Fyr3Flyt3: Hello Ladies and Gentlemen and welcome to the 8th chapter of Gamer Blues. This chapter will be a wee bit longer than the others and might be a bit all over the place. Now, start!
Chapter 8: Working for The Weekend
11:00 A.M. Tuesday. Ao Cottage. New Moon.
"Now, Tori, my young pupil-"
"You're not that much older than me."
"But I am older than you and here to help you control your abilities."
Yep. I'm trying to help Tori control her transformation. After yesterday, I had the brilliant idea to try and teach her to control her powers. Not only would this possibly get Jei off my back, but it might help Tori emotionally. Those and when I woke up this morning (still sleeping on a couch), I found a quest hovering in my face.
Though a Bird Can't Fly Now, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will
Aid Tori is controlling her powers.
Get her to be able to transform into a full bird and back
Reward: 1000 Berri + ?
I need money and I'm very curious about this question mark, so of course I accepted.
We are currently sitting under a tree in her giant ass backyard. Jei had gone off to do whatever the hell he does as sheriff. Tori told him that I was going to train her on how to control her power properly. Jei, of course, questioned how I'm supposed to help. Because I'm a motherfucking Devil Fruit Expert, that's how! I didn't say that exactly, but something close. He was going to say something, but Tori basically kicked him out of his own house.
"Now, Tori, before we begin your training, I have one question." Dramatic Pause.
"Which is?"
"Have you ever fully transformed into a crow?" Let's hurry up and get me my rewards. If the quest mission is any indication then the answer is no.
"Raven."
"Hmm?"
"I'm a Raven. I at the Tori Tori no Mi Model: Raven."
"How do you kno-nevermind." I was going to ask her how she knew that until I remember that the user inexplicably learned the name of their Devil Fruit after they eat it. "Anyway, have you ever fully transformed?"
Tori zoned out for a moment, trying to recall anything like I said. "Nnnnnno." Like I thought.
"Then we'll start there!" I yelled with a snap.
"Why?"
"Because if you can transform fully there and back, then you can stop yourself from going half-Raven."
"Okay, so how do I start?"
Oh. Right. I don't know. I don't have a Devil Fruit. And it never really shows anyone training to gain control of their powers, except Luffy kind of. Alright, think of something.
Hm.
Hm.
Hm.
Got it!
"Okay, come over here," I motioned for her to move to the base of the tree, "and sit here and clear your mind then focus on the feelings you get when you transform and intensify them." Tori moved over to the tree base and sat criss cross applesauce. She looked at me for direction. "Just close your eyes and think about what I said." If her being sad or frightened causes her to transform, then her power must be connected to her emotions. Probably. I am in an anime now, so emotional bullshit should make it work.
She sighed and closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed down until it looked more like she was sleeping but I could see her hands twitching and her eyes flicking around.
Well, while she's doing that I guess I could work on my stats. I walked over towards the fence, only maybe fifteen feet from Tori.
First up, Strength! But before I exercise, gotta stretch.
Using your knowledge of exercise techniques, +1 Wisdom
Not what I was going for, but I'll take it! Now stretch! Neck, shoulders, hips, hamstring, groin, tricep, and done.
Stretching has increased your DEX by 1
I am on a roll, now start with the torso and work down. 20 pushups! 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20!
Exercising has increased your STR by 1
Yes! Two more sets!
40 pushups later
Oh Goda, my arms are burning! I don't think I've ever done this much exercise on purpose before. But I gotta keep going if I want to be a pirate and journey on the Grand Line. I've got to get stronger!
Your pushups and determination have increased your STR by 1
So, training is good so far, how's Tori doing? I looked at her, still sitting under the oak tree but now in her hybrid human-raven form. She's starting to control it, good. Now, let's get beefy! Cue Eye of the Tiger!
40 minutes of Intense sit-ups, tree branch pull-ups, lunges, triceps dips, and squats later
So, I increased my STR by 3 more, bringing me to a grand total of 10 STR. It's not much but hey, all the giant redwoods start off as tiny seeds or some shit like that. Wonder how Tori's doing? I've been getting so pumped I-HOLY SHIT, TORI!
Tori was still in her hybrid form but she looked awful. Her feathers were sagging instead of rising in a crest and sweat dripped off of them. Her whole body shook wildly and her bird skin under the feathers was a pale gray.
"TORI,TORI!" I ran at her and shook her. Her eyes flew open and she looked at me tiredly before fainting. Her body slowly morphed back to normal, showing her skin, shiny white like polished marble. Bags had formed under her eyes. Her chest rose and fell shakily. What happened? How did trying to reach full transformation result in this?
I removed my jacket and folded into a pillow for her. Wind blew and rustled the leaves above. The sun sat upon its apex, beaming down onto the grassy field.
I was responsible for this. I had pushed Tori into learning how to use her powers under false pretense and now she was sick. I'm a horrible friend. I'm a terrible person.
16 minutes later
Tori's eyes fluttered open, showing the beautiful hazel coloring. I could see tints of red around the edges. God, what did I do?
"Dante?" Her voice was quite and cracking. It was like a knife was plunged into my heart.
"Yes?"
"Did I transform all the way?" The knife twisted.
"No."
"Oh. Well, you know what they say. At first you don't succeed..."
I finished the quote, "Try, try again." Tori laughed quietly and I chuckled along with her.
"Chichichichichichichichi." She had a weird One Piece laugh.
"Jikhikhikhikhikhikhikhikhi." So did I. I'd always laughed like that. Slowly, her laugh petered off and she fell back to sleep. I'm tired. Maybe I should nap too. Just. For. A. While.
Two Hours Later; 1:06 P.M.
"No,Mommy, I don't need to wash my mouth. I DON'T LIKE SOAP! Ahhhhhh! Oh, Scrabble, what's going on? Where's Dove, I mean, Tori?" I swung my head around, groggy and filled with fear of Dove soap. I sat up, or at least I tried, since a mysterious weight was on my shoulder. Also, since when do I sleep on my side?
.
.
.
Oh.
WHY AM I THE LITTLE SPOON? I'M TALLER AND OLDER!
I shouldered Tori off me and rolled out of her way. I looked over at Tori on the grass. Her hair had splayed out in a brown fan. Her legs curled into her stomach;her arms laid were I was. She looked super cute, I wish I had a camera.
Hey, wait sec, is she drooling on my jacket!? Damn it, that is my favorite (and only) jacket. That is totally gonna stain and I don't see a washing machine in that house. Whatever, I need a new one anyway. Maybe there's a tailor in town. Who I can pay with what money? Shit.
I looked up at the sun. By my calculations, it was only a about an hour after noon. Meaning it is two hours 'til Jei gets back. Should probably wake up Tori.
"Hey, Tooooriiiiiiii." I slowly shook the girl, drawing out her name. "Toooooriiiiii. Tor. Tomatoes. Toto. My Neighbor Totoro. Wakey Wakey, Eggs and Bakey." Mmmmmmmm, Bacon.
Tori slowly, but surely, woke up, drool all over her cheek, hair like a cockatiel. "Whasss goin' un?"
"How ya feeling, Drooly Pool?" Her response was a simple growl before wiping the spit of her face.
"I feel like I got trampled by a horse." Nnnhnnn. Guilt. Hurts.
"Well, I've got good noose and bad news. Bad news: You didn't transform all the way." Tori fell backwards into the grass grumbling.
"And the good news."
"Oh. Well, good news: there is no good noose."
"How is that good news?"
"Because no noose is good noose. Yeeeehahahahahahahahahaha!" Oh, I kill myself sometimes.
Tori was obviously not amused at my flawless punning. "Well, I'm too tired kill you for that awful pun," pearls before swine, " or to try and transform again. So what do you wanna do now?"
What to do now? What to do, what to do?
Eureka!
I stood at full height, one foot extended forward and pointing in the air, yelled, "We go to the library."
"Why?"
"Because: A. You never need a reason to visit the library. B: I left my book there and I wanna go get it. C: That book might have information to help you. D: I want to head into town and see if anyone will buy this [Wolf Pelt] because I need money for a boat and some new clothes." Plus, if I remember correctly, Han Jee could gain knowledge almost instantly, like maybe a cool fighting style! Maybe I could find something on Fishman Karate. That would be great, unless of course I eat a Devil Fruit.
"Okay, let's go.
Ten Minutes Later
"Well hello, Miss Tori, are you feeling better?"
"Yes, ma'am" Tori blushed. I hate to admit this, but Tori looks kawaii as fuck when she's embarrassed.
"And Mister Dante," I looked back at Claudia,"come for your book?" she asks, shaking the book.
"Yes, and I also came to see if you had any others I'd be interested in." And possibly destroy them. Depends on the Game. smiled as she handed the Devil Fruit book to me. Tori just kinda stood there, looking around the room for something.
"Well then, what are you looking for?" What should I look for? I definitely want a fighting style, but I doubt, that a library on the south part of the East Blue is going to have a book on Fishman Karate.
"Do you have any books on fighting styles?" She zoned out for a moment, before pointing off towards a distant book shelf marked 'F'. This library is set up weird. Why does it go by letter of the subject? Maybe I should tell her about the Dewey Decimal System. Nah.
I trotted over to the shelf in question while Tori and talked about whatever. The books were in varying states. The ones about fishing, farming, and firearms (Odd) were dust free and even a few were missing (The firearm ones, from what I could tell, firearm usage) while the fighting ones were virtually untouched.
Okay, let's see, Blazing Fist, sounds hot, White Print, interesting, Sticky Smack, gross, Way of the Streaming River, maybe, Fist of Polaris, possibly, Dance of the Beast.
Dance of the Beast. Written by Master Mnyimal. Maybe I could just flip through the pages real quick. Hmmm. Alright. Good, good. Hohohoho! That looks cool, Alright, made up my mind, I'm learning Dance of the Beast. It has a cool name and even uses knives as a main weapon. I could probably replace knife with kusarigama. Now, to learn this fighting style!
.
.
.
.
.
How the hell do I do that? How'd Han Jee do it? Didn't he just touch the book and-
*PING*
Would you like to learn the skill [Dance of the Beast]?
(Yes) (No)
Hell yeah I'll learn it! I clicked the yes button and the book was suddenly consumed in turquoise fire.
Damn. Well, guess I'm gonna have to pay Ms. Claudia back for that.
*PING*
Reading has increased your INT by +1
Okay, a bit odd that reading one book about fighting increased my INT, but hey, gift horses. Any who, sweet new skill. Speaking of skills, I should check this one out.
"[Skill]"
Gamer's Mind [Passive] LV:MAX
Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows peaceful state of mind. Immunity to psychological status effect
Gamer's Body [Passive] LV: MAX
Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. You receive no physical damage from attacks only pain. After sleep in a bed he restores HP, MP and all status effects.
Physical Endurance [Passive] LV: 2
The body's ability to withstand damage can be increased through training. 1.5% of all attacks are blocked out.
Tiger Leap [Active] LV: 2
The Moonfangs can be thrown and retracted to bring you closer to a chosen target. This can be used as a mode of transportation (MOT) or an attack grab. Current throwing length: 40 feet
Tiger Junction [Active] LV: 1
This attack has the user punch, kick, or stab their opponent while in flight. Requires Skill: Tiger Leap
Tiger Junction: Full Stop [Active] LV: 1
This attack sends the user forward at the target and allows them to tackle them and end their movement. Skill: Tiger Leap; Tiger Junction
Gymnastics [Active] LV: 1
Level: Basic - Elementary gymnastics such as cartwheels, front rolls, back rolls, handstands, bridges, etc.
Mana Manipulation [Passive] LV: MAX
Mana is the life energy of Gaia that flows through all living things. The ability to manipulate this energy is only gifted to a select few by the Earth herself. This ability allows the user to form mana into what ever they imagine with necessary concentration.
Mana Shock [Active] LV: 1
Releasing mana in powerful shockwaves from your body will force away any opponent within a certain radius.
Dance of the Beast [Active] LV: 1
This is an ancient fighting style used by the Ngumi People on the Grand Line Island of Dierstryd Island. The techniques of this are based on the animals that resided in the diverse landscapes of Dierstryd. It utilizes strikes, kick, grabs, and short daggers to fight. Current Level: Basic. Moves Available: Bull Lariat; Gorilla Drum; Hawk Crush; Steel Donkey; Leone Waltz.
SIZZLING SALAMANDERS, BATMAN! Bull Lariat! Gorilla Drum! Hawk Crush! Those sound freaking awesome! Steel Donkey sounds weird and I don't know about Leone Waltz but still! I need to train this skill, stat! But first, I should probably see if I can get anything for this pelt. And maybe the townsfolk will have some quest. They didn't have any yesterday, but they did just meet me an-
*BANG BANG*
That sounded like gun shots! Maybe it's pirates! Oh, I hope it's pirates! Tori and Claudia stopped their conversation and ran for the door.
"Wait for me!" I ran out behind them. I charged through the door. Now for a little reference of location, the library is the last building on the north half of Main Street, which is just a big paved road. From there on is the dirt road that leads to Moonway Forest.
Anyhow, in the middle of the street was Jei standing with his pistol pointed at a man. The man stared at Jei angrily and seemed to be holding his hand. On the ground in front of him was a pistol, a lot like Jei's.
"Papa!" Tori yelled and ran over to Jei. Pffft. Daddy's Girl.
Jei glared at her and stopped her in her tracks before turning to look at the seething man. He pulled back the ignition hammer and said,"You'd better leave this town quickly before I start shooting again." The man rose up and spit at Jei.
"You'll pay for this! The boss is coming and he wants his money. And you know what happens when he doesn't get it." Jei glanced nervously at the road. I door see what's key about that.
"Well, you can tell your boss that there's a new sheriff in town," Oh my god, yes," and he's not taking anymore of his bullying!" With that Jei shot right in front of the man, sending him scampering off, like a frightened rat. As he ran away, I noticed something. The man was wearing nothing but some khakis and an open green shirt. On the back, from what I can see now, is a Jolly Roger. The Roger looked pretty basic, except instead of a human skull, it was a dog skull. Hmm, Dogs.
"Papa!" Tori continued her run to Jei, who just stood their staring as the pirate ran. Tori grabbed him in a hug, only coming up to his stomach. Goda, she's short. "Are you alright? What happened?" Jei took a few seconds before he reacted to her presence.
"I'm fine. Just some pirate asking for trouble."
"But Papa, he sounded like he was with-"
"It's fine, Tori." He was a bit more forceful now. "Just leave it alone." Tori's face fell. Okay, something's up here. Who the Hell are they talking about? They are playing a mean round of the pronoun game right now.
Jei, being an obviously stressed dad, pulled a classic from the parent handbook. Deflection.
"So, are you enjoying your 'training' with Mr. Clark." Oh, so I'm Mister Clark now, huh? Asshole. Of course, Tori bought into and started telling him all about her trai, thankfully skipping over the passing out part. Jei looked at me, like you would an idiot, and said,
"So I guess you're not really a 'Devil Fruit Expert' are you?" Jei, I like you less and less every time we talk. What happened to that nice man who let me into his house when his diminutive daughter brought a ragged teen home for dinner? What happened to that guy?
Tori elbowed him in stomach, which probably hurt like a hitch. "Papa, don't be rude. Dante tried as hard as he could to help. The only problem was me." Aww, well shit, now she's sad. I walked closer and gave her a ruffle on the head.
"Yeah, but it's not an easy thing to do. Besides, you did manage to transform into your hybrid mode at will." Tori smiled. And punched me in the stomach. Sweet Oda above, that hurts. "Why?"
"Because you ruffled my hair like I'm a child who needs petting!"
"I was trying to cheer you up from your massive failure as a Zoan." Why do I say things?
"WHAT?" Ow. 113. Ow. 111. Ow. 109. Ow. So, turns out most of Tori's strength is in her arms, cause her kicks to do jackshit.
"Alright, STOP!" I grabbed her foot and stopped her from stamping on me."Now, if your quite done, I've got some business to attend to. You can come if you want." I started walking off towards the tailor guy's shop. Mr. Wide, I think.
"Hey wait up!"
Mr. Wydd's Clothing Store, 1:32 P.M.
"Why are we here?"
"Because, my dear Tori, I have some business to attend to."
"Are you sure you wanna go in there? is nice but a little eccentric when it comes to clothing and well, you don't have the best clothes."
True. I was still wearing the clothes I came here in. My jacket was ripped up and now covered in Tori drool. The shirt was relatively undamaged, a cut here or there, but my jeans looked liked I had been running through a field of spikes. Personally, I like it. Makes me look like a rad biker guy. Though, I'm surprised no one's brought it up before now.
I pushed open the door and entered. The room was filled with racks upon racks of clothes. Men's. Women's. Children's. Big. Small. Short. Tall. Coats, jackets, shirts (long and short sleeved), jeans, shorts, blouses,skirts, dresses, hats, scarves, um, other items of clothing. At the back was a simple counter with a register and a bell. On the desk was the head of a man, late 20's-early 30's, dirty blond hair, straight hair,large ears, big nose, mediocre jawline, thin lips, skinny.
Through intense observation , you have increased the skill, [Observe], by 1
Huh. Completely forgot I could observe people. I should do that more. Maybe I should do it on Tori later and see why she's so strong.
"Um, hello?" The man woke up when I talked and stared at me for a moment.
"Yes, how may I hellllllll on wheels what happened to your clothes?" The man ran from behind the counter and started spinning me around and tutting. He sniffed my shirt and grimaced.
"No. No. This will not do. Come now, let's get you changed into something decent." began pushing me towards a door leading to a backroom.
" Mr. Wydd, I really don't think this is-"
"Nonsense," he interrupted, "this is completely necessary."
" Mr. Wydd, I don't even have money to-"
"It's fine, everyone gets one outfit free, isn't that right Tori." Tori was just standing there smiling like the Joker.
"Yes sir, Mr. Wydd." What happened to that polite girl I met in the forest. All of that went out the window when she realized I'm not fuckin 27. Don't look a day over 15.
"Exactly! And Tori, I've told you countless times, please call me Eadard." Eadard? That's a weird one even for One Piece. "Now, this will just take a minute and you'll have an outfit that's perfect for you." He pushed me through the door into the backroom. It was filled with clothes of all kinds as well. How many clothes can one man make/have? "Come now, let's get started, um, what's your name?"
"Clark Dante." Can't forget the name order rule.
"Oh, Dante. Good. Now, Dante, let's get started." What did I walk into?
2:32 P.M.
"So, what do you think?
"I love it." It had taken over an hour, but Eadard did it. He gave me an outfit (free outfit) that is perfect like he said.
I got a bitchin' new jacket. It was dark blue with red lettering. On the back, it had the word 'Sinner' on the back and on the front the number 10-59. Apparently Eadard thought it was appropriate since my name is Dante. Turns out Dante's Inferno still exist here, leaving a lot of questions.
I got a plain burgundy shirt underneath the jacket. He gave me new dark jeans with crosses sewn into the pockets along with some sweet new sneakers with thick soles. I thought about telling him about the Moonfangs but didn't think it was necessary. I even got some sweet sunglasses that are clear in dark places and dark in the sunlight.
"I told you that you would. Now, tell me why you came in here in the first place. You obviously didn't come here to get new clothes." Oh shit right.
"Yeah, I was wondering if you'd be willing to buy something off me."
"Sure, what is it?" Okay, how to do this without freaking him out. Hmmmm. Hmmmm. Nah, fuck it.
"[Inventory-Wolf Pelt]!" The pelt materialized in my hand. Eadard freaked out momentarily but quickly regained his composure.
"S-so you're like Tori." He knows about Tori? I guess it would make sense he would know, seeing how friendly they are. Ms. Claudia probably knows as well.
"Kinda. Anyway, I was wondering if you'd be willing to buy this pelt off me and if you'd like others." I handed him the pelt while he examined it. I already looked at the pelt which, despite coming from a mangy wolf, was very soft like silk.
"Mmmmmm. I could use the fur for coats and jacket lining. So how about I offer you a deal?" Suddenly, Eadard seemed to pause and a yellow exclamation point appeared over his head. I walked up to him and tapped him on the chest.
*PING*
One Quests have become available
In Wolf's Clothing
Yes, a quest. Now, what do they want?
In Wolf's Clothing
Bring Wolf, Mink, or Rabbit pelts to Wydd Eadard
Rewards: 100(Wolf)/150 (Rabbit)/250(Mink) Berri
(Yes) (No)
Awesome, Daily Quest. Now I've got a form of income. Maybe I can move out of Jei's house and get a room in a hotel or tavern I guess. It's also good experience. Now just hit (Yes) and we're good to go.
"So, we have a deal!" Eadard seemed to suddenly popped back like nothing happened.
"Yep, I'll try and get you some more today if I can." I slowly backed out of the room. "Bye!"
"Goodbye Dante." I backed out of the door and re-entered the store front to find that Tori was gone. Must've gotten bored and left. Oh well. Now I don't have to bring her into the forest with me. Maybe I can try my new attacks on the wolves! Oh this'll be oodles of fun!
Moonway Forest 3:03 P.M.
Jesus Christmas Crackers, where are the damn wolves? I walked ten feet into this forest yesterday and got attacked, but now that I'm looking for them, no one wants to come kill me. On the bright side, I've used [Tiger Leap] so many times, it leveled up twice so now it extends 60 feet. Hills and Valleys, ya know.
*snap*
Wait. I think i heard a twig snaaaaaaaaahhhhhhha! Okay, I found the wolves. They are currently surrounding me. I count five plus the one on my chest makes six. That's 600 Berri.
"[Mana Shock]!" The mana glowed all over my body and pulsed out, throwing the wolf off. I hopped to my feet and held the Moonfangs in my new fighting stance. Time to observe the situation. I looked around me. I've got two wolves on my left and right, one to the diagonal left (the one who got shocked) and a big red one in front.
"[Observe]."
Wolf Knight (Red)
LV: 6
HP: 90/90
Wolf Knights are the Beta Wolves of the pack, just under the Wolf King (Alpha). They aided the Wolf King in his takeover of the Moonway Forest and were given high positions in their society. They are larger and stronger than their Gamma (Gray) brethren. They also have an added elemental power, depending on their coloration. Found only in the Moonway Forest of Lumas Island.
Taming Rate: 13%
Effects: Red Hot: ? ? ?
I'm sorry, WHAT!?¡ What the actual hell are Wolf Knights and what's a Wolf King? Society? Red Hot effect? What the Fuck? Ya know what, fuck it! I don't care or want to know, all I know is these canine assholes are about to get shaved.
.
.
That was way more menacing in my head. Anywho, fighting time! Let's test out the [Dance of the Beast].
"[Tiger Leap]" I pulled in close to the Wolf Knight while the Grays charged on my former position. I stopped and front of the Knight and yelled,"[Gorilla Drum]!"
Move Failed.
.
.
.
.
Oh shit! The Knight looked me in the eye before it drew in a breath and blew fire! The wolf blew fucking fire out of its mouth! I used my [Gymnastics] skill to hastily cartwheel away, but took 10 points of damage from just a lick of fire.
[Gymnastics] Skill increased by 1
I rolled right into the welcome fangs of the Grays. I stopped in front of one and it latched onto my left wrist and another grabbed my leg. Shit. They started digging in, chipping away at my HP.
"[MANA SHOCK]!" The pulse went of again and hit both of them with 10 points of damage.
MP: 140/195
Still got more of those for a tight spot later. Alright, got to back up and analyze. I saw a nearby oak and [Tiger Leap]-ed to it. The Grays all gathered around the base and circled while the Knight just stayed were it was and stared.
Why did that move fail? That's never happened before.
*PING*
Of Course.
Learned Skills that give the Gamer other skills must be practiced before they may be officially added to the Skills List.
So basically, I can't use any of the attacks of the [Dance of the Beast] without practicing them first and 'creating' the skill.
Fuck my life.
Alright, surrounded by a bunch of Gray wolves lead by a fire-breathing red one and all of my attacks are close quarters. I can't get too close to the Grays or they'll pull me down and rip me to shreds and the Knight can burn me if I get too close to it.
Well, I can't spend the rest of my life in this tree. It's time to get creative!
"[Tiger Junction]" I hooked into the shoulders of one of the Grays and smashed into its neck with an audible snap. It poofed into a cloud of pixels and left behind a pelt. One down. Five to go. Three of the Grays lunged at me, jaws wide and ready to bite, while the others stayed on guard. The Red Knight just stood there, completely uncaring at the loss of the Gray.
I tightened my grip on the Moonfangs before dropping them and spinning. The chains extended out of my wrist as the Fangs flew up in the air.
"[Viper Jazz]!" The Fangs slashed all three midair. It caught the two to the left and right in the chest with deep cuts and merely grazed the middle one. The two on the side fell down flat while the middle one landed on all fours. The two fallen exploded into pixels. Must've been the ones who got hit with the [Mana Shock]s earlier. The two Grays on guard rushed past the middle Gray and ran, low to the ground, at me. Oh so you damn mutts think your smart huh? Okay.
Congratulations! You have-
No time, shut up right now!
The Fangs laid around me in a twisted pile of chains. I retract them and rush at the wolves in return. They freeze for a moment, obviously surprised by me running at them. The Fangs fly into my hands and I do a a somersault over the Grays, slashing wildly.
"[Shark Crescendo]!"
Two new skills have bee-
Not Now!
I land in a pushup position (not sure how that happened) as the Gray collapsed. It didn't burst so I assumed it was just injured. I make eye contact with the last Gray and he is pissed. He's baring his fangs and snarling, droll rolling down the long yellow teeth.
"Oh, so you wanna go one on one, huh? Well bring it, you stupid son of a bitch!"
A new skill has be-
What part of 'Not Now' did you not understand? The Gray (let's just call him Gray) bound towards me, going in a zigzag pattern. Oh, so you think your smart, huh? Your destination is still the same and I'll I need is for you to get close. He made one last powerful leap at me. I brought down the Fangs on the top of his head.
"[Mantis Cortador]!"
Or at least, I tried too. Gray twisted his head out of the way and and barreled into me while I was still bent over. I felt his claws dig into my flesh and screamed in pain. When he got me on the ground, he tried his best to rip out my throat, but I put my arm in the way. Blood dripped down from the wound. Guess the no-blood thing was just for the tutorial. He shook his head around yanking my arm. My HP flashed in the corner of my eye. 73/130
Not bad, but also no good especially since Clifford the Big Red Dog is still just standing there and the other Gray could get back up anytime. I brought up my free hand, Moonfangs inside, and started stabbing the wolf until he burst into pixels like his friends. I slowly sat up to see Clifford still standing there nonchalantly. The other Gray was still on the ground, unmoving. Must've cut a nerve or something. I glanced at my arm. Blood was dripping from the wound, staining the jacket red. Eadard's not gonna like that.
Status Effect: [Bleeding] now added.
Bleeding causes you to lose HP over time depending on the amount of blood lost.
Ugh, great. I tried to move the arm but it just hurts to damn much. My HP was dropping a point per second. That's when I heard a growl coming from Clifford. I looked up to see a giant fireball rolling at me. I rolled as out of the way as I could but the flames caught the other, unwounded, arm.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡!"
45/130
Well, goes my good arm. All I wanted was to kill these relatively innocent animals for their fur so I could have money and level up. Was that so bad? Maybe. But not bad enough for death right? A shadow loomed over my burned and bloodied form. Clifford.
"So, ya bastard, come to finish off your kill?" The wolf merely stared at me. Slowly, an orange light began to build in it's throat. Oh, this ones gonna hurt. I closed my eyes and excepted my fiery fate.
*BANG*
Clifford suddenly shut his mouth and and yelped. He ran off into the forest with a weird limp. I heard running and yelling, but honestly, I'm too damn tired for consciousness right now.
6:37 P.M. Ao Cottage. New Moon
You have slept in a bed (no bed claimed). All HP & MP has been restored.
What? Where am I?
I sat up from the couch I'm laying on? Wait, then that means...
"So your finally awake, Clark." Oh great, Jei. He was sitting in the small blue chair perpendicular to the couch. His Big Gun (oversized rifle) sat on the table between us. He was wearing the same white shirt and jeans he had on earlier but no longer had the shoulder holsters. He just looked at me like an cockroach you found on the floor. I remember a time when he looked at me warmly. It was about two hours before he pointed a gun at my head. What is wrong with this family? They're bipolar as fuck.
"Yeah, I do appear to be, Ao." Just want to note that Ao is a really hard last name to say. Jei snorted at my response. I looked down at my body for a quick check over to find I was now shirtless and covered in bandages on my arms and leg. No point to these anymore. I started pulling off the bandages, revealing immaculate skin, not even a scratch.
"How did you do that?"
"I'm a wizard."
"Ha ha ha very funny smartass. Now tell me how you did that!" Now he's getting pushy. I don't like it when people get pushy.
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"What did I do to make you so spiteful towards me? One second your offering me food and a place to stay the next your trying to murder me! All because of some Bad Wolf guy? I don't know who the hell that is, Jei!"
"It doesn't matter whether you know who he is or not, what matters is that you're a fucking pirate and I should've arrested you the moment you walked through that door with Tori! The only reason you've been allowed this long is because Tori insisted!"
"Wow, great parenting on that one, letting a stranger stay in your house cause your 13 year old daughter said so. Actually, never mind that, I've never said anything about being a pirate." We were both standing up now.
"Dekakakakakaka," Jei laughed," yeah because your definitely going to the Grand Line to 'see some friends'. Please."
"Well, for your information, asshole, I am going there to meet my friends." From a certain point of view, I'm not lying through my teeth. Just like Obi-Wan woulda done.
"Then why the hell do you have those chain scythes on your wrist?"
"The Grand Line is dangerous for travelers."
"And for pirates."
"And what if I am a pirate!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Have I done anything of harm to anyone on this island? Tori? Claudia? Eadard? NO! So what the FUCK is your problem with me?" I stood nose to nose with Jei, brown eyes staring into hazel.
"Would you please stop yelling?" We both turned our head to see Tori standing there, holding a tube of cream and a roll of bandages.
"Hey, Tori, how ya doing?" Nonchalant.
"Oh fine, just wondering why the patient is currently standing in the middle of the room having a scream match they can probably hear in the West Blue."
"Oh nothing, just two guys palling around. Isn't that right, Jei" I punched Jei on the shoulder with enough force to knock him over.
"Yeah, that's right, Clark." He followed up with a jab to the chest before we both looked at a very annoyed Tori. She obviously doesn't believe us, but whatever, I don't care if she knows we're fighting.
"Suuuuuure. Anyway, Papa, I think your turkey is burning in the oven."
"Oh, shit, my turkey!" And with that, Jei ran out of the room, screaming about a turkey. Sheriff of Celestia Town everybody.
"Now, that he's gone, SIT!" Tori walked up to me and pushed me back onto the couch. She undid the bandage on the formerly burned arm and stared at the pristine, unburned skin. "How did you do that?"
"It's like I told your Dad, I'm magic like that."
"You've got a Devil Fruit, don't you?"
"What? No! I just heal fast in my sleep. Because of the whole teleporting through worlds thing I told you the other day."
"Oh right, you never did explain that."
"And I have no plans to." I smirked as she stuck out her tongue. What a child.
"Why did you fight those wolves?"
"Don't you know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the only reason Jei would've come after me is because you made him and you could only know because Eadard told you were I went and why." Elementary, my dear Watson.
"Well, your right except for one thing."
"Which would be?"
"Papa went after you on his own accord." What?
"Seriously?"
"Um-hm. When I told him you went into the woods again, he ran out of his office with his rifle and half a hour later, he comes back with a burned and bleeding you over his shoulder." She talked as she unwrapped the rest of the bandages.
Why did he come after me? Jei hates me. Or does he? Questions for later.
"Hey, Tori? Where the hell did you go?"
"Sheriff's Office. You were taking so long and I got hungry so I went to go get lunch with Papa." Mmmmmm. Fooooood. I hadn't eaten since this morning. My stomach was in agreement, growling loudly. Tori giggled," Chichichichichichichichi. I guess you're hungry. I'll go see if Papa managed to save his turkey."
So, now I'm all by myself. I looked down at the unwrapped bandages on the ground. I was weak. I tried to fight against the wolves and I got my ass handed to me. Though I guess I did pretty good killing four of them. Wonder how much EXP I got.
"[Status]"
Name: Clark Dante
Title: The Gamer (Default)
Level: 3 To next: 32.6%
HP: 140/140
MP: 205/205
STR: 10
VIT: 7
DEX: 10
INT: 9
WIS: 6
LUK: 10 (-5) = 5
Points Available: 5
Status Effects: Unlucky: Looks like Lady Luck isn't on your side (LUK decreased by 50%)
Bookworm: Someone has been hitting the books (Increases EXP gain by 25%)
Good, at least this experience has been good for some EXP. Got to level 3. How about 3 points into VIT and 2 points into DEX.
I could feel my tingle with each added point. Wait. Damn it! Should've put points into Wisdom! Then [Mana Shock] would use less MP. *sigh*
Whatever, I can still make it better by training harder than before. I'll never be able to survive in the Grand Line as I am. I Must Get Stronger!
Fyr3Flyt3: And that was Chapter 8: Working for the Weekend. This is the longest chapter I've ever done and it's not even close to the chapter I'm most excited as of now. I have a few things I'd like to say(write) before I get to the reviews and preveiw.
First, Big shoutout to DarkLord98 for helping me out with this chapter. Two weeks ago, day after Halloween, i broke three knuckles on my right hand and had to get a cast put on it. This seriously impeded my ability to type, being forced to use only one hand, and makes it very tiring to proofread and fix mistakes especially with the shit technology I'm writing this on. So thank you SO much DarkLord, this chapter probably wouldn't have come out for another few days if I didn't have your help.
Second thing, I would like thank everyone who has read this story and SUUUUUUUUUPER thanks to all 108 people who have followed Gamer Blues. This story started out as an idea I got in the shower after reading some Gamer crossover fanfic. I didn't think it would get any follows or favorites or that anyone would like it, but your support is amazing. So (and just imagine I'm on the ground bowing) THANK YOU SO MUCH! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
There was a third thing, but I forgot what it was. Oh right, windmills.
(1) A windmill is a breakdancing move where the dancer spins around on there hands with there legs in the air. Dante, as a child, loved dancing and so his mother signed him up for a multitude of dance classes, one of which was hip-hop class that involved breakdancing.
Hmm. That kinda reminds me of an SBS question. Any who, on to some of the reviews of last chapter:
notsae: Interesting, will Dante be getting a Devil Fruit
Fyr3Flyt3: Maybe he will, Maybe he won't. I don't know. (winky face)
TheSuperMario: Why do you have it exactly rated it m when there's not really any sexual themes or descriptions? Stories like this that revolve around adventure in anime with nothing weird goes into the T category, you could get more people hooked on this since default in searching is K-T. Wonder if you are going to add her to the crew as well and if the straw hats are going to visit on the way to lougetown as a point?
Fyr3Flyt3: Well, when I read your review, I realized you're very right, but when I first posted the story, I thought that M was appropriate seeing as Dante curses. A Lot. But hey this is the internet, there are way worse things that the word 'fuck'.
As for the Straw Hats, we'll definitely see them eventually. As for Dante's interactions with them, weeeeelllll, that's a surprise.
Now for the preview:
"What do you mean 'Save Them'! From what?"
Oooh, ominous. Any way, once again, thank you to DarkLord98. Remember, PM me or leave a review if you have and questions, comments, or critiques. Until next time, Bye!