New Beginnings: Felix Stoll (Edited)

Chapter 1 - New Beginnings: Felix Stoll

In a high-rise apartment, a young boy slumbered in his bed. The boy seemed to be of four years of age, sleeping without a care in the world.

That was, before a pesky ray of light filtered through the curtains, landing right on his face.

The boy squirmed a bit, before eventually opening his eyes, immediately regretting it as he got blinded by the sun. He rolled himself carefully off the bed and onto the cool floor, where the blinding rays of light did not reach him. He sprawled himself on the floor, trying to doze off again, before the uncomfortable feeling of the rigid tiled floor got the better of him, fully waking up.

Felix Stoll opened his eyes and stretched his arms and legs, still laying flat on the floor as he did so.

He looked around his room, taking in the familiar sights: the high ceiling, the white walls, the imposing closet, the bookshelf, and the toy chest that seemed out of place.

Instead of a kid's room, it seemed more like a room for an adult, with the toy chest being the only indication that a kid lived there.

He smiled as he spotted his favorite stuffed animals on his bed: a lion, a monkey, and a giraffe. He hugged them close, feeling their fuzzy fur and their friendly faces.

He then frowned, feeling strange. He knew he loved his stuffed animals, but the last time he had any was decades ago.

'I'm not going crazy, am I?'... Felix wondered. After his childhood, he would usually just set the toys up on display on top of his shelf or somewhere else, not really playing with them. So why was he...

Then, a pop-up appeared right in front of his face.

[Invitation to enter the Tavern. Would you like to enter?

Yes | Yes]

Felix quizzically observed the strange phenomenon happening in front of him, before choosing the "Yes" option, not that there was any other option available. His vision then spiraled out, as if he had just entered a battle in an old RPG.

As Felix came to, he realized that a lot of things had changed.

One, he was no longer in his room. Instead, he was in what seemed to be a modern pub, with a bar at the back and tables strewn about. He could also see stairs that led to a second floor, with a balcony overlooking the first floor.

The second thing he noticed was that his body had changed. He was no longer a little boy but a young adult, wearing some nondescript casual clothes to boot.

In front of him, a full-length mirror faced his way, reflecting his self. It was a face different than the one of his previous life, but one he could get accustomed to. He looked good, with red flaming hair and soft blue eyes.

'Huh, I've never been a ginger before, but the change isn't unwelcome. New life and new opportunities,' Felix mused, before becoming confused at his own thoughts. But before he could further ponder on them, a voice interrupted him.

"Finished admiring yourself?"

A man in a green butler uniform spoke as he approached him, a clothing style Felix had never seen before, turning Felix's attention onto the new guy.

"We intentionally put that mirror there so Players can get better acquainted with their new looks. Though, there was this one guy who stood there and kept doing poses, completely disregarding Yellow. She almost popped a vein because of that," chuckled the man.

"Yellow?" asked Felix, choosing to focus on the unknown name for now. He had a feeling that he had met this guy before.

"Another one of the staff working here at the Tavern," the butler said dismissively, "you'll meet them eventually as you visit the Tavern more."

"Anyway, here. Have a drink," and the man magically pulled out a drink from behind his back. It was a light blue drink, with a slice of lemon decorated on top and with bubbles bubbling up.

Felix received the drink from him and said, "Cheers" before drinking it. Who was he to refuse a free drink? Plus, the man showed no ill will.

As the refreshing and bubbly drink washed down his throat, Felix felt more clear-headed than ever. And then, the memories came back.

The man dressed in green in front of him was the guy who introduced him to the Reincarnation Game. He had been the one to answer the questions he had at the beginning and help set up his backstory. He had even thrown in the option of starting off with a well-off family who operated in Yorknew City so that he had at least some capital to work with.

Though it wasn't without some kind of downside. In return, there were some risks involved and he did not have a direct relation to any Nen user, though that wasn't to say that that would be the case forever. Considering his knowledge of Yorknew City, he knew that there were plenty of opportunities to come across information about Nen.

At the start of his Character Building, he got the rolls of [18, 16, 11], which he was very proud of. He had gotten the 20 Talent Bundle for the Hunter Class, and the rest of his Classes were Pirate and Jedi, in that order.

His only regret was that his last roll for Jedi wasn't high enough, or else he might've been tempted to get the Jedi Talent of Midichlorian Count of~19,000. Of course, he could have gotten it if he had designated the Jedi Class as his Second Class, but he had specific plans for the Pirate Class.

That and the fact that the ability to use both the Dark Side and the Light Side without the personality change was too good to pass up.

"Again, I welcome you to the Tavern, and the 2816th rendition of the Reincarnation Game" smiled the man, who Felix now recalled as Lime.

"We're just calling you in for Orientation and to settle any of the remaining procedures before we truly begin. So, I'm sure you have your questions, go ahead" he gestured, as if already anticipating the inquiries that Felix had.

Felix decided to do just that. "What is the result of my 20-Talent Bundle? And what is this drink? It's good," he sipped more of his drink. It was hard to tell which question he prioritized more.

Lime chuckled, "It's a carbonated Blue Lemonade, and we have a variety of other drinks and foods we provide at the Tavern. You get one drink for free every time you visit the Tavern, and we recommend you do."

"Flavor aside, it will help heal any of the remaining mental and psychological effects of being a Reincarnator. The Human mind can be a fickle thing at times," Lime explained. "As for the Bundle, take a look," said Lime as he swiped the air, and a window appeared.

[Felix's 20 Talent Hunter Bundle

- Hunter Talent: 1 in 1 Billion Nen Talent

- Icarus' Ambition

Easy Masteries:

- Aura Awakening and Ten (Locked/Pending)

- En (Locked)

- Manipulation Proficiency (Locked)

- Enhancer Proficiency (Locked)

Items:

- GI Card #021 X-Ray Goggles

- GI Card #025 Risky Dice

- GI Card #084 Paladin's Necklace]

Felix couldn't help it as a massive grin spread from ear to ear, his teeth bared like a wolf ready to pounce. His eyes glinted as they showed one emotion with fervor... his hunger. This happened for an instant, before Felix calmed himself down, though it did not escape the eyes of Lime. Lime seemed almost expectant of it. But how could he?

Felix reigned in his excitement, though his mind was buzzing with activity. 'Sweet! At the very least, I got the Paladin's Necklace and some Easy Masteries. Though there are some unexpected options...'

Lime interrupted his train of thought, interjecting, "Now, you must have some questions regarding the options. And I'll now explain them to you. "

"First, off you got very lucky. Considering the number of other 20 Talent Bundle users for the Hunter Class, I would say that the bundle options you got are pretty good. The Paladin's Necklace is always nice to have, especially considering your plans for the Pirate Class, and the 'Aura Awakening and Ten' Easy Mastery even more so.

"Let me explain. The way that the 'Aura Awakening and Ten' Easy Mastery works is quite simple. It basically guarantees that you get the opportunity to awaken your Nen in a non-harmful way in the near future. This is with the added benefit of not having to go through the hassle of attending the Hunter Exam to get the "qualifications" for awakening Nen. Though, you still have to pass the Exam if you want your Hunter License," explained Lime.

Lime then continued, "In the world of Hunter X Hunter, not everyone goes through the baptism of Nen to awaken it. Every person has at least some amount of Life Energy or Aura. Being able to feel that Aura and eventually use it (which is another name for Nen) is another case entirely."

"However, there are exceptions. In some cases, people come to use Nen subconsciously in their day to day lives. Adding to that, some just naturally awaken their Nen and their respective Hatsus. Awakening aside though, finding out the method to train your Nen and its uses will still be up to you to find out."

Felix pondered for a bit, digesting the information that he had been informed of. "Then, what about the "Icarus' Ambition" thing? Knowing Icarus and his fate, so I'm almost certain that it's not a good thing."

"Ah, yes... Icarus," said Lime, almost as if reminiscing. "Icarus' ambitious flight towards the Sun, only to end up falling into the cold embrace of the ocean... What was that human saying? 'The higher you climb, the harder you fall?'"

"To start off, all Bundle users have some sort of counterbalance in place. Some more harsher than others. This is to at least slow down the Bundle users from becoming overpowered too quickly, though all players have the chance at becoming great. For you, it was frankly quite easy."

"The Nen Power System works on primarily two principles, Will and Desire. That's why even if two people have the Nen same affinity, they could end up with completely different Hatsus. You'll eventually come to understand it, but your personality can be both your greatest boon and your downfall. We just deemed it apt to name it 'Icarus' Ambition' as a sort of hint to you," finished Lime, seeming almost smug about it.

"And you just decided to give me the Risky Dice?" mentioned Felix, with an almost accusatory tone. "It's a LITERAL time bomb!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, well... What is a game without risk?" Lime said. He spread his arms out in dramatic effect. "If you can overcome this plight, you might even become the greatest of them all. Though considering your facial expressions, I would say that you are quite enjoying this," he teased.

Felix then reached up to feel his face, or more importantly, his smile. He had subconsciously been grinning since the mention of his personality and the ticking time bomb in his Inventory. He had thought that he had left it all behind... his memories... his past life. But he guessed that old habits die hard. So... he laughed.

It started with a small chuckle, mostly at himself and the irony of it all, but then progressively grew. He laughed like he never had before. He laughed so hard, that he doubled over, almost to the point of reaching the ground, clutching his stomach. His eyes were watering, and he gasped for air between each burst of laughter. It was almost as if he was making up for a lifetime of regret and indecision. And perhaps he was.

And just as quickly as it started, it stopped. Though there was still a huge grin stretched across his face.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," said Felix with newfound confidence and excitement in his voice.

"Most excellent!" exclaimed Lime, though he seemed rather amused at Felix's abrupt full-blown laughter. "Any other questions?"

"Anything else I should keep in mind?"

Lime pondered for a moment and then listed off, "Hmm... most of the conversation that would require metaknowledge will be locked when being outside of the Tavern."

"Other than the Players with the Bundles, everyone else will have forgotten about it, so do whatever you want with that information."

"You can come to the Tavern daily for two hours a day. Either physically, if not under any surveillance, or only in spirit when under watch or in an enclosed space. Some activities that are available in the Tavern can only be done when present physically, like eating, doing Missions, or World travel.

"The Players will be 100% Human, so no one Player has an inherent advantage over others other than through the dice rolls. Death is not The End. Aaaaaannnd... most importantly: Have Fun!" exclaimed Lime as he waved goodbye.

"Wait! What was that part about death?" Felix asked, but as soon as Lime finished, Felix's vision spiraled out of control. As he came to, he was back in his room, alone.

Felix looked around, noting that even though the bed was within arm's reach, he couldn't be bothered. He just laid down on the floor, not minding the slight chilliness of the floor tiles as much as before.

Though most of what was discussed was omitted out of his memories, he still had a general gist of what happened. And after all of that, Felix only had one thought:

"I am grateful to be alive," grinned Felix.

================================================================

A.N.

Hi there! Just wanted to mention that I'm thankful that you gave my novel a chance.

I am welcome to any suggestions for the plot, other Player characters, their powers, and more!

I am not entirely sure about the progression of the early Dragon Ball Series, other than they train hard, they hit hard. I DO know that they later shoot laser beams from their hands and the whole Ultra Instinct, though I'm not sure if the Warrior Players will be able to reach that standard. The Players are gonna all be entirely human, so no Saiyan buff. But I will definitely have to read up on some of the stuff as I go.

I have a general idea of how the MC's personality and powers will progress throughout the story. I have even dropped some hints in this chapter regarding that. The next chapter will probably show even more clues as to what path he will choose. I'll leave the hint here as it correlates to his Player's Chat Room Username. It is:

[Esper]