Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia or The Gamer. If I did, you wouldn't find me writing fanfic about my own creation, now wouldja?
(AN): So, this is it. I played with this idea for a few weeks and after 2 consecutive days of writing, this first chapter came out. To be honest 'a few weeks' is an exaggeration. I mostly procrastinated, and when I decided to do something, the first thing I did wasn't even the concept, but the formulas I'd use for the game.
Enough of my rambling. This is a My Hero Academia fic that puts The Gamer Ability on the protagonist, Midoriya Izuku, in the form of a quirk. He gains it some months before the prologue and I'll explain why at the end.
It was another day in the city of Musutafu, Japan, and a lazy Sunday morning for one Midoriya Izuku, who was happily sleeping after pulling an all-nighter. The reason for this all-nighter was a school project that he was rushing due to lack of manpower.
In truth, he was doing it all alone because none of his classmates actually let him into their groups. After all, who would want to be partners with the quirkless kid?
The alarm ringed for the third time in the day. His hand smacked the button, stopping the obnoxious noise. The young man groaned and looked at the time.
9:52 AM
He pushed his blanket away. In a quick mental debate of More Sleep vs. Breakfast, the latter won, meaning it was time to get up. Rubbing his eyes, he expected to open them and see the familiar layout of his hero merch-filled room, but instead he was greeted by a giant blue screen filled with white letters.
Congratulations! You, Midoriya Izuku-kun, have unlocked your [Gamer] quirk! I know it's a bit late, but your current timeline wasn't ready for all the content, so it took much longer than it had to. I'm terribly sorry, and for all of the trouble your lack of quirk has brought you, I decided to include some Expansion Packs in your game as a bonus.
Have fun.
PS: The extra content will only be available at LV.10 in order to bring a challenging experience. It wouldn't be fun if you just started overpowered, now would it? Of course, if you're a not comfortable with this, you can change anything at the [Settings] menu.
{CLOSE}
"..." He stared at the screen not unlike someone who had lost that last bit of sanity. The weirdest part was that Izuku wasn't even fazed. Not even a twitch of his brow. This of course, confused him. Everyone that spent more than a minute with the green haired boy knew that he was 60% nervous mess, 30% hero fanboy, and 10% normal teenager. Even himself knew of his skittish nature.
If he wasn't busy being shocked, perhaps he would've noticed the other message that said 'Gamer's Mind Activated'. But he didn't, and stayed confused.
Taking advantage of his calm state, he did one of the only things he was good at: analyzing the situation.
Could it really be a quirk? The other possibilities were: A dream/figment of his imagination, someone using a quirk on him, or schizophrenia. A quick pinch that left his skin red proved the dream theory wrong and schizophrenia was removed from the possibilities.
But it couldn't be an outsider's quirk. Quirks that could manipulate light like that were extremely rare and required proximity. Illusion quirks weren't as rare, but required some sort of trigger, like eye contact or physical touch. Plus, if there was a illusion quirk user powerful like that, they wouldn't go after a random kid.
He brainstormed more possibilities, muttering alone in his bed, and compared to most of them, the idea of a late bloomed quirk seemed the most credible.
To confirm his suspicions, he extended his hand and poked the message with a finger. The digit met resistance and he nodded.
'This is real' he thought. It took a second of two for the situation register in his brain, but after that he jumped out of the bed screaming, releasing the Midoriya family waterworks right after. But those tears, they weren't filled with the usual sadness and frustration.
Those were tears of joy.
A quirk. An actual, honest-to-god, totally not-a-dream quirk. God, how many times he had wished for one. Memories of a 6 year old Izuku flashed within his mind. The poor green haired boy was trying desperately to unlock any of his parents' quirks, to no avail. His mind went further back, to the empty face of 5 year old Izuku going back from the doctor's visit that changed his whole life.
But that was no more. Now he actually had a quirk. It didn't even matter if it wasn't light manipulation. Whatever the hell his quirk was, he'd make it work. He didn't know how much time he spent crying and laughing at the same time, staring at the screen in awe. But suddenly, he stopped his fanfare and looked at the screen with a more intense look. His green eyes shone against the light that was coming from the windows.
With a quirk... He could be a Hero!
"Ha...Hahahahaha!" He laughed even louder than before, his smile stretching beyond normal. With a quirk he'd be able to get into U.A!
It took some time to calm down his excitement, but when he did he steeled himself and touched the 'Close' option. The screen disappeared in a blink, revealing the main menu.
[The Gamer]: My Hero Edition v2.6
Stats
Skills
Equipment
Inventory
Quests
Social Links
Settings
Load Game
Expansions
Help
While he was curious about how all of this worked, he didn't want to mess anything up. Quirks were part of your body after all. Izuku selected the Help option.
Do you want to start the tutorial?
{Y/N}
He frowned and touched the 'Yes' option. This was already a problem. If he had to keep touching a screen to use his own quirk, there was going to be a lot of time wasted. He hoped there was an alternative to this.
Welcome to [The Gamer]: My Hero Edition! This simple but long tutorial will tell you everything you need to know in order to use your quirk. First off, the basics.
[The Gamer] is an ability given to a select few that turns your life into a video game! The 1.0 version is a standard cardboard copy of a RPG, but later versions ingrained other genres' mechanics to spice things up.
There are various ways to interact with [The Gamer]'s interface. Which one is to your liking?
{Touch-Screen Mode}
{Voice Command Mode}
{Mental Command Mode}
{All of the above}
Selecting the last option, Izuku wondered if his quirk took input from himself. Maybe some sort of subconscious control?
Continuing the explanation, [The Gamer] turns things into a game through use of calculations using codes created by [The Developer]. Example: Right now your Health Points(HP) and Mana Points(MP) are full because you slept in a bed. Go to the {Stats} Menu to continue the tutorial.
So there was mana. Izuku wondered how it worked, It's not like magic existed or anything.
Testing out the mental commands, Izuku willed the 'Stats' page to appear. In a blink of an eye, the blue screen filled with text gave place to another. In this one, There was a 2D model of him wearing his pajamas, with two bars on top of his head and more text under his feet.
He walked to his wardrobe and pulled some clothes to replace his pajamas. After disrobing, the 2D image flashed to show a naked model. The model changed again after he put his casual attire. He decided to read the whole page.
Midoriya Izuku, The Gamer
[True Name]: Izuku Midoriya
[Title]: The Gamer [Level]: 1(0.00%)
[Race]: Human [Money]: 4000 yen
STR: 19
DEX: 26
VIT: 33(+30%)
WIS: 27
INT: 32
CHA: 31(+5)
LCK: 5
Stat Points: 0
[Condition]
HP: 220/153 MP: 128/128
[Refreshed]: You had a good night's sleep. Your body and mind are ready for a brand new day. +10% Experience(Xp) gains, +30% VIT, +10% CHA. Lasts for 5 hours.
Before he could read all of it though, the tutorial popped up in front the original page.
This is your [Stats] page. It shows your current stats and body [Condition]. In case you want more detailed information, use your commands in the desired target.
The name on the top shows your [Alias], which is the name you go by publicly. Your [True Name] is pretty self-explanatory.
Your [Title] is another way to call yourself, but officially. Different titles give you various special bonuses.
Your Level(Lv.) shows your experience. This determines if you can enter missions or gain better rewards.
Your [Race] is also pretty self explanatory. And do you really need me to explain what [Money] is?
Izuku snorted at that.
You have 7 base stats that determine most of the game's numbers. Each time you level up, you gain 10 stat points. Stat points can also be acquired through continuous activity, like working out for STR and studying for INT. now the explanation.
STRength(19): Can't be a hero with these noodle arms! The more you increase this stat, the stronger you will become, raising physical damage and intimidation factor.
DEXterity(26): I bet you have that above average from running away from bullies. This raises your speed, agility and motor coordination.
VITality(26): This gives you extra HP, stamina and endurance. Believe or not, there is a difference.
WISdom(27): the internal filter that enables you to select and focus on the problems that maximize your intelligence. Raises the efficiency of your support magic and MP regeneration.
INTelligence(32): I see that nerdiness is paying off! This is the strategic combination of your experience, knowledge, innate and acquired abilities to solve problems. It also amplifies your magic damage and MP.
So Magic did exist within this game. It… wasn't very surprising. The game itself mentioned it was a based on a RPG, after all.
CHArisma(26): Even a nervous wreck like you can have charm, huh? This raises your chances of convincing people, and makes popular with the ladies, if you know what I mean.
LUCK(5): I guess someone whose quirk manifested at 14 must be pretty unlucky. A lucky individual makes the laws of causality bend over a table and fucks them in the ass! Random events happen so much that at some point they will be considered routine. Oh, and it also makes your critical hits better, I guess.
After reading through those comments, Izuku discarded the idea of his subconscious controlling the quirk. After all, there's no way he'd be that vulgar, right?
... And now he jinxed it.
He moved the screen away from his face and started tidying his bed. From what he saw of tutorial so far, it was all standard stuff. Like all teenagers, he played video games quite a lot, so it was pretty easy to understand.
After going through his morning rituals, he exited his room and went to the kitchen. In the dining table, there was a note from his mother
Izuku
I went to restock on some groceries, but there's food for you to prepare breakfast.
He smiled and opened the fridge. He couldn't wait to tell his mom about his quirk. He could already see her fussing over him, and telling how glad she was.
After gathering the ingredients and making a simple sandwich, he sat on a chair, but stopped short of eating due to another pop-up.
Through a specific action, you have unlocked a skill! This skill is not at Lv.1 due to previous use. You will encounter more skills at this state as you continue your game. OR, you could go to {Skills} right now to continue your tutorial.
Cooking Lv.6(Active): The act of combining ingredients to prepare food. By using special ingredients you can make your food give bonuses to your stats.
The choice was obvious. Izuku closed the notification and opened the Skills Menu.
[Skills] are abilities that come from one's knowledge, practice or innate talent. They allow you to do execute actions with varied levels of competence. You gain skills by simply acting in specific ways. Let's give a look at your skills.
Gamer's Body (Passive): You have the body of a video game character. All Damage to your body is dealt in HP loss and Status Effects.
Gamer's Mind (Passive): No more nervous stuttering! Allows you to think always clearly with a peaceful state of mind. Can be disrupted by certain Status Effects.
That was… almost unbelievable. He quickly opened his Stats and searched for Health Regeneration.
HP/s: 0.112(+0.026)
MP/s: 0.225
He started to chuckle at the irony of it all. He, someone who experienced first-hand that men weren't created equal in a world of superpowers, now could heal off any damage in 30 minutes or less.
[Observe] Lv.60(Active): The act of perceiving something through constant watch. You have developed this skill on your constant hunts for hero fights and quirk analysis. At Lv.60 Observe reveals Stats, Condition, History, Equipment and Social Links from up to 6 multiple targets from Lv.1 to LV. 60.
He choked on his sandwich. Instant information on anything?!
"Observe" he said, giving a test. Instantly, he felt a very faint pull in the back of his head and instinctively placed a palm to feel around. In a quick blink he was started to get used to, a screen appeared.
Sandwich Lv.6
A simple sandwich composed of bread, ham and cheese. Made by Izuku Midoriya.
Effects: +1HP/s for 10s
{See More}
{Close}
Izuku grinned like a kid on Christmas. The possibilities for this skill were rushing through his head so sporadically that his hands twitched, searching for a notebook.
This could be used for anything from investigations to information gathering. He could learn everything about a quirk with a single glance glance! He started observing everything around his house, itching to test out this new skill.
Refrigerator Lv.1
Damage Threshold(DT): 20
Damage Reduction(DR): 30%
Durability: 58/70
{See More}
Table Lv.1
A simple wooden table.
Durability: 28/30
{See More}
So…by giving it a look, he could instantly see the more important bits of info. He went to the 'See More' section of the fridge. There were listed all of the most specific details, such as the date it was fabricated, what food it had inside, etc. This only served to excite him more. It was probably one of his most powerful skills.
For understanding the full scope of your skill, you gain +1 WIS and INT!
So That's how extra stat gains worked. He didn't feel any difference though. The changes would only be noticeable as he gained more points, probably.
By coming to a logical conclusion about your stats, you gain +1 INT!
He opened his Stats page again to see if there was a difference. He got up from his chair and started walking towards his room, the blue screen following through mental commands. If he was going to follow this tutorial, it would be better to do it while taking notes. Luckily, he already had a empty notebook. It was going to be the 14th edition of his Hero Analysis for The Future, but this development changed everything.
Midoriya Izuku, The Gamer
[True Name]: Midoriya Izuku
[Title]: The Gamer
[Level]: 1(0.00%) [Race]: Human
[Money]: 4000 yen {Specifics}
STR: 23
DEX: 26
VIT: 33.8(+30%)
WIS: 28
INT: 34
CHA: 31.2(+5.2)
LCK: 5
Stat Points: 0
[Condition]
HP: 220/154 MP: 136/136
[Refreshed]: You had a good night's sleep. Your body and mind are ready for a brand new day. +10% Experience(Xp) gains, +30% VIT, +10% CHA. Lasts for 5 hours.
As promised, the Mana Points increased. Doing some simple math, he deduced that the for each point of INT, he gained 4 more Mana Points.
By coming to a logical conclusion about your stats, you gain +1 INT!
Right on the money it seemed. Satisfied, he closed the page and went back to the skills.
[Martial Arts Mastery] Lv.4(Passive): Your constant watch of fights between heroes and villains gave you an idea on how they move. All of your strikes deal (30%STR + 30%DEX).
[Sense Danger] Lv.6(Passive): Beware the Kaachan! This skill allows you to detect any immediate danger to yourself in a 12 meter radius.
[Detect Bloodlust] Lv.5(Passive): You're used to the feeling of someone wanting to explodo-kill you. Allows you to detect the intent to harm in a 5 meter radius.
He sweatdropped at the accuracy of the descriptions. It was starting to get a little creepy how much this game knew him.
[Gamer's Mind] Activated
The uncomfortable feeling that was taking place in his gut decreased. This was his quirk, right? It only made sense it knew all about him. Wait a second…
"So this is Gamer's Mind, huh?" He mused. Honestly he kinda of skimmed over it, thinking it was pretty tame compared to the other skills. But it was just as handy; Being able to think thing rationally no matter the situation was an invaluable skill for a hero, who was constantly in stressful situations.
By coming to a rational conclusion about your skills, you gain +1 WIS!
[Sneak] Lv.2(Active): The skill to act furtively. This allows you to move in a way that's harder to detect. Running and using other skills will cancel your sneaking.
[First Aid] Lv.9(Active): The skill to give emergency aid or treatment given to someone injured, suddenly ill before regular medical services arrive or can be reached. When activated, it heals the target for 9HP.
[Dish-Washing] Lv.25(Active): The skill to wash dishes. Increases efficiency while washing dishes by 50%.
"…What." He intoned in perfect deadpan. Honestly, why did this even exist? He opened the door to his room and moved towards his desk, his eyes scanning the room for the new notebook.
And that's all of your [Skills]! Next up, [Equipment]!
A new screen sprouted. This one showed a spinning, 3D model of Izuku, with various slots covering it. With a wave of his hand, it disappeared. He knew how to equip gear.
... Okay then. Now, [Inventory]!
Now this was interesting. Izuku looked at the new display. There were numerous blank slots in a square shape covering the screen.
Weight: 0/76 lbs.
Try is your Inventory Window. It shows all of the items you're carrying in your person. When you put something inside a slot, the item goes inside a pocket dimension. You can withdraw items by reaching the corresponding slot and pulling. There is a weight limit though, so be wary of that.
…Pocket Dimensions. God. Damn. Pocket Dimensions. If this was what he had by default, he was looking forward to learn magic.
He opened the drawer of his desk and grabbed his new notebook. grabbing a pen from another drawer he titled the book 'Skill List'. Satisfied, he turned to his inventory and extended his right hand, which was still holding the pen. Aiming at a top-left slot, he thrusted his hand forward.
The pen glowed a pale blue, sinking into the inventory along with Izuku's slow push. "It offers no resistance." He noted absentmindedly, mesmerized by the display of a real life pocket dimension.
After completely entering, the pen turned into a very realistic 2D model. He reached for it and pulled, this time with more speed. In the same blue glow, the pen materialized in his palm.
This was madness. Completely nuts. The utter insanity of real life video game mechanics started to sink into the boy who was no longer quirkless.
If this was used by a villain, what would be the damage? He could hypothetically smuggle any goods, steal any object, all without a chance of getting caught. And what about Observe? The description said it could show history, so did it mean people's backgrounds? Their entire lives at a simple command?
It was too much power for one person. He was just a fourteen year old, for god's sake! he couldn't possibly deal with this kind of thing.
By realizing the true power of [The Gamer], you gain +5 WIS!
[Gamer's Mind] Activated.
Like every time he found himself in a dilemma, Izuku turned to his biggest role models for an answer.
He looked around at his room. Various products covered the whole space, ranging from figurines and posters to color-themed memorabilia. Heroes in all of them.
And all of them had the potential to do harm.
A flaming punch from Endeavor, a pierce attack from Edgeshot, getting suffocated by your own clothes thanks to Best Jeanist. 13's Black Hole, Cementoss' Cement, Midnight's Somnambulist and the list went on. But that wasn't all.
A flash of yellow hair caught his eye and he turned to the hero that had the biggest amount of merchandise in his name.
The Symbol of Peace, All Might.
How much fine control must be required for him? A man that could punch buildings away, leap between cities and move faster than the eye could see? Sometimes he didn't even beat enemies with the punch itself, but with the air pressure generated by it.
And here he was, whining about his power. Wasn't this what he always wanted!? To stop being a quirkless Deku, to be a hero, to save people with a smile! He shouldn't be worried about people using this to do harm, since it was his quirk!
His previously anxious expression gave way to a shaky, but broad grin that mirrored the poster of his favorite hero. It was his responsibility to use these skills for good.
To become a hero.
Your conclusion strengthened your resolve to become a hero. You gain 5 WIS and 100 XP!
You Leveled up!
And the first step towards that would be increasing his stats.
(AN): The reason I gave the quirk to Izuku at this point was so he could get used to it. I didn't want to give it when the show starts because I'd have to rush it all up in order to grant him the skills I want him to have by the time of the U.A exam.
Give me your opinions. This is my first story and I kinda of need input. I always wanted to write stories, but everytime I went out to do anything, I became self-conscious and deleted it after some paragraphs. Until I decided to just wing it. So give your review, ask anything you're curious about, favorite it if you liked it, and follow if you wanna see more. Also, tell me if I messed anything on the grammar. I try to read everything three times, but some errors always slip through the cracks.
In the next chapter, Izuku will learn how to manipulate mana, tell his mom about the quirk and discover the bullshit that is Instant Dungeon.
I don't know when I'll update. Could be this week, could be next month. I'll update my Profile in case any developments happen.
Thanks for reading my word vomit. Bye Bye!
Update(16/06/2018): I fixed some bad grammar and nerfed Izuku's strenght from 23 to 19.
Update(27/06/2018): More grammar fixes. Changed the refrigerator stats.
Update(09/07/2018): Fixed the carry weight. What the hell was I thinking when putting 184!?