Considering the task ahead of me, I had to think about my next move.
Like, shit, this wasn't some random hit at six in the morning that I could pull off with just a Glock and an old Honda Civic.
Back home, sneaking into some department store meant I just had to deal with overweight security guards and security cameras. While it did have its own challenges, it wasn't something I would have to worry about all that much. With the help of the organization, I could pay off the people I needed to pay off and do what I had to without firing a single shot.
But that was the problem.
I was nobody. I had no connections, no backup, I didn't even have the physicality needed to deal with other professionals; much less whatever supernatural bullshit that was lying inside that shitty building.
Oh, I knew there was probably some fuckery going on in that department store. The wording alone suggested there was something crazy going on.
Normally, I wouldn't accept a job like this, even if it came from the boss. Hell, even my old boss was reasonable enough to not give requests that were this vague with such shitty rewards.
But I couldn't risk losing the System.
So, I had to make preparations.
"—Activate, Deus Ex Machina." I intoned inside one of the stalls inside a public bathroom.
System Alert!
Activating Deus Ex Machina…
You've gained "Cursed Energy"!
I grinned.
I must've looked stupid inside the bathroom stall. Some rail-thin sixteen-year-old dressed in a white shirt and a pair of faded jeans, smiling and talking to himself.
But fuck it, I didn't care.
I finally got my first, real taste at what this shitty system could actually do.
All I gotta do now was to buy some gear.
As night finally fell, the moon rising upon the city of Kuoh as the shopping district shone in a sea of neon, I made my way into the shopping district through the alley that ran beside it.
As I was more or less ready after a quick trip to a camping store and a trip to the nearby alley where I tested out my new ability, I didn't really need to stop anywhere. I went straight into the loading area of the department store, taking care to walk naturally to the mission area.
The moment I stepped into the alley, the sensation of dissonance emanating from the structure wasn't just clear; it was overpowering.
There was just something so wrong.
It wasn't the stained cement covering the building's facade, nor was it the flickering streetlight.
The fact that it was closed despite all the other places in the district being fully lit up with a multitude of different signs immediately differentiated it from all the others. The lack of people on the sidewalks nearest to the department store was also a significant clue. No matter how little activity there was on this particular night, the lack of people lounging around and doing jackshit made this place feel all the stranger.
It was night. People just got off work, and were more than ready to party, and if not that, they'd be spending their cash to buy all sorts of shit.
This place should've been teeming with people.
But no. It was completely deserted. No security guards, no patrolling police officers, nothing.
This alone made my instincts run amok, but well, I was already here.
—Silently, I called the system into existence.
Loading system_version 1.0…
Finn Tsukigawa
General Information
Challenge Rating: D
Race: Human
Titles: N/A
Age: 16
Statistics
Remaining SP: 0
STR: E (+1)
AGI: E (+1)
CON: E (+3)
LUK: D (—)
MANA: E (+0)
CE (new!): A (—)
Active Effects
N/A.
Skills
Language: Italian A
Cooking Proficiency C
Cold Resistance E
Language: Japanese C
Abilities
Deus Ex Machina (1/5 pulls left)
The night is dark and full of terrors. And as a user of the system, you know this far better than most. To help you survive, the system has granted you access to Deus Ex Machina, allowing you to obtain one (1) randomized object, ability, skill, or entity that may help you with your current predicament, with the results being affected by your LUK stat. Deus Ex Machina is non-renewable, but more uses can be obtained by doing missions.
Inventory
Max Weight: 100kg.
Crowbar (2kg.)
Kukri (0.5kg.)
Folding Knife (0.2kg.)
No matter how much I played around with the values, I still couldn't feel the difference.
The letter values definitely reflected my current physical capabilities. I couldn't even run three miles without collapsing on the floor in a heap of coughs and grunts, nor could I attempt my usual PR without dying horribly. That definitely felt like an "E" to me, and the worst part is, they couldn't be edited.
But the number modifiers were different. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't get them to work. I didn't know how they added onto what I already had, and I sure as hell wasn't comfortable going into a job without being absolutely sure of my current capabilities.
Having Cursed Energy seemed cool at first, and the "A" I had in that stat was very promising, but I didn't know how to make it work. I didn't know how to reinforce myself, I didn't have Cursed Techniques, it was basically useless.
Hell, I didn't even have intel.
I didn't know who, or what, was in that place. I didn't know the exact number of entrances and possible exit routes, I didn't know the layout, I didn't know the number of security cameras, I didn't know shit.
And with the timeframe of this investigation being tonight, I wouldn't be able to rectify that problem.
I sighed.
This wasn't like me.
No matter how unreasonable the job, I was never the type to whine about the trivial stuff.
Was it because I was worried about dying?
Or was it because I was afraid of losing what I had right now?
I didn't have to lift a fucking finger. If everything went according to canon, Issei and the Occult Research Club would deal with most of the bullshit in Kuoh. I didn't have to step up; they'd do it for me while flashing titty in the process.
If I wanted to get stronger, Azazel was already here. I could just get him to train my ass while disguising it as research.
I didn't have to be in danger. Not anymore. The only reason why I did it before was because I had to. My family needed me to.
Even without the system, this whole universe would end up fine.
Half of me wanted to just leave all this behind, but I thought about what Hanakai said as we were walking down the mall.
She was right.
I didn't know if I needed a new path. A new direction. I didn't know if I even deserved it.
But, I needed answers.
Why was I here? Why did I get reincarnated?
Why was I given this system?
Maybe at the end of this road, my whole situation would make a lot more sense.
—I peered into the empty alley.
No one. I couldn't even see a single rat or cockroach.
I walked, keeping sound to a minimum as my white All-Stars bounded along concrete and asphalt. No matter where I looked, there wasn't anyone there to stop me from getting in.
So, holding out my hand, I willed my crowbar into existence, taking it out of my inventory and putting it right in my hand as I walked up to the locked door beside the loading gate.
Pressing the edge of the crowbar right into the minute opening of the door, I pushed it forward, utilizing my entire weight to essentially pry the door open.
I pulled it off on the first try.
Opening the door after I returned my crowbar back to my inventory, I was greeted with the sight of cardboard boxes, stacked on top of each other in neat and ordered piles. The wind brought by my arrival kicked up the dust on the floor, illuminated briefly by the moonlight as I stepped in.
There was definitely something going on. The thin layer of dust caking the concrete floor suggested a lack of human activity in the area.
This place had been left abandoned for at least a week.
Pulling out a small flashlight from my pocket, I stepped in, making my way forward as I scanned the room from left to right before turning the device off.
Light discipline was extremely necessary, especially in a potentially hostile environment. As a teenager, I learned early on that if you use a flashlight wrong, you'd risk giving away your position.
So, putting to memory the layout of the room based on what I've seen in the light, I continued towards the door at the end of the loading area, willing the kukri from my inventory into existence and into my hand.
The moment I get into a fight, I'd probably die if it was anything stronger than a person with a gun or a knife or even a baseball bat. Even if it was someone like Freed or Raynare, any of the early villains in the series had an extreme advantage over me when it came to direct combat.
Against those people, it didn't matter even if I had a fully-kitted AR-15; I'd die. But I'd rather die fighting with a weapon in my hand than die without being able to do anything about it.
As I neared the door, the faint sound of skittering brought me to a sudden stop.
There was something behind the door. And from the sound of it, it was frantically scratching at the door, hoping to get out.
This place wasn't as deserted as I thought.
I swallowed out of trepidation, a trickle of sweat cascading down the side of my temple.
It was cold in this place. Far colder than it had to be, as it was the middle of summer and there wasn't any ventilation from the vents judging from the settled dust and the stifling smell of mold combined with the sickly-sweet smell of what seemed like rotten meat.
With my kukri at the ready, poised for a swing right at the neck as I used my left hand to reach for the doorknob, I braced myself.
—I was already going into this place solo, standard operating procedures had left the building a long time ago.
Might as well face the music.
Opening the door, I immediately rushed into action, ready to face whatever horror the system was gonna throw my way.
I was ready to fight a vampire, or even a werewolf. Hell, I was expecting it to be some horrific Lovecraftian creature, some writhing mass of flesh and tentacles in the shape of a person.
But all this department store gave me was a trio of rats.
As the rodents scurried away from the opened door, I let out a sigh of relief, turning my flashlight on before looking at the mess of boxes resting on a labyrinth of rusting shelves.
It was a large room. Far larger than what I was expecting and a nightmare to clear for any fully-armed, four-man team.
I sighed. But still, I continued to walk, blade in hand as I readied myself to face whatever it was
—At this particular point in time, I didn't know what was waiting for me at the end of this shitty mission. I didn't even know what I was dealing with. But if I did, I would've done everything I could to get myself a gun. Maybe even an AT4.
I wouldn't be this powerless for much longer, but man, fuck magic.
AN: Hey, guys! Been a while! Thanks for all the comments and the support, it means a lot to me. Now, we dive into the plot proper (not that there's much of that right now lol). Hope y'all enjoy! Feel free to comment, whether it be suggestions or questions regarding the story.
Next chapter's coming very soon. See y'all on the next one!