Prologue Arc

Get Up and Set Up

You know I've always thought I was a pretty open minded person. I mean sure I was a bit of a shut in (as much one can be when they're a culinary student), played way to many video games and online board games, and had a stupid as hell saving people thing that would flare up at the weirdest and stupidest times to the point that I could not walk away even if my own life depended on it.

Which…was kinda ironic considering it was what got me killed.

Yep you heard me. I died.

(It is also just occurring to me that I'm starting to sound like some kind of shounen protagonist or something. Fml.)

It had just been your typical day really. I had been out with a few friends (even if I was a shut in that didn't mean I didn't have friends ya jerks) when it happened. One of my friends had asked us to stop by a random department store while we were out, and being the nice, if not annoying, friends we were; we agreed. It had all been going well, and we had just been about to check out…up until a random guy who was obviously committing his first real crime held up the cashier and in turn us…with a fucking sword.

I mean who did that in this day and age?!

Now being the understanding people we were when asked for our wallets and such we obviously handed…them…oh who the hell am I kidding?! Upon seeing what the amateur thief had chosen as his weapon of choice, my friends and I couldn't help but be amused to the point we had to stifle our laughter. This was obviously not appreciated; however, as the thief not moments later attempted to stab one of my friends with said sword, a katana now that I think back on it. And wouldn't ya guess it, being the good friend I was, I took the blow meant for them like a pro!

And then proceeded to bleed out with a sword stabbed through my heart.

Slam, blam, case closed right?

Well considering that I'm now just kinda floating here in a world of pure white as far as the eye can see, I'm gonna say NO.

[Greetings -Warren Fall- You have been chosen to be reincarnated as the newest person to be gifted the ability [The Gamer].]

Oh and there was also that.

[Well hello to you too!]

[Anyways Tutorial I of [The Gamer] is about to begin.]

[Begin Tutorial I]

{YES/NO}

Blinking away the surprise that sprung up with the 'hello' comment, I took a quick look around the infinite amount of white around me. I then turned back to the glowing pop up before me with a flat look. 'Not like there's anything else better to do,' I thought tiredly before tapping {YES}.

[Great! Welcome newest Gamer to your Tutorial I stage! Now let's begin. Please say or think [Menu].]

Wow this is seriously happening. "[Menu, [Stats]." Hey I've read fanfiction before; I know how this whole shtick goes.

[Name: Warren Fall]

[Race: Human] [Gender: Male] [Age: 16] Basic Information about yourself

[Titles] [The Gamer] [LOCKED] [LOCKED] Titles you gain throughout your adventure. (May provide anything from boosted stats to special skills.)

[Sacred Gear / Bloodline Trait: ?] Self-explanatory really

[Level: 1] [Next Level: 0.0%] Again self-explanatory

[HP: 25 / 25] [HPR: 0.5 a Minute]"Health Points" and "Health Point Recovery" are both physical based stats determined via VIT. (DO NOT LET IT REACH ZERO!)

[MP: 25 / 25] [MPR: 0.5 a Minute] "Magic Points" are determined via INT while "Magic Point Recovery is determined via WIS, and both are spiritual based stats. When MP hits zero you will be unable to use magic unless you risk {Magic Exhaustion} which will add a set amount of time before MPR will become accessible again.

[SP: 25 / 25] [SPR: 0.5 a Minute] "Stamina Points" and "Stamina Point Recovery" are both physical based stats determined via END. When SP hits zero you will be unable to move unless you risk {Stamina Exhaustion} which will add a set amount of time before SPR will become accessible again.

[STR: 1] Strength: physical trait, influences overall strength and Base Physical DMG output.

[AGI: 1] Agility: physical trait, influences speed, flexibility, and reflexes.

[VIT: 1] Vitality: physical trait, influences your HP, HPR, and overall life force.

[END: 1] Endurance: physical trait, influences your SP, SPR, and overall stamina.

[INT: 1] Intelligence: mental trait, influences MP, Base Magical DMG output, theoretical comprehension, and learning speed.

[WIS: 1] Wisdom: mental trait, influences MPR, decision making, and common-bloody-sense.

[LUCK: 1] Luck: general trait, influences drop rates, loot percentage, item drop rarity, and critical hit ratio.

[Unused Stat Points: 21] {You died at 21 years old so here ya go}

There was even a life size picture of me in all my plain ass glory. I was a sharp faced guy don't get me wrong, and I had straight black hair tied into a small tuff in the back with a few bangs along the front and dark blue eyes. I wasn't overall good looking really; I was just your average guy-

Unholy shit the Sacred Gear Tab is just now hitting me! I'm gonna be reborn into Highschool DxD!?

[That's not gonna be a problem is it? After doing some searching we found that it had all your basic wants really. It has action, romance, drama, and comedy in spades! Plus it also has tons of hot girls your age-]

OK THAT'S ENOUGH OF THAT! No, nope, nadda we do not have to continue that line of thought! Ahem Highschool DxD won't be a problem at all.

[Hmph we had a good rhythm going too! Whatever, now that you've seen your stats let's talk seriously here. You've got the choice to remain fully human, or you can become a new Race.]

Well dang that sounds pretty interesting, let's see what we got to work with.

[Species List]

[Human] Starter Kit: 5 to all Stats, 10 Unused Stat Points, Passive Skill: Auto Translate, and Human Starter Pack (Includes a Sacred Gear Randomizer).

[Devil] Starter Kit: 10 to all Stats, 5 Unused Stat Points, Extended Lifespan, and Devil Starter Pack (Includes a Devil Bloodline Trait Randomizer).

[Fallen]
Starter Kit: 10 to all Stats, 5 Unused Stat Points, Extended Lifespan, and Fallen Starter Pack (Includes a Fallen Angel Bloodline Trait Randomizer).

[Angel]
Starter Kit: 10 to all Stats, 5 Unused Stat Points, Extended Lifespan, and Angel Starter Pack (Includes an Angel Bloodline Trait Randomizer).

[Yokai]
Starter Kit: 10 to all Stats, 5 Unused Stat Points, Extended Lifespan, and Yokai Starter Pack (Includes ability to choose Yokai species you would become).

[Vampire]
Starter Kit: 20 to STR, AGI, VIT, END, 5 Unused Stat Points, Extended Lifespan, and Vampire Starter Pack (Includes a choice of two advanced Vampire abilities to gain).

[Werewolf]
Starter Kit: 20 to STR, AGI, VIT, END, 5 Unused Stat Points, Extended Lifespan, and Werewolf Starter Pack (Includes a choice of two advanced Werewolf abilities to gain).

[Grim Reaper]
Starter Kit: 20 to STR, AGI, VIT, END, 5 Unused Stat Points, Extended Lifespan, and Reaper Starter Pack (Includes a choice of two advanced Grim Reaper abilities to gain).

[Half-Blood (Human X Other Race of your Choice)]
Starter Kit: 5 to all stats, 5 Unused Stat Points, Extended Lifespan, and Half-Blood Starter Pack (Includes ONE that Race's extra skill/item/ability that comes with its Pack).

Hmm these are some interesting choices…although-

[Yep we thought it'd be interesting to give you some choices. Honestly, we thought it would be interesting to look at what exactly Grim Reapers or even the Werewolves are capable of since they don't get that much screen time-]

[Would you like to choose the Race - Human-? Be aware this choice cannot be changed until given a later option.]
{YES/ NO}

[Wait what are you-?!]

"{YES}," I said without a moment of hesitation, not even reading the rest of the text box.

[…you…why…okay we are honestly confused, and we're not supposed to be a truly sentient thing!]

I scratched my head in thought as I stared down at the text box before deciding to just straight with...them? I mean it-they-it…I'm just gonna go with them since they have been "talking" in plurals the whole time.

"Well honestly later on I could be changed thanks to the Evil Piece or even Brave Saint systems with relative ease, and even if no one wants to add me to their group then so be it," I said with a nonchalant shrug. "Though honestly…I kinda just want to push myself I suppose. I mean I was human in my last life, and I didn't really get a chance to see how far I could push myself in that life. Sure I know if push comes to shove, I may have to bite the bullet in order to survive or gain the power up necessary to win a fight. Until that time; however, I just want to see how far I can go with the power I was originally born with…well and the [Gamer System]…and whatever Sacred Gear I get." I finished with a sheepish chuckle because the Sacred Gear was also a kinda big reason I wanted to go the "Human Path" anyways.

[Well then…we can honestly say that we are kinda amused but also oddly respectful of your choice…Eh whatever. You've made your decision, so you're the one who is gonna have to live with it. You have received some rewards for choosing the Human Path; however, so how about we get to those…which is what we'd like to say!]

[For now let's continue with the Tutorial I! Please say or think [Menu].]

'[Menu].'

[Menu]
[Status]
[Inventory]
[Skills]
[Quest]
[Mailbox]
[BGM]
[Help/Information]
{More Tabs will become available through level up or completing certain events.}

Huh, so everything won't be made available from the get go…fair enough.

[Yeah those are gonna come later, for now go to your [Inventory] Tab.]

Nodding for no reason whatsoever, I clicked the tab and then without prompting I went ahead and opened the Starter Pack.

[Inventory]
[Starter Pack (Human)]

[Ding!]
[For opening Starter Pack (Human) you have received]
25,000 Yen
Body at peak Physical Fitness
{Passive Skill: Magic Core - Small}
{Passive Skill: Magic Control - Beginner}
Sacred Gear Randomizer (Gamer Edition)
Your House

Giving a low whistle I couldn't help but be impressed with the starting set. The new body was going to be soooo helpful, the two magic skills were kinda self-explanatory but no less appreciated, and I wasn't even gonna question the meaning behind "Your House".

[Great! Now that you've got your Starter Pack, how about we open up the Randomizer? Even we don't know what you're gonna get!]

Alright then, should be fun!

[You have selected Sacred Gear Randomizer (Gamer Version). Would you like to open this?]
{YES/NO}

Clicking the {YES} I was met with a spinning roulette wheel stylized with dozens of different symbols. A couple symbols being things I could guess their meaning behind like the couple sword symbols I saw, a couple obviously revolving around the elements, and the rare few that had an "L". The meaning behind those ones is rather obvious, but also very nerve inducing considering the possibilities.

The roulette wheel took about a solid minute to come to a complete stop, but when it did it landed on…is that a little ghost? Wait no it's like baaarrrrely set along the line between the ghost and a "L".

[Congratulations you have received the Sacred Gear - Trinity Tuner!]

Trinity Tuner? I've never heard of that Sacred Gear before…though I suppose since the Randomizer was a "Gamer Version" it's perhaps a new Sacred Gear.

[Congratulations on getting a Sacred Gear! Now that you're equipped, have chosen to remain human for some weird reason, and have a basic understanding of how to use your new found abilities; we think this is a good place to stop the tutorial!]

Wait that's it!? What the-

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

-hell!...Why is there a clock going off next to my ear.

Turning to the side I was met with, wouldn't ya guessed it, a clock beeping- BEEP BEEP BEEP- away on my bedside table…

Up until I remembered that I didn't have a bedside table to put a clock on. Shooting up from the bed, I began to frantically look around…only to then realize that this was most definitely not my bed.

A slower, more precise, look around revealed my surroundings, and I found myself in a relatively large bedroom with what looked to be a private bathroom, walk-in closet, and a large, dark oak desk set along the wall opposite the bathroom.

[Notification! A message has been left in your mailbox!]

Jerking back from the glowing screen that appeared in my face, I stared wide eyed for a moment before remembering how exactly a screen was now appearing in front of me. I remembered the fact that I died and…and…

Nothing. I…I didn't really feel anything I should be feeling. Sure there was anger, sadness, and a whole bunch of mind numbing guilt over leaving my friends and aunt behind…

But at the same time I wasn't feeling any of that. I could still feel the emotions right under the surface of course, but they just couldn't seem to overcome the utter calm I was feeling and come pouring out and make me a blubbering mess like it should be doing right now-

Wait a moment.

"[Menu, [Skills]."

Quickly scanning through the skills I had, I breathed a resigned, and dare I say relieved, breath as I stared at the skill known as {Gamer Mind}.

Gamer Mind, Passive {Lv: MAX}:
When you play games have you ever noticed that the characters in the games tend to have a hard time expressing their emotions, or they simply don't display emotions like fear in the middle of battle. Well guess what? You've got that now!
Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows for a peaceful state of mind while in battle or in stressful situations.
Immunity to psychological/mental effects or attacks.

Of course I would have one of the two staple skills of [The Gamer] ability. It was honestly a necessity for most Gamers since most ended up in not so nice places.

Thankfully my version of {Gamer Mind} didn't seem to completely shut down all other emotions at all times. Something I think may have had to do with the second line talking about allowing for a peaceful state of mind while in battle or stressful situations. Considering I was close to having a panic attack when my memories hit me all at once, I can only be thankful for the skill I suppose.

Ding!
[By realizing what was causing your mental stability and overcoming it in a short amount of time +2 WIS!]

Well that's rather nice…though that does bring up a bit of a conundrum…eh I'll get to that in a second for now. Onwards to the skills!

[Passive Skills]

Gamer Mind, Passive {Lv: MAX}:
When you play games have you ever noticed that the characters in the games tend to have a hard time expressing their emotions, or they simply don't display emotions like fear in the middle of battle. Well guess what? You've got that now!
Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through.
Allows for a peaceful state of mind while in battle or in stressful situations.{Immunity to psychological effects or attacks.}

Gamer Body, Passive {Lv: MAX}:
You live in a world of numbers and letters, and as a result have the body of a video game character that allows for the user to live the real world like a game.
You are highly unlikely to take permanent damage, and you will not feel pain past the first few seconds after receiving a wound. You can heal by eating food or medicine instantly.
Your HP, SP, and MP are restored based on the location of where you slept.

Magic Core - Small, Passive {Lv: 1} {Exp: 0.0%}:
Mana is a spiritual power that exists in every living thing on the planet. In turn some beings have developed a spiritual organ within the body that exists to filter mana from the environment into the owner's body as well as give them access to their own inner magic.
Grants the user access to MP and MPR.
250 MP to overall MP.

Magic Control - Beginner, Passive {Lv: 1} {Exp: 0.0%}:
With the ability to use magic comes the skill needed to wield said magic. Some of the legends in spell crafting tell of spell slingers able to decimate mountains with a single spell or even creating magic capable of manipulating time. But every legend starts with the basics. Now it's your turn.
Level and stage of magic control dictates overall skill and control of magic.
Magic based skills cost -5% MP to cast. Magic based skills gain 5% damage when used offensively.

Auto Translate, Passive {Lv: MAX}:
Just what every would be dimensional traveler needs! This skill will translate all languages you hear, speak, read, and write into your most familiar language! Otherwise it wouldn't be nearly as fun for the viewers at home!

Sacred Gear - Trinity Tuner, Passive/Active {Lv: 1} {Exp: 0.0%}:
Also known as The Plane of Boundless Souls, Trinity Tuner is a Sacred Gear with the potential to become Longinus Tier. It's main ability is to create an inner world that allows excess souls to reside in. It then can combine lost souls and spirits (otherwise known as Phantasms) to either the owner's own power or that of their weapons.
Active Phantasms (Max: 1): NONE

[Active Skills]

Observation, Active {Lv: 1} {Exp: 0.0%}:
An advanced magical skill that allows one to find out information they usually wouldn't be able to discover.
Allows one to see Basic Information, HP, and MP of an individual.
Cost: 1 MP

...unholy shit.

Okay firstly, Longinus potential Sacred Gear! That is definitely something serious to note.

Secondly. Do I have a fucking Reality Marble?!

Seriously! It sounds like the basic premise behind a Reality Marble at least in that it allows me to create an inner world. An inner world that apparently will allow me to affect reality by manifesting the ability/powers/strengths of "lost souls" as if I were using Personas.

Not that I'm complaining mind you. I love the Persona/Megami Tensei franchise! Though I do wonder what exactly it means by "lost souls".

…maybe IDs created mobs that can drop stuff like that for me to use? It was called a "Gamer Version" after all.

Ding!
[By thinking logically about a newly acquired skill and how it may work as a "Gamer Version", +1 INT!]

Niiiiice looks like asking convoluted questions is gonna help me a lot more than I thought!

All of that aside it'd probably be a good idea to check my Mailbox.

[You have one new message!]

[Hello -Warren Fall- as to help with your assimilation into your new role as 'The Gamer' several things have already been taken care of for you. For one, you have already been registered for Kuoh Academy's spring semester as a second year student which will begin in two weeks' time. Secondly, all your daily bills have been paid off indefinitely. Finally, a folder containing all the information you need to know about your new life is on the desk, and a booklet containing Your House's new features is downstairs.]

[By reading this message you have completed Tutorial I! Have a cookie!...Oh and here are the rest of your rewards.]

Quest Complete!
[Tutorial I (Into a New World)]
{Objective: Finish Tutorial 1!}
Rewards: 1 Cookie, 100 Exp, {New Skills: ID Create: Empty}, {ID Create: Battle Tutorial}, and {ID Escape}.

[Level Up!]

Nice! I was really hoping I'd get {ID Create}. That's not only gonna make life a lot easier, but it will also allow me to check if my idea about my Sacred Gear is right or not.

Ding! Quest Alert!
[Tutorial II (IDs, Battles, and Bosses)!]
A new tutorial is now available to help you understand the battle system and ID system!
{Objective: Complete Tutorial II!}
Rewards: 500 Exp, 10,000 Yen, Uncommon Item Randomizer, and {ID Create: Battle Zone}]
{Bonus Objectives X 3: 100 Exp per Bonus Objective completed}
Accept / Decline

Huh…I guess the tutorial could help, even if I did have a basic idea of how this is gonna go, but the fact that I can't even {Decline} the quest was a little annoying since that was probably going to be a returning feature in future quests. Still, I should probably prepare some before I continue.

"[Menu], [Stats]."

[Name: Warren Fall] [Race: Human] [Gender: Male] [Age: 16]
[Titles] [The Gamer] [XXX] [XXX]
[Sacred Gear: Trinity Tuner {Lv: 1} {Exp: 0.0%}]
[Level: 2] [Next Level: 0.0%]

[HP: 175/ 175] [HPR: 3.5 a Minute]
[MP: 425/ 425] [MPR: 4.0 a Minute]
[SP: 175/ 175] [SPR: 3.5 a Minute]

[STR: 6]
[AGI: 6]
[VIT: 7]
[END: 7]
[INT: 7]
[WIS: 8]
[LUCK: 6]
[Unused Stat Points: 36]
Title:
[The Gamer]: Grants Passive Skills: {Gamer Body} and {Gamer Mind}
Passive Boosts:
({Magic Core} +250 MP)

Damn {Magic Core} was a nice boost…though I guess now would be a good time to bring up what I was worried about earlier after I got the WIS and INT notifications.

You see in most cases; it would be a good idea to try and use all my Unused Stat Points now in order to make sure I wasn't utterly curb stomped as soon as I found my way into a fight. The inclusion of gaining stat points by doing tasks changes things; however, as there are now numerous ways for me to gain stat points besides having to rely on my Unused Stat Points. Unused Stat Points that will become harder and harder to gain as I level up and continue to grow stronger which in turn makes the gaps in-between level ups that much wider.

[For realizing such an integral part of the Gamer System and trying to plan around it +1 INT and WIS.]

You see!

But at the moment, I do need to at least make myself at least decently strong. That's just something that I can't put off at the moment sooo-

[HP: 250/ 250] [HPR: 5.0 a Minute]
[MP: 500/ 500] [MPR: 5.0 a Minute]
[SP: 250/ 250] [SPR: 5.0 a Minute]

[STR: 6] 2 = 8
[AGI: 6] 2 = 8
[VIT: 7] 3 = 10
[END: 7] 3 = 10
[INT: 8] 2 = 10
[WIS: 9] 1 = 10
[LUCK: 6]
[Unused Stat Points: 23]

Alright…I think that is about as balanced as I can get without needlessly wasting unused stat points.

[For trying to distribute your stat points to make sure you're prepared, +1 WIS.]

Thank you~

[Happy to see you're ready for the next step! Now firstly, you'll probably want to put on some more appropriate clothing.]

"Huh?" Looking down, I saw that I was only currently wearing a pair of sweatpants as pajamas. I also saw the results of what a "Body at peak Physical Fitness" looked like as I now sported zero body fat, very defined muscles in my limbs, a freaking six pack, and even a legitimate V cut figure. My new build was not exceedingly muscular; however, and instead seemed to just be a more defined runner's build with upper body muscles to match.

A slightly disturbing addition; however, was the puncture scar right where the sword that originally killed me had pierced my heart.

Shaking off the worrying memories (and allowing {Gamer Mind} to do its thing), I looked through the walk in closet which wielded clothing both my size and my particular style. After a quick look at what was available, I grabbed a pair of grey jeans, a white V-neck, a black, sleeveless hoodie, a pair of belts where one went through my pant loops while the other hung crooked, and a pair of dark grey sneakers.

Looking at the full length mirror set up along the back, I also discovered that I had retained my black hair and old style, but my eyes had changed from their previous dark blue into a startling gold that was in no way normal…

But they were warm, much warmer (and even kinder) than my previous, somewhat dull, eye color had been.

Deciding I might as well look through my new house, I also went exploring a little, and what I discovered was what could only be described as my dream house.

After looking out the window, I found that I had been given a two story, suburban house located in a decent looking neighborhood. The top floor contained a three bedrooms; the master bedroom, the bedroom I woke up in, housed a personal bathroom while the hallway contained a hub bath for multiple people to use.

The downstairs area was where things got interesting.

The living room contained a couple leather couches which were really comfy, numerous recliners, and it looked to be connected to the kitchen via a set of swing doors and a long open window which seemed to function as a counter/bar. The actual centerpiece of the living room; however, was what I could only call a "Wall of Gamer". An entire wall to wall entertainment center was set up along the wall farthest from the kitchen entrance; the entertainment center housing well over thirty different game systems of different makes and models and an utterly massive flat screen that was perfect for gaming. I spent a good ten minutes just staring at the "Wall of Gamer'' before eagerly going through all the games provided and practically salivated at what I found.

The kitchen was the second area of immense interest, and if the living room was a gamer's dreamland then the kitchen was a chef's paradise. It housed two, top of the line, ovens, two different stove tops each containing ten eyes each, a fryer station housing multiple fryers, two dishwashers with a plethora of dishes and utensils for future use, at least four different microwaves and toasters located at varying positions along the walls and counter tops, a walk in cabinet well over twice the size of my new upstairs closet, a walk in freezer the same size, and finally, a central island that I found with a push of the button could transform into unfolded hibachi grill. I once again went about practically salivating at the dream kitchen I now had, and I had to drag myself away in order not to start cooking at that very moment.

The final area of interest was surprisingly enough the basement. Why you ask? Well considering it was a man cave of epic proportions, what do you think?! I mean seriously; it had two pool tables ready and waiting to be used, recliners of various makes and models that all looked comfy as fuck, numerous flat screens positioned at different ends of the room, and finally...a bar. A honest to god, fully stocked bar that from just a quick look contained rare and valuable bottles of alcohol that I had only ever dreamed of tasting. I think it should go without saying that I finally couldn't hold it in anymore and started actually salivating from my now unhinged jaw.

Finally done with my looking around (and cleaning up the slight mess I made), I went about finding the booklet mentioned before. Upon finding it on one of the living room couches and reading through it, I came to realize just what exactly my new home truly was. To put it bluntly, my new house was the equivalent of a magic bomb shelter. It could survive a full powered attack from an Ultimate Class devil (it claimed though I would never wish to test such), and it could keep out anyone trying to teleport into it (or simply break in really) with extreme prejudice. It also had the ability to silence and lock any room in the house for privacy...make of that what you will. Finally, every function of the house was connected to my [Gamer System] in such a way that I could activate the silencing and locking features with just a verbal command. I could control every electronically based appliance in my kitchen (which was all of them) with nary a thought. Finally, I would get notifications if someone attempted to enter the house without my permission and activate the defensive wards accordingly.

Something I also looked at was my [BGM] Tab, and I turned off {Level Up Notifications} for skills because I was obviously going to try and grind {Observation} while I was walking around my house. The numerous text boxes flying into my face every time I leveled up the skill got very annoying, very quickly, and I could only imagine the amount of times an untimely text box to the face could screw me over in the middle of battle.

[Well now that you've finished gawking over your dream home, what's to say we get to fighting some things!? All you've gotta say is {ID Create: Battle Tutorial}, and the system will take care of the rest. Oh, also try and make a cool pose for when you do it!]

It took all I had to not deadpan at the system for that last bit before just sighing and deciding "screw it" as I went about raising my hand up and pretended to grip the air above my hand like I was trying to break something.

"{ID Create: Battle Tutorial}!"

With the skill vocalized and a surge of what I assumed to be mana shooting up my arm, the world around me proceeded to literally crack and fall apart like glass and be replaced with a red moon, lit city. My current location appeared to be a random suburb lined with an assortment of modern houses. They were more foreboding; however, as each was lined with dark gray and black colored brick instead of the usual white. The fact that they were all illuminated by the creepy ass red moon didn't really help either.

[Now before we actually get you into the fighting, we should probably see about getting you a weapon or two.]

[Please Pick 2 (will be random of each type)]
[Sword]
[Axe]
[Knuckles]
[Pole Arm]
[Handgun]
[Rifle]
[Shotgun]

"Sword and Handgun."

In a burst of white light, I soon found myself with a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. The sword appeared to be styled after a cutlass with a basic grey hand guard while the pistol appeared to be a six shooter with a white handle that had a simple looking magic circle etched into it.

"{Observe}." And I, obviously, went about using {Observation} on them.

Steel Cutlass {Common} {Item: Sword}:
A regular cutlass made of steel which in turn makes it a sturdy weapon for any beginner.
Deals 10-15 Physical DMG

Magic Revolver {Common} {Item: Small Firearm / Mystic Code}:
A regular revolver enchanted to fire magic bullets so the need for real bullets isn't needed.
Reload Cost: 1 MP per full reload
Deals 5 Magical DMG per 1 round

[Oh wait! We forgot that we didn't tell you about the different types of Damages and Defenses!]

[Damage (DMG) and Defense (DEF) are split into two different categories: Physical and Magical. Physical DMG and DEF are obviously tied into physically based attacks or defense. Magical DMG and DEF are also obviously tied into magically based attacks or defense.]
[Both DMG and DEF are also points either added or subtracted from skills or equipment that either adds or deducts damage you would either inflict or take from an enemy.]

Okay that makes sense. Though now I can't help but compare it to the Physical/Special split in Pokémon.

[Eh they are kinda the same. Now that you're equipped; however, let's start the first wave!]

Wait, what do you mean first-

[WAVE 1 – 3. START!]

-wave? Well that answers my questionnnnn- "What the hell is THAT!?"

I mean because seriously even with {Gamer Mind} keeping me from freaking out that doesn't stop the baser fear I felt upon watching the mass of human flesh that could only be a non-living, non-breathing zombie stumble its way towards me from where it appeared around a corner.

"Oh that is just…actually not all that bad," I pondered aloud after looking closer at the shambling figure. I mean don't get me wrong; the thing had clumps of flesh missing from various parts of its body, and I could almost see the flies around its form from where I was standing. It still had a bit of an almost cartoonish quality to it; however, that made it not all that bad. I mean at least it didn't look as bad as some of the really fucked up zombies made over the years for TV shows and video games.

Or maybe {Gamer Mind} was just putting in some serious work. Probably both now that I think about it. "Groooo." Oh right, that thing is still an issue-HOLY IT'S 5 FEET FROM ME!

"BANG BANG BANG!" Three yellow, marble sized, magic bullets instantly connected with the walking corpse, and with it the entirety of the zombie's left shoulder and arm were blown off like wet tissue paper.

[A new skill has been discovered thanks to a specific action!]
Firearm Mastery - Beginner, Passive {Lv: 1} {Exp: 11.8%}:
Ever since the creation of the firearm there have been those who have grown to be considered the greatest sharpshooters in the world. But like all those greats, you too must start from the beginning.
1% Proficiency with Gun based weapons
Lv = Extra DMG dealt with a gun

"Damnnn," I breathed out rather impressed while looking down at the smoking gun in my hand. Looking back at the zombie, I was further surprised to find no blood actually stemming from the wound like you would figure, but I factored that into either this world's "anime logic" (though I kinda doubted it since Highschool DxD wasn't exactly squeamish about showing blood and the like), or the enemies in my IDs simply were for training purposes and thus there was no need to make them able to bleed and stuff.

Actually now that I have a moment to think, considering the force of the shots caused it to stumble backwards, "{Observe}".

[Zombie] [Lv: 5] [Race: Basic Undead]
[HP: 324/ 500] [SP: 100/ 100] [MP: 0/ 0]
[STR: 15] [AGI: 5] [VIT: 20] [END: 4] [INT: 0] [WIS: 0] [LUCK: 0]

How the heck did I just deal that much damage?!

[Dealing severe damage (i.e. dismembering) to an opponent will likely result in mass loss of HP depending on damage done. (Because anyone missing an arm is obviously going to be in bad shape for it.)]

Oh…well that makes sense I suppose.

Still that is a lot of HP/VIT for something only Lv5. Though I suppose the fact that it has zero intelligence (literally) will make this reasonably easier.

"Grooo," the zombie groaned out further proving me right as it seemingly didn't even notice the fact that it just lost a limb.

Quickly shoving my revolver into my hoodie's front pocket, I went about testing out my new cutlass. Ducking under a wild swing from the zombie, I stabbed forward with the cutlass into its side. Proving my earlier observations correct, no blood or gore of any kind shot out at the attack (thank goodness), and the attack caught the undead walker off guard enough for me to retch my sword from its side causing it to be even more torn apart as a result. This action stunned it even more so, and I was easily able to plant a kick in its already damaged side to bend it over before swinging in a wide arc at its now lowered head-

{Critical Hit!}

-which in turn split its skull clean open. The resulting strike (and Critical) being just enough to take it out with little fanfare. The rewards left behind, after it pretty much exploded into golden sparkles of light after being defeated, were only a measly 10 EXP and about 200 yen in change, so pretty meh rewards for a first kill.

[A new skill has been discovered thanks to a specific action!]
Single Sword Mastery - Beginner, Passive {Lv: 1} {Exp: 13.6%}:
The sword is seen as one of the most important and famous weapons of all time. It is a weapon that has been used by practically every great empire in the world, and it is considered by many in modern day as the weapon of any true warrior. Seen in the hands of both heroes and villains alike, you must choose which path you will follow.
1% Proficiency with a single Bladed weapon.
Lv = Extra DMG dealt with a sword.

[Oi don't get so high and mighty, like you just said it was your first kill on a rather weak enemy. Thankfully we've got some more Waves!]

[WAVE 2 – 3. START!]

Well that was fasttt hello zombies all around me.

Looking around quickly, I was met with more zombies assembled at random points down the street. Another look revealed a new enemy in the shambling horde as there were a couple rather basic looking skeleton mobs with purple robes.

"{Observe}."

[Skull Servant] [Lv: 6] [Race: Basic Undead]
[HP: 200/ 200] [SP: 200/ 200] [MP: 400/ 400]
[STR: 5] [AGI: 5] [VIT: 8] [END: 8] [INT: 16] [WIS: 5] [LUCK: 0]

Wait, the Skull Servants have MP? If I'm figuring this right then since they have the ability to use MP doesn't that mean they can-FIREBALL!

Diving to the side, I narrowly dodged a fireball the size of a beach ball hurtling towards me. I then had to quickly move again in order to avoid another two coming from the other Skull Servants. Unfortunately I wasn't fast enough and one of the fireballs skimmed my arm as it flew past and dealt a small chunk of damage in the process.

"Okay then you bags of bones die first," I spat out as I shot at one of the skeletons a couple of times before diving through a couple of zombies in order to strike it down for good. Unfortunately before I could, I was hit in the back hard enough to make me topple over, and I had to swing wildly before I could pull myself away from the few zombies that had tried to corner me.

"Maybe not my smartest move," I said with a wince before {Gamer Body} kicked in and removed the pain from the bruises I was sure to have had otherwise.

[HP: 212/ 250] [HPR: 5.0 a Minute]
[MP: 500/ 500] [MPR: 5.5 a Minute]
[SP: 250/ 250] [SPR: 5.0 a Minute]

"Tch, gonna have to fight smarter I suppose," I muttered while eyeing the remaining zombies and fire throwing skeletons. Good thing too considering one of the skellies threw a fireball not a moment later. Feeling inspiration strike, I pulled my sword arm back and readied to bring down the blade.

"Video game and anime logic don't fail me now!" I yelled out while swinging the blade into the incoming fireball with all the power my 8 STR could manage. Unfortunately video game logic did in fact fail me as instead of hitting the fireball back at its user like I intended, it instead cut the fireball in half.

[A new skill has been discovered thanks to a specific action!]
Power Slash, Active {Lv: 1} {Exp: 5.4%}:
A basic, empowered slash that deals relatively more damage than a regular strike. Can only be used in conjunction with a Bladed weapon.
Cost: 5 SP
Adds 10 Physical DMG Base Damage

New skill aside, I really wanna try and recreate that rebound attack.

Taking a moment to deal with a few of the nearby zombies as they closed in, I waited for one of the Skull Servants to launch another fireball. As soon as one did, I went about preparing to slash at the fireball once again.

The moment before my slash would connect; however, I focused on the feeling I got earlier when I used {ID Create}, and I sent a quick burst of mana through the blade to try and see if that would get me the results I wanted.

The answer would be a resounding NO again because instead of hitting the fireball back, it instead set a golden colored air slash through the fireball and into the Skull Servant; knocking it back a dozen or so feet in the process.

[A new skill has been discovered thanks to a specific action!]
Flying Slash, Active {Lv: 1} {Exp: 5.5%}:
By sending magic through your blade at the last moment, you have created a long range attack with a close range weapon via magic. Tada!
Cost: 5 MP
Deals 10 Magical DMG Base Damage

Okay sweet, I've now got a magical attack that is also long range, BUT I still really want that rebound attack! And I think {Flying Slash}'s description may have given me just the idea to create it.

So once again I readied myself for a Skull Servant to attack (while having to take out a zombie who got a little too touchy feely for a moment), and when it did, instead of sending a burst of mana through my cutlass at the last moment, I channeled mana through the blade continuously while swinging with all my might. This created a second, translucent, layer of golden energy to coat the blade, and caused the fireball that impacted it to go flying backwards towards its caster at nearly double the speed, FINALLY!

[A new skill has been discovered thanks to a specific action!]
Counter, Active {Lv: 1} {Exp: 6.8%}:
By combining magic and your empowered strike (i.e. END), you now can counter attacks thrown at you! Meliodas would be so proud!
Cost: MP and SP equal to the original cost of skill countered. (i.e. if attack was only used via MP you still have to pay SP equal to MP and vise versa.
Deals Original DMG of skill countered X 2. If Physically based, deal Physical DMG. If Magically based, deal Magical DMG.

"Fuck yes! Now that's what I'm talking about!" I shouted gleefully as I read over the skill. I mean sure the fact I had to use the same amount of MP and SP my opponent used would be annoying, but damn it if it wasn't going to be useful.

"Now that I can deal with that," I said while slightly shifting from my regular tone and stance," let's see about dealing with the rest of you undead fuckers." A bloodthirsty grin making its way across my face in the process, and my new posture screamed my want to send the undead enemies before me to a second death.

You know…I don't think I ever did tell you guys about my absolute hatred/fear of the undead huh? I mean it's kinda a tossup at times because either I'm scared to death (hehe pun) of them, or I'm pissed off that such an unoriginal thing even exists.

[A new skill has been discovered thanks to a specific action!]
Intimidation, Active {Lv: 1} {Exp: 10.1%}:
By giving in to your bloodthirsty nature, you can cause fear in those that had the misfortune of pissing you off. It's time to get your ger face on!
Cost: 0
Can Stun those lower or equal level to yours. Makes those higher leveled than you, wary of you.

What happened next could only really be called all out carnage as the Zombies seemed to realize that I was no longer just testing stuff out, and thus began a forward charge in a very zombie esc fashion. Revolver and cutlass worked in tandem to clear a path through the zombies to the remaining Skull Servant, and once there I took great satisfaction in using {Counter} at point blank range to kill off the final fire juggler. The long range mobs dealt with it was really only a matter of using {Power Slash} a couple of times, a few {Flying Slashes} into the mass to cull the number somewhat, and a few more reloads of my revolver to shoot off any limbs that tried to hit me, and the horde was dealt with.

The overall haul for that particular wave was a solid 5,000 yen, enough Exp to get me to Lv3, at least 1 level to pretty much all my new skills, and a few points for my different stats thanks to using them in a battle environment. (I actually got a point in STR when I back handed a zombie hard enough to make its head literally spin.) Oh, I also found a few scraps of cloth that seemed to have come off the Skull Servants.

Magic Saturated Cloth {Common} {Item: Material}:
A rather basic material that can be combined with more cloth in order to make magic enhanced clothing. Better effects can be made available with the introduction of added reagents or enchantments.

All in all a much better haul than that first wave.

[Damnnn boy, you're doing a lot better than we thought you would! Hmm actually, ya know what? How about for your final fight in the tutorial; we add a boss into the mix?!]

[FINAL WAVE START!]

[Boss Stage Rearrangement Begin]

Before I could even go about questioning the last text box the ground beneath me began to shake hard enough to make me fall over, and the buildings around me began to literally slide away. The area's "rearrangement" continued for a solid thirty seconds, and upon ending the result was a good quarter-mile of open space with me in the epicenter.

Dusting myself off after having fallen over, I gazed around the open area wondering what on earth I was supposed to be fight-

"ROARRRR!"

Before that line of thought froze along with the rest of my body at the fucking dragon esc roar that seemed to rend the air apart around me. I then slowly went about glancing up, and then went wide eyed at the thing trying and failing to fly in a straight line towards me.

Purple like flesh (because I seriously doubt scales have the ability to rot) adorned a body easily the size of a double decker bus, with clumps of said flesh appearing to be either missing or rotted off, leaving red muscle visible for all to see. Large wings with enough tears and holes that it had no right to fly at all decorated its back while its tail appeared to just simply hang off its rear as if it were one hit away from simply falling off. Finally, filled with yellow colored gases which I was sure as hell wasn't smoke, was a distinctly dragon shaped head glaring down at me with yellow eyes that screamed of malicious intent.

All of these things were observed in my eyes, but the true reason I became frozen in place was because I'm pretty sure I went into shock from the pure power seemingly emitting from the abomination flying overhead.

It was at the moment, I understood why the various factions feared dragons no matter their size or level of power.

Hell if it weren't for {Gamer Mind}, I'm pretty sure I would have continued to simply gape at the dragon flying toward me. As it was, with {Gamer Mind} forcing me into an extremely false state of calm I was actually able to think coherently enough to think, '{Observe}'.

[Zombie Dragon] [Lv: 15] [Race: Undead Dragon]
[HP: 1000/ 1000] [SP: 500/ 500] [MP: 750/ 750]
[STR: 20] [AGI: 20] [VIT: 40] [END: 20] [INT: 30] [WIS: 15] [LUCK: 0]

"For fucks sake [Gamer System]!" I cursed aloud at the sheer absurdity of what was being thrown at me. I was Level 3 for God's-er wait that's right he's not…available. Uhhh how about for Gabriel's sake? Yeah Gabriel seems like a pretty fair and nice Seraph that wouldn't mind being used for calling out bullshit because that right there! That is bullshit!

"ROARRR!" Dammit and here that particular piece of bullshit comes!

Diving to the side I was barely able to dodge the rather wild dive the Zombie Dragon tried to pull off before taking a couple quick shots at its side to figure out how much damage I could even deal this thing. The answer was about a clean 24 which while not necessarily bad; it was most definitely not good.

Especially since before I could even react the zombie lizard dug its, surprisingly intact, claws in the concrete below, burned off pretty much its entire momentum in moments, and turned on a dime in order to breathe a cloud of gas into my face.

"Oh Gabriel that is rank!" I wheezed out as my lungs began to burn as if I were inhaling acid. The force behind the breath attack went as far as to send me skidding backwards a couple yards and almost making me lose my weapons in the process.

[You have been Poisoned!]

[Status Ailment Unlocked!]
[Poison: Deals damage over time with different types dealing more damage over time.]

Damn! How much damage did all that just deal?!

[HP: 175/ 300] [HPR: 6.0 a Minute]
{Status Ailment: Poison I: -10 HP per 30 Seconds for 5 Minutes}

Unholy Shit! Poison by itself is going to do 100 damage-GIANT HAND!?

Once again diving to the side in order to avoid the giant limb about to smash me into paste, I quickly went about putting some more distance between us. Turning back to the dragon, I quickly aimed with my revolver and-

"Did you really just get your arm stuck in the ground?!" I asked incredulously as the Zombie Dragon tried to pull its arm from the hole it made in the ground below. Of course who was I to let this golden opportunity leave me, and proceeded to lay into the thing with as many shots and {Flying Slashes} as I could manage because no way in hell was I going to be around that thing when it finally got free.

I had to stop; however, when the overgrown gecko finally got its arm free. The look of murderous rage in its eyes only shone brighter as it roared and rushed at me.

"Nope nope nope!" I cried out as I ran, and somehow outpaced, the dragon as it shambled after me.

[A new skill has been discovered thanks to a specific action!]
Sprint, Active {Lv: 1} {Exp: 23.7%}:
By putting your all into running (away like a sissy), you've got yourself a fancy new skill!
Cost: 5 SP per 10 seconds
1.5 X Movement Speed when in use

Huh, neat. Still I'm pretty sure that thing did more damage to itself than I did when it ripped its arm out of the ground if it's this slow…on…land…

Now that's an idea!

"Come on you overgrown vape smoker, I'm right here!" I shouted at the dragon as I stopped in my tactical retreat. The insult seemed to help (Read: make it pissed off) as the dragon attempted to once again smash me with its giant clawed limb.

But instead of dodging out of the way, I reared my sword arm back and slammed it forward into a picture perfect {Counter}. The skill not only stopped the Zombie Dragon's attack cold, but it practically retched its limb out of its rotting socket from how hard and fast it shot backward as its own striking power was turned against it.

{Critical Hit!}

[By dealing massive damage to a superior opponent through-]

"Not now!," I yelled, making the text box disappear as I had to rapidly backpedal away from the zombie gecko as it tried to eat me whole. Thankfully the loss of its limb made it that much slower on land, and I was actually able to get off a few shots and {Flying Slashes} as I continuously dodged.

"GROARRR!" Unfortunately the Zombie Dragon seemed to also realize (damn it and its 15 WIS; it had a learning curve) that it was no longer a threat of land. As was seen by it finally deciding enough was enough, and it quickly spread its massive ripped wings and proceeded to catch flight. The gale force winds it caused in its upward flight practically blowing me off my feet…

However distance wasn't really an issue now was it?

I quickly went about laying into the beast as much as possible with my revolver and {Flying Slashes} while having to make the occasional dive out of the way in order to not get knocked off my feet when it attempted to barrel roll at me. Eventually the undead dragon finally seemed to understand that whatever it did close range wasn't going to work, so it sucked in a huge gulp of air, strained its rotting jaw wide open, and shot out a giant, yellowish green fireball twice my fucking size.

"Okay…fuck that." Concentrating all my remaining MP and SP into my sword, causing it to light up like a golden light saber for a brief moment, and trying to focus as much as possible over the heat the fireball brought about at such close range, I swung at the fireball with all my might-

"{Counter}!"

-and slammed the fireball back at the flying death gecko at twice its original speed.

I could actually see the moment the poor excuse for a dragon realized it was screwed before it went up in a massive explosion-

{Critical Hit!} "CRASH!"

-and then dropped out of the resulting smoke cloud with a massive crash and raising even more dust and smoke in its wake.

Finally having a moment to breathe and let my adrenaline drop, I finally realized just how tired all of that had made me. Not in the traditional sense mind you, {Gamer Body} made sure of that, but more so in that I could feel how low my magic was, and the strain my body was under with my HP and SP being so low-

[Level Up!]

-only for all that all to disappear like it never bothered me as the level up refilled my MP instantly and all my previously lost HP and SP was restored. Thank you {Gamer Body}!

[Now that's how you deal with a boss monster! No one ever said you had to use some bullshit shonan magic to end the opponent. Wit and Intelligence are all you need sometimes, especially for a Gamer.]

[For defeating an overwhelming enemy in an intelligent manner +2 INT and 2 WIS. Also it's recommended you go look through what loot it dropped.]

Before actually heading the textbox's advice, I quickly went into my [BGM] Tab and switched off the notifications for when I got stat points in battle because that almost really screwed me over after I took out the Zombie Dragon's arm.

With that done, I now heeded the textbox's advice and went over to the crash site. Upon arriving, I found about 7,000 yen in cash (Ya!) and something…different.

"Okay what exactly am I looking at here?" I voiced aloud as I stared at the floating…ball? I mean it kinda looked like what you would imagine a Will-o-Wisp to look like, if a Will-o-Wisp was black in color, "{Observe}"

Unawakened Dragon Phantasm - DARK - Tier III {Item: Phantasm}:
This DARK affinity, Dragon Phantasm is currently "asleep". In order to use this Phantasm you must use Trinity Tuner in order to "awaken" the Phantasm dwelling within.
Can be awakened in order to gain a new, Tier III, Dragon Phantasm of the DARK affinity

[What you see before you is an "Unawakened" Phantasm which you can use to acquire new Phantasms. You will find that most Phantasms will remain the same as the enemy that dropped them as this is your tutorial stage; however, we figured a better reward was in order. This also means the best way to get Phantasms is to beat strong opponents!]

[The Tab –Sacred Gear- is now available!]

[The Sub Tab –Phantasms- is now available!]

As soon as I was done reading the final text box, the "Unawakened" Phantasm flew forward and seemingly into my chest. Blinking away my surprise over the action, I shrugged it off in order to continue reading the newest batch of the pop ups.

Quest Complete!
[Tutorial II (IDs, Battles, and Bosses)!]
A new tutorial is now available to help you understand the battle system and ID system!
{Objective: Complete Tutorial II}
Rewards: 500 Exp, 10,000 Yen, Uncommon Item Randomizer, and ID Create: Battle Zone]
{Bonus Objectives: 100 Exp per Bonus Objective completed}
- Discover at least 5 new skills (Complete!)
- Defeat Wave 2 without losing half your HP (Complete!)
- Never fall below half HP (Failed!)
Bonus Rewards: 200 Exp

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

Well with that done, I took a quick glance around in order to make sure I didn't miss anything. Not seeing anything that would constitute as important I went about raising my hand into the air and intoned, "{ID Escape}!"

With those words said the world proceeded to shatter and fall apart before my eyes like pieces of glass. When the transition was done, I found myself back in my living room right where I had started with a quick look at the nearest wall confirming that not even an hour had passed.

Now let's see. I woke up this morning to find myself having been reborn as {The Gamer}, this event also leading me to being reborn into the world of Highschool DxD with a Sacred Gear, fought a horde of zombies and fire throwing skeletons, and topped it all off by having a tennis match with a zombie dragon.

With all that said and done there was really only one course of action I could take after all of this. A course of action I was honestly surprised I hadn't done before now…

"I need an effing drink."