Ow. Famous last words. Seriously, do you have any idea how many humans have died after that simple announcement of pain? The instinctual response to pain is followed by eternal darkness. It sucks that I'm now part of that number but what could I do about it?
I was just a guy born into an ordinary world, with no epic power system, no secret techniques, and no badass martial arts. It was a shame but that's the hand I was dealt, so after getting hit by a truck I suppose my body chose to fold.
Honestly, it's unfair, I trained like hell to be one-shot. This is bullshit! Silently fuming in the void I could have sworn I saw a blue butterfly before my eyes blinked open.
The light, it burns! I brought my arm upwards to shield myself from the radiant fireball's view for a moment as my head turned down to the area around me. Long streets and medieval buildings, animal people, and weirdly dressed people.
I closed my eyes and brought my arms up to the sky as tears fell from my face. I had been isekai and I was the happiest man alive. I basked in its glow for a moment before I remembered my Isekai Survival Guide. Rules I had written into my very soul in case a day like this ever came!
RULE ONE: Find out if you are in an original isekai or a fanfiction! If you don't know the setting then you best be cautious. You'll need to figure out the genre and go from there, if you do know the setting then you need to take advantage of every opportunity you can!
Nodding my head I decided it was time to use my isekai protagonist powers to find the tutorial NPC! I briefly paused at the thought and let out a jovial laugh, it's probably best that I don't see people as NPCs.
I took the thought in stride as I gave a casual smile over the people who seemed to be ignoring me. The air here is far fresher than Earth's, the weather is perfect, and the soft breeze sends a peaceful shiver through my body.
Nearly spinning in the center of the road I spotted the massive fuck off tower. Now that's a wizard tower if I've ever seen one! The first location found!
Guess I'll check it out before continuing my random wandering, a landmark is a good place to start! That sort of rhymes? Eh, whatever. I only sort of care anyway! I started jogging lightly, luckily I'd retained my body from my previous life so I was in great shape and made it there with ease.
Looking at the entrance of the building I immediately picked up on the countless RPG hero types walking in, like a weird cast of fire emblem characters all meeting at the same place. Maybe this place is the final boss dungeon?
That would make sense with the giant tower and all. But seriously, building a city around it? This feels way too much like a sport than saving the world! I hum lightly at the thought, what if it is more of a sport in this world?
That would be quite strange . . . but I'm not opposed to it. Though that does lead me to RULE TWO of my Isekai Survival Guide! Figure out the power system!
Getting stronger gives you the ability to not die, and dying sucks! I can confirm! Walking to the base of the tower I stepped inside the large room within, it's absolutely fucking massive. A huge spiral staircase goes upwards while a massive pit lies in the middle and practically screams 'I am the danger hole!' I pause for a moment as I consider RULE ONE and RULE TWO. I still don't know where I am, nor the power system. I could get one shot if this is some kind of world with crazy high scaling.
So I use RULE THREE: Ask for Directions! Being lost can happen to anyone, it's not suspicious to ask for help unless you're a body snatcher. In which case you must use the I STOLE THIS GUYS BODY BY ACCIDENT Survival Guide. Though luckily I'm not in that sort of situation.
Anyways RULE THREE is important because if you wander into a super dangerous place or place you're not supposed to be you could get wounded, imprisoned, or killed!
Getting arrested on my first day in another world is not my intent!
I don't want to ask any of these adventurer types of help though, what happens if I run into a Young Master™? Those pesky Young Masters . . . if this world has them I'll have to give them a stern beating once I come back for revenge from my training arc!
Oh wait, they haven't offended me yet. Ok, I'll wait for them to offend me first!
Looking around the outside of the scary hole in the ground I spot the back of a young girl sulking! RULE THREE says it's better to ask children for help because they are forgetful and less likely to ask why you are so suspicious! Instead, they might just insult you but I can bear that burden!
"Greetings small one! I am a traveler from faraway lands and seek your aid!" She lets out a frightened squeak as she rockets up revealing- ok with breasts like that I don't think this is a child.
"Small one!?" My smile only brightens. When your back is against the wall, you must simply send it with no holds barred!
"Indeed! I seek to become a hero and require your guidance in this grand city!" Her eyes lit up and held her hands together in front of her chest with hope shining behind them.
"Y-you're choosing me?" I give a stalwart nod. This tiny lady shall be the perfect tutorial NPC!
"Then tell me your name." Suddenly she looks serious, oh shit I gotta do introductions!
"I'm Andrew Ariti, fledgling hero extraordinaire!" She smiles as her large blue eyes stare up at me.
"I am Goddess Hestia, I won't let you down Andrew." I pause at that. Hesta, goddess of the Hearth. Am I in the past? Fuck it, allying myself with a goddess seems like the fast track to becoming a shounen protagonist so perhaps this is my 'fateful encounter!'
I raise my arms to the sky and close my eyes as I face towards the setting sun.
"Then our pact is sealed! Our fates are intertwined from this day forth! Your wounds are my wounds, my wounds are your wounds, we fight in pursuit of a brighter world that shall be warmed by the Hearth itself!" Her eyes light up as she gives a small chuckle, and smiles vibrantly. Damn, she's super cute! Then I turn down to her and put my hands on my hips.
"With my sacred pact out of the way I'll be in your care from now on Goddess Hestia, so please take care of me!" She gently grabs my hands as she smiles.
"Didn't I already say it? I won't let you down." Suddenly the entire world seemed to freeze, floating gold letters appeared in my vision and I came to a simple conclusion.
I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the Wings of Hope that break the chains of thy Fate.
With the Birth of the Sun Arcana, You have obtained the winds of blessings that shall lead to freedom and new power. . .
Hestia
Rank 1: Resting by the Hearth - Increased recovery while resting in an allied location.
I'm totally inside of a fanfiction, aren't I? After all, I seem to have a Persona system. As the word of power rings through my head more words light up in front of me, while Hestia slowly pulls me in a direction and I follow her.
[Social Stats]
[Confidants]
Interesting, guess I'll take a look at my Social Stats then. Doesn't hurt to know what I'm working with.
-> [Social Stats]
Knowledge: Oblivious
Guts: Staunch
Proficiency: Decent
Kindness: Inoffensive
Charm: Existent
That feels pretty accurate. I wonder if I can improve these stats though! Is this going to be like a Persona game where I can't progress my relationships without them- Am I IN a Persona game? Am I a Persona game protagonist?
I mean seriously what's the whole Greek mythology deal going on then? This is nothing like a normal Persona game at all! That does make me wonder how I'll awaken my Persona then, if at all.
"H-here we are." I turn to the nervous Hestia with a smile before my smile freezes.
"This is a church." She clutches my arm and starts crying at my blunt words filled with sorrow, causing me to slightly cringe in embarrassment from her act.
"P-please don't go! You're my first child and I can't lose you!" What the- Am I a demigod? I'm just going to assume she's being metaphorical. I smile at her words nonetheless and point to the sky.
"GODDESS HESTIA! When I met you I was lost beyond comparison, a turning point in my life where we met fatefully with the sunset as our witness! I swore you a sacred pact and nothing shall come between or bond! I have chosen you, you have chosen me. This world won't know what hit it!" She looks up to me with eyes widened.
"W-wow. It's like you came out of a storybook . . ." Eh, maybe. Though I honestly feel like the one going into a story here. Does that make me the protagonist? Well, I do have these weird Persona powers. I awkwardly scratch the back of my head and I smile at her.
"Trust me, you're about to watch a story worthy of the Gods unfold!" I don't know this world's genre. It could be grimdark, it could be edgy fanfiction, hell it could even be a slice of life!
None of that matters. The only thing that matters is that I'm going to live my life as a Shounen protagonist! With my confidants at my back, I'll carve my path through fate with the power of friendship!
Rank 2: A Warm Embrace - Increases Fire Magic Affinity. The positive benefits of allied effects are increased on you.
Hestia is looking quite cute right now! The way to a shounen protagonist's heart is through random power ups! I hug the probably a thousand-year-old goddess and lift her up then enter the dilapidated church.
It's very run down, dusty old pews, a cracked podium, and only a single basement beneath us from a small latch door.
"Take off your shirt." I thought I was supposed to make this a Shounen, not a Hentai! I give her an incredulous look before she pauses and starts waving her hand from side to side in embarrassment.
"I need to give you my blessing! You are new to Orario . . ." I threw off my shirt. You're telling me I'm about to be blessed by a Goddess! That's awesome! More free power-ups!
"So what now?" Her eyes run over my abs for a moment before she turns up to meet my gaze.
"I need you to lay down on your stomach. I'll handle the rest." I shrug lightly and plop myself on one of the pews. As part of my Isekai Survival guide I trained myself to be able to get comfortable in order to sleep anywhere, a church pew is no exception! This Old Church may be my first opponent, but it is quite the easy one!
"What I'm about to grant you is the Falna, my blessing made manifest. It will allow you to slay monsters in the Dungeon to gather Exilia. You need to work hard, and work honestly if you want to do all those things you said earlier, alright!" Fight bad guys, get experience, level up! I got it!
"Yes, Goddess!" She blushes lightly at my bravado.
"B-but don't push yourself too hard, I don't want you to get hurt!" I go silent. There is no reality where Andrew Ariti fails to push his limits to the brink!
"Andrew?" There's a dramatic pause as I take a deep breath.
"I will try not to die!" While true it completely avoided her question! Suddenly a warm liquid poured down my back and my heart stirred in my chest. The sudden feeling of warmth permeated my entire being and I felt myself relax under the feeling.
"There! Now let me show you your stat- what?" Uh oh. Did something go wrong?
"Is everything alright?" She looks at me strangely as I turn around, the paper in her hand covered in writing. She laughs and rubs her hand over the paper before I can get a good look at it.
"Yep, everything is fine! I'm just surprised you have a skill already after all, they are super rare! These- this is quite the skill as well . . ."
Strength: 0 I
Endurance: 0 I
Dexterity: 0 I
Agility: 0 I
Magic: 0 I
Skills:
μακρινός ταξιδιώτης: Increases Excilia gained.
I don't know what that means but I get an experience boost! Nice! I push myself towards Hestia and gently press on her back as I look at the paper.
"What's that skill say?" She looks up at my smiling face with a blush before turning back down to the paper.
"It says Far Traveler, you really must be from far away." I give a nod, this is my isekai cheat! Wait, I already have the Persona system so I guess I get two then? Neat!
"Say Hestia, can I go to the Dungeon now?" I'm assuming the dungeon was that giant hole in the ground, and I want to fight monsters and begin my shounen journey! I'll have to find strong allies and loyal companions as well in my quest!
"What, no! Get some rest, you can go to the Guild tomorrow and register as an adventurer. Then once you've prepared properly you can go." She gives me a serious look with her hands on her hips, there's a fire in her eyes but it brings a smile to my face.
She's looking out for me, that's quite sweet of her. I give her a big hug and she squeaks.
"Thank you for looking out for me Hestia." Trust me, you are going to have to do a lot of that in the future! I plan to put myself in super dangerous situations constantly!
"Of course, I'll look after you, you're part of the Hestia Familia! My very first child." We stay like that for a moment and I feel her soft heartbeat through her large breasts. While I am a lover of women, I have a world to become a shounen protagonist for first!
Rank 3: Passion Behind My Eyes - Increased Sensory Perception. Effects increased with Emotional State.
Now that is a shounen protagonist ability! Anything that scales off of 'feelings' is bound to be after all! Looking around the room things seem a bit clearer but I can only assume the effect is weak because of my currently relaxed emotional state.
"Now get some rest Andrew, I'll see you in the morning alright?" She walks off into the side room after a brief goodbye, she still clutches my status in her hand as she makes her getaway!
Do I stink? Maybe I should take a shower- damn they probably don't have showers here. Sitting on a pew I contemplate my life choices of bunking in an abandoned church with a goddess who is probably broke.
Letting out a faint sigh I can't help but smile. I guess both I and my Goddess are starting from nothing then? This truly is my Hero's Journey!
Hestia POV
Strength: 0 I
Endurance: 0 I
Dexterity: 0 I
Agility: 0 I
Magic: 0 I
Skills:
μακρινός ταξιδιώτης: Increases Excilia gained.
Το ταξίδι του ήρωα - Ο ανόητος: Grants Benefits. Increases Benefits based on the strength of Bonds.
My first child was a strange one. Coming out of nowhere, declaring a 'sacred pact', dedicating himself to me all at once . . . and then he had two skills when he just got his status. Skills were already insanely rare, more so when it came to ones that affect your growth, at least that's what Hephaestus told me. Having two from the start was also ridiculous! I admit I panicked a little bit and erased 'The Hero's Journey - The Fool' Despite how bright and intense my child seemed to be I didn't want him to make bonds solely with the intent to become stronger. That's no way to live your life! However, I may try to push him towards making some new friends if I get the chance. My child truly was one of a kind! My heart stirred a bit at the thought and a faint blush made its way on my face. He was so passionate about his dream and so genuine. He meant every word he said and that made me smile a genuine smile in response.
I was going to help make my child's dream come true, no matter the cost!
I would help him in his dream to make the world a brighter place, warmed by my very own Hearth! I would help him be a Hero.
Andrew Ariti POV
Blinking my eyes open I hopped off the pew from a seated position, sleeping while sitting in a skill I have trained in my classes at school! Truly time well spent. Going over to Hestia's room and down the short ladder I knocked on the door that was present in front of me.
"Good morning Goddess!" I gave the woman a smile as she opened the door. An exhausted expression on her face and tired eyes only made my smile brighter.
"The sun hasn't even come up yet . . ." Oh foolish Goddess of mine, don't you know you are the Sun Arcana? When I wake you up, the Sun might as well be high in the sky!
"My Sun herself has already awakened! Now to the guild!" She blushes at my words and turns incredulous.
Existent -> Head Turning
Nice! My Charm went up! Presumably, that means she was a fan of what I said.
"I-I'm not a Goddess of the Sun!" Yet she is my Sun nonetheless! I picked her up and put her on my back much to her sudden surprise.
"I shall be your chariot this day so you're tired legs need not walk themselves! You however must show me where the Guild is!" I bolt out of the Church not letting her get a word in.
"Put me down- Wah!" My journey begins now!