Prologue(End): Adaptation

You know, I'm taking this a lot better than I thought I'd be. I mean, my family is dead, I'm going to be involved in a war between Godly beings, and I just learned I'm probably in a fictional world.

But despite that, I feel fine. Actually, I feel more whole than I have in the fifteen years I've lived in this world before I got my memories back. Yes, I can see that my acceptance of my outlandish situation is weird, but I also think I know why. I'm pretty sure it's due to my stats, Grit specifically. So, yeah.

I also have to take into account that I'm a very chill person to begin with. Honestly, I'm moreso curious about what this means for me. Am I suppose to do something in this world? Become more important? Entertain the readers or something? I still want to kill all the Giants.

[The goal is to not be written off.]

I look at the screen, surpise fills me. It actually... responded.

"Written off?" I question. I know what it means, but I just want to make sure.

[Yes. Make sure the Author doesn't write you off and make it to the Epilogue!]

'So... basically... if I kill all the Giants, wouldn't that automatically put the story in it's Epilogue?' I muse to myself.

[...]

The screen just puts ellipse up, as though surprised at my single-mindedness. A big Grit stat has probably only enhanced my inherent stubbornness to the ninth degree.

"Wait, does written off mean death?"

[No.]

"Then what's the motivation for me to do anything?"

[There is none. You decide.]

***

After that, no matter how many times I had asked, it stayed silent. My only goal is to kill Giants, I honestly don't really care if I'm written off.

So, I decide to begin my first step to becoming a full fledged Giant-Slayer. Training.

I start heading towards the school gym. As I'm walking, I hear footsteps quickly approaching me.

[Panel: On]

"Heya!" A voice brimming with excitement shouts. I look to my right. It's Rai.

"Uh, hi," I greet back.

"Emma?" he asks.

"No, it's Emery," I tell him. He grins and holds out a hand, not at all embarrassed at getting my name wrong.

"It's nice to meet you Emery, I'm Rai!"

"Yeah, same," I answer simply.

"You going to the gym too?"

'Why is he talking to me? And what's up with the panel being toggled on?' I think, confusion clouding my head.

"I need to get stronger somehow."

"Why?"

"Uh, what?" His question catches me off guard.

"Why do you want to get stronger?" he says again.

"I-" My words stop. The world, once more, pauses as another screen pops up. Reminiscent to the time when I was blessed by the Gods. Like that time, I can still move.

[You do not have the required 15 Edge to say, "My goal is to kill all Giants!"]

"What?"

[You do not have the requires 15-]

"No! I know that! But... where the hell is this coming from?" I gaze intently at it.

[To do certain actions, you need the required amount of stats to do those actions. If you want to do, say, or appear "Edgy" you need Edge.]

"Wait, uh, could I see what my stats do? Pretty please?" I utter hopefully.

[Morality is your Capacity to do or say bad/good things within a story.]

[Sympathy is your ability to appear more cute and sympathetic to the readers and characters alike.]

[Edge is your ability to appear cool and badass to readers and characters alike. It also helps keep your head straight in tense situations.]

[Power is your overall power in a story.]

[Charisma is your ability to hold attention and convince both readers and characters.]

[Grit is your ability to persevere and keep going. Along with power, this is a primary combat stat. It shows how many hits you can take by someone with a power equal to yours.]

[Wit is your ability to do intelligent things within a story.]

[Mystique is your ability to appear mysterious and catch the readers and characters attention.]

"Got it, cool. The problem is... how the heck do I increase my stats?"

[By acting within your character while on Panel, getting new Tropes, or evolving preexisting Tropes. Both require you to entertain the readers. If you act mysterious, you will gain Mystique. If you act sympathetic, sympathy.]

"What is my character!?" Why is there no tutorial for this thing!

[Refer to your Tropes.]

"Also, does Panel being on mean the readers can see me?"

[Yes. You have 3 minutes before the story resumes.]

As the screen disappears, the cogs in my head start to turn. 'Character, my character... Databook.'

I look through all my Tropes. 'I'm a Loner, okay. I have commonsense. I'm misunderstood, got it. And I'm a character with very bad luck... how the hell do I control my luck!?' I'm thankful that not being able to say curse words hadn't taken away my ability to cuss to my hearts content in my head.

What's most annoying is that I know I need to play this stupid game, if I want to kill all Giants, that is. Because I have some no name God and I'm an Extra. Especially if you consider that usually in shounen manga the powerlevel scales ridiculously. I won't be surprised if it turns out that we'll also need to fight the Titans. That'd be just my luck, actually...

Time resumes, and I instantly act on the small idea of my character that I had formed in that short period. I do my best to convincingly glare at Rai, he jerks back a bit.

"Are we friends?" I say brusquely.

"I-I, uh... I guess not." It seems even a shounen protagonist has just barely enough commonsense to know that a person he's just met isn't his friend.

"Then I don't think I need to tell you, do I?" I smile with the utmost friendliness I can muster. He meekly nods and rushes ahead.

[Panel: Off]

I let out a breath of relief, sweat dripping down my brow. 'That has to give me something, right?' I think optimistically.

***

[Panel: On]

"Emery!" The sudden shock of both those things happening simultaneously make me misstep and I fall... off of the treadmill I'm running on. My head slams into the running belt which throws me off itself, and to the floor. Throbbing pain comes from my face.

"Damn! Damn!" I growl, trying my best to deal with the discomfort. As I struggle to get my vertigo riddled self up, I notice a shadow blocking out the lights. I look up and see Jacklyn.

Artemis girl.

"Artemis girl?" she quirks an eyebrow.

"I... said that out loud?"

"Yeah, er, right... do you need help?"

"I'd like that," I say as I grab her hand, getting to my feet. I step unsteadily on my soles. After a minute, everything eventually returns to there proper places in my vision.

"Just my luck," I mutter.

"That happens often?" She looks worried.

"More than I'll admit."

"Sorry..."

"Not your fault, not your fault..." I sigh, rubbing my aching head. I guess I have no need to act unlucky, I just am unlucky. I return to the treadmill.

"Your not gonna go to the nurses office? Your kinda bleeding."

"It's not broken, so I'll be fine. No reason to stop," I explain.

"Gotcha," she nods.

***

I certainly see the difference having more power did. I was able to run ten mile in just under two hours, now? I can do it within thirty minutes. I can bench press 1,000 pounds and only break a moderate sweat.

It's only the fifth day of school, though next week spars and ability training will start. So that's exciting. I really want to test my abilities, but I know how dangerous it is to do that without supervision. Monday is also the day that will reveal what Koalemos is the God of.

A screen suddenly pops up in my field of view.

{Chapter 3 - End}

[You have gained +1 Sympathy and +1 Mystique!]

"..."

Of course I got an increase in what's basically both dump stats. "Shoot." My face crumples even more.

{Chapter 4: Rai Akimitsu(3)}