Six people woke up simultaneously with the feel of cold concrete underneath them.  
  They were in a state of confusion, unsure of how they arrived there, with no memory of previous events.  

They did share one thing in common, though.  Their last memory was arriving at a friends house on earth to play a tabletop role-playing game.  

In this game, you choose a race, class, and basic starting appearance, though no remembers the name of the game somehow. 

After a moment they realized they were now the very imaginary characters that were going to play that day, down to the last detail.

Gasping for air, his breath was heavy but he managed to stabilise. Sen's eyes widen as he heard nothing but silence in the surroundings. Sen thought that he should either living as a ghost after taking the grenade for Feng or he had been chosen to go to the heavens. 

When he realised that he had the sufficient strength to stand up, he slowly push himself up from the ground. There was even no pain felt in his abdominal area. No wounds, no blood and the shirt was more of less intact. 

 "Am I truly dead?" Sen thought and glanced around him. Everything was in a standstill, time was frozen with the exception of Sen moving around the battlefield. At the far end, the Black Monarch soldiers were marching proudly into the forest while the Red Sun troops had frantic appearances. He saw his buddy, Feng shouting towards him. 

-Tink- -Tink- -Tink-

The sound was distinctly clear which surprised Sen a little, forcing him to be alert of his environment. Nothing seem to change from the still image environment till suddenly, a digital screen with black and white words appeared in front of him. A gentle but cold alluring voice of a lady starts to speak in his ears.

"Thank you for accepting the Saviour System! You are the first to try out this magnificent system. As a show of thanks for your patronage, please accept the following rewards."

Sen was stunned at the voice and the digital screen starts to integrate into his body. The screen was scanning him from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. There were sounds of static coming from the screen as it went past his head.

 After which, he felt something pulses into him and the system showed a screen filled with stats in front of him. Somehow, he felt a little braver, a little more daring than usual.

********
Days to Apocalypse: 2049

Name: Haruyuki Sen
Age: 17
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 1 
Constitution: 1
Willpower: 2
Magic: 0
Abilities: Heart of the Mongoose Level 1 

System Comments: Sissy. Please work hard to be the Saviour of this world before the start of Apocalypse.
********

Sen cried in his heart. He wondered what have he done to be assessed so mercilessly and scolded by an inanimate object. His parents are tailors and not farmers or smiths. He was not trained to be a strong person but to be called a sissy was a little saddening. 

He took some time to look at the stats and realised it was similar to the tabletop games he played before in the village's community hall. He pondered and thought "What is this particular ability? The Heart of the Mongoose? Aren't Mongoose some kind of ferret?"

"Heart of the Mongoose (Passive): You possessed the heart of the Mongoose. You control your fear, fear do not control you. Effects: Willpower+1", the system replied.

Sen then saw something strange which caught his attention almost immediately. "Wait, wait, wait a minute. What is this 'Days to Apocalypse'?!"

"You have 2049 days to become the Saviour of this world. Failure to do so will lead to personal injury resulting death and the destruction of the world." 

"No, what I want to ask is what is this Apocalypse??"

"The Apocalypse is an unavoidable event which comprises of different planes merging together and becoming as one. The appearance of the Omega Shards which in your knowledge also known as Fate Crystals depicts the start of Apocalypse." The system stated as it is a fact of life. 

"Planes?!"

"Yes, Other planes such as the Shadow Plane, the Divine Plane, the Space Plane and many others will merge with the Earth Plane, which you are residing right now, into one. Monsters and higher beings will emerge as well."

Sen was overwhelmed by the onslaught of information. What Saviour? All he wished is to take over this parent's shop and if possible, marry a girl that he likes. Hence he rebutted against the system as he wanted to refuse this major responsibility. "

 Why am I chosen to be the Saviour? Are there not people stronger than me? People that possesses magic with frightening powers? People with superior influence over the masses?"

The system went silent for a while before replying. " User, please work hard to be the Saviour of this world."

Sen was stunned for a little and subsequently went speechless. He sat down on a nearby broken log while surveying the frozen time. What did he do to deserve this system? Does that mean he can be a superhero? Why was he not killed by the grenade attack when he covered for Feng? How can he escape from this particular timestill?

As if the System knows what Sen liked to say when he finally had the guts to ask the system, the System interrupted him. 

"Mission issued to User."

********
Mission 1: Kill the Goblin scouting party
Rewards: Three Fate Crystals and one chance at the Saviour Lottery

********

The world is at constant war for the new resource, Fate Crystal. Little did they know they are accelerating the fate of their world by causing the end of the days to come, The Apocalypse. Among these conflicts, Haruyuki Sen was just a conscript soldier in a skirmish who came into contact with the Saviour System when he supposed to have died. 

The system gave him one simple goal. To be the Saviour of this world. However, Sen did not expect to fight in various dimensional planes while protecting his plane from the upcoming apocalypse. 

- Fighting a horde army of goblins in a medieval plane to protect a princess?
- A demigod of war magic becoming his servant?
- Surviving in the desert plane while stopping a resurrection of a god?

Join Sen as he finds trusty comrades along the way to build a team of heroes to stop the Apocalypse.


--------
Author Tags: System, Military, War, Fantasy, Mythology, Technology, Sword & Magic, Team Fights

I grimaced. Something had tapped my nose. The dreams sailed away and my futile efforts to reach them were in vain. My nose gained no rest, it was assaulted again. When the third bop hit, I gave up on building a new ship to sail with. Grabbing the perpetrator I opened my eyes. The furry culprit was gray with a white stomach, its expression unreadable. The cat was called Rin. The name she introduced herself with almost three years ago.  
I sighed for the thousandth time. Why did Rin, my spirit animal,  have a banana hat?
It could be called a hat in name only. There was no reason why the banana should hold in place. It was as if someone had glued a banana on top of her head and called it a day. It didn't come off and Rin herself didn't seem to mind. It would have been a problem if it rotted, but it seemed to be as fresh as ever. I hugged her to my chest so that the bopping would stop.
That was one reason, the hug was the real wake up mechanism. The way to wake up as a happy member of the human race. I hadn't used an alarm clock in the last two years, knowing Rin would wake me up at the right time.
"Morning Rin," I said and snuggled my head into her soft neck. Rin guided with her paw where she needed to be scratched.  After she was content with the amount of scritches she deemed me worthy of an answer.
"Morning Eaces." Her voice between a purr and a soft female voice. The greeting was followed by a light bite on my finger, signaling time to get up from between the covers.
We stretched as we got out of bed. A satisfied voice leaving from the both of us. I grabbed my black dressing gown and pulled the curtains on my window. The morning sun greeted me and welcomed me to a new morning in my hometown of Helsinki.
A smile took hold as the scent of coffee reached me. This household comprising two coffee drinkers, me and my cat, drank more coffee than the average retired couple . I still didn't understand where all of it goes, when Rin drank a whole cup every morning. The size ratios were completely off. I shrugged at the thought, knowing I might never understand the answer.
I finished my morning injection of caffeine and sat on the floor to meditate.
Closing my eyes I did what I always did. What I had done since childhood.  As a mental exercise, I chose to envision a triangle made of clear glass tubes.
Inside, I added a blue liquid that spun around. Focusing my imagination in this way calmed me down. It threw away all the unnecessary thoughts. Lessened the burden on my waking mind. Having set my mind straight, I headed for the shower.
Today I was supposed to write a passage for a British newspaper on the changes in the Malmi-Airport Dungeon. Commonly referred to as "MaDu". It was a low-level dungeon considered one of the safest for beginners. At least if you held on to the safer areas where the SDC patrolled. The SDC stood for Scandinavian Dungeon Control. It was a joint effort between the Scandinavian countries to keep everyone as safe as possible. The average level for the dungeon's monsters was five.
The water was rushing over my shoulders as I checked my status. The window didn't ripple even as the water sloshed right through it. 
The differing thing from most MMORPG's in this real-life status window was that showing someone your stats was nigh impossible. Same with checking someone else stats. There was an actual skill required to show your stats and to see someones. The skill was in high regard and those who managed to awaken the skill were instantly hired to guilds, companies, or the SDC.
My window read like this:
Eaces
LVL: 0
Age: 23
Skills:
Writing LVL 2, Oratory LVL 1.
Having not reached level 1 yet, all my other stats were hidden. Most of the people on earth were level 0. It took quite some effort to level up. Fighting monsters might be the only way. There were rumors that achieving levels with grinding skills was possible, but no confirmed cases had been found. Then again the world was just under three years into its second awakening. The first having happened approximately 5000 years ago.
I wanted to gain levels. There was a romance in being a hero and fighting monsters. In real life it was dangerous. So I did what I had been doing even before the second awakening. I played tabletop role-playing games. Even my name was from a tabletop character my father played in the group my parents met in back in the day. I bled tabletop games. There was a sort of regret every time I thought about it.
My regrets assaulted me with help from the shampoo that got into my eyes. If this happened one more time I vowed to cut my shoulder-length blond hair and go bald. I regret I never got to play with my parents. My youth was spent with just mild half-hearted interest.
My musings were cut short as the lights flickered in the shower. The lights came back on and Rin was by the light switch, tapping her left foreleg as if she had a watch there. Smiling at her I shut off the water. The time on my phone indicated I indeed should get my clothes on and get going.
It was time to forget the thoughts of tabletop games. There was a real-life dungeon to explore.
******

I got off the bus at the MaDu border area. A few Delvers got off the bus with me. My job had made it easier to accept people walking around with weapons and armor. Both melee weapons and firearms were commonplace on the buses and people walking on the street.
It had taken six months after the awakening for it to become legal carrying firearms with a Delvers license. You needed a Delvers license to get inside the Malmi Airport Dungeon area as well. It wasn't the only way to get inside, as many civilians worked inside the area in shops, hotels and restaurants. I had another option than all of the previously mentioned ones and could go in with my freelance journalist pass.
I didn't consider myself a journalist, but a writer. Writing articles did pay, so I took them. Meeting interesting people was another perk of the job.
I stepped toward the SDC officials and handed him my journalist pass. The SDC official was clad in a black uniform with a diagonal stripe on their chest separated into four colors. Representing the founding countries.
A Finnish flag on his shoulder and no additional symbols anywhere. He was just a common guard.
"You entering the dungeon today?" The guard asked me after checking I was the same person as depicted on the pass. Having done this before I nodded and presented him with the required information.
"Yes, I am entering with the Blind Flag party," I said as I received my pass back. The guard nodded and searched for information on his terminal. A final flourished enter press later he was done.
"I added you as a tag-along to their party." He said after turning to face me. His eyes already turned towards the next in line as he continued. "Have a safe delve."
I entered the camp and headed towards a cafe. The Gruff Goblin. One of the better places to sit and plan a Delve. It was the meeting place we had decided with The Blind Flag.
The sounds from outside calmed to a muted background noise as the door closed behind me. Browns and dark green as inspired by its name. The inside was divided into a general area with tables and chairs and upstairs with separate booths with inlaid touch screens.
It also had another specialty, the booths were lined with mana crystal dust and a mute spell was cast on it. It would both give you peace and let you plan without anyone overhearing your plans. The reason why was pretty simple. Human greed is great.
Especially when the new world order will revolve around levels. That is what I think. The highest level that anyone has reached after the awakening is 35. The highest skill level is seven. The ones with the highest skill levels are the ones who were masters of their craft even before the awakening.
At level 35 we are seeing humans able to destroy tanks with one blow. However, they are still fallible and will fall to gunfire. As the levels grow, the power will unmistakably fall into the hands of the ones with the most power. The world order will change.

I took the last step to the topmost floor and spotted Bea waving at me. Bea was the party's oldest member at 32. Slim glasses and blond hair on a ponytail was her trademarked style. She was already wearing her armor. It was a heavy sort of armor for front line fighters. 'Locally crafted by local blacksmiths' as she likes to say. I smile and raise my hand in response.
Entering through the mute field gave me a slight tingle, but so do all magical formations I have walked through. All four of them were here. They had been planning for our delve. We exchanged happy greetings, we hadn't seen each other for a while.
All members present were the players in my tabletop RPG group. Some would think it funny that in a world where fantasy became reality, there would still be a need for RPG's. It is still a great exercise in escapism and camaraderie. On top of it all, it was safe and didn't bring you to an early death. The final factor making it great was the countless different kinds of fantasies and sci-fi worlds to conquer. Bea, Laura and Riki had been members since before the awakening. While the youngest Aleksi only joined us a year ago.
The name of their party was a reference to one of our older campaigns. It was an interim name for our tabletop group, but it stuck.
The four of them didn't adventure together all the time, most of them belonged to different guilds. Except for Aleksi and Laura, the youngest pair, who were a couple at that.
"So what's the plan?" I asked after the staff brought me my second coffee of the day. At the mention of coffee Rin appeared from my chest. Spirit animals could spend their time inside their owner's bodies. Moving around with big familiars was frowned upon, so it was by a silent agreement that in public spirit animals reside inside.
Inside the MaDu area, it was a different matter, so I didn't mind Rin peeking out. It did look quite funny though when a banana appears out of your chest. The others smiled like fools, even having seen it before. Finally, as Rin started sipping at my coffee the conversation continued.
"We will traverse through the SDC patrolled areas looking for the newly appeared mana veins." Bea the de facto leader of the party answered.
Bea traced the path on the map in the table's touchscreen. As she neared the edge of the zone I leaned in as something interesting presented itself. I put my hand on the map and zoomed in on the added bits. Bea pulled her hand back and let me control it.
The point that caught my interest was the addition of a new tunnel. A tunnel that connected to an old area that had been cut off.
"Indeed, there is finally a way back to the lowest level monster area,"  Riki said before I had time to answer the question. I leaned back as the news sunk in. It was over a year ago that the beginner area got cut off, by the changes to the dungeon.
It had nothing but level 1 and 2 mobs inside. Great news for everyone who wanted to gain their first levels. Nodding to myself I started to get pumped up for today. I'll have an additional story to tell since it wasn't in the news this morning.

****

Everyone was already geared up, so entering the dungeon was quite fast. There was an additional check at the gate. While the others handled the official business, I marveled at the size of the portal. I felt the thick pressure of mana emanating from the gate.
The gate was in between two beaten and battered marble pillars. In between was to the naked eye an impossibly flat surface. It was like the darkest ocean had been sanded smooth for thousands of years. The portal should reflect the world's stare, but it was only the dungeon that eyed us. Its maw welcoming us into its grace.
Bea waved for me to follow and without a word, we entered the dungeon. The gaping maw had caught me, transporting me to the Malmi Airport Dungeon.
Torches lit the walls of the dungeon. It was kind of what you would expect from a low-level dungeon in a game. The thickness of the air, the overall atmosphere. I reveled in the feeling. Fear was welcome here, anxiousness a given.
This was not a wasted expedition even with only this. Knowledge of the feeling made me a better game master and writer. A long breath and here I was inside a dungeon. Rin exited out of my shoulder and sat herself there.
The other's spiritual animals also exited out of their bodies. Bea had sparrow, contrary to her tank role in the squad. The sparrow flew ahead, knowing its role.
Riki was clad in dark brown leather armor. It bore some sigils of the guild he was in. That meant it was probably blessed. His spirit animal was a rat. No ordinary rat, but a pitch-black one. The edges of its form hard to make out. Another part of their scouting squad.
Aleksi was clad in all white, a priests garb. He had unlocked the power of blessings. The cloth was a gift from his patron Liekkiö. He had stumbled upon an altar of Liekkiö a bit over a year ago and was quickly absorbed into a guild. Priests were highly sought after.
His spirit animal didn't usually appear. It had changed after coming in to contact with Liekkiö. It was now an almost incorporeal speck of light. A ghastly sight when it did appear.
Laura was an archer. She also wore a similar leather clothing as Riki, but this one didn't bear any sigil of her guild. It was instead her own armor. This was to better fit in with their group composition. She was the firepower of the group, hence the need for some damage enhancing gear.
Laura's spirit animal was a tarantula. It was not the type of animal she had wanted, but she got over it real quick. It could be worse she had said, at least it didn't have a fruit on its head.
The first half an hour of travel went at a leisure pace. We only saw a few gnomes peek out from hallways to the side. They quickly scattered noticing the level of the party. The reason I dared to venture into these dungeons were because of this. The Blind Flag party consisted of the levels between 10-15. The highest leveled one was Riki, with Bea right behind. The other two occupied the lower spectrum.
The mana veins had become more numerous and larger. The veins pulsed with light in a clear pattern that I recorded on my phone. Everyone wore a bodycam as well. It was a good safety feature both for improving teamwork and to tell the tale of parties that died. If no cameras were found on the bodies it usually meant another Delver had killed the team.
Unnecessary thoughts aside I wondered what the increase of mana veins meant. It was happening all over the world, but nothing else had changed.
The group was jovial, but always on its toes doing their duties to a t. Especially when we neared the newly opened area. It was supposed to be safe and the SDC had cleared it inside. The team didn't dare to take it easy when it was an unknown factor.
I was on my toes as well, nervous about the danger lurking just out of sight. Studying the mana veins and the pattern of its lights was what kept me from freaking out. I noticed something strange when we were about to cross the new tunnel.
The patterns disappeared and a continual glow appeared in its stead. Something was wrong, I could feel it. I tried to yell out a warning, but it died on my lips. The wall beside Bea busted open as a big gray hand pushed through. With one smooth motion, it smashed Bea against the opposing wall.

Shounen is a demographic aimed at teens and young adults to sell Manga. 'Stuff that boys like'.

If so, what is the 'Shounen Formula' Anitubers be raging about whenever series along the lines of Demon Slayer or Black Clover is released? And what makes this formula appealing as a story?

Dragon Ball Z might have set the stage for kids everywhere to learn of love and friendship through two dudes punching the life out of each other, but it was Black Clover who 'defined' what the modern interpretation of the Shounen Formula actually is.

To be more specific, let's analyse some major components in how that Anime works. Starting off with the 'Hero' being in a state where he isn't content with his life and desires for improvement.

Like the Hero's Journey, this is the first trope used to quickly give the main character a goal or purpose in the overall plot. Though in series like Fullmetal Alchemist they don't explicitly say what it is they are specifically looking for, there is normally a broad or innocent goal they strive for with every fibre of their being from childhood to adolescence.

Attack on Titan made it 'killing all titans' and Hunter X Hunter made it 'looking for father figure'. Though some might interpret their differences as one being more 'good' and the other being 'bad', what is truly contrasting is how relevant they are to the overarching narrative established in the story. It doesn't matter how good or bad their ambitions are for them since purpose itself isn't a story.

Some say Hunter X Hunter is 'deconstructive' without even knowing how or why it's considered to be just that. After all, to deconstruct a story's plot device, you must know how it works before you attempt to do it. The only thing that Anime did was introduce a character named Gon Freecs who only wanted three things in live: To make good friends, go on an adventure, and find his father.

He achieves both of the first two goals he set off his journey towards in the first Arc itself, the third goal only becoming relevant near the end of the Anime's last Arc. So rather than 'searching for what he set off his journey for', the story becomes more about him protecting these bonds as the unfeeling world. Other characters becoming more apparent due to him having a 'stagnant character arc'.

Now, defending friendship itself has never been Shounen's unique aspect, as even My Little Pony got that covered. What was really considered a 'deconstruction' was how, while other stories would connect 'defending friendship' to the central narrative. It had always taken a back seat compared to other characters and their struggles.

Attack on Titan and Black Clover, on the other hand, made their character's goals and the overarching narrative have relevance. Eren from Attack on Titan finds his original goal changing throughout the story as the stakes in the narrative become higher while the 'Wizard King' in Asta strives for in Black Clover will always have relevance when there are threats to the kingdom.

Whether your character achieves their goal or not doesn't matter though as much as the next trope:

Power Levels and Escalating Stakes.

Although this can be likened to how people play an RPG to level up and grind, it is actually the exact opposite in practice. The reason most protagonists start off as 'normal' is to give more familiarity.

No one can empathise with a human tank that can take hits like a boss but a normal person who can get heavily injured a punch that broke the wall behind him is the kind of person I can get behind.

If he has superpowers, then all you have to do is focus on his more 'mundane and normal' aspects that have nothing to do with his abilities. This acts as setting the 'floor' of your Power Systems.

Then escalate the conflicts from then on until he becomes a god... Not! Well, you can if you want to write a 'Immortal Hero' genre Eastern Fantasy, but there is more to power scaling than just that.

For example: Why do 'power levels' even exist?

My opinion is that they are supposed to represents the 'ranks' we see in real life. Those we see as far more superior than us due to high IQ or physical ability and are reluctant to get in conflicts with.

In a more down to Earth version of the Shounen Formula on display: This would be making the main character a victim of bullying and the bullies as the antagonists that need to be overcome by the end.

To put it into the perspective I brought up: The protagonist would first have his motivation written as something he needs but is not so specific as the narrative that ends the story, like making a friend.

I know this seems complicated, but hear me out a bit. A Shounen protagonist never has the exact same desire as what the overall narrative is about as that would make it more unrealistic. After all, if he just didn't want to be bullied, there are too many people he can ask unless you make the world have exaggeratedly bad teachers, parents, or both.

Now let's bring up the 'power levels and escalating stakes' back into the discussion for this example.

For this kind of story, the power levels would be basically the rules that govern who is strong in reality like physical condition, martial arts, strategic actions, and improvised or self-defence weapons on hand. The escalating stakes would be what problem you want to start with and what you want to end with. You can either start with normal life problems and end with the bullies being beaten or start with the bullies and end with some 'gang'.

It depends on how much contrivances you can add before the reader finds the plot a little too absurd.

I read a Manwha called 'Outcast' before that embodies these two points perfectly and ended just the way you'd expect. It was a satisfying story because there was a clear character progression.

Now that we have covered Motivations, Power Levels, and Escalating Stakes... Let's talk about the elephant in the room, the actual main character of a normal Shounen and how the template operates.

The Shounen Formula is now similar to the Superhero genre in a way, depicting someone ordinary doing the extraordinary. However, the in the Shounen Formula is less about using power responsibly and normally more towards how their use of their particular power affects the world around them. Rather than conforming to the rules of the world, Shounen protagonists break the mould to go beyond themselves for their desire.

Take Deku from My Hero Academia as an example of this. If you were to follow the standard Superhero Formula, Deku gaining superpowers would be turned into a responsibility he has to handle for the rest of his life rather than an opportunity to achieve his childhood dreams. The emphasis would be put more into his decisions using that power rather than his own motivation.

This isn't because the Superhero Formula doesn't know what it's doing. Instead, it is out of clear understanding of what their audiences want in their characters. Westerners like reading a story about choice and being down to Earth enough to think about compromise while Easterners like the feeling of watching the main character achieve his dream.

Rather than a different in morals, it is the difference in perspective and emphasis that draws a line between the Superhero Formula and the Shounen Formula. Even though their are predecessors established tropes like 'Superhero Costumes' and backseat revenge motives coming from slaughtered family members, the only two things you actually need are the two point I talked of.

Other than those points, you could say that the Shounen Formula now has established archetypes for how their main characters are written. These ARE NOT mandatory as they are still tropes:

Calm Type- Their initial first impression is always as simple as 'calm and kind' like Rimuru from Slime Reincarnation or literally any generic Isekai protagonist that exists. They usually either personify normality or are actually Jesus.

These type of protagonists are the go-to for regular Authors as people like a level-headed protagonist who can make decisive decisions like a leader-like figure should be able to do.

Insecure Type- The type like Deku and kid Naruto who have major baggage in their hearts but can only live on until they overcome them either by moving past their insecurities or discarding those worries entirely. This is the type most high schoolers can relate to as teenagers are always unsure of something and weigh themselves down.

Forthright Type- This is usually the character referred to as a 'knucklehead' because of how often he would literally use his head to talk sense into idiots who are haunt by a 'ghost' (a lie the antagonist believes that's not entirely true).

This type of character normally sees straight through all the facades people up in their lives and do whatever they see fit in response. They don't even try talking things out normally as their actions become a direct response to the entire world.

Unlike the previous two examples, these characters rarely change like Luffy from One Piece and Tanjirou from Demon Slayer. Though being forthright doesn't equal being stupid, it is easier for them to be manipulated due to putting their hearts on their sleeves. Though this is balanced out with the amount of people who find this refreshing.

Underdog Type- Apparently 'Loser who doesn't give up' directly translates to 'stud' in Japanese considering how unnaturally toned these guys are for their age. Just look at Deku from HeroAca plus Gon and Kullua from Hunter X Hunter...

This kind of character is the most 'suitable' for the Shounen Formula as all characters that abide by this formula start off weaker or at the same level as every normal strong person in their vicinity.

When I say normal though, I mean NORMAL as the Shounen Formula loves using 'normals' as foil to show just how badass these monstrously strong guys are (it's called 'jobbing' when you introduce someone whose entire purpose in the story is just to lose to another character and make him or them look better. A 'jobber' like Buggy from One Piece if you will). Though this isn't why underdogs are popular to 'normal' people weaker than others.

I've written in a previous blog on the benefits of this trope in depth on another Analysis so I'll skip the small details and just get to talking about why the Shounen Formula loves this kind of character.

After all: Their motivation for improvement becomes clearer if nobody likes him, you can start off at the bottom of your 'Power Scale', and escalate stakes as you like without breaking tension. A weaker person goes through more tribulations to become strong, which is why series with physically weaker characters tend to drag on forever until they reach the apex of their power.

Take from this advice what you will. I accept any blog requests as long as their writing based. 👍😆

(Cover by Darkstar Dust)

This is a story I worked on ages ago that has been refined and edited by adding foreshadowing to events while also simplifying the power system better than before. This story can be considered a prequel to An Adventure Beyond Greatness as it takes place years prior to the events of that story.

Short Synopsis:
After retiring from the battlefield, my life became empty and lifeless. The regrets of my past haunt me in my sleep. Then a change occurred, a King from another world summoned me to fight for his kingdom, but I died even before I could give him my answer. Now, after a fake God allowed me to reincarnate (albeit imperfectly) with my memories intact, into a world filled with magic and swords.

Long Synopsis:
This is about a flawed protagonist who only knew to rely on others and not socialise who gets a second chance to change himself in order to live the life he aimed for in his past life. The narrator isn’t exactly trustworthy since it is purely in his bias perspective while other perspectives given by others fill in the blanks that he either leaves out or twists to suit the situation.

The story itself can be considered a parody of Isekai’s classic tropes which are given a sense of reality as time goes by. As there exists no ‘Demon Lord’, there is also no black and white, only characters opinions and counter-opinions throughout the story.

Despite the dread of finding out you are alone on an island on a different planet, probably in a different dimension, the water looks amazing. The sun was setting, and the way the moonlight bounced off the water looked straight out of a dream.

The only good thing about the island was the temperature. When he arrived it was 90 degrees, but as nightfall came, the temperature hovered on a humid 60 degrees. There wasn't a need to create a fire except for the fact he had a dead bird and he was starving.

While trying to rack his brain for ways to start a fire, a notification popped up the assumed his attention.

[Please choose an Ability or Mutation]

The words offered hope that he hadn't felt since he was a kid. On Earth, he was a homeless kid that fought everyday to get food. Hope was not something that one could find in the slums. 
There was no magic button that could bring your parents back. No magic wand that would give money so you wouldn't have to sleep in an alley. Except now, he could literally have a magic wand. There was nothing holding him back except himself.

The compendium was filled with millions of abilities that baffled him by their specificity. Every ability was marked with a specific amount of points needed to get the ability. He wasn't sure how he got his points but so far he had 88,598 points.

[Abilities]

[Earth Creation - 62,000]

[Mental Suggestion - 121,000]

[Weretiger Transformation - 44,000]

The abilities ranged from magic that helps with harvesting plants, to straight-up molecular vibration. In RPG fashion, the low-cost abilities were incomparable to the abilities that cost upwards of 500,000 points. The few that he saw that were one million points were completely OP. There was a four million point ability called (Antimatter Core) with a brief description saying "User has an antimatter core." Succinct yet still OP.

Scrolling through the endless list, Marcus got to thinking about an ability that would truly compliment who he is. A slackline immediately caught his attention.

In superhero background story fashion, Marcus lived in a circus with his parents for most of his life. He spent more time on a slackline than he had watching tv, playing with other kids, or even time with his parents. 

On the line, you need a clear mind and a solid heart. Whenever he needed to calm down or cry he would go on the line. It was his refuge and how he coped with the bullying and trauma he faced.

Content with his choice, Marcus asked the system for abilities with rope or slackline. Fortunately, the system responded with many choices. Three abilities caught his eye immediately. 

(Elastatape Creation - 38,000)

(**Wonders of Silk - 85,000)

(*Elastaes Creation - 79,000)

Each choice had its pros and cons and like the many other abilities, the descriptions were very succinct. One detail he hadn't noticed was the stars next to the names of the abilities. He didn't know what the stars meant but the (**Wonders of Silk) had two of them and it was the most expensive. 

The description just said, "Enjoy the wonders of silk". It was vague but knowing the versatility of silk, this ability could be what helps him survive in this world.

The hesitation slowly leaving his face, Marcus clicked (**Wonders of Silk) with his mind and waited for some kind of change. Looking at his hands and feet for silk was fruitless. He resigned himself to look at the sunrise as hours passed without him knowing. Hearing the birds chirp, and even distant roars calmed him as the scenery was amazing. 

...then everything went dark

[Please Stand By]

Systems, fights, antagonists, blah blah blah you know the deal
I am very new, and wanted to try this thing out

"Oh my god! Dude, the Quest World VR remake just got released!" As a male student exclaimed, almost the entirety of New York city went in an uproar. As students, teachers, people in traffic jams, offices, suddenly ran through the state street! Even though the working hours and school hours weren't completely over yet, you could say that everyone did what it took to get a copy of it's release, as they ran towards the poor game stops that are about to be filled with long lines, no, icebergs of people that want the latest remake of Quest World...

In context, Quest World was a table-top RPG that rivaled one of the greater table-tops of It's time, Dungeons and Dragons. Although Initially it wasn't called that, but that isn't the point of this context. Because of popularity, many developers have helped in creating the perfect trilogy of the three games surrounding the development of the world known as Avalonia. Where everyone goes and plays as the mighty heroes that will save the world from the demonic forces that threaten humanity. Collect items, doing quests, all of that classic RPG stuff. Each installment of the game getting progressively better than the last! The 1st installment started out as a simple and crude, single player campaign with several glitches and unbalanced equipment. The 2nd giving a better story line, multi-player, and weapon-balancing. And the last installment included, better PVP and other quality of life patches, literally marking it as the best installment. So naturally, when everyone heard that the developers were releasing a Virtual Reality remake, It naturally made everyone hype...

But how is it so famous that everyone around the nation, and possibly the entire globe, that everyone and that means everyone wanted the game? Well, from the teenage fan-service, to kid friendly settings, and up to literal +18 actions. This game almost had every genre of games in one sophisticated, simple, 2.0 GB game, which made the the world's most superior video game in comparison to many other games. So naturally, everyone already had done everything within their powers, and budget in an attempt to purchase the game beforehand, only to be stopped the several rules of proper product distribution...

However, our story does not begin there...

Somewhere around the more "affordable" types of neighborhoods, is a girl walking down the street with her school bag in slung only around one arm, and a tote bag being held by only a single hand. She has a very rugged appearance, which is saying a lot for people living the slums. She had taken good advantage of everyone's determination and craze for the latest VR game in order to skip school and just head home, which is not as nice as the scenario around the globe. Her building had several bricks falling down and people did not go easy on the land lady during Halloween, so there are still dirty egg splatters on several spaces in-between the windows and on them, speaking of which... 

"Hanna!" A cheerful 32-year old, african-american woman with black hair, greeted her on the doorstep, she has a dirty apron put on and she wore a really, breezy dress. She then approached Hanna and gave her a little peck on the cheek "You're quite early, are you skippin' class again?" She asked as she walked her into the run down building, Hanna simply nods. "Sweety. You shouldn't skip out on class! How many times do we got to cover this? I know you've got, other jobs, but education is kinda important ya' know..." As she talked, Hanna just simply walked upstairs and into a room, with the number 3 on it's front. The land lady sighed, and while doing so she heard a splat outside. She turned towards the open door to see, and indeed she found the source. The bad teens were back again, and this time they were egging the building even though it's only a day before Halloween. And just before they used some toilet rolls, the land lady grabbed a bat from inside the house and then chased them off...

Hanna enters her room, greeting her neatly stacked pile of trash of this week's trash, and then there's her recently cleaned out mattress, finally she sits down on her bed and then fiddles around her Game Bros. VR Headgear and finds the game slot, then she opens the game's packaging, blows off the top of the game's small cartridge and then puts it in, as she looks over to the pile of other game cartridges, she sighs as she puts on the Headgear...

...

"Hello! Welcome to the selection screen!" A mechanical voice sounded, I was face-to-face against code. Right before I faced a selection screen of races, the classic selection of elves to dwarves, humans to undead, basically every playable race ever since the tabletop series' release, I searched throughout the selection screen and then found the race I played ever since the first video game installment. The sub-race of the undead, the skeleton! I tried reaching for the skeleton button but I stopped my hand, and thought: 'Hey, this is a new installment, maybe I should take my time and look for another race...' I then took my time to find out about other races, after all, this is a Virtual remake, play styles in between PC and VR might not be similar...

'Sub-race of Construct? A scarecrow?' I looked at It's statistics, and it seems quite similar, if not slightly better than the skeleton sub-race, all of It's 6 stats are averagely low, all except constitution being 1, although it had some interesting passive abilities...

[Construct's Nature] - Constructs are non-living creatures. Thus, they require no nourishment, rest, or even require breath to function normally. However, because you are a non-living creature, you will not receive healing from most sources, excluding being repaired manually.

[Fragile Materials] - You were built from low-grade materials as well as constructed poorly. Thus, you take increased damage from Slashing, Piercing, Bludgeoning, Burning, and Acid damage types. You are also completely Immune against organic-type curses, and diseases.

'Nourishment? Like Hunger and Dehydration, I guess those features kinda fit the construct. But the lowest level of construct is the scarecrow, and those guys can be man-handled even by low-level, wizard-class characters, and that's saying something for the class sporting the lowest physical damage dealt on hit...'

I thought for an extended duration, I mean, this was a tough choice. The skeleton sub-race could evolve into the zombie race, which could be purchased in the selection phase, but would have resulted in reduced starting stats in comparison to leveling and evolving from skeleton to zombie.

The construct was different however, aside from having one of the worst passives in-game, It did have another type of passive.

[Upgradable] – Since you are a construct, you can be upgraded by anyone proficient enough in the required Artisan's tool set*, and has the available materials. Thus, allowing earlier evolution selections.
*Required proficiencies are Smith's tools, Leatherworker's tools, and Woodcarver's tools

'I could choose this race, after all this has some benefits in comparison to undead…' It's true, In-comparison to being undead, I wouldn't get targeted easily by the common populace of the player base. And unlike the undead sub-race, I wouldn't get damaged by healing magic. Although, being a skeleton would help prevent me from being hit by projectile damage, and that includes fireballs. And believe me, a lot of fireballs are included in these games, especially on PvP when the wizards come strollin' in…

Although, I could try and play a construct, if food and drink was a necessity then both sub-races could help in preventing me from spending too much money on food and drinks. And If food and drink was going to be bother, then fatigue is also part of the game's play-style. This virtual remake was actually meant to replicate the entire Quest World universe and turn it into an interact-able world full of the original Quest World's universe content, that also means we could suffer from other things such as medical conditions.

'Maybe I should try something new…' I said as I pressed the select button beneath the scarecrow's plain, rag-sewn face, and my human character gets replaced by a potato sack with four, pathetic looking sticks that might be called limbs. Right after that, my screen is then replaced with another selection screen, which would be my background.

Backgrounds, are the origins of most characters in-game. However, for the case of some, exotic choices, backgrounds would naturally be limited, like the skeleton sub-race I considered. As such, I can't be a nobleman or a soldier, because low-level constructs aren't a practical source of fighting or diplomatic power. Neither can I be a sub-profession of a background, such as being a Professor or an Acolyte of a holy society. Both sub-race choices limit my profession, but I have already decided to choose one 'jack of all trades' background, the Hermit, being a hermit allows me to gain more benefits being alone, rather than being within a team, one of the many benefits in the original games surrounding hermits is the ability to obtain the [Natural Explorer] passive ability, and [Hermit's Item set], which includes a bone flute and several natural spell components.

Although it may seem redundant at start, It's relevancy in the early stages of the game are higher than that of any other background, the spell components can help with other item purchases because of their early game prices of 30cp per ingredient, which can help most players purchase better items even though they have the necessary spell-casting pre-requisites.

[Natural Explorer], allows players to select their early stage farm location, or prevent being lost or have disadvantages in forest environments, which might cause problems for forest combat scenarios. This ability was a Ranger exclusive passive ability, also an elven racial ability trait, but they changed it to prevent elven rangers being too over-powered. So this background definition is definitely, my type of play-style. In which I press the select button for the back ground, and like so, my scarecrow appearance takes on a more ragged and weathered down appearance, a pouch and a travel staff appear right next to each of my hands. I take both of them, and put them away into my inventory, which was a bag icon in the lower left of my screen, next to the inventory's main hot bar.

And then finally, the pinnacle selection of any playable character in Quest World's popular installments. The character's class, which defines the play-style of any character. There is the OG classes such as the unforgettable battle-savvy Barbarians, the edgy kleptomaniac Rogues and unforgettable, spell casting nerds known as Wizards, and then there is the unique, and totally strange playable classes, such as the ever hated Mystics with their Unbalanced spells, the strange and unpredictable Artificiers who creates flavorful spells and Magical items, and the Blood hunters, who are just glorified edgelords who thought 'Blood magic' is nothing like regular magic.

But there is already a class I have considered, and that is either the rogue class or the wizard class. Yes, I know. I already know that the wizarding class is a no go, the race I chose is already weak I do not need any more wear-down from other sources, the ranger class is also a viable option. Melee oriented classes don't season well with this sub-race, so my only choice remained to be: Either the ranger or rogue.

Ranger seems the most optimal, although stacking passives from different sources would mean they would have to reduce the passive's effects, rogue would also be a fun route, although I am definitely not type to play dirty, and using stealth is definitely just not my style. But there is one other class that I could play, but it's kind of a risky move…

"Well, It's either that or nothing…"

Revolving around the recently released VR-MMORPG game known as "Quest World: Wilderkin", the long awaited virtual remake of the classic Quest World Trilogy that rocked the world ever since 1989...

Hanna, an 18-year old quiet girl from a school known as "Gardner High" in Brooklyn, uses up the rest of her savings to purchase the copy of the game ahead of release with the help of a friend, and begins her walk through of this newly released game, as well as her silent tread through school...

Three people were sitting at a table, eating breakfast. The mother had black eyes and hair, quite short in stature and clearly of Asian descent. She looked around 30 years old, although she was 38. The father was a slim man, with modern glasses. His eyes were a dark green with brown short hair, he was quite tall but not overly so. He clearly looked his age, at 35. The third was the daughter. She looked young, 1.56 m tall (5'1"). Her hair color was black and eye color green.

They are the Young family, the father named John, the mother Setsuko and the daughter Setsu, named after her grandmother. The parents looked happy, clearly because of the commercial playing on the screen.

They had been very busy with the finishing touches of the Tabletop Dungeon, and trying to not tell their daughter the specifics of the game because she was very curious. Today is the day where it will be released, and none of them can wait for it.

They're happy that they were able to get one for their daughter, so she can finally see what they have been so busy with the last few years. It should be arriving today, somewhere soon. They were sure their daughter would be very successful with it.

Setsu couldn't wait for the doorbell to ring. She was basically hopping in her seat in anticipation.

"So honey, have you decided which way to start yet?" Her mother asked her.
"Yeah! I was thinking of making sure the surface level is sufficient before starting on the actual dungeon though, so I have a proper foundation for the Intelligent Life on the top level to thrive."
"Very good sweetheart, you need to make sure everything runs smoothly." Her father replied.
"Are you sure you can't give me any hints of the possibilities?"
"You know we can't dear, you will have to figure it out yourself. And don't you think us giving it all away would make it less fun for you?"
"I guess you're right, but I'm just so excited to start"
"You'll get to start soon honey, just a little more waiting. What about you make sure the room is ready to install the Tabletop Dungeon, and that you have enough space to move around?"
"All right, I'll go check now!"

Setsu ate the last of her sandwich and got off the table after putting her plate and glass in the kitchen. She went out of the kitchen through the dining room, which were connected to the living room and walked into the hallway. To her left were the stairs, straight forward was the door outside, and to the right, her destination. She opened the door  and arrived in the room they cleared out specifically to place the Tabletop Dungeon.

The room was quite big, with a window, couch a very conspicuous table with a hole in the middle and a computer in the corner on a desk. It used to be a spare bedroom, but they emptied it out when the game was announced. Her parents knew the game was coming way before that, but they didn't need to clear it out immediately. Now, everything was ready for the game to arrive, she even had air conditioning in the room for comfort.

She went on the computer and looked through a few emails and checked if her homework was done, before the doorbell rang. She basically ran out the door to the front door, and opened it, to see her friend Linda Moore had arrived.

"Hahaha, did you think your package arrived? I'm sorry for bursting your bubble."
"Ohhhh, I'm so excited, but I'm still happy to see you. And yeah, you're right, I was hoping it was the package, but we did already agree you would be coming over to see it with me today."
"You better remember! We made this agreement ages ago! Although the only reason I got interested in the Tabletop Dungeon is you and your parents, doesn't mean I'm not as serious about it as you are."
"Did you get permission to buy a Tabletop Dungeon as well?"
"I did! Though it won't arrive the same day as yours, because you've already pre-ordered one for a while."
"Please, show me how you progressed yours as well, and when we get the chance, let's play together sometimes!"
"Of course!"

The doorbell rang again, and this time they both raced for the door.

The scene passes over a quaint little village. People are seen entering market buildings and buying from little stalls. Further in the village men and women are seen entering a well built building, wearing iron and leather armor. They come out soon afterwards, heading out the village.

The camera follows them, and we see them entering an elaborate cave entrance. Following them down, they are shown fighting goblins, wolves and all kinds of wildlife. The next scene is of a well armored knight clashing swords with a undead horseman.

The scene stops, next we are shown 2 tabletop dungeons being connected together and the fights are now between dungeons, fighting each other for supremacy. Snakes fighting birds, kobolds against goblins, undead against demons.

The screen flashes and a logo of a table with a sword and staff in it turns in circles as the screen fades to black.

"We are happy to present, the tabletop dungeon! This is our newest invention, where you have your own little ecosystem right at home. There are multiplayer fights...."

Setsu Young turns away from the commercial and stretches. She has been waiting for this game to come out, because her parents have both been working hard completing it. She can't wait to get started either. She looks on the calendar, it's October 15th 2090, today the game has released.

"Hmm? So is it really true that this white hair kid really manifested a heaven grade mana phenomenon? And yet he has no elemental affinities at all?"


"Yes my lord. According to my sources, it is indeed like this. I believe this kid might meet your conditions of having considerable potential but unsuitable for elementary magic."


A small-sized whitish stone lay atop a tabletop, projecting the image of a five-year boy from one one of its surface, with silver hair and turquoise blue eyes mixed with a cyan colour with tinges of red. The boy seemed to be relatively neat and innocent as boys of his age, but still held some natural allure within him. 


The lord had a black veil covering his face. So even the servants may not know who he truly was. But from the voice, anyone could deduce that he was an old fella. But he seemed to be oozing a tremendous pressure just by sitting only.


Looking at the image of the little boy, the lord seemed to be quite intrigued. But simply staring at the image, led to him no results.


"Go and look for the child. If he really is like what you told, then maybe… maybe it is possible… Yes, I can only bet on that. The years of experimentation may finally bring fruits! Go go! Bring that child to me before others find out about him…"


"Yes my lord"


As the Lord continued to talk his voice staggered more and more towards the end. He didn't even finish, but the person opposite him bowed his head and then disappeared from there. Yes to an ordinary person, he just disappeared from there. It was like he had done this way too many times to even count. 


"If the child really… really… then I can finally… it won't remain a dream anymore hehehehe"


Unknown to everyone, what is stored in fate would unravel itself no matter what.

***


'System how do I check what these parameters mean? Do they not comprise tutorials or description?'


[Host doesn't need to fear. You just need to focus a little on what you want to read the description for. The status window will automatically extend our the details.]


'Hmm. Ok. Let me try.'


[Personal Information


Name

Name of Host


Race

Racial features of the host.


Age

The current age of the host. Counted from the day host was born into this world.


Statistics


Level

Current practitioner level of the host. Every nine levels represent a tier.


Affinity

• Elemental affinity of the host. Cannot be measured currently due to no matching specimens of elemental activity in the environmental sample.

Note- Host is advisable to regularly intake environmental samples from various regions for further processing.


Strength

The ability to contract and expand the muscles and exert pressure on the bones to wield physical force. Increasing this attribute would allow the host to exert more leverage from his limbs and exert better force and momentum.


Agility

The ability to coordinate reflexes and major muscular structures of the body for better movement and activity. Increasing this attribute would allow better movements of the limbs and faster involuntary reflexes.


Vitality

The ability to utilize life energy and stamina to sustain more stress and injuries. Increasing this attribute would enrich the physical body, restore injuries faster, greater stamina and an increase in lifespan,


Intelligence

The measure of the intellect of a lifeform and its awareness of the surrounding. Increasing this would allow the host to have a much clearer perception of the surrounding and better memory.


Energy Available for use:3


Mana

External world energy. 

Helpful to influence the outer world.


Life energy

Inner biological energy. 

Enriching the inner bodily structure. 

Chakra

Intangible and metaphysical energy.

 Associated with the opening of major nodes in the body.

Currently opened Chakra: Root Chakra

Associated colour: Red

Associated attribute: Earth

Characteristics: Increase in physical strength, instincts, sexuality, sense of smell


Acquired Skills:

Initial sword mastery

Initial understanding of the sword as a weapon.

Slightly increases attack speed, accuracy and reflex when using the sword.


Initial bow mastery

Initial understanding of archery. 

Slightly increases focus and sight and accuracy when using bows and arrows.


Mana Manipulation

LVL 1: Able to sense the mana around.

LVL 2: ???


Life energy Manipulation

LVL 1: Able to sense internal energy.

 LVL 2: Able to draw energy from cellular respiration.

LVL 3: ???


Innate skills: 2


Seven stages of samsara 

Current Level 0.

Legacy of the unknown. Gift of the Gatekeeper. A memory imprint in both Cellular and Soulular level.

Requirements to unlock the first stage: Achieve Medius rank. Further details attaining the first level.

Requirements to unlock the second stage: ??? Unlock the first stage to know further details.


The Force

Current Level cannot be calculated. Cause- Innate skill… Further upgrading required.

The derivative skill of Chakra

Ability to manipulate all the forces around. 

Current proficiency only allows macroscopic forces to be mastered and manipulated. 

Note- No new force can be created or no existing force can be destroyed.


Spells:1

Elemental sight

Ability to differentiate all types of elements via sight. 

Proficiency depends on spell usage and knowledge about mana.


Kp aka Knowledge points

Effective in the store function

Upgrading the system

 ??


Bloodline Composition: 3


Neo human Heritage

Human bloodline: 78% Original

Innate Skills: Comprehension. Faster reproduction.


Three-eyed Demon Heritage

Demon bloodline: 16% Degraded. 

Characteristics involve a third eye on the forehead.

Innate skills: Better sight. Other skills undetermined due to host low bloodline concentration.


Reptilian Heritage 

5% Deteriorated

Cannot determine due to deterioration of bloodline.


Other Heritage

1% Non-existent.

Unascertained bloodline heritages too small to be measured.


'Phew… too much information to be processed!'


'So it seems that I have some abilities. But what about the telekinesis? Why isn't it here yet? And what about that ability to defy gravity that let me climb steep ramps easily? Wasn't it a balance ability?'


[Replying! The host must be mistaken. But to answer the host's query allow me to ask you a question]


'Sure'


[What is telekinesis?]


'Easy question. Ability to control matter with the psyche'


[Then where do you think telekinesis originates from?]


'Hmm? From the mind. After all, it's a psychic ability. Didn't I specify it associated with the mind? Silly system!'


[YOU are silly!  Your whole family is silly!]


'Ehh. Fine fine. Don't be angry. Please continue my dear system'


[Ok. Seeing the host's sincerity, I will let it pass. So now tell me where does your ability come from?]


The system seemed rather easy to please actually! So Kiel expected another silly question, but the question this time seemed to be indicating about something. And after all, Kiel was not an idiot.


'Oh, you mean!' 


For an intelligent person, only an indication is adequate to infer the direction of the chat. Like what the system explained. Telekinesis is a psychic ability. But Kiel's ability entirely originated from his Root Chakra. 


The root chakra is basically the body's attunement to the earth. And earth is only a very dense mass of natural matter integrated with the various principles and forces of nature. So his ability can be easily correlated with the forces of nature itself. At first glance, they may not seem the same, but when processed at a deeper level, everything matches.


[Exactly Host! From the tests you conducted last night, I have deduced that your ability interacts with the natural forces associated with the objects rather than the matter itself.]


'But how come that I didn't feel anything like that?'


[That's because you were so enthusiastic about gaining psychic abilities that you didn't even carry out proper tests to check its validity. In simple words Host you were ignorant!]


'...'


[...]


'Fine it was my fault. So how about explaining to me the other ability my teacher?'


Gaining a quick one over its annoying host, the system seemed to be overjoyed. So it didn't mind it's host taunts.


[It is also the result of your ignorance. What you called balance was actually the force of gravity influenced by you to modify your centre of gravity and the gravity around you such that it didn't have much effect to disturb the adhesion and various other forces between you and the surface, enabling you to walk on steeper slopes with much ease. But it was basically based on instinct as you experienced very vague connections. First, you didn't have much chakra within you so the effect was not prominent. As your chakra concentration grew, the influence also became stronger.


But the main reason is still your ignorance!]


'Ehh! The f*ck. So you mean to say that now that have fully unlocked my Root chakra maybe I can walk on walls, ceilings and throw webs from my hands like a certain insect associated superhero!!!'


[Host please stop your useless fantasies. Although you may have sufficient energy inside your chakra node, according to your proficiency, the most you can only maintain yourself is on a 120° plane, and at most at a 100° plane with respect to ground, even that in a sleeping stance with at most efforts. To maintain your form on a vertical plane or even more a 45° plane you have a long way to go, let alone a 180° plane. You have to put in a lot of effort. And what's the talk about spewing webs from your mouth? Do you consider yourself a spider now?]


Kiel was so excited to hear about his new ability that he just woke up from his half-sleeping position and suddenly stood up straight, almost scaring the few travellers close to him embarrassing himself in the process. Luckily he was a little kid, otherwise, he would just have hit the ceiling instead and that that would be way too shameful. But the similarly mocking taunts of the system was even more hurtful for his little heart.


He quickly sat down, but the sneering gazes of the travellers nearby didn't go missing from him.


'Geez do you all need to act mighty all the time. Cut me some slack. I am just a little kid. And you scls94, you don't know anything about men's romance. And that was not spewing webs from the mouth but from the wristbands!'


[Whatever host! You don't have to be such a nitpicker because of ignorance. I am just a system without any emotions!]


'Oh is it! Now you don't have emotions! Who was the one taunting me previously?'


[...] 


But this time he didn't get a response. Looks like the system was too lazy to argue with him Luckily for him, he didn't have to be embarrassed anymore due to his misunderstanding!


But the rest of his abilities were quite cool. Hide didn't lie to him. He did give him a gift after all. And looks like he was some kind of a gatekeeper. Whatever he would ask about his abilities more to the system when he was in a better mood. If he asked anything now, he would just be mocked as an ignorant fool hmph!


"We are stopping for the night here! All of you can come down and rest here. We have checked the perimeter here. It is safe. Those who want to have dinner can join us. Those who need to relieve themselves can go ahead in the forest ahead. But don't go too inside. There may be wild animals there."


'Hmm? So it is already near dusk time. Talking with someone closer to you, time passes really quick I guess. Well anyway, it is time to get down and do some stretching to warm me up. Sitting all day is injurious to health.'


One by one everyone went down the caravan stairs to the open grass field. When it was Kiel's turn, the caravan was almost empty. Landing on the soft grass, the atmosphere was quite clear. All the stars on the night sky could be viewed clearly from the ground. The pleasant and aromatic fragrance of the nearby herbs mixed with the cold night breezes had its own aesthetic charm. They only needed someone to appreciate them. The freshness and everything in the new land were totally pollution-free. And Kiel wanted this to keep it that way too. 


There were two bonfires in the open plain. One near Kiel, the other at a little distance away. It seems that the caravan contained an important noble or merchant, as they had their own group and didn't mix with Kiel's group. 


At first, Kiel thought that there were four caravans full of people. But it now seems that the two caravans in the middle actually contained goods. Well, whatever. He just wanted to enjoy the night atmosphere without any disturbance. So those things didn't matter.


He stretched a little bit and sat down near the bonfire where the smell of the food was coming from. It seems he would be having vegetable stew and bread for dinner. 


'Damn again no rice!'

Warning: If you want too much events without sufficient world building, look for other stories. this is probably not for you. Don't complain if you find the middle chapters a little boring. Everything is there for a reason. If you can't be patient... you got it.

A world where mages rule the world. Elemental power is considered the supreme. Magic is considered the nature of the world. 


Kiel, a world renowned scientist of the modern world sacrifices even his life to create his own ideal world.But now is given a chance to reincarnate in a magical world where possibilities are endless.


But alas, he who thought that he had a great future waiting for him, witnessed that he was awakened without even an element? Is this the end? Or is this the start of a new journey?


What will Kiel do, loaded with his knowledge from the previous world. Join Kiel as he traverses the path of magic now instead of science. Join him as he takes you into how a real fantasy world should be


A new chakra cultivation! A whole new path. A whole new world. What will the world have in store for a little mortal?

***


Note- If you are bored with all the regular trade off the mill novels, this is something that you want. Give it a try.
This is my first novel. So please don't take too much offence!

Story may have a lot of buildup. So only for patient readers.

Note: Guys I am trying to reform the earlier chaps. So don't complain and be patient. I am a human too.

The room was exquisitely decorated, a hundred square meters, and yet uncomplicated and luxurious.

Decorations lined the walls, fine examples of old French décor, sporting hand-polished copper wall sconces plated in gold which bathed the lavish quarters in light. The large pendant lamp hanging from the ceiling was itself copper and plated gold, but with the addition of gold inlay, enamel and more. Above it’s oval make burned over a hundred candles, their stems veined with pale gold coiled dragons, and each topped with a gentle flame.

In the middle of the chamber was a long table, capable of accommodating twenty people. The head and foot of the table were curved, becoming straight as they drew towards the ends and extending.

The table top sported a simple decorative pattern, bestowing a vivid and lively sensation. Under closer inspection, the pattern didn’t appear burned into the wood, but rather raised. In fact it was composed of various splinters of bark, of many different colors, polished and joined flawlessly into the surface to create the beautiful and classical pattern.

The twenty chairs on either side of the table were made of a single piece of wood, the backs of each deliberately carved into arches to completely conform with the human figure. Even after sitting for lengthy periods, one would not feel exhausted or uncomfortable. The hollowed-out decorations of the chair were carved into the likeness of two standing eagles, their eyes and feathers detailed perfectly, and like the tabletop composed of polished bark fragments fused together.

The table came from the Francesco ‘Black Dragon’ line. In the previous era, the brand was Italian, and produced a myriad of furniture exclusively for European royalty.

At present, many of the chairs lining the table were occupied. At it’s head sat an elderly gentleman in his sixties, with sleek and meticulously kept long silver hair. His black formal attire delineated him as nobility.

The atmosphere of the room was oppressive, no one spoke, with only the faint sound of breathing in the air. Upon the table sat seven cups of water, untouched.

Bang, bang! resonated from the door of the chamber.

“Enter,” the old man’s deep voice responded.

The door opened and a scholarly middle-aged man entered, clad in a white Armani suit, a rim of gold around his eyes. He moved quickly to the elderly gentleman’s side, and placed a piece of paper before him on the table.

“Did you find out?”

The scholar nodded his head slightly. “Yes, President Luo.”

“Tell them.” The old man waved his hand for him to proceed.

The middle-aged man stood beside the elderly gentleman, sweeping his eyes over those gathered at the table. Ultimately his gaze landed on a beautiful, pale face, with pity in his eyes.

“Greetings ladies and gentlemen. I am Guo Xin, Head of the Heavenly Auction House Intelligence Bureau. In regards to the theft of the Cipher Box, we’ve completed our preliminary investigation.”

Upon hearing this sentence, the previously inattentive Leng Lingxi suddenly bolted to her feet. Grinding her teeth she growled “Who? Who was it?”

Guo Xin looked sympathetically upon Leng Lingxi, her first important mission and she was robbed. He understood well this special young woman’s feelings.

“Please be patient, Miss Leng.”

Director Luo raised a hand towards Leng Lingxi, indicating she sit. The young woman took several deep breathes before returning to her seat.

Gui Xin continued. “From our analysis of the scene, the Number T-25 Space Shuttle ferrying Miss Leng Lingxi and her twenty-two person convoy suffered no damage, but for a temporary malfunction in it’s internal controls. Thanks to meticulous attention to detail and a faint trail, we were able to issue a preliminary report.”

“The culprit likely approached the shuttle mid-flight via Mecha, drawing near under cover as the ship decelerated for atmospheric entry. Then, through some unknown means, he simulated an interplanetary magnetic current which permitted him to enter the shuttle’s hull without a trace. The Mecha itself was attached to the shuttle’s frame.”

“Our suspect then entered the ship, moving directly to First-Class. His sense of timing must have been exemplary, as he arrived just as the First-Class passengers were being revived from Deep Sleep. Employing electric current, he managed to incapacitate everyone with the exception of Miss Leng. He then proceeded to paralyze Miss Leng, and abscond with the Cipher Box.”

“In the process of the robbery he engaged in combat with Miss Leng Lingxi. None of the other passengers were hurt in the process. At present the only thing we aren’t sure of is how he managed to pass through the shuttle’s hull, enter the ship and leave without haste.”

Director Luo tapped the tabletop with a finger, interrupting Guo Xin’s report.

“You’re conclusion. I want to hear your deduction.”

Guo Xin paused, his previously impassive expression becoming more serious. “At present, our conclusion is that what the culprit told Miss Leng Lingxi was no falsehood – he truly is Zeus. Zeus, of the Divine Monarchs.”

The previous silence of the chamber became a cacophony, with shock clearly written on nearly everyone’s face.

“Impossible, it’s impossible! That bastard… how could that bastard possibly be Zeus?” Leng Lingxi sprung up once more, like a cat who’d had their tail stomped on. “How could Zeus have done such a despicable thing, robbing like a common Space Pirate! Inconceivable, my Zeus would never do such a thing!”

Her voice was nearly hysterical, drawing everyone’s eyes to her.

“Your Zeus?” Director Luo looked at her quizzically.

Leng Lingxi’s face grew red. “Zeus is my idol. How could he know…” It was then it seemed, before her very eyes, that detestable laughing face appeared.

Guo Xin interjected. “Zeus’ sphere of control is Electricity. If someone wanted to covertly enter a shuttle to commit a crime, and overpower you, I’m afraid it could only be accomplished by someone of his Level.”

The expression in Leng Lingxi’s eyes was lifeless. She suddenly remembered the young man’s words as he departed.

……

“You’re a girl of quality, a girl of vision.”

……

Sure… Surely it couldn’t be true? But… but he kept saying I was an idiot! The scoundrel!

“Silence!” Director Luo’s commanding voice brought stillness once more to the chamber. “With the loss of the Cipher Box, my Heavenly Auction House has suffered greatly. The envoy responsible, Leng Lingxi, is demoted to Rank Two. Cancel all protection missions, and suspend all escorts for three months. As to the identity of the culprit, I will proceed with verification. Dismissed!”

Director Luo was the first to leave, followed by Guo Xin. The others followed afterward.

Leng Lingxi sat, unmoving.

Her left index finger gently rapped the tabletop, and in her heart she thought, He is Zeus!

Her right index finger gently rapped the tabletop, and in her heart she thought, He is NOT Zeus!

Over, and over, and over.


Skyfire Avenue is a street that is 2048 meters long. There are 168 stores here, and each of the store owners is an extremely powerful adept. The Avenue does not permit any vehicles or any robots to pass through it, much less mecha. Even the patrolling police must move about on foot. This is because this is a street for pedestrians, a lane for nobles, hidden away within this high technology world. Lan Jue, the greatest of the mercenaries, code-named ‘Zeus’, has secluded himself here in Skyfire Avenue after the death of his wife. The name of his shop is “Zeus’ Jewelry Store”, and here in Skyfire Avenue, he has been given the title, Jewel Master.

[ Chapter 16 ]

Three days has passed since their first passionate relationship. Since then, Long Jinnian has been making love to her for countless times. 

Qin Feixue has always feels annoyed every morning when she was going to work, she was so shy because of her employee weird gaze toward her weird walking posture.

At night, she was like frightened little rabbit, she knew that a certain wolf would definitely devour her. 

And for him, ever since he tested his first forbidden fruit, his sex drive have always on high meter as his control over his lust getting weaker and weaker. 

He would easily get aroused just by seeing Qin Feixue. His mind was filled with steamy scene where he pressed her under himself. Her moans and groans kept resonating in his ears.

After he finished his work at 7PM, Long Jinnian started his black Bentley and drove it home.

Once he entered the house, he found no maids around but a graceful back view busying herself in the kitchen.

Her hair was held up in a ponytail. A lace gown caressed her body and she wore a loose-fitting apron and grey short skirt underneath. Her long, smooth legs were a work of fine art, a carefully crafted piece art by God.

Just her back view alone could make his heart pump faster, and of course his big brother between his legs awoken.

Noticing his entry, she turned her head and smiled. She then continued plucking the inedible parts off various kinds of vegetables.

"Why have you returned so early? Didn't you say you'll come home late?"

Long Jinnian stopped behind her and circled her waist, tightening his grip. Naturally, he was able to feel her heat with her clothes being the only barrier. He took a deep breath, sniffing her scent.

Qin Feixue bit her lips shyly and reminded, "Don't start touching me right after you came back. I'm in the midst of preparing dinner and we're in the kitchen."

He switched his focus elsewhere, surveying his surroundings. Then locked the door once he assured that no one around.

Coming closer behind her he embraced her from behind, working his hand around to feel the fullness of her breast and the other hand caressing her plump buttocks.

Noticing no responds from her, he stopped his hands movement and changed his tactics. His hands started massaging her sensitive spots near her stomach.

Qin Feixue knew at once what he was up to. However, without much of a chance to object, all she can do is accept her fate. She felt that the curve of her left breast was grabbed.

She whimpered.

Her breasts and her tummy felt hot, as if on fire. Electricity pulsed through her body, where she was most sensitive. She could feel herself becoming wet, as if a dam had been broken through.

It had only been a while since she had a taste of it. But now, her urges came flooding back once her body was teased, like a raging forest fire, explosive and burning.

After many years being a lonely woman, a sudden exposure to intimacy had left her breathless yet excited. It was like gasping for air after a few minutes without oxygen, she wanted more.

She has to work hard to satisfy her young partner haughty demands. As vigorous as her partner was, she was always sighed in defeat when it comes to endurance as she was always tossed around the bed by him until he completely dry her out.

His hot, ticklish breath grazed the skin near the back of her ear making her breathless.

Could not restrain herself any longer she let out a soft moan, "Mm.."

"D-Don't touch me here." Her eyes looking at the surrounding.

Her whole body had melted, like warm cheese, into him. Sweet and tempting, her body was paralysed, the vegetables dropping out of her hands.

Hearing her irresistible voice, he felt his skin crawl and his hardness tremble. 

Laughing evilly as he said, "Auntie, just know you seduced me by wearing this kind of hot apron, you're too damn hot in this outfits, just by looking it you got me a raging hard on."

He was sure that there is no maid around as he added, "I think the kitchen is fine. Be good, just climb onto the tabletop and I'll make you fly straight to the nine clouds" 

She took a peek at the vast surface of the white, steel tabletop, imagining how she would look laying on top. The mere thought of it sent her into a frenzy, making her face flush in embarrassment.

"I-I don't want to." She resisted.

"Auntie, I know you're so wet just by imagining you yourself laying on that tabletop while being pumped me. Come Auntie, just obediently be a good little girl for my," he paused.

"BIG brother." He breathed, poking the bulging in his trousers against her soft butt and she whimpered.

He could not care less about her contrasting act. He picked her up in a swift motion and placed her atop the tabletop.

With a sudden realisation, she found her full, gracefully curved backside facing him. She did not dare open her eyes while she buried her face in her arms, trembling from excitement partly from fear.

Right then, she felt the cool air brush against her skin. Her skirt had been lifted up, exposing her. Knowing what to expect, she was filled with nervousness.

Long Jinnian was not in a rush. He took time to enjoy the view in front of him. Her perfect curvature, and her squirming, sexy long legs. 

Her struggles and excitement only enticed him further, making it harder for him to resist. And just as he finished enjoying the view, he gave in.

Unzipping his pants he slid it down, freeing his raging hard on and caressing his majestic hardness as if showing of its glory. 

All his blood rushed down onto his cock and made it hot and reddish. Gently placed it to its cave, her pussy wet entrance. He rubbed and teased her pussy by caressing his cock into her slippery, pink pussy without entering.

"God, you're a very a bad guy! Just push it in already! I can't take it anymore." She snapped, finding how torturing it feels when he plays her pussy without entering.

"That wasn't a correct way to ask." He teased, then added, "Auntie, beg me."

"Y-You!! Ah you shameless, scoundrel! Daring to tease me! I'll make sure to completely dry you up tonight!"

Then she bit her lower rosy lip. Her face was so reddish, trying her best not to showing her embarrassment as she begged shyly, "Jinnian, please, put it in."

Seeing her embarrassment yet cute expression in front of him, his heart beats faster and his cock getting harder. Without further ado, he slid himself into her heavenly pussy.

[ End of chapter ]

[18+] A dirty romance between a high-end young man with his beautiful and lovely mother in law.

[UNDER COMPLETE EDITING, BETTER READ ONCE THIS WORDS IS GONE FOR BETTER READING CONTENT]
. . .



"That's sure look delicious." His deep and manly voice praised.

"Thank you." Her enticing lips curved, an enchanting smile lined perfectly on her beautiful face as she looked at the food.

A chuckle escaped his lips and his his picturesque eyebrows could not help but raise in amusement, his pearl-like dark eyes looking at her innocent smile.

His perfectly structured lips quirked into a fine smile, it was his signature smile that never fails in making women sexually uncomfortable in their panties.

"I mean sure the food look delicious but." He paused to have her beautiful diamond-like blue eyes look at him.

"You're far more delicious." He stated as he parted his lips to lick his lips sensuously.His insanely handsome face flashing an alluring and boyish grin as his charming eyes blinded her eyes.

Her ears down to her neck turned crimson instantly as an instant pink blush graced her statuesque, beautiful face. 

"Y-You shameless!" She shouted, pretending to be an angry lioness, yet the way she looks like is more like a shy little kitten.

He huffed a laugh, amused. He placed an arm on each side of her, circling her against the dining table.

"Delicious." He smacked his sexy lips.

"and,

Tasty." He breathed.

His warm breath kissing her cheek, crawling into her skin, sending ticklish up to her spine.

"Mm, the food are getting cold." She muttered meekly, trying to resist his irresistible devil temptation.

How can a mere word of hers manage to convey so much temptation he had no idea, but fuck her sweet voice gave him the chills down between his legs driving him insane.

His feverish, ravenous eyes looking at her. He kept flaunting his overflowing sex appeal to the delicious woman before him.

She is like a warm cheese, his passionate and smoldering gaze melting her, into him.

"Let's eat." Her sweet voice whispered.

"You mean." He leaned back to have a better look at her bewitching and blushing face.

"Eat you?" He teased, in alluring and inviting tone.

"or,

Eat me?" He gleamed his delicious smile, offered himself as if he is the most delicious delicacy.

Clutching her skirt tightly she bit down her pink lip in flush as she could feel her bottom lips began to get wet, moist.

"B-But.." Her eyes met his passionate eyes shyly.

"I'm your mother in law." She bashfully reminded.

. . .

WARNING: Contain R-18 mature content.
NOTE: Please read "Author's Note" on the reviews before you read this book.
DISCLAIMER: Cover photo's credit belong to their respective owners

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