Disclaimer: I own nothing; just the OC
'Thought'
"Talking"
*Action*
"Powerful entity (gods, dragons, etc.)"
[System]
A boy runs through the empty streets of town as a mob of adults chase after him. The boy didn't understand why they were angry. He did all of the work they didn't want to do and only asked for food and a place to sleep.
"Gah!" The boy falls as he feels a surge of pain and sees an arrow piercing his right thigh.
"Nowhere to run, you little shit!" The mob leader yelled.
"W-Why are you doing this to me…? I… I didn't do anything w-wrong." The boy sobs and gets stabbed in the torso.
"Shut up! It was a mistake to let you live! You are nothing more than a blight to our village; a silver-eyed DEMON!"
"We never should have let your parents settle here. We were lucky that they were chewed out by Grimm, it's a shame you didn't DIE with them! But we will soon fix that." The female villager said menacingly, holding a machete in hand.
The boy sobs as he holds onto his stab wound. "I-I… sorry…"
"We don't want your apology, boy. WE WANT YOU DEAD!" The villager roars out as they're about to run him through the heart.
The boy closes his eyes, about to accept his fate, only to hear the sounds of moans and pained grunts. He opens his eyes and sees the mob on the ground with cuts and bruises. The cause of their current state is a new figure clad in a white cloak as they turn their attention to the boy.
The boy's eyes can barely keep focus, before they close completely.
[You have rested. HP, MP, and SP are restored]
I groan as I wake up. The first thing I notice is that I'm inside a tent of some sort with a small table with four cushions in front of me.
"What… happened? Last thing I remember was going to Shion…" As my sight readjusts, I realize that I'm in a small cage with my hands bound behind my back. "What the fuck!?"
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps deviates my attention and someone walks into the tent. It's a young woman with tan-colored skin, short brown hair and icy blue eyes. She has a tattoo of a bird rising from flowers on her left arm. She has a tattoo of a bird rising from flowers on her left arm. She wore a light brown vest with dark brown panels on the top and a dark brown buckled strap on the back, over a torn white shirt that was partially unbuttoned revealing what appears to be a black bra, alongside a collar that appears to be slightly turned up behind her neck.
She's wearing maroon-colored jeans which cling tightly to her ass with the right side rolled up to her thigh revealing the dark pink lining alongside a brown belt with a pouch attached to the right side. She is also wearing dark brown calf guards with one having a garter styled strap that went under her rolled-up pant leg along with a pair of beige and dark brown lace-up boots with folded over sides, showing over the white lining accompanied by a pair of maroon socks that partially covered her calf guards. On her hands she is wearing a pair of gloves with the right one being fingerless and wrist length with a large cuff whilst the other was elbow length and covered with a dark brown vambrace. Lastly, she wore a narrow dark brown choker strap around her neck.
[Observe]
Name: Vernal
Title: Vice-Leader of the Branwen Tribe, Decoy Maiden
Level: 20
HP: 2,699
MP: 0
SP: 3,098
AP: 2,768
Thoughts about you: Weak
Vernal stares at me for a good ten seconds before she turns her head to the outside. "Ma'am! Your guest is awake."
As soon as she says that, Vernal stands aside and lets Raven walk in. I stared at the Chieftain of the Branwen Tribe, now without her signature mask on, and got a good look at her face. A roundish face with barely any blemishes or wrinkles at all, bright red eyes that seem to be staring directly at my soul and a mane of wild raven-black hair that only made her more captivating to look at.
Overall, she is one hell of a looker; a gorgeous fucking MILF.
"Leave us." Raven orders and Vernal quickly leaves the tent.
With the decoy maiden gone, Raven turns her full attention to her prisoner and how intensely he's looking at her.
"Like what you see?" Raven half teased.
"... a bit." I admitted.
"Hmph." Raven slowly walks towards me. "You really are an enigma." She crouches and reaches towards me.
"Don't touch me." I growl.
Raven ignores me and grabs [Joker's Mask] and pulls it off. "You… have silver eyes."
"Yeah, I know." I said with a bit of bitterness.
"Why do you hide your face behind a mask? Are you hiding from someone?" Raven asked.
I arch an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same question. It seems pretty pointless to hide your face when your face is plastered on wanted posters."
"The mask is merely a decoration. It helps to intimidate my prey." Raven states. "But more importantly, do you know where you are?"
"Your tribe." I said not as a question but as a fact.
Raven nods and places my mask on the table. "Normally, I don't let anyone into the tribe unless they are strong enough… or to hold them hostage." She stands up. "But you are neither."
I merely continue to stare at her.
"You aren't strong or worth a damn. You don't have a Semblance or even have your Aura unlocked. Yet, somehow, not only have you managed to kill several of my men but also caught me off guard. You can imagine my disbelief at the whole situation." Raven states with a glare.
"I like to do the opposite of people's expectations." I told her.
"Does that also include your usage of magic perchance?" Raven asked.
"..." I didn't respond.
"At first, I thought it was just some unique way of Dust weaving, but now I realize that it was far more than simple Dust. So I will ask this…" Raven suddenly unsheathes her sword and holds its tip up to my throat. "What sort of honeyed words did you use to make Ozpin give you his magic?"
I blink at the sudden question. So that's it. She thinks I work for Ozpin because I use magic. Not surprising, Ozpin was originally the one who gave four girls the power over seasons and later gave Qrow and Raven the ability to turn into their namesakes.
It would make sense… if she wasn't so horribly wrong.
Ozpin has barely any magic left, he is a shell of the great sorcerer he once was. He is a bleeding wound and with every reincarnation his magic dindles even more. Even if he transferred his magic to me, it would have been on a pitiful amount, not even on par to the Maidens.
Speaking of the Maidens, what was Oz thinking when he gave those girls magic? Did he think they would be strong enough to kill Salem or something?
'Welp, time to put those acting lessons to good use. Maybe I can find something useful if I press her hard enough." I thought.
I don't know." I said.
"Don't pull any bullshit with me, boy!" Raven flicks her sword. "I know damn well Ozpin put you up to it! He wouldn't just give you magic unless it benefitted him!"
"Lady, I have no idea what you're talking about! I've never met Ozpin in my entire life!" I exclaimed. "I've had this power since I was a kid! I don't know where it came from!"
Raven gives me a good, hard look as she analyzes my features for any signs of lying. For as long as she can remember, she could always tell whenever people were lying. It was one of the many traits that makes her an efficient and deadly leader to her tribe. If anyone lied to her, they would be punished… severely.
Yet when she looks at this boy… she finds nothing. No muscle twitching, no unusual vocal pitches, nothing! She only sees a scared kid that can't make heads or tails of her questions.
"You… you really don't know, do you?" Raven said almost in surprise and pulled her sword away from my neck.
Good, she took the hook. Now to reel her in. "How do you know about magic anyway? I never said that it was magic to begin with."
Raven quickly snaps out of her thoughts and looks at me. "That's none of your business."
Tch, playing hard to get huh? We'll see how long that lasts. "Is it? You capture me, you point your sword at me asking questions that I can't possibly answer and now you don't want to answer MY question. You're not being a good host, Raven."
Raven sends a heavy glare at her prisoner. "You're acting quite confident for someone who is at my mercy."
"Don't worry, it only happens when I smell bullshit." I shrug.
Raven stares for a few seconds and sheathes her sword back in its scabbard. "Tell me, what is your favorite fairy tale?"
Oh, so we are heading towards that route. All right, then…
"[The Story of the Seasons]. Though if we're talking about personal favorites, then [The Girl in the Tower] takes the cake. I don't know why, but whenever I read it, there was always a sense of… melancholy within the words. As if the writer was on the verge of tears the more he wrote. It always intrigued me." I told her. "But what does that have to do with anything?"
"What if I told you those stories were real?" Raven said.
I scoffed. "No way."
"Why not? Magic is real, why wouldn't the fairy tales be the same?"
"Because they're fairy tales. Fiction. There's no way such bizarre events actually happened." I stated.
"While some of the events were exaggerated in order to appeal to readers, they are all based on true events." Raven said.
"And how do you know all of this?" I asked.
"Because I have the [Spring Maiden] here with me." Raven reveals.
I blink in false shock. "What?"
"Did I stutter? I said I have the [Spring Maiden] here with me." Now, to plant the seeds of deception. "She came to me after running away from Ozpin's clutches. I trained her to be the strongest in the tribe, second only to me. I gave her the chance to break free of her chains."
"... what do you want?" I finally asked.
Raven smirks, this is what she's been waiting for. "I can help you control your magic, just like I helped her. All you need to do… is join me."
The brat looks at me directly in the eyes for what feels like ages… until he finally opens his mouth.
"Okay."
Raven smiles.
I internally smirked. 'Hook, line, and sinker.'
[Hahahahahaha! I can't believe she bought your act! She's more gullible than I thought!]
'Yeah. Being cooped up at home all day during a pandemic had its benefits after all.' I thought. It also helps that [Gamer's Mind] kept my emotions in check otherwise Raven would have smelled the bullshit by now.
"So, now that I'm part of your little cult, could please let me out?" I asked.
Raven glares at me. Is that all she does?
"We'll fix that attitude of yours first." She walks up to the cage and unlocks it. I drag myself out of the small metal box and stand up, then Raven walks behind and undoes my restraints.
I glance at the mask and walk up to it. I grab the mask and put it on, "the next time you take off my mask, I will break your hand."
Raven doesn't respond and walks out. "Follow me."
I follow her out of the tent and see the Branwen Tribe for the first time. The settlement itself is simple, yet it's obvious that they were in a rush to put it together. When the wind blows, I can hear loud creaking coming from some of the tents; a sign that they will not last long. Another thing I notice is the wooden log wall that surrounds the settlement and beyond that I can see the trees, signifying that we may be in a forest somewhere in Anima.
"As per tradition, all new members must pass a rite of passage. You will fight against a warrior of my choosing and if you defeat them or push them out of the ring, then you will be officially welcomed into the Branwen Tribe."
"So you're saying that, you will decide my fate through gladiatorial combat." I surmised.
Raven nods.
"Aren't you going to unlock my [Aura] first?"
Raven gives me a brief glance. "Why would I do that? You haven't earned your place here. As far as I'm concerned you don't deserve to have [Aura]."
Harsh.
We reach the far end of the settlement where we find an open area that looks reminiscent of an arena. Surrounding it are piles of broken metal as well as dried blood stains that have never quite been cleaned off and were just left there like it's supposed to signify something from an outsider's perspective.
I look around as people are already making their way here. "I hope this fighter isn't another dumbass with a stick up their ass."
Raven smirks. "Trust me, this one is special." She turns to the crowd. "Vernal."
On cue, Vernal pushes herself out of the crowd and rushes toward Raven's side.
[She wants to send her decoy to fight you. Granted, she is stronger than the bandits we fought earlier. She may be give you a better challenge than Shay]
'Speaking of Shay…' I eye the crowd and sure enough, Shay's there now sporting two missing front teeth; one because of me and the other from Raven herself.
"I hope she's not another dirty blondie, one of them is already bad enough." I quipped.
Shay glares at me with visible anger as everyone in the crowd laughs at him.
"Trust me, Vernal is special. I can assure she is nothing like that living toothpick Shay." Raven says with confidence.
"Alright, I'll take your word for it." I said and the two of us walked towards the center of the arena together.
"Before I forget," Raven throws my [Iron Sword] and lands in front of me. "You'll need this."
I pick up the sword and after a couple of swings, I'm ready.
Quest Alert!
Quest: Welcome to the Branwen Tribe.
Looks like you'll have to fight to survive and against Vernal of all people!
Objective: Pass the Rite of Passage
Rewards: 2,560 EXP, 900 Credits
"Begin!"
Vernal starts off by pulling out a pair of crescent shaped blades, each with a ring-shaped center. The large outer blades have hooked points that point back toward the grip. They have four smaller blades located in pairs above and below the grip, which is wrapped in red cloth and curved to form part of the middle ring. The large outer blades are capable of collapsing toward the grip. Atop the ring and below the upper blades is a pair of rectangular gun barrels. Within the main ring is a smaller, thinner ring connected by a pin to the forward facing portion of the weapons, acting as a trigger for the barrels.
She shoots and I instinctively use my sword to deflect the bullets, which ricochet and hit some of the spectators.
I swing my sword in an arc before dashing towards the bandit girl for an attack, but she swifts her weapons to their melee form and uses the blades to catch my attack. I push forward and Vernal pushes back, causing the metal to grind and sparks to fly out.
Skill Level Up!
[Blade Mastery LVL. 7/100]
"You're not going to win. So why don't you do us both a favor and admit defeat?" Vernal mocked.
Rather than answer, I use my [Determination] to increase my strength and push onward.
Vernal struggles as she is becoming overwhelmed in this deadlock as she begins to lose ground, only to be suddenly sent flying by a roundhouse kick to the torso.
Vernal doesn't have time to get her bearings as she sees her opponent leaping upwards to send a downwards strike that she barely manages to dodge. She doesn't have time to counter as her opponent gives her no breathing room, sending slash and stabs that force her to adopt a defensive stance.
"How the hell are you forcing me back this much!? You don't even have [Aura]!" Vernal screams in frustration.
I smirk. "The secret is simple: push ups, sit ups, and plenty of juice."
Vernal felt her eye twitch. "Are you trying to be cute!?"
"Bitch," I twirl my sword and hit her in the stomach with the butt causing her to stagger back a bit. "I'm fucking adorable."
Raven chuckles silently at the jab.
Vernal coughs and glares at me. "That's it! No more playing around!" A light suddenly surrounds her body.
I arch an eyebrow. "You weren't using [Aura] this entire time? Did you think I was so weak you wouldn't need it? Talk about arrogant."
Vernal grits her teeth and begins to shoot at me. She runs around, encircling me in a flurry of light infused bullets.
I start to lose track of her movements. 'Does she have a Speed Semblance or something?' I deflect her bullets but some of them manage to get through my blindspots and hit me from the sides and legs.
-344 HP
HP: 3,696/4,040
-344 HP
HP: 3,352/4,040
-344 HP
HP: 3,008/4,040
I collapsed from the wounds in my legs.
'NOW!' Vernal rushes towards me at fast speeds.
"!" I wasn't able to react in time and before I know it, she stabs in both shoulders.
-597 HP
HP: 2,411/4,040
Shay smirks. "Looks like we have a winner."
"..." Raven stares intensely at the two.
Vernal's smile threatens to spit her face. This is it. There is no way the brat can fight two blades stabbing his shoulders. He was a fool to believe he could beat her without [Aura] and this is proof of that. She has won!
"Hmph." Vernal looks up to see her opponent staring at her neutrally, like he doesn't even acknowledge the blades on his shoulders. "Is that best you can do?"
Vernal can only blink before something hits her in the and sends spiraling backwards, ending up face-first on the ground. She raises her head and spits out the dirt and sees what hit her: a floating, skeletal-like hand with a hole in the middle.
"W-What…?" Vernal tries to comprehend what she's seeing.
"You may want to move. I still don't have complete control over this thing." The hole in the hand glows a bright red before shooting a red laser at Vernal and explodes on impact.
When the smoke clears, everyone sees Vernal struggling to move before her [Aura] fades completely and she collapses from exhaustion.
Skill Level Up!
[Chroma LVL. 2/100]
Quest Complete!
Quest: Welcome to the Branwen Tribe.
Objective (Complete): Pass the Rite of Passage
Rewards: 2,562 EXP, 900 Credits
Level Up!
"Would you look at that? I won." I said.
Everyone in the audience was shocked. Someone defeated Vernal, Raven's top lieutenant, whom she personally trained to be the deadliest warrior in the tribe. And she was beaten by some no-name brat from the sticks who didn't even have their [Aura] unlocked!? No one could believe it! And what was with that laser beam!? Where did it come from!?
'What the hell was that!?' Raven frantically thought. 'I thought he had magic similar to the Maidens, but this is not what I was expecting!' She sees the floating hand vanish from sight. 'Looks I need to keep a closer eye on him.'
I turn my attention to Raven and make my way towards her, ignoring the stares I'm getting from everyone.
"I won. Now unlock my [Aura]." I demanded.
Raven blinks out of her stupor and glares at me. "You have a lot of nerve making demands of me."
"I'm merely reminding you to keep your end of the bargain. I don't trust you enough to know you'll keep a promise." I countered.
We each get into a staring contest. Raven can easily kill me right for openly denying her like this, but I know she wants me around for the power I just revealed. She won't just throw away a powerful pawn so that others can use it against her later. She'll try to persuade me to stay permanently, but the question is how.
[She may try to coerce you through riches or other things they may get from raids. That or try to use her body for sex. Both options seem possible]
"Very well. A deal is a deal. And Raven Branwen always fulfills her promises." Raven relents.
I mentally scoff. Tell that to the family you abandoned.
She puts her hand on my shoulder. "Close your eyes and concentrate." I do so without reply and immediately I feel something flow through me from her hand. It's warm and very relaxing.
"For it is in risk we gain survival. Through this, we become a paragon of duty and sacrifice to outlast all others. Infinite in reach and unbound by ties, I release your soul, and by my hand, set thee free." Raven chants like Pyrrha did for Jaune. It sounds like a magic incantation more than anything. She takes her hand off my shoulder and I open my eyes.
"...!?" I can see the outline of her red aura and then look at my own body, noticing what looks like a black outline. 'So that's my aura color... not bad.'
Quest Complete!
Quest: Welcome to Remnant!
Objective 1 (Complete): Find a weapon
Objective 2 (Complete): Unlock your Aura
Rewards: 15,000 EXP, 6,400 Credits, Skills
Level Up(x5)!
Skills acquired:
[Heal LVL. 1/100]
Cost 20 MP
Allows the user to restore 20% of HP
[Lockpick LVL. 1/100]
Cost 20 SP
Allows the user to pick any locked door or chest
Semblance unlocked!
[Survival]
A passive Semblance that boosts a person's power. If an opponent is stronger than you, the Semblance will work to exceed their strength, likewise should the user be facing danger.
Awesome, I got a healing skill. Now I don't have to worry about running out of healing potions. Lock picking is also a pretty useful skill, I can get through locks no problem.
The only thing that I wasn't too excited about was my Semblance. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that I finally got a Semblance, but there's something weird about it.
This Semblance is… wrong. It doesn't feel right. Like it's not even mine but someone else's.
"Now that you are officially one of us, there are laws you must follow." Raven's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "First is that the tribe always comes first. No matter what you do, it must benefit the survival of the tribe. The second is you must follow all of my orders without exception. If you defy even one of my orders you will be branded a traitor and be killed on sight."
Rather than being frightened, I simply give her a blank stare and nod.
Raven clicks her tongue. "The final and most important rule is one even I follow: Survival of the Fittest. The weak die and the strong survive. If I find you weak or lagging behind, I will not hesitate to dispose of you myself, so I suggest that from this point onwards you focus on nothing but growing stronger." With that, Raven walks away and pretty soon everybody goes their separate ways.
A couple of bandits help Vernal up and take her to somewhere likely to get some rest.
[What a day, huh? You're not here for even a week and already you've managed to piss off an amazon crime boss. I'll start thinking about what to say in the eulogy]
"Haa… whatever, I'm too tired to care. Let's find a place to sleep." I start my tread through the makeshift settlement to find a place to rest. I wander aimlessly through the manmade path, ignoring the glares and whispers from the denizens of this filthy place. It's annoying. I spot a tent on the far end of the settlement, near the main gate and walk inside. Inside the tent is a bed with what looks like skin fur on top that looks like it's being used as bed sheets. On the side is a bucket with water in it with a large shard of glass as a mirror. There's a chest with clothes inside and at the far end is another bucket that I'm not even gonna bother to check.
I look around and nod. "Yeah. This could work." I sit on the bed and open my status screen. "Okay so how do I use my Gacha Tokens?"
[Simply tap the "G" on the ticket and it will be replaced with one random item or ability]
"Okay…?" I tap on the [Common Gacha Token] and they appear in my hand. They're two brownish tickets with a green "G" in the middle. I follow Tobi's instructions and tap on the "G" and the ticket vanishes before me and it is replaced with… a water bottle?
Congratulations! You have gained [Water Bottle]!
[Water Bottle] - Rank: E
A simple plastic water bottle containing cool fresh water.
Wow. When it said it was common, I didn't think it was going to be literal. Well, I am kind of thirsty right now, so why not?
I drink the water bottle and use the second Gacha Token.
Congratulations! You have gained [Used Band Aid]!
[Used Band Aid] - Rank: E
A used Band Aid. It has been used by someone already. There's even a bit of blood on it. Restores no HP.
A Band Aid? Seriously? That's the dumbest thing I could get. And it doesn't even do anything.
I incinerate the crappy prize. "Well, this is the least useful thing I could've gotten." I pull out my three [Uncommon Gacha Tokens] and activate them. "Hope I get something good."
Congratulations! You have gained [Pretty Magic Ring]!
[Pretty Magic Ring] - Rank: B
Raises MAG by 6.
Congratulations! You have gained [Geokinesis]!
[Geokinesis LVL. 1/100]
Cost 56 MP
The ability to psychically move earth about as though by Telekinesis, at will. It allows the user to psychically alter earth's texture, density, fluidity, temperature and the like, at will as well as induce or prevent earth-related phenomena.
Deals 80 + INTx1.3 Earth Damage
Congratulations! You have gained [Phoenix Down]
[Phoenix Down] - Rank: A
Brings the dead back to life and increases HP and MP recovery rate
Another elemental skill. Awesome! From the description, Geokinesis sounds like Earth Bending from Avatar which means I can pull off most of the stuff Toph can do in the show.
Oh, this is gonna be fun.
The glowing orange feather grabs my attention. A Phoenix Down. Another iconic item from Final Fantasy. These things weren't cheap in the game, about +1000 Gil if I remember correctly. In the older games, they would revive you with only half of your health but Final Fantasy 15 gives you a full restore.
The final item is a ring with a crystal that's glowing with a bluish glow. I put it on my right ring finger and I feel something washing over me. I can already feel my magical reserves growing just by putting it on. It's a wonderful feeling.
"Now for the last one." I pull out my [Legendary Gacha Token] and stare at it. If RPGs have taught me anything, it is that items like this are very, very, hard to come by. There's a less than 5% chance of getting them.
And considering how bad my luck is when it comes to gambling, I'm a little scared of using it and getting something bad. What if I get something useless? I just wasted what's essentially a golden egg for nothing.
Anxiety and fear grips my mind but it quickly vanishes thanks to [Gamer's Mind]. "I shouldn't think so negatively. I should be positive. I may just get something great, hell, maybe something GODLY."
Without any hesitation, I tap the [Legendary Gacha Token].
… and immediately get crushed by a giant green rock.
"Ngh, what the hell!?" I scream out while being tackled by the sudden weight.
Congratulations! You have gained [Master Emerald]!
[Master Emerald] - Rank: EX
A source of unbound and infinite energy. It is said to have been created by the gods after watching people using the Chaos Emeralds for evil deeds, and equipped with the gem to be able to negate the energy of the Chaos Emeralds as well as enhance them, turning them into Super Emeralds.
It usually resides in a shrine on Angel Island where it has been guarded by the Knuckles Clan for centuries. In the modern era, it is guarded by Knuckles the Echidna.
"Urrrrgh… AH!" I managed to get the damn off me. "Fuck, I thought I was gonna die. Still…" I touch the massive gem as I stare at my giddy reflection. "I'm actually a little excited."
[Why? Cause you can finally go Super Saiyan?]
"Well I'm not actually gonna do that." I scoffed. While achieving a Super form is very tempting, it'll definitely drain my stamina and, unlike Sonic, there aren't any Ring floating around for me to collect.
[So what CAN this thing do?]
"Well, it can power up the Chaos Emeralds as well as shut them down. But most of the time it keeps Angel Island… afloat…" I then come to a horrifying realization. Knuckles guards the Master Emerald, then Dr. Eggman would steal it and use it to power whatever contraption he's made.
In other words, it's a plot device. Which means…
"This thing is useless!" I scream out. "Without something to channel it, the [Master Emerald] is just a giant glowing green rock!"
[If that's the case then what are you going to do with it?]
[Gamer's Mind] kicks in and I let out a sigh. "For now, I'll just put it in my inventory. Even if I don't have a way to use it, that doesn't mean I'll just leave it lying around for Raven or, god forbid, Ironwood to get his cold mechanical fingers all over it." I open my [Inventory] and place the [Master Emerald] inside.
Just then, the sound of footsteps flood my ears and a bandit walks inside my tent..
"Hey! What the fuck are you doing in my tent!?" The bandit demands.
I don't even bother turning to them and make my way towards the bed. "What does it look like? I'm going to sleep."
"Not in here! Get out of here!" The bandit yells at me.
"How about no?" I take off my shoes and fall on the mattress. "I'm going to sleep now."
The bandit takes out their gun and aims it at me. "Get out of my tent or else."
I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
Outside
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The denizens of the camp turn to the sound of screaming as they see someone flying in the sky before they crash into a pile of chopped wood.
"Moron." I close my eyes and quickly fall asleep.
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
The sound of burning wood, crackling as it is slowly consumed by another force of nature.
The boy slowly opens his eyes before closing them due to the sudden light hitting his eyes.
"Ahhh…" He tries to speak but finds that his throat is too dry.
*THUD!*
"Ah!" A high-pitched voice hits his eardrums followed by an echoey thud.
The boy turns to the voice to find a woman wearing a white hoodie over her head.
"Y-You're awake!" The woman said. She sees him try to speak but all she gets are raspy noises. "Wait, wait! I have just the thing!" She crawls towards a nearby bag and begins to search it. "Aha!" She pulls out what looks to be a metal bottle.
The woman approaches me and gets on her knees. She takes the cap off the bottle and uses her arm to pull the voice close. "Here. Drink up."
With no other option, the boy does as he is told. The moment the water flows down his throat, he starts to feel relief and then slowly he begins to regain some strength.
"You… have silver eyes… " The woman comments.
After another minute, the woman pulls the bottle away from his mouth.
"Thank you…" The boy said. "Why-"
"Why did I save you? That's a silly question." He can feel the radiating positivity coming from her. "It's because saving people is always the right thing to do!"
"Oh… okay." The boy clearly didn't buy that.
"By the way, could you tell me why those villagers were after you." She could feel the boy's body stiffening at the question. Tears begin to roll off his eyes.
"M-M-M-My p-parents…. T-hey k-k-killed monsters, but… they n-never came back."." The boy sobbed.
"So, they were Huntsmen? That doesn't explain why they wanted to hurt you."
"I'm… c-cursed. A blight that destroys everything it touches. They said that my eyes… a-attract m-monsters." The boy tells her. "I-It would have been b-better if I-I j-just disappeared…"
The woman doesn't say anything and instead prompts to smack the boy in the head.
"OW!" He tries to nurse that inflamed lump on his head. "What was that for!?"
"You're so stupid. How can you believe such a thing? Because let me tell you something, you aren't a curse." The woman's voice is stern yet gentle. "You aren't a blight upon the world. You're a boy. An innocent, kind boy who doesn't deserve what he got."
"B-But my parents-"
"Would be very mad at you if they heard you talking like that. I know I am." She said, puffing her cheeks like she's pouting but then she gets an idea. "That's it. I have the perfect idea, I'm adopting you."
The boy blinks. "Wait what? You can't just-"
"Nope."
"But-"
"Nope."
"Will you just let me finish-"
"NOOOOOOPE!"
"Fine." The boy said reluctantly.
The woman joyfully claps her hands. "Yay! I always wanted a son!" Then she realizes something. "By the way, I just realized I never got your name."
The boy looks down. "I… don't have a name. The villagers said I don't deserve one."
"Well, this wouldn't do at all." She cups her chin and gets an idea. "I got it!"
The boy looks at her with anticipation.
"Your new name is…"
*Chirp, Chirp, Chirp*
I slowly open my eyes and am greeted with cries of birds flying nearby.
[You have rested. HP, MP, and SP are restored]
"That dream again..." I slowly pull myself up as I wipe my eyes from sleep dust. "Ngh… Tobi? What's going on…? Why am I having these dreams? And why do I feel like I have a hangover?"
[Your soul is trying to synchronize with your vessel. Your mind is catching up with over a decade's worth of memories]
I massage my forehead. "Fuck… why do I have a hangover...?"
[Don't be a baby, it just a side effect of your synchronization. It'll pass any second now anyway]
I walk around the tent and notice something is missing. "Oh, don't tell me bandits can't steal themselves a toothbrush and paste?"
[If you're worried about your hygiene, don't worry. {Gamer's Body} makes sure your body is kept in pristine condition. So you don't have to worry about bad breath when you're kissing Raven]
"Why would…?" I quickly stop myself from falling into my partner's bait and open my menu.
Name: Asmodeus
Title: The Gamer
Race: Human
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Level: 19
HP: 5,720 (572 per minute)
MP: 4,290 (429 per minute)
SP: 3,240 (324 per minute)
AP: 3,150 (315 per minute)
VIT: 143
STR: 181
DEX: 162
END: 86
INT: 67
WIS: 105
MAG: 143
LUK: 48
CHA: 29
Money: 17,367 Credits
"Look. I'm not sure how long we'll last here before Raven decides to do something drastic and borderline insane. I should probably try to grind some levels before the inevitable happens."
[If you wanna grind, you'll likely need to hit at least hit two or three dungeons]
"That's the plan." I open the [ID: Create] Menu.
New Dungeon unlocked!
Dungeons Available:
Undead Dungeon (Complete)
Lizardman Dungeon
?
?
I select the [Lizardman Dungeon] and much like last the environment quickly changes as trees stroud from the ground and reach incredible heights and eventually I was in a forest.
Quest Alert!
Bandit life
The Lizardmen have some hidden treasure in their cave. Find it and kill anyone who gets in your way.
Objective: Plunder the treasure
Rewards: 9,977 EXP, 7,409 Credits, Items, Skills
"Sounds easy enough." I pull out my [Iron Sword] and start walking.
Out of nowhere, arrows fly towards me at an unprecedented rate. [Muscle Memory] quickly takes over and I backflip before the arrows can hit me. More arrows appear but I break them with a swing of my sword, but that's when they opt their game and launch a spear at me.
I catch it and throw it back, which results in a high-pitched shriek as something comes rushing out of the deep bushes.
It looks like a large black lizard, about as large as a fully-grown human, and wears a loincloth around its crotch. It also has a primitive-looking quiver strapped to its back. But the most obvious detail about it is the spear poking its chest and its constant, reptilian-like cries of agony.
[Observe]
Name: Black Lizardman Archer
Level: 17
HP: 98/268
MP: 87
SP: 145
Thoughts about you: PAIN!
Skill Level Up!
[Observe LVL. 24/100]
I grab the spear and push it down to drive the weapon deeper into the lizard monster's chest. After loud screaming and death throes, the monster's body goes limp and breathes its last.
You have defeated a Black Lizardman Archer! You have gained 569 EXP! You have earned 427 Credits!
More Lizardmen begin to come out of hiding, each of them in varying colors, sizes, and weapons.
Name: Green Lizardman Archer
Level: 14
HP: 113
MP: 76
SP: 124
Thoughts about you: KILL
Name: Red Lizardman Warrior
Level: 15
HP: 241
MP: 34
SP: 178
Thoughts about you: SLASH
Name: Orange Lizardman Barbarian
Level: 19
HP: 288
MP: 54
SP: 200
Thoughts about you: CRUSH!
The red lizard warriors let out a high-pitched screech and charge at me and dodge their slashes and stabs. I quickly get through its defense and stab one of them in the heart, killing it instantly.
The archers shoot their arrows but I use the new recently deceased corpse as a shield to take all of the arrows. I throw the corpse before using [Fire Control] to ignite it, sending a large flaming projectile and those annoying archers and instantly catch fire from that.
You have defeated the Red Lizardman Warrior! You have gained 679 EXP! You have earned 501 Credits!
You have defeated Green Lizardman Archers(x2)! You have gained 588 EXP(x2)! You have earned 467 Credits(x2)!
Level Up!
A loud roar of the large orange lizard man and its warriors quickly grabs my attention.
The massive cold-blooded monster rushes in to try and grab me but I grab its hands and we end up in a deadlock.
The lizardmen hiss and decide to take this chance and attack.
"Shit." I summon a green and yellow [Chromas] and the green one encases me in a green barrier, slicing the brute's arms off. It roars in pain and falls to the ground. Yellow tears the other lizardmen apart in a volley of rapid fire, their bodies becoming nothing more than a bloody and gory mess on the ground.
I turn my attention back to the larger lizard, now writhing in a pool of its own blood.
Skill Level Up!
[Chroma LVL. 3/100]
"I could leave you here to bleed to death, but I'm not that cruel." I stab it in the head and kill it.
You have defeated Red Lizardman Warrior(x2)! You have gained 679 EXP(x2)! You have earned 501 Credits(x2)!
You have defeated an Orange Lizardman Vanguard! You have gained 799 EXP! You have earned 657 Credits!
Level Up!
I pull my sword out of its skull. "Now let's find that cave." I look at a mountain not too far from where I am. "Hm, that mountain is a good place to start." I was to start the long tread but then I thought of something. "Wait a minute," I activate [Chromas] and summon a Gaster Blaster in front of me.
It is just like it is portrayed in the games and art: a disembodied dragon-like skull with sharp fangs for teeth. It has two glowing silver eyes in its sockets just like mine and it is big enough for a person to ride on it.
I jump on top of the summon and we fly off.
"This is nice." I said with a smile.
After some time, I arrive at the foot of the mountain and, as I expected, there is an entrance to the mountain. However, it is guarded by a bunch of multiple lizardmen, each of different appearance… and they just spotted me.
"Alright, let's give this a whirl." I extend my arm and summon seven [Chromas] behind me. "Let's see what you can do."
It was a massacre.
The lizardmen stood no chance against my [Chromas]. I spammed the blue and red [Chromas] and decimated the first wave of monsters. The Barbarians let out a warcry and charge at me, but I incinerate them all with a blast of my Gaster Blaster.
Before the cave entrance was full of lizardmen guarding it, with a wall made of wood surrounding it.
Now it looked like a bomb hit the area, all of the trees and plants have been completely burned off. The wooden wall is now ashes, giving me access to the cave.
You have defeated Red Lizardman Warrior(x7)! You have gained 679 EXP(x7)! You have earned 501 Credits(x7)!
You have defeated Green Lizardman Archers(x5)! You have gained 588 EXP(x5)! You have earned 467 Credits(x5)!
You have defeated an Orange Lizardman Barbarian(x5)! You have gained 799 EXP(x5)! You have earned 657 Credits(x5)!
Level Up(x4)!
Skill acquired:
[Mana Sense LVL. 1/100]
Allows user to feel the presence of those who have magic
"Oh shit. This will make finding the Maidens a whole lot easier." I said as I dismissed my summons.
I walk into the cavern and follow the torches that lead further down.
"Hm, everything looks normal." That is until a bright orange light catches my vision. I roll aside as the fireball flies past me. "That was close." I turn to the source of the attack.
In front of me is a lizardman. However, this lizardman is wearing a one-piece purple robe with the hood up and has silver armor strapped on top of it. It's holding a wooden staff that curbs at the end and has a metal bracelet attached to the base of the curb.
Lizardman Wizard
Level: 21
HP: 401
MP: 323
SP: 134
Thoughts about you: INTRUDER!
The wizard raises its staff and conjures balls of light that quickly launch themselves straight towards me.
I smash my foot on the ground and a wall of earth rises to block the laser beams, then I extend my arms forward which causes the earth wall to launch towards the reptilian mage.
The wizard puts both of its hands on the staff and slams it into the ground, causing a magic dome to surround causing the incoming wall to break into pieces the moment it makes contact.
"A magic shield, huh? I wonder though…" I raise my hands and widen my posture. "If it can handle THIS!"
The mountain begins to shake violently. Birds fly off their nests and the rest of the animals run as far away as possible.
"HRRRRAAAAAAARGH!" I throw my arms down and with it a large piece of the roof comes down and destroys the magic shield and crushes the wizard inside.
You have defeated a Lizardman Wizard! You have gained 1,298 EXP! You have earned 989 Credits!
Skill Level Up!
[Geokinesis LVL. 5/100]
"Fuck yes! I just pulled an Avatar!" A piece of rock rises up and I play around with it. "You can call me the last Earth Bender, bitch!"
[Hehe, yeah. But don't you have a quest to finish? That's like your whole reason for being here?]
A wave of calmness washes on me. "Oh right, right." I throw the rock away and make the tread onwards. I pass the rock pillar and the bloody puddle under it. "Excuse me."
"So, do I go on a quest every time I go into a dungeon?" I asked.
[Am I hearing complaining from you? Are you complaining that I'm making things easy for you? Because if that's the case, I can make life hard for you. Like, really hard]
"What? No. Where did you get that idea? I'm just wondering if that's the norm here."
[Oh, well, yes. Every time you go to a dungeon, you will get a quest. Sometimes from me (which is what you're doing now) and sometimes from the environment itself. Don't ask me how that works, I have absolutely no idea]
"Huh. And here I thought the system knew everything. Guess you learn something new everyday."
[Don't get smart with me. You know less than I do]
"Whatever." I continued on until I came across an opening and walked inside and in it I was appalled.
Gold. Gold everywhere.
A massive pile of gold that towers over me, it's so high that it can touch the ceiling. In the pile are other items sticking out like jewels, chests and such.
"Oh… my… god…" I smile forms on my face. "I'm gonna be rich!" But then I realized something. "Wait, how am I going to get it out of here?"
[Just open your Inventory]
"Oh, okay…?" I opened my [Inventory] but unlike usual the rift opened underneath the pile and was just… sucked into it like a black hole. "That was… interesting."
Currency conversion complete! You now have 1,000,029,920 Credits!
You have acquired the following:
[Lesser END Crystal] - Rank: D
A weak crystal that when crushed, increases one's END by 5.
[Lesser INT Crystal] - Rank: D
A weak crystal that when crushed, increases one's INT by 5.
[Lesser CHA Crystal] - Rank: D
A weak crystal that when crushed, increases one's CHA by 5.
[Lesser LUK Crystal] - Rank: D
A weak crystal that when crushed, increases one's LUK by 5.
[Perfect Amulet] - Rank: A
An ornate amulet which serves as a key to the Temen-ni-gru's gate to the Demon World as well as awaken a certain demon sword.
[Risky Dice] - Rank: A
A card found in the Greed Island game. If rolled and ends on "Excellent Luck", user's luck will increase by 20 but if it ends on "Great Misfortune", user will lose 20.
[Engine Sword] - Rank: C
A one-handed sword fused with an engine at the hilt.
It is Noctis Lucis Caelum's "iconic" weapon, gifted to him by his father on his 16th birthday.
299 + 1.5xSTR Physical damage
[Legendary Gacha Token(x3)]
[Uncommon Gacha Token(x4)]
Quest Complete!
Bandit life
Objective(Complete): Plunder the treasure
Rewards: 9,977 EXP, 7,409 Credits, Perks, Skills
Level Up(x3)!
Perks acquired:
[Apprentice Magus]
Increases the effectiveness of spells by 10%
Decreases MP consumption by 10%
[Gambler's Charm]
Games of chance are impossible to lose
[Element Amp]
Strengthens all elemental attacks by 50%
Skills acquired:
[Blade Beam LVL. 1/100]
Deals damage to the first enemy that you target for 3.5x the normal damage of the user's weapon. A secondary beam will burst from the first enemy you hit which will hit all of the other enemies on the battlefield. This secondary beam hits for 1.0x the normal damage.
I clasp my hands together in an evil sort of way. "Ohohohoho. Looks like my luck is starting to turn." I take out the crystals and promptly crush them and their energy fuses into me.
Name: Asmodeus
Title: The Gamer
Race: Human
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Level: 27
HP: 7,960 (796 per minute)
MP: 5,970 (597 per minute)
SP: 4,520 (452 per minute)
AP: 4,350 (435 per minute)
VIT: 199
STR: 253
DEX: 226
END: 253
INT: 226
WIS: 145
MAG: 199
LUK: 199
CHA: 172
Money: 10,000,037,329 Credits
I use [ID: Escape] and return to my tent. Not only am I filthy rich now, but now my luck has increased exponentially. Then there's the amulet from Devil May Cry which I wasn't expecting. It's too bad Sparda's sword wasn't in the pile of treasure instead, otherwise it would have been awesome.
I mean, I am not complaining. The [Engine Sword] isn't too bad.
"I wonder if I'll find the rest of them. I should also try to look for the [Chaos Emeralds], they would be a great asset to have." I said.
[I can help with that]
Conditions met!
Chaos Quest
You have the Master Emerald, so why not try to complete the whole set.
Objective: Find the Chaos Emeralds (0/7)
Reward: Item, Perk, Skill, Legendary Gacha Token(x5)
I smiled. "This will be fun."
Meanwhile
Raven sits on the floor doing maintenance on her weapon, yet the events of yesterday are still replaying in her head. "His magic is more powerful than I thought. He didn't even seem to flinch when she stabbed him." The laser beam was something nobody expected, it one-shotted Vernal, draining her aura completely. "If he had put more power into it, he could have killed her." It was obvious to her that the kid was powerful, he could be the greatest asset to the tribe. However, it's obvious even to her that he will never submit to her rules. He is just like her bastard brother and that other brat she used to take care of.
"It's obvious he won't submit to me." Raven stares at her reflection on the blade. "Ozpin and Salem can never have him… I will make sure of that."
Author Notes
Finally done. Now we are getting somewhere.
At first, I was gonna do the Infinity Gems but then I thought that was too broken so I opted with the emeralds instead (which isn't much better since they're just as broken). Then I had an issue with the EXP because I needed to add the 30% increase, but I managed to get a hang of it.
As stated before, the dreams are part of a process of the MC synching with the vessel. It'll make more sense in the future, don't worry.
As always, leave a comment. Good, bad, who cares.
Peace~
