AN: Mavriel's only metric for whether the things he's doing are interesting enough to count for a roll is when he actually gets a roll. He doesn't get a feeling of building a charge or anything. This serves as more motivation for him to go out and actually do shit, as opposed to sitting around training all the time. He's gonna be so confused when he's doing absolutely nothing and gets a roll for whatever interludes I inevitably have to write.

"Wake up! Something's wrong!" My Ghost friend nudges my head with urgency.

I jolt awake in my sleeping bag, adrenaline spiking. Instinct kicks in, and I boost my thought acceleration, scanning the abandoned building I'd been camping out in. No immediate threats. I release the spell and sit up. "I'm up, I'm up. What's going on?"

"I'm picking up strange readings from my sensors. There's a resonant phase effect moving through the Botza District… And matching signatures beneath it." She hovers closer, her single eye's glow intensifying, reflecting the urgency in her tone. "The data matches some of the limited intel publicly available on Black Armory technology."

A chill runs down my spine. Scourge of the Past.

Just my luck that Siviks decided to infiltrate the city only a day before Micah-10 is scheduled to arrive in the city proper.

Now, any rational person would recognize the fact that a threat necessitating the deployment of 6 Guardians is something way out of their league.

I could just leave the area, let 'The Guardian' and their fireteam handle this. That would be the smart idea, and it wouldn't even be hard.

But I haven't rolled anything worthwhile in over a week, and the thought of letting this opportunity slip away gnaws at me. It's been a week since we managed to reach out to Micah, and none of my magical training has rewarded me with any rolls. I suppose only important breakthroughs and testing certain new perks counts as interesting enough for the Grimoire to roll.

But killing alien pirates? That sounds like a perfect way to generate rolls. The Fallen likely haven't even been here for an hour; they can't have tunneled all the way into Vault Ebisu yet. Even if they have Insurrection Prime operational, without the phase-shielding technology in the vault, it'll be much less resilient and far less armed.

"Let's investigate." I say, retrieving my hand cannon, a Ballyhoo Mk.27 I managed to buy from a scavenger in the Marketplace. It's not the highest quality weapon, but it's reliable; more than enough for my needs. I won't say my decision wasn't affected by the memes the gun generated in my old world, because it totally was, but If I need more bang then my Pyro magic will pick up the slack.

As I prepare, my friend stores away my sleeping bag and the miscellaneous items we've collected over the past week into her digital inventory space. I grab my backpack and sling it over my shoulders, before moving out of the building and down the stairs, finally exiting onto the empty street.

"Are you sure about this?" The Ghost asks quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I doubt it's something truly threatening, but maybe we should let someone important know what we've found."

I nod. "Probably a good idea. But first, we should get a little info of our own. What do-"

Suddenly, I cut myself off, sensing movement. I dash to the right and throw myself behind a ruined car, the metal cold against my back.

Chittering speech in an alien language echoes in the distance. I carefully peek around the shattered wreck and catch a glimpse of a shimmering cloaking field; definitely a Fallen. Racking my memory, I realize it's a Fallen Berserker, one of the minibosses from the raid's first encounter.

"That's a Fallen!" My companion frantically whispers to me. "How did one get into the city?"

"Probably thanks to whatever tech they've scrounged from the Black Armory." I reply, my voice low. "I'd bet money that there's more here."

The Berserker prowls the empty street, its body covered in phase-shielding under the cloak. With each step, I see its outline shift to inspect the street around us, searching for any poor bastards who might have stumbled into the Botza District. I can see the faint outline of its weapon, a fusion rifle of some sort that faintly emanates Arc energies.

"We need to move." I murmur. "If they've managed to get into the city, they could have reinforcements nearby. See if you can raise someone important on comms."

"Already on it. Just… be careful." She whispers, worry leaking into her voice.

I nod and stealthily maneuver around the car, keeping low to the ground. We slip into a narrow alley, the chittering growing louder as we approach the source. Turning another corner brings us into a wider street, littered with debris. I freeze, spotting two more Fallen patrolling the area, standing near a hole in the ground leading to the sewers. From their cloaked outlines, I can tell they're just Vandals, which means no crazy shielding will stop me from obliterating them with my fire magic.

I step into their views, both hands raised, and unleash a pair of firebolts, each one slightly different in intent. The flames streak through the air, hitting each enemy squarely. The first Vandal crumples, its cloaking field destabilizing as it falls to the ground, revealing a baseball sized hole in its chest. The second stumbles back, its screams of pain drowned out by the crackling flames as it catches fire, flailing as it breaks into a panicked sprint. Scant seconds later it trips, the Pyro energy ravaging its body proving too much for the alien. It dies before it even hits the ground. Several multicolored orbs erupt from each corpse, replenishing my magical energy and the little stamina I'd exhausted.

That… was a lot more effective than I thought it would be. Makes sense in hindsight though; my basic magic attacks are closer to Guardian powered melees than regular old bullets, after all.

I hear a chittering growl from behind me. The Berserker has taken notice, and it rounds the same corner we came from, its cloak fading away as it aims its fusion rifle skyward, phasic energy erupting from its body in a 10 meter bubble around it sufficient to disable Guardian abilities as well as stun them.

Unfortunately for him… my abilities function a lot differently. I dart forward despite the stunning effect, the basic Pyro barrier surrounding my body surprising the Berserker as my palm slams into the exposed shield emitter on its chest. I dump a significant chunk of my Pyro energy into the emitter, before clumsily rolling past the Berserker and unloading four shots of my hand cannon into its back shield emitter. A final snap of my finger's commands the Pyro energy to run rampant.

Thank God-Me for thought acceleration, or I'd never be able to string all that together so easily. All the time I need to think up my next move is a hell of a cheat.

The results of my actions are more than satisfactory, the phase shield dropping before the Pyro energy decimates the alien, its entire chest exploding as the energy overloads the delicate technology and incinerates the flesh behind it. Six scorched limbs and a head clatter to the ground, leaving me blankly staring at my handiwork. I absentmindedly note the expended energy being refilled by multicolored orbs.

Right, this isn't a game anymore. Enemies have no reason to be as tanky as they were in game. Not unless they are hive gods or some other level of metaphysical bullshit, anyway.

… I should totally come up with a name for that delayed explosion attack though. That shit felt so cool.

For the first time in a week my soul lurches, reaching out to the Grimoire for yet another perk.

{+100 points! Rolling…

Benevolence - Barriers and Shields - Lyrical Nanoha (free)

Roll Success. Current stockpile: 300 Points.

Purchase Barriers and Shields?}

Barriers and Shields

But you can't just keep slinging offensive spells left and right all day without any kind of defense, right? You can create barriers and shields to reinforce your own defenses, letting you block spells and attacks so long as you utilize them properly. This can be especially draining or fragile against powerful Bombardment spells or worse, though...you might want to consider dodging instead.

Yoink.

My shoddy skill at creating barriers using my Pyro energy rapidly advances in my head, dozens of different ways to mold the energy to protect myself now clear to me. With that perk, I just bypassed months of training in creating barriers. In fact… I get the feeling these Pyro barriers are a lot stronger than the ones Genshin characters make. Closer to the durability of Nanoha barriers, which seems reasonable enough considering the source of the perk.

Nice.

I glance back at the battlefield, the remnants of the Berserker scattered around. He didn't drop a Radiant Battery for me to slot into technology nearby, but I'm not overly concerned. The raid mechanics aren't really a thing yet, as they haven't had enough time to set up the shield generators that usually block the way during the first encounter. I chuckle to myself; it's lucky for me. I doubt I could solo all the mechanics right now anyway, not with my limited arsenal of spells.

My Ghost friend pipes up from behind me, having hidden in my backpack during the fighting. "I managed to send out an S.O.S. coupled with footage of the Fallen, but the invaders noticed it and activated some kind of jammer after it went through. We're on our own until reinforcements arrive."

Not great, but I suppose there's a silver lining here. More opportunities for me to gain rolls!

"Alright, let's make the most of it." I say, adjusting my stance. I concentrate, channeling my Pyro energy into a protective shield. The familiar warmth fills my palms as I visualize the barrier forming in front of me, a shimmering wall of Pyro energy.

It flickers to life, a beautiful, almost crystalline construct. I test its strength by pushing against it. It holds, shimmering defiantly. I unleash a heavy punch on it, and it doesn't budge at all. My hand hurts a bit though.

"Perfect!" I exclaim, idly channeling the healing warmth into my hand as I turn my attention back to the now empty street. "Now I can go on the offensive without worrying too much."

Despite the danger of the situation… things are looking pretty good!

Sora 'The Guardian' POV:

Sora steadies her breath, her gaze locked on the target ahead. The weight of her sniper rifle feels reassuring in her hands as she takes a slow, deliberate breath, preparing for the shot.

CRACK! The Hive Knight collapses, its head bursting apart in a cascade of dark energy. The creature's body crumbles, the parasitic worm within fading into nothingness without a host to sustain it.

Since the moment of surprise is over, Borealis vanishes into her Ghost's inventory, replaced by the comforting grip of the Ace of Spades. She raises it, firing into the remaining Acolytes scattered across the ruins of the European Dead Zone. Each shot echoes through the ruined buildings, the crack of the gunfire accompanied by fiery bursts as her bullets find their marks.

Suddenly, a Hive thrall charges from the left, shrieking as it lunges at her. Its claws swipe through the air, but Sora is unfazed; she's killed thousands of these little buggers before. With a swift Light-assisted combat roll she draws a knife and sends it slicing through the air. It finds its mark in the creature's neck, and in a flash of Solar Light, the thrall disintegrates into a fine dust.

As the last echoes of battle fade, Sora surveys the quiet landscape around her. A frown creases her brow. "I'm bored." She admits aloud, removing her helmet and letting it hang from her hand. The cool air feels refreshing against her skin. Her helmet, the Celestial Nighthawk, is a wonder of Exotic technology, but it doesn't really compare to feeling the world directly.

Her Ghost doesn't materialize to respond to her, the memory of Sundance's death still fresh in both their minds. Better to stay hidden until we're in the city. Whatever mystical mumbo-jumbo lets him speak directly into her head keeps him safe as he speaks. "Incoming comms. It's Ada-1."

Sora perks up. She places her helmet back on, ready to receive the call.

Ada-1's voice crackles to life, urgent and commanding. "You need to return to the city. Siviks is making his move; He was after much more than simply stealing and abusing the Black Armory's forge. His gaze has turned to our most prized possession: a vault, filled with the finest wares the Black Armory has to offer, and hidden in the depths of an abandoned city district. The very soul of the Black Armory resides in that vault. It must be secured."

Sora's heart races at the mention of the vault. First, the Red Legion attacked the city, and now the Fallen? A smirk tugs at her lips. Well, she did say she was bored. "Understood. I'll head there right away." She replies.

"Good. I've contacted a few other guardians who have proven… adequate, when defending the forges. Consider this a raid-level operation. If Siviks gains access to the weapons in the vault… Well, it wouldn't be a stretch to say a significant portion of the city might cease to exist. Sending coordinates and the little information we have now."

As Ada-1 transmits the data, Sora's HUD flickers to life, displaying a video feed. She scans it quickly, her brow furrowing at the sight. "Wait, why is that Guardian running around dressed like a hobo?" She mutters to herself, incredulous.

The figure on the screen is wearing a patchwork of mismatched gear, looking more like a lost traveler than a seasoned Guardian. Seriously, a Ballyhoo Mk.27? She's aware of the jokes Guardians make about the gun. Hell, even Cayde joked about how if he didn't have the Ace then he'd have a Ballyhoo… mostly cause those things can be found everywhere really.

And his clothes… Every Ghost is capable of flash forging some basic armor from the materials they'd gathered over the years of searching for their partners. Sure, it wouldn't compare to anything you could get from decrypting a few engrams, but it would be better than running around in denim pants and a tattered t-shirt.

… Consider her interest piqued.

Mavriel POV:

Sneaking through the sewers is decidedly less exciting than I thought it would be, especially considering the tunneling the Eliksni invaders have done. This whole place is a confusing maze, with the collapsed sections and lack of water filling the area making the few maps my companion was able to scrounge up much less useful.

Oh? My soul is shuddering again. Didn't think my bumbling would be that interesting.

{+100 points! Rolling…

Making - Time to Work - Bayonetta (200 points)

Roll Success. Current stockpile: 400 Points.

Purchase Time to Work?}

Time to Work

You know how to create all kinds of weapons. Miniguns, swords, daggers, rifles, rocket launchers, shotguns, the works. Any mundane weapon is as easy as pie for you to create, and if you put your mind to it you can even alter these creations to have infinite ammo. You are even able to modify other weapons to possess this feature. How? Good question, but is that a secret you really want to share?

Yoink.

And just like that, I have an easy way to befriend any Guardian I encounter. After all, who wouldn't want their awesome space gun to have infinite ammo? I could literally have hordes of Guardians ready to fight Gods for the opportunity to get their weapons enhanced with this ability.

Although, I instinctively know the more exotic weapons of this universe will require specific materials to be used in the process depending on the weapon. It's a rather quick process, at least. Draw a specific ritual circle, put the weapon and any necessary upgrade materials in the circle, channel magical energy and chant some specific Enochian, and viola; infinite ammo gun.

Making new guns will not be so quick a process, but at least I can give Banshee-44 a run for his money when it comes to being a gunsmith.

Still, I can't help but wonder how Lord Shaxx will feel about this. Will he hate me or love me for making his job as the Crucible handler harder? God knows how difficult it is to wrangle Guardians fighting each other for sport without each of them having access to infinite ammo.

I crouch down, pulling a piece of chalk from my backpack, and start sketching out the ritual circle. Enochian runes swirl together, creating a complex design that channels magic through the universe to allow a weapon to fire without actually firing a bullet. I suspect the effect is temporal in nature, but I'd need to study it more to really understand it.

All I know is that an empty gun won't fire, but if you load bullets into it once, it never needs to be reloaded again. Unless you take them out, of course.

I lay my Ballyhoo in the circle, thankful that the weapon doesn't need any more materials to be enhanced and hold my hand over the circle, my magic circuits thrumming to life as I begin chanting. "Lrasd ol lansh ol dluga mirc g gohed bagie!" I have no idea what any of it means, but the incantation feels powerful.

The moment my hand cannon flashes white, I can feel the magic taking hold. Its outer frame looks the same as before, but I know I'll get to test it soon enough.

I holster the weapon, standing up and making my way further into the sewers.

As I duck through another freshly excavated tunnel, my companion suddenly speaks up. "And what exactly did that light show accomplish?"

"Gave my gun infinite ammo." I reply, keeping my tone casual, as if it's not a big deal.

"... Why didn't you do that earlier?" She exasperatedly asks me.

I exit the tunnel, finding myself in another section of the sewers. "Couldn't do it before. Just gained the ability."

"... Gained? Not figured out, or even learned how, but gained?"

"Yup. I gain new magic every so often. It happens quicker if I'm doing something interesting or dangerous. Sometimes during training, depending on whether I have a big breakthrough. It's a bit spotty on that last one, though." I keep my tone dismissive, as if my pulling random new magic out of my ass is a common occurrence.

I mean, for me it really is a common occurrence.

"That's… incredibly convenient." She mutters, her voice dripping with skepticism. "You know, most people have to work hard for their powers."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm just lucky." I shrug. Probably not going to explain God-Me for a while. There's only so much people will believe before you start sounding delusional.

We continue through the twisting tunnels, the walls becoming increasingly covered with the kitbashed tech and scrap metal easily identifiable as Eliksni in nature. Honestly, I have no idea how they craft shit so fast. Maybe it's the extra set of hands?

Eventually we come to a dead end, two large mechanical doors blocking progression. One of the doors is a huge door that I could believe was a blast door with how reinforced it is, while the other is a huge grated door leading into complete darkness.

Oh boy. I remember this room.

On each side of the grated door should be a control panel that can be activated by a good punch. Both have to be hit at the same time to open both doors, leading to a long chase sequence where a giant Servitor exuding enough flames to kill anyone nearby follows you throughout the other tunnel faster than you could normally escape on foot.

Normally, you'd have your Ghost bring out a Sparrow, essentially a hoverbike, and ride through the tunnels while the Fallen shoot at you and the big guy chases you, but I definitely do not have one of those.

Can't fight him either. My main way to attack is Pyro magic, and the guy literally generates more fire in a few seconds then I could do with my biggest attack. I doubt it would be all that effective on him.

What I do have is the ability to fly about as fast as a Sparrow using my Pyro magic. Unfortunately, I don't think I can maintain the spell the whole way, which means I'm going to have to take advantage of [Orbs of Energy] and kill as many Fallen as I can along the way so I don't run out of magical energy and get cooked.

No pressure.

"Say… do you think I could activate those panels by shooting them?" I ask my friend, forming a plan in my head.

"Probably. They seem to only be looking for kinetic force, not anything like an actual handprint. Why?" She asks.

"I've got a bad feeling. Stay close." I order.

She doesn't argue, instead snuggling deeper into my backpack. Sucks that she can't do that whole partial-transmat thing without me being her Guardian, but we can make do with this. Besides, if the backpack gets damaged I'm probably dead anyway. I shouldn't worry about what happens after I die. Even if I get rezzed, I wouldn't really be me.

Except… I don't think she'll do the smart thing and leave if she can't rez me. If it fails I don't think she'll ever emotionally recover… She's gotten attached. And honestly? So have I.

So I just won't die then.

My soul churns as I steel myself.

{+100 points! Rolling…

Lore - Clever Craft - The Elder Scrolls (100 points)

Roll Success. Current stockpile: 300 Points.

Purchase Clever Craft?}

Clever Craft

Having been trained as a mage, you know basic spells from each of the schools of magic, and can easily learn new spells.

Immediate Yoink.

Elder Scrolls magic can get absolutely busted at the high end, and this? This opens the magic system up for me.

I feel the new pool of energy in my soul, and I instinctively know each of the basic spells I can cast. Still don't fancy my chances against the Servitor, but not needing to rely on my fire spells or my halfway decent aim with my Ballyhoo to kill the fallen on the upcoming chase should make things easier for me. I can just blast them with Destruction magic instead.

I glance at the control panels, then back at the grated door. "Ready?"

My friend shifts in my backpack. "As ready as I'll ever be."

I take a deep breath, thought acceleration surging to 2x speed. With a swift motion, I draw my Ballyhoo and blast both panels, my other hand twisting to summon my older iteration of flaming wings for efficiency's sake. The doors grind open, revealing the pitch-black tunnel beyond, filled with the distant sounds of machinery and the machine-like warbling of something moving in the darkness.

"Go!" I shout, bursting through the now open blast door behind me. My feet barely touch the ground before I twist and leap forward, propelled by a burst of flame that sends me rocketing down the tunnel. My hand cannon returns to its holster, and I focus on my flight ahead.

The echoing crackling of the Servitor's flame aura follows close behind. I glance over my shoulder and catch a glimpse of its glowing eye and the flames erupting from its body.

I'm slightly faster than it, which should give me time to slow down and blast a few of the Fallen to regenerate my magical energy.

"Lookout for those snipers!" My Ghost friend urges from my backpack, her voice cutting through the cacophony.

I dodge left and right, narrowly avoiding wire rifle beams and the debris scattered across the tunnel. My heart races as I focus on the path ahead, scanning for any Fallen that are within convenient killing distance. A flicker of movement catches my eye, and I spot a pair of Vandals positioned just off the side of the tunnel ahead.

"Time to work for a living!" I yell, slowing my pace and raising my hands. Lightning crackles around both limbs, manifesting into dual streams of electricity that arc toward the Vandals. I hold the attack on both of them until the familiar orbs of energy emerge to replenish my Pyro energy, before blasting down the tunnel once more, the Servitor now about as close as when I started.

I push through the strain of maintaining thought acceleration with the little boost I got from the orbs. Another group of Fallen appears ahead, their weapons raised. I channel my magic again, sending gouts of Tamrielic flame hurtling from each hand, igniting the entire group. I don't stay to watch, flying over the screaming aliens and acknowledging the orbs of energy that slam into my back as I rocket ahead.

The health orbs are probably the only reason I haven't succumbed to brain damage from keeping my thoughts moving so fast for so long, since I normally use it in shorter bursts, but I'd rather have a massive headache as I fly than have a broken neck from fucking up my maneuvering.

I'm almost there. The tunnel starts to widen, and I can see light ahead.

As I cross the threshold into the last room, I can see the exit ahead. I make a split-second decision to channel my energy one last time, a burst of speed propelling me past the last group of Fallen and through the open blast door to the exit, burning through the last of my Pyro energy.

I twist midair, thought acceleration surging to 3x and intensifying the headache I have, but my feet find purchase on the ground allowing me to skid to a stop, my right hand already raised.

My Ballyhoo blasts the two consoles with lightning speed, the Blast door slamming shut moments before the Servitor can reach me.

I drop all my magical spells and slump to the ground, my brain feeling like mush after all that thought acceleration.

The Ghost floats out of my backpack and in front of me, her scanners sweeping over me. "Are you alright?"

Despite the tiredness, despite the pain in my head, despite the fact that I could have easily died… I give her a genuine grin. "That was the most fun I've ever had."

CHAPTER 3 END

AN: I used an Enochian translator to write the infinite ammo incantation. Had to get a little finicky with the wording since there aren't equivalent words for guns and weapons. The original words I input were "By my power I bestow upon you unending fury!", sounds cool enough, and I didn't really feel like putting any more effort into the process.

Can this guy just roll some really shitty perks already?! I'm really feeling jealous of Mavriel's luck. Surely the next chapter will see him roll something useless, right? RIGHT?!