I decided to model the system after The Gamer, a Korean manwha where the main character alone has special abilities that overwrite the rules of reality and can change the environment around him into one like a video game. Repeat an action enough times and you get a skill or stat increase. There are STR/DEX/INT requirements for some items still.
Based on the voting. The main character is going to be an OP Dark Mage eventually.
HP = 50/level + 10/vit
Mana = 50/level + 10/int (main character's special skill doubles this bonus, so it is 100/level + 20/int)
Strength = increases physical attack damage and weight limit
Dexterity = increases accuracy, critical rate, and damage with non-magic ranged weapons
Intelligence = increases maximum mana, magic damage, magic resistance
Vitality = increases maximum health and defense
Agility = increases all types of speed and dodge (movement, attack, casting)
Charisma = increases ability to influence others and resist influence of others
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"What is happening?" Garnet said.
"What is it?" asked Zedd.
"There's a box in front of me with words," Garnet replied.
"It must be the Hero System at work," said Zedd. "See if you can understand it."
Before Garnet was the white box with black text that read: "Introduction Complete!" She closed the box and a new box with several quests appeared.
New Quest: Persuade Nobles to Reduce Taxes and Tariffs
The cost of living in the city is too high. Find a way to convince the nobility to reduce taxes in the city or their region while ensuring that it is sustainable.
Reward: Experience, Fame.
New Quest: Rebuild the Outer City Wall
The wall was heavily damaged in the last attack, but reconstruction was halted due to lack of supplies and manpower. See to it that the wall is rebuilt before the next attack.
Reward: Experience, Fame.
Garnet closed this and another box appeared. The white box with black text read: "New Functions Available!" When she closed it another one appeared.
You may access any of these using your left hand and swiping upwards.
New Function: Inventory
New Function: Quest Log
New Function: Class
Garnet raised her left hand and swiped upwards. A menu appeared with several options.
Status
Inventory
Skills
Quest Log
Class
The Status function displayed information about herself.
Name: Garnet
Level: 1
Class: None
Sub-class: Temptress
Stats:
HP: 100/100
MP: 200/200
Fame: 0
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 3
Intelligence: 6
Vitality: 8
Agility: 5
Charisma: 9
"Temptress?" thought Garnet. "What is that? How could I have a sub-class without a class?"
Garnet continued to look at the numbers that showed her stats. "This body was fairly weak physically, but that would be changed with a bit of training," Garnet thought to herself.
Garnet then began to look through the other menu items. Inventory showed what she had on her and her equipment, which was only her clothes. There was not much, but there was currently five spaces for items. The other boxes were all marked with a red X, meaning they could not be used right now. She picked up the book that Zedd had shown her earlier.
"What are you doing?" asked Zedd.
"Testing something," said Garnet. She put the book inside one of the inventory boxes and it disappeared. There was now a picture of a book in her inventory box.
"The book is gone?!?" said Zedd in a surprised voice.
"Not quite," said Garnet as she took it out and put it back on the table.
"That's the power of a hero," said Zedd.
"There's more," said Garnet.
Garnet looked at her Skills. There were already a few from her Temptress Sub-class.
Sub-class: Temptress
Enhanced Body: (Level 1, Passive)
+5 Strength/Dexterity/Vitality/Agility
Captivation: (Level 1)
Forces people to listen to you, it can only be resisted by people with a combination of high intelligence and high charisma.
Mind Read: (Level 1)
By touching your forehead with the forehead of another, you can see their thoughts, memories, or dreams. At higher levels, it is possible to manipulate memories.
Drain Will: (Level 1)
With a kiss, you may steal the resistance and stats of another for a limited amount of time. A short kiss will make the victim feel pleasure. Using this skill with a prolonged kiss or sexual intercourse can cause paralysis, pain, or even death in extreme cases.
PASSIVES
Unique Skill: Hero System (Passive)
???
Effects: ???
Unique Skill: Otherworldly Knowledge (Passive)
Knowledge brought forth from another world allows you to see and understand things that other people cannot.
Effects: +20 Intelligence, Removes Weapon Restrictions
Unique Skill: Golden Tongue (Passive)
Your voice and words are extremely persuasive to others, making it easier to convince them.
Effects: +10 Charisma
Unique Skill: Mana Compatibility (Passive)
Your body is able to sense, channel, and handle Mana better than others.
Effects: +100% Maximum Mana, Bonus Mana Regeneration Based on Maximum Mana
Unique Skill: Quick Learner (Passive)
As a hero, your abilities grow and change depending on the decisions you make and the actions that you take.
Effects: Able to learn new skills through actions
"Those were a lot of skills for someone who is just a beginner," thought Garnet. "Was it because of 'her' that I have all of these? No, the Otherworldly Knowledge is definitely that something I as 'Riley' brought."
Garnet moved down to the last option that said Class. When she pushed on it, a much bigger box appeared. There were three options: Melee, Ranged, and Magic. She pressed the one that read "Melee." A huge list of words appeared with a red warning. The warning displayed a single message: "Once you choose a class, you may not change it without meeting special requirements."
"Whatever I decide will be permanent," thought Garnet. "I will have to choose carefully." At the top of the list Warrior. When she pushed it, another larger box showed up with numerous lines connecting each box. It was a skill tree. It displayed every skill a Warrior could learn from the moment they became one to when they reached the absolute peak. As she scrolled down she saw more options including Berserker, which specialized in two handed weapons and Thief, which specialized in stealth based attacks. "I have no idea what to pick," said Garnet.
"Pick what?" asked Zedd.
"The Hero System told me that I have to pick a Class like how you are a Wizard," said Garnet. "But I have no idea what."
"That's okay," said Zedd. "Most people do not pick a Class for many years, you should wait until you find one that is right for you."
"How long did it take you to decide?" asked Garnet.
"I think it was about five years," said Zedd.
"Five years?!?" shouted Garnet.
"I was undecided between being a Summoner or just specializing in Space-Time Magic alone, heh," said Zedd.
"I can always pick later, but the Hero System has tasked me with certain things to do," said Garnet.
"What are they?" asked Zedd.
"The first says I have to convince the nobles to reduce tariffs and taxes while the second one says I have to help rebuild the walls of the city," said Garnet.
"Those are tough ones indeed," said Zedd. "Perhaps you can pick a Class that will help you fulfill those objectives."
"When I do, I cannot change, so I better decide well," said Garnet.
The next day, while thinking about what she should do. Garnet began to practice some of the skills that belonged to Riley. Namely, hand to hand combat. She would have to be able to fight and defend herself in this world. Right now, she had no weapon, only her clothes and a few basic skills. She would have to get by with this alone until she decided on a Class to take on for further development. As Garnet practiced, some text boxes appeared:
New Skill: Hand to Hand (Level 1)
You have demonstrated proficiency in hand to hand combat. Boost to damage when using no weapons.
Effect: +10% Attack Damage when using no weapon
New Skill: Reflex (Level 1)
Your ability to move and think quickly has resulted in faster reaction times.
Effect: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Agility
New Skill: Speed (Level 1)
Run faster! Wee!
Effect: +Running Speed
Stat Gain: Strength+1
"So, practicing has additional effects here," thought Garnet. "I will need to train myself physically as well, but I wonder what else I could learn from doing things here," Garnet said to herself.
Garnet looked at herself and noticed that there was a lack of muscle development. Even with the bonuses from her Enhanced Body, it was unlikely that she would be able to physically compete with any decent guard in the city. It might be enough to take on a random thug or two, but against someone competent, it was definitely not enough. "I must get stronger," Garnet thought to herself. "Maybe there's someone I can fight with to train."
KNOCK KNOCK. "It's me," said Zedd.
"Come in," said Garnet.
"What was with that noise in here?' asked Zedd.
"I'm training," said Garnet.
"Training what?" asked Zedd.
"As you know, I was a student," said Garnet. "But when I was walking around, I found myself stumbling a lot because I'm not used to this body. Now that I am a little more comfortable, I'm trying some more complex movements from my old life."
"Is that so?" said Zedd. "Remember to spend some time outside looking around. The King expects you to be doing something to solve his problems."
Garnet headed outside again and saw two guards. It was Klarth and Kirk again. "It's you two again," she said.
"Don't tell me you hate us already," said Klarth. "It has only been about two days."
"I don't hate you," said Garnet. "I just wondered if you two did anything besides stand in front of Zedd's Workshop all day."
"We do other things," said Klarth as he scratched his head.
"He probably does nothing but guard this door and sleep!" thought Garnet.
"This way it looks official," said Kirk. "Can't have you running around with strangers all the time."
"Did you forget what this body used to do for a job?" said Garnet.
"No I did not sir," said Kirk.
"Well, I want to go to the outer wall today," said Garnet. "I want to see what kind of damage we have out there."
This was the second of her objectives according to the Hero System. The first was to persuade the nobles, which would be a huge problem considering how they were resistant any type of change that would undermine their wealth or power. The second was to fix the outer wall. This felt like something she might have been able to do.
As Garnet walked around the city she noticed the same problems. It was the same merchant in the market. There were relatively few guards for a city that large and still a lack of food with beggars on the streets. He was the only one there today, but he had little merchandise. Around the outer wall, there were only 3 gates, one North, one East, and one West. "No South Gate?" she said.
"The South is a river," said Klarth. "That's how we supply water to the city. In fact, most large cities are built near a large body of water."
The biggest problem was the hole in the East Gate if you could still even call it a gate. It was left from the last invasion. There was a squad of twenty four guards who watched it, but it was still a giant hole that needed to be fixed. Elsewhere, there was minor damage, such as cracks and holes that needed to be filled in before it deteriorated further. The wall was not only damaged, but also in disrepair from neglect. It would become a serious problem if left unattended.
The problem would be getting the needed supplies to fix the wall. That was largely left in the hands of the nobility, who did nothing but sit on them all day. All of the problems returned back to the nobles.
"For a kingdom that is freaking out about an invasion, they sure are lazy about getting ready for it," said Garnet.
"Normally, the King or a noble makes a contract with some local builders and craftsmen to fix it," said Kirk.
"So why hasn't anyone done it?" asked Garnet.
"There's just no money in it," Kirk replied. "The people with money are too concerned with making money for themselves at the moment and because the last invasion was not too long ago, they feel that they will have sufficient time to prepare for it. It is difficult to persuade them to do it."
"Isn't there any concerns about wars or invasions from other countries?" asked Garnet.
"Most countries agreed to a non-aggression pact that prohibits war unless five years has passed without the sight of one," explained Klarth. "You're more likely to encounter an army of thieves than an actual war between kingdoms."
"If only there was a way to persuade the nobles to do it," said Garnet. Garnet remembered. She would not need a special Class. What she needed was to invoke the real Garnet, the one who gave her the power of the Temptress. The power to persuade others. "I don't think I need a Class for this. I just have to be 'Garnet.'"
"We need to go back to Zedd's Workshop," said Garnet as she ran.
"Wait up!" shouted Klarth.
"She's fast," said Kirk. Klarth and Kirk fell behind not because of the armor they were wearing, but because of Garnet's special abilities.
Level Up: Speed (Level 2)
The door to Zedd's Workshop slammed open. "I know what I can do!" shouted Garnet.
"What do you mean?" asked Zedd. "How can just being Garnet help you?"
"The original Garnet was a prostitute right?" said Garnet.
"Yes," said Zedd.
"I need to find a way to get into a room with a noble," said Garnet.
"That's easy," said Zedd.
"How is that easy?" said Akiza.
"You're pretty popular among the people in the castle," said Zedd. "Some of the people there even offered to pay me to let them spend a night with you."
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"You said no right?" Akiza asked.
"Of course," said Zedd. "What are you planning to do though?"
"The original 'Garnet' passed me some skills," said Garnet. "I want to try to use them on the nobles, but the problem is I'm not sure how to use it."
"Most abilities are done through either movement, spoken words, or a combination of both," said Zedd. "So you should just try them out until you get it right."
"That's a problem then," said Garnet.
"How is that a problem?" asked Zedd.
"My abilities require a person," said Garnet.
"Kirk get in here!" shouted Zedd.
"What is it sir?" asked Kirk.
"Garnet requires your help for something," said Zedd. "See to it."
"Will this hurt?" asked Kirk.
"I don't know, why don't you ask her?" said Zedd.
"Just come with me to the back room," said Garnet.
Garnet led Kirk to the back room and made him sit on the bed. "So what' the point of this?" asked Kirk.
"I'm going to try to seduce you," said Garnet. "Your job is to resist as much as you can."
"Okay...." said Kirk in a confused voice. "I don't understand the point of you telling me that."
"Just watch," said Garnet.
Garnet's first movements were clumsy. Although she had the memories of the original "Garnet," she was not used to doing the movements. Kirk watched as Garnet clumsily tried to swing her hips with each step only to fall. "Gotcha," said Kirk as he caught Garnet falling.
Garnet looked up with a red and embarrassed face. Kirk had to look away. "It's working thought," thought Garnet as she got up. She tried other things, like crossing her arms to emphasize her breasts or leaning forward so that Kirk could get a better look at her breasts.
Garnet tried walking again, this time it was better. She received a message:
New Skill: Sexy Walk (Level 1)
Draws the attention of others near by.
Effect: +5 Charisma when moving with this skill, chance of activating Captivation
All of a sudden, Garnet became perfect at it. It was the power of the Hero System. "The ability to instantly become proficient is frightening," Garnet thought. "Skills that would take you a lifetime to master could be learned in a few days and probably mastered within a week."
At this moment, Garnet looked at Kirk. He was looking at her and followed her every step. He could no longer take his eyes off her. He had already fallen victim to the abilities of the Temptress. The next step was to activate Drain Will. By removing a person's strength with this, it was possible to make them susceptible to her words.
Kirk was no longer saying anything. His eyes and head simply turned to face Garnet. Garnet closed in on Kirk who was still looking at her face. This was the first time Garnet was going to kiss someone in her new body, and it was a guy. She hesitated for a moment as she looked at Kirk's mouth. But, she had to do it. At the moment, there was no other choice. If she was going to change a noble's mind, she would have to repeat these actions in order to have them fall under her influence. She licked her lips before grabbing Kirk's head and pulling in for a quick kiss on the cheek.
"What was that?" said Kirk. He suddenly turned a little red as he broke out of the trance and realized what had happened.
"It didn't work," said Garnet. "I guess it has to be mouth to mouth," she said as she went closer again.
"What do you mean m---" said Kirk as he was interrupted by Garnet's kiss.
"Mmmmmf," Kirk couldn't speak with Garnet's mouth on top of his.
Garnet saw a new box appear.
Level Up: Drain Will (Level 2)
Garnet was feeling a rush of energy filling her body. This was the effect of Drain Will. Not only does it take away a person's strength and resistance, it adds it to your own. During this moment, Garnet was able to push Kirk, someone much bigger and physically stronger than her down onto the bed. Both Kirk and Garnet felt intense pleasure from this action. After a few seconds, Kirk stopped resisting. "I have to be careful with this, it could become addictive," thought Garnet.
Garnet backed away and Kirk just laid there. Garnet quickly went to check his breathing. "Are you okay?" asked Garnet.
"Yes," said Kirk.
His voice was different and he was breathing heavily. It was like he was exhausted. "Did it work?" Garnet thought. She tried to look to see if there was any way to tell if it worked. There was not. "There's only one way to find out," said Garnet. "Kirk, when you recover, I want you to go to the other room and slap Zedd across the face as hard as you can."
"Yes," said Kirk.
"Is that all you can say?" asked Garnet.
"No," said Kirk.
"Can you say anything else besides yes or no?" asked Garnet.
"Only repeat directions," Kirk replied.
"So what did I ask you to do?" asked Garnet.
"Slap Zedd across the face as hard as I can when I wake up," said Kirk.
"Okay, perfect," said Garnet. She sat on the bed and watched as Kirk laid there. Eventually, his eyes closed.
This also gave Garnet a chance to try another one of her abilities, Mind Read. She touched her forehead to his. She saw two images. One of Kirk himself standing proudly in front of a group of knights, most likely his desire to become a leader of some kind. One of Kirk slapping Zedd across his face, most likely what Kirk wanted to do last. Both images seem to have represented some kind of desire or goal that Kirk had. If this worked, using Mind Read could help to see if her Drain Will worked as well.
After what seemed like a few hours, Kirk finally woke up. "Hey are you okay?" asked Garnet.
"Yes," said Kirk. Garnet watched as got up and walked to the other room.
"What are you doing?!?" shouted Zedd.
SLAP. Kirk had done exactly as Garnet instructed and slapped Zedd. "Sorry, my fault!" shouted Garnet as she came running into the room.
"I just felt like hitting you as hard as I could," said Kirk. "I don't know why, but it felt great."
Garnet realized that it meant the victim thought it was their own choice and not that they were made to do it by another. On top of that, it seems to make the victim enjoy the action, so they might continue to do it in the future. Drain Will was an extremely powerful ability though it required intimacy to do it.
Zedd turned to look at Garnet. "What did you do?" asked Zedd.
"I made him follow my instructions," said Garnet.
"Anyways, go back outside," said Garnet. "I have something to discuss with Zedd."
"Yes sir!" said Kirk as he walked outside.
"So you're planning to use this on a noble?" asked Zedd.
"Yes," said Garnet. "With this I can persuade someone to do something they normally would not."
"What are you planning to have this person do?" asked Zedd.
"If I could affect a noble, I could order them to lower the tariffs and taxes in their territory and they would not know someone made them do it," said Garnet.
"Are you planning on sleeping with every noble in Antium?" asked Zedd.
"No, just one or two that might have enough power to be able to influence the economy in this city," Garnet replied.
"I thought you heroes supposed to be honest and upright," Zedd commented. "But if this is how you want to do things, I will not stop you. I am desperate after all."
"I don't either," said Garnet. "But unfortunately with the King wanting fast changes to placate the people, I don't see any other way. The system refuses to change yet the King wants everything to be better. It is just impossible to placate the people without affecting policies. If I have to do downright dirty things in order to save a kingdom filled with people, then so be it. The goal is the lives of the people," said Garnet.
"Well said hero," said Zedd. "You put the lives of others first and you do what is necessary even if it might go against your morals. You kind of remind me of myself. But be careful that you don't tread too deep."
"I will," said Garnet. "There are still lines that I will not cross no matter what."
Garnet had remembered what Zedd had said about the process of summoning a hero. Zedd had given up on some of his own morals and conducted what amounted to human experimentation in order to find a vessel for a successful summoning. Garnet hoped that she would never have to do the same.
"The first thing I can do is at least affect the policy of a single individual noble in his territory, then maybe that one noble can push for more," said Garnet.
"Well you might be in a bit of luck," said Zedd. "A Duke was interested in you."
"Isn't that like a King?" asked Garnet.
"Sometimes, but in Antium, it is the highest ranking nobles just below the King," said Zedd. "Duke Charles Wellington is his name. He is also called the General of the North and controls nearly all the northern lands under the control of Antium."
As Garnet heard that name, she felt an intense mixture of joy, anger, disgust, and sadness. It was a mixture of emotions that she could not understand.
"Tell me Zedd, did something happen between the Duke and the old me?" asked Garnet.
"Not that I know of," said Zedd. "But if you have questions, you should ask him yourself."
"Then he shall be my first target," said Garnet. "But I will also need to think of a way to fight first in case I run into trouble."
"That is a most wise decision," said Zedd. "If you wish, I could train you in the ways of the Magician."
A box appeared before Garnet:
"Do you wish to become a Magician?"
Yes/No
Garnet pressed No. "I want to think about it some more before I decide what I want to do."
"That's fine," said Zedd. "I'll keep this offer open, so come talk to me if you change your mind."
"But first, I need some more practice," said Garnet. "Come back in here Kirk!" ordered Garnet.
Kirk came right back in, just like a perfect soldier. "Come to the back room, I have more tests," said Garnet.
Kirk followed Garnet. There were reports of animal noises coming from Zedd's Workshop for a while. When questioned, Zedd simply said, "Summoning experiments."
Level Up: Drain Will (Level 3)
After testing her abilities on Kirk, Garnet confirmed the results. First, Drain Will must be initiated through mouth to mouth contact. The length of contact will determine how much strength is drained from the victim. Second, while the victim is exhausted, they can be influenced until they become unconscious. Third, when the victim wakes up, they will proceed to accomplish the task given to them when they were exhausted and will have no memory of the person who influenced them to take action.
Spoiler :
Name: Garnet
Level: 1
Class: None
Sub-class: Temptress
Stats:
HP: 230/230 [50*level + 10*vit]
MP: 760/760 [100*level + 20*int]
Fame: 0
Strength: 3+1 (+5)
Dexterity: 3 (+7)
Intelligence: 6 (+22)
Vitality: 8 (+5)
Agility: 5 (+7)
Charisma: 9 (+10)
SKILLS:Class (none):
---Sub-class (Temptress):
- Enhanced Body (Level 1)
- Captivation: (Level 1)
- Mind Read: (Level 1)
- Drain Will (Level 3)
- Sexy Walk (Level 1)General:
- Hand to Hand (Level 1)
- Reflex (Level 1)
- Speed (Level 2)Unique:
- Hero System (Passive)
- Otherworldly Knowledge (Passive)
- Golden Tongue (Passive)
- Mana Compatibility (Passive)
- Quick Learner (Passive)