The Moon's Brother and the BS Game 3 - or 'Help, I am supposed to be a background character, but I have to be a MC for my silly sister's sake!' (Sailor Moon Xover, Gamer!SI!Shingo Tsukino)
Luna didn't speak, perhaps still thinking over what to do with the implicit choice I gave her earlier this morning.
Still, I didn't even give her much of a chance to reply at once as I was soon going to school, and, with Usagi going to return home after her own school hours, the two weren't going to meet at least until a bit after lunch.
To me, this was fine as it allowed me to study a very disturbing thought I had gone to sleep with but that I had pushed aside to focus on Luna's own health. And that thought was… how active was the Dark Kingdom before Sailor Moon awakened?
If I remember correctly, they have been active around the time Sailor Venus still operated in England, so it was possible that they were going to have a semi-dormant but still reactive base of operations within Tokyo.
With that in mind, I set some plans to see what I could find if I went through a lengthier walk around the city once I was done walking with Mika. The girl was not someone I wanted to involve in this mess, so I kept myself relatively calm and quiet on the subject. Still, something else happened while I was at school and it was related to Skills.
Warning! You're currently holding a Japanese Language book. Would you like to increase your Japanese Language Skill? Price: 4.6 SP.
I was aware the Game provided its users Skills, active and passive, but I had no notification until now about those. And with that discovery, I also decided to check if that's because it's a different menu altogether.
Open Skill menu.
And with that, a whole new world was shown to me.
PASSIVE SKILLS
(Gamer's Body) - Your body follows game logic.
(Gamer's Mind) - Your mental factors follow game logic- your thoughts are protected by this skill's effect.
(Human Being - 10YO Child) - You are recognized by laws and people as a child due to your young age. Add a +25% ATK Boost to Sneak Attacks, +45 SP/min Recharge, Add a -75% Price Reduction to Learning-related events.
(Moon Dynasty - False) - Some members of your family are reincarnations to the Moon Dynasty of the First Millenium, while you are not. Receive a +5% ATK Boost while using Moon Magic attacks.
(Healthy Body - LVL.1) - Your Body is the Temple of your Mind. Current Level provides no bonuses. (This skill will evolve the more HP you have.)
(Physical Endurance - LVL.8) - Your capacity to endure attacks is increased by 8%. (This skill will evolve the more DEF you have.)
(Learning Capacity - LVL.8) - Learning-related events have a -8% Price Reduction. (This skill will evolve the more INT you have.)
(Japanese Language - LVL.13/100) - Your capacity to understand basic Japanese, both verbal and written. Current Level allows for Early Elementary-tier understanding.
ACTIVE SKILLS
(Sprint - LVL.9) - Use SPs to increase your speed by 9%. Price: 10 SP per Minute. (This skill will evolve the more SP you have.)
As I finished reading the menu list, I realized that the only reason this didn't come up was perhaps tied to yesterday having no literature classes for me to deal with, so I didn't have to really prepare for today in that regard.
I thought I didn't have to worry about Japanese as a Language but… Oh well. If it helped me, I didn't see any issue in investing some of my SPs in expanding my knowledge on the matter. By the end of the lesson, I had increased the skill's level a fair bit and made another discovery.
(Japanese Language - LVL.28/100) - Your capacity to understand basic Japanese, both verbal and written. Current Level allows for Late Elementary-tier understanding.
DING! You reached LVL.20 of an INT-based Skill. Receive +2 INT!
INT: 10
(Learning Capacity - LVL.10) - Learning-related events have a -10% Price Reduction. (This skill will evolve the more INT you have.)
DING! You reached INT 10. Receive a new skill!
(Detection - LVL.1) - You can now see some people and enemies' HPs and LVLs. (This skill will evolve the more INT you have.)
…Holy shit, this is better than I was expecting the Game to be. I mean, I know the Game tended to be insanely good if grinded the right way but… this was just begging me to be insanely ruthless about it.
And the better I was at this, the easier it was going to be to help my silly sister in not making any messes with her friends once she became Sailor Moon.
Instead of investing too much in Japanese, I decided to wait for the big midday pause to wander off to the library and look for anything I could spare some Learning with in regard to self-defense and other relevant matters.
Instead of burning away all SPs, I just kept myself from investing beyond 40 SP, and the end results of this experimental grinding proved to be quite pleasant. I found a book about fencing, one about English, and one about first aid intervention.
(Fencing - LVL.5/100) - Your capacity to understand and employ Fencing in combat. +5% ATK Boost while using a proper Weapon and Fencing Stance.
(Medicine - LVL.7/100) - Your capacity to understand and employ Medical Knowledge. +7% Effect Boost for Healing Items you consume or create.
(English Language - LVL.8/100) - Your capacity to understand basic English, both verbal and written. Current Level allows for basic comprehension.
(Language Switch) - You are able to switch Languages among those you know. Current Languages: Japanese (Main), English.
This last Skill had me confused on how I wouldn't be able to understand English due to the skill and when I tried to switch to it to see how big of a difference it was… yeah, it felt like I was an infant trying to talk.
For some reason my brain just failed to recall the right grammatical comprehension of speaking standard English and… it was an ugly experience. I literally felt my brain burn in a migraine as I struggled against the mental block, only to get nothing out of the effort.
So yeah, even if I had to speak with one of those languageI knew how to speak from my previous life, that doesn't mean I was going to be able to speak as good as I would have in my previous life.
And I realized only as Mika and I were walking out of school that I just couldn't speak Italian anymore due to this circumstance. Which was quite bad considering it was my original language and… yeah, I had to work on a way to master that as quickly as possible.
Once I bid a good day to Mika and found myself alone, I decided to quickly dive into one of the alleys nearby and start doing something that the Game was swift to summarize in a single quest.
- Rats n' Questions 1 -
Difficulty: 1/5
Conditions:
-Find out if there are Demonic Rats;
-Find out if the Demonic Rats are affiliated to the Dark Kingdom;
Time Limit:
-None;
Reward:
-100 EXP;
-4000Y;
Failure:
-None;
I couldn't exactly linger for long due to the fact mom would panic if I turned up a bit too late compared to usual, but I wasn't planning to go through a light search of the area. I was looking everywhere for a while before I finally stumbled on some clues.
No rats just yet, but I found the Quest's parameters enough of a reason to not stop just at that. I looked for any clues, and I did find a few trash bags around the alleys had been subjected to such severe shredding- nothing a normal domestic animal like a cat or dog would have created and the little patrol ultimately stopped right as I found their…
Nest .
I knew that they were manipulated, but to find a legit fort made of trash deep in a deadend sure was not what I expected to discover in this search. Also, I didn't expect for the rats to have gained a hostage. A young girl that looked quite familiar at first sight- I think I have seen her somewhere at school.
Still, the dreadful critters went to charge me, expecting to have a chance.
Demonic Rat LVL.1
HP: 5/5
Lots of rat-exterminating unfolded, lots of broken rattish dreams littering the ground as corpses dispelled in dark mist once I was through with those.
+40 EXP
Quest Completed: Rats n' Questions 1!
LEVEL UP! x 2
Name: Tsukino Shingo
LVL. 6
Age: 10
EXP: 45/100
Title: Princess Serenity's Otouto
Money: 6000Y
HP: 210/210
SP: 100/100
ATK: 10
DEF: 10
INT: 12
LCK: 10
DING! You reached HP: 200. Skill LVL UP!
(Healthy Body - LVL.2) - Your Body is the Temple of your Mind. +5% Boost to all Stats. (This skill will evolve the more HP you have.)
DING! You reached ATK 10. Receive a new skill!
(Focus Attack - LVL.1) - Use SPs to deliver a boosted attack. Price: 20 SP per hit. (This skill will evolve the more ATK you have.)
DING! You reached DEF 10. Receive a new skill!
(Focus Defense - LVL.1) - Use SPs to increase your guard's defense by 2%. Price: 20 SP per Minute. (This skill will evolve the more DEF you have.)
By the time I had dismantled enough of the fort to approach the hostage, the girl looked extremely thankful.
"A-Are you here to save me?" The girl asked, crying a bit as she was clearly frightened by what had just happened.
Momohara 'Momo' Momoko
HP: 100/100
Age: 9
I slowly nodded. "Yes. Are you alright?"
Improved Relationship with: Momohara Momoko
Improved Relationship with: Momohara Momoko
"Y-Yeah, but- but are the scary rats still here?"
"They are all gone," I replied truthfully. "I took care of them."
Improved Relationship with: Momohara Momoko
Improved Relationship with: Momohara Momoko
Momo's eyes widened. "You- You did?"
"Yep. I thought there were more of those since they attacked my cat. And while I was looking around I found them and… you."
Another nod, this time she felt relieved as I released her from the strings keeping her bound.
"Ah- my name is Momo- I mean, Momohara Momoko, but my friends call me-"
"Momo?" I guessed and she looked surprised and happy.
Improved Relationship with: Momohara Momoko
Improved Relationship with: Momohara Momoko
This… is starting to freak me out a bit.
"Yeah, and you are?"
"Tsukino Shingo," I curtly replied. "And-"
"Nice to meet you, Shingo-kun!"
Improved Relationship with: Momohara Momoko
Improved Relationship with: Momohara Momoko
Relationship with: Momohara Momoko Upgraded (Acquaintance - Crush)
Oh shit.
"Likewise, Momo… Still, it would be best if you get back home before your parents worry."
"You're right, Shingo-kun! But I will see you in school, right?"
…Holy shit, please no.
"Maybe? Also, before you go- I think you should not tell your parents about the rats."
Momo frowned. "Why not?"
"Well, would they believe you?"
The girl took a moment to think about it, but then understood what I meant.
"I guess I can tell them I just tripped and you helped me up."
The fact I had to be in that fake explanation didn't feel right considering what I just read about her relationship towards me.
"I guess."
She smiled brightly and then skipped along the way.
"See you at school, Shingo-kun!"
…That's something to keep an eye on.
And with that quest solved, I was left with a big dilemma. Did this prove the rats were something made by the Dark Kingdom? The quest ended right as I found them and dealt with them, but I had no proof that they were produced by any of the generals.
No, this was… something else? I felt like I had opened another can of worms to keep an eye on and perhaps one that highlighted this world may have more than just Sailor Moon to contend with its trend of bad guys trying to either conquer or end Earth.
But for now, it was time for me to go back home and… sort out a new issue. I have forgotten a big thing about the early moments of Usagi's friendship with Luna- their bouts of hatred and pettiness.
"She ruined my manga!" Usagi exploded, while mother was equally annoyed as she used her body to protect the 'poor cat'- I could see Luna snickering at the development.
"You have them exposed on your bed, and you shouldn't be screeching at Neko-chan-"
"She peed on my pillow!"
"You frightened her, Usagi," The older Tsukino proved to be as mightily stern as her daughter was trying to be, if not more considered the years she had on Usagi. "And I hope to not catch you chasing her around like that. You are becoming an adult, you should start behaving like one."
I had to hold back a chuckle as I heard this interaction unfold, but was spared by the battlefield when I offered to take Luna for a bath. The cat was quite happy I was back and compliant to the idea of going through a bath despite being a feline. I suppose it had to do with the fact that cat's pee was not exactly a stench one can ignore with ease, even for a cat like Luna.
I resolved to clean her first and then take a bath myself, just because I knew it would have been crazy weird to just tag along with an intelligent and talking cat by the bathtub. That just felt… hella creepy.
Once we were alone, however, I took this chance to see if she had anything to say.
"So, Neko-chan, are you at least going to give me a name? It can get a bit old if your name's not Neko."
I thought she was going to keep quiet about this, but, after I was done helping her up with the shampooing and the washing, the cat decided to finally break her silence right as I was using a towel to rinse any remaining water off her fur.
"Luna."
I blinked, almost caught off-guard by the sudden response.
"Hm?"
"My name is Luna, Shingo-san. I suppose you have many questions," The feline elaborated, a tiny smirk forming by her snout. "I can try to answer those, but only if you are willing to answer a few of my own questions."
Well, that's one way to start this.
End Chapter Full Stats
Name: Tsukino Shingo
LVL. 6
Age: 10
EXP: 45/100
Title: Princess Serenity's Otouto
Money: 6000Y
HP: 210/210
SP: 100/100
ATK: 10 (10,5)
DEF: 10 (10,5)
INT: 12 (12,6)
LCK: 10 (10,5)
PASSIVE SKILLS
(Gamer's Body) - Your body follows game logic.
(Gamer's Mind) - Your mental factors follow game logic- your thoughts are protected by this skill's effect.
(Human Being - 10YO Child) - You are recognized by laws and people as a child due to your young age. Add a +25% ATK Boost to Sneak Attacks, +45 SP/min Recharge, Add a -75% Price Reduction to Learning-related events.
(Moon Dynasty - False) - Some members of your family are reincarnations to the Moon Dynasty of the First Millenium, while you are not. Receive a +5% ATK Boost while using Moon Magic attacks.
(Healthy Body - LVL.2) - Your Body is the Temple of your Mind. +5% Boost to all Stats. (This skill will evolve the more HP you have.)
(Physical Endurance - LVL.10) - Your capacity to endure attacks is increased by 10%. (This skill will evolve the more DEF you have.)
(Learning Capacity - LVL.12) - Learning-related events have a -12% Price Reduction. (This skill will evolve the more INT you have.)
(Japanese Language - LVL.28/100) - Your capacity to understand basic Japanese, both verbal and written. Current Level allows for Late Elementary-tier understanding.
(English Language - LVL.8/100) - Your capacity to understand basic English, both verbal and written. Current Level allows for basic comprehension.
(Language Switch) - You are able to switch Languages among those you know. Current Languages: Japanese (Main), English.
(Detection - LVL.1) - You can now see some people and enemies' HPs and LVLs. (This skill will evolve the more INT you have.)
(Fencing - LVL.5/100) - Your capacity to understand and employ Fencing in combat. +5% ATK Boost while using a proper Weapon and Fencing Stance.
(Medicine - LVL.7/100) - Your capacity to understand and employ Medical Knowledge. +7% Effect Boost for Healing Items you consume or create.
ACTIVE SKILLS
(Sprint - LVL.10) - Use SPs to increase your speed by 9%. Price: 10 SP per Minute. (This skill will evolve the more SP you have.)
(Focus Attack - LVL.1) - Use SPs to deliver a boosted attack. Price: 20 SP per hit. (This skill will evolve the more ATK you have.)
(Focus Defense - LVL.1) - Use SPs to increase your guard's defense by 2%. Price: 20 SP per Minute. (This skill will evolve the more DEF you have.)