AN: I just want to say this: making a game must be so difficult. I don't know how other Gamer stories run, but I have like, seven different documents just for this single story. Gacha item pools, Companion lists, Individual Stats for both characters, it just goes on and on. At some points, I feel like I'm actually making a game more than writing a story! I remember thinking that Gamer stories were basic and simple, but if everyone who makes Gamer stories does what I've been doing (I assume they do)? Major props to you!
Also, I suppose I should've wrote this on the first chapter, but better late than never.
I don't own One Piece, One Punch Man, or any other franchise in this story. They are all owned by their respective owners and companies.
I got nothing else to say, at least not right now. Let's jump into things!
My eyes opened once more, and I was ready to start the day. I got up and took a look around, confirming that I was back in the monster-infested hero world once more. Before I could do anything else though, a green screen popped up.
[Good morning! Patch 4.1.7 has been released, and many things have been changed! Would you like to view the patch notes?]
[Yes!] [No!]
Frowning, I hit yes.
An Update to The System has been released. The update will be applied automatically once the User falls asleep. The major changes include…
-Fixed bug where multiple worlds can be chosen at the same time during the "Choose Your World" menu, causing the player to end up in both worlds accidentally. All affected Users will be compensated.
-Will Points were changed to correspond with the WIS stat instead of the CHA stat in One Piece, RWBY, Ace Attorney, RUINER, My Hero Academia, Team Fortress, and other similar worlds. Users will be compensated.
-Re-worked how to equip Armor and Accessories. A new Tutorial for them has been implemented.
-Decreased natural spawn rate of Standard Gacha Coins.
-Due to complaints and confusion, Stealth and Sneak have been combined into one Skill named "Erase Presence".
-Decreased experience gained from killing Tom Ducks.
-Increased spawn rates for Million Spiders.
-After Zeo's incident, it has been decided that only Users will be able to see, interact, and use Gacha Coins. All previous interactions with NPCs, Companions, and Chosens regarding Gacha Coins of any kind have been altered.
-Updated localization files.
So the System can be updated whenever, huh? Good to know, but that just threw another wrench into this cluster-fuck. The fact that the Game updates changed things. Not only did I have to keep an eye out for glitches, but I wouldn't be able to exploit them for long before the System fixed them, which sucked. I was also a little annoyed that they decreased the spawn-rate of Gacha Coins too. While I admittedly had a lot of coins between the two worlds, I didn't get many good things from them anyways.
[Due to being a User affected by the "Choose Your World" glitch, you have been given +4 Standard Gacha Coins and +10 Bonus Points as compensation.]
[Due to being a User affected by the "CHA to WIS" change, your next two Gacha rolls are guaranteed to be Rare or higher as compensation.]
Alright, I used to be annoyed, but the compensation was pretty sweet. Before I did anything else though, I decided to check out my new skill, Erase Presence.
[Erase Presence] Level: 5
While active, User will be 15% less noticeable. 15% quieter footsteps, 15% less presence, 15% less recognizably. Skill automatically ends when User runs, attacks, or speaks.
A shadow… in the wind…
Pretty good, honestly. Guess whoever was up there noticed my confusion with the two skills and decided to fix that. Sweet! I did notice that it was a higher level than either of my previous skills though...
Hm…
Well, it didn't really matter to be honest. It was level 5 and I saw no reason to argue why it shouldn't be.
Moving on, how exactly were Armor and Accessories re-worked?
[I'm glad you asked!]
Once more, the green screen popped up suddenly, almost startling me.
[The system has been reworked completely, in a very simple way! As long as you can wear the accessory or clothing piece, you gain it's benefit! However, that doesn't mean the previous system is completely gone. Instead, it was re-purposed. Open up the Armory tab.]
I did so, and the familiar screen appeared in all it's glory. I immediately noticed a couple new things were added.
Armor
Head: None (Hide)
Neck: None (Hide)
Body: Black T-Shirt (Hide)
Arms: None (Hide)
Hands: None (Hide)
Waist: None (Hide)
Legs: Brown Khakis (Hide)
Feet: Black Shoes (Hide)
Accessory 1: None (Hide)
Accessory 2: None (Hide)
Accessory 3: None (Hide)
Total Defense: 4
[As you can see, there a couple different things. A couple more slots were added, you have an extra Accessory slot, and finally the Hide function. The Hide function does exactly what it says; it hides whatever is in the slot. To be a little more technical, if you use the Hide function, the Armor or Accessory in the slot will give you the same properties without physically wearing it.]
Which meant that I could potentially have an entire set of armor and accessories, and then wear another entire set of both on top of it? I blinked in surprise. "All of that seems really broken to be honest. Wouldn't that destroy the balance of a lot of things?"
[Yep.]
"…Alright then."
I scoured through the rest of the patch notes, and one last thing caught my attention. "Zeo's Incident?" Did I even want to know? Probably not, but… "Hey Game, what did Zeo do?"
[Because of their indestructibility, Zeo began to use Gacha Coins as clothing. She literally glued hundreds of Gacha Coins together and wore them as chain-mail armor. Then, because NPCs could see the coins, the coins themselves were impossible to find as everyone would hoard them for themselves.]
[Normally that wouldn't be an issue. It was just one Gamer without access to a majority of the Gacha coins in their world. That was fine. However, Zeo was a very high leveled Player, and had already befriended multiple Players from different multiverses. As you can imagine… things escalated quickly. It was decided to make Gacha Coins completely non-interactive with NPCs entirely to nip the problem in the bud.]
I clicked my tongue. Why didn't I think of that?! "What happened to her?"
[She has been permanently removed from the Gamer System, and because of how she played, her soul was given Divine Punishment. There is no hope for her.]
That worried me, to be honest, but I didn't feel any pity for her. If she was as bad as the Game alluded to, then I wasn't gonna defend a stranger. Still, I couldn't help but feel anxious. I asked, "Am I in trouble for all these glitches then…?"
[No. If anything, I'm grateful. Despite what you may believe, this is still a game. It's great to iron out any bugs the Players may encounter.]
"Then why was Zeo punished? I mean, an exploit isn't that different from a glitch."
[Because she ignored the warnings and brought other Players into it. If she was the only Player involved, then there wouldn't have been any problems. However, when she started sharing her exploits with other Gamers, it was obvious that things were going to get worse. I even gave her one final warning too, but in the end, she was just too bloodthirsty.]
'I' did, huh? I took note of the wording as all nervousness disappeared, and in it's place was giddiness. "So, if I were to-hypothetically-go out of my way to find and exploit as many bugs as I can find…?"
[Go crazy. Just don't involve other Players.]
Fine by me! A wicked smile grew on my face and I rubbed my hands together, already thinking of all the ways I could break the System. Infinite item duping, here I come! Well, probably. Every unstable game has an infinite item glitch, right? I'd have to find out later though, I had coins to break!
With that in mind, I pulled all four of the gacha coins I just got out and snapped them. Despite everything, I had to admit that I was eager for more items. Who knows, maybe I'd hit it big!
That thought made me pause. Was I developing a gambling problem?
[New items have been added to your inventory!]
[SS-Rank Companion Crystal] Legendary
Summons an SS-Rank Companion from a different universe. Upon use, the crystal will be consumed and an SS-Rank Companion will spawn in front of you.
WARNING: These Companions hold zero obligation to assist you in any way! If you wish for them to join you, you MUST convince them ON YOUR OWN! The Game simply spawns the Companion!
[Love Potion] Rare
Upon use, consumer will fall in love with the first person they see. Entire potion must be consumed for the effect to occur. Effect lasts for 24 hours.
This isn't true love, not by a mile. This is like, the opposite. Artificial love, I guess.
[Wooden Bo Staff] Common
Attack Power: 10 + STR
A wooden bo staff, six feet in length. While this weapon is quite weak, it has incredible range.
Although it's somewhat difficult to learn, all those who master the bo staff become nigh untouchable.
I'm gonna wack ya!
[Coin Ring] Uncommon
Once equipped, all money earned from Quests, treasures, dungeons, and enemies is doubled.
Ooh, money!
It's not a problem if I keep winning, is it?
Looking at the items I got, I couldn't help but smile. These were really, really good! A Legendary Companion? Love Potion? Hell yeah! I even got a proper weapon this time! Before anything else though, I slipped the coin ring, a simple gold band, around my finger. The more cash, the better.
Moving on, I looked at what caught my attention the most. "A bo staff, huh?" I pulled it out and examined it, and sure enough, it was just a six foot long wooden stick. A part of me wished I got some kind of cool and late-game weapon, but hey, humble beginnings right? Plus, I had mana in this world, meaning that I'd eventually find or discover magic. Really, there was plenty of potential. Who knew, maybe there were some super secret techniques that I'd find!
I smiled and gave my new found weapon a couple swings. As expected, it was really light and wasn't long enough to feel like it's length was getting in the way. It didn't feel very comfortable in my hands, and I felt awkward swinging it around in my room, but that was to be expected. I was learning a whole new way to fight, after all.
I looked at the chakram in my inventory and gave it a smile. "I'll still use you in emergencies." I then realized I said that to myself out loud and promptly sighed. "And now I'm actually talking to myself. Oh boy." When I talked to the System, I just LOOKED crazy. Actually talking to myself meant that I was finally losing it.
Thankfully, the knocking on my door pulled me from my thoughts, so I went over and cracked it open. Surprise surprise, Yui was there with a smile, her pipe in hand.
"Hey Jet! Ready for more training?"
I gave a smirk and nodded. "Yep. Check it out: I even got a new weapon." I gestured to my staff. "I decided to follow in your footsteps and try out something like yours."
She hummed and gave it a quick once-over. "A bo staff, huh? Yeah, I can definitely see you with it." I was surprised she immediately recognized it, but before I could comment, she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Did I really inspire you?"
I shrugged. "You might as well have. I found this and I kept getting flashbacks to our spar. If I had the range you had, I think I would've done a bit better. With that being said…" I pointed at the staff and asked, "Could you help me with learning the basics?"
She blinked, caught off guard by my offer, before she asked, "What about your chakram?"
I looked away with a grimace. "I stumbled upon it, so I decided to try and use it. It's too small for me though."
She nodded in understanding. "Ah, I get it. Sure, I'd be more than happy to help you train. I mean, that's what were doing anyways, right?"
I paused. "…Huh. You're right." I shook my head and continued, "Still, I appreciate it. Now let's go hunt some baddies, yeah?"
"Right!"
And with that, we were off.
This time, we were lucky. Or unlucky. Depends on how you view a monster popping up, really. We were a couple hours into our patrol of a neighborhood when a nearby sewer grate exploded and a monster crawled out. The second it did, I hit it with an Observe.
Bio
Name: Fecal Matter
Title: Brown Menace
Age: 44
Sex: M
Height: 6'11"
Hair: None
Eyes: Brown
Likes: Darkness and Isolation
Dislikes: People, Light, and Sewers
HP: 500/500
Level: 7
Disaster Level: Wolf
Reputation: [0/100]
Your Relation: Doesn't Know You
Once a man who worked in the sewers, Fecal Matter was born when one of his coworkers bumped into him, causing him to fall over the rails and into the sewage below. Between his rage at how his life turned out, his discontentment with his job, and being picked on for never having a lover, he monsterized as he sunk into the depths of the sewer, transforming into the horrible-smelling monster he is today.
Oh my God he was so gross to look at. He was tall, covered in literal shit, and only wore a pair of brown underwear. I was already disgusted, but when the smell hit me I nearly puked. I keeled over and dry-heaved, but managed to force myself back up a moment later, powering through the rank odor.
[A new Ability has been created!]
[Poison Resistance] Level: 1
User takes 1% less damage from poison attacks.
Remember, venom is when the toxin is injected and it kills you. Poison is when you eat the toxin and it still kills you.
Wow, he smelt so bad he gave me poison resistance? Yikes.
I turned to Yui and saw her holding her hand over her mouth, looking extremely pale. I gestured to the guy and joked, "Well, here's our first monster. Wanna do the honors of attacking first?"
She grimaced and made an audible swallowing sound. "No way! You can take him!"
I sighed and slumped forward a little. "Fine." Admittedly, I was nervous. Not only was this guy stronger than Sideburns, he was stronger than Yui! And did I need to remind everyone that I was…
Status
Name: Jet Nirati (Poisoned!)
Level: 5
HP: 296/320
MP: 330/330
STR: 32
VIT: 32
DEX: 31
INT: 33
WIS: 31
CHA: 40
LUK: 45
Bonus Points: 10
…Only level 5? Plus, I was literally losing health by just catching a whiff of this guy! So unfair!
Before I could complain any further, Fecal Matter finally noticed us. He grandly gestured to himself and cried, "I heard all of that! So, you fools think you can kill me?! Fecal Matter?!" I heard Yui audibly gag next to me, but my eyes stayed on the monster. "You both don't understand how harsh my life was!" He clenched his shit-covered hand and closed his eyes, seemingly reminiscing his life. "The trials, the tribulations, and the pain I've suffered?!" Oh God he was crying brown tears.
[Poison Resistance has leveled up!]
Yeah, actually disgusting. While he continued ranting about how tough his past was, I slowly walked up to him, the smell getting so much worse. It was like the most rotten piece of cow shit ever, I was in tears by the time I was close enough to wack him with my stick. And wack him I did, right in his head!
[You caught the enemy off guard! Double damage!]
[Critical hit! Double damage!]
Dealing a whopping 141 hit points of damage, dropping him down to 359 HP. The hit obviously stopped his monologue, and surprisingly, he also fell to the ground. I was confused, but a screen that popped up answered it for me.
[A new Skill has been created!]
[Power Blow] Level: 1
Cost: 10 MP
Attack Power: 0.1xSTR
Once active, next attack will deal an additional 0.1xSTR damage. Enemies hit in critical hit locations have a chance of being stunned. Stun lasts for 1 second.
In other words, hit them in the head or crotch. Gets them every time!
Huh, that was new! An actual skill! Sweet!
I was so surprised, I didn't even notice that the literal shit monster in front of me had already gotten up, and was thus caught off guard when he straight up decked me in the face.
-121 HP!
I was knocked flat onto my back, my vision swimming. I tried getting back up but was kicked in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me.
-56 HP!
By now, I had noticed that blood was beginning to form in my mouth. Did he crack a rib or something? Instead of trying to get up, I decided to just roll away, forgoing anything else besides getting away from the most disgusting monster I've ever faced. Dizzy, bleeding, and probably a little delirious since my head was just knocked pretty badly, I slowly stood up and managed to get back on my feet.
I refocused my gaze back to the monster-I refused to actually call him Fecal Matter any more than I had to-and saw that Yui wasn't just standing around. Instead, she was face to face with guy, trying to hit him with her pipe. The problem was…
"How dare you try to hit me-Fecal Matter, the ultimate human killing machine-with such weak attacks?!"
Yeah, she really wasn't giving her all. Every time she swung, she would stop right before the hit connected or would completely miss the guy. Even worse, the monster was actually hitting her a few times too. She seemed like a complete newbie in comparison to the girl I sparred with. Honestly, that pissed me off a bit. What hell was she doing?! She could've wiped the floor with this guy, but instead she was falling apart!
Fueled by my anger, I gripped my bo staff as hard as I could and rushed back in. Fecal Matter, completely focused Yui, didn't even see me coming. I jumped into air, bo staff ready, and whispered, "Put all ten bonus stats into strength." Hearing the ding confirming my choice, I used a Power Blow and tried to cave his skull in with my staff.
[Critical hit! Double damage!]
Add the extra 10 percent damage against evil, I dealt a mighty 119 hit points of damage. "System," I begged, "Show me his health."
240/500 HP!
I gritted my teeth and threw another strike at his head, but the monster wasn't stunned this time. Instead, he simply caught my staff and laughed. "Ha! As if a mere STICK could go against a monster like me! Why, when I was working in the sewers...!"
I ignored his rant and tried to focus, but my head was killing me and I felt myself beginning to grow lightheaded. What was…?
[Poison Resistance leveled up!]
Right, just being around him was toxic. I was probably losing a ton just by breathing near him.
I turned to Yui, who was JUST STANDING THERE AND STARING AT US, and I was filled with frustration and indignation. "FUCKING DO SOMETHING!"
My yell snapped her out of whatever distracted her and it seemed like she finally realized that we were in a fight and I was the only one doing anything. For a single second she didn't move, visibly hesitating, but before I could yell at her again, she let out a cry and charged. "YAAAAH!"
Distracted by the yell, the monster turned his attention to Yui, momentarily forgetting about me. I narrowed my eyes and growled, "Big mistake buddy!" I proceeded to kick him as hard as I could into his crotch.
[Critical hit! Double damage!]
Dealing another 88 hit points of damage.
He cried in anguish, but could do nothing else before Yui whacked him in the side of the head. Of course, that stunned him long enough for me to pull my staff out from his grip and hit him on the other side of the head.
[Critical hit! Double-!]
I dismissed the notification as Yui and I double teamed him, hitting his head back in forth over and over, before he finally fell to the ground, unconscious.
Or dead.
I refused to touch him to see if he was breathing.
[Auto-Loot?]
Would I get anything that isn't related to shit?
[No.]
"Then no."
[Well, you also got some EXP! Yay?]
Did I level up?
[Yes, actually. Twice!]
Oh thank God. What's my status?
Status
Name: Jet Nirati
Level: 7
HP: 71/420
MP: 320/430
STR: 52
VIT: 42
DEX: 41
INT: 43
WIS: 41
CHA: 50
LUK: 55
Bonus Points: 10
No wonder I felt so bad, I was in double digits! At least I wasn't still poisoned, that would've been a pain to stop.
Before anything else though, I had to address the elephant in the room. I sighed and turned to Yui, who was currently looking at the ground. I raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, mind telling me what that was about?" Silence was all I received, so I continued talking, trying to get something out of her. "Look, I don't know what happened, and I'm not gonna ask. It's not my place." I walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not mad; not anymore anyways. I'm not going to apologize for yelling at you, but I'm sorry for dragging you into a fight when you weren't prepared. I-"
"That's not true!" She finally looked up at me, face scrunched in frustration. "I AM prepared! I've trained for so long! I… I-!"
"Then why did you freeze?"
Tears begin to pool in her eyes as she cried, "I… I don't know! I thought everything was fine, I thought I could handle it, but… but…!"
I almost sighed but managed to hold it in. Was this why the game specifically said to hunt three monsters before we got accepted? I guess it made sense, but surely someone with the actual qualifications would've been better to help, right? I certainly wasn't a therapist.
"Look, Yui," I began, "What should've happened and what really happened are two different things." She shrunk a little at my words, but I wasn't done just yet. "And the reality of what happened was that you froze at the most crucial moment, and then continued to make mistakes while you were fighting the monster. Those are the facts, it happened, and nothing you say will change them." By now, she was looking at the ground, tears falling from her face. "So that's why we're gonna beat that right out of you!"
She paused before looking up at me, tears and confusion in her eyes. "Huh?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What, you thought I was gonna ditch you or something? Did you think that I was gonna leave you because you can't handle a monster right now?" When all I got back was silence, I actually sighed. "Seriously? Do you really think so little of me?"
That immediately sent her into a frenzy, waving her hands around and shaking her head. "Wha-No! I-Of course not! I didn't mean that! I would never!"
I gave a smirk and put my hand on her head. "Then you have nothing to fear. We made a promise, a deal. I help you, you help me." She was staring at me now, surprised. "And together, we'll become the best damn heroes this city has ever seen. You and me, together. Does that work for you?"
She gave a tiny nod, eyes wide and mouth open.
Seeing an opportunity, an idea popped into my mind. "How about another promise?"
She tilted her head to the side in the most adorable way possible, asking, "Promise?"
I nodded. "Yep. A promise." I stuck out my hand and declared, "From this day onward, whether we're together or not, rain or shine, day or night… if you need me, I'll always be there for you, and you for me. One word and I'll come running." I gave a smile and added, "And when I need you, you'll do the same, and be my hero."
In what I assumed was shock, she simply stared at me for the longest time. However, I didn't budge, confident smile still in place. "So? What do you say?"
[+25 Reputation with Yui!]
She stared at me, dazed, before taking my hand with a big smile. "I think I'd that, Jet. It's a promise."
My smile grew and I immediately pulled her into a hug. "Great!" I looked down at her, and her face was completely red as she reciprocated. God, she was adorable!
Honestly though, I thought that was going to shoot her Reputation into Affection. Instead, she's only at 65 REP! I poured my heart into that, you know?! Give me more Reputation! And maybe a harem quest for this world or something, just saying…
[You horn-dog. I was planning on giving this to you anyways, but you're insatiable!]
Hey, there's no shame in it! There's plenty of people that want a harem, both men and women! Give the Quest already!
[Fine, fine. Here you go.]
[A new Quest has been-!]
[D-D-D-DDDDDDDDIscovered!]
[Your Quest has been! Has bEen! Has BEEN!}
I suddenly had a bad feeling.
[Uh 0h. Th t d0esn't L00k g0Od.]
That bad feeling turned into a worse feeling.
[Alr1ght, 1f it w)))n't w3rk norma11y, h0w aboOUt… this?]
[Your Quest has been updated!]
[Yes!] [No!]
I hesitantly picked yes, and a familiar Quest popped up, albeit a little tweaked.
[Lover of All Womankind! Or Most, Anyways]
Objectives:
1. Raise 1 lady's Affection to 100! (0/1)
2. Raise 5 lady's Affection to 100! (0/5)
3. Raise 10 lady's Affection to 100! (0/10)
4. Raise 25 lady's Affection to 100! (0/25)
5. Raise 50 lady's Affection to 100! (0/50)
6. Raise 75 lady's Affection to 100! (0/75)
7. Raise 100 lady's Affection to 100! (0/100)
(NEW!) 8. Raise 125 lady's Affection to 100! (0/125)
(NEW!) 9. Raise 150 lady's Affection to 100! (0/150)
Bonus Objectives:
1. Add 1 Marine to your harem! (0/1)
2. Add 5 Marines to your harem! (0/5)
3. Add 10 Marines to your harem! (0/10)
4. Add 25 Marines to your harem! (0/25)
5. Add 1 Pirate to your harem! (0/1)
6. Add 5 Pirates to your harem! (0/5)
7. Add 10 Pirates to your harem! (0/10)
8. Add 25 Pirates to your harem! (0/25)
(NEW!) 9. Add 1 Hero to your harem! (0/1)
(NEW!) 10. Add 5 Heroes to your harem! (0/5)
(NEW!) 11. Add 10 Heroes to your harem! (0/10)
(NEW!) 12. Add 25 Heroes to your harem! (0/25)
(NEW!) 13. Add 1 Villain to your harem! (0/1)
(NEW!) 14. Add 5 Villains to your harem! (0/5)
(NEW!) 15. Add 10 Villains to your harem! (0/10)
(NEW!) 16. Add 25 Villains to your harem! (0/25)
17. Add 1 movie-exclusive character to your harem! (0/1)
18. Add 5 movie-exclusive characters to your harem! (0/5)
19. Add 1 lady from a royal family to your harem! (0/1)
20. Add 5 ladies from a royal family to your harem! (0/5)
21. Add 1 H^$ks8! to your harem! (0/1)
(NEW!) 22. Add 5 H^$ks8! to your harem! (0/5)
Rewards:
1. +1,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, +1 C-Rank Companion Crystal, +10,000 Currency
2. +5,000 EXP, +2 Standard Gacha Coins, Title [Skilled Womanizer]
3. +10,000 EXP, +3 Standard Gacha Coins, +1 B-Rank Companion Crystal, +100,000 Currency
4. +25,000 EXP, +4 Standard Gacha Coins, Title [Mass Seducer]
5. +50,000 EXP, +5 Standard Gacha Coins, +1 A-Rank Companion Crystal, +500,000 Currency
6. +75,000 EXP, +6 Standard Gacha Coins, Title [Walking Perfection]
7. +100,000 EXP, +1 Ultra Gacha Coin, +1 S-Rank Companion Crystal, Title [Perfect Man], +1,000,000 Currency
(NEW!) 8. +125,000 EXP, +2 Ultra Gacha Coins, +1 SS-Rank Companion Crystal, Ability [Ultimate Pleasurer], +1,250,000 Currency
(NEW!) 9. +150,000 EXP, +3 Ultra Gacha Coins, Best Boy Ring, Perk [Peak Performance], +1,500,000 Currency
Bonus Rewards
1. +1,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, "Special" Justice Coat, +10,000 Currency
2. +5,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, "Special" Marine Jacket, +50,000 Currency
3. +10,000 EXP, +2 Standard Gacha Coins, "Special" Marine Pants, +100,000 Currency
4. +25,000 EXP, +3 Standard Gacha Coins, Perk [Marine Seducer], +250,000 Currency
5. +1,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, "Special" Rugged Boots, +20,000 Currency
6. +5,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, "Special" Rugged Undershirt, +100,000 Currency
7. +10,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coins, "Special" Rugged Socks, +200,000 Currency
8. +25,000 EXP, +2 Standard Gacha Coins, Skill [Perfect Plunder], +500,000 Currency
(NEW!) 9. +1,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, Perk [Calming Presence], +20,000 Currency
(NEW!) 10. +5,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, +15 Stat Boost, +100,000 Currency
(NEW!) 11. +10,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coins, Perk [Charming Smile], +200,000 Currency
(NEW!) 12. +25,000 EXP, +2 Standard Gacha Coins, Skill [When In Need], +500,000 Currency
(NEW!) 13. +5,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, Perk [As Villains Do], +50,000 Currency
(NEW!) 14. +25,000 EXP, Perk [Humanizing Presence], +1 [Monstrous Trait], +250,000 Currency
(NEW!) 15. +50,000 EXP, +3 Standard Gacha Coins, +50 Bonus Points, +500,000 Currency
(NEW!) 16. +125,000 EXP, +1 Ultra Gacha Coin, +100 Bonus Points, +1,250,000 Currency
17. +5,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, +1 Film Reel, +100,000 Currency
18. +50,000 EXP, +3 Standard Gacha Coins, Skill [Pause], +100,000 Currency
19. +10,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, +1 Pretty "Gem", +500,000 Currency
20. +50,000 EXP, +3 Standard Gacha Coins, Title [Royal Seducer], +5,000,000 Currency
21. [IGNORE THIS ONE! IGNORE THIS ONE! NO REWARD FOR THIS ONE!]
(NEW!) 22. [STOOOOP! DON'T LOOK! ZERO REWARDS FOR YOU HERE!]
I almost gaped at how much was added. Besides, why was it even updated? Why didn't I get a One Punch Man version of this Quest?
[Long story short, the Quest creator glitched and got confused cause it thinks you already have the Quest, but still detected that you didn't actually have it. So, it decided to simply update the One Piece quest and transfer it over here.]
Made sense. While I was impressed-and a little intimidated-by the size of it, I quickly dismissed it. I had Perks to see! Hit me Game!
[You asked for it!]
[STR has hit 50! You've been granted a new perk!]
[CHA has hit 50! You've been granted a new perk!]
[LUK has hit 50! You've been granted a new perk!]
[Muscle Memory] STR
All strength-based Skills and Abilities require 25% less EXP to level up!
Blah blah blah, something something… fear the guy who swung a million times!
[Preferred Looks] CHA
User's appearance can no longer be perceived as ugly.
Be it human, monster, robot, or incomprehensible mass of flesh, everyone sees you as not ugly! Hooray!
[Lucky Hit] LUK
User has a LUK*0.5% Critical Hit rate, regardless of where the User strikes.
Be it leg, face, or even big toe, you now have the chance to deal double damage no matter what you hit! Lucky!
I was pretty satisfied, but I wasn't done yet. I decided to use the ten bonus points I got from the two level ups. I put seven bonus points in INT, and the other three in VIT, shooting them up to 50 and 45, respectively.
[INT has hit 50! You've been granted a new perk!]
[No Wands] INT
Mana can now be used without wands.
Who needs wands? I have ten of them, and they're called fingers!
Wait, I could've accessed my mana at any time?! Why wasn't I told?!
[You never asked. Besides, you've already used your mana before!]
Wow.
"Um… c-can you let go of me now?" I blinked before realizing that I was doing all of that while Yui was in my arms. With a smile, I finally let her go. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by my phone ringing.
Surprised, I pulled it out and saw none other than Child Emperor calling me. I immediately answered. "Hello?"
"Jet! I need you to do me a huge favor." I tried to respond, but what sounded like an explosion from his end stopped me. "You know that strange reading I was talking about? Well, it turns out that there's a whole nest of monsters under the city."
Oh, that didn't sound good.
"Furthermore, the energy I detected last night seems to be coming from the nest, and it's levels are rapidly rising. I'd personally check it out right now but…" Another explosion came from his end, and I got the picture.
"Right. Monsters."
He gave a sigh. "Right. I don't know exactly what the energy is, or what might happen if it keeps rising, but I don't think it'll be anything good. That's why I want you to go and check it out as soon as possible! I'm sending you coordinates that lead to the nest, so can you check the place out for me and if possible, clear it out?"
I didn't see an issue with that. In fact, I was almost ecstatic at the chance to level up more, but something was bugging me. I asked, "What about other heroes?"
"I can't access the Association at all," he explained. "The monster I'm dealing with right now has electronic-manipulating abilities, so I can't call anyone. You're the only person I can ask because you have a phone I made, and my personal devices run on a very specific frequency." Another explosion came through the other side, and Child Emperor asked, "Can you just check it out at least? Please?"
Before I could respond, the System sent me a notification, and a Quest appeared.
[Cave Clear-Out!]
Objectives:
1. Clear the Dungeon! (0/1)
2. Stop whatever is causing the energy to rise! (0/1)
Rewards:
1. +1,000 EXP, +1 Standard Gacha Coin, +15 Reputation with Child Emperor, +50,000 Currency
2. +1,000 EXP, +10 Reputation with Child Emperor, +40,000 Currency
Failure:
Death, X-City loses the occasional civilian for the next three years.
Description:
Child Emperor sent you the coordinates for a nest of monsters directly under the city! Traverse the underground and fight off the creatures that plague it!
I was already planning on going, but I'll take the extra incentive! "Sure, I'll get it done. No need to worry." I replied. Inwardly though, I was almost giggling. Jackpot baby! Let's get some levels!
"Thanks Jet," He said, relief audible in his voice. "Give me updates when you're done or if something unexpected happens. Good luck!" And with that, he hung up.
"Who was that?" I turned to Yui, a curious expression on her face.
I blinked and remembered I wasn't alone. "Ah, it was Child Emperor-"
"You met Child Emperor?! When?!"
I blinked, a little surprised at her outburst. "Last night. I was wandering through the streets when we bumped into each other. We talked for a bit before he gave me a phone and went home."
She was shocked, admiration in her eyes. "So cool!"
I gave her a grin. "It was pretty surprising, I gotta admit. Lucky too. Well, he called me for a favor. Turns out, there's a nest of monsters under the city messing with some kind of energy, which is why he was here last night. Due to circumstances, he can't call anyone else to help, so he rang me up to go and clear the place out." I asked, "So, wanna help?"
Visibly apprehensive, Yui asked, "You want me to… join you?"
I nodded, a confident grin in place. "Yep. I've seen you fight. Hell, I've FELT you fight. You're plenty strong already, to be honest. Plus, this could be really good training too!"
It was Friday, and I only had until Saturday at noon to finish the To Getting Stronger Quest. In other words, Child Emperor literally gave me the perfect scenario! I'd be able to clear two Quests at the same time!
"As a bonus, this could open a lot of doors for us," I stated, catching Yui's attention.
"Doors?"
I nodded. "Yep. If we did this for Child, not only would we have the respect of an A-Class Hero, but we would DEFINITELY be strong enough to ace the hero exam. Plus…" I leaned in and conspiratorially whispered, "If word got out about what we did, maybe we'd rise up the ranks a little easier? Heheheh…"
All nervousness drained from her, and was instead replaced with a mix of exasperation and mirth. "Seriously? The biggest thing you're worried about all of this is your popularity?"
Giving her my smarmiest smile, I said, "Hey, nothing wrong with wanting a little fame, right?" I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into me, waving my other hand in front of us. "Imagine it Yui, doing patrols while people admire you from the sideline! People wishing to be us, villains fearing us! We'd be stars!"
She giggled. "That's a pretty nice thought, I won't lie, but…"
I leaned into her. "But…?"
She pushed me back with a finger and said, "But that'd be wrong. We're doing this to help the city, not for personal gain."
My eyes shined and I grinned, "We?"
She nodded, "Yes, we."
I laughed out loud, a big smile on my face. "Perfect!" Without any more time to waste, I grabbed her hand and cried, "Well, what're we waiting for?! Let's get going!"
She giggled and let herself be pulled. "Nothing! Away we go!"
"Let's save the city!"
"Yeah!"
[Water Centipede Dungeon (Level 7-9 Recommended) discovered!]
[Enter?]
[Yes!] [No!]
I was suddenly a lot less eager to dungeon dive. Bugs again…?
Following the coordinates that Child Emperor gave us, we found ourselves in a nature reserve called "Fintown Nature Reserve" named after a millionaire named Axton Fintown. About 100 acres big, it was created because apparently there was some kind of special species of bird that only reproduced in the area. Overall, while it was certainly big, it definitely wasn't as large as some nature reserves in my previous life.
Thankfully, we were able to head right in with zero problems. Despite it being a nature reserve, it's biggest claim to fame was that people had access to almost all of it, except for a single acre in the center of the place, which was a research facility of some kind.
Thankfully though, we didn't have to go to some restricted location. Instead, we stumbled across a giant cave entrance. I could almost feel the apprehension Yui had when she asked, "Are you sure this is the place?"
I nodded. "Yep. At least, according to these coordinates it is." And the dungeon prompt, but I wasn't gonna mention that. "Well, let's get this over with." With a mental sigh, I pressed the yes button and the scenery around me changed. Instead of a nice a luscious forest, I found myself in a cave. I immediately opened the Map to get a look of my whereabouts.
The path was full of twists and turns, and there were a few branching off pathways, but overall the dungeon was just as tame as the Honey Wasp one. I sighed in relief. Imagine if we had to traverse an actual cave system?
"Wow, it's leaky in here. Are you sure we're going the right way?"
I turned and saw Yui, suddenly standing next to me, oblivious that she was just… transported? Well, however she got in here, she was right. The stone was an unnatural light blue, and every few feet there were drops of water leaking from the ceiling. The air was full of moisture too, so much so that I doubted that I'd been able to light a fire. Thankfully though, there were torches that lit the pathway every once in a while, so we could still see what was ahead of us. Yui saw them and didn't question them, so I didn't either.
I looked down at my phone and thankfully, it had a built in navigation system. I blinked and realized that I didn't Observe it, and quickly rectified that mistake. "Man, I gotta do this more…"
[Your Phone]
Built by Child Emperor, this thing is a wonder of technology and has everything you could possibly imagine in it. The latest navigation system, near infinite memory, a GPS only available to Child Emperor, countless security and firewall programs so that it can't get hacked or intercepted, constant internet connection, and of course the functions of a cell phone, calling and texting.
Got any games on it?
Yeah, that's incredibly good. Lucky me! I gave Yui a nod and explained, "Apparently everything is at the end of this cave." I gave my wooden staff a twirl and asked, "You ready to hunt actual monsters?" She nodded, but didn't speak. I gave her a grin and said, "Heh, don't worry. Worst comes to worst, you can hide behind me!"
She stifled a giggle. "Jet, come on, be serious!"
"Hey, I am serious!" Thankfully I managed to ease some tension out of her, and I turned and began walking deeper into the dungeon. "So, let's do some cave diving!"
As much as I'd like to tell a riveting tale about us fighting for our lives deep underground, the truth was that the place was nearly abandoned. The Map showed that there were 20 rooms, but every single one we explored was either a dead end or filled with useless scrap. Rusted pipes, rotting crates, frayed rope, and countless other pieces of rotting or rusting pieces of scrap.
"It's weird… I thought this place was infested with monsters?" We just finished checking the second to last room when Yui said that, and I couldn't help but agree.
"You're now wrong, something's off. Child Emperor said this place was filled with monsters. Instead, it's just been dead end after dead end." I didn't think he would've lied, especially since the System said that this was a dungeon, but could someone have already cleared the place out? The System already said that outside of Quests NPCs can't enter dungeons, so could there have been another player…? The thought made me apprehensive. Sure, they could be a decent person and maybe we'd co-exist, but let's be real; if someone was given the world, and the means to take it? They wouldn't share.
I know I wasn't planning to.
"Wait, Jet! I think I hear something!" Yui snapped me out of my thoughts, and I stopped walking.
Straining my ears, it sounded like… "Is something moving? Squirming?" It sounded like a bunch of spiders walking on bubble wrap, which wasn't a very pleasant thought at all, to be honest.
We looked at each other, nodded, and crouched. I activated Erase Presence and peaked my head around the corner and witnessed the worst thing I've ever seen, in all three of my lives.
It was a relatively small room, truth be told. Like the rest of the cave, there were a few drops of water falling from the ceiling, the floor was a mix between dirt, mud, and stone, and the walls and roof were made out of wet stone. No, what really caught my attention was the figure hunched over some kind of machine that sat in the middle. No matter how much I tried to focus on the humanoid figure though, it's shape kept shifting and moving, like rippled in a lake. I pulled myself back, and Yui must've saw something on my face, because she raised an eyebrow.
Wordless I gestured for her to take a peak, so she poked her head around the stone wall, before pulling her head back, looking equally as unsettled.
I took a deep breath before peaking once more and hitting the figure with an Observe.
Bio
Name: Radioactive Water Centipede Colony
Title: The Assembled
Age: 1
Sex: Both
Height: ?
Hair: None
Eyes: ?
Likes: ?
Dislikes: ?
HP: 2,000/2,000
Level: 12
Disaster Level: Wolf
Reputation: [0/100]
Your Relation: Doesn't Know You
Once a small infestation, these Water Centipedes have been in this cave for so long they've practically fused together, turning a nest of bugs into a hivemind of legs and pincers. This colony has 35 Water Centipedes, which is on the smaller side. The Water Centipedes have mutated into a special colony, taking the shape of a humanoid creature.
Wow, it just kept getting worse! I quickly turned my attention to the metal structure the Colony was… eating? And hit it with an Observe.
[Atom Disassembler]
A machine built a few years ago by an unknown scientist. An experiment gone wrong resulted it in appearing deep underground. It is in a state of disrepair, and the nuclear core has slowly been degrading. The wildlife has begun to eat and pick at it, causing them to inherit it's radioactive properties.
I was smart enough to read between the lines, and realized that the centipedes were quite literally eating radiation and evolving from it. The energy Child Emperor detected were the centipedes growing stronger.
[So right! +1 INT!]
Which meant that we had to hurry and wipe the colony out before it could grow any further, or even worse, turn into a fully-fledged monster.
I pulled my head back and deactivated Erase Presence. I then relayed the information I got to Yui, who was silently sitting next to me.
"So," She began, "We have to kill that thing?"
I shuddered. "Seems like it, sadly."
She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you not like bugs?"
"Ugh, hate them. Bugs are some of the worst things in the world. Despise almost every single one of them."
"Not all of them?"
"Bees are cool."
She tilted her head before shrugging. "I guess. Any plans?"
I pursed my lips. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting them all to form into that… whatever it is. I thought we'd be taking them out in groups, not all of them at once. It's gross, to be honest."
I took a quick look at my Status and Skills.
Status
Name: Jet Nirati
Level: 7
HP: 450/450
MP: 510/510
STR: 52
VIT: 45
DEX: 41
INT: 51
WIS: 41
CHA: 50
LUK: 55
Bonus Points: 0
Skills
[Observe] Level: MAX
Users with this skill get a description of any item they hold. Using this skill on a person or surroundings will grant a window of information. The higher the level, the more details are provided.
[Erase Presence] Level: 5
While active, User will be 15% less noticeable. 15% quieter footsteps, 15% less presence, 15% less recognizably. Skill automatically ends when User runs, attacks, or speaks.
A shadow… in the wind…
[Taunt] Level: 1
Cost: 10 MP
User taunts whoever they wish, with an 11% chance for the target to focus the user over everyone else. Inflicts target with [Rage].
You know, I first got this skill in COD lobbies.
[Hypnosis] Level: 1
Cost: 50 MP/s
User can put target into a susceptible daze after 30 seconds of focused use.
Hypnosis has the power to do a lot of good, really! But… I mean… Uh…
[Power Blow] Level: 1
MP: 10
Once active, next attack will deal an additional 0.1xSTR damage. Enemies hit in critical hit locations have a chance of being stunned. Stun lasts for 1 second.
In other words, hit them in the head or crotch. Gets them every time!
I really didn't have anything special. My inventory wasn't much better, to be honest.
I could use my SS summon crystal, but what if I summoned a dangerous being and they didn't want to work with me? The original problem would be replaced with an even BIGGER problem. Yeah, maybe at a later date.
I could use the Love Potion? But how would that even work? And would the centipedes even fall in love? Again, I just had no idea and wasting a gacha item seemed stupid.
I sighed. "I think we'll just have to fight it."
"I figured you'd say that." She smiled. "So, I think YOU should go and get it's attention first!"
I almost groaned. "I can't say I'm surprised." I took a moment to gather my thoughts before I nodded. "Alright, I have a plan. I'll sneak up on it and try to deal as much damage as I can, and once it focuses on me, you try and sneak up on it too. That way, we can both both deal a lot of damage for certain."
I did some quick calculations, and if everything worked out, I'd deal 134 hit points of damage. That's only if I successfully sneaked up on it and used Power Blow though. I didn't think centipedes were inherently evil, so I wouldn't get the bonus from my perk, and I also didn't think a swarm of centipedes had any critical hit locations, like the head or crotch, so I wouldn't get any critical hits there either.
If I was lucky, I'd get a crit from Lucky Hit, but I didn't count on it.
"Alright, enough stalling," I muttered, and stood up.
I turned on Erase Presence and turned the corner. Slowly but surely, I crept up on the Colony as it feasted on the radiation. Before long, I was right behind it, and I managed to get a good look at the thing.
It was disgusting. Although it was in the shape of a person, it was made of nothing but centipedes. It was like looking at a walking pile of spaghetti, although ten times worse to hear. Constant crawling and skittering, I couldn't help but cringe at the thing in front of me. Still, I braced myself, and without any more hesitation, I swung my bo staff and slammed it into the 'head' of the Colony.
[You caught the enemy off guard! Double damage!]
Sure enough, I dealt a solid 134 hit points of damage. The Colony turned to 'look' at me, but where a face on the head normally would be, there were just more centipedes. I shook my head in disgust and leapt back, just in time to dodge a swipe from the Colony's hand. Using the bo staff's range to my advantage, I kept my distance as I hit it with another Power Blow.
[Critical Hit! Double Damage!]
I was lucky though, and dealt another 134 hit points of damage, taking it's health down to 1,732 HP.
Stunned, the Colony could do nothing as I swiped at it again. I thrusted my pole directly into the thing, dealing another quick 67, before pulling it back out.
Recalling how Yui played with me, I began to fall into a pattern. Swipe, dodge, swipe, dodge, thrust, dodge. Before I knew it, I had dropped the thing down to 1,464 HP.
However, it seemed like the Colony was smarter than I thought. Instead of lunging at me again, it shot out a small stream of water, fast as a bullet. Surprised at the change in tactic, I didn't react in time and the stream of water slammed into my chest.
-187 Hp!
And just like that, reality came crashing back to me. Sure, I managed to deal some damage, but the thing was 5 levels higher than me. I had fallen into a rhythm and because of it, I was caught flatfooted when it changed tactic.
I immediately jumped back and put some distance between us, but the Colony tried to bridge the gap by lurching forward. It was faster than me, I realized. I was only keeping it back by hitting it. So, I grit my teeth and started swinging.
I don't know if it was smart enough or I was just faltering, but I missed a lot. I swung at the 'head,' it ducked. Aimed at the side, it stepped back. Tried to sweep into it's 'legs,' it jumped.
It was adapting.
I narrowed my eyes at the Colony. If it was getting used to me, then I needed to change tactics. I swung my bo staff at it's side once more. Predictably, it stepped back. However, when it started trying to reach me again, I met it in the middle instead of falling further back.
The thing was obviously surprised, given how I managed to thrust my staff into it's chest with a Power Blow.
[Critical Hit! Double Damage!]
Dealing another 134 and stunning it! Capitalizing on the opportunity, I decided to go all in and launch as many attacks as I could. One, two three hits in a row!
[Critical Hit! Double Damage!]
Even better, I managed to stun it for another second! Encouraged by my good luck, I crashed my bo staff into the Colony three more times, dealing a total of 335 damage.
"Observe!"
Bio
Name: Radioactive Water Centipede Colony
Age: 1
Sex: Both
Height: ?
HP: 995/2,000
Level: 12
I smiled. It was half way dead, I could do it! I threw another strike right to it's stomach area, and it connected, dealing another 67 damage.
[New Ability Unlocked! Staff Mastery!]
Smirking, I then tried to pull it out when… I couldn't.
I tried, I certainly tried, but I already knew what happened. The centipedes had grabbed my staff. No matter how much I tried to pull the staff out, it was stuck in the Colony. Then, the centipedes started crawling up it.
I immediately let the weapon go and could only watch as it slowly sunk into the Colony's body. I was disgruntled, but thankfully, I still had a backup. I whipped out my chakram and used it like a makeshift brass knuckle, decking the monster in it's 'face' with a Power Blow, taking another 79 from it's health pool.
[Power Blow has leveled up!]
Heh, nice.
That was all I could do though, as it seemed I had enraged the thing. Before I realized, it grabbed my arm with it's 'hands' and threw me across the room. I slammed into the wall and I felt a number of bones either creak or break.
-225 HP!
Blood instantly pooled in my mouth, and I quickly spat it out, but it just kept coming. My lungs were damaged, I realized. Actually, almost everything was hurting. My arms were aching, my legs were lead, and my head was impossible to lift. I blinked, and realized I was laying on the ground. A pool of blood began to form around me, and I realized I was losing a LOT of blood, and some of it was from my head.
"S-status…"
Status
Name: Jet Nirati
Level: 7
HP: 38/450 LOW!
MP: 510/510
STR: 52
VIT: 45
DEX: 41
INT: 51
WIS: 41
CHA: 50
LUK: 55
Bonus Points: 0
This is what I get for playing above my level...
Head pounding, I slowly pulled myself up. Just in time too, as the Colony was rushing over to finish me off. Dizzy, bleeding, and very very injured, I barely managed to stumble out of the way of a water bullet the monster shot. Although I managed to dodge, I fell again and felt my vision grow blurry. I was barely holding up now. Watching the Colony stalk towards me, I could do nothing as it broke into a sprint.
However, before it could get close, it was none other than Yui who finally rushed in and slammed her pipe against the beast.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"
Before the Colony could recover from the surprise attack, Yui unleashed a flurry of strikes, hitting the monster all over. One, two, three, I lost count after her tenth strike.
She wasn't this fast before, was she? I hit her with an Observe.
Bio
Name: Yui Kaiyo
Age: 18
Sex: F
Height: 5' 6"
HP: 800/800 [RAGE!]
Level: 8
Weight: 135 lbs.
Race: Human
Hair: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Reputation: [65/100]
Your Relation: Great Friends/Hero Partners
Yui Kaiyo was afraid of monsters ever since she was little. However, one day in high school, she was saved by a wandering hero from a Mysterious Being. Ever since, she's aspired to be just like him. When she saw her friend, Jet Nirati, about to die against a Mysterious Being, her fear of monsters were driven away by her desire to protect the man who believed in her. Now, she's just days away from achieving the first step in her dream.
Curious, I tapped on the 'Enraged' status effect, and a new screen popped up.
[RAGE!]
While target is affected, target's Damage is doubled and Defense is halved.
Mess with the bull and you get the horns!
Wow. So not only did she level up, but she also dealt double damage? No wonder she was manhandling the monster.
And man-handle she did. I didn't see any actual technique, she was just continually wailing on the thing. Blow after blow, I watched in a mix between amusement and surprise at how brutal she was. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but remember back to the OVA she starred in and recall how timid she seemed. Did I cause her to change, or was it simply a difference between the anime and this world? Definitely something to chew on.
Focusing back on the fight, Yui was still giving her all, but the Colony was learning how to sneak in a few attacks with frightening speed. A pincer across her cheek, and water bullet to her shoulder, she began to accumulate some damage. I decided to check the monster's HP with an Observe.
Bio
Name: Radioactive Water Centipede Colony
Age: 1
Sex: Both
Height: ?
HP: 253/2,000
Level: 12
Yeah, she was shredding the thing. That didn't mean I was out of the fight though. I was proud of her that she managed to jump in and overcome her fears, don't get me wrong, but I didn't want to be rescued by her, nor did I want her to take any unnecessary damage. So, chakram in hand, I stood up, caught my breath, and charged the two. With it's 'back' facing me, Yui saw me coming up from behind. Her eyes widened in understanding when I brandished my chakram, and the two of us pulled our weapons back. Power Blow ready, the two of us hit the monster at the same time.
[Surprise attack! Double Damage!]
[Critical hit! Double Damage!]
The final burst of damage managed to kill the thing. The centipedes, for lack of better words, exploded. All form was lost, and a mix between centipede parts, water, and bug guts exploded out. I immediately jumped back to avoid all of it with a grimace. "We did it!" Before I could even turn to her, Yui crashed into me, a megawatt grin on her face. "We actually did it! And you're okay!"
I gave her a smile. "Of course I'm okay, you were with me."
At that, her smile dimmed. "I… When you started fighting that thing, I froze up again. I couldn't move. I… I couldn't do anything but watch as you fought that thing. At first, I thought things were fine, but it nearly killed you in two hits! When I saw you down struggling to get up, I… I thought you were gonna die, and I was just watching! Watching and doing nothing! I was mad, so mad at myself! I was practically yelling at myself to move, and I couldn't! But… but when you stood up, I knew you weren't finished. I saw the look in your eyes, and you had no intention of stopping. You were gonna fight until you couldn't. I was shocked."
She continued, "I didn't know how you did it. Weren't you scared? You were about to die and that thing was still standing, but you still stood! You were gonna go back and fight that thing! I was stunned! But more than anything, I was terrified for you. I couldn't help but imagine you losing, and that's when I just… started running. Before I knew it, I was running at that thing and hitting it, and the only thing on my mind was how I didn't want you to die… and I did it. We killed it!"
I simply put my hand on her head and smiled. "I knew you'd saved me. I knew from the start you would. I'm just glad you now know it too."
That floored her completely. Eyes wide, mouth open, and her blush darkened by quite a bit.
[+35 Reputation with Yui!]
[Yui's Reputation has been maxed out!]
I hit her with another Observe.
Bio
Name: Yui Kaiyo
Age: 18
Sex: F
Height: 5' 6"
HP: 521/900
Level: 10
Weight: 135 lbs.
Race: Human
Hair: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Reputation: [65/100]
Your Relation: Admires You/Small Crush
Yui Kaiyo was afraid of monsters ever since she was little. However, one day in high school, she was saved by a wandering hero from a Mysterious Being. Ever since, she's aspired to be just like him. When she saw her friend, Jet Nirati, about to die against a Mysterious Being, her fear of monsters were driven away by her desire to protect the man who believed in her. Now, she's just days away from achieving the first step in her dream.
"Jet, look!"
I blinked the green screens away and turned to where Yui was, as she stopped hugging me. She was standing over the pile of centipede guts and in the middle of the pile was none other than my bo staff!
I blinked before walking over and picking it up, but I noticed that it was… different. I hit it with an Observe.
[Water-Imbued Wooden Bo Staff] Uncommon
Attack Power: 20 + STR
A wooden bo staff, six feet in length. Fused with the essence of water, this staff continually drips water from the edges. Deals 2x damage to fire-type enemies.
Although it's somewhat difficult to learn, all those who master the bo staff become nigh untouchable.
Ew, it's wet…
Huh.
Besides my… upgraded staff, there was a single centipede barely the size of my finger, squirming and thrashing about in the middle of all the dead bugs. I turned to Yui and asked, "Want to do the honors?"
With a grin she stomped on it, killing the colony once and for all. "Now let's get outta here. I'm exhausted!"
I gave her a smile and said, "You go on ahead, I have to take a couple pictures of the machine for Child Emperor."
"Oh, I forgot about that. Alright Jet, don't take too long!" She started walking out, obviously satisfied with herself.
I grinned and look away. "Alright Game, hit me."
[Hold your horses. First things first; Auto-loot?]
I nodded, a small ding ringed in my ears, and a slew of screens popped up.
[+129,100 Currency!]
[+5x Centipede Pincers!]
[+89x Centipede Chitin!]
[+1x Centipede Nozzle!]
[+1x Water Essence!]
[1x Nuclear Battery!]
[You completed "To Getting Stronger!"]
[You completed "Cave Clear-Out!"]
[+35 Affection with Yui!]
[+25 Reputation with Child Emperor!]
[+2x Standard Gacha Coins!]
[+5 Bonus Points!]
[You have leveled up 5 times!]
[VIT has hit 50! You've been granted a new perk!]
[DEX has hit 50! You've been granted a new perk!]
[WIS has hit 50! You've been granted a new perk!]
Ignoring everything else, I immediately checked my stats.
Status
Name: Jet Nirati
Level: 13
HP: 700/700
MP: 760/760
STR: 77
VIT: 70
DEX: 66
INT: 76
WIS: 66
CHA: 75
LUK: 80
Bonus Points: 30
Oh yeah, that was nice to look at. Now what about these new Perks?
[Longer Buffs] VIT
All buff timers are doubled.
Your body is so healthy, it actively draws as much positive effects from consumables as it possibly can.
[Better Reactions] DEX
Your reaction times are cut down by half.
Think fast, chuckle-nuts!
[Better Memory] WIS
You are able to collect and retain information better.
Remember, Intelligence is how long it'll take you to solve a problem. Wisdom is whether you should bother solving the problem at all!
Very nice, very nice! After checking out my new perks, I immediately broke the two gacha coins.
[Avenger Emblem] Rare
Once equipped, User deals 12% more damage.
Imbued with the souls of Might, Fright, and Sight, this emblem has carried many people to victory.
[Arcane Storm] Rare Level: 1
Cost: 50 MP
Attack Power: 20 per bolt
Upon use, User summons 5 bolts of pure mana lightning. Deals True Damage.
A spell from the personal library of Magnus Spellbane, the Arcane Storm is said to have been one of his first creations.
Damn, nice pulls! I immediately equipped the Avenger Emblem, and as I did, the knowledge of how to summon and control Arcane Storm flooded my mind.
I didn't really understand the details, but the basics was shaping my mana with the intention of it acting like lightning. It didn't imbue the mana itself with anything, just making it act a certain way.
Speaking of mana, why not try to access it right now? I mean, I got a spell in my book already, so why not go all the way and try something?
With that thought in mind, I closed my eyes and began to search for my mana. I tried to see if anything was different than in the One Piece world, to put it simply. As I breathed, I felt the air go in and out. I felt the dirt beneath me. I could even hear the faint hum of the machine near me. I ignored it all.
I continued my search within myself. I felt my heart beat. I thought I felt my very blood rushing through me. I ignored them too.
Finally, I felt it.
Like a second heartbeat, some kind of pulse was coming from my head. I focused on it, and I realized that while the mana came from my head, it had already been flowing all throughout me, probably since the very second I was placed in this world.
I focused on the mana already coursing through my hands and tried to create a small ball of it. Slowly but surely, I felt the power building up, forming, but I still didn't open my eyes.
I kept pushing, more and more, until I heard the ever familiar ding. I opened my eyes and was greeted with a light blue ball of fizzling mana, and a green screen in front of my face.
[You've discovered how to use your mana! Congrats! +1 INT!]
[A new Skill has been created!]
[Mana Ball] Level: MAX
Cost: 100 MP
An orb of pure mana. The possibilities are limitless.
In it's pure form, it is said that mana has the ability to turn into anything, and can be changed by everything. A person's personality, DNA, the environment, and more can all change mana into something else. But this… this is pure mana, in it's simplest form. Anything done to it will permanently alter it.
[Select a Type!]
Strength
Vitality
Dexterity
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma
Luck
Fire
Water
Air
Earth
Poison
Iron
Dark
Light
Arcane
The list was long. Longer than it had any right to be, to be honest. It continued, going even further than I could anticipate. Cloth magic, rope magic, bug magic, so on and so forth, it was all there. Was I able to get another type in the future?
[No. Only through extremely rare circumstances can you add another affinity to your mana. Once you choose type, it'll be the only one you can use.]
Damn. I scrolled through the ginormous list, reading each entry and taking my time. Suddenly, my eyes stopped on a type of magic that seemed EXTREMELY interesting. With a smile, I chose it.
[You have selected Glass magic!]
[Your mana has been changed, resulting in an influx of knowledge. 2 new Skills has been created! A new Ability has been created!]
Skills
[Sharp Edge] Level: 1
Cost: 25 MP/s
Once activated, every attack has a 33% chance to inflict "Bleeding" debuff for 10 seconds.
Ow! I cut my finger…
[Glasswork] Level: 1
Cost: 100 MP
User can summon a small amount of glass.
Ouch! I cut my my finger AGAIN!
Abilities
[Glass Mastery] Level: 1
Deal 1% more damage with glass-type weapons and magic. User can mold glass barehanded.
Your glass is weak and brittle.
Sweet!
To be honest, there wasn't any real reason I chose glass. It sounded interesting, so why not try it out? It might not have been the strongest type of magic, but it certainly didn't look useless. I essentially turned into a glass kiln, able to produce however much glass I wanted as long as I had mana.
Sure, maybe that didn't sound impressive at first, but seriously, think about it. I could make all the glass beakers and shit needed for potion making, and I could make it at any time! Even better, I could shape any glass however I wanted! The possibilities were near unlimited!
Like lightning, a thought hit me. Couldn't I use my glass magic like Bartolomeo's barriers? I grinned at the thought. Before long, I was gonna be incredible!
"Wait, pictures." I shook my head and pulled out my phone. I took a couple pics of the machine like I said I was before turning around and heading out. I sent the images to Child Emperor before breaking into a jog to catch up to Yui.
As I ran through the dark tunnels, finally having some alone time, I began to think.
It's bizarre, I realized.
I never really took the time to think everything through, but… this was going to be my life from now on, wasn't it? Juggling two different worlds, both pieces of fiction from my previous life, all under two completely new identities… It was crazy. Really, it felt like I was dreaming. That everything I've been doing so far has been nothing more than an illusion or fantasy, when in reality I was in a coma or asleep or something.
The more I thought, the more questions that popped into my head.
Why was I put here? Why was I chosen? Was I just lucky or did I have something that everyone else didn't?
Going even further, what was my end goal? Sure, I did have my Quests telling me to become the best of the Marines and Heroes respectively, but what about past that? What happens when I become the number one hero? What happens when I become Fleet Admiral?
Will I even achieve either of those goals before I die? Before something changes?
[Does it matter?]
I blinked, surprised at the text box that appeared in front of me.
[When you were in the previous world, YOUR world, did you ever wonder why you specifically were born?]
Taking my silence as permission, the System continued.
[Sure, the logical answer is reproduction and you were born of the love from your parents, but I mean YOU. Did you ever wonder why you were born the way you were? With all your eccentricities, interests, beliefs, and all the other countless things that made you special?]
"…No. I didn't."
[Then why question it now?]
"But what about my future and my Quests? What happens after I complete them?"
What happens when I beat the Game?
[I don't know.]
"…What?"
[Just that. I don't know.]
…
Oh.
Realizing I stopped to converse with the System, I resumed walking back to the entrance of the cave once more, in complete silence. Only the sound of my feet crunching the dirt beneath me accompanied me as I continued my trek back into society.
I met back up with Yui, we joked and chatted all the way back home, and I got a message from Child Emperor. He thanked me, told me I really helped him out, and I said that I'd help anytime. Before I knew it the sun was gone and the moon was hanging in the sky, and I was left alone once more in my apartment.
I suddenly had so much more to think about, didn't I?
AN: And that's that. Thank you all so much for reading! I wanted to write the other side-the One Piece world-as well, but I realized that the chapter had already gone on for so much longer than I anticipated, and I know not everyone enjoys reading 21k words in a single chapter. So technically, this is Chapter 3 Part 1. Part 2 is already in the works!
Second, I'm sorry that things have been going so slowly for this story and nonexistent for the other stories, but the truth is that life is really putting me through the ringer. I don't know for how long it'll keep putting me through it either. All I can say is thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I do. All reviews, criticisms, and everything else keeps me motivated!
Finally, here's a little something I'm curious about: How would you like the story to go? Would you prefer the two different worlds to stay separate, and only sometimes collide in catastrophic ways? Or would you rather have the two worlds, both One Piece and One Punch Man, merge into one conglomerate of messiness? I've been fiddling with the ideas for a while now, and I can't seem to decide completely.
I've set up a poll on my profile, so if you want to voice your choice, go over and choose! And no, I'm not letting you guys write the story for me. This is just a little something I figured you all would like to voice your thoughts on, especially since I've already seen some people dissatisfied with the whole "two different worlds and stories" shit.
Once more, thank you all for reading and the patience!