Chapter 14: The Otaku Gets Another Update (And Waits Impatiently)
---
The morning after the Tony Stark conversation, Meliodas woke to the smell of pancakes and the sound of Miguel arguing with someone on the phone about stock market terms he clearly didn't understand.
"Yes, I know it's called a 'bull market.' Yes, I know what that means. No, I'm not selling. Just... just hold, okay? HOLD."
Meliodas smiled and grabbed a pancake.
Tandy slid into the seat across from him. "Your friend is losing his mind over eighty-three shares of stock."
"He'll thank me later."
"He'd better. He's been on the phone with three different brokers already." She stole a pancake from his plate. "So. Tony Stark. Funding. Stock. You're turning into a regular bussinessman."
"Just trying to help."
"And the magical horse you mentioned yesterday?"
Meliodas paused mid-chew. "I... may have said too much."
"Definitely said too much. What magical horse?"
Before he could answer, the system pinged.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[MASSIVE CYOA UPDATE DETECTED]
[DOWNLOADING...]
[ESTIMATED PROCESSING TIME: 5 DAYS]
[PROGRESS: 1%... 2%...]
Meliodas blinked.
'Five days? That's a long update.'
He kept his face neutral, taking another bite of pancake.
"Something wrong?" Tandy asked.
"Just thinking. Lots to think about lately."
---
Day 1 of System Downtime
Meliodas trained.
Two hours with Tandy in the basement gym, working on hand-to-hand combat. She was getting faster, stronger—her light daggers more precise with each session.
"You're distracted," she observed, dodging his latest attack.
"Always."
"No, more than usual. What's going on?"
He shrugged. "Just life. You know how it is."
She didn't push. She never did.
They trained for another hour.
---
Day 2 of System Downtime
Meliodas meditated.
{Restless Nights} made sleep difficult, but {Recharge} required two hours of daily meditation. He sat on the rooftop, eyes closed, breathing slowly, letting his mind empty.
Behind him, he sensed Anastasia watching.
She was always watching now. Ever since the Vampire Lord's visit, she'd become a constant presence—a shadow in the corner of his awareness, never interfering, just... observing.
He didn't know what to do about that.
'Problem for future me,' he thought.
---
Day 3 of System Downtime
Meliodas went on patrol.
Not officially—he wasn't a superhero, didn't have a costume or a catchphrase. But Harlem was his home now, and he'd learned that trouble didn't wait for convenient moments.
He stopped a mugging. Helped an old woman find her lost cat. Scared off some Purple Dragon remnants who were getting too close to the safehouse.
Small things. But they mattered.
---
Day 4 of System Downtime
Meliodas checked the stock.
Stark Industries was climbing. Slowly, but steadily. Miguel was losing his mind with excitement.
"We're up twelve percent!" he shouted. "TWELVE PERCENT!"
"That's good."
"That's AMAZING. Do you know what this means?"
"We'll be able to afford better pancakes?"
Miguel stared at him. "You're impossible."
"Thanks. I think."
---
Day 5 of System Downtime — Morning
Meliodas woke early.
The update was supposed to finish today. He'd been waiting for five days, running his usual routine—training, meditating, patrolling, avoiding Anastasia's increasingly obvious surveillance.
He opened the system.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[UPDATE PROGRESS: 99%... 99%... 99%...]
'Come on, come on...'
[UPDATE PROGRESS: 100%]
[INSTALLING...]
[PLEASE STAND BY]
He waited.
And waited.
And waited.
---
Day 5 of System Downtime — Afternoon
The update finished.
Meliodas sat in his room, staring at the screen as option after option loaded.
And loaded.
And loaded.
His eyes went wider and wider.
---
[NEW RACE OPTIONS]
---
[ANGEL RACE — Cost: 30 Hero Shards]
Replaces your current Human race.
· Angel Physiology: Near-perfect physical capabilities—enormous strength, durability, endurance, regeneration.
· Beauty: Unnatural beauty in your form. Stacks with existing traits.
· Celestial Senses: See through illusions, see spirits and souls.
· Mind: Nearly flawless memory, impervious to mental manipulation.
· Flight: Instinctive flight ability, with or without wings.
· Divinity: Manipulate Divine Energy, especially harmful to demons.
· Telekinesis: Move objects with your mind.
---
[DRAGON RACE (FAIRY TAIL ORIGIN) — Cost: 35 Hero Shards]
Replaces your current Human race.
· Dragon Physiology: Immense physical strength, durability, natural weapons.
· Dragon Scales: Natural armor with magical resistance.
· Dragon Senses: Keen senses far beyond human capability.
· Elemental Affinity: Choose one element—natural resistance and control.
· Dragon Roar: Devastating breath attack based on element.
· Wings: Full dragon wings capable of high-speed flight.
· Dragon Fear: Your presence instills fear in weaker beings.
---
[DRAGON SLAYER MAGIC — Cost: 40 Hero Shards]
Requires Dragon Race or can be purchased separately.
{Ancient magic granting the abilities of a Dragon. Choose one element upon purchase. Allows consumption of that element to restore power and enhance abilities.}
Includes: Dragon Slayer's Roar, Iron Fist, Claw, and various elemental techniques.
---
[DRAGON FORCE — Cost: 80 Hero Shards]
Requires Dragon Slayer Magic.
{The ultimate technique of Dragon Slayers, temporarily awakening your inner dragon. Power multiplies several times over.}
---
Meliodas stared.
'Dragon. I can become a DRAGON. With DRAGON SLAYER MAGIC. Like Natsu.'
He kept scrolling.
---
[NEW ABILITIES — VARIOUS ORIGINS]
A massive list of abilities appears—healing, resurrection, divine powers, elemental control, space-time manipulation, teleportation, portals, dimensional travel, energy manipulation, aura techniques, combat styles, weapon enhancements, transformations, empowerments, fusions, clones, resistance packages, nullification, immunity upgrades, and much more.
Costs range from 5 to 250 Hero Shards.
---
[NEW COMPANION OPTIONS]
---
[COMPANION RECRUITMENT — Cost: 90 Hero Shards Each]
Each companion is inherently loyal to you upon recruitment. They will follow your lead, protect your interests, and consider you their primary ally. Their personalities remain intact, but their loyalty is absolute.
Available companions include:
· Selen — A Fullbringer whose power is the Sword of the Goddess. Calm, loyal, extremely stern. Attacks with holy light that deals extra damage to hell's denizens.
· Centrea — An Arrancar who has unlocked both resurrections. Kind, cheerful, loves her job. Her animal motif is a cow.
· Gravi — An Arrancar who leads Halibel's former Espada replacement. Easily annoyed, has a temper, kind but strict. Her animal motif is a boar.
· Additional companions from various worlds may become available over time.
---
[TECHNIQUES & ABILITIES]
· Shunko — 60 Hero Shards — Combines Hakuda and Kido
· Second Resurrection — 70 Hero Shards — Unlocks second stage for Arrancar forms
· Cero — 50 Hero Shards — Fast beam of spiritual light
· Shunpo — 20 Hero Shards — Mastered Flash Step technique
---
[THE ARMORY OF THE HOLY GRAIL — Cost: 400 Hero Shards]
Access to all armor, weapons, etc., of all who have ever become a Servant in the Fate series.
---
[NEW TIER 4 ABILITIES]
Ultimate level abilities—each costing 100-200 Hero Shards:
· Magic Resistance Tier 4 — Anti-magic field
· Roar Tier 4 — Sound cancellation, spell disruption
· Wings Tier 4 — Create tempest-level winds
· Muscles Tier 4 — Strength of gods and titans
---
Meliodas stared at the screen.
His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
Nothing came out.
He scrolled back up. And down. And up again.
"Everything here costs so much," he whispered. "Hundreds of Hero Shards for the good stuff. I could become an angel. I could become a dragon. I could learn Dragon Slayer magic. I could get abilities that let me manipulate space and time."
He looked at the companion section.
"Ninety Hero Shards each. Loyal companions from other worlds. Selen. Centrea. Gravi." He read their descriptions. "I could have actual allies who aren't from here. People who would follow me no matter what."
He looked at his Hero Shard balance.
Twenty-five.
He had twenty-five Hero Shards.
"I can afford... maybe one cheap resistance. Or a basic spell. That's it. Not even close to a companion."
He collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"This is too much," he whispered. "This is WAY too much. All these options and I can't afford any of the cool ones."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[LOADING ADDITIONAL CONTENT...]
"No. NO. Stop. I can't take any more."
[ADDITIONAL CONTENT DETECTED]
[ESTIMATED LOADING TIME: 24 HOURS]
Meliodas stared at the screen in numb disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me."
The system was silent.
He waited.
Nothing.
He closed the system and stared at the ceiling.
---
There was a knock at his door.
"Meliodas?" Tandy's voice. "You've been in there for three hours. Are you okay?"
He looked at the door, then back at where the system screen had been.
"Yeah," he said numbly. "Fine. Just... thinking."
"About what?"
"Nothing important."
"Liar."
"Definitely a liar."
"Come eat dinner. Miguel won't shut up about the stock market."
He smiled despite himself. "Be right there."
---
That Evening
Meliodas sat on the rooftop, watching the city.
Anastasia appeared beside him.
Not in shadow—in person. For the first time.
He didn't flinch. He'd known she was there for days.
"Took you long enough," he said.
She blinked. "You knew I was watching?"
"I always know. Your stealth is good, but not that good."
She studied him with new eyes. "You're full of surprises."
"So I've been told."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Why are you here?" he asked. "Really?"
She considered her answer carefully.
"I don't know. I've lived four hundred and fifty years. I've served lords, fought wars, killed enemies. And then I saw you, and... something changed." She looked at him. "I don't understand it. I don't like not understanding things."
"Welcome to my life."
She laughed—a surprised, genuine sound. "You're impossible."
"Thanks. I think."
---
The Next Morning
Meliodas emerged from his room looking like he hadn't slept.
Tandy raised an eyebrow. "You look terrible."
"Thanks. You too."
"I slept fine. You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Worse. I've seen the future. It has a lot of options."
"What?"
"Nothing. Pancakes?"
They ate in comfortable silence.
Miguel burst in, waving his phone. "The stock is up another eight percent! EIGHT PERCENT!"
"Good."
"Good? This is AMAZING. We're going to be rich!"
"We're going to have enough money to keep the safehouse running. That's the goal."
Miguel deflated slightly. "Right. Yeah. That's the goal." He paused. "But also a little rich?"
"A little," Meliodas conceded.
He looked at his system balance.
Twenty-five Hero Shards.
'Back to grinding,' he thought.
---
[END OF CHAPTER 14]