to look at her, his hands gesturing quickly.
"N-no," he breathed hesitantly, "i-is that a bad thing—?"
"Not as far as I'm concerned… however, most of those that have even honed an element have forgone some form of Magical academic training. It's just surprising, really… unless you are a spy sent by the N-allë!" she laughed, playfully reaching for her rapier.
Maybe Izuku didn't understand the joke at play, but he followed along anyway. He'd do anything to keep himself away from that thing again. None-the-less, he laughed awkwardly but hadn't quite set-off the mood. Looking up, Izuku swiped his hands, causing a bundle of screens to make themselves known to him. He checked the map.
[4,512 m]
There wasn't a lot of progress, but they were getting somewhere. Had they not taken that fifteen-minute break, they would've been, statistically speaking, around [3218.69 m] away from the Kingdom Bladelbem. It was a surprise to Izuku to find out that, in fact, he would be taking the lead in their departure towards the kingdom. He probably should've mentioned that he had actually never really been to the Kingdom before, but that was not an option anymore. It had been scribbled out in the first few minutes of meeting Hina.
"It's impressive, Izuku."
[Relationships Menu Has Been Unlocked! See The Menu To Track Your Relationships]
Her voice echoed in his ears. Izuku ignored the blaring screen. Maybe it would've been a good idea to inform him that last names were not a priority or a custom in Merildek—because every Daedra in existence knows how socially deprived this kid was… not to mention his lack of practically everything else, too. He did a retake, his cheeks turning red. The only person to ever actually say his name was his mother, so to hear a girl his age call him out so suddenly? His heart was having trouble keeping up. Is this how it felt to have a quirk!?
"W-w-w-w-what w-was that?"
" Hm? " Hina hummed. " I just said that it was impressive?" her hands seemed to mesh together as she leaned forwards, reconnecting eye contact with Izuku who had tried to look away. "It's no small feat to hone into an elemental power without the help of those with prior experience. Some of the best students at my school needed Grimoirs to even get started," she remarked, saying it as though it was common knowledge. A sigh left her mouth as she finished, "I wish I could afford one of those things. Maybe I could finally learn how to obtain another element other than ice"
To this, Izuku's head tilted. He had heard of Grimoires once before in a fantasy movie but hadn't thought too much about them. As far as he knew, Grimoires carried magical knowledge that could be obtained upon instant use. And, least importantly, how much did they cost? Were they worth that much? Before Izuku could determine the answer, she continued.
"—well, I guess that's why I'm aiming for Yueei in the first place."
Izuku gagged, nearly falling over, only to be caught by a long stick that Hina had been toying around with since they took that break. Was he still on his planet? He wondered. Hina gently, yet strongly, lifted him back to his feet, having to catch him twice when he fell a second time, not entirely balanced out yet. The girl seemed to smile at him because of this.
"I—I know it's a big dream, and all, but you don't have to go falling over! Besides, I'm in the peek of my classes—well, my magic prowess could always be better, but my ability, 'Sword Magic' makes up for that disadvantage." She let out a small chuckle, covering her mouth a little. She continued down the path as Izuku began to question her, still failing to notice the branches and rocks under his feet as he tripped again and again.
"Y-you're g-going to Yueei?" He asked, his eyes turning into half stars and half question marks.
"Yeah! Well, I really just want to join for the money, and not the army… I-I know it's a pretty trashy way of thinking, but I'm the only person in my school who hasn't learned more than two elements, and..." her voice slowly drifted off, and Izuku looked towards her rapier. It was always covered in ice, he realized. Cool…
"Are you okay?" Izuku asked, his voice steady and calm. The girl perked up, blushing, "yeah, I'm good! Just, concerned, you know?"
Izuku nodded. He understood, too. Before this quirk of his
Sympathy filled Izuku as he locked his forest-blue eyes onto her gray-frozen ones. This brought forth a reaction from Hina, making her falter ever so slightly under his gaze. Her heart began to race, strangely enough… 'W-what's this feeling…' Hina wondered curiously, familiar to the feeling. She got that feeling whenever she spectated the Royal Battles, or when she was surrounded by the Ranks of the Kingdom. They're the coolest.
New Skill Unlocked: Comforting Gaze lvl.1 [Active]
Instead of having to open the screen, Izuku simply looked at the tab at the bottom, reading the top portion. He'd have to read about it later, but now he knew why she made those strange movements.
"S-sorry for staring!" he yelped.
The conversation continued. And for the next hour, for one minute of every twenty minutes, Hina looked at him, and she eased in a little more. She always considered herself as the more sociable person at Sentaba, but she was treated differently. She was typically treated as either a queen to the school for her outstanding swordsmanship or she was treated like an animal because of her lack of elemental control.
Izuku was one of the first few people she met outside of the Bladelbem Kingdom that didn't seem to care about her elemental flaws, or wasn't a spy . In Merildek, to be a student in magical arts without a variety of magic was considered a major flaw. Both Izuku and Hina found themselves in the same boat; they just didn't know it yet.
It turns out that, despite Izuku's realistic prediction, he actually had been "transferred" to another world. The meaning of this power scared him, but he didn't feel like wondering about it too much. Besides, he couldn't really get himself together in the first place! So much was going on!
[Comforting Gaze Leveled Up!] [Active]
[533.11 m]
"Would you like to take another break? I mean, we're not too far from Bladelbem, but you can rest up a bit if you want," Hina stopped, gesturing to a nearby rock and log for them to brood around. Izuku slowly nodded, gazing at her before taking a seat on the mossy log, and stretching his legs. He let out a much-needed groan as he felt his muscles pop and whir. He began to stir, taking a moment to check his abilities and stats. He became easily addicted to the swishing and swooshing of the screens in front of him. Joy filled his being.
'Progress Report,' Izuku thought; his quirk flared to life, and a bundle of notifications appeared before him. He was surprised to see a new screen, too, which showed his clothes.
Armor:
[Helmet] Nothing[Chest] School Uniform [Equipped]+1 Note Taking+1 AGI[Leggings] School Uniform [Equipped]Nothing[Shoes] School Uniform [Equipped]+1 DEX[ACCESSORIES] Lovers Necklace, Explorer's Ring[Lovers Necklace] +5 Charisma [Equip? Y/N]
Izuku turned his back to Hina, pretending to stretch his back as he accepted the Necklace—Only one of them appeared on his body, fading into existence—Hina failed to notice, and Izuku turned back around.
STR: 7
INT: 21
DEX: 9 {+1} 10
VIT: 8
AGI: 8 {+1} 9
WIS: 12
CHR: 5 {+5} 10
LUK: 6
Exp: 88.7% 2750/3100
He had leveled up quite a bit on his journey, and he was almost to his next level of progression. He checked his exp bar and smiled slightly. Just a little further, and Izuku would level up to 4. The rewards were different for each level, he read in the handbook, so curiosity got the best of him for the entirety of their small break. The one thing bringing him out of his stupor being Hina.
"Are you ready to go?" She asked subtly.
Izuku nodded, a little anxious as they returned to the path, eventually treading onto a large patch of gravel road that leads in all directions. It was also apparent to him that each one lead into the forests. Izuku was still amazed by the beauty of the Kingdom in front of him.
"Oh, since you're new here, you're gonna need to sign up a populace contract at the gates. But, don't worry about that! The fine is only around a silver or so every month."
Izuku turned at this. As far as he knew, silver wasn't too much but also had a large value. The currency was all jumbled to him; it'd probably be his next shower thought. "I-I mean, I have the coin ," Izuku learned to say, "but, I don't really have a job—"
"I thought you'd never ask!"
Chapter 8: Gates To Fantasy
[1 Quest Completed!]
[Reach Bladelbem Kingdom!]
Rewards:
[1000 XP]
[Explorer's Ring x1]
[50 Silver]
[Level Up! Level 4 Skills Are Now Available!]
Izuku looked down, his face red with anxiousness. This level up had been the best news he'd gotten in the last ten seconds—Hina tapped him on the shoulder, noticing his displacement in reality. Izuku turned to look, accidentally pulling the screen in front of him. The screen rested in front of Hina's bubbly face, making it seem brighter behind the neon screen. He used the opportunity to read the rest of the update.
[+1 Higher Level Skill Point!]
[+3 Lower Level Skill Points!]
Something Izuku had noticed after looking at this update was that the texts were always a little different from the last ones. He remembered reading about it in the handbook, slightly scared that his quirk might have been conscious after reading it; 'Over time, as the player levels up, so will The Gamer's ability to write better, and more organized text. This is a balance issue.' It was a strange thing, but Izuku appreciated the info. He suddenly jumped—
"Are you even listening to me?" Hina asked, puffing her cheeks. Izuku yelped, and nodded firmly. "Y-y-y-yes!" He stuttered. "Y-y-you w-want m-me to—to work with y-you!? A-are you sure!?"
The girl, in a giddy expression, jokingly returned the stutter, "Y-y-yeah. I mean, the pay's not a lot, but it will get you through all your expenses. After a while, you can even get documented for professionalism in your local transcripts. Uh, that means that you can get better jobs for higher pay. Also, it doesn't require any special kinds of magic or any real form of extreme talent; it's solely handiwork. See?" Hina lifted her arm, flexing it against the sun with a toothy, mad grin. She's the complete opposite from when I met her!
Seeing Izuku's obvious, yet strange smile as a yes, she pushed him forward, the chains around her waist tickling the wind with a ring. Izuku became hypnotized by her jumpy, bouncy self, following closely to her side. Bouncy—? Izuku flushed again in embarrassment, scolding himself mentally. The power of the cardiovascular system was a magic in its own.
Before he knew it, he was standing in front of a tall wooden door, metal beams welded to the top and bottom half sections, covered in what looked like the most pompous nails he had ever seen. After that point was a large gate leading to the inside of the Kingdom. Perhaps this was the entry toll?
Hina pushed the door open, but didn't get in his way. The inside revealed little but a large counter, maybe around four feet tall, but was extremely thick. Behind it was a man of… what Izuku could tell, large proportions… Izuku moved inside, his hands tucked close to his chest. He could practically feel his icy-blue hair dripping anxiously. I still need to find a place where I can bring back Boreal. That was his most important mission…
[New Quest: Talk To Boreal And Become Friends!]
Izuku perked up.
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"Hey!" The barbaric man in front of the counter approached, a large hand in the air. He slowly got up from his chair, grinning at Hina as she walked aside the newcomer.
"Afternoon, Zachiel!" Hina looked towards the paper-filled section to the right of the counter, smiling. "A lot of newcomers lately?" She asked.
Both figures seemingly forgot that Izuku had existed as they continued their conversation, dabbling about anything they seemed to come up with. Most were simply questions at first, but slowly became more professional as they began to talk about the Yuuei requirements and exams. As it turned out, the Yuuei in this world was in the same amount of days, and had highly resembled that of a hero school. However, here at the kingdom, Yuuei trained the greatest soldiers; whether they be Wizards, Archers, Or Warriors—they would all be highly trained in their crafts to be of service to the kingdom. Apparently, according to Zachiel, the pay was no joke. Izuku would spend the rest of the remaining time looking around, observing and analyzing. While doing this, he accidentally scanned Hina.
Name: Hina Katsuma
Gender: Female
Age: 14
Level: 12
Stats: [Unavailable]
[Quirk: None]
[Ability: Magic Sword]
Weaknesses: Fire, Cute Boys
Emotions: Joyful
Intents: Becoming A Well Paid Knight
Ranking: [Unavailable]
Titles: Talentless, Swordsman, Lover. [Unknown]
Relationship: |----X--|------|------|------| [Talking Terms]
Occupation: Waitress/Mote-Assistant
He meeped in surprise, thankfully quiet enough to not raise suspicion—he didn't want to ruin the moment; he hadn't expected her to be such a high level. Why was it high, you may ask? Because, in the handbook, learning increases values continue to ramp down through every level up, and the Exp needed will also increase. However, the awards will get better each time, and every ten levels, he gets a Special Point to put into something a little more extra. He'd have to be careful with those—he only had two at the moment.
{Journal Tip #121: Level Systems. Levels Do Not Determine Skill, Determination, Or The Likelihood Of Winning In A Battle. Levels Determine The Overall Progress Of An Entity Or Object, Like A Classification. From "Expect To Win" To "Expect To Die" or "Very Weak," To "Very Strong."}
Izuku's eyes folded in as the forced screen passed his eyes. He slouched over and rubbed his eyes, now catching the attention of the two Joyfuls.
"Oh, yeah! I totally forgot about you there, kiddo," Zachiel waved, a stupid grin on his face as he pulled up a slip of paper. "So, you're the new guy?"
Izuku nodded, "Y-yeah, that's me." He approached the counter, accepting the papers that the man was offering him. Taking a look, he lowered an eyebrow. There was no registration on this paper, rather, instead there was a simple contract to pay the fees on time or become a slave to the Kingdom. That made him wince a bit. They have… slaves?
Without further thought, he signed the contract, and handed the man the needed amount of silver— he had slight trouble finding the Silver coins, opting to just turn around and bring them from his inventory.Zachiel turned towards a small dispenser, his hand underneath a slot, and returned several copper to Izuku as change. He then pointed at a small stone at the other side of the room. "Follow me," he ordered, guiding Izuku towards the stone.
Izuku stood frozen before the strange stone tablet, held neatly by a small, rectangular podium.
' Observe.'
[Observe Has Leveled Up!]
Identification Stone: This Stone Is Made Entirely Of Third-Branch-Manarite, Which Absorbs A Small Amount Of Mana At A Time And Stores Its Information Like Code. Every Form Of Mana Is Different In Every Life-Form, And Accesses Information From That Mana Like A Program. Place Your Hand On The Table To Activate It.
Izuku looked towards Zachiel, who stared at the tablet and back at him; use it, kid. And so he did—his hands fell onto the stone, which glimmered in a sparkly, glittery blue haze. The neon light glazed the air around it, forming many images unknown to Izuku, before landing on one that was more than familiar to him. A massive , frozen snowflake, not once losing its shape; just on top of it, there was a small accessory.
Hina perked up a bit, "Zachiel! Look!" she pointed at the round, crowned object of the flake. Zachiel perked up as well, seeing something he hadn't seen very often, and mostly never from newcomers. He evaluated Izuku, staring at him. His icy hair, the mist above his fingertips, and the comical snowflakes dripping from his arms… it made sense now, and was almost obvious.
"So, you're an Element Born?" they both seemed to ask. Izuku turned slightly, his mind a little behind in the race.
Immediately, they both flushed. "Ah, sorry!" Hina apologized, "I'll keep it a story if you want, but—"
"But regardless, your blood-line is going to be written on your local transcript," Zachiel paused for a short moment before continuing, "however, that's not a bad thing. If this is your actual first time doing one of these tests, then I should mention that the image shown is what element you are best suited for, and that if a crown appears above said image, then it means you were born with it, or a plentiful amount of other things." Zachiel reached his hand into his back pocket, pulling out a fairly thick book and handing it towards Izuku. Izuku accepted the offer and read the cover. It was a handbook of information about the Identification Stone.
"If you're curious to learn more about the thing, then by all means, go ahead and do that—"
"You just want somebody to take your place," Hina mocked him, pulling on her eye and sticking her tongue out. Zachiel turned pale for a moment, "I have to retire some day, Hina!" he stuffed his fist in the air, "the Kingdom will never drop me until I find a successor!"
Hina chuckled, which raised Izuku's attention. "Good luck with that, oldie." Then, from behind the two, Izuku opened his mouth. "I'll be sure to look into it, mister! Thank you." He bowed slightly, and Zachiel put on a giddy grin. And after a few more bits and babbles, they continued on with the test.
"Just put your index finger on the part labeled 'Geno' and you should be done. It's not that complicated, but your identifiable information will be uploaded to the Mana stones infused with the tablet. When those run out, we'll make sure to notify you so that you can refill the stone and pay the next fine."
Izuku nodded dumbly and placed his index finger on the red batch of hue labeled as 'Geno' and watched as another ray of light bursted from the stone. His eyes widened a bit… ' this looks just like my—!'
Name: Izuku Midoriya
Gender: Male
Age: 14
Level: 4
Stats: [Unavailable]
[Ability: Extreme Growth]
Weaknesses: Fire, Girls
Emotions: Anxious
Intents: Going To Yuuei And Becoming The Best
Ranking: [Unavailable]
Titles: Quirkless, Talentless, Destiny Bound, Lover, Son, Ice Proficient, Magically Proficient. [Unknown]
Occupation: None
Izuku felt an arm wrap around him, buckling to purely his knee-strength to keep from falling over. He looked up at Zachiel, who had a pestering smile. "Afraid of girls, eh!?" he hysterically asked, before pointing at Hina, "then you should be shitting your pants with this one—! Gah!" he yelped, being smacked on the head with the end of Hina's rapier. The ice didn't crack on impact, signalling that either, one: the Ice was strong, or two, she hit him lightly. Izuku attested that the first one was more likely, as Zachiel dazed around a bit before returning to his normal, cheerful self. Hina puffed her chest at him, slightly turned away from Izuku with a small blush on her cheeks.
Zachiel then pressed his hand on the tablet, moving Izuku to the side carefully. After a few pushes and pricks, the tablet went dim, and now there was no glow. "Alright, you're all set to enter the kingdom. Oh, don't forget. Even if you lose your home, job, or physical body, we'll find you if you don't pay the fine." He let out a hearty chuckle, and Izuku soon joined, thinking it was a harmless joke. "I will, I'll come by every month." Actually, what day was it? And even more, what year was it… was time the same here? Would he have to learn an entirely new calendar?
Hina coughed, knocking Izuku out of his mumbling stupor. "I didn't know you wanted to go to Yuuei?" she said. Izuku smiled, and nodded, only to realize that there were two Yuueis, and that she was talking about the one in Merildek. However, despite his answer, Hina's mouth reached a new height. She put her hands on Izuku's shoulder and shook him up, "Oo! Maybe we can take the exams together!"
A few minutes passed, and Izuku was now free from his confinement in the toll center. It was only when Hina had taken him into Bladelbem, that he had realized that he was actually in a Kingdom. It looks just like they do in the movies! Izuku thought, glaring at the magnificent archistructure that was the gravelly roads, finely constructed homes, and neatly organized shops that were crowded in all sorts of people. It wasn't quite like his world, though. In fact, there was not a single noticeable mutant in sight. He did notice that a few of the people had longer ears, scaly skin, or were extremely short, but that had been the jist. A smile plastered across his face, and Hina was quick to notice, accidentally looking at his irises. She immediately buckled, the wash of comfort overtaking her body in such a sudden way that it was paranormal. Come on, body! Hina yelled at herself internally.
Time and time again, Hina had to direct Izuku in the right direction, often tugging at his uniform to remind him that he had a body of his own. She didn't expect him to get lost so easily, or to wander off from time to time, having to chase him down at one point. He was so strange, and so… cute? She always had a weakness for cute boys, but not quite like this. So far, she only saw him as a soon to be 'Very Awesome Friend' considering that they might start working together, but something inside of her told her something else. She had known that since she had begun to trust him, she started showing her normal, school girl personality. She considered herself to be the most jumpy person she knew, but after a thirty minute walk with Izuku within the castle, she knew she was being outmatched almost immediately. Somehow, she knew she could trust this guy; am I foolish or something!?
Taking a deep breath, Hina waved her hands towards a large sign on the building in front of them. "This is the place!" she informed, "if you really want a place to start out, Rihs Quin has some of the best prices in the Kingdom for living space, food, and all sorts of 'drink' if you're into that." Izuku gently declined the mention of 'drink,' assuming she meant alcohol, which seemed to make her smile a bit. There was a lot of smiling today, he noticed. It's a good day .
"So, what'll it be?" Hina prompted, a hand on the knob, "would you like to work with me? Or do you want to look around a bit?" Seeing Izuku fumble and shift, she prompted him again with, "I'll be sure to put in a good word for you to my boss. I bet she'll love the extra pair of hands. There's also an empty room close to mine if you have any questions."
Izuku stepped forward, ready to be done for the day and head to wherever bed he'd be offered. "I'll take that as a yes!" Hina giddily opened the door, allowing him to enter before herself. Izuku was greeted with silence as a few people looked at him, drinks in hand. After a few seconds, they returned to their feasting, and the chatter was wrought back to life. A particularly busty woman made herself present from behind a nearby counter, waving at the two.
"Hina!" The lady yelled, not attracting any attention as if it had been the most normal thing in the room. Hina walked up to the counter, Izuku following closely behind, trying his best not to accidentally make eye contact with one of the patrons. "Hey, you've been gone all day!"
"Sorry about that, I was just taking a break outside the walls. Needed some fresh air for the upcoming exams," Hina replied. The lady forgave her, and Izuku listened in, remembering how Hina had mentioned during their trip here that there was an exemplary exam in a few months that would determine if you could attend Yuuei or not. Hina had mentioned how she was trying to shake it off, and clear her mind. She had clearly been stressed, so Izuku offered a few words of advice to her about studying and memory techniques. He was just glad that he could help a little.
"Anyway," Hina pulled on Izuku, bringing him to the lady's attention, "this is Izuku—it's his first time in Bladelbem, so I'm showing him around. He doesn't really have a lot of money, but I think he'd be great here!" To that, the lady's eyes perked up, and she crossed her arm, staring down Izuku. He was wimpy, cute , and obviously anxious. The people would surely love him. Good tips, too.
A few seconds of staring later, and the woman nodded. "We'll talk about him later, Hina," she turned to Izuku again, "there's one room left right next to Hina's. Do you want a room? If so, that'll be a few silver for the day. If you want to get all homey, you can purchase the monthly stay for thirty—"
"That's what I did," Hina budded in, "it's not that great of a room, but it has all the essentials, and it's fairly cheap."
Both of them looked at him.