Compounded Issue

Compared to the Hero Tier, almost every option had merit. Every Spirit had something that he wanted, but he was sadly only able to pick three before moving on to the next Tier...

His top picks were Dragon Knight, Juggernaut, Kunkka, Rubick, and Silencer. Each would massively boost his power in their respective fields, but each was definitely not equal.

Juggernaut and Kunkka just seemed like two regular people with special abilities, in contrast with the other supernatural powerhouses... But this was one of the main reasons Michael wanted to pick them. It was their skills and expertise that allowed them to reach such a level, not innate abilities that he himself would never be able to use. At least, not use them as well as the original.

Still, that didn't cancel out the plans he'd made before he'd even picked his first hero... He wished to pick Rubick so he could copy Tiffania's World Gate ability, allowing him to travel to new worlds without her assistance.

Silencer was also a 'must-pick', simply due to his ability to permanently steal intelligence. Intelligence equated to magical power and reserves, so he'd essentially gain infinite potential by just picking that Spirit alone.

The last slot could be decided later between Dragon Knight, Juggernaut, and Kunkka, but for now, his two picks were Rubick and Silencer... The only problem now though, was who to pick first?

There was no one to steal from in this world so picking Rubick probably wasn't a good idea, but then again, the zombies probably had no Intelligence to steal anyway.

"Ugh, why is always so hard to choose?" he mutters to himself, deciding to just bite the bullet and pick Rubick. This was a countermeasure against the possibility of something going wrong before he could max it out and pick Silencer. He wasn't sure how much EXP would be required to level these up, but it'd likely be substantially more than usual.

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Spirit : Rubick

Level : 1

Abilities :

Magical Mimick (Rank 0) : Grants user the ability to learn spells he's seen cast far faster than usual.

Telekinesis (Rank 1) : Allows user to telekinetically manipulate someone or an object. Mana efficiency and effectiveness is determined by intelligence. Cannot lift yourself.

Fade Bolt (Rank 0) : Shoots a bolt of arcane energy that jumps from enemy to enemy infinitely, lowering the strength and speed of anyone affected, each jump reduces the damage of the spell.

Arcane Supremecy (Rank 0) : Spells cast by the user are stronger and have a longer range. Spells cast against the user have their power lowered depending on their Intelligence compared to the user.

Spell Steal (Rank 0) : Allows user to copy the last spell someone has cast. These spells will be remembered until another replaces it. The amount of spells that can be stored is determined by Spell Steal's rank.

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Michael isn't surprised by Rubick's abilities as they match exactly what he knew of the character from the game. The only difference was the way Telekinesis and Spell Steal worked, being far more powerful than they were in the game... Not that he was complaining of course.

He was also presented with the portrait of Rubick... Who was barely visible standing on the balcony of an incredibly tall tower with lightning going off in the distance... Ominous.

With all that said and done, Michael claps his book closed and nods to himself in satisfaction. He still needed to speak to Winter Wyvern but that could wait until he got back to Skyrim. He only wanted to concentrate on gaining EXP for now, so everything else could come later.

With that he hops down from the roof he was sitting on and grins as he throws his hand out towards a zombie, "Alright, let's try this... Telekinesis!"

Instantly, a connection was made between him and the zombie, as if he were holding the tail of a snake that moved at his whim, with the zombie being placed at its head. He swipes his hand to the side, causing it to slam against the building wall next to it, then swipes across again, smashing it against a couple zombies.

"Oh, this is fun." he chuckles as he continues tormenting the poor undead creature, until all that remains of it is a red puddle of mangled flesh and bone.

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Elsewhere :

Takashi's group were unfortunately not having as much fun as Michael was... They'd taken Shizuka's friend's military jeep and left for the Takagi compound owned by Saya's parents, as it was likely to be the most fortified and defended place left in the area.

They were proven correct, as after a difficult journey that involved many close calls, with even Takashi getting bitten in one instance after stopping a little girl's dog from running off in the chaos... Yeah, stupid.

Once at their destination, the group were almost instantly stripped of their firearms and treated like children who didn't know how to tie their shoes correctly. Leaving most of them incredibly frustrated with the whole situation. Kohta and Saya were especially upset, the former because of his obsession with guns, and the latter because of her realisation that her parents had basically abandoned her.

They owned the compound and had enough loyal men that they might even be able to fight off the military for a good amount of time... The fact that they didn't even bother to spare some to search for their daughter had her distraught, and wanting to leave the compound as soon as possible.

Such feelings were echoed by the others as well, as they wished to look for their families who were still out in the city somewhere.

"So, what are we going to do? We can't just stay here..." Rei asks as she looks around the small room where the group had gathered.

Saya nods "I won't stay in this place anymore than I have to."

"We'll need to get our guns back as well... Think you could convince your dad, Takagi-san?" Kohta asks, rubbing his hands together anxiously.

Saya scowls as she looks down at the floor, "That man is no father of mine..."

"Be that as it may, Miss Takagi, you're the only one who might be able to retrieve our weapons. If that's impossible, I will fight to regain the sword that they stole." Saeko states as she leans against the wall, determined to get back the sword that Michael had gifted her.

"Mou... Are you sure you all want to leave, aren't we safe here?" Shizuka says from where she's sat.

Takashi shakes his head, "Safety isn't the problem. My mother works at the elementary school and NEEDS help." he looks to Shizuka, "If you want to stay here with Alice and her father, go ahead, but I'm leaving no-matter-what." he decides.

"I just want our gun back!" Kohta groans, slumping into his chair with a dull expression.

"FINE! I'll go talk to 'Him' in the morning. Until then leave me alone." Saya growls, attempting to march off but Takashi grabs her arm, "Wait Saya, you need t-"

"Don't touch me!" she snaps, throwing his hand off and marching away.

"What's wrong with her...?" Takashi wonders aloud and Rei frowns at him. "You already know. You're just pretending to ignore it. I'd feel the same in her shoes."

Saeko pushes herself from the wall, "I'll go speak with her, she'll be more willing to speak with me than the rest of you..." he says, unsure if that were true... Shizuka might be better at it, but the airhead might just aggravate the girl more.