Chapter 1
Staring at his reflection, a fairly short youth with a rounded face, messy green hair, and matching green eyes muttered, "Of all the people I could have reincarnated as, why did it have to be this little shit...?"
Recognizing his reflection as Izuku Midoriya, the main character from a popular anime called My Hero Academia, David, now Izuku, couldn't help exhaling a tired sigh. The Goddess of Reincarnation had informed him he would be transmigrated into the body of a Quirkless human, but he didn't expect it to be the main character.
Shaking his head, Izuku muttered, "Whatever. Most people don't have a say in the circumstances of their birth, so I shouldn't be groaning about my reincarnation. Especially with a perk like this..."
Staring at the space above his head, Izuku's green eyes blazed with excitement at the words: Izuku Midoriya, Level 3. He hadn't received a sapient system or an omnipotent power like [The Gamer], but that was intentional. He would rather catch a bullet with his brain than have his life dictated by a bunch of Quests, so when presented with the option, David, now Izuku, selected a barebones system that allowed him to inspect his status, the status of others, and allocate his attributes freely.
Following the information imprinted in his mind, Izuku closed his eyes and muttered, "Inspect Status..." in a faint, nearly inaudible tone. It turned out that human minds were fairly disorderly, so to prevent his status window from appearing and disappearing randomly, Izuku's system was primarily voice-activated. He could change this in the system's menu but elected to leave it as is for the time being.
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Name: [Izuku Midoriya]
Quirk: Digitalization
Current Level: 3 (2933 EXP)
Effective Level: 3
[Attributes]
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Vitality: 4
Intelligence: 8
Dexterity: 2
Luck: 10
Free Attributes: 15
Rerolls Available: 1
[Perks]
*Available when an Attribute reaches 50*
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With the attributes of a normal Level 3 averaging around five, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Izuku, at least prior to David's appropriation, was a fairly weak but intelligent kid.
"That luck, though..." muttered Izuku, a curious smile adorning his face as he briefly considered investing his Free Attributes into Luck. According to the information in his mind, Luck didn't affect the probability of favorable events but the rate at which he acquired experience. Each point granted a stacking 10% experience buff, so if he intended to level quickly, he would need a fairly high Luck stat.
Fortunately, with each passing month, Izuku would acquire an additional Reroll, allowing him to redistribute his attributes as he pleased. In other words, even if he invested all his AP(Attribute Points) into Luck, he wasn't stuck with his decision for life.
Before following through with his initial urge, Izuku focused his mind and analyzed his remaining attributes. Strength corresponded to physical power and durability, while Agility affected his maximum speed and his localized friction coefficient. As for Vitality and Intelligence, the former affected his natural regeneration and bolstered his resistance to abnormal status effects, while the latter influenced his processing speed and ability to retain information.
While Intelligence was probably one of the best attributes to invest in, it was Dexterity that garnered Izuku's interest. He initially thought it would function as it did in the tabletop game Dungeons and Dragons, influencing his finesse and sense of balance. Instead, it affected his physical mastery and allowed him to learn various trades and skills more quickly. Not in the literal sense, meaning the skills wouldn't pop up in his status, but he could easily learn martial arts or become proficient in various sports.
"Though each attribute complements the others, Dexterity and Luck seem especially useful. If I couldn't redistribute my attributes freely, this would be a difficult decision..."
Finished with his muttering, Izuku invested ten of his AP into Luck and the rest into Intelligence. He was currently a thirteen-year-old middle school student, so as tantalizing as the other attributes were, they weren't nearly as important as his ability to retain information. More importantly, so long as he worked hard, it was possible to increase his physical attributes with training and exercise. By willfully keeping his Strength, Agility, and Vitality low, Izuku intended to farm as many Free Attributes as possible between resets.
Balling his right hand into a fist, Izuku adopted a confident smile rarely seen on the original's face. He might not be able to acquire One-for-All, but he was sure he would one day be able to stand at the pinnacle of this world. Where he went from there, he wasn't entirely sure. The only thing he knew for certain was that he had been given a new lease on life, and he intended to make the most of it...
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Benefitting from the original's memories, Izuku had no major issues settling into his new life. He initially thought being a teen again would be incredibly awkward, but it turned out his worries were for nothing. The original Izuku didn't have many friends due to being Quirkless, so he just had to keep his head down and focused on the 'grind.'
Fortunately, before throwing himself on a grenade to save several of his friends, Izuku, then David, was a member of the United States Army's 9th Engineer Batallion. He may not have been the most outstanding member of his batallion, but he still had the experience of enduring basic training and completing two tours of duty. He was used to waking up before dawn for PT(Physical Training), so it wasn't difficult for him to raise his Strength and Agility to the Level of an average middle schooler.
Though a handful of people noticed the change in Izuku's physique and mentality, the only person who made a fuss about it was the original's so-called 'best friend,' Katsuki Bakugo. The latter had been blessed with a powerful Quirk called Explosion, so he reined over Aldera Junior High as its self-proclaimed King. He and Izuku happened to grow up in the same neighborhood, so the two were intimately familiar with one another. More accurately, Bakugo was Izuku's bully, referring to the latter as 'Deku' and being an indignant piece of shit from the ripe old age of four.
Upon learning that Izuku was training, Bakugo intercepted him on one of his morning runs to rant about how useless his efforts were. When Izuku tried to ignore him, Bakugo escalated things by making explosions in the palm of his hand. Doing so caused Izuku's body to tense against his will, but he recovered quickly, surprising the spiky-haired teen by asking what society called people who threatened, exploited, or coerced others using their Quirks. It sure as hell wasn't 'Hero.'
As someone aspiring to become the Number 1 Hero, Bakugo didn't take kindly to the insinuation he was acting like a villain. Unfortunately, Izuku had just reset his attributes a few days prior, so he ended up suffering a bloody nose and a split lip at the hands of his 'best friend.' He thought his previous life's experience with CQC(Close-Quarters-Combat) would give him an advantage, but his Quirk wasn't the only thing that made Bakugo exceptional.
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Name: [Katsuki Bakugo]
Quirk: Explosion
Current Level: 7 (6477 EXP)
Effective Level: 11
[Attributes]
Strength: 19
Agility: 19
Vitality: 24
Intelligence: 7
Dexterity: 28
Luck: 19
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While the average person had approximately ten attributes per Level, Bakugo averaged 16.5. He was also the highest Level among his peers, even exceeding some adults, so it wasn't difficult to understand why he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
Fortunately, while Izuku started below average, possessing only thirty attributes at the threshold of attaining Level 4, his Free Attribute Points and ability to increase his attributes through training more than made up for it. He had only leveled twice in three months, but his Effective Level at the time of the altercation wasn't too far behind Bakugo's.
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Name: [Izuku Midoriya]
Quirk: Digitalization
Current Level: 5 (4401 EXP)
Effective Level: 10
[Attributes]
Strength: 2
Agility: 2
Vitality: 22
Intelligence: 33
Dexterity: 6
Luck: 35
Free Attributes: 0
Rerolls Available: 1
[Perks]
*Available when an Attribute reaches 50*
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Had Izuku invested his attributes into Strength and Agility, he would have been able to trounce Bakugo. Instead, he had placed 25 points into both Intelligence and Luck while infusing the rest into Vitality. The latter had a drastic effect on his stamina and natural recovery, so enhancing it allowed Izuku to train longer and harder. By the end of that month, he was able to increase his Strength to five and Agility to six, effectively granting himself an additional eleven attributes for 'free.'
By descending into Izuku's body at the beginning of his second year in Middle School, the current Izuku had twenty-two months to prepare for the U.A. High School Entrance Exam. At an average of 15 points a month, that would bring his total attributes to 360, granting him an Effective Level of 36. As the average Level among Pro Heroes was only 35, at least in the vicinity of Izuku's house, he should have absolutely no issues passing the exam.
What truly concerned Izuku was what he should do about the canon plot. He had only viewed up to Season 6 of the anime, but that was more than enough to know shit was going to hit the fan. If he played his cards right, he might be able to prevent the worst of it. Far wiser, however, would be avoiding such perils entirely.
Despite throwing himself on a grenade and earning the title of Hero in his previous life, Izuku didn't have any attachment to the title. So long as he could support himself and a small family, he didn't really need much else. The issue was that the Goddess of Reincarnation had given him the body and identity of the protagonist. If he simply avoided the plot, he would be entrusting the fate of the world to a bunch of kids. Mirio might be able to step up, especially if he acquires 'One-for-All,' but the only guarantees in life were death, taxes, and heartbreak.
Fortunately, while Izuku was undecided about his future, U.A. was still the number one High School in the country. If he just wanted to keep an eye on things, he could always join the General, Business, or Support courses. With a few hundred points distributed between Intelligence and Dexterity, he could become one of the greatest inventors in the world. He might not enjoy the fame of some Heroes, but he would certainly be wealthier...
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[April 1st, 2148]
After a full year in his new identity, Izuku was finally presented with an event he recognized. It was the first day of their final year in middle school, and their homeroom teacher was joking about everyone wanting to become Heroes. Everyone else was excited by the remark, showing off their Quirks in clear violation of the school rules, but Izuku just cracked a knowing smile.
Even with 80% of the population possessing Quirks, less than 0.4% had what it takes to become Pro Heroes. People were ten times more likely to become villains, so Izuku couldn't help feeling a little sympathetic toward the majority of his classmates. Fortunately, unlike them, he was more than qualified. He was also ranked seventh among all middle schoolers in the country, so while everyone else was dreaming of possible futures, Izuku closed his eyes and reconfirmed the course he had decided for his own...
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(A/N: Big Unga Bunga energy...)