Apocalypse Gamer Ch. 1 (Marvel/Elder Scrolls/DxD)

Awakening

Elijah wasn't sure what he was expecting from the afterlife, but endless darkness was not it. He didn't think he'd done anything to deserve an eternal purgatory with nothing but his own thoughts, but here he was.

He had no sense of his own body, much less the passage of time. He wouldn't have been able to say with any certainty how long he drifted within his own mind.

He sunk into his own memories, reliving the stories and games he played over the course of his life. Anything was better than the slow madness of nothingness. He thanked whatever god was out there he'd always had an overactive imagination. Without a doubt, he went slightly mad, until one day he was slapped in the face with something new.

Sharp, piercing, and bone-chilling pain erupted through his body. It spread through his arms and legs, twining around his heart and stabbing into his brain. Elijah wasn't overly fond of pain, avoiding it whenever he could like any sane person, but with this pain also came a returned awareness of his physical body. He'd never been happier to be in this much agony. 

[System Online]

The knowledge that he was more than a lost, wandering soul was shelved for the moment as a robotic voice pierced through his thoughts.

[Energy source detected]

Elijah was suddenly distinctly aware of something on his back that hummed, giving off a scorching heat that reached deep into his bones.

[Absorbing and converting unknown energy]

The weight on his back slowly vanished and his body cooled. The pain that wracked his body faded and normal sensation returned. He tried to stretch out his limbs, only to find himself unable to move more than a foot in any direction. He was surrounded by smooth stone, from what he could tell by touch alone.

A golden screen sprang up in Elijah's vision. It didn't illuminate his surroundings at all, more akin to an overlay on his normal sight. 

[Elijah Volkihar]

[Pure-Blood Vampire (Sealed), Son of Molag Bal (Sealed)]

[Level 1]

[Health: 10/50]

[Magicka: 0/100]

[Strength: 5]

[Agility: 5]

[Vitality: 5]

[Intelligence: 10]

[Luck: 1]

[Free Stats: 10]

[Skills: None]

A status screen? Well, that was interesting, wasn't it? He was going to ignore the Son of Molag Bal bit for now because that was a lot to unpack. Whatever else was going on, Elijah now knew he was definitely not dead. At least, not dead any longer. Getting run over by a damn truck was kinda hard to forget.

[Hello, host.] The robotic tone shifted to a more feminine and melodious voice, ringing out in Elijah's head.

What? Host? Was this some kind of gamer reincarnation-

[Yes, yes, of course. You are more than aware of what this is. I am your system. You are my host.] The system said dryly.

Elijah had a feeling his system was going to give him a lot of grief.

[Damn right!] She said with conviction.

Elijah sighed and tried to speak, but found his throat so parched he could barely breathe, a wheezing rasp all that escaped his chapped lips.

[Oh dear. You're not looking too good there, host.] 

No shit, Elijah thought. His health value was an accurate reflection of how wrecked he felt. He wasn't in much pain any longer, but he felt about as weak as a newborn kitten.

[I can help you with that, host. Leave it all to me.] The system comforted.

[Redistributing absorbed energy... Reconstructing body... Creating skills... Applying titles... Status updating...]

A warm energy swept through Elijah's body, rejuvenating him like a tropical storm in a desert. After barely a minute, the energy settled, and he let out a strong breath of relief. He no longer felt pain or weakness. Even his anxiety and fear were dialed back. How curious.

[Title gained: Gamer]

[Gamer: Grants skills Gamer's Body, Gamer's Mind, Spell Library, Inventory, Observe, and Fast Travel. +5 All Stats. +10 Free Stats per level.]

[Skills gained: Gamer's Body, Gamer's Mind, Spell Library, Inventory, Observe, Fast Travel]

[Gamer's Body: Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. No physical damage is received from attacks, only pain and loss of HP.]

[Gamer's Mind: Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Grants a peaceful state of mind. Immunity to negative mental status effects. Allows for perfect control of an impenetrable mindscape.]

[Spell Library: All known spells are recorded and accessible in a library within the mindscape. Allows for immediate use of new recorded magic.]

[Inventory: Infinite dimensional storage.]

[Observe: Allows the user to see the target's information.]

[Fast Travel: Allows for teleportation to any previously marked location. Max: 10]

Experimenting, Elijah mentally called for his status.

[Elijah Volkihar]

[Gamer, Pure-Blood Vampire, Son of Molag Bal]

[Level 1]

[Health: 100/100]

[Magicka: 150/150]

[Strength: 10]

[Agility: 10]

[Vitality: 10]

[Intelligence: 15]

[Luck: 6]

[Free Stats: 10]

[Skills: Gamer's Body, Gamer's Mind, Spell Library, Inventory, Observe, Fast Travel]

"That status is a hell of a lot nicer to look at. Thanks," Elijah let out a breath of relief. He didn't feel like a dried-out mummy anymore! He could also sense what he guessed was his magicka flowing freely through his body. It was like a muscle that he hadn't known he possessed.

Next to Elijah's status was a small 3D representation of his current state. In his previous life, he was an average human with ordinary looks. He couldn't have been happier with the lean, dangerous warrior that peered back at him from his status, almost like looking in a mirror.

He had short, black hair, a strong jaw, and bright, gleaming red eyes, befitting a vampire. He was around eighteen to twenty years old and instinctively knew that he wouldn't be getting any older. Vampirism definitely had its perks. Who would say no to immortality?

[You're welcome, host!]

"If I could hug you, I would, system. I'm just curious about one little thing. What was that notification about absorbing energy?" Elijah asked curiously.

[...]

The system's silence was stretching on for a little too long for Elijah's comfort and a feeling of alarm sent a shiver down his spine.

[Host, I'll explain, but promise not to freak out...]

The system's bedside manner was awful and made Elijah more suspicious than ever. That was the exact wrong thing to say to the newly aware Son of Molag Bal, Gamer, and Pure-blooded Vampire extraordinaire.

[Now, now, host. It's not all that bad.] The system admonished him like a mother scolding her child for being scared of the dark.

[We just ate an Elder Scroll, that's all.]

The system said it so casually that Elijah thought he misheard at first, but when there was no further elaboration, the information sunk into his mind like a brick to the face.

"Did you just say I absorbed a fucking Elder Scroll? Wait! Wait..." Elijah trailed off as his new super vampire brain played catch-up. He reasoned his thoughts out loud. "I'm a Volkihar... I'm obviously buried or sealed in some sort of tomb... I had an Elder Scroll in here with me for some forsaken reason... You've got to be shitting me... Did I take Serana's place in that damn cave?"

Elijah didn't know everything about the Elder Scrolls, but even he knew that the artifacts themselves contained both an Aedra's Divinity and the Demonic power of the Daedra. For him to take that into himself... And from what he remembered, the Elder Scroll his system just ate up was one-third of the Tyranny of the Sun!

Right. That wasn't a terrible omen or anything. Definitely didn't paint a big ol' target on his back. There was no chance of that ancient vampire fucker constantly sending out his minions to hunt him down. Yep, no chance at all. He was perfectly safe. No danger around here whatsoever.

[Don't worry your pretty little face, host. You have me!]

The system's reassurance did little to calm Elijah's rising panic. The system practically rolled her eyes at her host's antics.

[Seriously, host, relax~ Here take a look at this. It's a nice and juicy OP Title that's all yours!]

[Ping!]

[Son of Molag Bal: The True-born son of Serana Volkihar and the Daedric Prince, Molag Bal. Conceived during the ritual to initiate Serana as a Daughter of Coldharbour. Spells are automatically enhanced by daedric energies. 5% magicka regeneration per second. 50% increased spell damage. Spells cost 50% less magicka. Half-Daedra physique grants minor healing factor, regenerating 5 health per second.]

Based on the description, Elijah was pretty much an immortal rape-baby that was conceived when his mother was turned into a vampire by a literal demon. Great. 

Elijah was so stunned that he immediately put aside his potential impending doom at the hand of his own grandfather, and wasn't that a shock, to gape at the overpowered title effects. Damn right! That's what a gamer needs to get through the bullshit ahead! So what if his origins were fucked up? He'd take whatever he could get.

[Hehe~ I knew you'd like that, host. Here are the effects of your other title. Enjoy~]

[Pure-Blood Vampire: At the peak of the vampire hierarchy. Can compel and command all other vampire species, without exception. Grants immortality. Grants the ability to turn other humanoids into vampire subspecies. Grants skills: Hemokinesis and Compulsion.]

[Hemokinesis: Grants user control of blood within a range of one kilometer. Living targets will resist instinctively. Higher leveled targets are immune.]

[Compulsion: Can control the minds of lower leveled humanoids through eye contact.]

Elijah was drooling. That was ridiculous! Were there any enemies in Tamriel aside from Gods and Demons that could withstand that one ability?

[Whoops. Sorry, host. I don't mean to give you whiplash with the back and forth here, but Tamriel will be off-limits to us for quite a while.]

"Wait, what? Aren't I sealed in Dimhollow Crypt where Serana, my mother, apparently, was supposed to be sealed? I thought I put that together correctly." Elijah was pretty sure he'd taken his mother's place, confined under the ground with an Elder Scroll. He couldn't remember exactly why Serana was placed down here or by whom, but it shouldn't be too difficult to get out of an old tomb.

[Ah, but it's not quite that simple. You see, your grandmother and mother placed you here, out of reach of your grandfather's madness. Unfortunately, to ensure good ol' Harkon wouldn't be able to track you using magic, a very powerful sealing formation was placed above you.] 

Ah, yes. Elijah remembered the sealing formation that required the player to push stone pedestals around until a bunch of lights synced up, or something like that. It was so boring that he barely paid attention to it when he was actually doing it. The only reason he remembered it at all was because it stood out for how damn boring it was in such a great game.

[Exactly! Now, if it was any normal seal we would have lots of ways to just teleport you out of this stone prison. Unfortunately, the matriarchs of your clan are extremely competent. The formation has a reverse summoning function to counteract any rituals that Harkon might use to summon you or the scroll. Basically, it reverse summons you from wherever you're summoned the instant the magic first takes you. Ingenious magic, and its effective range spans the whole of Tamriel! Your mother and grandmother are pretty badass.] 

"Right... I guess this specific bloodline does come with family, doesn't it?" Elijah tried not to think about having a new family. In his past life, he had a completely ordinary family. They were pretty much the Dursleys from Harry Potter if they'd never been saddled with the little Chosen One.

He'd enjoyed his Privet Drive-like life with his normal parents and younger sister. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, and Elijah died young, leaving behind all those he loved. He had a new family in this life, and they ostensibly loved him enough to seal him away in a dank cave for hundreds of years to protect him. Yeah, he was really feeling the love down here in this fucking coffin.

Elijah shook his head to clear his maudlin thoughts. "Right," he clapped his cheeks, "You specified the reverse-summoning covers the whole of Tamriel. I assume we're going on a bit of a road trip?"

[You guessed right! It'll be a bit random because we don't have that much energy at our disposal, but the multiverse is a huge place. I'm sure we'll land somewhere relatively safe.]

"You inspire such confidence, system," Elijah drawled.

[Don't sass me, little boy. If I wanted, I could go into hibernation and leave you down here until some poor schmuck finally clears the dungeon.]

"Alright, alright. Geez, woman. Calm your tits," Elijah huffed. It would take some time for him to get used to his new passenger.

[You're incorrigible. Whatever. Let's get this over with. Initiating dimensional phase shift in 3... 2... 1...]