Aaaaannnndd Cowboy Bebop flopped, meaning One Piece is next…oh god.
"GOMU GOMU NOOOO BAD CGI!" - Live-Action Luffy.
I do not own 'Fairy Tail' or 'The Gamer'
I relaxed in my seat, knowing that the others were in a similar position to myself.
My gaze shifted over each of them, as I could detect that they were doing the same. The room's tension was at an all-time high, and everybody knew it.
Wendy was fidgeting in her chair, nervously glancing around at everyone, but she spoke nevertheless.
"Gray's t-turn is...um...s-skipped."
She placed a red card that had a circle and diagonal slash onto the table.
"What?!" The ice-make mage shouted, staring in disbelief, "You've got to be kidding me!"
"Good job, Wendy!" Natsu bellowed while holding his stomach, evidently delighted at the situation. "I knew you'd get 'em! Isn't that right, Happy?!"
"Aye sir!" The Exceed cheered, raising his paw into the air triumphantly.
"Don't you have twenty cards right now?" Gray pointed out, visibly annoyed at the dragonslayer, "You're doing horrible."
"Huh? But I thought more was better?"
"No you moron, it means you're doing the worst," The raven-haired boy proclaimed as Natsu appeared distraught. "I'm pretty sure that's what it means, right Danny?"
"The objective of the game is to finish with no cards in your hands before anyone else, so yeah," I explained, confirming Gray's query.
"Who cares, I'll win this time for sure anyway!" Igneel's adopted child shouted, as following close behind was a wide grin.
We've been here for quite some time, as I've taught them the art of playing Uno. With how rambunctious Fairy Tail gets when it comes to competition, things become a little heated, sometimes quite literally.
Uno was a game I 'created' as a way for us to compete outside of the missions we go on. Of course, when anything involving cards of any sorts comes into the spotlight…
"Hey guys, guess what?" We collectively turned to see the brown-haired girl waving a single card in her hand.
"Yes?" Wendy inquired politely, but the rest of us already knew where this was going.
"UNO!" She slammed a card with the number three right above where the sky dragonslayer had placed her own.
For a few short moments, there was stillness.
We all gazed at the table, excluding Cana, who was grinning maniacally.
"She's cheating, she has to be!" The fire dragonslayer yelled, "Her magic has to be doing this!"
While I had suspected there might be after the brown-haired girl won the second game. Surprisingly, my [Sensory Magic] hadn't detected anything whatsoever.
She was just that good.
"Oh? Is the local hot-head mad at another loss?" She smirked and continued to laugh like a madman, "Maybe I should start going easy on you guys."
Natsu growled in response, while the rest of us merely looked sheepish. At this point, it wasn't surprising for her to pull off a victory somehow. Even overlooking [Card Magic], Cana's win was inevitable.
"Can we play a different game? I'm getting tired of losing." Gray sulked.
"Sure, I don't mind," I replied, resting a hand against my chin. "But didn't you say that you're going to work on something afterward?"
The ice mage slightly elevated his eyebrows.
"Oh! Right! Yeah...it's the spell my teacher used bef-...never mind."
He grimaced, rubbing his arm as I narrowed my eyes.
Oh, I knew precisely what he nearly rambled about, but I didn't foresee him attempting to replicate the [Iced Shell] so prematurely in the timeline. This just goes to show how demanding the spell was if he's working on it this early.
Regardless, there's no harm in him trying to replicate its effects, as it would be tedious to resolve how I understand the abilities functions in the first place. Although, if he does seek to use the spell in the future, I have something in mind to counter that. I trust Gray enough that he wouldn't do something idiotic, at least not right now.
I wonder if there's a lightning-based equivalent.
"Alright then, stay safe."
He nodded, leaving the guildhall, and set out towards the training grounds.
"Now what?" Happy questioned.
I paused momentarily, then came up with an idea.
Reaching into my Inventory, I grabbed a decent amount of Jewels. Then, using [Illusion Magic], created a board table with buildings littered on most of the squares. I instructed Wendy to pass around the dice, which she gladly did.
"Uhh...Danny, what is this?" Cana peered at the board in confusion.
Everyone else gazed at me for my explanation.
With a half-hearted smile, I spoke.
"I call this next game...Monopoly."
The wind aimlessly brushed against my brown hair as I rested on the meadow grasslands in a lotus stance. I exhaled, and shifted into the same pattern I've regularly had, welcoming the warming presence of the [Meditation] skill swell within me.
Using the skill wasn't something I'd consistently done ever since I've maxed out its level, barring of healing. Granted, with how chaotic being a Fairy Tail mage was, sometimes a breather was a necessity.
Nevertheless, today I'd decided to assist someone else in their endeavor to work on their [Meditation]. Well, it's more like they reached out to me, but that didn't matter.
"You've been stirring around too much, keep your body steady when you're breathing," I instructed, as even with my eyes closed, both [Listening] and [Sensory Magic] were being utilized. "When you move like that-"
"-It'll make it harder for magic to circulate in my body. I know Danny, you said it like a hundred times now."
"And I'll continue to say it until you're right, Kagura." I retorted, inciting her to sigh.
Although there were some hiccups, Kagura has continued to develop at a fairly reasonable rate. Given that I was comparing her to myself, someone who acquired abilities and had a system that autocorrects errors, she's damn impressive for normal standards.
Her potential was immense. With sufficient time and diligent practice, she'd become a force to be reckoned with.
Right now, the gravity mage currently is at level 55 whilst her red-haired sister was 59. Two years apart in age and she wasn't that removed from Erza. However, I understood that 'levels' weren't everything and shouldn't be profoundly relied on, the man back at Kieru Village was in the 70 range after all.
While she was working on meditating, I suppose I'll take advantage of the moment to summon my Inventory and utilize the final Gacha Coin. It's been remaining there for several months following the Kieru Village incident, and although I'd been craving to obtain some more, that wasn't the case.
Better late than never.
Ring of Sealing [Rare]
While wearing this ring, you can cast a spell stored in it. The spell cast from the ring is no longer collected, freeing up its space.
[It's capable of holding 2 spells combined, reaching a total of 700 MP.]
Oh.
This is good.
This is really good.
Having two spells on standby is going to be tremendously helpful, particularly when I'm in a battle of attrition. The downside of only having a maximum of 700 MP is spells such as Susanoo wouldn't be maintainable due to it requiring a continuous flow of [Magic Regeneration] to maintain.
Even so, this would be a great boon for later usage.
My eyes gradually opened, after immediately sensing Kagura doing the same.
"So, how do you feel?" I inquired as the purple-haired girl blinked multiple times, likely so she'd reacclimate to the lighting.
"Better? At least I think so," She shrugged, then massaged her neck. "It's weird."
"That's normal, I went through the same thing back then."
Not really. [Gamer's Body] effectively fixed most of the errors, but it's best to provide her some reassurance.
"Back when you didn't want to play with us that day?" Kagura gave me a teasing glare, which I returned by sticking my tongue out.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it...drama queen."
She rolled her eyes. "If anyone is a drama queen, it's Erza."
I paused at the gravity mage taking a shot towards her sister, though it was clearly in a joking manner. Granted, the requip mage goads her every opportunity she gets, a jab here and there is mild at worst.
"That, we can agree on," I admitted, which she grinned to.
On that note, a bright glowing light appeared before Kagura, indicating that she's using [Requip]. I lifted an eyebrow as in her grasp was a pair of neatly prepared bento boxes encased with wrapping cloth.
"I got us some lunch," She muttered, placing one of the boxes in my lap.
Staring at the container with 'Danny' written on the top, I gradually lifted it to see its contents. Inside was steamed glutinous rice, teriyaki chicken dipped with what I believed to be soy sauce, and an assortment of vegetables on the side.
It was remarkably well-made, suspiciously so.
"You...you've been planning this, Kagura."
This entire situation reeks of Lisanna and Erza's shenanigans. I imagine the former is out with her siblings whilst the latter is holed up at the cake shop or one of the local blacksmiths.
Even so, I held my tongue.
"Cat's out of the bag," The purple-haired girl nervously chuckled, "It took me a while to make them."
"The others didn't help?"
Kagura's head dipped slightly, enabling her hair to stroke against her cheek. "No, I...I wanted to do this on my own merit. Also, I'm the only one in the house that's decent at cooking."
I snorted at her complaint.
"Anyways, what about you?" She began to unwrap her bento box and glanced over at me. "What've you been doing?"
"Well, not much," I divulged sincerely. "I just practice my magic."
"I know that stuff." She giggled, separating a pair of chopsticks that clung together, and began to eat. "What else?"
My answer was to frown in thought.
'So I ask you this Danny, what do you want?'
'For fun? A promise? Perhaps a challenge? They don't know, those types of people lose their reasoning, and become…'
Planning was something that I improved on naturally over time.
With Lucy's imminent encounter with Natsu gradually slithering its way on the horizon, I've regularly sought to resolve how I'd confront certain scenarios that would inevitably come to my doorstep.
The solution was simple, upon first glance.
Power.
Training solves a majority of the obstacles that I'd encounter. Strength would open the world to me, however, then another dilemma would eventually reveal itself.
What then?
'The future...you're scared of the future.'
Gildarts was one of the most powerful people on the entire continent, and yet, he wanders about Ishgar with little to no direction.
A strong man, one worthy of being the Ace of Fairy Tail. Despite that, he can't be everywhere at once.
If I punch through everything, what will I have afterward?
'Everybody has someone they can fall back on. You, on the other hand, live by yourself.'
It's not a cheerful thing, from my viewpoint.
This was a warning.
'Because...you remind me of myself.'
Don't be like me.
Don't fall down the rabbit hole I have.
That's the message he carried.
During the intermission period of Kieru Village quest, [Dominate Magic] subconsciously was set off, and at the moment, I had a few ideas on why, though nothing concrete. The only other time I've exercised it had been when Gray was having a mental breakdown.
Now, I was certain.
"Hey, you there?"
Kagura gently bumped me on the shoulder, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"You kinda zoned out."
I smiled softly, gazing undeviatingly at the glutinous rice scampering amidst the chopstick's grasps.
It wasn't that arduous to perceive her concern, [Sensory Magic] or not, she was always an emotional person.
There was a deep-rooted trust in her eyes, considerably so.
I've perpetually desired to do things my way, not wanting for others' assistance as I don't wish to bother them. A naive way of thinking, especially when discerning the grand scheme of things.
Almost instantaneously, a large array of runic magic encompasses us.
NOBODY OUTSIDE OF THIS SPACE CAN HEAR NOR SENSE ANYTHING INSIDE OF IT
I've been preparing this spell ever since she'd taken out the bento boxes.
"Danny, what are you doing?" She asked, glancing around in confusion.
Trust was something that had been long overdue on my part, and it's about time I joined her in the middle.
"Kagura."
Her stance straightened at my solemn voice, but she replied anyway. "Yeah?"
"I'm going to be completely honest with you," My eyes locked onto her own as I sat cross-legged. "There's something inherently wrong with my magic."
"Wrong with your...magic?" She asked, instantly leaning forward with a troubled appearance. "What do you mean?"
"I…I don't have a container."
Magic was a tricky thing when it came to those who could wield it. Whilst everyone in the world possesses a container — as far as I'm aware — merely ten percent are qualified to utilize its power. Beasts like the Vulcan can use it sufficiently, though Wyverns operate purely on their own strength.
Why is that the case?
Nobody knows.
"Don't have a container?" Kagura paused for a moment, looking somewhat bewildered. "How long have you known for?"
"Years, Kagura...years," I stated truthfully.
The gravity mage didn't budge an inch, only pursing her lips at my reveal to which I took the opportunity to divulge even further.
"I had some theories back during the village, but when Makarov was sensing us, it only confirmed them."
"You know, that explains...a lot." She let out a muffled sigh, allowing her body to slump moderately. "Have you told anyone?"
"No. As far as I'm aware, you're the only one that knows."
"Gosh…for years, Danny?" Her eyes carried a solemn look. "I don't know what to say…"
"You don't have to say anything." My reply was abrupt and firm. "I could've informed you all much sooner, but then another issue would've occurred."
She understood precisely what that indicated. "Ivan was interested in you, even without this information."
"And with it, more individuals would gaze in the guild's direction," I concluded with the purple-haired girl appearing even more agitated.
Frankly, if rumor got out of my 'circumstances', I'm certain an abundance of dark guilds wouldn't mind baring their fangs in our path, regardless of Fairy Tail's standing. Especially Hades and Zero, both for experimentation purposes, of that I hold no doubt.
The Magic Council might just step in for all I know.
What would they demand of the guild because of me?
I can't in good conscience have this knowledge become widespread, lest Makarov is presented with more troubles than he already has.
"You didn't want to take any chances." Kagura quickly deduced, grimacing in realization. "That's why you've been concealing it, even from the people you trust."
"Anything is possible in the world of magic." And that was simply a fact, something no one could refute. "Who knows what people would do if it was publicized."
Not anything good, that's for sure.
"Then why? Why would you tell me?" She implored for a reply.
"Honestly…after our little chat earlier in the year, I've only begun to truly understand what you meant. Hell, Gildarts gave me a pep talk the following day."
He was a weird guy, but with honorable intentions. His guidance is something I'll definitely carry, no doubt.
"It's simple, Kagura." I smiled brightly, more than I've ever done previously. "You're the first person to truly point out my problems."
Sure, others have voiced some regard for my situation here and there, but not to the degree she went.
So my answer was easy.
"Why wouldn't I tell you?"
There was a slight interlude after I finished speaking.
[Sensory Magic] was informing me that Kagura was feeling a combination of appreciation and dismay.
"Danny." Her voice wasn't one filled with anger nor did it possess any malice. "Honestly, after everything we've been through…I fully understand why you're…you."
The gravity mage took another moment to pause, undoubtedly reminiscing about something.
"Just...just don't lose yourself in whatever you're trying to accomplish."
I nodded at her request, seeing no reason not to.
She had grown significantly ever since I initially met her. An incredible and saddening thing to notice, especially knowing the context behind the changes. Kagura was beyond what I had originally believed of her to be, from an emotional perspective that is.
Her attention quickly diverted back to the food she'd made.
"I think it's about time we started eating, don't want all my work to go down the gutter, now do you?"
I accepted her bid by impatiently putting food into my awaiting mouth, much to the purple-haired girl's delight.
Whilst she eagerly dug into her self-made bento box, I took the opportunity to ask her what everyone else was doing.
She grinned and stated they're doing great, and have been progressing significantly in their training. Notably, Wendy was working on a secret-art spell for her [Dragonslayer Magic], courtesy of Natsu's tutelage.
Kagura started to ramble on about her team attacks with Erza. They've been experimenting on synchronizing their magic to execute a Unison Raid, which was highly advanced for any mage. I do recall something about that during the Grand Magic Games, but my recollection regarding those events eluded me.
Still, I listened to her babbling about her everyday activities, even as time seemed to evade my notice.
The cloudless blue atmosphere that had dominated the sky throughout the day paved the way to a starry evening.
Kagura had departed not long after, as receiving an earful from her elder sister wasn't something she was inclined on doing.
For myself?
I had resolved to remain behind, keen on watching the starlights shimmering in the sky. It was a comforting thing, perceiving my body unwinding somewhat in its lotus stance. This environment would be ideal for what I had intended.
Altering my posture, I let my mind sink into near unconsciousness. The world appeared to blackout as all attention was exclusively on me.
I've meditated before. The [Meditation] skill can attest to that. However, it was solely for regeneration purposes, not to improve my mental and emotional fortitude.
I plunged deeper, sensing the darkness mutate into a multitude of forms.
'Don't worry about it child, I'm sure we could work some things out. My name is Emilia Mikazuchi, the youngest is Kagura and the eldest is Simon.'
'I...was...so...worried. Wh...where's my mom and Simon?'
'Do fairies have tails? Do they even exist? Like them, this place is an eternal mystery. A never-ending adventure! So how about it? Would you like to join our family?'
'Ur...Ur...I'm...sorry...I..just..wanted..to..beat..D...D...Deliora…'
'My name? I don't know. But it just...felt right.'
'Your magic. There's no center point in it.'
'The child must be disposed of, it will kill us all!'
'Not yet.'
'The beginning and the end, for you are its informant.'
'The excessive amount of training. The number of missions you take, and the types of books Levy said you've always been reading for a while. It's like you're preparing for something…'
Memories of the past continued to stockpile as I concentrated on my magic, swirling about like an endless hurricane.
Rather than crushing it down as I've always done, I let those sensations run their course.
Love and hate.
Joy and despair.
Pride and remorse.
Faith and doubt.
Everything...was there.
Magic was sentient and abided by the user's intent. From awakening its power in dire circumstances to renouncing it from emotional trauma, I wasn't entirely certain that particular method would apply to me, specifically with the gamer ability, but I could at least try.
Shadows emerged from the ground like cable lines and tried to bring my magic under control. However, I noted that not a single attack came for me.
"I understand…completely, more than anyone," My body sank deeper into its posture as the shadows persisted in their efforts. "But now…you have to let me do this on my own."
They answered, not by accepting the proposal, but by flailing out more furiously. Yet, I didn't retaliate as this wasn't a fight, it was more akin to a desperate struggle. Its actions were solely in an attempt to contain the cyclone that hosted my magic.
"Turn off," I muttered over and over again. "Please...turn off."
Their movements grew more vicious as my command repeated without ceasing.
Then, a ringing sound pulled me to reality.
You have mentally attempted to disable [Gamer's Mind].
Is this the action you wish to take?
Y/N
What stood before me was something I'd anticipated, though not in this manner.
I pressed on accept.
A surge of emotions struck me with the power of twenty Abaddons on steroids. Almost immediately afterward, a multitude of windows appeared seconds later.
oooo
The System Has Been Updated!
V1.0 → V2.0
→ Title Function Changed!
→ Experience System Changed!
→ Status Screen Changed!
→ [Observe]'s Skill Changed!
→ Notification Screen Changed!
More updates may be applied later if necessary
oooo
Due to disabling one of your passives, the Status Screen has been updated to grant you the option to disable all learned passives. Simply long-press on the perk or skill in question, and it will toggle it.
oooo
+10,000 XP!
+20 WIS!
You have leveled up x1!
oooo
New Perk Gained!
Quick Witted
Your ability to improvise is beyond the average being.
(10% increase to WIS stat)
oooo
Skill Level Up!
Mediation Lvl 100 [Maxed!](Removed!) → 106
106 HP/MP RPM (Regen per minute)
oooo
New Skill Gained!
Magic Detection Lvl 1
The user can discern illusions, negate mind control, and other mental influencing spells.
oooo
New Skill Gained!
Magic Shield Lvl 1
The user can protect their body from external attacks through their magic.
(Cost depends on the amount of damaged received)
oooo
I clutched my throat, feeling how hoarse it was with only breathing.
System…update?
Well, suffice to say, that's a lot of progress.
There were so many things I could go on about, but I think the Status Screen had to be my priority.
So, with only a thought, I brought it up.
oooo
Name: Daniel Mizuno
Age: 13
Race: Human?
Lvl 79 [5,351/7900]
HP: 2110 ; [9959]
MP: 1160 ; [1860]
Status Condition:
STR: 219 ; [1033.6]
VIT: 211 ; [995.9]
DEX: 226 ; [1211.3]
INT: 193 ; [193]
WIS: 201 ; [221.1]
CHA: 149 ; [149]
Points: 55
Money: 6,022,015 Jewels
oooo
The multipliers no longer remained on the screen. Instead of staying in the Perks and Skills section respectively.
The system said I can disable my passives. I pressed on the Perks and Skills, switching off everything.
The effects were immediate. My HP shrank considerably, and my MP simply vanished.
For most mages, when they dismiss Magic Augmentation, it returns to their container.
"Where does the game system keep mine anyway?" It was another odd thing that [Gamer's Body] did.
[Magic Shield] made so much sense. I've consistently relied on my [Physical Endurance] to tank attacks, and in the Kieru Village quest, I was the one that took the most damage. Laxus was tossed around like a ragdoll and he'd been less injured than me, I reckon he knew this ability.
The [Meditation] skill saved me more than once. In both the show and manga, grievous wounds weren't present that much, only in occasional scenarios were they highlighted. Granted, this could be because of censoring, but my point still stands.
I didn't complain though, as this would be a boon for training.
I suspected [Magic Detection] was presumably what Gildarts used when he shattered my illusion. My dependence on [Gamer's Mind] didn't give me the skill.
"Probably why Ivan slipped through my senses so easily, I didn't have this before," I said with a sigh.
My base stats preceding the S-Class Trials were comparable to Kagura, and I was several levels higher than her. The only reason we weren't equals was my sheer skill in the magic department, Magic Augmentation boosting my physical capabilities, and other Perk shenanigans.
Abaddon had been in the mid 300 range and he was level 85.
It made no sense given how much I train.
'Why haven't you turned your magic off?'
She was right.
The problem was...I didn't know how to.
"I can do it whenever I want to now…"
A glimmer of annoyance manifested itself at the way I've been restricting myself.
"If I'd done this earlier, I could've been a fair bit stronger," I muttered, frowning at that thought.
My scowl persisted after a few moments, [Gamer's Mind] not present to stop it.
I'll only use it when absolutely necessary, never during everyday activities.
"The next time I see Kagura, I'm taking her out to dinner." She'd been alluding to this issue without even knowing, it's the least I could do.
My eyes drifted skywards, glimpsing at the stars in the atmosphere radiating indifferently. The air was more relaxed as the wind skimmed against my hair.
For once in my life…I wasn't trying my best to write down every future event…I wasn't planning every course of action…I wasn't training myself to exhaustion and often near unconsciousness.
'I really think that you're rejecting yourself.'
A snicker escaped my lips, which shifted into a chuckle, and subsequently, laughter.
I felt all of it.
From rage to happiness, it truly was there.
I was free.
oooo
Congratulations!
You've broken through your own mental and emotional limiters!
[Dominate Magic] is now under your control!
oooo
"Yes."
I started tearing up, not even acknowledging the notification, as tears of joy streamed down my face.
"Truly…free."
Yo! It's been a while, hasn't it?
A very emotionally heavy chapter, something I've been building towards since chapter 2, but more predominantly in the recent ones.
Danny's character arc went from → Punching everything and getting exp! To → Becoming his own person.
Granted, he still has a lot to develop.
I felt an update to the system symbolizes him changing into someone with his own desires, and disregarding [Gamer's Mind] was a step in that direction.
A big fan of 'The Z Gamer' and the design is an homage to that in both of my fics. Also, this site is annoying when transferring over line breaks which is why I revised it.
For [Dominate Magic] (I had this conversation with someone in my discord and I'm glad he agrees), how can you dominate others if you don't even understand yourself?
He's only been able to use it when his emotions get riled up, but never on his accord.
For those PMing me on where we are in the timeline, it's currently August of x780
Anyway, do you want to view the stats of both Earthland's Gamer and A Vegetables Playthrough?
It's all on my new server! MrBallin's Grand Court!
My Server: QG8WraudFB
You can also join the Shiro's Discord Server and find me under #mrballin's-court!
Shiro's Discord Code: wd3tUYWVCd
Remember to follow and review!
Until Next Time!