Chapter Text
Nobody was born equal, that was the truth of the world that Izuku Midoriya learnt when he was just four years old in the office of his paediatrician informing him quite bluntly that he was Quirkless.
“Why don’t you take a swan dive off the roof?” Katsuki Bakugou taunts him as he walks away with two of his goons after throwing Izuku’s burnt notebook out of the window, “You can hope they’re keeping your Quirk for your next life.”
Some part of Izuku’s remaining pride riles up, only to back down at the sight and sound of Katsuki activating his Quirk. There was just nothing a Quirkless like him could do to stand up to someone like Katsuki with a strong Quirk like Explosion.
If he jumped now, really only two people would mourn him. Three if he was lucky. He would be plastered on the newspaper's twentieth page in the obituaries somewhere, the kind of article that would make people think “Oh my goodness, what a tragedy.” before moving on with their lives and forgetting within a week.
Had he thought about it? God knows he did, but he would never. Aside from his parents’ love, he still saw something at the end of this dark tunnel that was his life. Becoming a Professional Hero like his idol, All Might. Saving people with a smile on his face just like he would.
Dreams were what kept him going through the day. Impossible dreams? Perhaps deep down he knows they were. He was Quirkless after all, and even if they gave him the greatest Support Items, and the best training, there was only so far he could go. There were some things he could do, and there were more things only those with a Quirk could do.
…Was he bitter? Maybe. There was always a small tinge of envy, just the smallest drop, deep down every time he saw someone use their Quirk in their everyday lives for the most mundane things. Even more, when he sees those with Quirks complain about just how bad they had it for not having a super flashy Quirk they thought was awesome. And then those that would mock Quirks they find disgusting or ‘villainous’, claiming they would rather be born Quirkless than with a Quirk like those.
Did they know what they were talking about? Centuries ago in the Dawn of Quirks, it was actually the other way around. The Quirked, then called Meta-Humans and other phrases now considered discriminatory, were the oppressed. Modern witch hunts, lynching and the like were common as society broke down and streets became battlegrounds.
After years and years, eventually, the Quirked grew to outnumber the Quirkless, becoming the majority. In a twist of irony, from then on it was the Quirkless who became the abnormal ones in a superpowered society.
Treatment like this wasn’t unusual. People often saw this as payback for the discrimination Quirked humans faced in the Dawn of Quirks, or they just simply believed themselves superior compared to the inferior and powerless Quirkless.
In this society, being born with a Quirk that cripples you was better than being born Quirkless. It just wasn’t fair. In a world like this, only those with a Quirk can truly thrive, but here he was without one.
But he didn’t care. Impossible or not, foolish or crazy or desperate, he will become a Hero. He’ll show Kacchan and the rest that even someone as weak as him can become a Hero too… But he’ll never be the greatest like All Might.
If only he had a chance.
He glumly walks away from the window, heading down to collect the remnants of his journal, unaware that soon he and every Quirkless on the planet will get that chance.
Simultaneously at that very second, across the entire world, roughly one billion and six hundred million of the human population received a blue holographic pop-up notification blaring in front of their screens.
There were accidents caused by the sudden appearance of a bright blue holographic screen, cars swerving from surprise and crashing into others. But once they all read the contents they all knew their lives would change forever.
[NOTIFICATION]
YOU HAVE FULFILLED THE MANDATORY PREREQUISITES TO BEGIN PARTICIPATION AND BECOME A [PLAYER] OF [ODYSSEY OF THE WEAK 1.0.0] :
-POSSESSION OF SUPERNATURAL ABILITY: N
THIS IS A LIMITED TIME OFFER. INVITATION WILL RESCIND IF DECISION IS NOT MADE WITHIN: 24.00 HOURS.
WILL YOU ACCEPT?
YES NO
*WARNING: SHOULD [PLAYER] RECEIVE NON-[ODYSSEY OF THE WEAK] SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES, [PLAYER] IDENTIFICATION WILL BE IMMEDIATELY REVOKED.
***
“This… this has to be a joke right?” Izuku mutters to himself, looking over the message again and again as he walks back home through his usual route under the tunnel.
He assumed it was some kind of joke from a cruel classmate, but he didn’t recall anyone with a holographic Quirk like this in school. And unless it was very long range, then they were close by spying on him which felt unlikely with his windows closed. Unless it wasn’t a line-of-sight type…
Besides, it's been more than an hour since he received the message, having stayed behind at school to dry up his wet and burnt notebook trying to salvage as much as he can. And through it all the message still remained. Who has that kind of time?
He waves at the holographic screen, the notification disrupting but returning to the same state it was before he swiped at it. The message remained the same:
[NOTIFICATION]
YOU HAVE FULFILLED THE MANDATORY PREREQUISITES TO BEGIN PARTICIPATION AND BECOME A [PLAYER] OF [ODYSSEY OF THE WEAK 1.0.0] :
-POSSESSION OF SUPERNATURAL ABILITY: N
THIS IS A LIMITED TIME OFFER. INVITATION WILL RESCIND IF DECISION IS NOT MADE WITHIN: 22.45 HOURS.
WILL YOU ACCEPT?
YES NO
*WARNING: SHOULD [PLAYER] RECEIVE NON-[ODYSSEY OF THE WEAK] SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES, [PLAYER] IDENTIFICATION WILL BE IMMEDIATELY REVOKED.
Odyssey of the Weak… what was this, some kind of game? Some kind of elaborate advertising campaign? Whipping out his phone he begins typing in the name of this game and waiting for the search to load.
His eyes widened slightly at the results. On every social media platform, people were experiencing the same thing. All of the posters claimed to be Quirkless, claiming to see holographic messages with the exact same words he was seeing. It was all over the world, America, Russia, China, the Middle East, everywhere all in different languages but each receiving a message with the same words.
What was going on? Surely this couldn’t be the work of a Quirk, could it? The range was just far too absurd and impossible. He reads the message again, specifically the words about supernatural abilities and requirements.
-POSSESSION OF SUPERNATURAL ABILITY: N
Could it be that this only applied to the Quirkless? If this was happening around the world, did that mean every Quirkless individual was receiving the same message at the same time? He needs to find out more.
Leaning against the walls of the path under the bridge, he scrolls more and more through websites, social media posts and even official news clippings. The people who received this message were being told by governments across the world to refrain from accepting this strange invitation until such time new information was discovered.
Izuku would have been content to leave it at that, but then he scrolls down to take a look at the comments out of curiosity and the first conversation he saw caught his interest,
All of you who got this message, click YES! Don’t waste any time!
What are you on about?
I just pressed the thing, figured what the hell, and OMG! It’s like one of those manhwas from Korea! I got these screens talking about my stats, my levels, the whole thing!
Is this guy on drugs?
No, he’s not! I got this message too, tapped yes, and he’s right! Does this mean what I think it fucking means?!?!?!
This has got to be some gaming advert or something, right? Are the Quirkless the target audience or something?
LOL who’d make a game just for the Quirkless, that seems like an awful business strategy.
This our time! Quirkless rise up!
Guys, ignore everything, just focus on this! Everyone who got this message’s Quirkless right? I talked with my support group and they all said the same thing. They’ve been getting little bits of XP for doing simple stuff. If this is all like a game, does that mean we can become stronger?
Become stronger… Those words drew his eyes towards them immediately. His eyes then swerve back to the offer waiting for him to accept or decline.
If he accepted this right now, could he grow strong without a Quirk? Assuming this wasn’t some kind of elaborate worldwide prank on an unimaginable scale… Could he become a Hero like this?
His finger hovers over the YES button on the notification but he hesitates. This could be a trick for all he knew. What exactly did he know about this game, ‘Odyssey of the Weak’? For all he knew this could end up being bad in the long run.
He should probably do as the government said and ignore it as best he could for now. For his own safety. But as he begins to walk away he hears something rise from the sewer grates below, barely reacting in time when tentacles made of slime wrapped around him and begin stuffing themselves down his throat.
Izuku desperately grasped at them to pull it off but his hands just sank into the slime as he struggled uselessly. A gurgly wet voice speaks from above him,
“Thank goodness you were here brat. I needed a meat suit badly.” the villain speaks sounding genuinely relieved and exhausted, “I thought I had to keep running until he caught up but here you were. You’re a real hero kiddo.”
He struggled and struggled but to no avail. After all, he was Quirkless, what chance did one have against one with a Quirk like this?
“Just a weak, useless, Deku!”
If only… if only he had a chance… Those were the last words he thought to himself as he blacked out, the blue holographic screen the last thing he saw.
***
“You can’t become a Hero without a Quirk.” those words that came out of his idol’s mouth shattered something within him. Maybe it was the last of his pride, or perhaps the support pillar he had been using to hold up the life he had finally collapsed. No matter what he found himself frozen and shaking at those words as All Might stood up to leave.
“I’m sorry, but that’s the harsh truth of the world.” All Might sighs, sounding genuinely apologetic, “There are some things only those with Quirks can do. If you really want to help people, perhaps join with the police. Or become a doctor or fireman. There are more ways than one to save lives, Young Midoriya, but being a Hero… it’s not wrong to dream. But you have to be realistic about it.”
The door shuts behind him as Izuku stares off into the horizon, his stare blank and mouth slightly agape.
So that was it. Now he knows for certain that it was all nothing but wasted effort. If even his idol, the World’s Greatest Hero, said he couldn’t do it then what chance does he have? He was just a weak, Quirkless child.
“Don’t ever go near me again, you shitty Deku!”
“Sorry kid, but you’re Quirkless.”
“I’m sorry Izuku!”
“You can’t become a Hero without a Quirk.”
Why?! Why him?! Why was he born like this? If only he had a Quirk, he wouldn’t have been bullied all those years. If only he had power, his mother wouldn’t cry silently when she thought he wasn’t listening every time he came back with bruises. If only he had a chance, then he could have become a Hero.
If only he had a chance…
The blue holographic screen hovers ever present in front of his face. Nothing about it has changed, only the timer on it.
THIS IS A LIMITED TIME OFFER. INVITATION WILL RESCIND IF DECISION IS NOT MADE WITHIN: 22.37 HOURS.
What would happen if he pressed YES? Would it be as the stories and comments said, he gains the ability to live like he was in a video game? Levelling up, growing in power, until he was strong enough to be a Hero? Was it really just that simple? A better life just one tap of a button away?
And if it wasn’t… what would he lose?
What could he lose?
His arm weakly raises up and taps the YES button with a quivering finger. There was no turning back now. If this truly was a game, he either just won or lost it all.
The moment his finger touched the button, the screen flared to life as the message changed.
[NOTIFICATION]
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU BECAME ONE OF THE LUCKY FEW TO JOIN THE EXPERIENCE THAT IS [ODYSSEY OF THE WEAK 1.0.0] AS A [PLAYER].
CALCULATING TIME OF ACCEPTANCE
…
…
…
YOU HAVE ACCEPTED THE INVITATION [1H:23M] AFTER TIME OF RECEIVAL. HIDDEN QUEST EXPIRED.
-FAILED TO OBTAIN UNIQUE PERK: [INTO THE BREACH]
-FAILED TO OBTAIN UNIQUE TITLE: [The Weak Who Was Faithful]
YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE STATS OF YOUR CHARACTER. PLEASE ACCESS IT IN THE MENU.
THIS MESSAGE WILL NOW CLOSE.
THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO PLAY [ODYSSEY OF THE WEAK 1.0.0].
Without warning the message box closes, and Izuku sees nothing in front of him. Nervously he waves his hand around but nothing happens. Was it really just a prank after all? Before despair can fill him, he decides to try something out. Try anything.
“...Menu?” he speaks timidly before another blue box appears, startling him.
[STATS]*
[INVENTORY]
[MARKET]
[NOTIFICATIONS]
[QUEST LOG]
[MAP]
With a beating heart, he quickly taps the button with the words STATS labelled on it, more numbers filling the boxes before him as struggles to contain his breathing. It was real. This was real.
NAME: IZUKU MIDORIYA
AGE: 15
ATTRIBUTE: N/A
STR: 5 DEX: 5
END: 5 WIS:10
INT: 15 CHA: 5
[PERKS]
-[POOR PHYSIQUE]: A LIFETIME OF NEGLECT TO THE PHYSICAL BODY HAS LEFT THE BODY IN POOR CONDITION. -5 TO ALL PHYSICAL STATS
-[SOCIALLY STUNTED]: A LIFETIME OF INEXPERIENCE WITH INTERACTION LEADS TO KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL CUES AND INTERACTIONS BEING STUNTED. - 5 TO CHA STAT
-[MOTORMOUTH]: YOU SPEAK TOO FAST FOR MOST TO COMPREHEND. DISADVANTAGE FOR CHA DURING SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
-[HEROIC KNOWLEDGE]: A LIFETIME OF STUDYING HEROES HAVE LEFT YOU WITH PROFICIENCY IN ALL TRIVIA BASED ON PRO HEROES. +5 TO INT STAT WHEN REGARDING HEROES
-[HEROIC WILLPOWER]: DEEP DOWN IS A SPIRIT OF A HERO. GAIN ADVANTAGE AGAINST THE FOLLOWING WHEN LIVES OF OTHERS ARE IN DANGER: [FEAR]
[TITLES]
N/A
All this was real… Izuku almost chokes at the sight. All this was real, he didn’t care that his stats were basically calling him pathetic, it was real. And if it was real, then couldn’t it mean he could improve them? He could barely bring himself to hope… could it be possible for him… would it be possible for him to become a Hero?
At that moment the thought came to mind when hope flared in his chest, the sound of a sharp bell ringing fills his head.
[NOTIFICATIONS: +2]
Curious he quickly exits his stats and taps to open his notifications. And just as he thought he couldn’t be surprised anymore, this game has proved him wrong.
[NOTIFICATION 1]
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU HAVE UNLOCKED PRE-REQUISITES FOR A TITLE:
[The Weak Who Kept Dreaming]
THIS TITLE UNLOCKS:
-SKILL: [DREAMS OF HEROICS]
THE BURNING EMBER WITHIN FAILS TO BE QUENCHED AGAINST ALL ODDS. YOUR AMBITION TO BECOME A HERO HAS RISEN TO SUCH LEVELS YOU CAN NOW MIMIC A SKILL SAVED INTO YOUR MEMORY. THE NUMBER OF SKILLS SAVED IN MEMORY INCREASES WITH INT.
CURRENT MEMORIZED SKILLS: 0/5
NOTE: SKILLS SCALE WITH [PLAYER] STATISTICS. IF TOO LOW, THE USE OF SKILL MAY FAIL.
IF SKILL IS UNABLE TO BE PHYSICALLY REPLICATED BY [PLAYER], USE OF SKILL WILL FAIL.
— — —
[NOTIFICATION 2]
PERSONAL QUEST UNLOCKED: [WORLD’S GREATEST HERO]
QUEST DESCRIPTION: NO MATTER WHAT THE WORLD THINKS, NO MATTER HOW IT HAS TREATED YOU, YOU HAVE RESOLVED TO BECOME A HERO IN SPITE OF IT ALL. THIS WILL BE THE STORY OF HOW YOU BECAME THE WORLD’S GREATEST HERO.
STEP 1: STRENGTH OF THE WEAK
-REACH LEVEL 25
-LEVEL UP ALL STATS TO 20
-COMPLETE FIVE QUESTS
-GAIN +50 GOOD KARMA
-REWARDS: ???