Family System

Hey everyone! Just a quick note—this novel has longer chapters than my usual, around 2.5 to 6k words per chapter. Because of that, I'll be releasing 3 to 4 chapters a week. If you want to get ahead, though, you can read up to 25 chapters in advance over on my Patreon:

patreon.com/thefanficgod1

Be sure to check out the auxiliary chapter and read the warnings before diving in. Thanks for giving this story a shot, and I hope you enjoy the ride!

--

Nero woke up, his heart heavy with both love and heartache as he gazed at the naked form beside him. He focused on his memories, attempting to make sense of the events that had occurred the night prior. As he thought, he soon reeled back in shock.

A night before, when he felt lost for a second, a soul merged with his. It was a soul from another world, that was to take his body. But for some reason, it didn't happen.

The soul that had merged with his was that of a lonely man named Nero Prince, who had lived a life of great hardship and sorrow.

"This world is nothing but a work of fiction," he thought to himself, still reeling from the shock of discovering the true nature of his existence. When Prince was a child, he had always escaped from reality by immersing himself in various fantasy worlds, including the Marvel Universe. As Nero delved deeper into his new memories, more and more details filled his mind.

"It's the year 2006, and there are still a couple of years before Tony Stark becomes Iron Man," Nero realized, "From that point on, the world will be thrown into turmoil. But is this the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the comic book world? If it is the latter, which version is it? The Maggia was mentioned mostly in Earth-616, but there were other versions as well. What if this is an alternate universe?"

Nero's mind was racing, and as if sensing his panic, Maria stirred beside him and offered him a gentle smile, calming his nerves slightly. "I cannot be sure if these memories are true or not," Nero admitted, "I must confirm their veracity before I can act upon them."

As Nero was lost in deep thoughts, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind. [Welcome to the Family System!] A holographic screen appeared in front of him, interrupting his thoughts. Maria, who was lying beside him, looked at him with concern as he frowned.

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asked.

As Nero lay there deep in thought, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Maria for being there with him. Despite all the uncertainty in his life, he knew that he loved her deeply, and that she loved him just as much in return. He gently stroked her hair and whispered a soft "I love you" before leaning in for a tender kiss.

For a few moments, the world around them faded away as they lost themselves in each other's embrace, wrapped up in the warmth and comfort of their love. But eventually, the reality of Nero's situation came crashing back, and he knew that he had much work to do if he was to ever find peace and redemption for his family's tragic past.

"There are some things I need to tell you," Nero replied, taking a deep breath before explaining everything to her. Maria listened attentively, her blue eyes widening in disbelief as he spoke. Maria was the love of his life, and there was no way he would keep anything from her. He thought to keep it secret to protect her, but that would only cause more strife in their lives. They had been together for years, and he was trusting her more than anything. He trusted her more than anyone, and he knew she deserved to know the truth.

"It's..." Maria said, still trying to come to terms with everything Nero had just told her.

"Unbelievable?" Nero chuckled.

Maria couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

Suddenly, Maria yelped as she tried to touch where the holographic screen should have been. "Nero, I can see it too!" she exclaimed.

Nero's eyes widened in surprise as he watched the screen change in response to Maria's touch. [Since Master decided to trust his companion, the system has appeared in front of her to avoid any misunderstanding,] the screen read.

"What are you?" Maria asked, her eyes fixed on the screen.

[The system is a cheat system designed to assist the master. Normally, it is awakened by the soul of a person who died on Earth, but since that soul was unwilling to take Master's place and ruin his happiness, this opportunity was passed onto the current master,] the system replied.

"You mean Prince didn't fail, but gave up?" Nero asked, his voice filled with shock.

[Yes, Master. Prince felt your happiness and love for Maria, and decided not to ruin it for both of you. Even if he replaced you and had all your memories, he could never truly be you. It would be cruel to put you both through that. Thus, he chose to die instead,] the system explained.

Nero felt a pang of sadness in his heart as he thought about Prince's sacrifice. He had been given the opportunity to take everything Nero cherished away from him, but instead, he had chosen to give up his own life to protect Nero's happiness. "I promise I will make the most of this life, Nero Prince. I will never betray your sacrifice," Nero said, silently praying for Prince's soul.

Maria placed a hand on his shoulder, offering him comfort and support. "We'll get through this together," she said, her voice filled with love and determination.

In the next few minutes, the system started to explain its functions to Nero and Maria. There weren't many things it could do but for now, the thing it gave to Nero, was still gobsmacking.

Nero couldn't believe his ears as the Family System explained its abilities to him. He was the head of the family and the carrier of the Flame of Sky, granting him all the powers and abilities of Vongola Giotto. This was all so overwhelming and confusing, but he knew he had to make the most of it.

"Character Cards?" Nero repeated, trying to wrap his head around the concept. "I gain loyalty from characters from other universes?"

[Yes, Master,] the Family System confirmed. "Upon completing achievements, you can earn character, ability or item cards that can be used to summon or integrate them. These characters will be completely loyal to you."

Nero's mind was racing with possibilities. He could have the Yonkou, Akatsuki, the Justice League, or even the gods of different fiction on his side. The thought was both exciting and daunting.

"And what about Item Cards?" Nero asked, eager to learn more about the system's abilities.

[Item Cards are rewards for achievements, similar to character cards,] the Family System explained. [They allow you to materialize items from other universes in this plane of existence. This includes weapons, gadgets, and even vehicles.]

Nero was beginning to understand the scope of his powers. With the ability to summon characters and materialize items from other universes, he could truly become unstoppable. However, he knew that with great power came great danger. He would have to choose his family wisely and bestow them with rings and equipment.

"I have a lot to learn," Nero admitted to the Family System. "But I promise to use this power for my and my family's happiness and never betray the sacrifice that Nero Prince made."

The holographic screen disappeared as the Family System withdrew from Nero's consciousness. Maria looked at him with concern in her eyes, and Nero knew he had to explain everything to her. He took a deep breath and began to tell her about the Family System and the incredible powers that he now possessed.

–

Nero and Maria stood outside an old, abandoned warehouse. Nero was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he had been given a cheat system, while Maria was excited to see what he could do.

"Nero, this is amazing!" Maria exclaimed as she gazed at the old building. "What are you going to try first?"

"I want to try the Sky Flame, an ability from another universe," Nero replied with a strange look on his face. "I've been checking up on it, and I think I have a pretty good idea of what it can do."

"Alright, let's get started," Maria said with a smile as she followed Nero into the warehouse.

As they made their way through the dark corridors of the building, Nero could feel the Sky Flame within him beginning to stir. It was a strange feeling, I am not Giotto. My powers are different from his. Nor am I Vongola Secondo. My Sky Flames feel different, neither soft or hard, neither calm nor wrath.

Finally, they reached a large open area, and Nero knew that this was the perfect place to test his abilities. He closed his eyes and focused on the Sky Flame within him. Slowly but surely, he could feel the energy building up inside of him. Soon, orange flames came out of his hands and forehead, giving him a regal look.

"Wow! Baby, you are on fire." Maria said with a giggle.

"Wanna feel how hot I am for you?" Nero followed suit.

"Hmm? No, maybe some other time." She stuck her tongue out as she moved back.

He closed his eyes as he focused, he then opened his eyes and let out a shout. A burst of flame shot out from his hand, lighting up the entire room. It was like controlling a flamethrower, but in a much more finesse way? It was a strange feeling. Thanks to Prince's memories, he knew what he could do, thus his experiment was going smoothly.

"Wow, Nero! That was amazing!" Maria exclaimed, clearly impressed.

Nero grinned, feeling a rush of excitement. He had never felt so powerful before.

"Let me try something else," he said, and closed his eyes once again. This time, he focused on the warmth of the sun and the fertility of rain. He could feel the Sky Flame responding to his command, and soon a soft, warm breeze began to blow around them.

Maria shivered in delight as she felt the warmth of the breeze. "This is incredible, Nero! You really are amazing."

So, this is the power of harmony fire. I can encompass all the other flames. This must be the core of Zero Point Breakthrough: Revised, the main character in the anime came up with that allowing him to absorb other powers. It is a mouthful, I will call it Absorb.

[Achievement Unlocked: Test your powers;

In the path of supreme, you took your first step. Testing your powers is the first step of your journey to the top. 

Rewards: Random Character Card (F Tier) x 1, Random Character Card (E Tier) x2, Random Ability (E++ Tier)x1]

"Hmm?" Nero looked at the screen as he frowned.

"What happened babe?" Maria asked as she came closer. As he was close to Nero, she too started to see the screen.

"Sorella, what are those tiers?" She asked. Last night, after lengthy discussion, they decided to name the system Sorella. Since it was a family system, and they were going to create a big family, the system needed a title too. She was looking after all of them although it was Nero's system, so Maria suggested this name. Nero had no problem with it. Sorella meant sister in Italian, it fits the theme too.

[Tier system is power base distinction between characters, items and abilities throughout the multiverse. F Tier is the lowest.] Sorella answered.

"Can you give an example about tiers please?" Nero asked with a frown.

[Sure, F Tier is a tier corresponding to regular human ability in all multiverses and E Tier is the peak of Earth level. For example master tier cooking, Earth level swordsmanship, marksmanship, driving ability…

Some of the fiction with peak abilities of aforementioned abilities are D Tier. For example Shokugeki no Soma level cooking would be D Tier. D Tier is a tier corresponding also beyond human abilities. For example the most basic magical abilities in Harry Potter World.]

"Magical abilities are D Tier?" Maria asked in shock.

[You must understand, Big Sis Maria. Magical abilities in the Harry Potter Universe are bound by rules. With such strict regulations, their powers and tiers correspond to D Tier compared to the other abilities of the same class.] Sorella answered.

"What about Eldritch Magic of the Marvel Universe then?" Nero then asked to have a clear idea.

"There is magic in our world?" Maria asked with yelp. He explained the universe they were living in was Marvel, thus she made the connection.

"That and much more." Nero sighed. He still could not believe he was living in a fiction world. Or, a person on Earth where Prince lived, learned what happened in his universe in some peculiar way and made them comic books. After all, he was a living person.

[The tier of Eldritch Magic in the Marvel Universe would likely be at least an S Tier.

Eldritch Magic of the Marvel Universe is extremely powerful and is capable of manipulating reality, time, and space. It is also capable of altering the fabric of the universe and can affect multiple dimensions and realities. The practitioners of Eldritch Magic in the Marvel Universe, such as Doctor Strange and The Ancient One, have demonstrated immense power and are considered among the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe.] Sorella said.

"How about Batman then?" Nero asked.

[Peak human level abilities such as strength, agility, and endurance would fall under E Tier, as these are abilities that are attainable by real-life humans at their physical peak.

Batman's intellect and detective skills would fall under pseudo-D Tier, as these are skills that are beyond the abilities of most humans but not at the level of superhuman abilities.

Batman's combat skills, which are often portrayed as being at a level beyond even the best real-world martial artists, would likely be classified as pseudo-D Tier as well.

Batman's extensive gadgetry and equipment would likely fall under pseudo-D Tier as well, as they are advanced beyond what is currently possible with real-world technology, but not on the level of more supernatural or reality-warping abilities.

However, when it comes to Batman's reputation as a legendary crimefighter, strategist, and tactician, he would likely be classified as a high C Tier or low B Tier character.]

"Isn't the level of technology in this world the same as DC?" Nero asked with a frown.

[It is true that the peak technology of this world is the same, maybe higher, than the DC world, but that is not accessible by regular people. Only the elite few can access that technology, and that is why there is only one Iron Man.] Sorella said.

"That makes sense." Nero nodded, "Alright, use all the cards, and show me what I have got."