POFF!
SMASH!
[Pistol Mastery]'s level has increased by 1.
Oh yeah, baby! Dead-center! Now that's what I like to see!
Check this…
Pistol Mastery [Passive] - Level 15/100
Allows the user to wield pistols of all shapes and sizes with increased efficiency. Each level increases accuracy and reload speed by 1%. Pistol Skills will be unlocked upon reaching certain levels of this skill. Note that some weapons may require a certain level or higher of this skill to use properly.
And it only took me… what, a week of on-and-off practice sessions lasting an hour or so to get to that point? Huh.
Why am I even doing this, anyway? The weapon I have in mind isn't gonna use a pistol. Why haven't I bought or found an assault rifle yet and started training with that? Ehh.
Kinda hard to believe I've been here for seven whole days. The first was a real rush, and then everything after that was… well, I guess everything that summer vacation - or whatever amounts to it here - is cracked up to be. Lazy days, sports, grinding, all that good stuff.
Might as well check my exploits thus far.
Quest Log
Sort: Oldest-Newest
Herbal Remedy (COMPLETE)
A local old-school pharmacy has run into budget problems. Help them out by securing needed ingredients for their products. Any available Potions would also be appreciated.
Objectives
-Collect ingredients: 5/5
-Bonus: Give Potions: 2/2
Rewards
100 EXP
50 Lien
Bonus Rewards
"Alchemy" Skill
100 Lien
Patchwork Punishment (COMPLETE)
The Grimm are always multiplying, and won't stop for anything. Kill some Beowolves to assist in keeping the island's monster population to a minimum.
Objectives
-Kill Beowolves: 5/5
Rewards
200 EXP
100 Lien
Mad props to Qrow for helping me out with the Request Bulletin. I don't know where I'd be without it.
What's my sheet say, again…?
Zeiss Serven
Title: Child Cynic
Class: Drifter
Level: 8
EXP: 0
Level Up at: 950
HP: 450
MP: 380
BP: 100
VIT: 45
STR: 45
INT: 38
DEX: 45
AGI: 45
RES: 26
LUK: 24
CHR: 29
Points: 35
Status: Healthy
Lien: 600
Took me 6 days to go up 4 levels, compared to how I got 3 in the first day. Granted, I did procrastinate a little, but thank god for the sisters reminding me to get off my ass and do shit on schedule. Who knows how much time I'd waste dicking around if they weren't here.
Let me see if I can remember everything… okay.
Holy shit, that talk with Tai was scary. I mean, I get that he already knows about the silver eyes thing and that his kids are destined for battle, and that he'd love to have any sort of insurance, but he could really stand to loosen up a little. Maybe it's because I'm a boy? I should probably tell him sometime about my stance on relationships. Namely, 'I have no interest in a girlfriend whatsoever, so that makes me an ideal matchmaker because I try my best not to romantically endear anyone to me without being a dick about it.' Actually, maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad idea if I changed my gender back when this whole thing started. It'd make shipping that much easier.
On second thought, it might not, if the copious amounts of White Rose and Bumblebee fanservice moments, not counting Nuts and Dolts have anything to say about it. Can't forget about the big gay dance, after all. Dedede'd have my head on a silver jet hammer if I did.
Arrrgh… what a mess. You know what, I think I'll shove those thoughts in the 'open in 2 years' folder. I don't really need to deal with this at the moment.
While I'm on that, the two-years prep time is a huge advantage not just for training, but support building as well. It's perfect for pre-canon cast meetings. If I can build bridges with as many main characters as I can, that'll give me a pretty high-up spot to work from. Hell, I've already gotten into the Rose-Xiao-Long family's good graces. Doing the same thing with the Schnees, the Arcs, and all those other peeps would be amazing - particularly if they're with each family's cast representative.
I might as well rank them in order of difficulty.
Jaune is definitely the easiest. All I have to do is find out where he lives, and pay him a visit. Should be simple, considering the apparent popularity of his family name and that he's likely Valean. Pyrrha would also be relatively no-effort, since all she's looking for is a friend who doesn't treat her differently because of her status. However, that depends on whether or not I can find a time to talk to her, since she's a Mistral native. My best bet might be to wait for her to get a contract that has her doing something in Vale, and intercept her on the way.
Ren and Nora would be medium difficulty. All we know is that they were both forced to flee Kuroyuri at a very young age - between 6 and 10, if I had to guess. That means that there's at least a 7-year gap between their escape of the doomed village and their arrival at Beacon. Somewhere along the way, they learned how to fight, and made their way from Mistral to Vale. The biggest problem with these two would be pinpointing their position at any given time. They could be anywhere - traveling, staying somewhere, on a job, all kinds of places. Befriending them shouldn't be too hard once I find them.
Weiss and Blake would be the hardest. Weiss should be obvious - meeting her normally would require going to Atlas, and I'm not sure I could spare the effort for a plane ride, or bullhead or whatever. That's not counting the fact that talking to her and trying to become her friend would be like walking on eggshells since she doesn't take too nicely to 'commoners' like me. Wait, no, that's not it. She'd reject me because she'd think that I was after her money, because fuck you, irrationality. That's a major problem. I think the only way I might be able to convince her I'm genuine… is to save her from a White Fang operation, and even then it's not foolproof. Which, if I play my cards right… could result in recruiting Blake as well. That's another problem - little miss black cat likely won't become disillusioned with Adam for another year or so. I'll have to wait on that. Of course, I could try to influence her thinking early, but that might result in unforeseen consequences. Not to mention I might get Adam to sic himself on me, and I would like to keep that from happening until I find a way to hard-counter his Semblance. Something like a Smash Bros. style counter - al la Marth/Ike/Roy's down special - would work like a charm.
All this isn't even counting the possibility of meeting side characters as well. There's lots of possibilities - I could end up assisting Winter on one of her specialist ops. I could meet Penny on a test mission. I might run into Sun or one of his team members for whatever reason. There's way too many variables to construct a foolproof strategy that guarantees cooperation. Pretty much the only thing I can do is make a plan that anticipates failure and then wing it when something eventually does go wrong while hoping against hope that everything will work out. Which is really wishful thinking, but hey - praying to RNJesus hasn't always screwed me over. I just hope that he's on my side this time.
Kinda sucks that I can't improve my luck separately by gambling. Would be real useful for last-second contingencies. Lousy goddamn stupid piss-poor luck growth...
And there I go, rambling again. God, I really need to find a better way to organize my thoughts… bleeeh.
What happened next… right. Somehow, Ruby and Yang managed to sucker Tai into paying room and board for me at a local hotel. Pretty sure it was the puppy-dog eyes. No idea why they'd go that far for someone they just met. Maybe it's 'cause of their eternally bleeding hearts? I dunno.
After that… was the herb quest.
Six days ago…
I was merrily making my way through the forest, having collected 3 of the 5 required ingredients. I had also come across an unlucky Beowolf that was slaughtered to spawn the second Potion I needed for the bonus reward.
WHEN SUDDENLY...
Ursa
Level: 11
HP: 1,550
VIT: 155
STR: 105
INT: 0
DEX: 43
AGI: 44
RES: 90
LUK: 0
CHR: 0
Status: Healthy
All color drained out of my face in record time.
Ohh, noooo…
Present day...
Not really a hard job, by any means. Thank god I managed to dodge that Ursa, though. Beowolves I can take, but the me I was then would've been smashed flat. I'd probably have much more of a chance now, but I'm still not really confident that I'd get away without more than a scratch.
The day after… I think I spent that one with Ruby. I remember we pretty much just fooled around for a while with Yang tagging along, and then did some work on the future Crescent Rose.
Five days ago…
"Ruby, come on. How exactly do you plan on shoving a rocket launcher into this thin frame?"
Ruby
"By compacting it down, duh! Haven't you heard about all the advancements being made in mecha-shift technology? Building something as trivial as that would be child's play!"
"No. Even if you did somehow manage to fit it on without it becoming impractical, when are you ever going to find a good reason to use it? Most of the areas where Grimm spawn have lots of potential collateral damage for high-powered explosives. You wouldn't want to be the one paying the fee for a destroyed forest, hmm?"
Ruby
"Oh, yeah… I guess it would be a little overkill…"
"Wow, ya think?"
Present day...
Gotta say, some of her ideas were so outlandish that I'm surprised she suggested them at all. Then again, she is still young and innocent. (Pfft, like I have a leg to stand on. You're 15, for god's sake! No matter how much you deny it, you still have that spark of naïveté! Stop being a hypocrite!) And we also had a little spar, using practice weapons.
Five days ago…
My sturdy club-stick had practically no effect on the wooden gardening tool's momentum, letting it slam into my stomach.
"Urgh-!"
-61 HP
Zeiss HP: 56/300
"Okay, alright, that's enough! I yield! Jeez…"
My opponent simply twirled her training scythe around before settling it on her shoulder.
Ruby
"Well, serves you right for picking a fight with a girl 6 levels higher than you! What'd you think was gonna happen?"
"Well, probably survive past f*BEEP*ing four hits, but whatever. That's my loss."
Ruby
"Oh, don't feel too bad. I mean, you at least landed one attack before I owned you. That's something to be proud of, isn't it?"
"It could, but it'd be drowned out by the fact that I didn't even make it past the 30-second mark. Man, being a newbie always sucks…"
Ruby
"We all know that feel."
Present day...
That match was… well, it certainly was an experience. I still don't get how she's able to swing the big-ass scythe around like it's made of paper. Oh, wait - Aura. Duh. Plus her Strength's freakishly high. I was a little concerned over the whole 'I'm an otherworlder, I might not have Aura' thing, but apparently the system was lying to me because it said that my HP is my Aura. How that makes sense is completely foreign to me, but whatever. I suppose it passes for a Hand Wave. I'll never let her live down the fact that I kicked her ass in hand-to-hand, but given context, that's not much of an accomplishment.
Five days ago…
MISS!
MISS!
MISS!
MISS!
"...are you even trying?"
Ruby
"Shut up!"
Present day...
Next up… shooting range and sword practice day. Nothing really noteworthy there, moving on.
Then the lazy day. We all just got together and flopped around the house.
Three days ago…
"EVERYBODY DO THE FLOP!"
WHAM!
Present day…
That was fun.
Then it was Yang's day. Boy howdy, the face she made when she found out I could drink alcohol at my age without any lasting effects was priceless.
Two days ago…
Status effect "Influenced"'s duration has been increased to 0:30:00.
Yang
"Umm… not that I'm trying to stop you or anything, but shouldn't you at least be slurring your words right about now?"
[Posion Resistance]'s level has increased by 1.
"Didn't you get the memo? The only thing drinking alcohol gets me is the 'Influenced' status effect and extra levels for Poison Resistance."
Yang
"Wait. Hooooold on just a minute. Are you saying that… you could actually drink Uncle Qrow under the freaking table if you wanted to?!"
"Yeah, duh. And the only thing I'd have to show for it would be a ridiculously long-lasting debuff that wouldn't even affect my mental processes."
Yang
"..."
"Uh, Yang? You still in th-"
Yang
"WHAAAAA-"
Present day...
That was also the day I found out I could take screenshots, now that I think about it. Where were those again? Right, here.
"PFFEHEHEHEHEHEH!"
Never gets old!
Though she did break my nose for that during our match later in the day.
Two days ago…
KAPOW!
-161 HP
Zeiss HP: 139/300
"GAAAHH, MOTHERF*BEEP*ER!"
Yang
"That's what'cha get!"
Present day...
It healed in no time, but it still hurt like a bitch. However, I do admit that I probably did deserve that sucker-punch headshot. At least we're even now.
We argued a ton over who groaned the hardest during the pun-fest we got into. I stand by my decision that it was Qrow. Ruby's good, but her groans are lessened by the fact that she secretly loves the humor and just won't admit it to herself. Seeing as we were getting nowhere, the debate ended when we agreed to disagree. Oh, and Ruby had managed to go up a level by that point. Don't know how, but it probably involved a lot of training and Beowolves. Most likely at the same time.
The day after brought the kill quest. What a damned gold mine. I went up an entire level from that. And made enough cash to buy myself a scroll. I wonder if they have anything besides the standard model for sale. Maybe I could special-order something from Atlas? Eh, questions for later. Not like I really need one anyways, given everything the chat can do. Fucking bullshit OP Gamer powers. But… gah, I need Muh Internet. And I could use a good PR story if anyone starts asking questions.
Finally… today. Another day for sword and shooting practice. Which I just got done with.
I might check out the list to see how far I've come.
Skills
Gamer's Body [Passive]
Gamer's Mind [Passive]
Observe [Active]
Sword Mastery [Passive] - Level 25/100
Fireball [Active] - Level 2/10
Adept [Active] - Level 2/10
ID Create [Active] - Level 1/20
ID Escape [Active] - Level 1/20
Resolve [Passive] - Level 1/5
Imbue [Active] - Level 2/10
Twirl Slash [Active] - Level 2/10
Poison Resist [Passive] - Level 10/100
Improves the user's resistance to poison of all kinds. Each level decreases damage taken and effectiveness of poison-related skills and status effects on the user by 1%.
Silver-Tongued [Passive] - Level MAX
Pistol Mastery [Passive] - Level 15/100
Alchemy [Active] - Level 2/40
Allows the user to combine ingredients to create concoctions with various effects. Variety, quality and effectiveness increases with each level.
Spin Cycle [Active] - Level 1/10
Turns the user into a cyclone of steel, dealing 5 separate hits to any enemy caught in the area of effect. Each hit has a base power of STR x 0.2.
Unarmed Mastery [Passive] - Level 10/100
Thunderbolt [Active] - Level 1/10
Cost: 45 MP
Shoot a jagged stream of concentrated electricity from your hand. Has a base power of INT x 1.4. Critical chance is boosted by 10%. Has a 20% chance of causing the "Stun" status effect. Damage multiplied by 1.5 when used against mechanized opponents.
Blacksmithing [Active] - Level 2/40
Allows the user to create weapons and armor of all shapes and sizes. Variety, quality, and effectiveness increases with each level.
Restore [Active] - Level ⅕
Cost: 30 MP
A helpful spell that removes a single debuff from the target.
Guard Stance [Active] - Level 1/10
Multiplies RES by 1.5 and provides a regenerative effect that restores 5% of the user's max HP every second in exchange for cutting their STR in half. Lasts for 30 seconds or until the user cancels the effect.
Not too bad of a spread, all things considered. Though the fact that I haven't been using the IDs is… well, more than a little weird, considering how broken they are. Might wanna fix that in the future. Ah, well.
What to do with the rest of my day…
Hm. Maybe I should check the town shops. Always a good idea to see what everyone's got in stock. Never know if you might find a rare piece of equipment. Of course, that's going to happen to me at least once because the plot will demand it at some point, but the problem is finding out when.
I should also probably start thinking about upgrading my sword. Ol' Bronzie's been a reliable partner, but her damage output seriously leaves a lot to be desired. I'll probably have to be on the lookout for a smith or weapons shop or anywhere that might sell decent Iron-level or D-Rank blades. While I'm on that, a rifle couldn't hurt. Might as well start practicing for when I do get around to making my personal big stick. Or, well, it might stop being so 'personal' if anyone recognizes that it's really just Cloud's Ultima Weapon with an assault rifle shoved in the middle and given a red-and-purple paint job. But whatever. Won't change the fact that Durandal's gonna be legendary.
Hey… idea.
[All] Zeiss: Going on a little shopping trip to see if I can get anything useful. Anyone wanna come?
[All] Qrow: Pass. Not my thing. Brothers help you if Yang latches on.
[All] Ruby: Sure!
[All] Yang: Meh, what the heck. Not like I have anything better to do.
[All] Yang: And whaddaya mean by that, scarecrow?
[All] Zeiss: Oh d*** it, please don't tell me you're one of those people…
[All] Ruby: Hate to break it to ya, but the last time we went out on errands as a family, dad almost collapsed under the weight of all the clothes bags!
[All] Zeiss: MOTHERF***ER!
[All] Taiyang: Hey, hey, hey. Cool it with the swearing, buddy-boy. Just because you're censoring yourself doesn't mean you get off scot-free.
[All] Zeiss: Lay off, man. I'm just trying to appropriately express my feelings. Go ruin someone else's fun.
[All] Taiyang: Do I have to tell you about the 101 different ways I could snap you like a twig?
[All] Zeiss: Gimme a couple years, and I'll be able to give you 1001 different ways I could crush you like a bug.
[All] Taiyang: Won't matter if you die before then.
[All] Zeiss: You wanna go? Let's take this outside then, you overgrown blonde snake! Oi'll bash ye f***in' 'ead in, sware on me mum!
[All] Taiyang: I'd like to see you try, pixel-brain!
[All] Qrow: Pipe down, you two. Let me drink in peace.
[All] Yang: Do we really need to be hearing this?
[All] Ruby: Quit it! Dad, no antagonizing Zeiss. Zeiss, don't encourage him. Now say sorry!
Grrrmph…
[All] Zeiss: Fine. Sorry.
[All] Taiyang: Sorry.
[All] Ruby: See? That wasn't so hard, was it?
[Whisper to Taiyang] Zeiss: Dick.
[Whisper to Zeiss] Taiyang: Nerd.
[All] Yang: You coming, big guy?
[All] Taiyang: Nah. Someone's gotta watch the lil' pupper, after all.
[All] Zeiss: All right. Meet me at Main Street in thirty minutes. I'll be waiting.
Track Cue: Clock Town, First Day (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D)
"Y'all ready?"
Ruby
"Yup! Let's do this!"
Yang
"Locked, loaded, and ready for action. Lead the way."
"Alright, then. Let's mosey. Heh heh."
Ruby
"Ha ha! What a weird thing to say!"
"Hey, don't disrespect Kuroudo-kun unless you want to get Omnislashed."
Yang
"What?"
"Inside joke, don't question it. Move out!"
Ruby
"Yes, sir!"
First stop… hm. Gun shop… or armory. Gun shop… or armory…
Gun shop.
Alright… now to find a good entry-level rifle…
Eh? Is that… an AR-15?
'Observe.'
Citizen Pain (AtlaRite Model 18)
A civilian model of a staple army assault rifle, featuring both three-round burst and semi-automatic firing modes and chambering 25 .223 caliber rounds per magazine. Based on Earth's ArmaLite Model 15, this sporting rifle is an excellent choice for beginners due to its ease of use, low recoil, good accuracy, and all around decent damage output.
Requires a Rifle Mastery level of 1 to use effectively.
Will reduce Agility if the wielder has a Strength stat lower than 20.
Deals 70 damage per shot using standard dust ammunition.
Ignores 10% of target's RES.
User can toggle between semi-automatic and burst fire.
This… this I can work with.
Price tag?
CLEARANCE SALE - 50% OFF
400L
Oh, hell… that's two-thirds of my wallet gone. But I'd say it's worth it. Good thing for that sale, too, otherwise I'd be shit outta luck.
Shopkeeper
"Thank you for your patronage. Come again."
The fact that someone as young as me can just waltz into a gun shop and buy a rifle like this without any sort of license says a lot about the state of the world. Back on Earth, I'd have to get a license, then go through several months' worth of paperwork plus extensive background checks to even put my hands on this thing. Good thing the law's so lenient here. That, or it's just Anti-Frustration Features at work.
Both, actually.
Huh, okay. Great, then.
Ruby
"Wow, nice choice! Looks like you've done your research - I've heard a lot about the AR-18. Sure, it's old, but that doesn't stop it from working like a charm!"
Of course she'd be the one to praise me. Anyway, next stop, the armory. Let's see if there's any good swords around here.
Hold it… why does this look so familiar…?
SOLDIER Second
Might: 150
A massive broadsword typically seen in the hands of genetically modified elite shock troopers of mega corporations. Requires a Herculean effort to swing with any sort of skill, but has a massive damage output to compensate.
Requires a Sword Mastery level of 40 to use effectively.
Will reduce Agility if the wielder's Strength stat is lower than 120.
Cannot be used if the wielder's Strength is lower than 90.
...whoa. Jesus.
And Zack was twirling this thing around like it weighed as much as a feather even when he was just 2nd Class… and he did the same thing to the Buster Sword after reaching 1st Class… jeez. Shinra wasn't kidding when they said only the strong made it into SOLDIER. No wonder those guys were treated as monsters on the battlefield in canon.
Wait, Yang's Strength is at least 120… holy shit, she can actually pick this thing up without difficulty. She wouldn't be able to actually use it properly of course, due to the massive accuracy penalty inflicted by the lack of Sword Mastery… but still, she can pick the damn thing up and swing it, no sweat. That's not something just anyone can do.
...oh, man. Imagine a SOLDIER unlocking their Aura. Now that's a terrifying thought.
Yeesh, I'm getting chills just thinking about it. I'm just gonna stop that train of thought there…
Besides, it's not like I can afford it.
LIMITED STOCK
1,200L
Bleh. I might be able to get it if I really wanted to, but I'm not going anywhere near that thing if I'm not qualified. Once my skills are up to the needed levels, I might come back and buy it if my melee weapon at that point is underperforming. But until then, no.
Back to roaming.
Now, if I was a high-performance low-ranked sword, where would I be…?
OwO, what's this?
Iron Blade
Might: 50
A bigger, longer, and uncut variant of the Iron Sword. Requires more strength to effectively use than its little brother and isn't as easy to hit with, but deals noticeably more damage. Favored by arena fighters.
Requires a Sword Mastery level of 25 to use effectively.
Will reduce Agility if the wielder has a Strength stat lower than 40.
Cannot be used if the wielder's Strength is lower than 20.
Yes… yes, I believe this will do nicely.
How much?
SEASONAL SALE - 25% OFF
150L
Well, isn't that convenient. Said every single bad isekai protagonist ever, heh.
Two sales in a row, though… is that coincidence, convenience, or divine intervention? The World May Never Know.
Probably should have put a 'how many licks does it take' kind of set-up before the punchline, but ehh. Not like anyone else is gonna hear it anyway.
Well, except for the readers. And the author. Who is most likely another version of me. But fuck those guys.
Shopkeeper
"Carrying that thing around like it's a stick… I swear, you kids get crazier every generation. But don't mind me. Enjoy your purchase."
"Thanks."
Yang
"That looks pretty heavy. You're not weighing yourself down by carrying that little monster, are you?"
"Nah, the weight's hardly noticeable. I'd demonstrate, but I'm not completely confident in my ability to chuck it up and catch it by the handle when it comes back down. Not to mention we're in the middle of a street filled with people who could get seriously injured if I slip up."
Yang
"Smart man. Now, c'mon. Momma wants some new threads."
"Well, you do you, but try to get me to pay for it and you die. Besides, I only have 50 lien left on me. I'd like to have at least a small safety net, thank you very much."
Yang
"Whatever you say, mister funslayer."
And here I was, thinking Cherami Leigh was the only person who could make 'funslayer' sound good. Props to you, Dunkelman.
Ruby
"Hey, Yang… can we go thrift shopping?"
Track Cue: Thrift Shop (Macklemore)
Oh, fuck YES.
One music video montage later…
Don't question it. Don't question it. Don't question it. Don't you dare fucking question it, damn it!
Yang
"What?"
Mouth, I swear, if you open yourself-
"Nothing, just… well, I come from a place where people with unlocked auras were once-in-a-lifetime sightings. Seeing someone like you carry all that weight without flinching or any struggling whatsoever is still a little hard for me to accept, you understand?"
FUCK.
"And that's not even counting how you're able to balance all those bags on top of each other without the whole tower going 'timber.' All my life, I was under the impression that physics didn't work that way. I guess I was wrong."
YOU LITTLE SHIT, YOU MADE IT WORSE!
Okay, that's it. First chance I get, I'm buying Remnant's equivalent to duct tape. It's the only way I can reliably stop this traitorous body part from creating situations like these.
Ruby
"…what?"
Yang
"Uhhh…"
Wait, what? No facepunch? Why…
Actually, in hindsight, getting hit for saying something like that wouldn't really make much sense, would it? Thank god for realism. (For all the good it does most of the time in this unfair world.) If anything, I should be glad I didn't unintentionally insult her strength by saying that it was surprising she was carrying so much weight. Then again, she is Yang, so… egh, what is wrong with me today? I'm not usually this scatterbrained...
"...you know what, how about we pretend this exchange never happened."
Ruby
"No objections."
Yang
"Motion carried."
...hold on a second.
"Wait, Yang. Why are you even carrying all the bags by hand, anyway? Why not use the inventory?"
Yang
"..."
Ruby
"..."
Wump-woomp-wup-wumm bowwwwrrrr!
OFFICIAL ZEISS FAIL COUNTER: 2
OFFICIAL YANG FAIL COUNTER: 1
OFFICIAL RUBY FAIL COUNTER: 1
Oh, neat. So it's not just me who has the fail counter.
"...holy sh*BEEP*t, we're all idiots. I can't believe we just up and forgot we had that. How did we manage to do that?"
Yang
"...well, I feel incredibly stupid now. How 'bout you, sis?"
Ruby
"More like a mix of shame and self-loathing."
"You know what? This is actually pretty hilarious, but for all the wrong reasons. And we should probably stay out of sight. I don't wanna give people too many hints on what I can do."
Ruby
"Yeah, good idea. Come on, I know a spot that should be perfect for this kinda thing."
"Okay. On three, drop the towering pillar of bags."
Yang
"Right."
"Here we go. One… two… three!"
Yang
"Bombs away!"
Pliplipliplipliplipliplipliplipliplipliplink!
"Hah ha ha, success!"
Ruby
"Wooooo!"
Yang
"Oh, yeah! Now that's how you get it done!"
"But seriously… fourteen separate bags? How much cash did you spend?"
Yang
"Eh, only around… 400 lien, I think? Yeah."
"Wow. You actually spent less than I did… I am unsure how to feel about this. I could have sworn cosmetics were supposed to cost more than actual weapons…"
My 1,200-plus hours of Team Fortress 2 playtime must be acting up again.
Ruby
"What? How's that supposed to make sense?"
"I dunno, I just… ugh, whatever. Forget about it. Not important."
Ruby
"Well, if you say so…"
"By the way, Ruby, did you buy anything? I saw you window shopping when I was getting my stuff, but did you get something when I wasn't looking?"
Ruby
"Oh, nothing much. All I did was go to the bookstore and buy the latest issue of X-Ray and Vav. I've heard it's pretty amazing!"
"Oh. Cool."
So all the fan theories about miscellaneous stuff in this universe referencing other RT series were true… I mean, yeah, People Like Grapes is a thing here, but whether or not that was the only shout-out was up for debate until now. Cross that off the 'Misc. To-Do List.'
"All right. We good on everything? No more trips?"
Yang
"I'm done."
Ruby
"I'm fine."
"Okay, good. Time to head back, then."
Of course, now would actually be the perfect moment to go on a group quest, now that I think about it. I could try the IDs, but that would feel weird, and I'm not completely confident in our ability to remain unscathed.
...I swear, if we suddenly get a call for help out of nowhere-
Clover
"Um, excuse me…"
Oh, don't tell me…
Clover
"Are you huntsmen?"
You… you're kidding, right?
Yang
"Well, technically we're still in-training, but we can hold our own pretty well, if that's what you're asking. Why?"
She's gonna say what I think she is, isn't she?
Clover
"Please, save my mother! We were out picking flowers in the forest, a-and we got attacked by a Grimm! S-she told me to run away, so I did, and it, it chased after her, and I-I didn't know what to do, so I ran here, and I don't know if she's okay or if she's hurt or she's-"
Quest Alert!
Flowerfield Fright
Clover Greene and her mother Selena were attacked by a Grimm while picking flowers. After Selena lured it away using herself as bait, Clover fled and came to you for assistance. Rescue Selena and return her to Clover in one piece, and while you're at it, slay the evil beast that dared do them harm.
Objectives
-Find Selena
-Kill the Grimm chasing Selena
-Return to Clover
Rewards
-500 EXP
-200 Lien
-?
-Raise Ruby's support level to E
-Raise Yang's support level to E
God damn it, Gaia, could you BE any more cliched?!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, what are you blaming me for? I'm not responsible for this!
That's what you said the last three times!
…point, but this is different! I swear, it wasn't me this time!
Ohhh- gah, forget it, I'll deal with this later.
"Whoa, whoa, hey, calm down, it'll be fine. Where were you when you got attacked?"
Clover
"I-it happened at Ram Field. The clearing w-with all the flowers."
"Okay, great. Could you point us there?"
Clover
"U-um… I think if you keep running in that direction, you should be able to find it…"
"Thank you. You can rest easy now. We'll take care of everything else."
Ruby
"Yeah! Don't you worry - we'll have your mom back safe and sound in no time!"
Yang
"I know how it feels to lose a mother. I'm not about to let someone else go through that. Not when I can do something about it."
"Alright, then. Yang, Ruby, let's go."
Ruby
"Right!"
"Okay. Yang, you still have Ember Celica with you, right?"
Yang
"Duh. It's a part of my outfit, and I'm not about to forget about something as important as that."
Well, just to make sure…
Ember Celica
Might: 70
A pair of mecha-shifting gauntlets with built in shotguns. Manufactured by Yang with assistance from Ruby, these little guys pack a serious wallop whenever they are brandished by someone who knows how to use them properly. As this is a personal weapon, it grows in strength with its creator.
Weapon damage scales with Yang's level.
Deals 105 damage per shot using standard dust ammunition.
When attacking at range, adds wielder's DEX to total damage.
Allows the user to perform unique combat skills based on weapon parameters.
"Good. Now, Ruby, since you don't have Crescent Rose yet, you'll have to use something different. Here, take these."
Iron Scythe
Might: 35
An ordinary gardening tool designed for reaping crops that can also be used for ending lives. Combat styles with this weapon and others of its family are highly unorthodox and unusual, resulting in a sort of high-risk-high-reward method of fighting that leaves little room for error.
Requires a Scythe Mastery level of 20 to use effectively.
Will reduce Agility if the wielder's Strength stat is lower than 20.
Westerner's Tagger (Chesterfield XPR)
Revolutionary for its time, this bolt action rifle was considered to be one of Chesterfield's best products when it was first released to the public. Durable, rugged, and very high-performing, the XPR features a superior trigger system that sets it apart from the crowd.
Requires a Sniper Rifle Mastery level of 20 to use effectively.
Will reduce Agility if the wielder's Strength stat is lower than 25.
Deals 180 damage per shot using standard dust ammunition.
Ignores 15% of target's RES.
Monster drops can get really nonsensical at times. All I'm gonna say.
"Use the inventory menu to equip them both. If you need to switch between them, soft-command 'switch' and you'll swap weapons. Got it?"
Ruby
"Yeah. Sounds simple enough."
"All right. We should be coming up on the target location right… now."
Landmark Discovered
Ram Field
+50 EXP
...of course she's not here. Her daughter said that she took off running to distract the Grimm that came after her. We'll have to look for-
"AAAAHHHH!"
SMASH!
Objective complete: Find Selena
Oooor that could happen. Good thing, too- I was not looking forward to a search quest. What a dreadful way to eat up time.
Of course, that's not the worst of our problems.
Ursa
Level: 11
HP: 1,550
VIT: 155
STR: 105
INT: 0
DEX: 43
AGI: 44
RES: 90
LUK: 0
CHR: 0
Status: Healthy
A large, hulking beast of a Grimm, the Ursa is what you get when you sharpen a bear's claws, give it natural armor, and instruct it to kill all humans and pretty much everything else that moves. They pack a serious punch and really know how to take a beating, but are otherwise slow compared to other Grimm.
And wouldn't you know it, he just happens to be the very same one that I narrowly escaped from back when I was doing the herb quest. Well, this is as good a time as any to settle the score. Even better - counting the damage boost from Sword Mastery, I only end up dealing around 30-35 damage per auto-attack. Joy.
How's the NPC doing?
Selena Greene
Level: 13
Class: Civilian
HP: 46/70
VIT: 7
STR: 4 (-1)
INT: 8 (-1)
DEX: 7 (-1)
AGI: 9 (-1)
RES: 3
LUK: 40
CHR: 19
Status: Fatigued
Thracia veterans are not amused. Lowers STR, INT, DEX, and AGI.
The mother of Clover Greene. Has played the role of Clover's sole caretaker ever since her husband Glaz disappeared after deciding he wasn't ready to take up the mantle of father. Despite this, she lives a happy and content life with her daughter.
Well, at least she's not dead. But she will be in a second if we don't do something.
"Okay, battle plan. Ruby - I know from firsthand experience that you're stronger than you look, but I don't think the scythe I gave you is enough to effectively damage that Ursa. Yang will have better luck, but unless you're in a pinch, stick to your rifle and give us cover fire. Sound good?"
Ruby
"Yeah. What about you?"
"We'll be up close and personal, of course. Yang, you're the only one of us who can do any noticeable damage to the big bad bear, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve that should be able to help out."
Yang
"Got it. Let's go! HEY, CHUNKY! WHY DON'T YOU PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE?!"
SWIP!
[Provoke]
FSSSS-PAK!
-1 HP
Ursa HP: 1549/1550
Status effect "Taunt" inflicted.
Taunt
U FOCKIN' WOT, M8?! Forces the victim to focus their attacks on the enemy who taunted them until the effect wears off. Note that AoE attacks can still hit other targets.
...wow. She… actually just picked up a pebble and beaned him in the face with it. NGL, that's kinda hilarious. Frederick would be proud.
You have been targeted by: x1 Ursa (Level 11)
ACTIVATING COMBAT MODE
Track Cue: Battle! (Xenoblade Chronicles 2)
Oh, boy. This is gonna be fuuuuuun…
Ruby
"Hey! You, grown-up lady! Run! We'll take care of this!"
Selena
"O-okay! Thank you so much!"
Ruby
"You can thank us later! Go! Get to safety!"
[Gemini Bullet]
PWAM! PWAM!
2 HITS
-94 HP
Ursa HP: 1,455/1,550
There goes little red. Good on her. My turn!
'Powerslash.'
"HuuuUT!"
-105 HP
Ursa HP: 1,350/1,550
[Knockback Immunity] ignored.
Status effect "Knockback" inflicted.
Praise be to Anna, for she has blessed me with RNG fortune! I'll make use of this opening by chaining skills!
'Sword Flurry.'
"Ghn-HAAA!"
TINKTINKTINKTINKTINKTINKTINKTINK!
8 HITS
NO DAMAGE!
Status effect "Bleed" inflicted.
Bleed
Quickly, find a red shirt! Deals 2.5% of the victim's max HP as damage every 10 seconds until the user is severely healed, the effect wears off, or the effect is cured.
...riiiiight. Sword Flurry lowers my strength to a little less than half. Probably should have thought about that before using it. Well, at least I made it bleed.
Status effect "Taunt" has worn off.
-oooOOOH SHIT!
"Whoa!"
MISS!
Oh, man that was clo-
"HOOF!"
-79 HP
Zeiss HP: 371/450
Status effect "Knockback" inflicted.
That was sooo not pleasant. I swear, if it weren't for Gamer's Body, I'd probably be unwillingly vomiting right now.
Yang
"You've done it now!"
[Hard Cross]
-344 HP
Ursa HP: 1,006/1,550
Status effects "Break" and "Knockback" inflicted.
Break
Brawl's got nothing on this. Forces the victim to be susceptible to skills that inflict Topple for as long as the effect lasts.
Wow. Hard to believe she's that powerful, yet only 3 levels above her sister and 6 above me. Granted, this thing is a garden variety Ursa - something Salem has been seen using as tank fodder alongside Beowolves. But still, for a starting area like this, it's almost as if she's sandbagging. I'm actually kinda jelly.
[Vulcan Combo]
Yang
"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORA! ORAAAA!"
8 HITS
CRITICAL!
-350 HP
Ursa HP: 656/1,550
Holy crap, she has literally zero chill! If this keeps up, I might as well start calling her Tibarn! Or… actually, I think I might call her 'JoJo' instead. No mistaking that battle cry.
Bleeding! -34 HP
Ursa HP: 622/1,550
[AP Round]
KA-PLAM!
-119 HP
Ursa HP: 503/1,550
Status effect "Break" reapplied.
There goes Ruby again. Nice of her to pull her weight.
Oh, boy. That's an AnGeRy Ursa if I've ever seen one.
GROOAAAAR!
Status effect "Enraged" inflicted.
Enraged
REEEEEEEEEE! Boosts STR, DEX, and AGI by 50% while the victim is below half HP.
Yeahhh...
'Switch.'
I think I'll stay back for a while and take pot-shots.
BUDUDUT! BUDUDUT!
TITITINK! TITINK!
MISS!
5 HITS
NO DAMAGE!
"Damn it."
Even with the RES-pierce, it doesn't do shit. Figures. Oh, well.
Skill "Rifle Mastery" created!
Fuck off.
'Switch.'
Might as well use Bullrush and then auto-attack it until it dies. Maybe I won't get K.O.-punched into oblivion.
'Bullrush.'
"Outta the way!"
-40 HP
Ursa HP: 463/1,550
Oh, look, Powerslash recharged. Better use that, then.
'Powerslash.'
"And another!"
-105 HP
Ursa HP: 358/1,550
Status effect "Knockback" resisted.
Yang
"Here's the kicker!"
[Flying Guillotine]
-258 HP
Ursa HP: 100/1,550
Heh. Get it? 'Cause she pulled an axe kick n' she said 'kicker…' haaa.
Bleeding! -34 HP
Ursa HP: 66/1,550
Yang
"Ruby! Finish him!"
Ruby
"Gotcha!"
[Trick Shot]
PLISHEW!
-137 HP
Ursa HP: 0/1,550
Ursa (Level 11) Slain!
+800 EXP
+100 Lien
RUBY LEVEL UP!
VIT: 50 + 4
STR: 65 + 5
INT: 42 + 3
DEX: 101 + 9
AGI: 103 + 9
RES: 29 + 2
LUK: 60 + 5
CHR: 70 + 6
YANG LEVEL UP!
VIT: 131 + 9
STR: 132 + 9
INT: 50 + 3
DEX: 74 + 5
AGI: 62 + 4
RES: 37 + 2
LUK: 57 + 4
CHR: 106 + 7
Track Cue: Victory! Cloud (Super Smash Bros. 4)
"Hmph. Waruku omou na."
YESSS! Totally nailed the Cloud impression! I even pulled off the sword spin and everything!
...I'm such a loser…
YOU WON!
Battle Rewards:
x1 Ursa Pelt
x1 Bear Gloves
Objective complete: Kill the Grimm chasing Selena
Bear Gloves?
'Observe.'
Bear Gloves
Might: 40
The gloves your gloves could punch like if they stopped using Beowolf-padded paws and switched to Ursa hide. They feature a pair of razor-sharp knuckle claws that add massive amounts of cutting POWEEEEEEER! And an extra chance of Bleed on every attack.
Requires an Unarmed Mastery level of 20 to use effectively.
Will reduce Agility if the wielder's Strength stat is lower than 15.
Has a 15% chance of causing Bleed on every hit.
5% increased critical rate.
Oh, wow. You're not even trying to be subtle with these references, are you, Gaia?
Come on, let's be honest here. 'Subtle' is probably the last word that could possibly exist in Terry Crews' dictionary. Trying to stop him from being hammy beyond belief would be like trying to stop Bayonetta from breaking the meta.
...true. But whatever. Yang doesn't really need these since she's got her personal weapon, and Ruby doesn't have an interest in unarmed combat - though I hope I've made progress on changing that opinion - so the only person who could really benefit from these is me. 'Course I'll have to train a bit more until I can actually use them without accuracy penalties, but hey. At least I have them. I'll take the pelt, too. I smell the potential for an armor set.
Actually, wait. Looking back… how long did that take? Bleed's supposed to take effect every ten seconds, but I only saw it go off twice. And I applied it only a few moments into the battle… my god, were we really only fighting that thing for around twenty-something seconds?! Holy shit, that's amazing!
...well, in truth, not really. We had a second-year Signal student on our side, not to mention a dormant Silver-Eyed Warrior prodigy and a guy with quite possibly one of the most broken abilities in the history of the multiverse. This should not surprise me, and yet… it still does. Funny.
It makes sense, I guess. I've still only been here a week, compared to the 15-odd years I spent on a planet where all this is impossible. If anything, I should still be in shock at witnessing my newfound capabilities, much less everyone else's. That's gotta be the work of Gamer's Mind, no doubt.
Quite a few people seem to glaze over just how awesome this skill really is - when it's not demonized to completely cut off its users' emotions. Complete immunity to mental status effects, which when combined with Gamer's Body, also removes the chances of things like concussions and brain damage happening because of certain circumstances, like a blow to the head. Not to mention the fact that it allows its user to make choices backed entirely by logic, reasoning, and evidence, with no influence courtesy of emotions whatsoever, which also has the helpful side-effect of completely nullifying any chances of decisions like revenge or foolhardy bravado or cowardly useless fleeing being made. With this skill, the user no longer has to worry about things like fear or anger clouding their judgement, and can instead focus all their attention on whether the best option is to fight or retreat, or something else entirely.
Sheesh… these crazy things are really something else.
+50 EXP for deliberating the nature of reality-bending skills.
Oh, thanks.
But enough introspection.
"You guys okay?"
Ruby
"Yep! Not a scratch!"
Yang
"He might as well have been moving in slow-motion. He couldn't even touch me."
"Okay, good… that's good."
Ruby
"Well, yeah, but what about you? You took a pretty nasty hit there. Are you sure you don't need to rest or anything?"
"I'll be fine. One of my broken skills only lets me feel pain for a fleeting moment before the injury's fixed and the damage is deducted from my HP count. All I need to do is wait for it to replenish itself and then I'll be perfectly ouch-free."
Yang
"...if you say so. Anyway, we should probably find that girl's mom."
Ruby
"Oh, yeah, right! I told her to run, so I think she's probably headed back to Patch Town. We should go, too."
"All right."
Selena
"There is no conceivable way I can thank you enough for what you've done for me today…"
Ruby
"Seriously, don't mention it! This is kind of our job - we train specifically to deal with situations like yours."
Selena
"Even so… I would feel terrible if I didn't offer some form of compensation."
"Ruby, just let it go. It's abundantly clear that she's not going to back down until she gets what she wants, so I advise you to stop trying to stop her."
Ruby
"But what if she needs it later?"
"Well, then we'll simply give it back when she needs it."
Ruby
"Eeeehhnnn…"
"Oh, come now. Just don't oppose it and let her thank us properly."
Ruby
"...well, if you say so."
"Good."
Clover
"Heeeeeeey!"
Ruby
"What?"
Clover
"Mister huntsmaaaan! Miss huntresseeeees! I've got something for youuuu!"
Selena
"That sounds like my little lucky Clover. Seems like she wants to thank you, too."
Yang
"All right, then. Okay, you two. Let's hear what the lil' kiddie has to say."
Clover
"I found you!"
"Looks like you did. What were you saying before?"
Clover
"I said I had something for you. And this is it!"
Yang
"Is that… a carving?"
Clover
"Yup! I've been working on it for a while now, and I just finished it yesterday. I figured I should get you something special for saving my mom, and I thought of this. Do you like it?"
Ruby
"Whoaaaaa… cool!"
'Observe.'
Legend Icon
A carving of a historic sword-and-shield bearing huntsman made out of wood. Not professionally made and has many noticeable imperfections, but is infused with the passion of its creator. Grants a permanent +5 LUK when used by any character.
"Huh. For someone as young as you, this actually looks really good. Amazing, even. Are you planning to become a sculpture artist someday?"
Clover
"What? Oh, no, this is just a little hobby of mine. But I'm glad you think it looks great! I put a lot of heart into it."
"Well, I can certainly say it shows. Thanks. We'll treasure this."
Objective complete: Return to Clover
Quest complete!
Flowerfield Fright
Rewards received:
500 EXP
200 Lien
Legend Icon
Ruby's support level has increased to Rank E
Yang's support level has increased to Rank E
LEVEL UP!
VIT: 45 + 5
STR: 45 + 5
INT: 38 + 4
DEX: 45 + 5
AGI: 45 + 5
RES: 26 + 3
LUK: 24 + 2
CHR: 29 + 2
Points: 35 + 5
Learned "Sixth Sense!"
Level Up at: 1,100 EXP
Check it, yo.
Sixth Sense [Passive] - Level MAX
A good mercenary is always aware of his surroundings - even when he's not looking at them. Grants the user the ability to instinctively sense when an attack they can't see is coming their way, among other things, such as danger.
Ruby
"Well, I don't know about you, but I think we've had a pretty good day, y'know? I'm feeling beat, though. Who's up for a little R&R?"
Yang
"Good idea, sis. I'm kinda tired myself, after all that shopping and butt-kicking. Yo, Zeiss, we're gonna head home. What about you?"
"I think I'll do that, too. I've got some stuff to do at my place, anyway."
Ruby
"All right. Well, bye! See you soon!"
"Back 'atcha."
Clover
"Byeeee! And thanks again!"
"Don't mention it. Take care of yourself."
Clover
"Okay!"
Huh… you know, I don't think I ever did check exactly what support ranks do. Lemme just…
Support Ranks
Support Ranks are proof of you and another character's bonds. The closer the relationship, the higher the rank. There are 5 regular support ranks - E, D, C, B, and A. There is also a rank S, which is reserved for special cases such as married couples and true lifelong companions. Going into battle accompanied by a character or multiple characters that you share a Support Rank with grants you and your partner(s) a boost to your stats. The stats boosted depend on the Affinity of both you and your partner. There are eight different Affinities: Anima, Fire, Dark, Thunder, Wind, Ice, Heaven, and Light. Each Affinity boosts one of the eight stats, (VIT, STR, INT, DEX, AGI, RES, LUK, and CHR respectively) while simultaneously providing bonuses to accuracy, evasion, and critical hit rate. How much these are boosted depends on the rank.
E: 5% boost
D: 7.5% boost
C: 10% boost
B: 12.5% boost
A: 15% boost
S: 20% boost
...probably should have expected this, given all the Fire Emblem references.
But, hold it. How exactly does Anima work when all it does is increase your max HP? If I go into battle, will I have to restore my health to get it up to max, or do I automatically self-heal by the amount of bonus HP I get? And what about if I'm already damaged?
Option two. Have another Anti-Frustration Feature. You're welcome.
Aww, thanks!
So this means… hm.
'Supports.'
Support log
Affinity: Anima
Ruby - Rank E - Affinity: Wind
Yang - Rank E - Affinity: Fire
Qrow - Rank E - Affinity: Dark
Okay, math time.
If I go into battle with only Ruby, I get plus five percent to VIT and AGI, if I'm reading into this correctly. Lemme just pull up my sheet real quick…
'Status.'
Zeiss Serven
Title: Child Cynic
Class: Drifter
Level: 9
EXP: 400
Level Up at: 1,100
HP: 500
MP: 420
BP: 100
VIT: 50
STR: 50
INT: 42
DEX: 50
AGI: 50
RES: 29
LUK: 26
CHR: 31
Points: 40
Status: Healthy
Lien: 350
I have 50 AGI and 50 VIT. 5% of 50 is 2.5, if I'm not mistaken. That brings up a different problem, though - when faced with point-fives, does the system round up or down?
It rounds up. We at least have the decency to follow proper math protocol, unlike that Shouzou Kaga bastard.
Great, thanks. So that means plus three to both those stats, which gives me 30 more points of HP and lets me move slightly faster. Not really anything to write home about, but I think this has the potential to be a future game-changer. 15% may not look like much on paper, but in practice, it might just save my life someday. This also isn't counting other people I've supported, like Qrow and Yang. Not to mention what might happen if I end up supporting with another person who has the same Affinity as me. Even at base, that's still a 10% increase to a single stat - and at A Rank, that's a whopping 30% HP boost. Definitely not something that should be taken lightly.
I wonder what everyone else's Affinity is. Jaune's either Anima, Heaven, or Light - but if I had to pick one, I'd say Heaven, given how lucky he gets at times. Nora's definitely Thunder. Weiss is unquestionably Ice. I'm heavily leaning towards Dark for Blake. Ren's probably Wind, too. Or he could be Dark, either one's equally plausible. Pyrrha… she's a toughie. She could be Light, or Anima, or Fire, maybe Thunder… I dunno about her.
And… I can't help but think: how good is Light, really? The only practical applications I can see for Charm are all performed outside of combat, and support bonuses are only active when in combat. How exactly does it help?
Never underestimate what high morale can do in the face of overwhelming odds. Remember Saias and Reinhardt? Think of it like Leadership Stars.
...oh, yeah.
Food for thought - if Jaune does turn out to be Light and he achieves a support rank with everybody in teams RWBY and JNPR, that means that they all get Charm bonuses, which means they can all inspire each other to feats of greatness even more amazing than normal. That could very well have the potential to be game-breaking.
And let it be known to the world that I shall try my damndest to make sure that he and Pyrrha get an S-Rank. Not doing so would be a disservice to canon. (Which in all honesty probably wouldn't be a very big deal, given how much of it I'll likely end up screwing over, unintentionally or no.) Plus, what with Pyrrha's stats, she'll become even more broken than she already is. Hell, I might as well start calling her 'discount Titania,' given that all she needs is a horse and about another decade, maybe a few years more of living to be a modern carbon copy of the legendary Gold Knight. (Save for the fact that she favors Lances over Axes, but that's neither here nor there.)
But wait, there's more - is there an upper limit to the number of supports that can be active at once? If I go into battle with two people that have the same affinity, are the bonuses stacked?
If that happens, you'll only get the bonuses from the character that you have a higher rank with. We did that to combat support oversaturation. So… sorry, but mimicking Critger isn't possible. At least, not in the conventional way. Given that you're The Gamer, there's a not-insignificant chance that you'll find a way to pull it off despite the restrictions. You dirty cheater, you.
Hey, if you throw bullshit at me, it's only natural that I return the favor. I mean, it's not like you aren't a cheating bastard too, aren't you? Somewhere down the line, there's going to be an enemy or a situation or a quest that just so happens to break or even completely shatter the established rules and regulations for what is considered 'fair.' Because what kind of game would this be otherwise, right? A 'fun and balanced' adventure for everyone? Ahaha, no. I don't think so. The cold hard truth is, at some point, you're going to cheat. And when you do… well. I'll let you try to think up the worst thing you'd think I'd do. And then I'll do something at least ten times worse. Because I'm a prick like that.
Were you trying to intimidate me just now?
Maybe. Maybe not. But given how the text on that box appeared in a stilted and slower manner than the rest, I'll take that as a victory.
Quite the arrogant little shit, aren't you?
Why, yes, thank you for the gracious compliment! I always strive to grief others to the best of my ability. I must say, I do so love being such a massive troll.
In any case…
Legend Icon
Use this item?
'Yes.'
VIT: 50
STR: 50
INT: 42
DEX: 50
AGI: 50
RES: 29
LUK: 26 + 5
CHR: 31
Points: 40
Okay. That should patch up my luck a little. Hopefully it'll pay off someday.
And now that that's taken care of… time for another all-nighter training montage!
A/N: That's a wrap. As you can see, quite a lot of features of the system are ripped from other game franchises and modified to work in a real-time setting. The Provoke skill is actually pulled from Xenoblade - those who have played it will likely recall a tutorial early in the game that explains the mechanics of luring enemies by pressing down on the d-pad to throw a rock at their heads. I just decided to give it the name of a Fire Emblem skill that works on the similar principle of taunting enemies to prioritize attacking you. Aren't I just gEnIuS?
Lots of FFVII references here. To those of you who remember "let's mosey" and the subsequent chastisement of Cloud by Barret resulting in the switch to the not-as-hilarious "move out," I salute your memory.
If you don't know who Critger is, that's fine. Look it up, and you'll find out why he's such an absolute legend.
I'm really running out of things to say here...
[TRANSMISSION ENDED]