I arrived at the scene with three other heroes. I’d quickly inspect the scene, the city block was in tatters, scattered debris and rubble lined the road. I’d open the quest sheet provided by the Heroism Foundation one last time before charging in towards the danger of which resided further into the danger zone.
Clicking a small button, the holographic panel would pop into existence right before my eyes.
HF QUEST
Target Name
Emberess - Blaze Claw Tiger
Target Stats
Strength - B (LV 71)
Dexterity - C (LV 52)
BIQ - B (LV 73)
Charisma - F (LV 2)
Def. - C (LV 54)
HP - B- (LV 70)
Stam. - A (LV 85)
Luck - C (LV 52)
overall - Class B
Ability - Accelerated Based Ignition
Desc:
Constant movement in succession for approximately 3 seconds allows user to seemingly harness flames into their arms and legs, gives burn dmg, small overall attack boost and overall speed boost.
Objective
- Neutralize the threat as quickly as possible
- Escort nearby civilians outside of danger zone
Rewards:
- Increased reputation ^+30
- x500 currency
- x550 EXP
Quest Reciever:
Yoshida Ren (CLASS D,
OVERALL CLASS RANK - # 2,332,412
OVERALL CITY RANK - #3,634,527
OVERALL WORLD RANK - #13,621,982,121)
I’d click a small X in the corner of the screen as the panel would completely seal. A Class B threat in a small town such as this one was uncommon, its level of power was definitely in the higher eschelon of what I was typically exposed to, however with the other three here I had a little more confidence.
The three other heroes names were Griff, Kousuke and Zen, they seemingly got notified for the quest as well and we all met up at the point marked on our maps for the mission. We did a brief amount of discussion as to our plan, ranks and abilities, but with the time ticking downwards on the clock, we were going to have to enter the mission point and confront the target sooner or later.
”Alright, as a Class A I’m the highest rank here and thus have responsibility as the leader of this party over you all.” Kousuke would announce, I’d look towards the corner of my overall sight once again. I’d see a small panel listing all our names, grouping us together as a “party”.
Quest Party
Leader
Akira Kousuke (A)
Extra
Yoshida Ren (D)
Andreas Griff (C)
Daichi Zen (C)
Alongside each of our names would include some other information such as our health and stamina. Not to mention they’d all now be pin pointed with markers I could see from another country, I couldn’t help but reflect on how far humanity has come to have developed the way it has.
Before I could think about anything else, Kousuke would continue his spiel for our plan.
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”The plan is simple…Me, Zen and Griff will go neutralize the target. Ren, you can get anyone you see out of there, ok?”
”Sounds good.”
“Alright, let’s make it quick.”
The other two would chime out in response to the genius plan Kousuke had set before them. I merely sighed before nodding.
We would quickly rush in. It was a little hard to see, smoke clouded my vision as I’d stumble through the chaos, carefully listening for stray voices calling out from the chaotic scene as the other three would split up and away from me.
”HELP, HELP!” A voice would call.
Immediately, I’d sprint towards the scene, parting the blinding dust of which was beginning to irritate my eyes. I’d see a mother struggling to lift some rubble over her unconscious son.
CLASS F ABILITY ACTIVATION - HYPER DIRECTIONAL SLASH
Activating my ability, id feel the entirety of my body jump, centralizing my energy into my arm, it’d rapidly slide around before placing my sword back into its sheath. The stone debris of which had toppled onto the poor citizen would begin to crack before completely shattering.
I’d lift the boy up, carrying him over my back, turning towards his mother.
”Alright, no time to spare, the area is dangerous, y’know, let’s move it!”
I’d shout to them, guiding them through the city, a couple things would topple over here and there, but we were maneuvering through the chaos fairly well. I’d look towards the party stats panel to check in on how the rest of them were doing.
One of their health bars was in the orange, but aside from that nothing crazy was happening. They were holding their own. I’d heave a sigh as we’d get closer to the rescue point.
Suddenly, my head would twist to the sight of a slipping large billboard of a restaurant. I’d cling to my blade.
CLASS F ABILITY ACTIVATION - HYPER DIRECTIONAL SLASH
Reusing the ability really constrained quite a bit of my stamina, but the billboard would safely break apart around the mother and son, leaving them unscathed. Just a few more steps until the rescue area was reached…
”Eh, not so fast, where do you think you’re going in such a hurry? Fodder sword hero…”
Someone would say, behind me, with an audible cackle, I’d look down towards my arm only to realize it was completely gone. Blood would streak out as I staggered back.
My eyes would widen as the mother screamed, using my one remaining arm, I’d tap the mother and son.
CLASS F ABILITY ACTIVATION - CLOAKS OF SHADOWS
Using up the last of the stamina I had left I used one of my more higher grade moves to get the two away from here. They’d go invisible, and out of the sight of the man who’d attacked me, but at least I could see their location.
”KEEP WALKING DOWN THE ROAD, HIDE YOURSELVES, GO-“ I’d shout in a panic. I had no idea who this guy was, he certainly wasn’t the target. All this was happening so fast I hadn’t the time to recollect myself and comprehend what was truly going on. Before I could finish my statement, both my legs were mysterious lobbed off.
So many variables to take into account, I’d see the mother and son rapidly leave the area. I’d look towards the party box again, everyone in the party was dead. All of their names were gone, only leaving my stray name hanging in the box, quivering, with a crimson red health bar and a sliver of green maybe a millimeter long stretching from the left towards the right.
My vision was clouding by something aside from the dust, I knew I was about to die. I didn’t even bother looking at the villain who’d done this or how they did it. Using my one hand I began to weakly drag myself towards my blade, which seemingly amused the villain as he’d laugh even harder.
”AHAHHAHAHAHA, you heroes sure are pathetic, aren’t you? That lot almost had that fodder tiger back there, so I had to clean em up…To my delight, there was another one!!! AHHHHAHAHAHAHA.”
The strange man would shout all of this from behind me as I left a longer and longer trail of red on the cement, he was a complete psycho. Why did I even bother continuing to try to fight? To move? Some deep will within me kept driving me to keep moving forward, to keep baring everything head on and to fight.
Some part of me, most parts of me knew how meaningless this was. I’d quickly black out before I’d blink again.
[You have died to Ryuuji (S)]
Class S…Huh? Guess it’s not that bad, nothing I could do about it, really. I couldn’t move, or feel, or hear or taste or smell, only blankly seeing this little label hovering before my eyes as my conscious dragged on.
It’d flash past some interesting ending stats of mine, although not particularly that interesting for someone like me. It merely showed my stats, abilities, amount of enemies defeated, which were all very low granted my class.
Transporting now…
During training at the Hero Foundation, they were always very secretive and strange about informing heroes of what happened if they were fell in combat, only giving out miniscule details, I guess I was finding out what it was all about right now.
Id be teleported, back to my normal body, so that’s a good starter.
Still couldn’t move or control anything, or feel anything. I’d be in a strange, empty void. All I’d see is an incredibly distant large ball of light. Or maybe I was in a domain of darkness being pulled towards the outside? Hard to tell.
Id get closer and closer, still thinking about everything I’d ultimately gone through.
I mean, in my case amongst others I really had nothing to live for anyways. I had no family and not even a good career to fight for. So I guess whether or not I was satisfied with this life would be left up to if I ended up in heaven or hell…
However, suddenly, briefly before I could exit the ball of darkness, something would pierce through the fabric of reality, a supernatural tear in the fundamental threads of this universe, the glitchy hand would outstretch, clutching onto my shoulder dragging me into the tear.
”Where the hell even am I now? Is this the backrooms???” I would tiredly croak, arising to the new scene.
If I could describe it somehow, in any way, I’d say it looked like an unfinished game filled with bugs and glitches. Colorful changing patterns literally everywhere would constantly switch in moments less than seconds.
[An Anomaly Has Broken You Out of the System!]
x2 Gift
1. Second Chance!
Desc:
Be brought back into the world of the living with stats completely reset.
Users:
16k
2. Fragment of the Multiverse; Omnicide Infinity Dice
Desc:
Innumerable abilities placed at the hands of the user, roll to obtain your method of combat, probability dictates your power. Ultimate Liberation.
Users:
1
The strange panel would pop up in front of my face, I’d barely have enough time to even read it before I’d be interrupted once again with the panel shutting. Walking towards me would be a strange figure shrouded in the glitchiness of the entirety of the room.
”There’s not a lot of time, you’re going to go back now, full fill the prophecy, you’ve been selected for something amazing, don’t waste it.”
Itd whisper to me ominously.
”Who the hell are you? I want answers, who, what where when and why is going on?! Hey, talk to me!”
And with that I’d vanish once again, now awaking in a strange forest biome.