Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 6: Identity
One year in the City of Vale was one of the hardest years of my life. However, having no place to sleep was easier, as there were parks and street corners where I could take small naps when needed.
The problem was the Grimm that was actually a lot stronger outside the city walls. I had almost once or twice died because I underestimated the younger Grimm of Vale. They looked the same way, but the difference was the power output they unleashed with their claws and bites that were almost twice as damaging as the Grimm I had encountered in Patch.
I concluded that the negativity excluding from the city gave them the power to feed on. Level fifteen Grimm was twice as strong as the one on Patch, and I really couldn't do anything about it. The rusty blades did very little damage, and I had no armour to deal with them yet. I tried to hunt them because I got Lien from their Loot that was essential for me to buy myself some food or other necessities.
So, the only thing I did was find new ways to get stronger inside the city and not get noticed by any authority. But that gave me a second problem of me being here doing my own things.
The second problem was the security of the place. There is always a lot of police around the city on patrol. When I was training in some park at night, they often confronted me, so I started doing my business in some dark alleys around the city.
What I mean by training and getting stronger was teaching myself some martial arts with the help of some books or instructions I borrowed from a local book store... Yea, I stole them, but what can I do? I am low in money, and I had to do what I needed to do. Therefore, I needed to accomplish actions of lesser evil to survive in this shithole to be more ready and have better chances at killing the Monsters of Negativity.
I needed to have stronger skills I could rely on, so levelling up the first skills I got was a must. So, I tried to find ways to raise my Dark Magic skills that had the potential to be game-changers in a fight. Those were Weakness and Life Drain. Levelling those up to some degree was quite an ordeal for me. I think I killed over a thousand mouses and rats around the city sewers built like the ones in Mount Glenn. I also used those skills on some unfortunate people that just minded their own business to see what it did... I felt quite bad about it, but I got useful information about those skills I didn't know about.
When I unleash my Dark Magic skill Weakness on someone, I see a slight dark aura around one's body to tell me that the skill worked. But the normal people who get hit by the skill don't notice at all, only feel slight weakness in their steps, and have no idea what happened. So the influence of my skill doesn't show for others to see. I don't know if it was built like this because of my Gamer System or if that type of spell just worked like that, but it was very exploitable.
Life Drain was a little bit different. When using that spell on the intended person, it was more noticeable. From my observation, people would feel a slight pull from the direction where a person's life force goes, and they would notice that something happened to them. Also, when draining one's life force, they could see a slight aura or mirage leaving towards the person who unleashed that skill. I had some trouble afterwards not getting noticed by them, but I think it was a good lesson.
The third problem I needed to fix was getting some Lien and fast. I needed money to rent a cheap one-room apartment from some unsavoury individual that didn't care about me being a child and not having an ID. I couldn't go kill Grimm to get their Loot as they moved in packs here. The only ones that were alone were Alphas that I didn't want to deal with my lowly child stats. I needed money to get better gear to get an edge on starting annihilating the Grimm around and just buy things that every citizen had, like a phone-like device called Scroll. But that is way into the future...
I couldn't get into the darker side of the Vale to get some money from contracts, or other shit someone wants me to accomplish as they laughed at me as I was a child that had no place to be there. For some reason or another, I was kidnapped from the parks three times when some low lives tried to sell me off as a slave or something but failed miserably as I was stronger than them with my Aura unlocked. That's what happens when you start looking at things you shouldn't look at or have the information you should not have. You get noticed, and shit happens. Fortunately, Lady Luck was on my side, and nothing serious had happened to me.
So, much of my time went into raising my skills and visiting local libraries to read books about different ways to fight and learn more about the world around me. Tukson's Book Trade was where I started to read. The owner himself didn't mind me being there as I was a regular customer, although I didn't pay anything and just read there in a quiet corner of the building. Tukson didn't ask unnecessary questions, and I did the same as I often saw some sketchy Faunus visiting him for some reason or another…
Talking about Faunus in general, I was shocked to see them in person. But, it didn't change my perspective on them or anything; I just thought they were just other humans, just with different animal appendages growing from their ass or head. And talking about the discrimination about said Faunus, It was fucking dumb. The people of this nation could have prospered a long time ago if they could have added Faunus to their work ethics and workforce. So what! They may be somewhat genetically stronger than a normal man and have a night-vision that I really want to have, be excluded so violently from the society that there is a high risk of Grimm invasion every Week from the negativity they are producing.
I hoped that this world humans were much better than those back on earth, but I had set the bar too high thanks to the black-haired angel...
People are dumb sometimes when there is a solution just in front of them.
Right now, I was walking my now seven-year-old ass back to Tukson's book store so I could read more about different things that interested me. I had done my nightly training in the park and had done my everyday extermination of rodents from the city's sewer system, and I was a little bit tired from my tight schedule. I had washed in the port and equipped a new set of clothing not to irritate the wolverine's nose when I walk into the bookstore.
The clothing I am wearing now is dirty black sneakers, grey pants and a black hoody. I bought everything from some random second-hand shop that sold them cheaply. I was grateful that they sold some children clothing that somewhat fit me. No way in hell, I'll show my scars to anyone that I got from Mount Glenn and Patch before I unlocked my Aura. Scars I got before my Aura just stayed the same and didn't heal like the ones I got after my Aura unlocking, leaving not even a scar or small skin deformation.
As I was closing in on the bookstore, I just shook my head to leave my thoughts and made a move to open the door. But, just as I grasped the door handle, I saw a small notice taped onto the door's window.
Tukson's Book Trade
Looking for an Assistant for a Month
Looking for candidates with interpersonal skills for the position of bookstore assistant.
Assistant Responsibilities:
Helping customers locate books.
Checking books in and out at the front desk.
Sorting and shelving books according to their categorization.
Courier work for books transportation when order is received in the city of Vale.
As I skimmed over the notice, I thought that having that job would somewhat end my Lien problem and give me free time to read on the work and raise my Wis and Int stats. I had one point left to reach Wis to 25 and finally open the new Skill Book I had obtained from the quest completion of Mount Glenn escaping ordeal. I made a quick peek at my Stats to confirm it.
Name: Ashton Shade
Level: 17/Locked
Class: Death Knight: Level 19/100
Title:
HP: 1000/1000
Regen: 250 per/h
MP: 280/280
Regen: 48 per/h
Aura: Level 29/100
AP: 370/370
Regen: 74 per/h
Semblance: Locked
STR: 50/Locked
DEX: 50/Locked
CON: 50/Locked
INT: 29
WIS: 24
CHA: 10
LUK: 20
SP: 75
Money: 131 Lien
Nothing much had changed... Str, Dex and Con Stats with my Main Level were still locked as I had reached this child body's limit a long time ago. I made the only major improvement to Int and Wis, but it had progressed horribly slowly. It could have been because my readings were only about the body, Aura, Semblance and fighting technics. Info about trivial things like science, math and physics about this world I left out, as I didn't need to learn about them yet for my opinion. However, I did read some newspapers to get myself more knowledgeable about things happening now.
I mostly made progress in the Skills I have, not in stats...
I was awakened from my musings as someone opened the bookstore's door for me from inside. I looked up at the man in his forties with dark hair and interesting sideburn wearing a dark burgundy getup who had a muscular build. That man was the Tukson's Book Trade owner, Tukson himself, who made a calculating gaze towards me.
Tukson
Level: 41
HP: 2750
AP:?
"Morning," I say to the man loosely. He nods back towards me and lets me into the shop.
As the man closed the door behind himself, I wanted to inquire about the job ad he posted in front of the shop as I really needed the money.
"Tukson, are you interested in offering me the Bookstore's assistant job?"
Tukson made a perplexed look at me as he sat behind the counter.
"Why should I do that, boy? Don't you have better things to do, like going to school?" The man pointed out solid questions instead, and I had to explain my situation a little bit to Tukson as I have known him for like half a year already.
"I don't go to school, and I need money to live. Can you give me like two days to show you that I can handle the job and talk after if I am good enough for it or not?"
Tukson scratched his chin deep in thought but still made a shaking motion with his head to signal me that wasn't a good idea for him.
"I don't think you capable enough to handle it, Ashton. I have some unfinished business to deal with in the upcoming month, so it would hurt my reputation when I hire a kid to take over the shop when I am away. For the most part, you'll just scare the customers away with your stare. Believe me, or not it makes people nervous."
Ah, it was foreseen... Even I wouldn't give any job to some dumb prat in his place, but fuck, I Need The Money.
"I can work free for two days under your watch. You can watch over me and correct me when I am doing something wrong. You'll lose nothing in the process, and maybe you'll find that I am not some dumb kid, but at a perfectly acceptable level to take the job from you." So I say as to reason with the man.
"I don't know..." Tukson thought out loud. He wanted to say something more, but I cut him off.
"I'll work at the minimum wage the entire time. If I am good enough to take the job, that is." That is my last hope. Every manager loves when a worker works at a minimum wage and gives a bigger profit back to the company. Time is money, and money is everything.
Tukson now made eye contact with me to see if I was really serious about it. But it seemed like my negotiation was a success as the man turned away and lowered his dense shoulder.
"Alright, kid. You get what you wanted." Tukson said as I breathed some air out of my lungs that had stayed there because of the anticipation. I felt a small smile tugging at my lips, but it disappeared when the boss asked me something I didn't have.
"Ashton, I need your Scroll to make a job contract with your ID in it."
Fuck.
"Is it possible that I can work without a contract?" I asked.
"No. I don't want any unwanted attention on my establishment." Tukson said as he made a final stand on that front.
It seems that having a Scroll and ID is a must. Even when this bookstore is a little shady, it still got some customers regularly. I need to think about it more clearly... Having a Scroll and ID will help me in the future, but I really want to be unnoticed by people who will know I am different from a regular kid. When my name is known, they don't know who to look at, as I'll have no picture or ID on the Internet of this place or whatever it was called. Cross-Continental Transmit System was it, I think...
Hmm, I could just make an ID now and later on in life make a fake one if possible. Making ID now might spring me some trouble as I have no parents or relatives to speak of, but I'll deal with the problems when it comes. If I really make my existence known to the Vale, I need to be more careful of my actions.
"Where can I make an ID?" I asked Tukson as I made my mind to get myself identified.
"The building should be in the City Square. You can't miss it." He answered, and I nodded at him that I received the info.
As I looked at the minimap where the City Square was positioned, I did a parting wave towards the bookstore owner and left the building.
Fucking fuck! Shit! You are an idiot! Of course, please give them a place of birth Mountain Glenn and nothing will happen to you. Next, maybe give info that you have no parents or guardian to take care of you, and lastly, add that you have no home too and are an orphan no one knows about...
Unfortunately, I did all that, and I was escorted to a waiting room that looked like some interrogation room made for a group of people. So now I am waiting here alone for some people to check me in and finally get answers about what will happen to me.
I think I came here too calmly and talked about my problems like talking about the weather... Some workers here looked at me with sympathetic or pitying gazes, as I was a wonder child survivor who lost everything and is now broken mentally.
Fuck. I can already imagine them sending me to the physic ward... Aah, whatever ever I'll just escape or think something out when they do send me there.
I could have lingered more in my thoughts, but someone opened the door to the room as two women came through it: a receptionist and a nurse. The nurse had some medical devices in her hand, and a receptionist had papers for my registration and documents for identification, as I presumed. They both sat down in front of me, and I waited quietly for them to start the conversation to get some light on my situation at hand.
"Hello, you are Ashton Shade? Is that correct?" The reception lady asked me, and I nodded for confirmation.
"Everything you wrote down on this Identification Document is correct?" The reception lady asked another question as she slid the document that I previously wrote on the table. I nodded again as confirming it.
"Ok. Can you let the nurse take your fingerprint and a small dose of your blood to check matching results from the Vale System?" The lady continued as she motioned her hand towards the nurse sitting next to her, putting different devices on the table ready to use.
"Yea..." I answered calmly.
As soon as I confirmed to continue, the nurse took a small fingerprint device and connected it with a Scroll.
"Can you hold your index finger on that spot on the device for a second, please?" The nurse now asked me as she motioned her hand onto my index finger towards the fingerprint device on the table.
I felt another small smile tugging my lips as it was actually somewhat funny for them to act like that towards me. I mean, I am not dumb. I can follow verbal instructions just fine. But, instead, they are acting like I am some five-year-old toddler.
I just did what was ordered and put my finger on the device. When the procedure was finished, the nurse took a syringe-pistol from a small case on the table and connected it with the Scroll.
"Can you take off your hoody, please? I need a small sample of your blood, and I need to get access to your upper arm." The nurse asked me as she had finished configuring her syringe-like device.
Oh. Shit.
"Is it possible to get the blood a bit lower?" I inquired as I didn't want the ladies to see my scarred body, and I had no shirt under my hoody.
"Yes, I can do that. Can you be kind enough to wrap up your sleeve for me?" She asked kindly, and I wrapped my hoody's sleeve up for the nurse as the scars made by Grimm on my hand became visible.
I saw the ladies make concerned looks towards me, and they made quick eye contact with each other to get a mutual agreement to continue with the procedure or if I needed medical attention.
"Get this over with already. Thank you." I quickly told them to say that I was fine and not get any unnecessary ideas about my well being.
It did get their attention, and the nurse professionally pressed the string on my main arteries on my backhand. I felt a needle go into my vein, and I saw how a capsule on the pistol filled with my blood. It took a couple of seconds, and the nurse placed a patch on the injection point.
As everything seemed done, I wrapped my sleeve back down and waited patiently for them to analyse the data they gathered.
Suddenly the receptionist raised from her seat.
"It seems like there are no matching results in the System, and we need some time to add your identity into Vale System and CCTS, which will take approximately an hour. You can look at different orphanages available to you and choose the one you like for the time being." The receptionist lady told me as she slid a small tablet on the table.
I took a closer look at the tablet and found a list for every orphanage in Vale, Atlas and Mistral. Shit... I'll be transferred to somewhere when I get my ID. Running away now will get me into more trouble in the long run.
I saw the nurse rise from her seat too, and both women started to walk back to the door. As the door closed behind them, I just slumped on the chair and stared at the white ceiling of this room and went into deep thought.
Ok, pros for being in an orphanage. Free food regularly, a place to sleep, some education. Cons. Tight schedule for different things, no privacy whatsoever, and surveillance to keep children in check.
For me, pros are much higher as I didn't need to farm exp for my skill as they had progressed so far as I needed to have days of free time even to level one up. However, I need to check my skills to confirm if I missed something important. So I ordered the Skills interface to pop up.
{Gamer's Mind}
Allows the player to think things calmly and logically. But, beware, it does not have immunity to psychological and mental status effects.
{Gamer's Body}
It grants a body that allows the player to live a life like a game. But, beware, The body is destroyable.
{Aura} Level: 29/100
Aura is the manifestation of one's soul and can be used for a wide range of abilities.
Can convert one AP to one HP.
{Observe}: Level 43/100
Gives information on said target.
{Gross Motor}: Level 41/100
For vigour's training of large muscle groups and bone structures, your body can handle harder continuous tasks.
Gain one point to STR and CON with every Player's level up.
{Fine Motor}: 51/100
For vigour's training of smaller muscle groups and tendon structures, your body can handle harder precision tasks.
Gain two points to DEX with every Player's level up.
{Blade Master} Level: 34/100
Do not bring a knife to a gunfight.
Deal 15 % more damage with any bladed weapon.
{Hand-to-hand Combat} Level: 39/100
Deal devastating blows to your enemies with punches and kicks.
Deal 15 % more damage with your hands and legs.
{Pain Tolerance} Level: 19/100
Pain is weakness leaving your body.
{Instincts} Level: 17/100
Your body is fast to react to any kind of dangers.
{Dark Magic} Level: 22/100
Dark Magic oriented skills are 10% more effective and do more damage.
{Despair} Level: 23/100
Costs: 30 MP
Decreases target's willpower to fight by 10%
{Weakness} Level: 36/100
Costs 30 MP
Causes the selected enemy unit to inflict less damage in combat by 15%
{Life Drain} Level: 30/100
Costs 50 MP
Drains 15% of targets HP and gives it to Player or second target.
Nope, every skill has progressed nicely. Motor skills were fucking hard grind the entire year, and Dark Magic skills too as I killed all the rodents in the sewers there was. The only way to get more Exp is when I kill Grimm with those skills. Right now, I was sitting in a perfect position, in my opinion. I think I need a vacation, and there is not a single place better than living in an orphanage and being a freeloader. I already like the sound of that.
Turning my attention back on that tablet on the table with different information on orphanages, I started to skim through it to take the one I like.
Unfortunately, orphanages in Vale were all full because of that Mount Glenn incident a year ago. I was hoping to stay here a bit longer as it was a nice place. Atlas orphanages were in a cold place, and I really didn't like cold as I prefer a warmer climate to enjoy the weather or my stay. Mistral was the most interesting option available.
As far as I have read about Mistral culture, land and people, it sounded like a cool place to visit. Mistral is a large city built on two mountains, and various buildings cover the mountains from the summits to the foothills, as I heard, and it was a nice tourist attraction point. So going there would be more interesting.
I can always just run away or think something else up when being there is too bland. But, oh right, when I am in an orphanage, some people will visit to adopt some children there... But, Nah, I'll just make a scary face, and no one will take me. So, the plan is done, and let's hope for the best.
Now, let's wait for the ladies to finish my identification procedure, and I am good to go.
It didn't take long as the ladies found themselves back in the room, sitting in front of me as they handed me a Scroll that looked like some versions older than those people using it nowadays.
"This is Scroll Type 1-S that we give to people who don't have a good financial standing. This Scroll is available to make calls and send messages, but it doesn't have the many functions the newer generation has." So the receptionist lady told me and continued.
"This is how you can open call and message function, and this here is where you can open your ID or other related information about your medical tests and more."
I nodded along as I understood everything the lady explained to me. When the explanation of more functions ended, I received my first Scroll from the lady, and I put that on my pants pocket.
"Have you considered your options where you want to go?" The nurse now asked me as she motioned towards the tablet in my hands.
"Mistral sounds nice," I answered her as I gave her back the tablet.
The nurse nodded, and she started to tap her Scroll for something. I didn't know what she was looking at or why but I saw she was frowning at something and suddenly stood up and packing some documents she had brought before.
"The last Bullhead that will go to Mistral will be in an hour. I can transport you to said flight and give more instructions about what to do later when you arrive in Mistral. Follow me. You don't want to miss that flight" The lady started to command me, and I was quick to follow her out of the building. When we arrived outside where the City Square was seen, I followed the nurse into her car parked in front of Vale's Border and Civil rights Board.
Travelling to the City of Vale's Airport was a quiet one, and I was happy about it as we travelled through Comercial District to the Upper-Class District I hadn't been through before. As we pulled into Airport, I already saw different Bullheads lined up in their landing spots. Comercial Bullheads for human and cargo transportation, and military ones that are used for Grimm attacks.
When we got out of the car, I followed the nurse to the Bullhead that was on its way to get ready for departure. Some people were already lined next to the Bullhead, and we got behind the line of people.
"I sent you the documents for your transfer to Mistral's Children's Home to your Scroll, Vale's Government will pay for the children aged under ten years old free of charge when travelling between the Four Kingdoms." The nurse suddenly told me as I broke from my musings.
"Show them the document on your Scroll, and you are good to go. When you arrive at Mistral, there will be a worker from the orphanage waiting for you to lead you to the place." I nodded along as the nurse continued to give me information for me on not to get lost.
I was pretty impressed that they had already done so much with so little time. There is a reason why CCTS was so popular and had a very good influence on this world's technology: communication and orders were done at supper highspeed. It might even be better than my old world's Internet.
"Got it," I said to the nurse.
When I finally got on the Bullhead and sent a slight wave towards the kind nurse as she had to go back to work in her establishment. I made my way into one of the free seats and waited for departure.
Soon, when all people got on the Bullhead and the last cargo was loaded on it, I felt it start hovering, and soon we were off to Mistral.
The flight was quiet, and I just took a small nap to relax and just waste time until we arrived in Mistral. At some point, I woke up and looked out of the window to see where we were, and I saw that the sky was turning darker as it was going to be an evening. So I theorized that soon we would be on our destination as the terrain I could see under was slightly more exotic than the one in Vale.
As I watched the landscape out of the Bullhead's window, I thought that I was forgetting why I was even making ID, to begin with...
Shit, sorry, Tukson. It seems I had a change of plans. Ah, whatever, I'll just make a call to him later that I was transferred to Mistral or something now that I have a Scroll, a shitty one but a Scroll nevertheless.
I was broken from my thoughts when I saw a Grimm Nevermore flying towards the Bullhead from its window. Suddenly a notification came right in front of my eyes, and I quickly read the following things listed there...
Quest Added
{Survive the Grimm attack on the Bullhead}
Rewards: {?}{?}{?}
Failure: Death
I checked my minimap as fast as possible, and I saw more than just one red dot closing in on the Bullhead. Suddenly Bullhead's alarm started blaring, and oxygen masks flew out of the sealing to signal the passengers that it would be a rough flight.
"Are you fucking serious?" I muttered to myself as I fastened my seatbelt tighter than it was before.
Authors Note: I took some time to rethink the way I wanted things to go. I had planned this chapter to be an episode of Ashton's life in the City of Vale, but different fanfictions already made the ideas I had built on this one. So I only gave a slight connection or impression of what Ashton did in the City. A lot of you might already theorize where it will be going, but I just want to give more depth and interest that many people hadn't thought out off.
I have read some reviews you guys had posted here, and I saw a slight concern about Ashton's personality and how he did things. Everything is so chaotic in his thought process, and his actions just look unpredictable because of the Compulsive Trait he has. The main idea of compulsive behaviour is that the likely excessive activity is not connected to the purpose to which it appears directed. So like in this Chapter, I brought it in on Ashton's decision making to give more of an understanding of what he does.
I know that you all wanted to see more about Ashton surviving in the City of Vale, but it wouldn't be so interesting when you had already read about that from different fanfic. So be ready to be surprised by upcoming chapters.
Thanks for the support, and any criticism about this Chapter is accepted.