It's been... I don't know, a few hours? A day? Whatever, it's been some time. After finishing the dungeon, I wanted to power up until I'm at least level 40, and I wanted to see what Gwyn can do in a fight, so I started exploring the forest a bit more.
And holy fuck, Gwyn is fast as hell! I don't know why he's faster than me by that much when our DEX isn't that far apart from each other, but I'm not complaining. I'm guessing it's a race or species boost, like double or triple movement speed.
He didn't show any sign of distress when I rode him, fortunately, so at least we're at that level of trust. How do I know this? Well, the Soulstone gave us a few neat abilities, like minor telepathy between us, so we can each other's thoughts, or get the gist of
it. He also gets EXP and levels up when he kills, and that's a huge plus.
Third, I can dismiss and summon him whenever I want. Dismiss him where you ask? Well, to my very soul apparently. I guess that's why it's called a Soulstone.
Jokes aside, do you have any idea how useful that is? Imagine fighting someone then suddenly, a giant wolf comes out of nowhere and attacks you. You try to attack the wolf and it vanishes, making you question yourself if there was ever a wolf in the first
place... then it appears again and rips you apart.
Of course, I'm not doing that unless it's necessary. After all, I do want a fair fight.
"Gwyn, I think we've been here before." I stop the silver-furred wolf. "See? It's that tree with the claw marks again."
He growls in annoyance.
"We're not lost, Gwyn, we'll get out of this forest soon." I sigh then point to the left. "Try going that way."
He barks in obedience and sprints to where I told him.
As beautiful as this forest is, I really want to see green again. I get that it's called the Forever Fall because it looks like it's fall 24/7, but it seriously gets boring after a while.
I need to finish getting my ID and medical permit too, it's been weighing on my mind the last few days. There's also the matter of buying/renting a place so I could sell my stuff, hiring someone if I needed to go on a leveling spree, and meeting Ozpin to discuss some stuff.
I groan and bury my face on Gwyn's soft fur, wanting stability for once after getting here. I just want to be done with it all...
Gwyn stops as his ears shoot up, then backs away slightly with a growl.
"What's up, buddy?" I look over him and my eyes spot a few red dots stare back. "Ah..."
I get off Gwyn as he lets out a threatening bark, his face locked in a snarl.
I glance at the Grimm then at my companion, using observe on all of them.
Alpha Beowulf
level: 16
Health: 1200
Beowulf
Level: 10
Health: 860
Beowulf
Level: 11
Health: 900
Beowulf
Level: 9
Health: 820
Beowulf
Level: 10
Health: 860
That's it? Oh please, one of us alone is enough to deal with them.
Name: Gwyn
Species: Great Wolf
Age: 15
Sex: Male
Level: 34
HP: 5250
MP: 230
AP: Locked
STR: 84
VIT: 105
DEX: 82
INT: 23
WIS: 20
CHA: 54
LUK: 11
"Think you could teach 'em a lesson, bud?"
He barks in confirmation, making me take a step back.
"Then kick their asses."
He howls to the sky and charges at the Alpha, blurring through the forest with his impressive speed. One of the weaker Beowolves tries to meet Gwyn head-on, but a chunk of its body was bitten off almost instantaneously. Two more rush him with their claws, and he barks then headbutts one, sending it flying back and into a tree branch, stabbing its neck. Gwyn jumps back from the other and slams it to the ground with his paw, crushing its head.
The Alpha gives its own howl and sprints at the wolf, to which he meets with his own. The Alpha swipes at Gwyn, chipping a small amount of his health as it only scratches it. Gwyn growls and pounces it, gnashing at its belly as he pins it down. The Alpha tries to get away but simply has no way to match the Great Wolf's superior strength, and is slowly devoured.
I laugh slightly as Gwyn hacks and coughs, spitting the disintegrating remains of the Grimm. "Nice!"
I pet the wolf as he pants in excitement, his tail wagging happily. "Good boy." I take out three treats and feed them to him. "And good boys get treats."
5 Reputation with Gwyn [20/100]
He swallows them then licks my face in affection, making me smile.
"Man, I can't wait to teach magic," I mutter. "I wonder what element you'd be most comfortable with. And we kinda need to get your Aura unlocked too...
"Eh, we'll get to it when we do." I shrug. "Now let's get out of-"
I turn around and freeze, seeing the same damn tree again.
What the hell?
"How the hell did we end up back here? We've been going on a straight line!"
"Woof!"
"No, we're not lost."
"Woof, woof!"
"How should I know?!" I look at my companion's golden eyes in exasperation. "I'm not an expert on these things! How did you get us lost?!"
"Woof?!"
"I... ugh, I'm not saying it's your fault, no." I sigh as I gently caress his fur. "Listen, how about I walk? Maybe we were just moving too fast and we didn't notice that we were moving around in circles."
He whines, not wanting to leave me by myself as his eyes get wider.
"Gwyn, no, stop this," I tell him. "Stop with the puppy eyes damn it!"
He whines again, this time louder.
"Oh, you son of a bitch... Fine." I reluctantly comply. "But the moment we see any Human or Faunus, you go back inside, got it?"
2 Reputation with Gwyn [22/100]
He barks and licks my face joyfully.
"Whatever, just make sure you're not seen."
(Two hours later...)
We've been walking for a while now, and nothing. It just goes on and on. We tried changing our path, going left then back right, but there was seriously nothing. Maybe... We are lost.
"Woof!"
"Shut up, my sense of direction is fine. This forest is confusing as hell."
"Wo-"
"Shush! I don't wanna hear it." I glare at him.
Just then, my super-hearing picks up something, making me crouch lowly as I sharpen my senses.
"Hear that?" A feminine voice asks. "There was someone yelling just now."
"You're imagining things." Another, this one a masculine voice, dismiss the former's question.
Then there was some kind of shuffling around, and another voice appeared. This one very familiar.
"Denis, go check out what Momo heard. Momo, wait for him here."
"...Sir, are you sure?" The one named Denis questions. "She's just paranoid."
"Yeah, well, you're not the one with another set of ears now are you?" The girl, Momo, snarks.
"Even if it's paranoia, we mustn't let our guard down." The one with the familiar voice growls. "Go. Now."
There was a moment of silence before Denis replies. "U-understood."
"Gwyn," I whisper.
He obeys and he slowly glows blue, then his body disintegrates into golden particles. I could sense his disappointment as he disappears.
I'll make it up for him later.
I wear my mask and walk towards the source, hearing the footsteps of Denis getting louder. Once he was in my range of sight, my eyes narrow as I see the known uniform of the White Fang.
The soldier freezes as he spots me, raising his gun at me.
"Stop right there!"
I silently stare at him through the mask... that doesn't have in eye-holes. How am I doing that anyway? I know it's enchanted, but there wasn't anything mentioned about that when I read the description.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The White Fang agent takes a threatening step.
I don't respond, hearing faint footsteps of who I assume is his partner coming here.
I can use Haki to knock him out, but I might be able to get some information out of him. Either he sleeps or his partner...
I use Observe on him, skimming through his low stats. Highest is Strength, at 22, while the others range from 10 to 18. His Aura is unlocked, at 2750 points, so a couple of hits from Wolfsbane or a few fire spells should be enough.
I unsheath a silver sword with a thin, double-edged base ran mostly straight into a slight curve at the blade, lending itself to create a slight crescent shape near the tip. The well-wrapped grip is a dark shade of an almost necrotic gray, and the pommel is a silvery wolf's head with its mouth locked in a ferocious roar.
Wolfsbane
A blade that has bathed in the blood of thousands of wolves, to the point of it gaining a powerful edge against them.
Deals 250 + STRx2.5 Physical Damage
Deals triple damage against all manner of wolves.
I immediately charge as Denis starts shooting, evading the bullets and going straight for the throat. I click my tongue as some bullets do hit me, but are too weak to pierce my Aura. I get close and duck under him, then cut the gun in his hand in two pieces. He yelps and backs away, and as I get closer, I hear gunshots as my body moves on its own, dodging the bullets heading my way. I instinctively throw a fire arrow at the attacker, hitting the girl in the knee.
1 Reputation with ? [4/100]
I dismiss the random message as Denis pulls out a sword, charging at me with a yell. I parry the blade, and as I was about to strike back, a few bullets hit my back once more. I growl, annoyed at the girl's interference, then grab Denis by the head and cast Fire Burst, sending him flying back.
I turn around and rush at the downed form of the girl, who shrieks in fear as she shoots me wildly. I evade, then knock the gun out of her hand and slam her head to the ground. A skim through her stats told me she's slightly weaker than her partner.
Just then, my senses warn me of a strike aimed at the back of my head, and I dodge it, whipping my head back and grabbing the White Fang grunt. I cast Fire Burst, but instead of sending him flying like before, his head was completely incinerated into nothing. His body took a few steps background before falling on its back.
74 EXP
My eyes widen, shocked at what I had done.
I... didn't mean to do that. I knew two Fire Bursts were enough to kill him, especially with the perk and the spell itself being at level 5... but I didn't even want to use the spell.
What the hell is wrong with me?
The girl screams in terror, but I shut her mouth with a glare. "Quiet or I'll slit your throat."
She nods frantically as her mouth closes shut.
You can agonize about what you did later. Focus.
"I'll ask you a couple of questions, and if you lie even once," My free hand bursts in menacing black flames. "I won't show you mercy. Got it?"
Her nodding was even more frantic this time.
"Good." I get back slightly to give her room. "First, what are you White Fang doing here?"
She hesitates slightly, but when the fire in my hand got fiercer, she complied. "N-not long ago, we got information about a couple of Faunus Slavers in Vale. W-we were planning to take them out."
Wait... wait, what? I thought they were here for Dust-
...Did my interference stop Adam's allegiance with Cinder? And now, instead of dust, they came here for other reasons? But what about the Black Trailer? Wasn't that a dust train or something?
This is getting needlessly confusing...
I gesture for her to continue, and she gulps. "Ada- our leader thought that this is the best place to hide from huntsmen and the police."
"...Tell me, where are these slavers?" I ask.
"T-they're inside the city. There's an abandoned warehouse to the far west that leads to where the slaves are being sold."
Quest added
[Liberator]
Objective: Free the Faunus slaves
Bonus Objective: Kill all slavers
Rewards: 20 stat points, 750 Credits, Greatly increase Reputation with White Fang, Slightly increase Reputation with Vale, Greatly increase Reputation with Blake Belladonna
Bonus Rewards: 20 stat points, 1250 Credits, 1 Gacha Token, Increase Reputation with White Fang, Greatly increase Reputation with Adam Taurus
Oh, look! A free quest!
"Next question: Do you know someone by the name of Blake Belladonna that works with you?"
"S-she used to, but she ran away not long ago."
"When did she leave?"
"T-two weeks."
Hmm... I was a little curious about the timeline since the rewards for the quest saving Amber did say that canon starts earlier, but I didn't know by how much. I think it's safe to believe that canon already started and the main cast are in Beacon... except for Ruby.
I'm not exactly sure, but I'll operate from now on that it did start. I think it's the best thing to do at this time.
"Where's the fastest way to Vale from here?"
I can feel Gwyn's smugness when I asked that. Fine, you big bastard. You win this one.
"S-south! Head straight south and the city should be visible in a few hours."
Finally!
I let go of her, then danger greeted me in the form of a red katana heading for my neck. My body moved on its own and twisted itself, narrowly evading the killing strike as I back-flip.
I land down on my feet, my heart skipping a beat at the close encounter with death. I unconsciously grin, feeling my blood heating up as I see Adam Taurus glare at me from behind his mask.
"Close," I whisper, my eyes narrowing. "but no cigar."
He doesn't respond, sheathing his sword as he prepares another strike.
"Go." Adam spoke, "Warn the others."
The girl realized that he was talking to her, and she obeyed almost instantly, running back to their camp.
Name: Adam Taurus
Title: The Bloody Beast
Age: 24
Race: Faunus (Bull)
Level: 72
HP: 1010
MP: 0
AP: 20,100
STR: 135
VIT: 107
DEX: 142
INT: 86
WIS: 56
CHA: 58
LUK: 50
...The difference between our stats is significant, but I think I have a chance of taking him down. I'm currently level 35, and I have 40 spare stat points. My DEX is also 65, so if I dump in enough, then my Observation Haki will be boosted... and I'll be much faster than before.
The best course of action would be running away... but I'm confident. I have versatility and meta-knowledge. I know how he fights and what his Semblance is while he doesn't know what I have in store.
Besides, if I do defeat him, then that's one future obstacle out of my way. No one will be able to lead the White Fang here except for him, and cutting off the head of the snake will make them crumble.
65 + 35 = 100 DEX
Just as I was done, Adam charges, this time much slower because of my boosted reflexes and stronger Haki. I meet his attack with my own, the force of his strike almost throwing me off balance.
Quest Added
[No Revolution For You!]
Objective: Defeat and detain Adam Taurus
Optional: Kill Adam Taurus
Rewards: 1 Gacha Token, 50 stat points, 5000 Credits, Greatly increase Reputation with Vale, Massively increase Reputation with Blake Belladonna (If detained) [Semblance: Moonslice] (If killed)
Knowing I can't hold him off, I parry his katana and back away, rushing in again a second later. Sparks were flying out every time our blades collided, with mine barely meeting his as the only thing keeping me in the fight was my watered-down precognition.
I duck under a slash, then bring up my fire-covered fist to his face, sending him flying with a huge burst of flames. He plants his feet down and hisses, taking out his black jacket and throws it the ground, making me smirk as I charge once again. My eyes widen as he parries my blade, then cleanly slashes me across the chest. I bite down a scream and back away, my Aura thankfully stopping it from being lethal.
Bringing up my stats, I notice that my Aura is 2000 points down.
Holy fuck.
"You'll regret this..." I scowl, feeling the heat of battle finally settling in.
(Adam)
His opponent crouched low, his grip on the blade tightening as his muscles tensed.
This person... His reflexes are ridiculous for his speed. Almost every attack was deflected with precise timing, even if his skill in the sword was very amateurish. If he didn't knock Adam with fire, then he might've mistaken it for a Semblance.
With his favorite jacket burnt to ashes, Adam was admittedly pissed that he was left with his red blazer, wanting to end this annoyance quickly.
So he charged again, which made his enemy slam his hand on the ground. Adam almost ran head-first into a wall made of fire that abruptly appeared in front of him, but he stopped himself, and as he tried to go around it, the masked man came from the fire, completely unharmed, and kneed the Faunus in the face, breaking his own mask as he was sent flying into a tree.
The White Fang general didn't get any room to breathe as the man was already in his face, delivering a flurry of slashes and stabs. Adam growled in anger and he used the chance to charge up his Semblance, blocking and parrying almost every strike. The man brought his sword for a downward slash, one that Adam narrowly dodged, to which he then used his katana to knock the blade out of the opponent's hand.
The man gasped and Adam sent him back with a kick to his shin, making him stumble back. Adam then sheathed his sword as his body glowed red.
"Farewell," Adam whispered, quickly drawing his blade.
His Semblance activated, shooting back his absorbed attacks in the form of a red energy strike. Adam almost laughed as the man brought both of his arms for protection... only for it to actually work.
Adam was slack-jawed as the energy pushed the man a good distance back... even if it was ultimately blocked in the end.
The older of the two noticed that the blast ripped a part of the clothes, which revealed the man's pitch-black arms.
How many Semblances does this guy have?!
The man fell on one of his knees, breathing heavily. At first, Adam thought he was tired, so he rushed... but then the man roared.
A roar so powerful that it shattered the ground beneath them, broke the trees around them, and even pushed Adam back from the force alone. Adam knew that this wasn't a man from how loud he roared, as no one's vocal cords could handle such strain.
The masked individual then stopped, fire bursting in his now clawed hands, and Adam suddenly felt like he was suffocating.
An oppressive Aura felt like it was crushing his back as the man rushed him. Adam couldn't move, as much as he tried to. Frozen in place, fear started to settle in his heart as his animalistic instincts screamed for him to run away... But he couldn't.
Fortunately, the Aura lifted off slightly, giving him a chance to defend himself. Adam noticed that the man was much faster than before, prompting him to take him seriously.
Adam narrowly dodged the fireball heading for his head and cut another in half, and when he was close enough, he aimed Wilt at the neck. The man twisted his body downwards in a speed Adam never thought was possible, evading the strike by a hair's breadth. With his body still twisted, the man brought both hands in front of Adam's face, then a powerful blast of flames erupted, sending Adam flying back.
He quickly got up and used Blush to shoot the guy using Ice bullets, which seem to be working slightly. One bullet got the man's arm, and when blood spilled, Adam knew that the man's Aura was broken.
How is he stronger than before then?! He yelled in his mind, astonished that someone like that can exist.
The man grunted in pain as Ice sprouted from the bullet, freezing his shoulder and a part of his arm. Adam charged once more, wanting to end this battle as his own Aura was a bit lower than half. Once he was close, he froze again as the oppressive Aura returned, almost choking him with its power. He couldn't do anything as the man simply melted the ice with his fire powers.
He then cracked his neck before dashing again, and Adam used every ounce of his strength to move, managing to barely evade his razor-sharp claw. Adam blocked and parried, but the man was relentless, for he fought like a beast unlike the start of their battle. There was no grace or trained movement, instead, he fought wildly like an unhinged beast, but that made him extremely unpredictable. Adam knew he had to finish the fight fast, lest his Aura gets broken, so he blocked as many strikes as he could.
The man grunted as he barely managed to block an attack, and was sent flying back and hitting a tree, coincidently where his sword was, making him crouch low in exhaustion. Adam saw his chance and sheathed his blade, then used his semblance once more to shoot an undercharged Moonslice.
He stood up and took the blade plunged into the tree, getting into an amateurish yet trained defensive stance. Just before he was bisected into two by the blast, a silver blur snatched him before it did, and Adam whipped his head to see a gigantic wolf sprinting away from him.
What... the hell was that? Since when wolves could get that big?
Maybe it's one with its Aura unlocked? And that was its Semblance? Adam shook his head, it doesn't matter. He ran away, and Adam can't exactly follow them with his low Aura.
With one glance at where the man headed, he headed back to camp. Because of this encounter... They might need to leave Vale.
Whoever he was, he will one day know the fury of the White Fang.
(Reid)
[No Revolution For You!] failed...
"No! NO!" I scowl, flailing my arms around. "GWYN, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"
He ignores me, still running through the woods.
"YOU DUMB DOG!" I shout at him. "LET ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!"
He throws me at a tree, causing me to wince as my back makes contact with it with a loud thud. Gwyn then starts barking at me with a snarl on his face.
"What do you mean 'I was gonna die'?!" I glare at him. "I had everything under control! Why the hell did you interfere?!"
He growls.
"I would've dodged you, moron!" I yell at him while unconsciously letting my Haki leak, making him flinch. "Then I could've killed him right there and then! But you just had to get in my fucking my way!"
He takes a step back, his ears dropping low as he whines. That evaporated the anger I had for him as I wince slightly.
"I... no, that's not fair for you." I sigh. "I'm sorry for yelling, Gwyn. I just hoped I could get rid of him and be done with the whole White Fang thing as fast as I can. You were only worried about me and saved my life. I shouldn't have yelled."
He gets closer and licks my face, still whining.
"It's fine, really. I think I was angry because of the status effect I got and took it on you. Sorry, buddy."
10 Reputation with Gwyn [32/100]
Taking out a couple of health and Aura potion, I down them as fast as I could, then throw the vials back into my inventory.
"Come on, let's go to Vale," I say. "I'd kill for a bath right about now..."
Gwyn obeys and disappears into golden particles.
I sigh deeply, massaging my temples as I go through what had happened whilst sprinting towards the city.
I don't know why I thought fighting someone clearly much stronger than I wildly without my damned weapon and no fucking plan was the most ingenious idea I've ever had, but it was clear that it wasn't me thinking, it was that fucking flaw. It literally makes me braindead when fighting. Why the fuck did I get a weapon if I'm gonna fight without?
Thankfully, Plot Armor was there to save the day.
When I barely blocked Adam's Semblance the first time... something happened to me. I lost my sense of self, but I was aware of what's happening at the same time. It's different from the time I fought the wolves since I stopped myself before... whatever the fuck that was happened.
I was suddenly buffed while simultaneously debuffed. There was the fact that Chaos Conversion also played a part in the fight, but this is what caught my attention.
Bloodlust - 00:00
You desire to see blood, and the closest being will have theirs spilled
What is this? Why did this appear? Is it because of my Battle Maniac perk? I bet it is, but what does fighting have to do with 'wanting to see blood'? I thought it's more likely gonna make me spare people for 'a better fight later' rather than kill them outright.
Whatever it is, it's worrying. Very worrying. I really don't care if I killed Adam or not, but what if I fought another person who I didn't want to kill? What if this happened while I'm sparring with a friend?
What if this happened while innocent people are near me?
That's not the only thing though. When Gwyn... 'saved' me, I was... humiliated. It was part of the reason why I was so pissed at him. It felt like I was running away from the fight... and I hated that feeling.
I sigh deeply. I need to find a way to get rid of the damned flaw as fast as I can. I thought I can control it, but it's better to delete it entirely.
At least I discovered some race powers, so that's plus.
Race powers discovered
Cold-Blooded Adrenaline: Whenever you're cornered and threatened, your ? blood will cool down considerably, and because of your heritage, all stats increase by 30%. Will remain until the threat is gone or your HP hits 5%
Partial Transformation: You can transform certain parts of your body to that of a ?
?'s Flexibility: Your bones and body are far more flexible than normal humans', giving you the ability to twist them in incredible ways.
The first one is a blatant Deus Ex Machina perk, and I'm not complaining. Not one bit. The second one gives me another way to fight, so it's great.
The third one is weird, but I'll take it.
Another good thing I discovered from this whole thing was that I can get tried. It seems to be tied to my HP since after it got lower than 50%, I started running out of breath.
And the fact that level 3 Conquerors was able to freeze Adam of all people in his place... I wonder what a max level one could do.
...Hey Game, I have a question.
Why didn't I feel anything when I killed that guy? I was didn't mean it, and I was even shocked... but I really didn't feel anything. No guilt, no regret, and no remorse.
...Okay, that's a lie. I did feel a little guilty that I did it, but nowhere near as much as I should.
Gamer's Mind.
See, that would've made sense if it also blocked Bloodlust, but it didn't. Why?
...Bloodlust is a combination of your heritage's thought process and Battle Maniac. Your race is inherently a prideful one, and it did not take lightly to Adam beating you quickly.
.
..Am I a dragon or some shit? But since when do dragons have cold blood? Maybe an ice dragon?
Ironic considering my first magic element was fire.
Though, that still doesn't answer the question. What you told me was how Bloodlust came out to be, but not why it wasn't blocked.
3 Reputation with The Game [2/100]
Observant, aren't you? Very well, I shall tell you.
Gamer's Mind is not all-powerful, or not yet at least. It can be bypassed by beings far stronger than you are, and even divine-level artifacts. But the reason why it did not block Bloodlust is simple.
It didn't see it as a bad thing.
Huh... how so?
Because it saw the chance of defeating Adam, and letting Bloodlust alone would've made you aggressive, wild, and unpredictable, thus, increasing said chances of victory. After all, you do want to win, no?
That's true, but why? Wouldn't running away technically be the best thing to do? I mean, yeah there was a huge chance of me killing Adam, but I know that running is much safer.
Indeed, but Gamer's Mind is a part of your subconscious, and you truly believed that you could've defeated Adam, so instead of going against your wishes, it believed the same and tried to help you.
Huh... So Gamer's Mind has its own... mind? Or it shares mine on a subconscious level, at the very least.
That is what I said, yes.
...Right, that's good to know. Thanks for the info, Game.
1 Reputation with The Game [3/100]
You are quite welcome
I sigh deeply. So now I know how it works. Good for me, I guess...
(30 Minutes later...)
Once I was inside the city through not-so-legal means, I put my tattered cloak and suspicious mask in my inventory, opting to look as casually as I could. I stopped by a place to buy some clothes to finish the looks, and because my previous uniform was ripped to shreds. A simple open, short-sleeved zip-up blue hoodie with a black shirt underneath, and simple jeans.
It's day now, which makes my first course of action is getting information... and that means finding a library or getting a scroll.
I think the latter is the better idea, seeing that a scroll is easier to navigate through than a whole library.
You know, the last time I was here, I didn't get to appreciate Vale's beauty. The place is obviously being well-maintained, the streets are pretty clean, and everyone seems... I don't know, content? I just get that vibe from them.
I'm opening my shop here obviously, but does that mean I'm starting my conquest here? I don't know. I'd love to start here, but I still haven't seen the other kingdoms yet.
After walking around and looking for a store, I find one after 20 minutes near a few other empty buildings. My hands in my pocket, I enter the place feeling more confident with that last thought.
"Welcome." The employee greets me from behind the counter, wearing a professional smile. "Anything you're looking for?"
"The best model you have," I respond.
"Oh, of course." He nods and takes a golden one after opening a display case. "This here is the new S.X 2000. It has all the functions of the past versions-"
"How much is it?"
"U-um, its 120K Lien sir."
I wince slightly at the cost, feeling a bit empty at the whole 'Millionaire' thing. That's more than 10% of what I have...
Sighing, I nod. "Just give it."
"Of course." He obeys and puts the one in his hand back in the display case, taking a new one with a charger and earphones. "Would you like anything else?"
I pull out the cost and put it on the counter. "No thanks."
Just please don't ask for my ID.
He nods and puts the items in a bag, then hands it to me. "Thank you for your patronage and have a good day sir!"
Good, he didn't.
I quickly get my stuff, giving a half-hearted 'you're welcome' and get out of the place, grinning widely as I take out the device. Finally, something goes my way.
I just need to set it up then I can learn about everything I could want...
Two days have passed after getting everything I need.
Do you have any idea how stupid I felt when I realized I could get an identity much easier the legal way? Turns out that since a lot of people are born outside the walls of the city, there's the chance of whatever town or village they're in to be destroyed by Grimm or bandits, so people could understand that a 16 years old teenager came here for one.
It makes so much sense that I genuinely felt like I was the dumbest guy in the world.
Though, the somewhat difficult part came when I needed a medical permit to sell my stuff. You need the approval of a doctor to get one, which I got by "Politely" asking one named 'Feverfew'. He was thankfully quite easy to convince... No, I didn't use my Haki on him, that's just rude.
Then I rented a store for 140K a month. I think it's quite reasonable since it was one of the bigger ones. I'm currently heading to the place while reading a couple of things.
Like this cool fact: Did you know that Qrow is the current first ranking Huntsmen in Vale? I didn't.
I read about the other kingdoms too, wanting to see if I can maybe start my store somewhere else, however, the best place to start is still thankfully Vale since it's at the center of the world, and the Vytal Festival will be where I am this year.
Vacuo is filled with criminals, and it's gotten to the point that its common knowledge. People just don't know who is the bad guy anymore, so they all kill each other. Their hunters though are extremely powerful from what I read.
Mistral apparently has a Mafia organization called the Caliban Clan, one of the strongest organizations in the world, that's 'doing good' for the kingdom. I really doubt it, but I remember the yakuza in my previous world was doing good for Japan, so I'll withhold my judgment for now.
Vale is where Beacon Academy is, and Beacon is the best Hunter academy in the world. It dwarfs the other schools in terms of new students by a lot.
And Atlas is Atlas. Dust, robots, and a miserable Mantle.
Also, the Grimm have a lot of forms. I mean hundreds and hundreds, it's unreal. They're all classified in levels too, from Pest to Titan class. Right now, only eight Titans are discovered, and they gave each a name.
There's the Leviathan. No, I'm not talking about the shitty bootleg Godzilla... thing from the show. This one is a huge tortoise deep underwater. It only appeared twice in the span of 300 years, but it managed to destroy two kingdoms each time it woke up. It lives east of the continent of Solitas.
Anantashesha, a gigantic snake or eel, which also lives underwater, but it's on the other side of the world. It was last seen 100 years ago near the dark continent, but it never attacked any settlement, deciding to apparently... sleep? I don't know, the information is all speculations at that point.
Another one that lives in water, is the Kraken. I think everyone knows what the Kraken is, but I've noticed how they name the Grimm after mythical and mythological creatures rather than actual names. It was last seen east of Mistral.
The Wyvern is the same one that appeared in the show. The one that could probably single-handedly destroy Beacon. No one knows where it is, but I do, and it's near Mountain Glenn.
The first one that is actually named, even though its related to mythologies, is 'Thanatos'... which, to the people who don't know, is the Personification of Death in Greek mythologies. It's an enormous death worm in the Vacuoin deserts, reaching around 500 meters in length and 50 in width. It's been debated that this is the strongest out of the titans, but people are not sure yet. Funny how they name stuff after mythologies and legends of my old world when said mythos and legends don't exist here.
Yes, I searched.
While the 'supposed strongest' though, it never left Vacuo. I'm guessing because its a death worm, and death worms prefer sand, but who knows?
This one is probably my favorite one when reading, but it's actually a normal Beowulf... that survived for two thousand years. It's been named Fenrir, for its viciousness in battles and its sadistic nature. They say it's the weakest, but the most dangerous out of them all since it likes to tear apart and torture its opponents before killing them. No one knows where it resides currently, so that's a little concerning.
Then, we have Angellica, the one who lives in the skies of Vale. Not much is known about it, but its body resembles that of a human while having huge wings for arms and talons sharper than blades for feet. I'm guessing they meant a harpy with that description.
Finally, living north of Atlas, we have Jack, The Ice Duke. It's the oldest and strongest Goliath that has ever walked on Remnant. Not even the army of Atlas, the most powerful and most advanced, managed to even scratch the guy. it has a 'mysterious' power of controlling and manipulating ice... Which I'm betting everything I have that its magic.
I mean, it does make sense. My theory after reading about the Grimm and actually analyzing them when I got my magic sensing working... Is that they're purely magical constructs. It would make sense how they don't have any souls since they're made with magic, and how they don't bleed when they're cut, instead, they disintegrate. The theory is somewhat supported by seeing the Grimm existing in the age of magic.
They're also made by the God of Darkness, one of the gods who gifted humanity magic. See where I'm getting at? The dots connect, but I wouldn't say that it's proven just yet.
It is worth thinking about though...
Wish there's a book about magic or something. The only knowledge I have of magic is from anime, which isn't that reliable, and my own experience that's almost non-existent.
Also, I've seen people debating about a class made solely for one Grimm.
World-class Grimm.
It's never been disproven or proven, but rumors have it that there's a Grimm that will bring an end to this world once it wakes up. It has a lot of names, like "Darkness of the World", "Humanity's Demise" and other very... edgy names. It's the strongest and most powerful Grimm, made by the hands of the God of Darkness himself to destroy the world in his stead.
I really don't care if it's made by the God of Darkness or The Game itself, but not a chance in hell am I letting it destroy my world.
So these Titans and that "Humanity's Demise" or whatever gotta die to make it happen. And hey, doing so will only solidify my position as the God-Emperor of Mankind.
I understood that reference!
Huh?
Quest Added
[Ultimate Grimm Slayer]
Objective A: Kill all Titan-class Grimm [0/17]
Objective B: Slay Abaddon
Rewards A: 10K stat points, 1 Gacha Token for each Titan killed (Given upfront), [Slayer of Darkness] Title, Max Reputation with the entire world
Rewards B: 20K stat points, 5 Gacha Tokens, [Undying Light] Perk, [Blessing of ?] Perk, Your Reputation with the entire world will never go below 50
Wh- Seventeen?! And only eight were discovered?! Are you kidding me?!
Oh god, am I gonna have to look for the other nine? Goddamn it, I really don't like searching for things...
...How the hell would Team RWBY deal with all of these in the original show? Or do they not exist because of Rooster Teeth?
And I'm guessing Abaddon is the World-class Grimm?
Oh well, you know what they say. 'An Emperor serves his Empire'. I'll take them all out eventually.
I shake my head with a sigh. At least I have months before I get into a fight with them. And dungeons are there to help me out...
Now then... I think this is the place.
It was kinda dark, but I could clearly see the rundown and dusty building. Like most buildings, it was made of concrete and pine wood, which gave it a simplistic design. Entering the place, the wooden floor creaks at my steps. Not being able to see anything, I take out my scroll and use my flashlight.
Feature unlocked: Base Design
Would you like to see the tutorial?
Oh? Is this what I think it is?
Base Design lets you design any kind of base, whether it is a small shack or an entire island. You could use credits to change the decor to whatever you want almost instantly.
As long as you have enough credits, then you're only limited by your imagination...
Start customizing?
Oh... Oooh, I'm gonna have SO much fun with this!
(Three days later...) (Ozpin)
The broken moon shone from behind Ozpin as he leaned back on his chair and stretched, finally reading all of the new students' files. He took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exhaustion as one of his trusted friends entered the office.
"Came at a bad time, did I?" Qrow asked, amusement evident in his voice.
Ozpin smiled. "I'd say the opposite." He let out a long sigh, then he turned serious. "Any news on our mysterious ally?"
As the older had expected, Qrow shook his head. "Nothing... But." Qrow took out a small glass vial from his pocket, a golden liquid filling it.
Ozpin immediately sharpened his gaze at it as he felt a tiny bit of magic leaking from it. Ozpin then grabbed it to inspect it, now feeling Aura as well.
"This is..."
"So you feel it too, huh?" Qrow brought up his flask to his mouth. "Good. I genuinely thought I was going crazy."
"Where did you get this?" He questioned.
"Ruby somehow got her hands on it." The red-eyed huntsman answered after taking a gulp. "And after investigation, a bunch of people had some as well. Turns out some guy, a teenager, was selling them in Patch. Dunno how he got a hold of them
though."
Ozpin nodded, absorbing the information slowly. "Do you know what it is?"
"The guy told Ruby that this restores a bit of your Aura." Qrow chuckled slightly. "She compared it to potions in video games. Can't say I disagree."
"I see..." The headmaster held his chin in thought. "Do you have any more?"
"Nope. The other ones were already used." Qrow then narrowed his eyes in thought. "Think he has a connection to our mysterious friend?"
"Most likely." Ozpin nodded. "Both appeared in close proximity from each other, and at least one of them can use magic.
"Qrow, continue searching for him. If we can get him to mass-produce this 'potion', then a lot of lives can be saved."
"Got it," Qrow then pursed his lips. "You told Ironwood about him, right?"
"I did."
The huntsman grinned in amusement. "And...?"
Ozpin almost groaned as he covered his tired face. "He argued that we should question him once we find him..."
Qrow had a huge smug smirk as he gestured for the older man to continue.
"...Through giving the order to all undercover Atlas personal in Vale to search for him."
A bark of laughter left Qrow. "Typical Jimmy!"
"Yes, Qrow. We all saw it coming." Ozpin responded, a mirthful smile on his face. "We both know he's doing this for the greater good. He gave the order out of worry that Salem might get her hands on him first.
"Though, it is better you finding him than Ironwood. The Mage might get the wrong idea if he saw Atlesien Bots and Specialists looking for him."
"Yeah, yeah." He turned around and walked to the elevator. "I'll be back in a week for the report."
As the door closed, Ozpin rubbed his tired eyes as he stood up, stepping up to make another a steaming cup of cocoa.
Only a few more days and he finally gets to see the students flung over the forest...
Even after many years, it's still his favorite part of the initiation.
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