Version: 3
Name: None (Hank Shepherd)
Race: Alicorn
Level: 1
HP: 822/822
MP: 1956/1956
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Hank stared at his character sheet with a nervous grin.
Once an everyday salary man just trying to get by, then killed by a random truck-kun encounter, now reincarnated in another world as a four-legged alicorn. Those stats were... interesting? Hank wasn't sure how to interpret them. Were they good? With MP much higher than his HP, and his prior knowledge of My Little Pony, he was pretty sure he was going to be a serious spell caster. Should he be happy about this or scared?
Was this Equestria? Or just another world with the same species and video game RPG physics on top of it?
He was currently stranded in the middle of a forest, though it was unlike any he'd seen on Earth. There were random plateaus several dozen meters tall scattered across the landscape. Like skyscrapers that chaotically burst up from the forest floor to block the view of the horizon with black rock cliffs. Hank glanced back at his new wings and considered getting a better vantage point.
Maybe later. There were another two pages of status screens to go over.
Titles: Otherworlder, Alicorn
Achievements: Otherworlder, Alicorn
Experience: 0
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"Hmm, not sure what any of that means either," Hank thought aloud. Though he couldn't help noticing that his current titles were identical to his achievements. Did that mean each achievement would give him a title? This screen also reminded him of his other problem: he was an alicorn. How strange would that be in this world if a mysterious alicorn just showed up? How common or rare was his species? The fact "Alicorn" was both a title and an achievement gave him an ominous feeling. It might be best to avoid civilization for a while. But there was another page to worry about now.
Skills
Divine Knowledge: May cast any spell
Mana Wellspring: MP regeneration greatly increased
Perfect Form: Spell MP cost greatly reduced
Meta-gamer: Glimpse the calculus of the universe
Apocalypse Bringer: Destructive power of all castings greatly increased
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At first Hank got a little excited. "Mana Wellspring" and "Perfect Form" seemed like total cheat skills on their own, but when combined with "Divine Knowledge" there was no doubt he was chosen to be the greatest spell caster this world would ever know. Though "Meta-gamer" was a bit of a mystery. Did that mean he would be able to see the damage numbers he inflicted or was it a way of saying he could see his HUD and others in this world couldn't? Then he got to the last entry and his heart nearly stopped. The name alone made his blood run cold.
"Apocalypse Bringer? That... doesn't sound good," Hank said to himself.
Maybe he was over thinking it. The name was ominous because it was such a powerful ability, that was all. It made him stronger so it had a strong name. Still, Hank was sure he had to test it before running off to adventure. He had to know what he was, and was not, capable of.
Hank spread his wings and clumsily flew to the top of one of the forest plateaus. After getting over how silly he definitely looked flopping about in the sky like a wet noodle, the former human gaped at the view. It was beautiful alright. To the horizon was the endless flat forest dotted with more of the sudden table-like rises in earth. The formations made no sense to Hank. It was like they weren't natural at all, though maybe he should ask a real geologist before coming to that conclusion. If deserts, where real plateaus were so normal on Earth, were to become wet and grow trees, why wouldn't the landscape eventually look like the place he found himself now?
Shaking his head, Hank brought himself back to the reason he came up here. To test his spells and see just how "destructive" they were. He wanted a good vantage point to ensure there were no buildings around and so that he'd have the best view of whatever madness he... might unleash. Hank gulped nervously. There was no telling what was about to happen.
The red and black alicorn stepped toward the ledge hesitantly. It would have been a nasty fall from this height even without that jagged wall of rock to bounce along as he fell. Hank licked his lips as he tried to decide what to cast. Starting with the weakest offensive spell in this world seemed like a good idea. But what spell was that? His skills said he knew all spells, but he really didn't. Was there a spell list somewhere he could access?
Hank decided to wing it. He lowered his head, aimed for a tree some distance away, and just imagined a fireball. For a moment he thought he had succeeded, then things started to go wrong in a weird way.
Time froze.
Hank wasn't sure how he knew, but some instinct screamed at him that time wasn't moving. Then a screen appeared in his vision. What it said made him desperately try to stop his spell. But he couldn't. Then all hell broke loose.
Casting Fireball...
Skill "Apocalypse Bringer" activated...
Fireball becomes Mini-Nuke...
There was a burst of light and an explosion so loud it left Hank unable to hear anything but a vicious ringing. He was physically thrown backwards and he could feel the terrible heat scorching his fur. Even blinded he could see his HUD flashing him updates about how much damage he'd taken and his status ailments which so helpfully told him he would be "blind" and "deaf" for another minute. Meanwhile a powerful wind was tearing across his now prone body and he could feel little chunks of dirt and maybe charred wood pelting him.
Hank was actually scared to see what he had just done. What hellscape would be there to greet him after that?
It had been several minutes and Hank found himself coughing in the dust filled cloud that engulfed the forest. He was still on the plateau. At least, he was pretty sure he was. But he couldn't see very far anymore. Though he could just make out a gaping crater in the haze.
"I... need to do another test," Hank concluded. That was way too extreme. Surely he had done something wrong. He decided to try again.
A lone tree in the middle of a patch of bare dirt. It was already dead. Hank might have speculated why this area was clear of any plant life, but for now it was perfect. He'd managed to avoid setting the forest on fire with his last test, so this time he was going to try something even smaller and more targeted. Lighting a candle. There was a small pile of leaves around the dead tree. Hank was going to set them on fire.
He took a deep breath from his position almost a kilometer away. Then lowered his head and imagined a small candle flame. A little wick burning straight up. He felt the spell taking shape.
Then insanity broke out again.
Casting Spark...
Skill "Apocalypse Bringer" activated...
Spark becomes Greater Scorn...
A column of white flame as wide as a building exploded into the sky engulfing almost the entire space. A wall of heat slammed into Hank and made him dive away. It was worse than opening a hot oven. A lot worse. He briefly noticed his HP dropping, but was more focused on the chaos that was setting the surrounding trees on fire.
The pillar of flames lasted only a few seconds, but when it was over Hank was left speechless. Another crater, though this one was much more shallow. The earth was black and cracked. Baked. And a strange gray snow began to fall. Nothing remained of the dead tree and the forest was beginning to burn.
Hank was tempted for a moment to try and stop the fire, yet he froze. What if his "Apocalypse Bringer" just caused more trouble? He couldn't seem to stop it from taking his spells and cranking them up to ridiculous. Though maybe that was just with his offensive spells. Maybe a utility spell, like spawning water, wouldn't be effected?
It was worth a shot if it could save the forest from his latest blunder.
Hank imagined a ball of water. Just something to get the trees wet. That was when the former human learned "Apocalypse Bringer" was not so easy to escape.
Casting Waterball...
Skill "Apocalypse Bringer" activated...
Waterball becomes Planet of Ocean...
There was a moment where Hank was just confused. What new spell had just been cast? What was "Planet of Ocean"? The answer made him scream.
A sphere of water the size of a football stadium appeared above the forest. It rotated and stirred for several seconds as it hovered there. Then it seemed to remember that gravity existed. The massive globe of water came crashing down. It put out the fires, but it washed much of the trees Hank had been trying to save away.
Hank was sitting on one of the plateaus again. He was burned, wet, and tired. This isekai fantasy... was not off to a good start. Looking at his abused body, Hank sighed. He was afraid to try a healing spell. Would it cause him to explode? Suck the life from the surrounding landscape? Summon a horde of zombies from every drop of blood he lost? "Apocalypse Bringer" was no joke and it couldn't be fooled. Even trying to do so could have disastrous consequences. But his body hurt and he didn't like it. Surely a healing spell wouldn't do anything... bad. He gulped.
Casting Heal...
Skill "Apocalypse Bringer" activated...
Heal becomes Aura of Renewal...
A green glow erupted from every blade of grass and every leaf in 100 meters. Hank had to shield his eyes from the blazing light. However, he couldn't ignore the rapid increase in his HP and how much better he felt almost instantly.
Now Hank was confused. The description for "Apocalypse Bringer" said something about increasing "destructive power". Then his eyes widened. It had also said "of all castings". In other words, if he attempted to cast any spell, offensive or not, the "destructive power" of that spell would be enhanced. And he couldn't seem to turn it off. He was incapable of not unleashing chaos. However, the way the skill interpreted "destructive power" could be a good thing in some cases. What it had done to his healing spell just now was a sign that it might make him a very important healer. He had the potential to become a sort of Jesus figure in this world. Wandering the land curing the impossible diseases and curses.
Then reality hit him in the face. What would happen if he was mugged in an alley somewhere and he instinctively tried to push his attacker away? A telekinetic push spell would definitely launch his attacker alright, along with half the city.
So much for an easy life in another world. Being an alicorn was the least of his problems...
