Chapter Text
It's a quiet tuesday afternoon. Barely any cars pass by on the road, and most people are either at work, at school, or at home. Even the birds aren't tweeting this time of day. There's a slight wind rustling through the air, pushing the leaves of the trees to make some sound, but minimal.
It's frankly so quiet that the whole neighborhood and the neighborhood after it can hear you raging with randoms in VC.
"Shit! Am I supposed to do everything over here? Goddamn."
"Chill out, bro."
That's your fault, though, for playing the most rage-inducing try-hard game mode, tarot. You're barely holding up the kite because your squires have decided to act like they're missing brain cells. There's no bodyblocking, barely any support.
Your knight hasn't gotten his first down, and neither has he come to support for even a second. This is what happens when you decide to normal que into tarot. No one wants to win in this game anymore.
And in response to your frustration, you get a grating 'chill out, bro'. After this game, you're going to get a long shower and reunite with nature outside.
While your thumbs are doing the most work in this whole team, running, tilting camera angles, vaulting, there's suddenly a visual flicker on your screen. No way this shit game is breaking your phone. It was just for a moment, but it's a first.
The sound in the game distorts. No way this shit game broke your airpods, too. The screen experiences a blackout, kicking you off the game and making you gaze at a black screen. Then there's a sensation, a sensation of being pulled. Into your phone. And your mind goes blank.
The very next moment, you're on a wooden floor in a candlelit hall and feeling dizzy. Paintings are surrounding the corridor, old ones. There's cold air wafting by your face, making you involuntarily shiver.
There's this weird old smell going through your nose, the same one you've smelled in an antique museum. It's like you're in an old manor. You're holding something. It looks like one of those disciplinary hitting things, like a leather stick.
Your clothing isn't what you remembered wearing; this feels far too formal. Lots of leather, and straps, and... You touch the top of your head, feeling a sensation there. And a top hat.
It doesn't even sync into your brain that you probably should be panicking about getting virtually kidnapped to god knows where. You're shocked, though.
"No way I got isekai'd without dying..."
You had dreams, aspirations, future goals, etc. You hope this transmigration is temporary because exams are around the corner. How do you explain to your professor that you need an extension because you were stuck in a different dimension?
Wait... You don't even know if any of that is true. This can also be an extremely cruel prank. But... You've played Identity V for 6 years now. You know this layout. You recognise this hall from the lore stories you got to play through.
Okay, don't freak out. You try not to scream so you don't alert anyone to your being here. The front door to leave should be just around here somewhere, right? You get off the floor and brush the dust from your... fashionable, new clothes.
That's when you hear the sound of clumsy footsteps along with a scraping sound of an axe dragging on the floor, approaching, and there's a shadow advancing from around the corner. You hear a juvenile voice, a similar one to in-game. Then there's his silhouette, confirming what you had already been thinking before.
You're somehow in Identity V., and you're already experiencing cuteness overload 5 minutes into being here.
He's much smaller in person. Maybe you're too used to playing as a survivor and having them be the same height. He's dragging the axe just like he does in-game, and the largeness of it contrasts so hard with how tiny he is. You feel a sudden surge of sadness, knowing his lore, but swallow it up.
Okay, do not make eye contact with the headless supernatural child, you tell yourself. He's looking at you, though.
Robbie has noticed you, stopping mid-step and tilting his (?) head. He clutches his axe closer to him and blinks up at you. His little voice calls out, "Hmm... I don't think I've seen you before."
He steps closer and appears to be looking you up and down; it's hard to tell. His gaze lands on, possibly looking at your top hat in fascination. Maybe you should take that damn thing off. He pokes your coat with the axe handle, curious about the fabric. "Are you lost?" He questions.
You're feeling very uncomfortable having that large axe so up close. In the hands of a little boy. Surely he's not murderous and impulsive, right? He just boinks survivors upside the head with it. You're great at lying to professors, so might as well put your lying prowess to use against a literal supernatural, possibly demonic, child.
"Heya, Ro-" You clear your throat. "My name is (Y/n)," you begin. "Just arrived here, yeah. Through the front door. Was I not supposed to be here? Don't mind me then, I'm already on my way out..." You end the ramble by smiling awkwardly at the boy you can't see the face of.
You can tell he looks confused, and maybe even slightly intimidated by the way he's clutching his axe. He's not swinging it, so his curiosity must be getting the better of him.
He steps closer for just a moment and then steps back again. You wonder if you just avoided a bullet. He offers, "I think I'll bring you to the others." He extends his pale, purple, dead hand out for you to take. You have no choice but to take it, the touch instantly feeling cold against your warm palm. "Did the manor call you too?" He asks. "Let's go to the hunter hall... They probably need to know you're here."
You wonder if you can still make a run for it. Robbie, as if sensing your urge to leave, firmly clasps onto your hand and leads you deeper into the manor... Where he says the other hunters will be.
The floor, in true old-fashioned style, creaks beneath you as you walk together. There are humming lamps to establish some form of warmth in this otherwise cold place. You hear weird whispers from rooms you pass, heading further in. The portraits on the walls have eyes that almost seem to follow you.
There isn't much noise except for Robbie's loud footsteps and the drag of his axe. You're surprised he hasn't scraped any floorboards off yet.
Meanwhile, you're panicking internally. You're not ready to see the full hunter cast in 4K real life. What if Mary, in her beautiful glory, is in there? Or Michiko, or Ann, or... You've neglected to see the other side, and it just comes up in your head: what if Jack, in all his serial killer glory, is in there? Or Philippe's racist ass.
No matter what, you can't let any lore slip to them. Seer can get away with it because that's his profession, but you are... Wait, what are you? You look funny. A little ridiculous. But you can't put a real profession into the way you look.
The manor almost feels alive as you head further in with Robbie. It's not just the painting seeming to move its eyes in your direction; it's the whole of it. The wind, which shouldn't be indoors, almost seems to push you ahead. Doors open as you pass them, creaking softly.
Robbie notices this too as he comments, "I think the manor likes you."
Well, yeah, you would hope so, having handpicked you from another dimension. You don't even belong in this era.
We approach the hunter hall. Everything instantly feels bigger, colder, and ominous, but also lived-in. There's a huge fireplace brazen to life. There's mismatched, dare you say, stolen furniture adorning the place. Weapons are leaning against walls; you can name exactly who those belong to.
Someone's cloak is tossed over a chair, and there's the sound of faint classical music. There's a pile of sweets on a table, and a bunch of teacups on the side.
You hesitate at the threshold, wondering who's all in there. Robbie, as inconsiderate and oblivious as he can be, pulls you inside. And you automatically wince at who you might find inside.
You sigh in relief at the sight of just one person, and then you halt abruptly when by are noticed by this one person. It's Galatea, quietly humming to herself as she seems to work on a tiny sculpture. She averts her attention to the doorway at the sight of you entering.
Robbie wonders, "Oh, just you, Gala. Where's the rest of 'em?"
"They're either playing the games or in their room," she softly answers, "I just won mine, 4K. Hehe." You sure hope the K doesn't stand for kill, and just being sent into the manor without getting hurt. "Umm, new hunter?" Her eyes trail over to you, staring at your unfamiliar face.
Robbie answers for you, "They were... lost. The manor brought them." You only now notice how he's still holding onto your hand, and you try to shake it off, as you have arrived. He looks up at you and whispers, "Hm, don't be nervous. It's just Galatea, she is really sweet to me."
Galatea's 'sweet' eyes are very much still on you, and appear to be judging you. Her sculpting chisel looks mighty sharp. You're, without a doubt, sweating bullets right now. You attempt a wave at her, wanting to appear friendly and as little of a threat as possible.
"I see," she says. "What's your name?"
"(Y/n)," you swiftly reply, and you're happy you didn't stutter.
"So, what's your ability, (Y/n)?"
Ability? You wish you had the ability to disappear right now. Are hunters supposed to know their abilities when they just arrive? Well, you don't. You look down at your weapon, desperately trying to come up with something.
She notes before you can say anything, "You don't know yet, is that right? You should do a practice run."
Robbie cuts in, "Hey! I found them, and you're already asking the questions I wanna ask! Hey, (Y/n), I'll help you practice!"
Practice, huh? You wonder if they have bot matches here, too.
Galatea hums and tilts her head while looking at the weapon you're holding. She leans in a little, studying you like a puzzle.
Robbie tugs on your hand, trying to get your attention, who has dozed off to Galatea. He's practically bouncing on his feet and, without waiting for you to say anything, drags you out of the hall. He's beaming with pride because he's the one who found you.
Galatea gestures with her chisel, and you can't tell if that's a threat. "Have fun."
"Come on! I want to see what you do," he urges, probably heading off with you to a place where you can practice. "It's okay if you're bad at first... Some hunters sucked when they came, or refused to hit survivors. I love hitting them, though! Unless they give me a treat." He's suddenly gone all talkative, talking your ear off.
So you guess you're off to practice now. You can't lie and say you aren't curious about the ability the manor has given you. You hope it's not something lame, like throwing a pickaxe and dashing once in a while. What if my profession is just 'person with a top hat'?
The corridor you're walking through shifts slightly, as if the manor is adjusting for a practice match. Robbie turns left confidently to a door that wasn't there before. He doesn't question it at all, so neither do you.
We enter into a large open space. You recognise it as the map of Lakeside Village. It's the same texture of ground, and the random obstacles are the same as in-game. There's a cipher already primed, and a bot, Lucky Guy, seems to be waiting for you. Robbie bounds into the room, excited.
Without even doing anything, you notice how the rod you're holding trembles and emits a staticky light, as if excited. You stand there awkwardly, not knowing what to do, while Robbie looks like he's expecting you to perform.
"It's the first time I've gotten to be someone's coach," Robbie voices while running around you in circles. "Go ahead and hit the dummy. It will decode the primed cipher, and your chase starts." I look at the soulless version of Lucky Guy still standing by the cipher. "It's okay, it's used to getting hit, and it doesn't feel anything!"
You sigh, and you walk over to the bot and give it a quick boink over the head. Just like Robbie said, the bot decodes the cipher and runs off with the speed boost of borrowed time. You don't seem to have detention, though, as your eyes aren't glowing red. You have no idea how to efficiently chase after him, feeling like a hell ember without presence or abilities.
You're not confused for long, as a pop-up screen shows up in front of you, just like the one in-game when reading a character's abilities description. You read what it says about your passive and first ability.
Passive
All survivors within 12 meters of the Enforcer suffer:
–10% vault speed
–10% pallet throw speed
You read the name Enforcer. So that would be your profession, you're assuming.
Ability 1: Lash step
A precise burst of movement.
A 7-meter quick dash in the direction you're facing
Cooldown: 18 seconds
If you perform an attack within 2 seconds after the dash:
→ Attack animation is 15% faster
That's a long cooldown for a first ability, so you can't really afford to miss after the lash step. You notice how the lucky guy bot is getting further away and decide to use your first ability, just to try it out and get a feel of it.
You gracefully leap a small amount forward, similar to Hullabaloo's leap, and catch up to the lucky guy. You throw out a hit and feel how it's slightly faster than before, and you also recover faster as if you took a rejuvenation pill.
The attack doesn't land as you're still slightly too far from him. At the same time, you hear the same bells ring that you hear from in-game when someone unlocks a presence. That someone likely being you.
A new pop-up appears.
Presence 1 - Binding strike
You extend the rod with a crack of force.
Long-range lash: 10 meters
Deals 0.5 damage (chip hit)
Slows the survivor by 40% for 1 second
12-second cooldown
Another ability with a cooldown that's on the longer side. It's unlocked now, though, and free to use. The lucky guy isn't that far ahead of you, so with a quick jab with your rod, a shadow gets cast outwards in the form of a wap, hitting the bot in the back and dealing exactly a chip damage. You watch how the bot gets slowed for a second, so you're able to catch up, but not quite to get a hit. After all, it's a lucky guy, and he gets a speed boost after taking damage.
Still, you're quite close now. He slams a pallet in front of you to stop the distance from closing. That's when the bells ring again, signalling you unlocked a new presence, and a new pop-up appears in front of you.
Presence 2 - Order breaker
You slam the rod into the ground, asserting control.
8-meter radius AOE
Stuns all survivors inside for 0.5 seconds
Breaks pallets instantly
For the next 5 seconds:
Your next attack deals 1.5 damage,
OR
Your next Binding Strike deals 1.0 damage instead of chip.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
After reading it over, you slam your rod onto the ground and watch how the pallet breaks in front of you without needing to do it yourself, and how the bot gets stunned for a multisecond. You use your regular attack instead of the binding strike to get a down. Just like that, the chip hit + the 1.5 damage hit results in him being incapacitated.
That makes 3 abilities and a passive. A solid build, not too overpowered. It appears you're playing as a chase hunter with zero cipher control. You're already feeling the bullying.
Robbie immediately clutches onto your sleeve when the bot surrenders and the practice match ends. He urges, "You should meet the others, I'll tell them you're cool and nice! And I'll tell the meanies not to be so mean..." Seems like you impressed someone with your skills.
Without thinking, you pat the cloth over his head, as you would do to any other kid. Robbie practically preens at this gesture, hugging your side and saying something along the lines of, "Oooh, you're getting really close to being my favorite." You can't help but laugh.
Well, it seems the manor decided to make you a mid-tier hunter. No cipher control, but a good chase. What hurts are the ability cooldowns. Maybe you'll get buffed before release.
Your pleasant interaction with Robbie gets interrupted by the practice door opening, but no one is in sight, as if it opened on its own. You're sceptical of that, though. You felt it before, while in the middle of the match. Someone was watching. Someone wants to meet the new hunter.
It doesn't take long before the figure reveals itself in the doorway. You hear the mechanical sounds before you actually see him. He's as short as Robbie, who's very much still clutching onto you.
"Oh, Bonbon!" Robbie calls out.
Guard 26 tilts his head and lets out some beep-boops, as if communicating in code. Robbie seems to understand what he's saying perfectly, though as he nods his lack of head vigorously and says, "Yes, I was just about to show (Y/n) to the others! I was curious about their abilities..."
"Beep boop boop boop bap."
It looks like Robbie is being scolded by BonBon as he looks a bit dejected after. Robbie looks up at you and says, "He wants you to follow him. The others just finished their matches."
Okay, so it seems it's happening. You're going to be tossed into the lion's den. You're about to be introduced to all the hunters inside the manor. Talk about anxiety in groups, huh...
In contrast to your nervous and anxious lip-biting, your weapon sparks up again as if it's mid-match and thrilled to be here.
You hope this is going to end well.