Yo!
Another chapter, didn't expect that, eh? Once more, you can thank Bunkerfreak_HD on Discord. If not for that guy, you would probably be waiting another week or two.
Anyway, I have one thing to say before this chapter begins... You see, this chapter will have a few more System messages. I decided to switch the text formatting a bit as I don't really like the old one. Not a big change, but a change nonetheless. Also, Lien is gone from the Status.
That's all from me. Enjoy the chapter
Chapter 29. Messy situation
Not having to wait three days to regain full functionality of my body was definitely a pleasant surprise. However, it didn't change the fact that if Summer awoke soon, she would still see my Grimm form first. Which obviously wasn't a great idea considering what happened to Taiyang. I didn't want to risk the Light God throwing a fit again because Summer panicked and activated her eyes once more.
Any idea how to speed up the process even more? I called out to the System while releasing my hold on Size Adjustment. While this was my true form a moment ago, with three levels, I instantly added some mass to my body, and there was no reason to hold back now. At this point, I am most likely bigger than any Alpha Megoliath out there.
[Yes, you are. Now stop admiring yourself.]
I huffed. Yeah, yeah. So got anything?
[I might. Just give me a moment to check properly. In the meantime, look through the remaining messages. I added a few things there.]
Raising a nonexistent eyebrow, I hummed. If you say so... Let's see.
Warning! Due to time displacement, all previously conquered territories have been lost. You may reclaim them again by finishing new requirements assigned to those territories. As they were once yours, conquering them will be easier than the last time. Good luck.
My eye twitched.
Maybe I didn't have many territories, but it didn't mean I enjoyed having what was mine taken from me. The only positive in this mess was that I at least never spent any Evolution Points on a territory... Now that would have been a waste.
Doesn't mean it isn't fucking annoying... Salem is really begging for me to finally pay attention to her. I scowled, dismissing the message. Well, she got her wish... I just need to get a bit stronger first.
[A lot stronger.]
Yeah, yeah, whatever. I have you to help me with that. If we just focus on killing Grimm for a bit, then it shouldn't even be much of a problem. I grumbled. I was well aware that there were plenty of stronger individuals out there, but with Gamer System, it was only a matter of time until I caught up.
[Considering your perchance of attracting every possible trouble, I'm unsure if that will work...]
The worst thing? I couldn't even deny it. Only my beginning in Remnant was somewhat slow, and even it started with an escape from Salem's territory. Then there was the thing on Patch; shortly after that, I met Neo, and from there, things just somehow spiraled into the madness that brought me here.
I snorted. At least our lives aren't boring, eh? At this point, I can barely remember how I managed to continue existing when my old life was so dull.
[We both know you don't mean it, Umbra.]
No. No, I don't. I sighed, the memories of the life I left behind flashing in front of my eyes. Had I ever truly accepted what happened? What had I lost?
Not really. I always went with the flow, partially ignoring the fact that I really died. Of course, it wasn't as bad as it sounded. I had plenty of time in the black void to come to terms with my demise, but as much as I would love to move past that event fully, it just wasn't possible, at least not for me.
A single thought about the moment of my death always remained, lurking in the back of my head. The memories of my old family usually followed shortly after, but thanks to all the excitement of this new life, I barely even noticed them.
System... Do you think there is a possibility for me to go back in the future? To see them again?
[I might not be like some of the systems you've read about, but our potential is just as limitless as theirs... So yes, Umbra. If you try hard enough, everything is possible.]
Thanks... I needed that. I smiled slightly, or as much as my draconic form allowed me to. Now enough of this mushy stuff. You said you have a few more things for me, not just one.
[Indeed.]
So let's see.
[New quest acquired!]
Find out where in the RWBY timeline you landed. Is everyone you have ever known already dead? Or maybe they haven't been born yet?
Rewards: 2x Random Stat Crystal, 5 EP, 5k EXP
Okay, that's understandable. Though, I see you changed the format. And no decline option or penalties? I fired off, brow furrowed. Apparently, their place in the timeline wasn't the only thing that changed.
[I like it more... And no need for the decline option if you accept everything anyway.]
After a moment of hesitation, I sighed. Okay, fair. And penalties?
[Think of it as an incentive to prepare better for each quest. Maybe it will help you survive a bit longer.]
I huffed. Considering that almost every penalty you ever listed was death, I doubt it will work. At this point, I think I'm too used to the threat of death hanging above my head.
[Oh, you poor child. There are fates much worse than death, especially when you are a gamer. I had some time to devise new penalties when we were drifting through time. You better pray you never find out what I came up with.]
Damn, okay, don't get your panties in a twist, System. I chuckled awkwardly. I get we are friends, but there is no need to go to such lengths for me. Not that I even failed a quest anyway.
Maybe the last part of my answer came out a bit too smugly as the System instantly fired back. Hell, despite its words being written out and not spoken, I shuddered.
[And it better stay that way, Umbra.]
Love you too.
Sighing, I dismissed the quest notification and summoned the last message in the backlog. Time to finally get over this and move on. Or at least move on as much as a partially petrified dragon could.
[New quest acquired!]
Regain lost territories: 0/2, and conquer a few more: 0/4. Don't let this minor inconvenience hold you back.
Rewards: Random Stat Crystal, 2 EP, 5k EXP per territory
Looks simple enough. I probably should have focused more on territories before... Though with what just happened, maybe it was for the best that I didn't.
Nodding, I slashed my claws through the notification, letting it fade away. So anything on speeding up the process, System?
[Yes. I just have to finish some calculations, and I will have something ready for you. Have some fun in the meantime.]
Have some fun? I quirked an eyebrow. How the fuck am I supposed to have fun in my current state and with a half-dead Summer next to me. I shook my head. No, you know what? Don't even answer.
'Status'
Name: Umbra
Race: Soul Grimm
Title: Adult Grimm
Level: 30 (5452/21000)
Evolution Stage: Draconic 4 (51%)
HP: 3455
MP: 3795
STR: 66 + (40%) = 92,4
VIT: 62 + (40%) = 86,8
DEX: 82 + (40%) = 114,8
INT: 60 + (55%) = 93
WIS: 50 + (55%) = 77.5
LUC: 25
Elemental Affinity: Lightning
SP: 22 | EP: 41
Not bad...
Dexterity was getting really close to a hundred, and I hoped this bonus would be something better than the last two. Improved reaction and movement speed were nice, but when compared to what other stats gave him, those two bonuses felt somewhat underwhelming.
Meh, can't complain too much. A small advantage is still an advantage. Shrugging, my eyes fell to the bottom of the status. Forty-one evolution points. Good amount for now, and I still have fifty percent of the current evo to go... Hmm, I wonder if I can reach one hundred across all attributes before that.
I definitely didn't have enough points today, but if my quests kept on giving, then along with a few level-ups, it shouldn't be too hard to reach this goal. Maybe not in Luck, though. At this point, I had already learned that it just wasn't worth adding points to that attribute.
Maybe someday in the far-off future. For now, the twenty-five points are more than enough... It was really high time to focus entirely on growing other attributes. And I even had a few points lying in my inventory.
Let's see. Reaching out into my pocket dimension, I grinned as five tiny colorful crystals materialized in my hand. Without a moment of hesitation, I crushed them all, sighing deeply as power surged into my body.
You have absorbed the following number of attributes: +3 STR, +3 DEX, +9 INT
Hoped for better distribution, but whatever. I mused with a shrug as the message disappeared, leaving me alone once more. Well, not completely alone as Summer was still sleeping close by, and System was doing... whatever the hell it had to.
What I wouldn't give for that little brat to be here. Fuck, I would even take Bo- Shit! Bob! How the fuck did I forget about you. Focusing on the link that was always there between us, I called out. Bob, you menace! Give me anything!
Yet no matter how loud I shouted into the link, how much mana I threw into our connection, Bob remained silent.
But the link is still there. Shouldn't it disappear if Bob died or didn't exist yet? Despite not really directing this question at anyone but me, the System still answered.
[It should. Going by that, we can freely guess that we landed somewhere in the future. Unfortunately, I can't say for sure why your minion isn't responding. The fabrics of time and space work in mysterious ways, and they could easily be the reason for this radio silence.]
So the future... Maybe we have only been gone for a few weeks if Bob is still alive. I reasoned, remembering well my minion's capabilities. Bob was far from the strongest, and despite his uniqueness, that beast had as much IQ as a brick. If he died within a few months of me disappearing, I really wouldn't be surprised.
[You are forgetting about that brat of yours, Umbra. You left that dumb creature with her.]
I nodded. True that... If she manages to make Bob listen, then gods know how much time could have passed. Shit...
However, despite the possibility of years, or maybe even decades, passing since the fight with the Jailer, the image of Neo and Bob together brought a smile to my face. In the end, at least there was a chance they had each other when I was gone.
[You will find out soon. Now focus. I found a way to speed up your recovery.]
Tensing slightly, I nodded. Roger, roger. What do you have for me?
[EXP Scrolls and Meditation. A single small scroll should give you what you need. From there, it should be simple enough. If you are lucky, Light God's Curse should be gone before Summer wakes up.]
Good. I replied, once more reaching into my inventory. The small EXP Scroll landed before me, and I instantly let the item do its work.
Congratulations! You have used one EXP Scroll (small) to advance Meditation to level 27. New bonus effect gained.
Meditation (Passive/Active) lvl: 27 (42%):
Know your body and mind. An ancient technique used to relax your body and mind, and find peace. Use this skill to truly understand yourself and increase your own abilities.
-Passively increases INT and WIS by 30%
-Now passively increases your MP and HP recovery rates by 10%
-When active, MP and HP recovery rate is tripled.
Special effects:
-Level 10 Bonus: Aura/MP unlocked.
-Level 25 Bonus: Skill reworked. Meditation can now replace sleeping.
Alright, I can see the improvement, a lot of it, to be honest, but how does it help me? I inquired, carefully rereading the skill description.
[It can replace sleep, you daft moron. And tell me, what does sleep do?]
I , this time, I deserved the name-calling. Nonetheless, there was one detail I wasn't so sure about.
But if that was the case, couldn't I just go to sleep? Seems like one and the same shit now.
[Yes and no. Sleep wouldn't heal the curse fully. That would require more than just one nap. Now with your improved Meditation, the situation is a bit different. It counts as sleep, but thanks to the new tripled regeneration rates, it will work even better.]
Got it. I can take it from here — no time to waste now.
[Excellent. I have already helped you more than I should have. Don't expect me to fix all your problems again. This was a one-time deal.]
Chuckling, I shook my head. The System could say whatever it wanted, but I now knew well that it cared. The entity was just too proud to admit it. Not that I was any different, which might also be the reason for our complicated relationship.
Happy to have your assistance, System. I called for the last time before embracing Meditation to the fullest.
Mana immediately surged through every fiber of my body, filling it to the brim. Unlike when I used it for normal abilities, the energy stayed put, just lazily flowing in random directions and melding with my body.
My eyes drifted close, my ears filled with the soft humming of nature around me and mana swirling in my body. Hours could have passed, and I wouldn't even know if it wasn't for the short notifications that appeared in my mind every now and then.
Thanks to meditating for an hour, Light God's Curse is weakening. Timer reduced to twenty-three hours.
.
.
.
Thanks to meditating for an hour, Light God's Curse is weakening. Timer reduced to three hours.
Well aware that I only needed another hour to regain my full power, I tried to embrace Meditation even more. Yet, before I could even try, a loud gasp followed by a series of coughs broke my focus.
Eyes snapping open, I immediately zeroed in on Summer, the woman now fully awake, coughing out her lungs.
Shit. I cursed, grabbing a water bottle from my inventory as my body shrunk at the same time. If I had to face the holy flashlight in this form, I didn't want her to get a heart attack from my size alone.
Slowly, I stepped closer to the woman, and when she was within reach, I just tossed the bottle at her. Which, in hindsight, probably wasn't the best idea as Summer's instantly turned to me and began hyperventilating.
You've got to be kidding me. My eyes widened, mind running a hundred miles per hour. How the fuck do I calm her? System?!
[Usually, the best way to calm someone is to remove them from anything obviously causing distress.]
Not fucking helping! I'm the one who is causing this! I shouted back, my eyes never leaving the thrashing woman. "Summer! Calm down, it's me, Umbra. Take deep and slow breaths; you've got this. Remember, deep and slow."
This didn't seem to help at all, as Summer was still trying to consume air faster than any vacuum cleaner. Though at least there was something else leaving her mouth in between the gasps.
"T-tai... W-where... T-tai..." Summer stuttered out, her eyes blazing with tears.
Oh, for fuck's sake. I grimaced. This was the last thing I wanted her to ask about right after waking up. And she was still fucking hyperventilating. Anything else, System?
[You can always try giving her a slight shock. Fifty-fifty percent chance it helps or makes the situation even worse. Not that I would worry too much. Humans on Remnant are built from different stuff.]
You know what? I will take it. I answered simply and extended my arm towards the woman, my claws flickering with a flash of violet lightning. Three. Two. One.
Without hesitation, I touched Summer with a single claw, a loud yelp immediately filling the area. The redhead crawled away, glaring at me, but she at least wasn't hyperventilating any longer.
Success. I almost grinned.
Instead, I just snatched the water bottle off the ground and once more threw it at Summer. This time she reacted, but the bottle just slipped through her fingers, dropping to her lap.
Definitely not fine yet.
[What gave you that idea?]
Shut up. I grumbled internally while addressing Summer on the outside. "Drink first. We can talk after."
With trembling hands, the woman nodded and uncorked the bottle, its contents disappearing within a blink of an eye. "What happened? T-tai... I-I..." she trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut as her body began to tremble with uncontrollable sobs.
At least she isn't hyperventilating. That's got to count for something. I frowned, just standing there in my human-sized dragon body. I just wasn't qualified for dealing with shit like this, and even if I wanted to do something, I doubt I would be of any use considering my appearance.
Should I? No. I shook my head and instead removed more items from my inventory. Just some food Summer could eat once she calmed down. There wasn't much else I could do for her for now.
This is gonna take a while, isn't it? My thoughts once more drifted toward the System as I sat down a fair distance away from the woman. At this point, Summer was curled into a ball, sobbing her poor heart out.
[Most likely. Anything you want to know in the meantime?]
If you are offering, then show me the requirements for this territory.
Number 24: Anima's Tail:
-Exterminate Grimm: 0/500
-Defeat Elder Grimm: 0/3
Three Elder Grimm? Am I supposed to face three monsters like the Prowler? Thanks to the progress I made since that fight, I could most likely defeat that Elder Grimm if I tried hard enough. However, this didn't mean I wanted to face three other monsters of similar power, at least not yet.
[The Arctic Prowler was in the upper echelons of the Elder Grimm classification. Others most likely won't be as strong.]
Okay, that makes me feel a bit better. What abou...
"Umbra?" Summer's voice brought my thoughts to a halt. I turned, gazing into the woman's bloodshot eyes that still leaked tears. "W-what happened?"
And so it begins...
And that's it for today.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. We are finally done with all system-related shit after the time skip, so now I can officially move the plot in a different way.
Like always thank you for reading and still sticking around after all this time. If you want read more from me check out my other fanfictions or the original book I'm writing that was inspired by Grimm's Evolution.
You can find "A Universe of Bloody Evolution" on RoyalRoad: royalroad(.com)/fiction/58667/a-universe-of-bloody-evolution-human-to-monster (Remove the brackets). It is a post-apo story, with a system and a human to monster progression.
Discord code: b7JaQcpuc7
That's everything from me. Have a good day/night.