Mist of Shadows
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Bracelet Hero Part 1
🕑 Added 2021-10-23 04:38:51 +0000 UTCMyst blinked a couple of times when he went from sitting down at his computer to work on his latest chapter to standing in what looked suspiciously like a throne room holding a familiar short sword, except that it had a large jewel in the hilt for some reason. He glanced at the grey haired man sitting on the throne then looked at the four teenagers that were holding weapons. "What the fuck?"
"Excuse me?" the richly dressed man on the throne sputtered.
"Let me rephrase that, what the fuck is going on? I sat down to write and I'm in…" Myst glanced at the large green gem in the middle of the shield that no sane person would put in a shield.
"Show some respect!" one of the king's flunkies demanded.
Myst ignored the flunky as he looked at the vaguely familiar teens that were holding their jeweled weapons. He glanced down at his sword that had a large glowing sapphire in the hilt then looked at the bracelet with a large ruby. "Please tell me that we're here to fight some large demonic overlord of doom."
"Who are you, why are you here?" one of the other flunkies demanded.
"Pretty sure you summoned me, not the other way around," Myst replied sarcastically, doing his best not to snap at the man when he was stuck in a strange place with armed guards.
"There should only be three heroes," one of the robed priests complained.
"How the heck should I know? I'm not a magic user," Myst finished the thought in his head, 'yet!'
"How did we get five heroes?" one of the robed figures complained.
"This is not how this is supposed to work!" one of the priests complained.
One of the priest's scowled at the teenager holding the shield. "You shouldn't be here!"
Myst watched the teenagers that didn't have a shield scowl at the kid with the shield, immediately turning on him like he was a revealed villain in a video game or at least their annoying rival just because some idiot in robes said he wasn't supposed to be there. 'Yeah, so much for hoping I wasn't in that particular world.' He ignored the arguing between the heroes and the priests as he focused on his bracelet. 'Status?'
Myst stared in surprise when a 'status' window appeared showing a familiar looking three dimensional image of himself as a teenager and various RPG like stats along with equipment slots. 'Yeah, I'm screwed considering this is a death world and I can't remember the plot beyond the main character gets screwed, one of the princesses is evil, he gets a demihuman girl for a minion, he absorbs magical items and the other heroes are idiots.'
He mentally pulled up his list of Strengthening Methods and stared when he saw eight tabs, having been expecting one or two entries. 'Magic Rank, Profession, Growth Revision, Microtransaction Enhancement, Item Enchantment, Microtransaction Stat Boost, Skill Mastery and Skill Rank.'
"You're heroes of Melromarc, you'll behave as such," the king cut in. "You'll be provided with a group of assistants and sent off to fight monsters to grow stronger so you can defeat the waves of monsters that threaten our country."
"What about the rest of the world?" Myst asked as he mentally closed the status page and focused on the king.
"The rest of the world is filled with demi human filth," one of the priests argued.
"They have armies," the king cut in, giving the priest a look that said shut the hell up in front of the heroes.
'Were they that blatant in the show to start with?' Myst wondered, curious who he'd get assigned to or if they'd bother beyond giving him the basics.
"Why is there another sword hero?" the teenager with the sword demanded.
"No clue," Myst replied as he focused on the black haired 'hero' with a sword. "Tell you what, the first person to level 20 gets to be the real sword hero, does that sound fair?"
"What?!" Ren sputtered. "I'm obviously the real sword hero!"
"Are you sure? I have a sword and I was summoned just like the rest of you," Myst argued, ignoring the fact that his class title clearly said, 'Bracelet Hero' on it.
One of the priests glared at Myst. "Your legendary weapon is a bracelet, it's obvious to anyone that can see magic."
"Yeah and he obviously needs to work on that particular skill," Myst replied, finding more amusement than he probably should with the situation.
"How are you using a weapon that isn't your legendary weapon?" Itsuki demanded, familiar with the weapons from the video game he'd been playing.
"Nothing says we can't pick weapons up, we just can't use them," Myst replied as he put his sword in his inventory. "Can I get some meat shields and magic support?" he asked hopefully.
"We're going to have a feast first then we'll assign your companions in the morning," the king said, already getting tired of dealing with the hero with a big mouth that didn't know when to shut up.
Myst grinned. "Food is food and free food is better."
0o0o0
Myst ignored the other heroes that were talking about different versions of Japan as he looked over his status page and his weapon's strengthening methods, mostly because he couldn't have answered most of the questions if he wanted to. Sure he knew that it was an island, he could point to it on a globe and that they came up with some really odd porn but beyond that and the fact that they came up with some interesting video games and anime he didn't really care all that much about the country.
"Bracelet Hero, what do you think?" Naofumi asked, looking at Myst.
Myst glanced up from his system menu. "I'm from 2021, the best we have are goggles and hand held controllers, there's no way I'm stuck in a VR game unless aliens came and grabbed me, I'd rather believe in magic."
Ituski snorted. "Magic, right."
Myst reached over and flicked his forehead. "Did you feel that?"
"Of course I felt it," Ituski replied in annoyance.
Myst reached up and grabbed his ear. "Will your suit simulate me ripping your ear off?"
"What the fuck man!" Ituski complained as he reached behind his shoulder for his bow.
Myst lightly punched him in the throat causing him to fall to the ground gasping for breath. "Does your suit simulate that?" He looked at the other heroes as they took a step back. "Look, I know how this story goes. The king hates the shield hero because the demihumans generally support the shield heroes and he hates the demihumans because he's too stupid to understand that people are people and a group killed his parents. Either way, he's a horrible father and his insane daughter is going to steal all of the shield hero's stuff and accuse him of raping her because she's a member of the Church of Three Heroes."
"How do you know that?" Naofumi asked.
"You have an excuse," Myst told Naofumi. "You found a book and got summoned but the rest of you played a video game based on the world for hundreds of hours, you should have figured something out unless you're all too stupid to live. If it's a video game, it goes by tropes, if we actually got summoned into the world they'll react like people. I could be wrong, I hope I am, you might actually survive."
"What game did you play?" Ren demanded.
Myst looked at the teenager with a sword. "I didn't, it was an anime, I wasn't there. That said, I know that the weapons should be able to help the other heroes and that meeting up between missions would help you a lot. Of course in the anime, you all went nuts and let the prestige and glory of being a hero go to your head. All of the weapons have a cursed clause, seven deadly sins, you get angry enough or start trying to devour the world or let your greed consume you and your weapons will activate a cursed state and you'll be screwed."
"You can't know that," Ren argued.
"Just wait, I'm fairly sure the princess will get assigned to one of the heroes then jump to the shield hero when no one wants to join his group. I'm not sure which hair color she has because it was an anime but she might go by Malty, just ask someone if she's the princess in front of people in the morning if you don't believe me," Myst explained and stepped back when Itsuki managed to twist around so he was sitting against the chair. "The king used to have a legendary weapon, just ask someone, they should be able to tell you."
"How well do you remember the anime?" Motoyasu asked.
"I watched enough to know that everyone didn’t just hold the idiot ball, they fucked it!" Myst complained.
"Lovely, your anime paints us as idiots, how do we know it's accurate?" Ren demanded, gripping his sword tightly.
"Personally, I'm hoping it's not but if you're intent on treating this like a game, I don't hold out much hope," Myst admitted.
"VR makes more sense than magic," Motoyasu argued.
"Not for the rest of us, let's assume for a second that we're all NPCS, how good are your A.I.s? Can they do word association, can they pass a Turing test. Can they say that your ears have lobes or accurately describe your eyes in a way other than math? Act crazy, watch the people react, do they ignore you and go about their day or do they gossip about the hero that's acting like an idiot?" Myst asked as Itsuki picked himself up.
"I wouldn't know what to look for," Naofumi admitted.
"Making decent A.I. is insanely hard, even for video games. Even the best game companies in the world flub it sometimes, it shouldn't be hard to prove this isn't a game, just interact with people. Would any company put out a game where an NPC acts like me? I'm willing to kick you in the nuts if it would help convince you that you're not in a game so you can stay alive," Myst offered.
Naofumi shook his head. "I think I'll pass, I was in a library when I got summoned."
"You're an asshole," Itsuki complained.
Myst shrugged. "Yeah, maybe I am but I'm an asshole that's trying to keep you alive. I'm in the same boat as the shield hero, I'm going to have to work on magic if I want to survive and the king doesn't like me because I asked questions he didn't have a good answer for and he knows it. I have to find a party and we can't get experience while we're together which means I need to find people to help. Actually, let's avoid some of the stupidity, just avoid the snake of a princess."
"You're accusing a princess of being evil," Ren complained.
"You're not a history buff, are you?" Myst asked.
Ren scowled. "What's that have to do with it?"
"There was a countess back in Transylvania that bathed in the blood of servant girls that might very well have been the inspiration for Dracula, credited with at least three hundred deaths and possibly as many as six hundred," Myst explained. "Either way, don't stick your dick in crazy, the princess was willing to destroy the world because she eventually got exiled when the queen got back."
"Fine, let's assume it's not a simulation, what do we do?" Motoyasu asked, not completely convinced it wasn't a game but willing to hear him out.
"We pool our resources and figure out exactly how screwed we are. Everyone has different strengthening methods and we can share the tricks. Not to mention if someone in your group is falling behind, you should help them rather than sending them out on their own. The anime made me want to bleed tears of blood," Myst grumbled.
"That's harsh," Motoyasu complained.
Myst looked at the spear hero. "The anime had issues and it's a nasty world, the king is a bigot and we're stuck here. I'd rather keep everyone alive."
"Why do you care?" Itsuki asked.
"Beyond the fact that I'm not actually a sociopath and the legendary weapons are reasonably powerful? I recall something about the heroes dying increasing the speed the world gets destroyed," Myst replied, wishing he could remember more about the later plot but it was mostly bits and pieces and half remembered wiki walks. "Plus you're kids."
"What's that have to do with anything?" Itsuki asked.
"I might look like a kid but I'm not, I'm old enough to be your parents, I've also spent close to a decade teaching people," Myst argued, figuring being a sub was close enough. "I'd lose my self respect if I didn't at least try to save you whatever trauma I can."
Naofumi glanced at the rest of the 'heroes' then looked at Myst. "Fine, what do you suggest?"
"You're going to be low on help, there's a blacksmith in town, there's a beast market, look into grabbing people that aren't human. Look into magic and grab a shield with spikes or blades. There are probably spells to redirect damage from your party to yourself," Myst suggested.
"Why would I do that?" Naofumi sputtered.
Myst laughed. "By definition, you're a tank, you have the legendary shield. Look for abilities that give bonuses to absorbing damage or regeneration or anything that will help you stay alive. See if you can find a cursed piece of gear that attracts ranged attacks."
"This sounds painful," Naofumi grumbled.
"Unfortunately, they didn't give us a choice in which weapons we grabbed, you're the tank, I'm some type of magic user or generalist. I don't actually know how the bracelet works, mostly because it wasn't on the show," Myst admitted.
"In other words, you're flying blind," Itsuki said.
"Pretty much, I'm planning on getting the equipment I can and recruiting people that are better than I am at dealing with monsters. Then I intend to grind like you wouldn't believe and cheat seven ways from Sunday, because this isn't a game, they ripped me out of my world. I mean, don't get me wrong, there is something fantastic about having access to magic but let's be honest, we're going to pay for it," Myst explained, fairly sure they wouldn't believe him.
"What strengthening methods do you have?" Motoyasu asked.
"When I level I'll get floating points I can assign to spells or skills to make them better, I can unlock professions if I find the right gear, I can buy bonuses with gold and twist chance with money and enchant items," Myst explained.
"You have pay-to-win shit?" Motoyasu asked.
"Basically," Myst replied.
"You're a fucking cheat character," Itsuki complained.
"Hopefully, just think of me as the guy that you take the strange crafting material to between missions. One of you should have the ability to upgrade your weapon with ore, someone has the ability to harvest monster souls for power," Myst said, glancing between the heroes.
"I can do both," Motoyasu admitted reluctantly.
Myst nodded. "The shield hero can boost sharing abilities or at least he could in the show."
"How do I find out?" Naofumi asked, feeling a bit lost.
"Check your status screen or the abilities menu, I have a feeling the system is a bit different for each of us," Myst admitted.
"Check your abilities page," Ren suggested. "Do you have any other suggestions?"
"Beyond looting the monsters to the ground? Remember that the world is filled with people and that when someone mentions a dragon, don't assume you have to kill it just because it's a dragon, they can be reasonable and intelligent and a lot nicer than most of the idiots running around," Myst said, thinking about the dragon Ren had killed in the anime.
"Dragons have loot," Ren complained.
"Which would you rather have, loot or an ally that can turn the tables and save your life later?" Myst asked.
Ren sighed. "You ask tough questions."
"You can bet that everyone that the king hooks us up with is going to have an agenda, namely his and I'm not fighting a war against people with fuzzy ears or tails if I can help it," Myst stated.
Naofumi shook his head. "Man, you're suspicious."
"What part of my objective being to keep you kids alive did you miss?" Myst asked, wishing he'd ended up with more intelligent heroes.
"The part where you punched me in the throat," Itsuki grumbled.
"I barely tapped you," Myst argued. "We're going to get monster parts, we're going to want to sell some of them but we should probably figure out a place to meet up so we can use everyone's cheats at least a couple of times a month. I don't recall how often the waves happen but we'll probably figure that out in the morning."
"Is that your way of saying, we should get sleep?" Motoyasu asked.
"We're going to need it," Myst pointed out as he left the meeting chambers, nearly hitting a nondescript brown haired man that was trying to act like he hadn't been eavesdropping on their conversation, mostly because the bastard managed to move a bit too quickly. "You shouldn't listen at doors, you might cause people to think you're a pervert."
"What? I wasn't," the man argued as he backed up, looking at Myst's bracelet.
"Then you have nothing to worry about," Myst replied with a smile that looked a bit unhinged before continuing on his way to his room, figuring he'd grab some sleep while he could.
0o0o0
Myst wasn't particularly impressed with the collection of people in the throne room and how they flocked to the other heroes, leaving him and Naofumi with no one, much like what he remembered from the anime, minus being there. Obviously the king had made his opinion clear to the various adventurers they'd hired. He wasn't particularly surprised when a redhead decided to join the shield hero. "Question, are you okay with your daughter joining the shield hero?" he called out, causing the entire throne room to go silent.
The king glared at Myst. "What?"
Myst gestured towards the redhead. "She's your daughter, right?"
"She's also a decent magic user or so I've been told," the king replied.
"Fire and wind, right?" Myst asked.
"Yes, what's your point?" the king asked, wondering where he'd learned about his daughter's magical talents.
"My point is that having a princess of the realm running around without any support sounds rather dangerous, it would be one thing if he had a couple of dozen levels but he hasn't even gained a level yet or learned to use his shield," Myst pointed out, resisting the urge say anything about her mental issues.
'Shit, maybe he's right about the princess,' Naofumi thought, having seen the princess's glare at the bracelet hero that looked like she wanted to murder him. 'Damn it, why did she have to be hot? It's only the first day, you can find someone better.'
"He has a point, the young man has no levels or obvious talents to speak of," one of the priests pointed out smugly.
The king scowled as his plans to discredit the shield hero crashed and burned. "I'm afraid he has a point, we can always revisit the issue later once the heroes have more experience and ability to protect you."
Malty plastered a smile on her face. "Of course, I was merely trying to help the realm."
'Shit he wasn't lying,' Motosayu thought as he noticed the princess's glare at the bracelet hero.
Myst kept his mouth shut and tried not to look amused at her glare or the look of annoyance on the king's face. 'Yeah, I really need to leave the capital before I have a bunch of assassins showing up.'
"Each hero will receive 600 silver per month for supplies," the king stated, trying to get things back on track. "Go forth and buy equipment then fight monsters outside the city, get some of the experience you need."
Myst merely nodded when everyone else said yes sir, fairly sure he was more than a little screwed because he didn't have anyone willing to join his group. 'This is going to suck,' he mused as he left the castle with the 'heroes'.
"Now what?" Naofumi asked once they were outside the castle.
"Now we grab some armor and hirelings," Myst suggested as he started walking towards the merchant district. "We've got six hundred silver to get decent armor and some method of self defense."
"What are you going to do about not being able to attack people?" Naofumi asked.
"I can attack people just fine, I just can't use a weapon," Myst explained. "You've got a much better deal, just bash monsters with your shield or pick up a bladed shield and absorb it."
"I'm still going to need help," Naofumi complained.
"That's what we're fixing," Myst replied as they continued walking down the street. He smiled when he saw the large carnival tent in the distance. "I happen to know where to find some party members for you."
"Where?" Naofumi asked.
"There's a guy that sells demihumans," Myst explained.
"What? You expect me to buy people?" Naofumi asked in disbelief.
Myst shrugged. "Long enough to set them free, sure. You rescued a girl in the anime that turned out fantastic."
"What was I like in the anime?" Naofumi asked warily.
"Bitter as hell because the entire country turned against you. You managed to fumble your way through things with a combination of plot armor and unnatural durability," Myst explained as they turned down an alley.
"You make it sound like I was an idiot," Naofumi complained.
'Now and then,' Myst mused as he scanned the alley, ready to jump behind Naofumi if anything jumped them. "You weren't nearly as stupid as the rest of the heroes, you were just a teenager that was screwed over by bad luck and the schemes of people that should know better."
"Let me guess, you're looking for a tank?" Naofumi asked, trying not to think about buying someone.
"Something like that," Myst replied, not sure what he was looking for in a party beyond someone to stand in the way of the monsters, mostly because he'd need it eventually.
Naofumi shivered as they left the alley and saw a creepy circus style tent lit with torches. "Are you sure about this?"
"Not particularly but I don't trust any of the soldiers the king would loan us," Myst replied as they walked over to the entrance.
"Same," Naofumi admitted, still annoyed about not being able to return to his world until the waves were dealt with.
Comments
Patrick Sandhop
So, "Rising of the Cynical Hero", then? Sounds fun.
