Draco's Various Stories

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 1: New Game Start

Dying sucks. Strong statement to start with and one that's obvious, I know but dying factually does suck. It can suck even more depending on how you exactly die. I've heard all sorts of things about dying. News and media can get creative sometimes. Especially from a show about various ways of dying that have actually happened in real life, not something a kid should be watching but I digress, and know a lot from some personal experience. Not to mention it's something one does not generally think about until they are confronted with it. Of course I have a great amount of personal experience right now because well… I am dying. In some shitty alleyway. After saving someone from being robbed. A cliche Hero Story, I know. Guy sees a crime going down and tries to stop it. Hell I can hear the ambulance but well… they're gonna be late, I know it. Stab wound is particularly deep. I can faintly tell the person I saved is nearby me. You know today was such a nice day too before all of this. Sun was shining, it was a particularly warm day even during this dreadful winter that was going on. Makes the cold feeling that was creeping in even worse frankly. I feel the person shaking me, bringing back some of my focus. Could feel my thoughts getting a bit scattered at a point so it helped. Think my head may have gotten a bad hit when I got slammed into the ground while trying to wrestle away the knife.
"H-Hey! Stay with me man!"
"...I'm not gonna make it. I can already feel myself slipping away at this point."
"T-The ambulance is almost here, we just need to keep applying pressure."
"Listen. There's too much blood lost, the wound is practically impossible to patch. Goddamn serrated knife… heh, would be a Geneva Convention Violation if this was a war."
Faintly, I can see the person look at me with slight anger from my attitude. Can't exactly blame them, my head feels a little fuzzy at this point. Think it's because of the pain. Might be due to the blood-loss. Good chance I did get a concussion. Any one of those things kinda makes sense individually. Though if I'll be frank, it's hard to really focus on much else aside from slowly dying and how my head is swimming a bit. Yet I still try and fight through it. Partially because I do actually still wanna live. Partially because even if I am gonna die? I'm going to at least try and get one last affair in order.
"Why the hell are you being so calm about dying!?!?"
"Shock mostly… hey… I'm… Ash Lowell. F-Find my family… tell them I loved them and my last words are… Memories are the only things that last forever."
I say this as I put my hand onto their shoulder. Honestly I can barely move, my body feels so heavy yet I also feel so weak. For a moment, I feel myself fade before focusing again. That stab really put me at death's footsteps. I can tell they're earnestly trying to keep me alive. I appreciate it but I need them to hopefully do that. It's a lot to ask a stranger but… well, I have to get the message to them somehow. Can't reach for my phone, think it broke during the fight. Knew I should have gotten a case for it. Eh well not like I can regret being cheap about something right now.
"I… please… please hold on."
"Just please do that… okay?"
"O-Okay… I will. I definitely will."
At least I can die knowing that my family will know I loved them till the very end. Not to mention I got to give a pretty nice quote. I feel… so tired… and so cold. My vision blurs as I feel it going dark. I think I'll just… close my eyes for a while. Huh, I can feel myself… drifting away. Generally there's supposed to be a light I'm supposed to see and walk into. Yet it doesn't feel like there's going to be one. I will admit one thing, it's… surprisingly peaceful. No sound, no emotion, just silence. After a few moments, something shifts. I feel a cold wind on my body as it blows in my ears. I can feel my body have a certain solidness once again… yet it also feels lighter then before. Slowly opening my eyes, I see that… there was an endless sky before me. Looking down I see I'm standing at the edge of a tower. Immediately I react as any person would. Jumping back from the edge in shock.
"The hell?!?!" I say, my voice sounding foreign to me for a moment
This… this isn't normal. This isn't in any sort of thing I've read about. This feels like the beginning to some sort of webtoon story or something. Looking down at myself, my body is now made of bright orange light. Sort of reminds me of… what the Novakids look like from Starbound except it was more translucent and wispy. Weird thing to be reminded of, I guess but that does feel similar. I feel like I should be freaking out right now but I do feel a… weird sense of calmness? Thinking about it, where exactly am I? This isn't anywhere in any sort of mythology I can recognize. Not unless this is from something I haven't researched too much into which is… a distinct possibility I guess. Does that mean I'll have to fight something? Because if so, damn is that going to be a massive pain in the ass.
"Calm yourself of those thoughts. You are in a safe place." I hear a voice say
I whip around, eyes searching for the source. Finally looking behind me, I see a mysterious tall man in a dark blue cloak. Most of his face is hidden in the shadows of his hood except for his mouth. Currently, he was standing from what I presume is either the entrance into the Tower or the entrance leading from the roof of this Tower. Looking him over, I try to get any sense of if he's from a particular mythological group or not. Wherever I am, it sure as hell doesn't look like the world I just left behind. That much is clearly obvious to me, especially now.
"I will state that I am not related to the Gods of your world." The man says in a knowing voice
"...You can read my thoughts?" I ask carefully
"Indeed I can… and as you know. You're dead." The man states
I stare at him with a distinct sense of blank emotion before promptly getting annoyed. A jaded frustration rising up within me. Normally, I don't mind people stating the obvious but considering just a few moments ago I was dying of a stab wound? I'm not exactly impressed at someone bringing that information up when I have no idea what's going on.
"No shit sherlock. How about instead of saying the obvious, you tell me where the hell I am?" I snap
"A realm of my own making. One that will get used to a… few things I plan on giving you." The man explains
"...Cool cool, so you're offering me something? Because I know damn well from that tone you're offering me something." I respond with
"An understandable assumption… tell me… would you like to live a new life in a new world?" The man asks
That's… an interesting offer to say the least. On one hand? Epic adventures in a world filled with magic. On the other hand? High chances for death. I've read a few novels and seen a few anime about this sort of thing. Not to mention the fact that I was a relatively normal young adult at one point. Was one year off of turning twenty-one and being able to drink. Which kinda sucks that I never got that chance to try a beer. Not to mention I wasn't exactly what you'd call athletic. So I might be screwed in this next life. Especially if I end up in someone else's body because boy howdy do I not have any skills from my previous life that could help. After a few more moments of mulling this over, I slowly nod.
"Okay… that's a bit of a shock but uh… why? Why bring me back, of all people, back from the dead to live in a new world?" I question tentatively
"Simple. You have a strong heart. A heroic one even." The figure says, smiling softly
"Tempted to make a My Hero Academia Reference but there's some parts of that series I don't like… tangent, that's a tangent. So my heroic heart is what qualified me?" I ask with a soft snort
"Among other things. Yes." The figure spoke in a steady tone
"...Do I get powers?" I ask after a brief pause
"Indeed you do. Of course you will have to use them to do one particular thing." The man says
Knew there would be a catch to having these powers. If he asks me to genocide an entire world, I'm turning him down. I might not exactly be the most pleasant person sometimes but I'm not gonna kill an entire world because someone offered to bring me back to life. No amount of superpowers will ever make me cross that line. I'd rather take torment in hell over that… then again, being in hell does suck. Eh in either case I'd be in hell, so that's a moot point really. Doing my best to squint at the man, seriously it's really hard to do that when you technically don't have eyes, I look at him with suspicion.
"You're not planning on making me do anything evil with those powers right?" I ask
"I do not plan on making you do anything genocidal. That is up to your discretion really." The man responds with an enigmatic smile
"Right… mind-reading thing. Forgot about that. Okay so if we're not doing anything evil without my choice. What's the thing I have to do? Marry a hundred girls? Kill a God? Create a universe?" I ask blandly
"Actually you just have to kill one great evil. Typical Heroic journey sort of thing, don't you agree?" The man asks with some amusement
"...What are the powers and who am I gonna be killing? I get the feeling there's some info here you're not telling me outright." I say, suspicion arising within me
The man slowly nods before bringing up his hand, appearing over his hand is a… floating menu. One straight out of a video game. Wait, am I being given The Gamer Ability? Awesome- wait no, don't assume yet. If I've learned anything from… reading a few fanfics, Gamer Abilities can either be piss-easy to deal with for a great power fantasy or brutal to the point of feeling bad for the character. It isn't an instant win button and generally it allows for some people to get super strong and have harems. Not interested in Harems personally but that's not exactly the point. Point is: cool superpower could come at a great cost that I'm not exactly ready to deal with.
"So… that menu. That's related to The Gamer Ability right-" "Yes it is related to The Gamer Ability as you have deduced. And do not worry, the difficulty will not be as harsh as you fear."
Neat. That answers that question. So that begs the other question that hasn't been answered. After all, I did ask two things. And the other thing is who am I going to have to face? After all, this could be one of those situations where I am thrown into a piece of media I know. Which is both great and not great. Great because I have foreknowledge to work with, not great because that foreknowledge could easily become useless or just outright be useless.
"For someone who thinks of themselves quite simple. You do tend to think a lot about your decisions before making them." The man says, a smirk tugging at his lips
"Piss off, I'm trying to weigh my options. Now answer my other question on who I'm facing." I say, trying to keep some patience
"Salem. The leader of the Grimm and a Dark Witch you could say." The man says as a smirk grows on his face
"...Hell yeah! I can get a gunblade! Well… if I survive the beginning at least. Still uh… is there… anything else I should worry about?" I ask, immediately realizing I should get back on topic
"Only about what you'll look like. Of course before I send you down there. I will give you some time to get used to having a smaller body and then-"
"Wait, smaller body?" I interrupt with
"Yes, you'll be much younger than you were before. It's the best chance for you to change as many things within the timeline as possible." The man explains
"...Goddammit. Okay, I can deal with that. Not the worst thing to happen, could be. Not sure… eh I'll figure it out." I say with a huff
At least he's giving me a chance to get used to the difference in size. Going from one height to another can mess people up from what I've read. Not to mention some fanfics play around with that concept and I may as well take the win here. The man briefly disappeared before a blank model appeared before me, looking similar to a mannequin. Then a series of options straight out of a character creator appeared in my vision. Well, this'll be a fun thing to do. May as well stick to my old looks at best as possible. I have ash blonde hair, steel blue eyes, and fair skin. Noticing the race option, I look through the selection. Lots of Faunus options… I'll just go with Wolf Faunus since that's fairly generic. And finally, I'll take the name from my last life since it fits the color theme anyway.

Ash Lowell​

Nodding, I press the confirm button. Making the model disappear. After a moment I feel… smaller, shorter even. Looking down I see a small version of my hand. Yep, seems like it was instant. I miss being tall already. Soon after, the man reappeared in a burst of blue energy. He nods at me as he has to tilt his head to look. Well at least he isn't being smug with the height difference. I can take solace in that fact.
"Now. I will give you some time to run around, exercise, get used to being in this body. Afterward, you'll be sent down into the world of Remnant. Do not worry about the lack of combat experience… you will understand your abilities soon enough." The man said
"Good to know. So what's your name exactly? Because I feel like since you know my name, I may as well know yours… I get the feeling that calling you 'Mr. Freaky Cloaked Dude' would not exactly entertain you." I say
"Oho, I find that quite endearing actually… but yes, I suppose giving you my name shall suffice. I am Chrono." The man says
"Alrighty… Chrono. I'll keep that in mind. Let's get to training, yeah?" I ask
Soon after, I'm guided down into the Tower with the walls being smooth and featureless, lit by an eerie, otherworldly glow. We eventually arrived into a room that is… essentially one of those parkour training rooms. There were ropes, wooden beams, raps, and concrete walls practically made for wall-running across. With a soft sigh, I ready myself before running around the area. Running, jumping, leaping, and rolling across all sorts of areas. Took me a few tries in some regards but after a bit, I managed to get used to being in a smaller body. After a few hours of running, I collapsed onto the floor. Breathing somewhat heavily. Don't have the Gamer Ability yet so stamina is pretty limited as is. Then again I wouldn't be surprised if I was given some form of enhanced stamina just in this room so I have as much time as possible to get used to being like this… oh God I'm gonna have to spend years like this. I mean having the Gamer Ability will help a lot but still, it's gonna be a pain growing up. At least puberty won't be as bad thanks to Gamer's Mind. Soon after, Chrono walked over to me.
"I see you have finished running around. Must admit, you lasted longer than I thought. I figured even with the enhanced stamina, you'd need to take at least one break." He says
"I tend to impress… in weird ways." I pant out
"Regardless… sleep. When you wake next… you will be in that world. Landing will be bumpy however." Chrono says, their voice infused with power
Suddenly I feel entirely too exhausted to stay away… my eyes slowly slide close as I fall asleep. Remnant, here I come- wait what was that last part about a bumpy landing?

---

Suddenly I'm awoken by landing on the ground with a loud thud. After a moment, I drag myself from the ground and wipe the dirt off of my face. Looking around, I see I am… in front of Raven's old house. In a forest… somewhere on Patch… annnnddd it's almost evening. Great. Just great. Slowly getting up, I brush myself off with a grumble. Thank you, Chrono, for MAKING ME LAND LIKE THAT YOU ASSHOLE! THAT FUCKING HURT! Ugh. Some people. Right, well… guess I should open my status. I hum before deciding to do the Sword Art Online menu opening gesture. A menu opens up soon after. Being a weeb for the win! Then again SAO isn't exactly my favorite anime… eh, whatever, I'll take what I can get. I open my status menu first and foremost by selecting the option called… well… Status. The menu reconfigures itself showing a chibi version of me in ragged clothing with my name and stats underneath it.

[{Status}]
[Name: Ash Lowell]
[Class(es): N/A]
[Race: Faunus - Wolf]
[HP (Health Points): 105/105]
[AP (Aura Points): 0/0 {LOCKED}]
[MP (Magic Points): 105/105]
[STR (Strength): 5]
[END (Endurance): 5]
[SPD (Speed): 5]
[INT (Intelligence): 5]
[WIS (Wisdom): 5]
[CHR (Charisma): 5]
[LCK (Luck): 5]

Well… that's quite the interesting thing there. I'll have to get my Aura unlocked later. Let's see… what other things are here? Inventory? Nothing there which is definitely expected. Settings? Apparently there's a BGM Mode. That is useful but I think I'll turn that on later when I'm a bit more prepared. Skills? I haven't developed any so no point looking there. Perks. There we go. Good place to start. Especially considering the fact that I might have some traits I didn't notice. Opening it up, the list is fairly simple and mostly what I'd expect.

[{Perks}]
[Gamer's Mind (Max LVL): Allows you to see through tricks and remain calm in most situations {Warning: In cases of severely distressing moments, PTSD can override this Perk. Same with intense moments of emotion}]
[Gamer's Body (Max LVL): Allows for restoration of HP, MP, and AP during rest {Pain Inhibitors will deactivate after a certain point in progression}]
[Enhanced Senses (Max LVL): You can hear footsteps from even a mile away… car alarms are very annoying as a downside]
[Night Vision (Max LVL): Don't need Goggles to see during a moonless night]

Aside from some of the somewhat weird descriptions. It's odd that Gamer's Mind has some downgrades alongside Gamer's Body. Then I realized… it's to make sure I don't lose myself because of the power I have. Very easily I could forget that I am a person to an extent due to having nullified pain and a constant sense of calm even during distressing situations. While yes I'd have emotions, Gamer's Mind could easily quash them but allowing some moments where my mind doesn't need to focus too much on logic could be a boon in its own right… or this could just be a weird downgrade to mess with me. Who's to say? Either way, I wasn't going to let it stop me. I'd adapt, like I always did. For now, though, I needed to figure out my next move. Remnant was waiting. Suddenly a new menu pops up in front of me.

[Class System Activated]
[{Please choose two Classes from the following list}]​

It then expands into a large list of options. Honestly I didn't even know some of these were classes on their own to begin with. Then again there's a vast array of media I didn't even look into, so it's probably not that surprising. Humming slightly. I decided to take two of my favorite Magical classes from a particular Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy V. The Red Mage and the Spellblade. Red Mage because being able to use damaging magic and healing magic this early would be pretty big. Even in its original game it fell off pretty quickly due to the fact that it can only learn spells up to a certain tier. Hell it was particularly bad in Final Fantasy 1. Spellblade because enchanting my weapons with Elements without the use of Dust is incredibly useful. It'll save money in the long-run and I could easily pass it off as a Semblance in case I don't ever get one. In the event that I can't pass it off, I can bullshit my way around that. In the end, lying is probably gonna become pretty common for a while. Not ideal but I know better than to just be honest all of the time.

[Classes have been chosen]

[|Quest completed|]
[{The Basics}]
[-Explanation: You have gained the power of the Gamer Ability. May as well see what you can do first and foremost before doing anything like saving the world.]
[Rewards: 45 Stat Points, Basic Skills, Bonus Item Pack, Special Ability Package]
​

Those are some nice rewards for completing a random tutorial. Don't mind if I take those for myself hehe~. I'll have to take a look at those other rewards later. I take a moment to assign my stat points in the proper areas. Increasing my HP and MP up to a nice one hundred fifteen and one hundred ten respectively. If I've learned anything it's that having a high HP stat can be pretty useful, especially in Souls-like games. Then again glass cannon builds are viable… wait what am I thinking? That's a bad idea in this situation. Because I can actually die and I do not think I'll be given another chance simply because I died due to focusing on Strength rather than survival. I'm gonna have to hardcore resist that temptation for quite a while. I decided to take a quick look over my current stat spread.

[STR: 10]
[END: 15]
[SPD: 12]
[INT: 10]
[WIS: 10]
[CHR: 15]
[LCK: 8]

Luck doesn't need to be super high at the moment since I am just starting out. Don't think I'll be getting very many drop items I can use at the start anyway. Not to mention the fact that having a fairly good Charisma and Endurance stat will carry me in quite a few situations. Charisma because talking to people is important and Endurance because getting stabbed once was already painful enough. Would like to survive that if possible this time around. In the end, I think I might have a pretty balanced build in all of my other stats aside from Endurance and Charisma. I then hear the sound of wagon wheels creaking behind me, turning around immediately I see… oh shit.
"Uh… hey, who are you?" A young Yang Xiao-Long asks me

---

Right, sooooo... hello to the folks of Questionable Questing! As you can see this is... well a Gamer Story I have. In case anyone is curious, yeah I did edit this in later when I realized I forgot to talk about some things... whoops.

Moving on from that. Some of you are probably thinking 'Oh this might turn into a power Fantasy with a lot of big timeskips' but I am gonna be honest and say that I'm actually playing this a lot slower and a lot less 'The main character is gonna overpower canon by the time he gets there.' I think that'd not do much for the characters and the story here.

With that being said, yeah I'm gonna say that my character writing skills aren't the greatest sometimes. I'd like to think I did improve a lot in later chapters when I wrote this. Btw there's like... a ton of chapters. I'm gonna slowly post them out and let folks share their thoughts on everything.

If anyone is curious about how I do leveling and want me to explain how Stats work. I'll gladly do so! I honestly put a lot of work into the system for this whole thing. I could be doing better but eh, math wasn't my strong suit at some points.

With that all being said. I'll see you all around. (And as another side-note. I have other stories also. I am gonna post them after posting like four or five chapters of this)

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 2: The Quests Begin

Alright, well I'm already meeting a canon character at this point. That's great. That's just perfectly fine. Barely even give me a moment to relax before throwing me straight into the wolves… or the Beowolves in this case… 'cause of the Grimm. I can totally deal with that. Sarcasm aside, I'm gonna need to act quick in this situation. Because frankly? I have… no idea how to act in this situation. Don't think most people would be able to but this is especially the case in my situation. I can't blow this otherwise I'm going to look incredibly suspicious for being what… a seven-year-old in the middle of the wilderness? Thinking about it, that already looks suspicious… thoughts for later.
"Uh… I'm uh… my name's Ash." I say in an incredibly awkward way after a moment
Great work me. Totally got it down. Then again if I was working with default Charisma chances are that would have been more awkward and I would have flubbed that situation worse. Still, I'll have to make a mental note to put a good amount of points into Charisma during a few level-ups. Chances are I'll end up talking to Ozpin knowing how things generally go. I'll need every bit of social finesse I can get. The Luck stat being low doesn't help either. Or would it be good luck I ended up catching his attention instead of Salem's considering how she is? That is something to think about later. Hate that I'm being given barely any sort of time to try and adjust to all of this but oh well I guess. Yang is currently looking at me somewhat awkwardly also. Understandable considering she didn't expect to encounter someone like me out here anyway.
"...So uh… this house is abandoned. Gonna say that now. Not sure how I got here but oh well." I say in a somewhat stilted tone
"Really? That means I… I traveled here for nothing." Yang said sadly
Shit, right. I sort of forgot for a moment she was looking for her mom… who is a deadbeat. Thinking about it, yeah I can understand Taiyang's reluctance to mention why Raven left. I'd probably have way more issues if I found out from a young age my own mom didn't want me and left to be a Bandit Queen. Pretty sure that'd mess a lot of people up. Luckily my Charisma was just high enough for me to expose that I know that information through my expression. I hum for a moment before nodding slowly.
"Well… if you want I could help you… maybe find some items in the house she might have left behind?" I ask
"I-I'd appreciate that… it's just me and my sister here." Yang said, looking down
"Pretty dangerous decision to make. I mean the Grimm love prowling these sorts of areas from what I can tell." I say simply
"Oh… oh crap-baskets." Is Yang's only response
Wait I feel like I recognize that from somewhere- my thoughts are promptly interrupted by a low, guttural growl. My body tenses instinctively as a response. Great, seems like we're already being attacked. I don't even have any weapons or any Skills yet. You know I should have expected this but remembering Yang's little backstory about one of the many times she tried to find her mom wasn't exactly at the forefront of my mind. I try to quickly think on my feet… before a menu pops up in front of my face as time freezes.

[|Quest gained|]
[{A Grimm Meeting}]
[-Explanation: You've arrived in Remnant and have the Gamer Ability. A fine start to a story… except for the part of being mauled by Grimm. Luckily, you have your Class abilities!]
[-Objective 1: Fight off the Grimm until either they are all defeated or until Qrow arrives]
[Rewards: 50 EXP, Relationship Up with Yang, Relationship Up with Ruby, Relationship up with Qrow, Relationship Up with Taiyang, 5 Random Dust Crystals, Aura is Unlocked, Timeline Shifts Positively]
[Failure: Death]
​

Great start I suppose. Wait, I do have the abilities and skills of my Class? Before closing that menu, I opened up another to see my Class Skills. I then give a slight grin at what I have. Jackpot. This'll be pretty useful to have. After all, having some Spells is better than no Spells to use at all. Especially since I don't have a single weapon I can use to defend myself. Of course I get the feeling the names aren't exactly… what I would expect of this Class for some of these Spells if I'm gonna be honest.

[{Skills}]
[Basic Red Magic (LVL 1): Allows for the use of LVL 0 Red Magic]
◆[Singe: Cast a small spark of Fire {Costs 1 MP}]
◆[Frostbite: Cast a magic spike of Ice {Costs 1 MP}]
◆[Spark: Cast bolt of Thunder {Costs 1 MP}]
◆[Mist Spray: Cast spray of Water {Costs 1 MP}]
◇[Mend: Heals minor wounds {Costs 1 MP}]
◇[Cleanse: Heals one Status Effect inflicted {Costs 1 MP}]
[Spellblade (LVL 1): Gives the user the ability to Enchant their weapons with Elements]
⩺[Boosted Blade: Enhance the attack of a weapon by +2 {Costs 10 MP}]

I guess since I'm REALLY starting out. I'm basically getting the barest of Magic Skills. Level zero doesn't exactly sound like anything impressive with names like that. It's better than having nothing I suppose. Breathing out, I close the menu before quickly turning around. Facing the Grimm. I focus the Magical energy inside of me instinctually before sticking a hand out. Barely even thinking about the gesture as I feel the mana gather into my hand.
"CHEW ON THIS INSTEAD! SINGE!" I yell out
A small burst of fire shoots out of my hand and hits the Grimm, doing a good amount of damage. I fire out a few more bursts before dodging away from a strike from its claws. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug considering how I managed to dodge that. I need to do more damage. Wait… what if I? I then use Mist Spray on it, covering it in water. Not enough that it's absolutely drenched but enough that it is quite wet. After that, I follow it up with Spark, electrocuting it as it bellows angrily. If used correctly, even the lowest Tier of Spells can do a lot of damage. Using synergy for a bit over overwhelming power is probably for the best anyway. After all, doing more damage based on comboing spells together is gonna help me a lot more in some situations compared to others.

[For that deduction, you get +1 WIS]
​

Glad to see that system is still in place. Wouldn't have been surprised if it was purely a system of Skill Points and Level-ups. I notice the Grimm is on its last legs so I fire out another Spark onto it, finally killing it. I breath out for a moment before noticing the sound of thudding footsteps. Rolling forward, I barely dodge the swiping of claws from another Grimm. Reorienting myself, I slowly get up before deciding that I should take a chance to experiment a little more. I fire out three Mist Sprays, doing my best to dodge the attacks before finally casting Frostbite. The spike of ice stabs into the Grimm, steadily freezing a part of it from the water dripping off of it. I cast more Frostbites, making it move slower and slower before it finally freezes. It took a bit of MP but I managed to fend off some of the Grimm. Breathing a little heavily, due to the fact that I've dodged a lot, I look over at a shocked Yang.
"Okay, what are you standing around for? Run into the house! Go go go!" I bark out
"B-But what about-"
"Listen, you and your sister are in danger. I can handle myself pretty well. Just hide." I say
Yang nodded and was about to run… the crisp sound of a scythe slashing through something fills the air. I look over and see him, Qrow Branwen, nonchalantly resting his scythe against his shoulder with a dead Grimm near him. Okay, good. We're safe now. After all, I'm pretty sure that there isn't going to be a lot of enemies from this point on. Or at the very least, enemies that won't be possible for me to handle simply because I just arrived here on Remnant with barely any sort of equipment. I notice him looking over at the two Grimm that haven't disappeared yet before looking at me specifically.
"...Did you kill those Grimm?" He asks
"...I can answer that probably in a safer area." I say in response
Okay, shit. No chance I can reasonably lie my way out of this situation. I could try and lie but that would most likely strain my trust with them. For the sake of future situations? Going to avoid that as much as possible. Qrow nods soon after before Ruby sits up from inside the wagon a bit groggy, did none of the fighting wake her up? That feels like such a protagonist thing to do- wait no, no. Don't think of her like that, she is still young. I am dealing with a person due to my perspective right now, not a fictional character. That is gonna be weird to get used to. I notice Qrow nodding in agreement after a few moments of thinking. Sweet. A menu pops up in the corner of my vision as we begin walking towards Taiyang's place.

[|Quest completed|]
[{A Grimm Meeting}]
[-Explanation: You've arrived in Remnant and have the Gamer Ability. A fine start to a story… except for the part of being mauled by Grimm. Luckily, you have your Class abilities!]
[Rewards gained: 50 EXP, Relationship Up with Yang, Relationship Up with Ruby, Relationship up with Qrow, Relationship Up with Taiyang, 5 Random Dust Crystals, Aura is Unlocked, Timeline Shifts Positively]
[Bonus Objective complete - Damageless: 25 EXP gained, 100 Lien gained]
​

Nice, thank you Dark Souls for reaching me the value of Dodge-rolling away from attacks. As we headed down the path, it was distinctly silent… I can tell Ruby wants to talk about a few things, especially since the 'Fun day out with her Sister' now has Uncle Qrow seemingly looking a little mad with some random kid she hasn't met now walking with them towards their house. Pretty logical reaction all things considered. Gonna avoid thinking about the possible timelines where Yang and Ruby died because Taiyang didn't keep a better eye on the two. Okay, let's use that Charisma stat Ash. Let's use it well because this could do a lot.
"So… I think we could do with a more proper round of introductions. I'm Ash Lowell." I say sheepishly
"Y-Yang. Yang Xiao Long." Yang said, rubbing her arm
"Ruby Rose." Ruby said cheerfully
"...Qrow Branwen. Any particular reason you decided to… involve yourself here?" Qrow asks, immediately interrogating me
"...Yeah I can already tell I'm not gonna convince you I'm just a normal seven-year-old. Look, all I can say for now is… I'm a little… different from most folks. Aside from the Faunus traits." I say
"Fluffy!" Ruby says, pointing at my ears
"Yep, my ears are indeed fluffy." I say with a sage nod
Qrow looks a bit off-put by my maturity and how easily I'm answering questions. Honestly I think it's for the best that I just basically be honest in some regards. Lying was never really my strong suit back in my old life and I think it'll just help me in the long run to be straight-forward. Besides, being straight-forward has helped a lot of situations due to the whole Trope of 'Lack Of Communication Kills'. It didn't take too long for us to arrive back at Taiyang's home. The warm, homey structure came into view just as the forest thinned, Qrow walked over to the door and opened it. Revealing a worried and slightly disheveled Taiyang. Poor man, I can understand why he isn't exactly looking great. His wife died recently and now his daughters were in danger. Not to mention the fact that the latter situation was a little bit of his fault, always had a feeling he was deep in his grief at this point. Upon seeing Yang and Ruby standing at his feet, he gave Qrow a deep grateful hug. I decide to stand nearby and just let them talk. I can already tell he's gonna be saving the scolding for what Yang did later and just tell them that he loves them both deeply. Yang, meanwhile, is probably gonna harbor the need to find her mom for a long while. Just like in canon. Frowning to myself, I think… I should probably have Taiyang tell her the truth at some point. She doesn't need to deal with a deadbeat like that. Nobody should have to try and impress a deadbeat parent frankly. Rarely works out from what I've seen and experienced. Soon after, Qrow gestures over to me saying something in a whisper with the blonde man nodding. Well, it seems like I'm up, I step over with a raised hand.
"Heya there, I'm Ash Lowell. Uh, I know you have questions about how I'm involved in all of this… I presume Qrow told you everything?" I ask
"...When you said he had a good vocabulary, I didn't think you meant he knew words like 'presume." Taiyang says to Qrow bluntly
"Fair. I'm like what, seven?" I say with a shrug
"Speaking of which, so… how did you save my kids? Qrow mentioned not seeing a weapon on you and I doubt you're carrying Dust Crystals." Taiyang questions
"...Look, let's talk about this later tonight. I'm gonna be honest with you? There's a lot and I don't want Ruby or Yang accidentally overhearing this." I explain, glancing idly at the two aforementioned kids
"...Can you at least tell me why you were here?" Taiyang asks
"Simply put? I have… a task of sorts. It's not an easy thing to explain either. I know I'm being enigmatic, I know it doesn't help that I know that large a word at this age, but I need you to put a little trust into me. I promise you I will tell you everything." I say with a truthful voice
Taiyang stares at me for a moment. Looking over my features as I try to give as much honesty as I can. I am being serious when I am promising to tell him about everything he needs to know. I'm not going to tell him everything, obviously but what he absolutely will need to know. Asking him to put trust into me is a lot but I'm hoping that maybe I convinced him just a little? After a few moments… he gives a slow steady nod.
"Alright… alright, I'm putting some trust into you Ash." Taiyang says softly
"I'm grateful for that." I say
"I guess with that uh… have you eaten?" Qrow asks
"No, I haven't. Would love like… a quick snack. Like an apple." I say simply
I know I don't really need to eat all that much but eating food is nice dammit. After that, we head inside. I spent a few hours talking to Yang and Ruby, getting to know them a bit more. Play some games with them since, apparently, they really want to play some board games with another kid their age aside from their Dad. Not too surprised that in some regards they don't hang out very often with other kids outside of school. Feels eerily familiar in that regard I'd say. It's pretty… nice, having a moment of calm like this after facing off against the Grimm.

---

"Alright… so, you mind finally explaining what your whole deal is, kid?" Qrow asks bluntly
After Ruby and Yang had gone to bed, we sat down in the living room. I sat on the couch across from Taiyang and Qrow, both of whom were looking at me with scrutiny. Don't exactly blame them for doing that, it's not exactly easy for them to reckon with the idea of a Kid having far more power and knowledge of some things then he should be having. Hell if I were in their shoes I'd probably be having the same reaction, if not more disbelief towards what's going on. Then again my suspension of disbelief was always a little weird… tangent. That's a tangent. I hum for a moment before steadily breathing out, I think this is my best way of going about it. It's not the most optimal way but it's the best way of going about it.
"To put it simply… I'm not exactly… normal as you can tell. Pretty much I ended up dying in my previous life and got reincarnated with some abilities. I know that sounds unbelievable. I understand that. Which is why I will offer you one piece of evidence that will support this argument." I say
"...Yeah, you're right. That does sound unbelievable. But I'm willing to see that piece of evidence since, if I've learned anything, it's that not everything is what it seems." Qrow says, his tone clearly disbelieving
"I agree with that. So… go ahead and present it." Taiyang says with a wary expression
"Alright… so… I need you to hand me an object. Any handheld object like a pen or something." I say
Taiyang soon pulls a pen from his pocket before tossing it to me, I catch it easily before opening my inventory. I have two ways of putting things into my inventory. Instant transportation or physically putting it inside the menu. I slide it into there, making the pen disappear into thin air. To them, it seems like I made it disappear into something. To me, I can just see it in a slot in my inventory. I pull it back out before placing it onto the table. Looking with a serious and calm expression at them as I do so.
"There's my proof." I say, keeping my tone even
"...What the hell was that?" Qrow asks confused
"An ability of mine. I can store things into a separate location. An inventory of sorts. I have more abilities but I don't think you want me creating a fire in your house." I say with some cheekiness
"Heh, okay. I'd rather not have to explain why scorch marks were in the house. Though you better not put me on ice like you did that Grimm." Taiyang says, smirking
"...Tai, oh my Brothers. Why?" Qrow says annoyed
"That'd be pretty cold of me to do." I say simply in response
"Oh we are going to get along WELL." Taiyang says chuckling
Knew my sense of humor would come in clutch here. Though I already know my sense of humor isn't going to be popular with some folks anyway. Ah well, not the end of the world after all. A menu appears in the corner of my vision, making me internally react with surprise as I try to keep my expression schooled. I didn't think this was a system that had existed. Then again, considering what some of the Quest Rewards had implied earlier. This should have been seen from a mile away.

[{Relationship Updated}]
[Taiyang Xiao Long: Acquainted]

A relationship system. That's good to know at least. Not to mention useful if I wanna keep track of certain things. Kinda curious how in-depth it is. I refocus myself away from those thoughts, mentally closing that menu soon after. I glance over at Qrow who looks both unamused at the puns but more relieved that I'm not some crazy Kid or some random powerhouse from Salem that just so HAPPENED to be in the area. Then again he probably didn't suspect that. I'm not entirely sure since, in spite of everything, I'm not good at reading people. That's not exactly a skill some people develop after all.
"Qrow… I do wanna say something to you that's pretty important." I say
"Yeah kid?" Qrow asks
"...I wanna make it clear that as long as I'm here. I'm gonna do everything within my power to help around here. I… don't really have anywhere else to go, so I'm hoping to stay here for a bit." I say
"Of course you're welcome here. You helped save my kids, and you're just a kid yourself. It'd be wrong to turn you away.… frankly throwing you out would be a little messed up." Taiyang says
"Yeah… and Ash, I can see you've got potential to be a great Huntsman. I mean you've got… powers like that. If you want, I could help train you sometime?" Qrow asks
"I'd appreciate that. But don't go easy on me. I might be young but I'm not gonna be the type to take it easy in some regards." I say
"...It feels weird to talk to a kid so seriously… eh, I think at the end of the day you'll be interesting to work with." Qrow says, grabbing out a flask
He takes a sip from it as another menu appears saying that Qrow is now Acquainted with me. Nice. That's two good relationships. Here's hoping that I continue improving that because, outside of any idea of rewards, I actually do like making friends. It's important stuff. Afterward, Taiyang showed me to a guest room since well… he did mean it when he was willing to welcome me here. After going inside, I sit down on the guest bed before promptly opening my inventory. Grabbing out those particular rewards I got. Each of them are tokens. One that's blue with a sword symbol on it with the other being a golden token with a plus symbol on it. I snap the blue token first. Making a menu appear in front of me.

[Bonus Items rolled]
[{Please choose one from the list}]
[-COMP: An arm computer that's been modified to work with The Gamer-]
[-Phantom Lantern: A useful lantern good for lighting up spaces, can be used to reveal hidden traps-]
[-Treasure Compass: A compass that points you to Rare items-]
[-Shadowwalk Band: A wristband with an effect that allows you to shift into an Ethereal State… at a cost-]
​

Okay… not a bad list of items. Though I can already tell which one I want the most. The COMP. There's a reason for that. Simply put, I'm not sure how useful Scrolls would be and having an arm computer simply sounds cool. The Phantom Lantern already has limited utility thanks to my Night Vision. The Treasure Compass could be good… if items aren't super far away and I'm not sure how much effort I can use finding those items. The Shadowwalk Band sounds good on paper and in practice it could easily be used in a lot of situations but that cost part is putting me off. So COMP it is. I select it and instantly, the arm computer appears on my arm. I open it up and well… not only does it have a version of the Gamer Menu but it also allows me to call people. So that's neat. Closing it, I place it into my inventory temporarily until I can bullshit me on how I got it. I then snap the other token, making a new menu appear in front of me.

[Abilities rolled]
[{Please choose one from the list}]
[-Tarot Bond: Thou Art I and I Art Thou-]
[-Familiar: A being based on who you are inside (Can be gained later)-]
[-Anime Logic: Exactly what it sounds like-]
[-Future Vision: Bursts of prophecy-]
​

And here comes the harder decisions. The first one sounds pretty interesting, especially since it's given me vibes to a game series I'm pretty familiar with. The Familiar option sounds useful to have now… but I'll have to consider that as a second option in case I change my mind on Tarot Bond. Anime Logic is just a hard no. I'm already dealing with enough as is, I do not need that thank you very much. Not to mention I get the feeling it also uses all sorts of Anime Logic and anything from the Harem Genre will always be a very hard no thank you from me. Future Vision sounds good on paper but in practice will probably not be all that helpful. So… there's only really two good options here. I think, genuinely speaking, Tarot Bond will be the better option and the most interesting one. After tapping it, the menu closes. Suddenly my head hurts briefly, making me hold it. I… thought the Gamer negated pain!
"Thou Art I. And I Art Thou. Your True Power shall manifest through the Bonds you keep. May you be blessed onward during your Journey, Fool."
I pant heavily after the headache fades. Sweat dripped off of me as I collapsed on the bed. So… that was weird. The hell was that all about? I didn't think abilities would do that! Ugh, this version of the Gamer Ability certainly is something else I guess. I sit up from my bed, wiping some of the sweat off of my face. Probably going to need to take a shower later after I rest. Gonna smell. I then notice a new menu next to me. One that definitely surprised me with what was written on it. Especially since the menu has a deeper blue with a golden trim around it.

[{Social Link Rank Up}]
[Taiyang - The Helios Brawler (Enlightenment): 0≫1]
[Qrow - The Dusty Crow (Tower): 0≫1]

Social Links. I unlocked that. Looking through my Menu, it's pretty bare what that section even has. Just telling me what Social Links I have, what Rank they are, and a series of question marks under a category called 'Skills & Spells'. Looks like whatever is involved there is just gonna be something I'll have to figure out another time. Though in all honesty, I was pretty confused at Taiyang's Arcana being Enlightenment. I hum and decide that's another thing to look into later. For now? I think I should relax before doing anything else. I take a moment to look through the settings one last time, turning on the BGM. I then crawl into bed before finally resting. It didn't take much effort considering how the Gamer works. Guess that means no more insomnia unless I want it… hell yeah!

---

Alrighty, so I wanna explain some things about this chapter since there's probably a few folks a bit turned away by the protagonist being so honest about his situation.

Look, I'm gonna be real and say that his Charisma Stat is way too low to be lying and he cannot afford any lack of trust right now. Plus I think a protagonist that isn't exactly a liar at times is interesting. Lying by omission is something he'll for sure do though. I gurantee that.

And for the Social Link System. Here's where things get interesting. I've actually developed a lot of Social Links for this Fic. Some of them may be used, some of them may not be used. In the end, I've plotted out a lot of stuff. On that note, I'm gonna explain a few of my decisions related to this whole Social Link thing.

I think Social Links are a pretty interesting concept and have a lot of utility. Now is this because I'm a massive fan of Persona? Yes but I also like to think of it from a writing and narrative standpoint. How would a protagonist like this be able to truly gain more strength? By being able to gain it from others through understanding and helping them if needs be.

And the Social Links themselves. Tower for Qrow should be obvious but the Tower Arcana usually involves a lot of bad shit happening... Qrow has had a ton of bad shit happen to him. Enlightenment is a different case. It's an alternate card for the Sun Arcana. I do have an actual explanation for why Taiyang has this version of that Arcana in another chapter. So no spoilers there.

If you're thinking there's an implication to the fact some characters are gonna have Alternate Arcana. You'd exactly be right!

Also if the character was a villain and gonna have a Social Link with Salem. It'd be some variation of either the Tower Arcana, the Empress Arcana, or the Hunger Arcana which is also known as Lust in the Tarot Deck it originally came from. Mostly putting that idea down for anyone else who wants to do a similar system to this.

With that being said, I'll see you all around. Make sure to drink water.

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 3: A Time Of Spring

It's been around a month since I've been in Remnant. In this time I've been not doing a lot besides just training. Some basic exercise that's earned me three points of Strength, two points in Intelligence, and a point in Wisdom. Alongside that, I've leveled up a couple of times. Mainly doing small quests around Patch for a fair amount of EXP, it helps that I get some money for doing it. None of it is all that fancy or game-breaking. Though at least I've been getting my relationship up with Yang and Ruby. Getting close to forming a proper Social Link at least. Speaking of which, there's honestly a lot of information about that to go over. First off, apparently Enlightenment is a variation of the Sun Arcana under one of the many Tarot Decks that exist. So guess that means that anyone I meet might have an Arcana that's a variation of the Tarot. From what I managed to gleam about Enlightenment specifically, it's more of a focus on Empathy and Understanding. Which kinda makes sense, weirdly, since… well I'm dealing with a single father as a Social Link. Second off, Taiyang did say I don't need to go around helping people if I need money and I told him that if I'm gonna get strong, I need to help people in my own way and this is a good way of doing it. He accepted it since it was pretty obvious I wasn't gonna budge on that issue. Overall though, I did also ask Qrow something since he was about to leave. He was only around to keep an eye on Taiyang after everything that happened. Makes sense considering I know well enough people can do rash things after particularly stressful events. Regardless, I asked him to look out for someone in a particular location. Reason was after about two weeks of being in Remnant. I got this quest. And I'm gonna be honest, it's something that has my concern.

[|Quest gained|]
[{The Maiden Of Spring}]
[-Explanation: Due to the nature of Remnant, the Spring Maiden is going to be an important figure to deal with. The question is; what are you going to do in that regard?]
[-Objective: Choose what you do with the Spring Maiden]
◈[Savior Route: Save the Spring Maiden from her future fate by taking her in]
◈[Canon Route: Leave well enough alone and focus on your own strength]
◈[Dark Route: Kill her and have someone else take that power]
[Savior Route Rewards: 100 EXP, Spring Maiden Relationship Status unlocked, Unknown Timeline Alteration]
[Canon Route Rewards: 10 EXP, 200 Lien, Timeline is left unaltered]
[Dark Route Rewards: 50 EXP, 50 Lien, Assassin Class unlocked, Unknown Timeline Alteration]
[Possibilities for failure: Death, Fate Worse Than Death, Bandit Camp Recruitment, Nothing]
​

To put it simply, that sort of Quest with a lengthy list is… a lot. So I had to make a decision. I could try and find her myself and… kill her but that's fucked up so no. Canon is already fucked in some regards and I'd rather not contribute to possibly going back to this route. Picking and choosing isn't exactly my kind of option. Especially since I know how everything pans out. Good thing Chrono refreshed my memory before sending here apparently. In the end; I told Qrow to find the Spring Maiden with the same source I know in Canon, she was in Mistral. Not exactly sure how young she was but hey, that's gonna be something I'll find out. Asking Qrow was actually for the best simply because of one clear fact. That Bandit Camp Recruitment part is not exactly something I'm keen on tempting. Same with the Fate Worse Than Death. That alone makes me think of several things that are very very unpleasant. So I'm going to, for now, just wait and hope he comes back with the girl. He actually did question a lot why I'm looking for this girl, so I told a little bit of the Truth and said that she may be in danger. Most of the lie was that it was a gut feeling. I did convince him by saying by her being in Patch with me, another Magic User, she'd be safe. Not to mention the fact I mentioned that I'll owe him one. He agreed on the stipulation that I meet Ozpin when there was a period of time available to do so. I was perfectly fine with that considering that probably meant a few months at least. Breathing out, I continue practicing sword forms. My current clothing, since my old one was torn to shit apparently, consists of a simple grey shirt with a pair of long black pants and dark green sneakers. Practice makes perfect even if I have the Gamer Ability. Plus it leveled up ranks in the Swordsmanship Skill I have.

[Basic Swordsmanship Leveled up: 5≫6]
​

Speaking of which. Yet another level-up for the skill. I put away the wooden training sword into my inventory. Let's see… I should probably continue talking to Ruby and Yang, hang out with them more. Maybe I could try getting my Social Link Rank up with Taiyang? Eh, I think I can take my time on that. I'm still young and I don't think he wants me to deal with his issues. I can tell the man is still broken up over Summer dying. If there was one thing I'd learned in my life, it's that grief isn't something you rush through. Might need to… no, I can't bring her back. That's not an option even if I was able to. I know she'd love to come back but bringing back someone from the Dead could cause more problems than it's worth. At the same time, does she want that? Does she really wanna come back from whatever afterlife exists here in Remnant? I might need to look into that later. A quest menu pops up but I instantly l close it without looking at it. I don't need to think about that. For now, there's other things to think about. I suppose I'll have to head back to the house and just hang out with Yang and Ruby. I have no new side-quests to do since people don't need help all of the time on Patch. Walking back, I see Qrow sitting out front… with a fairly young girl. She seems to be about one year younger than me to boot from what I can see. Her hair was long and white, she had soft honey brown eyes. Silently, I use a particular skill to get a read on her Stats. Gotta admit, bit of an odd name change from Scan but I like it no less.

[Libra (LVL 5): When used, scans the target for information. Can be leveled high enough to detect more things]

[Name: Roselyn Hollis]
[Race: Human]
[Title: Spring Maiden]
[HP: 120/120]
[AP: 106/106 {Dormant}]
[MP: 112/112]
[STR: 7]
[END: 10]
[SPD: 8]
[INT: 6]
[WIS: 3]
[CHR: 12]
[LCK: 5]

…Qrow found the Spring Maiden. I didn't expect him to actually do that. I didn't expect he'd actually be able to find her with his Bad Luck. Unless… I looked over at him, noticing silently he had a grim expression. Yep, something bad happened when he was getting her. Great. Not exactly surprised that me doing something caused an event to happen. Butterfly effect and all that. Stepping forward, I caught their attention. Seeing her flinch isn't exactly a good sign of her doing well. Alright, let's see what that new Charisma stat will do for me this time.
"Heya. I'm Ash Lowell, you might have heard of me from the guy over there before arriving here." I say simply
Better. Definitely better compared to the other times. Roselyn flinches a little before softly nodding. She doesn't really seem ready to open up, and I wasn't about to force it. I looked at her with an understanding expression. I don't think I need to talk too much about what happened. After all, I know what it's like to have something horrible happen to you and then people asking you what went down. It's never a comfortable feeling to go through at almost any age. Not to mention the fact that Qrow seems pretty shaken up by it also considering everything. And when a man like Qrow is shaken up by something? You know something serious has gone down.
"I'm… not gonna ask about what happened. But I am gonna ask this… what is your name?" I say, extending my hand
"I-I'm… Roselyn Hollis. Nice to meet you…" Roselyn said, shaking my hand as her voice trailed off
"...Do either of you want a hug?" I ask as I extend my arms out
Wordlessly, Roselyn hugs me tight. I hugged her tightly in return, letting her cry it out for as long as she needed. Poor girl. She must have really had to face something horrible. Especially considering how tightly she was hugging me at the moment. I've been hugged by a good amount of people… but never this tightly after a bad situation. I mouth to Qrow 'tell me what happened later' to which he gave an understanding nod. I'm not gonna ask her about it but I am gonna ask him about it. Because it's pretty obvious something pretty bad went down while I wasn't looking. Not to mention asking a traumatized child rarely, if ever, works out well. Qrow's an adult, he'll be able to explain it better anyway. After a bit of letting the girl get her emotions out by hugging me, she was crying a lot to put it mildly, I gently patted her back in a comforting manner.
"Do you two wanna watch a movie with me and some other people?" I ask softly
"I-I'd like that." Roselyn said softly, breaking off the hug
The least I could do was offer her a bit of comfort. Honestly a dark part of me realized I could easily kill Roselyn without her realizing but I quickly, and very swiftly, quashed that thought of potential Classes with overwhelming vitriol. While my life might be a game, I'm not gonna exactly play it like one. There's no reason to be killing innocent people, even if there's a possible reward for it. After we entered inside, Ruby and Yang appeared. Instantly heading over to me with Roselyn standing behind me, a bit shy. Don't blame her for not wanting much social interaction.
"Ash, who is the new girl?" Yang asked curiously
"Are they a new friend?" Ruby asked a little excited
"The girl is named Roselyn. She's… someone that I asked your uncle to help find for me. Good friend of mine from where I lived for a while before ending up here at Patch." I say, lying partially
Roselyn looks at me confused before I whisper to her 'Play along, they'll not ask too many questions'. She then nods in confirmation. As expected, Yang and Ruby accepted the answer without any question. I can understand why they did, kids at this age are generally pretty trusting. Especially since I'm about their age and have no real reason to lie to them in their eyes. It's not exactly great but sometimes you have to tell a little white lie in order to get anywhere. If I've learned anything, it's that some things aren't ready to be talked about for a long while. Not to mention I'd rather they not ask about what happened to Roselyn, I get the feeling that'll just hurt her more than it'll help. Speaking from personal experience, trauma isn't something that can be dealt with easily.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Roselyn." Yang said with a small grin
"I'm Ruby! This is Yang." Ruby said, introducing themselves
"No fair, I wanted to introduce myself." Yang said pouting a little
"Well I was just planning on watching a movie with them. You guys want to join?" I ask
Yang and Ruby instantly nod, raising my relationship with them. Roselyn smiles appreciatively at me since I know she'd probably not really want to direct the conversation at the moment considering the fact that she's not exactly in the best state for talking. Frankly that's a feeling that I can relate to. Had my fair share of moments that were pretty bad where I just didn't wanna talk for a bit. I know Qrow is most likely sitting outside, drinking and trying to grapple with what happened. I'll have to make sure to talk to him later after the movie. Luckily, Taiyang managed to help get everything set-up. Even as a kid again, I still struggle with technology. Then again considering how different the technology in this world is. I wouldn't exactly blame me anyway… eh at least this bootleg Disney movie is nice.

---

After the movie ended, it was clear they were all fairly tired. Yang stretched slightly before rubbing her eyes while Ruby let out a yawn, barely able to keep her head up. Roselyn, who had decided to rest her head on my lap, looked on the verge of sleep. Her eyes drooped with every passing second. I'd be fairly tired too if it weren't for the fact that even when I was young, I was a ball of energy. It was something some people found annoying but some found endearing. Thinking back on it, I made some pretty good friends that way. I smile softly to them, ruffling Roselyn's hair a little.
"Alright, looks like bedtime for you four." I said with a small chuckle
So I simply helped tuck them into sleep with Taiyang's help. They didn't object after I explained that I said I wanted to do a few more things and don't mind being alone. Yang and Ruby accepted it, I made sure to give Roselyn a little kiss on the head before she fell asleep. The kiss on her head had immediately made her relax since she was, currently, a bit tense about me leaving since I was already so nice. Can't say it isn't valid, I'd probably be a bit tense about someone leaving also when they've been a big source of comfort also at this age. Though I have a feeling that my efforts are very much appreciated. Especially since I got this notification as a result.

[Relationship with Roselyn Hollis has improved]

Frankly it's a little obvious that giving someone kindness after a traumatic experience would result in that sort of notification. It was nice to see that I was giving her some form of kindness after everything she's been through. People generally deserve kindness is a pretty firm belief of mine after all. Of course, remembering that I don't know what happened, I told Tai this as I was heading for the door with a more stoic expression.
"I'm gonna talk to Qrow about what happened with Roselyn. It was something we planned on."
"...He'll probably be at the bar getting drunk knowing him. How bad was it?" Taiyang asks
"Considering he and Roselyn all seemed a little shook up? Pretty bad." I say bluntly
"Just… don't get too mad at him if he's not being exactly nice." Taiyang requests softly
"I'm a pretty understanding dude. Don't worry about it." I say with a resolute expression
After that, I find my way down to the town not too far from here. It's a fairly nice town, fairly simple too. Patch wasn't a big place, but after a month of running errands and training here, I'd learned its streets well. Especially where the bar is since I know that's where some people would head. Walking over to it, I notice a fairly large bodyguard standing outside. He was a broad-shouldered man with his arms crossed over his chest like a human barricade. He regarded me with a neutral expression as I approached. I stare at him impassively as a response, knowing I'd need to cut the bullshit and niceties for this one.
"...Here to pick up Qrow Branwen from inside there. No, I am not interested in alcohol. Yes, I'm being honest. Alcohol tastes terrible from what I can tell." I say bluntly
"...Straight to the point. I like that, alright I'll pick him up for ya." The bodyguard says a bit surprised
"Thanks, I appreciate it." I say with a grateful nod
"Eh. It's no problem. Town knows how much of a drunken dumbass he is sometimes whenever he comes by here." The bodyguard says, lightly shrugging before walking inside
I forget how easily people keep some information in mind in small towns like this. Didn't exactly grow up in a small town in my old life and only ever heard of that sort of thing. Then again I've learned long ago at this point the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. Qrow's drinking habit wasn't exactly a secret anyway so I really shouldn't be too surprised with that. Regardless, the large burly man walks in and comes back out after a minute or so with a drunk Qrow over his shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes. The fact that he can easily pick-up a Huntsman like that means that he drank a lot. He then tosses Qrow onto the ground, Harbinger landing next to him with a slight clunk. I glanced up at the bodyguard as the drunken Huntsman in front of me groaned slightly.
"Thanks. Tell your grandma I said hi, Beryl." I say simply
"Ah, you're that dude who helped her out… aight. I'll make sure to do that." The bodyguard says with somewhat of a warm tone. Made a good impression I think
Soon after, he walks back into the bar. Presumably to let the bartender know I was taking Qrow back. Makes sense all things considered. Sighing, I turn over onto his back. Took a bit of effort but it wasn't super hard. Then I raised my hand… before promptly using a Mist Spray, at lower power mind you, to spritz water into his face. Soon after he sat out, spitting some of the water as he looked a bit less drunk than before. Good to know that method works, will be using that whenever possible.
"Glad to see you didn't die of alcohol poisoning while I wasn't looking." I say sarcastically
"Ugh… was that really necessary?" Qrow asks annoyed
"Yes. It was. Because right now, we need to talk." I say, crossing my arms
"...Kid, if this is about Roselyn. Can it wait till the world's a bit less blurry?" Qrow says, his words slurring a little
"...Right, let me do this." I say, putting a hand on Qrow's shoulder
I then cast Cleanse which doesn't completely cure his drunk status but lessened it enough to where he'd be able to talk and think a bit more clearly. I'm not gonna waste time and wait for him to sober up, possibly deciding to 'conveniently' not tell me the information. I know he'd be honest with me but I also know he'd probably avoid talking about it whenever possible. Blinking and noticing the sudden amount of soberness looked at me confused before giving a deadpan expression of realization.
"You used your Magic to make me more sober." He states gruffly, resignation in his voice
"Yeah. I did. Now. Explain what the hell happened out there." I say with clear annoyance
Qrow sighed, rubbing his temples before nodding slowly. I can get why he's none too enthused by doing it. Given how drunk he was when I found him, I wouldn't have been surprised if he planned to drink himself into oblivion. Not to mention all of the implications of the situation from his attitude and Roselyn's current state of emotion. But that's not gonna help anyone out right now. Especially him.
"Put it simply… my Semblance activated at a bad time and well… there was a big attack that happened. Grimm. Was a nasty event and I had to help fend some of them off. The kids' parents were some of the casualties and Roselyn only managed to survive because the previous Spring Maiden, the one you sent me to find, had transferred her power to do so. It… wasn't enough to keep her brother safe. Body wasn't found but… it was clear he probably didn't survive." Qrow explains
"...No wonder she was acting that way. Poor girl. At least you got her out of there." I say, my tone growing sympathetic
"Yeah, mostly because the rest of the town didn't like the Hollis family. I kinda suspect they didn't really put much effort into finding her brother's body after it was all said and done. Hell, I'm pretty sure the previous Spring Maiden was the only one that cared about them." Qrow says softly
I give a sharp exhale at that information. Well that answers that question. Honestly, I have to admit, having a Bad Luck Semblance activated in that way is really horrible. Especially considering this event may have also partially been my fault thanks to all of my interventions. In the end; I'm just gonna have to do my best to try and help deal with these events more personally in the future. It's pretty clear just asking people to do favors like this is gonna cause more pain than anything unless things just so happen to turn out well. Qrow then stood up abruptly, swaying slightly on his feet before turning toward the bar. I immediately stopped him by grabbing on his cape and yanking it with enough force to make him stumble. Because of that, he turns and looks at me with an angry scowl.
"Kid. I answered your questions. Now let me go get drunk so I can forget the fact my Semblance just caused more pain… again." He says, saying the last part under his breath
"...Qrow, I need you to understand something right now. And I'm only saying this because you need to hear it." I say as a response
He turned to me fully, his crimson eyes narrowing. Something that would make most people back off. Fortunately for me, I am not like most people. I am someone with an Adult's mind inside of a younger body. And I'm pretty sure there's only one other person on Remnant that would have any sort of right to say that happened to them at one point. That aside, I know that what I'm gonna say isn't exactly a good idea. I damn well know that it'll anger him quite a bit. Hell it'll probably not make my relationship great with him but he really needs to hear this. Because frankly? The route he's going will be bad if I just keep letting himself drink like this. I'd seen where this path led before basically, never allowing that to happen again.
"You need to quit feeling so damn sorry for yourself." I say in a blunt harsh tone
Qrow's expression twisted with anger, indignant and raw. It honestly made me flinch a little internally, the stare he was giving me was a man who was in no mood to be criticized after dealing with a bunch of terrible stuff. Don't blame him for any of it but his attitude about it and the way he's going about it is unhealthy at best. Self-destructive to the point of pointless tragedy at worst. And like I said, never letting that happen again.
"Watch it brat." He growls
He tries to get up but stumbles slightly, falling back onto his ass. Instead he just grabs Harbinger and just sheathes it on his person once again. Good thing he isn't the type to attack kids, otherwise he'd probably be beating the crap out of me. Not to mention we didn't even spar when he was training me, he just gave me advice on forms and such. Still, regardless of the angry stares he was giving me, I wasn't gonna back down on this. This wasn't something I was gonna let go and let him go off to get drunk again.
"You… you don't understand what I've been through." Qrow mutters, belching slightly from all the alcohol still in his system
…Normally, I wouldn't let a line like that get to me. I'd have probably tried to brush it off in any other situation. Done that sort of thing before back in my old life after all. But staring at this man, someone so many people cared about, someone who refused to see it… it's something that is very much pissing me off. My expression twists into a scowl, my eyes narrowing slightly at him.
"...Alright, let me summarize from what I can see." I say curtly
I gestured at him, unimpressed. Considering the state he's in? He looks less like one of the most Badass Huntsman on Remnant and looks more like a drunk who's just barely getting by in life. That's not a good look at all frankly. Especially since what I do know about him. No wonder some people have a hard time believing that he's one of Ozpin's closest agents, he barely looked like it sometimes. Acting like it? I'm not gonna judge on that but looking the part for the position? That's sometimes a little important.
"I see a man who's lost too much, was betrayed by someone close to him, and is always on the verge of overdrinking because he thinks his Semblance just makes him a walking disaster." I say, my tone remaining level and even
Qrow flinched, his frown deepening, most likely because I did actually hit the nail on the head. I then gesture to the area around us. Frankly it's impressive he hasn't had someone punch him in the face with how he values the sweet nectar of drink and forgetting the bad stuff instead of trying to heal from it. Then again I wouldn't be surprised if I heard from him at some point a few stories of getting into various bar fights with patrons because he spoke some shit to them.
"And now, he's lying on the ground outside some bar. Drunk, soaked, and getting lectured by a kid who, might I add, is acting more mature than he is." I continue with a glare
Qrow winced again. An understandable reaction. If I were in his position, I'd be mortified too. Even if I was almost twenty-one years old before I died, I'd still feel embarrassed if a seven-year-old called me out like this. Especially if I was a mechashift wielding badass and the personal spymaster to an immortal wizard. That, particularly, would make it all the worse.
"Tell me, what part of any of that makes me not think you scream 'I feel sorry for myself'?" I say with some biting sarcasm
Silence stretched between us. Qrow is looking down at the ground. Seemingly struggling between choosing either his wounded pride or reluctantly agreeing with the fact that I do have a point. Hell if it was someone else in his position, he'd be acting the same damn way. It's a valid point. He's getting himself lost in the drink and is now getting criticized, again by a seven-year-old, in the middle of a public area as it's slowly getting closer and closer to evening.
"I get it. It may not seem like it. But I do." I say, getting his attention
"...How the hell do you even get it?" Qrow asks me as some bitterness enters his tone
I roll my eyes at that. I'm not surprised he probably forgot that piece of information. It's something I don't exactly bring up too often nor did he ask much about it. But still, he probably should have kept that in mind. Not to mention the fact that there's also a lot of other information I haven't given him about myself anyway. I give him a harsh glare.
"Newsflash. I died in my previous life, asshole. And I know that's still hard to believe but let me tell you something? Stab wounds? They suck. I got stabbed too deep after saving someone." I say darkly
Qrow winced yet again. And I did mean it. Frankly, part of me regrets saving that person at the cost of my own goddamn life but at the same time. I acknowledge that if I didn't do it, no one would have. Bystander syndrome and all that. And I'd honestly do it again even if I knew I wasn't gonna have a new life waiting for me afterward. Still, my point stands. I very much get how life can be shitty. It's a perspective that, quite obviously, I have a pretty good grasp of.
"And you know, I still miss my family. I know I can't ever see them again. And I've made my bed with that." I admitted
I breathe softly, thinking about it. I know that simple statement isn't gonna convince him… not to mention that I do genuinely get how he feels in some regards. Hell as I've grown older and dealt with bad shit? I get how Qrow feels sometimes. It's not exactly easy to deal with that sort of thing. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. One of my wolf ears twitching slightly.
"...But there's other things I've had to make my bed with. You know?" I say
Qrow gives me a surprised expression at that before looking more softly. It's that soft look that more or less empathizes with that. I'm not surprised that he would have to make his bed with a lot of things in his life. His lot in life isn't exactly great even from what the show did tell the viewers about. If he didn't have to make his peace with a lot of things in life, I'd either be pretty damn surprised or think he's a liar.
"My dad wasn't around… and I knew where he lived. Hell, he would gladly want us to be around… if it weren't for the fact he was in and out of jail, constantly gave any rooms he had personally set-up for us to his numerous girlfriends kids, his drunkenness, and the fact he wasn't exactly a fucking pleasant person to be around generally." I say with bitterness
I give a small shrug upon noticing Qrow's concern about that. His gaze sharpened at the mention of alcohol. Don't exactly blame him for thinking I'd have some pretty deep bitterness. There was a lot of deep bitterness related to that. But like I said before, I've had to make my bed with that. It's something I've had to deal with a long long time ago at this point.
"I had to make my bed with that for years since I knew what he was like for a long time… my sister didn't." I say, looking down at the ground slightly
I let the words hang in the air for a moment before Qrow realizes what I mean. He frowns more. Crimson eyes once again narrowing as I can tell there was a flicker of recognition. Wouldn't be surprised if he had seen this sort of thing before. Live long enough in some jobs and you meet a lot of people.
"Oh… oh no." He says simply
I just give a soft nod of confirmation as a response. Thinking about it, I do have to admire my sister's determination to get to know our father. Even for all of the bad aspects of him that I knew, she was willing to look past that for all of the good parts. Something that I think can be admired a little in some regards at the very least. It's just a shame that… I shook my head, getting rid of those thoughts before continuing.
"Almost abandoned her in another place because they had a big-ass argument once. Hundreds of miles away. With barely anyone, besides my father and his wife at the time, to help her out." I say, anger rising within me
My hands are tightly clenched into fists as I recall that moment. The phone calls, the angered conversation, how I especially felt at the time. It was a horrible moment. I still wanna punch him in the face for pulling that shit. I take a calming breath… before continuing. Anger still lingering within me.
"Thank GOD my dad's wife wasn't an insane bitch this time around. Feel sorry she got married to the bastard. All the other girlfriends he's weren't great people to say the least." I say, frustration in my voice
Qrow stares at me, looking somewhat amazed. Considering the implication that this was years back in my old life. It's not exactly much of a surprise to hear that I managed to deal with all of that and lie my anger with it to rest. And I did. I really managed to despite how much I still feel about those situations. The fact that they happened was horrible… but I'm not gonna let the person who caused that take any more headspace then they have to.
"...And you made your peace with all of that?" He asked, bringing me out of my thoughts
I just give a shrug in response. "Had enough time to do so. And I didn't have much choice. It was either feeling sorry for myself because my dad wasn't around or getting up. Brushing myself off. And moving the fuck on." I say pointedly
In response, the Huntsman just nods. I can get that some parts of this are not exactly something he wants to hear from a seven-year-old of all people but at the same time. I'm not exactly a normal seven-year-old anyway. So it's a moot point in a lot of regards when one gets down to it. Then again thinking about it for a brief moment, there's far more disturbing things kids have gone through before. So again, moot point.
"So yeah. Qrow. I get it. Your life has, objectively speaking, kinda sucked in some regards. I know you lost people and I'm not gonna ask about that." I say truthfully
I then gesture to the bar, making him look at it briefly with a grimace. He's probably sobered up enough at this point to realize his reaction to all of this was probably not the best considering everything that I've explained thus far. I'd grimace and cringe at myself too. It's stuff like this why I was reluctant to drink alcohol anyway and would rather avoid touching it if at all possible.
"But you can't keep drinking like this." I say softly
For a moment, he doesn't say anything. Then he looks back at me, still grimacing, like he's chewing on something bitter. I have a feeling I know what he's about to say. Wouldn't blame him if he did. It's not exactly something I'd be chomping at the bit to deal with. Not to mention the fact it's a pretty common piece of info when it comes to the sorts of things that he has to deal with.
"...My Semblance is Bad Luck… no matter where I go. It's gonna follow me. I can't even control it." Qrow says with some bitterness
"Have you tried?" I respond with
Qrow just gives a scoff. Though if I'm getting his personality just right. I get the feeling that he's not exactly telling me the whole truth in that regard. Especially considering that Semblances are part of the soul. And if they're part of the soul, that means they can be controlled. It's not like Stands where sometimes they can do whatever they want or some Personas in Persona 3 where they can go berserk and attack people. No, it's a part of the soul that can be controlled.
"Yeah, of course I've tried." He says annoyed
May as well test that theory since, gonna be honest, I don't believe him. Not one bit. Maybe he's put in some effort, but I doubt he's actually considered all the angles. Can't be mad at it since it's not like growing up in a bandit tribe came with a great education. Bandit Camps aren't known for having good education at best and any real knowledge of the world at worst. Skyrim has taught me that fact very very well… then again that is a video game so can't rely too much on that line of logic for this. Tangent, that's another tangent. Refocusing myself after a small moment. I say this in a questioning tone.
"Have you meditated on it? Sat down and tried to figure out what triggers it? Have you put any real effort into understanding how it works?"
He was about to blow my words off but hesitates, blinking as my words settle in. The air goes quiet as something clicks in his mind. Wouldn't be surprised if he didn't consider that angle. Again, being raised as a Bandit doesn't offer you much of a chance to think on things. Beacon probably opened his mind up a bit more but some parts are most likely still stuck in that mindset. I already had a pretty distinct feeling it'd be an uphill battle as it is.
"...Why are you being detailed about this?" Qrow questions, frowning
I look at him with an eyebrow raise. Even a normal seven-year-old that's gotten a bit too mature for his age would probably be able to make the exact same sort of thought process I had. It's not exactly hard to figure out how Qrow thinks. Because as badass and enigmatic-seeming as the man is, there's a lot of things that are pretty plainly written when seen up close.
"Because, and if you don't mind, I'm gonna make another guess." I say blandly
Before he could say anything, I just stated this in a blunt voice "You think that if you can't get something right on instinct, it means you're just broken, don't you?"
In response, he was about to argue over that statement before the words died in his mouth as he thought about it more. Yeah. That sounds about right. In my eyes, strikes me as the type who was told to get things down perfectly on the first try or else he'd practically be useless. Didn't help that Raven seems like the prodigy type either.
"...I… okay that's… huh." He says in slight realization
The silence between us turns awkward as the weight of it all sinks in. The idea that he'd spent most of his life believing he just had to live with his Semblance was just going to never be controllable, when in fact he had been going about it the wrong way was something that probably hit hard. After a moment, he clears his throat before looking at me.
"...Kid, how the hell are you so aware of stuff?" He asks
"In my old life, I studied a lot of psychology since… it was important." I say with a simple shrug
He stares at me for a long moment, then sighs and flops onto his back, gazing up at the sky with a dead inside expression before muttering. "...I'm talking to a seven year old about my personal issues. I'm sitting here. Soaked in water after going on a small bender… talking to a seven year old about my issues."
I sat next to him. Frankly I don't exactly blame him for saying that. I'd probably feel a little dead inside if a seven-year-old just psychoanalyzed me and pointed out exactly where I was screwing myself over. Not to mention probably a bit devastating to my pride as a man in some regards. Eh, he'll get over it. After all, I am trying to help him be better and help him improve on himself a little bit.
"Look… I know I was a bit rough with what I said but I do mean it. You can't look at your Semblance or some parts of your personality and say 'Man I just suck constantly'." I say softly
I glance at him, and after a beat, he turns his head to meet my gaze. "You need to try your best to handle everything. Hell talk to Ozpin. He'll understand exactly how you're feeling." I say with utmost seriously
Qrow hums, mulling it over. Most likely debating on the idea of talking to the immortal about his issues. I don't blame him for hesitating on going with that particular idea. I'm not exactly keen on talking to Ozpin about my own issues either. But that's probably going to be my best suggestion. No way in hell I'd suggest anyone talking to Ironwood about personal stuff, he doesn't exactly seem like the emotionally-smart or even emotionally-stable type of person.
"I mean yeah he probably will, Headmaster of a school. Been a Huntsman for a long while." He says, choosing his words carefully
"...Yeah, exactly." I say, playing along
After a few moments of silence, Qrow and I begin walking back to Taiyang's. It was starting to get a little late at this point and it's pretty obvious that the dusty old crow didn't exactly plan out a motel room for him to stay in. Not to mention the fact that me walking back alone, even with magical powers, isn't exactly a good look for a Huntsman. Despite the fact he probably isn't exactly looking good anyway due to being lectured by a seven-year-old on his drinking problem. Eh, semantics.
"So… uh… thanks. For talking to me. I know this wasn't exactly easy for you-" "Don't thank me Qrow." I say, cutting him off sharply
I just gave a soft sigh as the silence that follows is thick. My tone could've been better. I know that. But at this point; I've long since grown-tired of folks acting like me talking about old wounds isn't the same as reopening them. It's something I think a lot of people that have dealt with some of the things I have and have dealt with have most likely felt the same also.
"...I've learned long ago that the shit I've dealt with? I can use that experience to help others. Even if they're older than me." I say simply
Qrow doesn't say anything after that but I know he heard me. I smile a little at that, knowing that maybe… just maybe. I might have helped him in a way. I glance over and see a menu pop up next to me.

[Qrow - The Dusty Crow (Tower): 1≫2]

…Honestly, I think this is way more than just a victory related to getting a rank up. I do actually feel closer with him… and that's nice.

---

And that's another chapter posted. So for anyone curious, yeah I did have my own spin on what happened with the Spring Maiden this time around. I think the Maiden's are a neat concept. I plan on doing quite a bit with that frankly. Interesting plot thread that could be used.

Now for the scene with Qrow. I'll explain it simply as 'Sometimes, you gotta be a lot more blunt and a bit more of an ass to get a point across'. Though if anyone feels like things are moving a bit quickly in terms of character introduction and the chance that it's gonna get very bloated during this initial arc for this particular story. Don't worry, it's gonna slow down quite a bit soon. Lot more side-characters, lot less main-characters.

With that, I'll see you all around.

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 4: Education & Dungeons: School Days

So… going back to school at a young age is pretty weird. Don't get me wrong, I'm aware I'd have to attend school again not only because having an education in a lot of worlds is important but also because of appearances. At the same time, never really was the type to look fondly back upon my school days. Mostly because as much as I enjoyed being in school? Some parts weren't great. I'm willing to put it aside, however, due to the fact that in a lot of ways. This really is for the best. Of course there was one thing that hit me like a sack of bricks. Weapons training started when you were thirteen years old. I forget that for how young Ruby was when she entered Beacon, everyone else was either eighteen or above. So, of course, they wouldn't start training this young either. For now, I was just a normal student. At the same time, however, it feels weird attending school as a normal person. Currently, I'm sitting next to Roselyn, Ruby, and Yang at lunch. Idly, I was eating a sandwich that was packed for me by Taiyang. He's a pretty good cook. It's been about two months since my conversation with Qrow. Summer vacation, which was going on apparently, ended and now… I have a new schedule. Frankly, this'll probably be a weird period of my life but I'll manage.
"Is everything okay Ash?" Roselyn asks me softly
"...Yeah, just thinking." I say with a light shrug
Frankly, I already alienated myself from some of the kids because I act too mature. Not to mention the fact I'm a huge nerd and have been mostly reading in the library lately. To be fair, running around and playing on a playground doesn't exactly feel right considering how old I am mentally and spiritually. Roselyn softly nods before continuing to eat her lunch, not pushing the topic. As she does so, I silently open my menu with a little mental command. Since using a hand gesture to open it would be sort of awkward right here and now. Discretion is the better part of valor as they say.

[{Status}]
[Name: Ash Lowell]
[Class(es): Red Mage, Spellblade]
[Race: Faunus - Wolf]
[Level: 7]
[HP: 275/275]
[AP: 219/219]
[MP: 198/198]
[STR: 20]
[END: 25]
[SPD: 19]
[INT: 14]
[WIS: 17]
[CHR: 21]
[LCK: 11]

Thinking about it. I am actually kind of curious about my Semblance… or, alternatively, what I can use Aura for. Since I haven't thought of too many applications. Aura was the foundation of a Huntsman's abilities, and while I had a decent grasp of the basics, I hadn't put in some effort into looking into its true potential. Frankly, with the Classes I have, I could easily be able to use them as a sort of base for some sort of ability. A framework that, when used, will allow me to play something off as my Semblance. Randomly using Fire is strange but using Fire because of a Semblance is a lot less strange. It's something that could work pretty well in my opinion. After that thought, a Menu pops into my vision.

[|Quest gained|]
[{Aura Experiment}]
[-Explanation: You've decided to experiment with your Aura. There's a lot of options but you'll be able to do something with it with the right levels.]
[-Objective 1: Level up WIS to 30]
[-Objective 2: Level up INT to 30]
[-Objective 3: Get to Level 10 or over]
[Rewards: x1 Class Token, Unlocks ? System, gain Perk: Mana Infusion]
[Failure: Nothing]
​

I notice like some other Quests, I can reject doing this… I mean considering the Rewards are pretty good? Yeah I'll accept it. The rewards are too good to pass up to reject it even if there was a failure condition. Soon after, the menu is closed. Alright, so basically level up Wisdom and Intelligence to 30 while getting my level up to 10 at least? That doesn't seem too hard. Just need to study a lot of things, think a lot about what I'm supposed to do, and just work hard at it. There's no really good shortcuts aside from level-ups and the thing is, those Stat Points are useful in other Stats generally. I can't risk a glass cannon build, not to mention I'm in a pretty safe area. So I don't have to worry all that much about getting this done quickly, at least until I'm around Beacon Age. Pacing myself properly is gonna be the real challenge since it'd be easy to fall into that temptation of dumping all of my Stat Points into Wisdom and Intelligence.

[For carefully planning out your route for a Quest, you get +1 WIS]
​

Sweet. One point closer to the goal is always good. After this, I'm going to the library and taking some time to study. Plus I can always rent out books or just read what Taiyang has. Yang notices my smirk at something and smirks at me back. Okay, time to make excuses. Not gonna reveal that I have the Gamer ability for a long time. It's something I'd rather not deal with talking about immediately.
"What are you smirking about?" She asks
"Just thinking some ideas that are gonna be pretty cool. Some stuff is coming together." I say easily
"...Alright, keep your secrets." Yang says with an easygoing shrug
"Ooooh are you scheming something cool?" Ruby asks a bit excited
"It's a secret, as Yang mentioned~" I say playfully
"Awwww. Well if it involves a cool weapon idea. Tell me!" Ruby says with valor in her tone
Heh, even at this age she was an adorable dork about weapons. I simply say with ease. "If it is, I'll be sure to let you know."
"Yes!" Ruby hisses happily
I give a chuckle at the reaction alongside Yang with the little Red Reaper laughing along soon after. Roselyn particularly giggled at the general tone of the conversation. It's nice to see her recovering from everything that happened. It's… strange. Right now this life is so much more different then the one I lived. I was a bit of a socially awkward kid, so I didn't have these sorts of events too often. But now with my more social butterfly personality? The pace feels odd. It feels surreal knowing that, in this world of Bloody Evolution, I was making my own life. Even with the Gamer Ability. It didn't feel like I was doing this for a quest… it felt like something else. I barely even noticed the menu pop beside me with information that, in all honesty, just makes this feel all the warmer.

[{Relationship Updated}]
[Yang Xiao Long: Acquainted]
[Ruby Rose: Acquainted]
[Roselyn Hollis: Acquainted]
[{Social Link Rank Up}]
[Yang - The Sunlit Dragon (Chariot): 0≫1]
[Ruby- The Reaper Of Roses (Star): 0≫1]
[Roselyn - The Maiden Of Thorns (Priestess): 0≫1]

---

Breathing in and out, I keep my focus. Putting any stray thoughts into a mental box before putting that mental box, compartmentalizing parts of my mind. Letting the world flow around me. My mind entirely focused on my Aura as it swirls around inside of me. Meditation has been an important part of my routine. After getting about three points in Intelligence, not a lot I know but progress is progress, I decided to take some time to meditate since not a lot was going on. I set a timer on my COMP, which I currently have equipped, for two hours. A pretty good amount of time to meditate if I say so myself. After a bit of time, I managed to convince Taiyang I had managed to build the COMP myself out of some parts and have only been really using it in select areas seeing as it'd be odd for me to easily carry it around. I push aside those memories for a moment before continuing to meditate. Breathing in… and then out. In… and then out. Over and over again… before the alarm goes off. Jolting me out of my meditative state. I relax as a menu pops up in front of me. Confirming that my efforts did actually work.

[For meditating for two hours, you get +6 Wisdom]
​

Nice, only nine points off from getting to the level needed. Now to try and get to level 10. The best way for me to do that would be to do things. Like fighting Grimm, doing Quests, or killing things. Now for that last part, that doesn't mean killing people. It means killing animals. Like bunnies, deer, etcetera, etcetera. I do remember some folks that were my age going on Hunting Trips with their family back in my world so in this world, it isn't too different to hear that someone's kid went out hunting for some deer for fun. Especially if it was to train them to be a Huntsman or Huntress since what's a safer target then Grimm? Animals. Of course some people probably have used that as a thinly veiled excuse to hunt Faunus but that's an ENTIRELY different thing that I don't wanna think about as a Faunus myself. Let's see… well I'm not exactly close to leveling up. Not sure how much EXP is required for each level up but I know it'll get higher and higher. Meaning that my level ups will have to come from more and more effort. So I'll have to go out and hunt some Animals. I'd normally use a gun or a sword but Magic will do… and before anything. I do actually take the bodies and give them to some people in Patch. I mostly shock them to death. Though I do it under the guise of Taiyang having been the one to do it simply because it's less suspicious… though when I'm about thirteen or fourteen I should be fine doing it myself. Before I was about to sneak off into the forest, since it was getting near night, I noticed Taiyang sitting in the living room in front of the TV… with a few beer bottles around him. Great, he's drinking. I can already guess why. I take a moment to sneak near him… and notice that he has a pretty glassy gaze with a bottle with about… half of the beer drank out of it. Yeah he drank a lot. I just give a sigh under my breath before softly casting Cleanse on him a few times. Making sure to clean the alcohol out of his system just enough to where he'd be a bit more sober. Even with that half a beer, I doubt he'll be drinking anymore with how tired he looks… I'm gonna need to have Qrow talk to him about this. Satisfied that he won't drink himself into a stupor, I then sneak out into the forest. Killing a few deer and a few rabbits. Gaining me a fair amount of EXP, about enough that there's a quarter of the gauge yet to be filled. I sneak back in, making sure to head past the collapsed Taiyang. He probably won't remember much and will be happy to not have much of a hang-over. I head back into the guest room. The one that me and Roselyn are currently staying in. We're both sleeping in some cots since that's probably the best option for the both of us. Softly smiling, I make sure to adjust Roselyn's blanket before kissing her head softly. I then silently crawl into my bed before looking up at the ceiling. Idly thinking. My thoughts are swirling around in my head. There's a lot I can do with the information, valuable information no less, that I have… but how much of it can I properly use? There's not a lot I can do to prevent some fates as is. I mean Neopolitan and Torchwick are dealing with so many things far outside of my scope. I can't have someone rescue Cinder from her family. Same with Mercury. No clue where Emerald is possibly hiding out. Tyrian is probably by now working for Salem, not like I could kill him anyway. Telling Atlas about Watts being alive is right out since that'd make me look suspicious as fuck. Realistically speaking the best thing I can do is try and play the cards I do have right. Up and leaving right now could do me some good. But it's not like I can do much else… unless. I then raise a hand, channeling magic through it with a clear thought.
"...Instant Dungeon. Activate." I whisper
Soon after, the world around me shifts and dissolves into a vast blue void, a grid of glowing white lines stretching infinitely in all directions. I then grin like a mad-man. The Instant Dungeon Skill. Something that quite a few Gamers have. Some of them don't have them due to the circumstances of their world or the fact that, in some ways, opening up a dungeon easily is overpowered. In my case, I know the dungeon won't be super powerful. Since I have a feeling if I look at the skill real quick.

[Instant Dungeon (LVL 1): Allows you to create an Instant Dungeon. Without a proper material used, it will be simply a 'Blank Dungeon' or simply a Training Space. Time flows in the Blank Dungeon the same as the real world. (Dungeons made with items can be registered as a Sub-Part of the Skill)]

An Item Cost. That's going to be the bottleneck. Luckily, that Dust I have should be pretty useful in what I can do. Not to mention the fact that, eventually, I'll most likely be able to get other items due to more mechanics unlocking later on. Since at this point, it's pretty clear that the Gamer Ability is going to segment what I can do out over the course of years, levels, and what actions I do. It's a system that prevents me from getting overpowered early while at the same time not being borderline useless unless I do a specific action like in some particular fics I've read once. Standing up from my spot, I hum. Okay. So I have some Fire Dust, some Ice Dust, and some Lightning Dust. None of those little side-quests I did gave me more Dust or any other items. So that means that this, more or less, is what I have to work with. I decide to be basic and use the Ice Dust since while using the one Lightning Dust I have could result in something interesting. Dealing with Ice would be preferable since I can at least bundle up to stay warm if it gets cold. Summoning the Dust Crystal into my hand, I channel the use of the Skill into it before opening up a new Dungeon. The world around me shifts and changes as the menu pops up again. Confirming the Dungeon.
[Ice Dungeon - Watching Woods (LVL 1): A Dungeon that contains a snow-filled forest. With many dangerous creatures and beings alike wandering around]

[OST Activated! Now playing: Watching Woods (Ice) Theme]
​

After a few moments, the menu closes with the world shifting into… a very dark forest. Shadows stretch unnaturally beneath the moonlight, and mist drifts between gnarled, frostbitten trees. The wind blows through my hair as I stand in the snow. Alone. I can tell there's illusionary eyes watching me from the forest. Thinking about it, maybe leaping into a Dungeon head-first without a weapon was a bad idea. I then notice that there's a set of blue almost ghostly flames leading me somewhere. Blinking, I stare for a moment before narrowing my eyes. Is this really trustworthy? After all, I know damn well that this is a Dungeon… and from what I can tell these woods are eerily familiar to me. Like I've been here before. After a moment, I decided to carefully follow the blue flames. If the worst comes to worst, I can run. Going down the trail. The sky above me is still dark as snow continues to rain down. I'm very lucky that this dungeon isn't inflicting me with a status effect… otherwise I'd be a lot more terrified. Stepping carefully, I keep following the wispy flames before arriving in a clearing with… faint moonlight shining upon something. A sword sticking out of the ground. Getting closer, I notice it's slightly rusted. Well, better than nothing. I grab the sword before pulling it out of the snow. I then examine it with Libra.

[Rusted Sword: A rusty sword found within the Watching Woods. Clearly more than what it seems. {Can only inflict 10 Damage. Does not scale. Can be Enchanted} (Unique Item)]

A unique item… and it can only ever do ten damage. Maybe with some effort, I can probably make this weapon a bit stronger? Sighing, I just keep the sword in my hand. I look around before deciding to carefully move through the forest. Holding the weapon in both hands. I'm here to fight Monsters. Not wonder about the possibilities of what a weapon can do. Not to mention, if necessary, I can boost it with the Spellblade Skill. Maybe even infuse it with an Element. After all, I'm getting the feeling I'm getting to a pretty good point with my Red Magic and Spellblade at Level 4. Repeated use of the Skill does count as leveling it after all and well… I've broken a lot of sticks using the Boosted Blade Spell. I continue my careful walking, my footsteps crunching under the snow… before I hear a groan. I turn around and see… a Drowned Soldier. But it has spikes of ice jutting out of its body. This is the Watching Woods from Salt & Sanctuary. But far more different considering how this place looks. Breathing out, I focus myself. Silently using Libra as the music playing mentally within my head shifts. A clear indication that the music is now changing.

[Battle Theme: Refantazio Combat]
​

[Name: Frostbitten Soldier]
[Race: Undead (Humanoid)]
[HP: 260/260]
[MP: 100/100]
[STR: 25]
[END: 20]
[SPD: 5]
[INT: 0]
[WIS: 0]
Undead… that means Healing Magic should be effective on it. Same with Light and Fire Magic. Luckily I've got the latter in spades. I cast Boosted Blade on my weapon before slashing the enemy making it stumble back. It groans before charging at me, swinging the axe down. Moving quickly, I block the strike before pushing it back. I jump back and cast Singe which makes it hiss, I then charge forward before slashing it again and again. Before I could get another swing, I'm knocked away by one particular strike. Leaving me without some health as I roll across the ground. Quickly recovering, I dodge an axe strike before casting Singe on it again. Doing more damage to it. Thus far I've lowered its health down to one hundred ninety-four. Not a bad effort from me thus far since I'm only doing twelve Damage physically and fifteen Damage with Singe. I then notice that my Red Magic Skill and Spellblade Skill is close to leveling up. I cast Boosted Blade onto my Sword again before jumping forward and slashing at it again. Making it groan once more. I make sure to quickly dodge a strike, barely being nicked by it before casting Singe again. Just a little bit more. Just a little bit more. I block another strike before pushing it back. Making it stumble before falling to the ground. I cast Singe two more times before it recovers and charges towards me, fully intending on making sure I'm mincemeat. I block its strikes, knowing that dodging wouldn't work due to how quick its movements are now. I guess it got a big boost due to it losing a good amount of health. I continue blocking before seeing an opening, quickly stabbing my blade into it. Doing ten damage due to the Boosted Blade Timer running out. I then viciously tear my blade out before casting Singe at it. I then notice a particular pop-up that makes me grin. This was all worth the effort.

[Red Magic Leveled up: 4≫5]
[Spellblade Leveled up: 4≫5]
[Tier 1 Red Magic unlocked!]
[Tier 1 Spellblade Enchant unlocked!]
​

[{Skills}]
[Amateur Red Magic (LVL 5): Allows for the use of LVL 1 Red Magic]
◆[Fire: Cast a ball of Fire {Costs 10 MP}]
◆[Blizzard: Cast a flurry of ice {Costs 10 MP}]
◆[Thunder: Cast series of lightning bolts {Costs 10 MP}]
◆[Water: Cast a ball of water {Costs 10 MP}]
◇[Cure: Heals Lesser Wounds {Costs 10 MP}]
◇[Esuna: Heals Lesser Status Effects (I.E Poison, Burn, etc etc) {Costs 5 MP}]
[Spellblade (LVL 1): Gives the user the ability to Enchant their weapons with Elements]
⩺[Blaze Blade: Enchants Blade with Fire {Costs 15 MP}]
⩺[Frost Blade: Enchants Blade with Ice {Costs 15 MP}]
⩺[Lightning Blade: Enchants Blade with Thunder {Costs 15 MP}]
⩺[Water Blade: Enchants Blade with Water {Costs 15 MP}]
I close the menus before immediately enchanting my sword with Blaze Blade. Making it ignite with fire as the blade glows a bright orange. I then stare at the Frostbitten Soldier with a more stoic expression. While this may or may not be an actual corpse… I'll make sure to give it its final death. Since it did help me majorly in getting stronger.
"Thank you for helping me." I say, a newfound determination settling in my chest.
I then charge forward, slashing through the Frostbitten Soldier's arm. Removing it cleanly before stabbing my blade into it. Thirty damage each strike now isn't bad. Because of its high weakness to Fire. I aim my hand at its head before casting Fire onto it. Doing a solid twenty-five damage to it. Only twenty-seven health left. I move my sword out before finally bisecting its head off. I knew a decapitation wouldn't work from the beginning since the Gamer Ability wouldn't make that sort of thing simple anyway. I breathe out as the corpse lies dead on the ground.

[Enemy Defeated: 25 EXP Gained]
​

…Better than ten EXP from hunting animals. Lesser Grimm roughly that amount frankly though they are a lot more dangerous to hunt compared to undead zombies. Not exactly a great statement on the overall status of Remnant but hey, I'm getting stronger in this way at least. The music then shifts back from battle mode to the general theme of the Woods. Honestly I used a good amount of MP in that fight. These Skills costing a lot more basically mean that using Magic isn't going to be as viable without leveling up my Mental Stats. Regardless, that makes sense. Using Spells isn't entirely my style at the moment. My style is more based around physical combat since, due to how I laid out my Stat Points, I've built myself more on Strength and Endurance. I summon the Menu and leave the dungeon. Sword in my inventory. Frankly I'm probably going to use that to start hunting Grimm and the like. It'll be a good starting weapon at the very least. Especially due to its Unique property.

---

Annnnnd here comes in one of the unique spins I've placed into this story, an item requirement for Dungeons. In case you, my dear readers, are curious. All of them are actually gonna be based off of video games I've enjoyed, have a pretty great knowledge about, and/or are ones that would genuinely just overall fit the theme of whatever item was dropped.

I've actually plotted a fair bit of the dungeons out, even for chapters I haven't written yet since... a lot of this was pre-written as I've mentioned in this thread. Now, let's get down a bit to something I wanna ask anyone reading this story since I do wanna hear a lot of feedback.

What do you all think of the mechanics? Am I doing a good job with this particular story? I know it's probably not anything super impressive or special but I figured this would be a fic that would at least be an actually good attempt for myself at writing a Gamer System. Done this a few times before on a Fanfiction.net account and that story was... well it was certainly written by someone in highschool, that's VERY for sure.

I consider this story an actually good full reboot of that story. Especially since I could have... developed that system instead of throwing whatever into it. Seriously, lessons on game development really helped me learn some stuff.

Anyway, with that. I'll see you around, stay cool and all that.

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 5: Education & Dungeons: Duo Conflicts

The clock ticks by as I listen to the teacher talk about math. A subject I've already been doing well in. Frankly, I could easily advance to a higher grade early. Skipping a grade or two at this level wouldn't take much effort. But there's the fact that I don't wanna draw all that much attention, it still won't get me close to making a proper weapon, and the fact that I do have friends I wanna be with. Mainly Roselyn, Ruby, and Yang. Met a few other kids but none of them are particularly outstanding. Regardless, it's been about a week since I've gone into Instant Dungeons. I've been wandering around the Watching Wood, killing plenty of Frostbitten Soldiers and Frostbitten Raiders. Managing to get only two levels thus far. Got my Strength, Speed, and Luck up. So I'm one level closer to the minimum needed for the Quest to be completed. Though with all of the studying I've been doing, part of it is looking into the theory of Dust, I've managed to get my Intelligence and Wisdom up to 20 and 25 respectively. So pretty close to the goal in that regard also. Gonna be honest, I am actually pretty curious of what that mystery system is all about. Not to mention Social Links have been… ominous. Looking more closely into the menu, I apparently get hints on some sort of unlock. So that's something really. Overall though, progress has been slow but steady.
"Mr. Lowell, tell me. What's nine multiplied by ten?" The teacher asks
"It's ninety. It's nine tens added together." I say simply
"Very good." The teacher says with a smile
At least I'm better at math this time around. Soon after, the school day ends and I head off with Ruby, Yang, and Roselyn. Falling into step with them as we do the usual routine of getting home. Of course as we were about to leave, I noticed a teenager pinning a kid to a wall. A Faunus kid. His little fox ears were flattened against his head, his wide eyes darting around for an escape. I get the sudden feeling this isn't going to be about lunch money or some other dumb kid thing. Always forget kids can be cruel.
"A freak like you shouldn't be going around, skipping grades. Looking smarter than you actually are." The teenager says with a growl
"Ugh, hate bullies like those." Yang says disgusted, scoffing slightly at the bully
I can tell she's ready and raring to go over there and kick his ass. Can't blame either of them since I wanna do the same. I subtly glance around the area and notice a teacher. Watching. Doing absolutely nothing. I blink slowly before frowning, my irritation growing even more. Of fucking course one of my teachers has to be racist. Of course that has to be the case here. Nothing in my life can ever be simple huh? Well luckily, I have a plan. I look over at Yang and put a hand onto her shoulder. Immediately making sure she doesn't run over and flatten the guy, which may not even work since he seems like he has his Aura unlocked.
"Go get a teacher. I've got a plan." I say
"Dad should be at the gate soon. I'll get him instead. What are you going to do?" Yang asks with some hesitation
"Distract them. I have a plan." I say, grinning a little
Yang looks at me confused before giving me an unsure nod. She knows that, chances are, things might get more tense with me being involved. Even with what tricks I have up my sleeve. But that's why Ruby and Roselyn are going to be sticking nearby. I mouth to them as the little blonde brawler leaves to 'stay nearby and watch'. They both nodded, stepping back but keeping their eyes locked on the situation. I then walk over to the teenager, hands casually in my pants pockets. I clear my throat, getting his attention as he stares at me with an annoyed glare. I make sure to cast Libra to get an idea of who he is at the very least.

[Name: Drake Winchester (Cousin)]
[Race: Human]
[HP: 400/400]
[AP: 250/250]
[STR: 23]
[END: 20]
[SPD: 14]
[INT: 10]
[WIS: 10]
[CHR: 10]
[LCK: 5]
…You know, I find it funny that I managed to get the cousin of Cardin Winchester as one of the first really racist individuals I just so happen to meet. Okay, so gonna have to REALLY hope that this guy isn't going to be like his cousin and is going to be a total dumbass about things. Never really seen Cardin be depicted in very many flattering ways anyway in a lot of fics.
"Oi, who the hell are you?" Drake asks, his eyes narrowed
"Ash Lowell. Look, I know I'm not exactly someone you want to talk to also. Believe me, I am WELL aware of how you and your family feels about Faunus. So I'm willing to give you… an offer." I say, both hands raised in a placating way
"An offer?" Drake questions with a brow raised
"I'll give you two thousand Lien to let this guy go. Good amount of Lien." I say, pulling out the proper Lien cards
That's about twenty bucks in money from my world. From what I've figured, Lien is similar to the Japanese Yen. So one dollar is about one hundred Lien. Not entirely sure how correct it is but in the end, I'm still gonna have to pay money. Not to mention just generally keeping a track on financial stuff. Being an adult again is going to suck when it comes down to it. I notice Drake looking at me with some interest, his grip loosening a little on the kid he was holding up. His eyes firmly on the Lien cards that I am holding. Okay, I have his attention.
"Two thousand Lien huh? Not a bad amount. Though since you're offering me that much… I think you should give me ten thousand Lien instead." He says with a menacing grin
"...Ten thousand Lien. That's a pretty bold counter-offer for someone who has the advantage here. As much as I'd love to help. Don't think I'll be able to give that much easily." I say, unsurprised by his counter-offer
"Well, too bad then." Drake says with that typical anime bully chuckle
"...I'll give you a better offer then. Six thousand Lien and I buy you snacks for a week. After all, less Lien to spend on food after training right?" I suggest as I keep my tone steady
"Really? So you'll pay for all of the snacks? Even if they're expensive?" Drake says, smirking
"Limited time offer. Might change it to something else if you don't accept it." I say in a casual way
"For an eight-year-old, you're being real bold. Why don't you take his place instead eh?" Drake asks with his smirk growing into an ugly grin
"And what does that mean exactly?" I ask, smirking
"It means I'm gonna beat the shit out of you, maybe steal some of your money. And if you try to speak out against me, my mom will make sure nothing happens due to her seat on the school council." Drake says in return
Pretty bold of him to say the quiet part out loud. But that's exactly what I was counting on since I already knew my plan was beginning to reach its climax. After all, I knew that it wouldn't take too long for Yang to get her side of the deal done.
"Interesting to hear you'll think that'll really be the case, Mr Winchester."
Drake's expression faltered just slightly upon hearing the voice. Soon after, he looks over to see Taiyang. Standing there across the schoolyard. Looking none too amused about him bullying students. Drake stiffened, his confidence flickering upon seeing the unamused glare. I know damn well that he'll fight against this. He's not the type to allow such things to slide. In fact, he's mentioned plenty on how he feels about the Winchester family in Vale and their actions. So knowing someone RELATED to said family is pulling this sort of thing here? Oh he is going to do everything within his power. The teacher that was watching, like the right bastard he is, walks over with a sleazy smile.
"Mr. Xiao Long. It's just some kids rough-housing. It's not like he was actually gonna do anything. Boys will be boys." He says
"Weird. Ruby and Roselyn saw all of this going down… and didn't see you doing anything." I say with some menace in my tone
Ruby and Roselyn nod in agreement with my words. Confirming what I said. The Teacher looks a bit put off by this before chuckling, shrugging with barely any sort of care. I am retraining every part of myself from pulling out my sword and stabbing it near him just to send a swift message. That won't help things but God would it feel good taking the smugness out of his face.
"Just two kids with overactive imaginations with one of them just supporting his friend." He says easily
"...Then I'll report this to the Headmaster and he'll have a look at the Security Camera Footage." Taiyang says with a flat tone
It's only then that the Teacher's face goes pale. I did notice there was a security camera nearby but I wasn't sure how reliable it was going to be but knowing that it is functional? Oh boy is it going to be nice seeing all of this go down. Since now it's going to be a Teacher reporting on what was going on… not to mention how much the Headmaster despises intolerance for the Faunus since he was one himself. Oh yeah. It's all coming together.

---

It took a bit but now we are going back home. Not sure what's going to happen to that Teacher and Drake but… whatever. Not my issue. And if they make it my issue, I'll deal with it. For now, I'm gonna make sure to vent some of my anger in a pretty healthy way… by killing undead creatures in an Ice Dungeon. That's always a pretty fun time frankly. Stabbing things before setting them on fire. No conversation, nothing to over complicate it. Just good ol' fighting. After we arrive back, however, Taiyang takes me aside for a moment as the others go to play some video games. Not too surprised by that since, apparently, they've been playing a lot of what is basically a Mario Party Clone. Doesn't even have Chance Time which is both great… but also kinda lame in a lot of regards if I'm gonna be honest. Regardless, me and him are sitting in the living room. His eyes staring into mine with a serious gaze. One that made it abundantly clear that this conversation was something pretty important. Always feels a bit awkward talking to him like this since I feel like I'm talking with someone's father rather than just an adult.
"So… why did you get involved? You didn't have to help out that kid." Taiyang asks, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees
"...Good question. Let me counter with my own one for a moment. What are you going to do depending on what I say?" I question in return
"...Don't get me wrong. I'm actually… happy, you got involved. It's just… with how you act and how you are. You seemed like the type to be like most other adults and… look away. Even if you're a kid again." Taiyang says, very carefully choosing his words
Ah… I can see why he was asking about this now. It's a sad fact of the matter that some people are actually willing to look away from horrible things, say those types of things aren't their problem. And those that do try to do something about it are sometimes looked upon as the bad guy. Simply because they did what would be, in quite a few cases, going against the social norm. In some regards, the social norm is that Faunus get treated badly even if the law looks at them as equals for the most part. From what I can tell that sort of ideal is changing pretty rapidly during the events of RWBY but even then, it's because of the White Fang's actions causing some fear also. In the end; the general problem is that there's a lot of people looking away. I breathe out before looking at the table with a grim expression.
"...People are bastards sometimes, Taiyang. You know that?" I say
Taiyang looks a bit surprised by that. Wouldn't be surprised if he had expected a heroic speech from me. In one life, I might have… not in this life though. I've honestly always seemed like the type to believe in the best of people. And I do. But I acknowledge a lot of things. I've had to acknowledge a lot of things. And there's a long list of complaints about people that I have.
"Bystander Syndrome is a term we invented because people generally see so many things going on that are horrible and do nothing. Either because of fear or 'it's not my problem' and that… pisses me off. It always pisses me off." I say
"Yeah… it pisses me off too." Taiyang responds softly
"So why should I, the person who can use my own brand of smarts, stand by when people are in danger? I don't always need to respond with violence always. And I didn't here… but there will come a day where I will have to use violence." I say
"...And you're not gonna hesitate when it comes down to there being no choice otherwise?" Taiyang asks
"More or less… but I will also choose to find another way. I'm getting stronger and smarter every day. And there will come a day where I will use all of that potential and power… and drag this world kicking and fucking screaming into a better age. Where we don't need to look at each other with hate because of something dumb as a pair of ears." I say with anger in my tone
Because if I've learned anything… if it continues to fester. It won't stop here. I know it won't stop here. Because then it'll fall into the same problems as my world. And I've seen enough of that. I'm not sure if I will be able to properly do that. If I can beat something as big as this. Throw a monster at me? I can probably beat it. However, throw a concept at me? I'm gonna have a harder time… because beating a concept requires more than just a sword and some magic. It requires planning. And right now, I have to plan some other things. Still… I'll do my best. Taiyang merely regards me with a careful yet sad gaze.
"You think you can make that big of a change?" He asks me
"...I'd have to try at least." I respond with
And that was the truth. I'd rather die knowing I tried to make some majorly good change then live without trying at all. Always been the type to advocate for that sort of thing really. Taiyang sighs before chuckling softly, with an almost… bitter undertone to it.
"You remind me of my old teammate Summer in some ways… she said she'd change this world for the better. Apparently her eye color got her made fun of among a few other things. She wanted to stop that kind of bullying… so that everyone in this world can live more happily. Make sure no one else has to go through that kind of thing." He says, thinking wistfully
"...Your teammate was a wise woman. I hope one day I can possibly be as optimistic as she was." I say with my own bitter chuckle
"I think in some ways. You already are… but… eh, even if you're a grown-up mentally. You're still a kid physically. So don't worry too much about that kind of thing for now, okay?" Taiyang says
I nod. Honestly I feel like I understand Taiyang a bit more. For all the depictions of him being charismatic, I can actually see where it partially comes from. He's honest. Genuinely pretty honest. But there's always that sense of tiredness. Like he knows that being polite is useful in other ways but he can't help but speak his heart a little. Maybe, just maybe… I can one day see more of those sides.

[{Social Link Rank Up}]
[Taiyang - The Helios Brawler (Enlightenment): 1≫2]
A good indicator of our bond deepening at the very least. Soon after, I leave to go relax. The rest of the evening is a fairly relaxed affair. Dinner, some conversation, before finally heading to bed. I pretend to sleep, making sure to check the time discreetly on my COMP. After about three hours, I opened the Dungeon. Once again appearing back into the familiar cold forest. I take out the Rusted Sword, I'm probably gonna get this thing cleaned when I'm able to buy the supplies for it. I don't wanna look suspicious getting it and I don't wanna explain Taiyang where I got a random rusty sword from just yet. I focus myself and walk around the forest, sneaking up on quite a few Drowned Soldiers. Stabbing them in the back before making sure to swiftly kill them. Used a good amount of Mana but I've found that taking a moment to rest helps. Not to mention one hour in here is thirty minutes out there. I've been here for a good five hours at this rate, so that means only three hours have passed in the real world. Honestly it took me a bit to get the proper math conversion in my head down… that raised my Intelligence by one. I should feel insulted but I did feel smarter for figuring that information out so… whatever I suppose. Of course even with all of the EXP, I haven't gotten to level ten yet. From what I can tell, EXP has slowed down majorly at this point. I suppose to try and not make me overpowered too quickly. Makes sense considering if this were actually a game, I'd be in the 'Early Game' portion. Still, it's nice stabbing things. Breathing out, I continue my walking round… before finding myself staring at a stone arena. Large pillars made of weathered and aged stone rising a good few feet upwards. At the far end lies… a massive armored figure. Humanoid, obviously, but considering all I've found here is undead? I feel like it's unlikely it's someone that's alive. I hum slightly, weighing my options. On one hand? I could investigate more closely. On the other hand? I could very well die if I do and have every option to leave now to come back later. Tough options… really tough options. May as well give it a try, after all, it might work out for the better depending on the circumstances. I carefully step into the stone arena… before a magical barrier made of transparent red energy rises up around the area. Immediately, I'm on alert as I glance around the area before looking at the body in front of me as it slowly gets up… and then draws its sword. The music immediately shifts to reflect this moment.

[Dungeon Boss Theme: Symphony Of Carnage]
​

Before I could even use Libra, the boss dashed towards me. Swinging a massive blade down towards me. I barely dodge, rolling to the side as the ground splinters beneath the weight of the strike. Broken pebbles clattering against the ground. As I took a closer look at the boss, I realized what I was fighting… it was the Sodden Knight. The first boss of Salt & Sanctuary. Of course I'd get him as a boss in a Salt & Sanctuary themed Dungeon. I breathe out and focus myself. I can't let myself get distracted. I've beaten this guy in an entirely different game with entirely different mechanics. I can do it here. I use Libra to try and get a read on his stats.

[Name: The Sodden Knight]
[Race: Greater Undead (Humanoid)]
[HP: 400/400]
[MP: 340/340]
[STR: 30]
[END: 25]
[SPD: 20]
[INT: 20]
[WIS: 15]
Greater Undead… I'm not surprised that it comes with an actual Intelligence and Wisdom Stat. He's clearly a lot stronger and a lot more capable than most Undead. Not to mention knowing him… he'll have Lightning Magic again. Breathing out, I raised my sword as the Sodden Knight pulled his own sword out of the ground. It doesn't matter how tough he might be. I'm not gonna back down here because of how capable he is. I use Blaze Blade on my sword, making it stronger before charging towards him. I know that I'll do about thirty-five damage per swing in this state, so I'm gonna need to be quick. Leaping forward, I slash the Rusted Sword across his chest causing inky black blood to leak out. I notice a blue glow appear in its eyes before it charges me once again, readying a large swing upward. I did my best to get back but wasn't able to, getting launched into the air. Damn that did some damage, hurt a little too. I extend my hand towards him, here's hoping that he won't dodge this.
"FIRE!"
A ball of fire launches out of my hand, hitting the Sodden Knight. Doing thirty damage to it, not a bad amount but I know damn well that I'm gonna need to keep up the pressure. Landing on the ground, I quickly move forward. Feinting a slash towards its side but deciding to go for one of its eyes. I managed to hit it, making more inky black blood spurt out of it as it roared in pain. Even in death, the person that used to be the Sodden Knight was still somewhere in there… but I know trying to appeal to that part is useless. I slide my blade out before slashing it once again and again. But before I could get another slash in, he's already recovered and punched me away. It has a good right hook, I'll have to admit that. Though it's pretty obvious that his strategy is a lot less like a video game boss and more like an actual warrior fighting. Good to know the Gamer Ability still goes beyond most things, even in this version. Getting up, I quickly cast Cure on myself. Healing myself a good amount. The timer on Blaze Blade runs out, leaving my sword back to normal. That's fine, I plan on playing more ranged at this point anyway. I fire out another Fire Spell at the Sodden Knight as it begins charging towards me. I dodge out of the way of a strike as it stabs the large steel blade forward, embedding it into the pillar I was standing in front of. Quickly moving, I take the Rusted Blade and stab him in the back. Fifty damage. Thank you Elden Ring for teaching me that little tactic. The Sodden Knight Roars before finally taking his blade out of the pillar. Electricity begins to spark across it as his eyes glow a fierce blue.The eye I stabbed has a faint red tint to it. It's below half health. Let's see if I can make it to the end point. I jump back before it stabs its blade into the ground, causing the area around it to be covered in electricity. I still remember some of your tactics, you bastard. Luckily, I still remember one way of doing more damage. Pulling out one of my Fire Dust Crystals, I toss it at the Sodden Knight before firing a spell at it. The Dust Crystal explodes, doing another fifty damage.
"HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT HUH!?!" I yell out
"GRAAAHHHHH!"
The Sodden Knight leaps forward, his blade electrified. I breathe out, let's see if I can manage this. I hold my sword in both hands, plant my feet firmly… before parrying the attack. Leaving him open. Taking the opportunity, I cast Blaze Blade before stabbing the Blade into him again. Fifty damage. Always glad to see I can do something. Soon after I tear it out, inky black blood sprays out. The Sodden Knight stumbles back… before roaring once again. It then stabs its blade into the ground multiple times, making bolts of electricity rain down from above. Low health tactic. Smart. I do my best to dodge away from the bolts but I get struck a few times. Putting me dangerously close to low health. I raise my hand to cast Cure but notice the Sodden Knight charging me. I roll out of the way as it slams itself into another pillar. I take the moment to quickly heal before charging it. The Blaze Blade charge may have ran out but I can still do enough damage! I slash two times before stabbing my sword into its eye once again. Leaving it embedded there as it roars angrily. Almost there. Just need to do one more thing. As it begins charging me once again, I dodge out of the way just in time before raising my hand. A fire spell at the ready.
"...If you can't handle the heat… get out of the kitchen." I say
I then fire off the spell, doing the last bit of damage needed. I breathe out heavily as the corpse of the Sodden Knight falls over… burnt, stabbed, and dripping with black inky blood. I walk over, taking my sword from its eye before putting it away into my inventory. That… was a rough fight. I came close to dying a few moments earlier, that strike would have definitely put me within kill distance had I not dodged at the right time. Gotta remember it's my life at stake here if I lose a boss fight. No respawns. I notice the EXP I've gotten has pushed me up to another level. Nice… and then a new menu pops up in front of me.

[Level Milestone reached! Features Unlocked!]
{Formula-based Magic Unlocked (MP Costs will be changed to account for this)}
{Spellcraft Unlocked}
{Item Drops Unlocked}
​

…I needed to be level 10 to unlock Item Drops?!?! That's why nothing was dropping from those enemies?!?! Okay, you know what? In retrospect, that makes sense. Because Gamers can get pretty powerful from taking those materials and making them into useful things. But that aside, that means they could have placed that at later levels. Like who knows how long it would have been until I had actual item drops? Level fifteen? Level twenty? Or hell, level thirty. That would be a really long time away. I'm getting way too heated… regardless, it's nice. Though I didn't know I wasn't working with Formula-based Magic. Another menu pops in front of me with helpful information.

[Damage before was calculated via a Logic based system, it was the best way of letting one get a handle on the Gamer Ability before anything else]
​

Explains quite a bit really… regardless, at least I managed to make it through this fight. Taking a quick breath, I decide to go ahead and search the Sodden Knight since item drops are unlocked… let's see what he actually has here considering the fact that I fought him so hard for something. A menu pops up in front of me the moment I examine the dead body.

[Lootable Items]
{Tattered Shroud, Fortress Key, Old Knight's Journal, Foul Ichor, Cold Gauntlets, Old Coin (x10)}
​

Gonna have to examine all of those frankly. First, I'm gonna leave this dungeon. I open the menu and leave the dungeon. Reappearing back into the guest bedroom. Right back onto the bed where I left it. Turns out using it at areas considered a 'rest point' allows me to basically instantly transport back into bed after leaving a dungeon. Pretty useful thing really. I open the menu once again, examining each item closely. Frankly? All of them were pretty interesting in their own right. Of course there was something I noticed due to the fact some of the items had some… particular aspects to them.

[Tattered Shroud: A tattered shroud that is heavily damp and has been imbued with protective abilities {Can be repaired} (Unique Item)]
[Old Knight's Journal: The Journal of the Sodden Knight, contains information on sword techniques {Levels up Basic Swordsmanship to Amateur Swordsmanship}]
[Foul Ichor: A vial of black blood that is found in some Greater Undead {Can be used in Alchemy}]
[Cold Gauntlets: A pair of gauntlets that are always cold to the touch]
[Old Coin: An old coin from an ancient time, no longer used today as a currency {Can be exchanged for Lien}]
[Fortress Key: A key to a fortress of some kind. It's damp and has a few black ichor stains {Compatible with the Instant Dungeon Skill}]
No Stats for some items. They have effects, that much is clear but there's no Stats. It's probably because giving equipment stats would be overpowered, something that is common in some series really. Guess the Gamer Ability really makes me wanna earn my victory huh? Well… I'll take it. I'll make sure to wear the gauntlets later at least. Considering the fact that it's better than nothing at the very least. Though the Fortress Key is interesting. I guess Dungeon Bosses can drop items to go into other Dungeons. That's something I'll focus on another time… for now. I'm gonna rest… I'll make sure to use my Stat points tomorrow.

---

First boss fight of this Story. Yeah I honestly do wanna use more bosses from games that are a bit less common, think it'd be neat to pull a boss from some obscure RPG Maker Horror Game from time to time. Though that's probably something other stories have done and haven't found those stories quite yet.

Regardless, yeah. I think I did somewhat of a good job setting things up for this fight and showing off how the protagonist will struggle in a good amount of fights in this story. I like doing that sort of thing, adds some interesting stuff to the story and how the protagonist grows.

Moving on, this is gonna be the last chapter for this story. For now. I still have plenty of other chapters in the backlog. Been working on this story for a long while, like years.

So I'll be posting the first chapter of another story I'd like to say either tomorrow or the day after. Really depends on if work goes well.

Though gonna be honest, I do hope to get people's thoughts on this story. Like genuinely, do not be afraid to give me any sort of serious criticism. 'Cause I do wanna get really good at writing.

With that, see you all around. Keep yourselves safe.

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 1: The Souls-like Isekai of your Dreams P1

I slowly open my eyes to… nothing. Literally a black inky void. I can't even really tell if I'm blinking or not… no difference either way considering that I can't even really feel anything. It's not like a numbness, it's like… there was the sensation of something there but there isn't anymore. Think people call that Phantom Limb Syndrome, not entirely sure since I am pretty sure I know jack-shit about medical knowledge. Okay I have several questions. First off, where the hell am I? Second off, why am I not freaking out about this? And third off, how did I get here? I mean objectively speaking, this is a little terrifying. Okay, okay let's think for a moment here. Spiralling is a bad idea, gotta take it slow here. Answering the second question first since that disturbs me honestly… I think a part of me knows what's going on here. I move to try and feel my body, bad phrasing honestly but whatever, to the result of… nothing. I feel nothing. Like people don't usually think of it but when someone moves their arm? Yeah they feel the sensation of muscle moving. Feeling none of that? That's not good. I try to breathe out, do something. Nothing happens. Still not freaking out but I am a bit disturbed by this. Guess that second question is gonna have to wait. Let's answer one and three then. I try to search for any sort of memory of what could have happened. I vaguely recall… being on a hiking trail with some people… and then falling. Remember feeling a sick drop in my stomach, weightlessness, and then… it ended with me blacking out. Ah shit, I must have died. Not a great reaction but something is suppressing the need to freak the fuck out. Which is something that is still concerning me pretty greatly. Then a video game menu appeared in front of me.

[|You have died|]
​

Well managed to figure out that much from what… little memory I have. Okay let's see what else I can remember… vague parts of my life, no record of my name, literally no particular faces stand out to me. All it felt like I was looking at some sort of… smeared piece of film or something akin to that. Yet in terms of everything else? The detail is there just enough to understand somewhat of a story. Even in a smeared piece of art, there's something to look into. Guess I'm feeling oddly poetic with my reaction to my death. Reading those Edgar Allen Poe poems probably did something then. I'm gonna be a bit genre savvy and say that some memories of my life were pretty much wiped away in order to not make me break down severely?

|[You are correct in your assumptions. Quite impressive|]
[|Of course your lack of anger over this is… interesting|]
​

Gonna be real with you mysterious menu? My life kinda sucked. I mean I recall being in Foster care for a few years, been through a few horrible Foster families, and just when I got lucky with one. I got news that I was pretty much going to die in a few years because of some new disease that came out. I was barely going to be an adult when I was going to most likely die. I was either going to die at twenty-one or twenty-two years of age. Falling from that hiking trail and dying isn't what I'd call the best way to go out but better than dying on a hospital bed. Suffering because of all the symptoms I was feeling. I've heard and seen what that sort of thing can lead to. That's a fate that, in my personal opinion, sounds completely goddamn awful. I can't be angry because well… either I'm gonna rest in peace in some afterlife or you're gonna make some sort of offer right?

[|You are a very interesting User already. You are also correct in this statement|]
[|You can pass on peacefully and live on as a spirit to be reincarnated|]
[|Or you can live a better life in a new world|]
​

Isekai-type beat. Weirdly, I kinda feel the sensation of a crooked smile upon realizing that information. Alrighty… so what does this new life entail? Because I already know well enough that I'm not going without any power. Or if I am, I'll be living a really peaceful life. I've heard sometimes people get sent to another world to live in peace. I remember reading one webtoon where a guy went through a portal and became a farmer in some giant tower of some kind. It was a very interesting read at that point. Though feel free to hit me with something else, I know when my expectations are wrong. I've gotten used to that quite a bit.

[|To summarize. You'll be living in quite the interesting world|]
[|A world of Demons, Angels, Fallen Angels, and all sorts of Supernatural beings|]
​

Could be… a number of worlds in all honesty. There really isn't a monopoly on that sort of concept. Well I'll accept the new life then, I've always been a fan of found family for pretty obvious reasons. Plus who knows? I might be able to make something of this life with my own two hands. That's quite the thought in all honesty. Being able to live a nice life as a self-made man. Heh, but I'm already getting ahead of myself before even getting at the actual starting line of… doing anything really.

[|A wise decision but if you are going into this world… you will be given a series of options for your SYSTEM|]
​

SYSTEM? Like the Gamer Ability or something? I've read a bit of the webcomic and a lot of my experience is through fanfiction, honestly not the most casual thing I can say considering what I've read. Because if we're talking that then yeah, I guess this'll be a pretty interesting variation of that. A new menu then appears in front of me with a list of options.

[{SYSTEM ARCHTYPES}]
[-The GENERALIST-]
[-The SOULBORN-]
[-The FREELANCER-]
[-The WASTELANDER-]
[-The CONSTELLATION-]
​

Okay all of these names sound odd… honestly if I'm gonna choose one. I'd rather make an informed decision, I know better than to click on something with only vibes alone to go off of. Not to mention the fact that one could be way worse than the other. Soon after, the menu expands outward. Giving me a brief description for each.

[-The GENERALIST: The standard Gamer system. No downsides but no upsides either. One size fits all and is useful for anyone]
[-The SOULBORN: You can only level via a currency gained by defeating enemies, easier set-up for builds but levels are harder to gain as time goes on]
[-The FREELANCER: The Jobs you use give you a good set of abilities but requires mastering them in order to use them separately from that Job]
[-The WASTELANDER: Your Stats are limited but Perks, Skills, Spells, and Abilities are far stronger as a result]
[-The CONSTELLATION: Whenever you level-up, you choose from a list of Perks based off of a series of Constellations but they also come with downsides]

Well… all of these are interesting but the one that interests me the most is the Soulborn System. It's obviously based on Darks Souls and the Souls-like genre but… at the same time. It sounds like something I'd be fine using. I think that it'll be a pretty useful system, not to mention the fact that chances are I'll be able to use a wide variety of weapons by meeting Stat requirements. Hell I could even wield a weapon like Excalibur! Those weapons are for sure Faith and Strength-build weapons considering their generally Holy aspect. Then again sometimes it's not holy… eh, I'll have to think about it if it happens. Not to mention the fact that, generally speaking, the other options are… a bit stand-out. Especially the Freelancer one. Depending on where I'm put, I might not have enough time to be able to develop myself properly to use it all well. I select the Soulborn System before seeing a wide list of weapons appear before me. I glance at the top Menu floating over it.

[{Choose your Class}]
[Knight]
[Sorcerer]
[Cleric]
[Pyromancer]
[Barbarian]
[Thief]
[Deprived]
​

Okay, so… this is the sort of options I'd expect from a Souls-like. It even seems like, from what their brief descriptions imply when I examine them, that they'll have some pretty good Stat layouts and starting equipment. Though in all honesty? I've always been a guy who enjoyed swords more than anything… so I'll just go with the pretty generic option in most people's opinions. I clicked my choice soon after, the menu closing not long afterward. After a small moment, a new menu popped up. I hummed to myself because in all honesty? This might be one of the most important ones to choose from on the basis of what I am currently reading. Especially considering the fact that I'm still not entirely sure what this world is like.

[{Choose your Race}]
[Human]
[Devil]
[Angel]
[Fallen]
[Yokai]
[Hybrid]
​

All of that has some implications. And the fact that all of those are the main races? That concerns me a bit considering I can make a bit of a guess based off of those options alone. Still it makes me think things over… Devils have a weakness to Light. Angels probably have a weakness to Dark. Fallen are either weak to Light or Dark. Yokai are… interesting creatures from what little I've read about them. So Human or Hybrid is my best, and least obvious, bet. I think I'll select Hybrid, simply on the basis that I may as well live a little. After all, can't always just choose the Human in DnD right?

[-Hybrid options-]
[Human/Devil {LOCKED}]
[Human/Fallen {LOCKED}]
[Human/Yokai {LOCKED}]
[Human/?]
​

The hell? Why are those options even locked? I tried to select the Human/Devil option, just to get a feel for why, when a menu popped up telling me only this.

[Cannot be selected due to Morality]
​

Morality? I mean… thinking about it, it kinda makes sense. Even when shit was bad, I never turned to some particularly bad stuff. Even avoided drinking and smoking despite how much it would take off the stress of some things. I guess a part of me wanted to be like some of my Heroes. Though I do know I've stolen a few things in the past… not to mention the fact that, much like a lot of people, never took a life. Animal or otherwise. So I'm betting that those options were purely locked because… I'm kinda just square in the neutral zone. Which is fine I suppose. Still, I guess Human/? is gonna be my only option. Though I already know it's gonna be a dice roll what I get.

[Rolling Secondary Race…]
[Race selected]
[Dragon (Lightning)]
​

I blinked at that. Lightning Dragon. That's… something I'm not quite familiar with. I selected it and got an expanded menu. Frankly all of this is kinda strange but hey, that's the consequence of choosing this sort of thing I guess. So may as well make the most of it with an informed decision, not to mention if I've learned anything. Some functions in games can easily make things break if used right.

[Dragon (Lightning): One of the variations of Dragons. Commonly more tied to the Skies and Mountain regions. While many of them have either been killed, sent to live in another world, or are considered rare Beasts in the Human world. There are quite a few living amongst Humans that were capable of shifting form, some of them even marrying them]
[Perks]
[Thunder Magic Affinity (Major): You have more of an Affinity with Thunder Magic and the power of Electricity in general]
[Electric Affinity (Major): You have more of an Affinity with Electricity, allowing you to sense electric currents in various locations]
[Draconic Aura (Minor): You have the aura and slight scent of a Dragon]
[Draconic Affinity (Minor): You have more of an Affinity with Draconic energy and objects involving Dragons]
[Supernatural Beauty (Lesser): You are considered quite a bit more attractive then the average Human]
[Night Vision: You have the ability to see in the Dark]
[Enhanced Body: Your body is stronger and more capable of certain actions]
[Enhanced Vision: You have better vision]
[Long-Living: Your lifespan is quite a bit longer than the average Humans]
[Drawbacks]
[Distinct Mana: You have a distinct signature of Mana]
[Hoarding Urge (Lesser): Like all Dragons, you have a compulsion to hoard something]
[Cold-Blooded (Lesser): The cold affects you more, same with heat]

Honestly all of that seems… pretty interesting. Perks are fairly solid in all honesty, not to mention the fact that while the Downsides aren't the best… they aren't the worst either. Just means I'll have to be careful around certain things and just play alongside them. I've played plenty of games where some things have to be played with and around. The menu closes down before a new one opens which… makes me a bit confused and a little interested in what this whole thing has to offer.

[{Edit World Options?}]
[Y/N]
​

…Well, fuck it. We ball. I select yes before the menu expands outward with a good amount of options. After a bit of looking through, I've gotten a pretty good idea of what each editing function does. I've gotta admit, sounds kinda strange to be doing this but I'll accept on the basis that it gives me some idea of what the world is like before editing it.

[Added World Traits: None Selected]
[Added Backstory Traits: Average Homelife, Average Grades, Average School Background]
[Location: Japan, ???]
[Crossover Traits: None Selected]

Not super surprised that some of this stuff existed… still, thinking about it. I think I know exactly what I want, especially since this life is gonna be a new one? Oh I'm gonna for sure try and enjoy it as much as possible but not to the point where I think I'm above it all. Because I know damn well how well that will go in any case. Plus not the type to be a God-King or whatever. I selected a few things through the lists, some of which weren't an option because of my Morality or were just locked for some mysterious reason, and got this as my final selection.

[Added World Traits: Slight Genderbending, Secret Gamer Shop]
[Added Backstory Traits: Orphaned, Average Grades, Known Helper]
[Location: Japan, ???]
[Crossover Traits: None Selected]

Yeah it's not much but in all honesty? Getting that Secret Gamer Shop required me to be orphaned basically… not in the sense of 'Oh it is tied to this trait' more in the sense of that I couldn't have the unknown points to access it. Weird stuff but I'll work with it. Plus technically speaking I was pretty much an orphan with a different name anyway. The Known Helper part was actually pretty true since I was always a little obsessed with helping others. Sue me, I had a lot going on. And I chose no Crossover stuff because I'd rather avoid that. Soon after selecting the 'Save' option. The menu closed before the world around me turned white.

---

My eyes reopened to a tan-colored ceiling, for a good long moment. I just stared, blank and disoriented, until my head finally got into gear and realized this is the new world. Suddenly new memories filled my head. Okay let's see… my parents passed away in a tragic accident just a year ago. Moved to a new city under the guise of starting fresh, chosen for some mysterious program. A childhood spent mostly alone, always on the outside looking in. Pretty much accepted entering the program with the prospect of making friends and that's really about it in terms of… majorly important memories. I pushed myself up, my body feeling a bit sluggish, and stumbled toward the bathroom. The mirror above the sink reflected someone both familiar and strange. Well at least the fashion choice is on point. Grey sweat-pants with a black tank-top. Looking closely in the mirror I… honestly can't tell if anything has changed. Guess my memory of my previous appearance was also wiped. Regardless of that, I have light brown hair with bright teal eyes that had a slight yellow tint at parts. My skin has a little bit of a tan to it, always was an outdoorsy person. A menu then appears in front of my face.

[{Quest: Get a Good Look at yourself has been completed}]
[Rewards given: Basic Equipment Pack, 500 Essence, System fully unlocked]
​

I hummed to myself as I continued to look myself over in the mirror, honestly my eyes are kinda distinct. Like teal and yellow together isn't exactly normal. I then decided to take a quick look towards the more downstairs area of my body and… nice~ very nice~ I might be sounding like a bit of a pervert here but I didn't exactly die the most mature person anyway. Not to mention the fact that in this life I plan on making sure to live this life to the fullest and that means having sex at one point. Is it the most noble goal? Not really but I for sure plan on making sure my first time is a good time with someone I trust. I knew enough about sex to know how doing it wrong could affect someone's mind and body. I shudder to myself before giving myself another once-over in the mirror. Idly caressing my chin, I am Supernatural Beauty is kinda right. Like I was a pretty average looking guy but in this life I look kinda handsome. Then again I've been kinda called handsome before by people… not sure how much I believed it.
"Honestly this is pretty sweet." I mutter to myself before I head out of the bathroom
I may as well check the date also… and see where I am… and honestly deal with a bunch of stuff considering that right now? Essentially, I'm in a new world with barely any idea what I'm doing. Honestly, it makes me a little annoyed that I was dropped in here without any conversation. I push that thought aside as I look at the Calendar, it's currently the twenty-fifth of July. 2012 That's an interesting date, I hum and search my mind for any particular memories. Then my eyes widen as I realize what World I was in from remembering where I moved to. Well damn, I didn't think I'd end up in Highschool DxD of all places. I give a small groan as I throw my head back, pinching the bridge of my nose. I hear the ding of a menu appear but I honestly don't even wanna look at it right now. Of all animes to end up in. This is the one I end up in? Don't get me wrong, I can see why people like it… hell I kinda like some of it. But at the same time? The world where the protagonist shouts about tiddies while having a badass title like 'Red Dragon Emperor' with the most cool worldbuilding in some aspects? This was my reincarnation setting? That's the one I ended up in? Ugh… well fine, fine. I can make lemonade out of this, I honestly wanted to get a girlfriend in my next life anyway and this world will probably be a bit interesting in terms of dating.
"Of all places I ended up in… ugh, someone must be having a laugh… whatever, there's other areas to end up in and worse states I could be in. So I'll have to count my blessings honestly. At least I'll have until August 31st. Good thing I researched Japan before I died." I say to myself annoyed
I then look back down at the menu, deciding to just push my annoyance aside for a few moments. After all, there's better things to focus on and I'd rather not keep silently screaming to myself about this situation. Honestly this system is pretty interesting considering the whole thing about well… it being similar to what a Souls-like typically is. Not to mention the fact that I'm probably not gonna be dealing with anything particularly simple.

[{Quest: Find out where you are has been completed}]
[Rewards given: 1 random Spell Book, 1 random Skill Book, Gain Create: Dungeon Skill, Settings unlocked]
​

System settings. That intrigues me more than anything. Selecting it, in all honesty? I'm a bit disappointed. All that's there is a BGM, an armor appearance option, a mini-map, and a thing for Level-up pings. I just decided to turn on the BGM and turn off Armor appearing. From what it described? It basically makes any armor I wear actually be visible on my body and I'm gonna just keep that off for the most part in terms of certain things. Unequipping armor and reequipping different armor would get old fast. Other than that, I don't mess with anything else. After that, I open my Inventory to see what I've gotten from the Random Books from the other rewards I got for completing that Quest.

[-Inventory-]
[Shield Bash Skill Book, Mana Bolt Spell Book, Basic Equipment Pack]

Okay nice stuff. Before I use either of those Books or the Basic Equipment Pack, I should first look at my Stats. Frankly I'm kinda curious what they're like due to the fact that they mentioned Ranks. That makes me partially wonder if they're going with a Number-based system or a letter-based system. Opening it up and… well it looks like my thoughts were more or less confirmed.

[Name: Tristan Kurogane]
[Race: Hybrid (Human/Thunder Dragon)]
[Titles: N/A]
[Class: Knight]
[LVL (Level): 10]
[HP (Health Points): 350/350]
[MP (Mana Points): 100/100]
[SP (Stamina Points): 250/250]
[STR (Strength): 25]
[END (Endurance): 25]
[AGL (Agility): 15]
[INT (Intelligence): 5]
[WIS (Wisdom): 5]
[CHR (Charisma): 15]
[LCK (Luck): 10]
[Faith: 5
[Arcane: 5]

Knew it was gonna be Stat-based. Though I'm betting most of my Stats come from the Class and not this body's previous experiences. Level ten is a pretty good point honestly. Kinda like actual Dark Souls in some ways I guess. Though even with these Stats, I already know that the Supernatural in Highschool DxD are generally far stronger then Humans. That didn't stop us from pretty much being the largest population on the planet and the general fact that I am at least 99% sure that the Mythical Races don't want to risk getting Nuked to hell and back. After all, if I've learned anything about Humanity, it is that if we prompt ourselves enough. We'll do things like commit War Crimes or create fantastic medicine that can heal us… or in some cases, manage to figure out a bunch of weird stuff for whatever sort of reason. Still, some beings would most likely survive a nuclear blast… enough of that thought process, I've got to start training and readying myself for what's ahead.
"At least I already knew my name from my memories. Though I have to admit, it's kind of a strange name but considering some people name their kids the WORST stuff imaginable… I'll take my name any day of the week. Though if I end up dating someone and they wanna name my kid Goku, I will tell them immediately that if we name them that then I'm divorcing their ass." I mutter to myself
I then shake my head from side-to-side. Focus Tristan. You can't let yourself get too distracted. You're in a fairly dangerous world and if you wanna survive. You're gonna need to get strong quickly. Plus there's always the fact that, chances are, Rias is gonna notice me and I'm gonna have to pretty much figure out a way of turning her down. Barring that, joining her and possibly being strong enough to take down Riser. Hate regenerators. Though with all of that in mind… I do have the skill for this sort of thing.
"Of course there's always a chance that the dungeons are more dangerous than Kuoh itself… eh, there are fates worse than death anyway." I say to myself
I breathe out before using the Create: Dungeon Skill. Blinking, the world around me begins to shift and dissolve. Going from an ordinary room inside of an apartment into a dark blue space with glowing lines all over, pulsing gently almost like lights in a computer. This… is a bit different from what I've seen in all honesty. Part of me already had a feeling, however, that all of this was going to be built a bit differently from the standard. I hum and see another menu pop up in front of me, simply with the words.

[{Select your Dungeon}]
[Undead Wasteland]
[Slime Plains]
[Dragon's Mountain]
[Abandoned Mines]
[Puppeteer's Workshop]
​

Honestly? Those are some pretty interesting names for dungeons. I'll probably deal with them from top to bottom, though part of me is wondering idly what exactly is gonna be in these dungeons? I know better than to assume that anything about it would be remotely normal. Especially since I'm more of a Souls-like character then the average RPG character. I click Puppeteer's Workshop first since that one sounds like it'll have interesting weapons and equipment to work with in terms of drops. The world then shifts and changes around me. Going from the dark blue space to a fairly old abandoned wooden room with a faded red carpet that had shelves lining the walls, each cluttered with mannequin heads that wore cracked, porcelain masks. The scent of mildew, varnish, and decay was in the air. In the dark corners of the room were various cobwebs with it only being illuminated by a single lantern hanging from the ceiling. Kind of an interesting look, very gothic in my opinion. I opened my inventory and opened my Basic Equipment Pack. I may as well get the items I'm going to be working with inside of the dungeon. Plus I doubt running around without some sort of weapon inside of here is a bad idea, not running an unarmed build after all.

[Iron Bastard Sword: A simple sword made of iron that can be used in one hand or two hands (C Rank STR Scaling {10+STR*0.5})]
[Steel Heater Shield: A heater shield that is made from steel, quite useful for defense and offense]
[Steel Gauntlets: Gauntlets that are fit for a knight, good against protecting against blows]
[Mail Chestplate: Chainmail with a steel plate on it, just the right amount of heavy]
[Iron Greaves: A pair of iron greaves with a chainmail skirt]
[Dagger: A simple dagger, good for stabbing people in the vitals or skinning creatures (D Rank AGL Scaling {10+AGL*0.35}]

Not too bad, I equip those items. I give the sword a few test swings with the shield on my other arm, I've gotta admit. These don't feel too bad to wield. I then notice the gauntlets on my arms, I guess that one weird setting where it only shows my equipment in Dungeons works. I breathe out before carefully moving out of the room, opening the door before arriving into a fairly large workshop room. Paintings and sketches of puppet designs almost covered the walls with glowing lanterns hanging from the ceilings, there were various tables strewn about across the room with half-made puppets on them with some seemingly completed. The scent of oil and… something metallic, probably dried blood, hung in the air. Faintly, thanks to my enhanced senses, I can tell that there were the sounds of clockwork shifting. Then the BGM finally kicks in.

[Dungeon Theme: Workshop Of Puppets]
​

I moved into the room, carefully stepping across the wooden floor. My footsteps creaked slightly against the wood. Sword at the ready, shield slightly raised. If playing Souls-like games have taught me anything, it is that rushing through an area without any care generally doesn't end well. Considering I only have one life, I'd rather not die due to an ambush. Thank you very much. Not to mention the fact that I don't think any sort of punch is going to be pulled for my encounters. I then hear something shifting around before turning towards it, rising from a table… was a large wooden puppet holding a pair of daggers. The metal gleamed slightly under the light of the lanterns. I raised my shield as it leapt at me and tried to strike me, I quickly used a bit of magic to try and Scan it. It's generally the Gamer thing to do after all.

[Common Battle theme: Umbral Combat]
​

[Name: Macabre Puppet]
[Race: Puppet (Wooden)]
[LVL: 10]
[HP: 150/150]
[STR: 10| END: 5| AGL: 15| INT: 5| WIS: 5]

Honestly this seems a bit… familiar. I shake my head and begin to slash at it, cleaving at its side and doing twenty-three damage per hit. I make sure to keep blocking and dodging its attacks, listening to the sound of its daggers scrapping against my shield. Sparks flying off of it and glowing in the dim light of the workshop. Lowering my SP slightly for a few moments before it recovers, not much of a surprise but I can work with it. I focus up once again and slash it twice, lowering its HP more as splinters fly off of its body. It once again leaps at me to try and cut me to ribbons but I manage to barely side-step it. I might need to check some more stuff after this because I should not feel this experienced in a fight. Being able to flow movements like this considering I'm technically a beginner shouldn't really be possible. I then slash it again, causing more splinters to fly out of it. It then tries to stab me with one blade while slashing me with the other, prompting me to raise my shield again. Making the blades hit it with a loud clang as the force causes me to move back a half-step. I then move its attack back by pushing my shield forward before stabbing my blade through its chest. The sound of wood cracking as splinters appear on its body filling the air. I know it didn't kill it but it's pretty useful. I then jump back, sliding my blade out. The Puppet carefully steps towards me before trying to stab at my side, prompting me to dodge-roll out of the way. Getting up, I quickly charged forward before cleaving downward through its arm. Slicing it off, the Macabre Puppet steps back slightly with one arm. I can tell that its movements are going to be more staggered due to missing an arm but I keep up the aggression and stab my sword through its head. Finally killing it. I wasn't gonna risk it, very possibly, getting a second wind and getting the upper hand. Soon after a little white flame comes out of its body and enters into me with a menu popping up in front of me soon after as the battle music fades out.

[+50 Essence]
[Item Drops: Bronze Cog x2 (Common), Dull Condensed Essence (Uncommon)]

I couldn't give a small almost in-audible chuckle upon seeing this. Neat to know that enemies do give Essence, still the fact that a drop that can give Essence is Uncommon seems a bit strange. I recall in Souls-games that being able to use items that give more Souls is incredibly useful, either for being able to just buy an item or being able to rapidly gain a good amount of level-ups if you're already close or a little over the amount needed. I grab it out of my inventory and it's essentially a glass ball contained with a dull white essence. Guess that dull tag really does apply to its appearance. Though in all honesty, I'm not too surprised that they aren't called something like Souls because of connotations and all that. Don't think people would appreciate me saying I level-up by taking the Souls of the dead. I decided to examine it before using it since it might provide me with a little bit of information.

[Dull Condensed Essence: An essence that has been faded and worn by time, only gives 10 Essence when used]

And there it is. That's why it's just an Uncommon Drop from an enemy, it gives less then what the Enemy normally drops. That being said, I'm gonna just keep it in my inventory and not use it for now. It'll probably be useful in case I need a little bit more Essence to get to a level up. It's like what I said, these items can be useful in the right context. As things are right now? I don't think I need to worry too much about needing to level-up. Breathing out, I actually take this brief moment of pause to open up a few menus. I do need to actually deal with a few bits of business before continuing forward since there were some things I overlooked. I was kind of eager to jump into a dungeon after all. I look at my Status menu before pressing down on my Class, holding down on it for a few moments.

[|Knight|]
[Description: Those of this Class are often considered an unwavering sentinel of steel and conviction. Their strength lies not in reckless fury, but in the patience to endure and the will to strike true. They are a Balanced Melee Class that often favors measured combat, breaking guards with strikes, and poised defense. A good jumping off point for other Melee-based fighting]
[Class Perks: Proficient Swordsman, Combat Ready, Shielder]

I'll probably have to look more into what those Perks are exactly but it explains a bit on why I'm already a bit good at Combat. Not to mention the fact it explains even more why I have ten levels as is. I'd take a bet and say all the other Classes, aside from Deprived, are pretty much the same in that regard with different Perks. Though in all honesty, I'm not gonna be surprised it'll take me a bit to be proficient with Magic considering my low Intelligence and Wisdom. I breathe out and nod to myself. I can't complain too much, I continue moving forward through the Workshop. Stepping carefully, the sound of metal armor clinking echoing across the workshop floor. The Lanterns hanging from the ceiling swayed gently as I moved carefully, tension filled my body as I looked around. Waiting for the next enemy to jump me. I then hear the sound of wooden joints creaking, prompting me to roll forward as I hear the Combat Music engage once again. Dodging a strike from another Macabre Puppet, of course he wasn't alone. There were two. Breathing out, I attacked the first Macabre Puppet with two slashes. My blade cut at its torso, wood splintering in a shower of shards. I then dodged back away from the other Macabre Puppet trying to stab me, prompting me to slash my blade downward. Managing to slash through its forearm, doing quite a bit of damage. Guess double damage really does apply. Though with one having a missing forearm, this should make the fight a little bit easier. I leapt forward and slashed the other one across the chest, lowering its health more. I heard the other Puppet move towards me from behind, prompting me to side-step the attack before blocking the attack from the Puppet I just damaged with my shield. Gritting slightly as my SP lowered down briefly once again. Two on one fight, never an easy thing to deal with in all honesty. I moved my shield forward before stabbing my blade forward, piercing its chest. I then moved back away and left my sword in its chest as the other Puppet moved to attack me. I placed my shield onto my back before getting out my Dagger. Not great for damage but it'll have to work for now. Moving quickly, I stabbed my Dagger into the Puppet's face before quickly grabbing my sword out of the other one's chest. After that, I held the sword with two hands before cleaving it hard downward through the downed Puppet. Doing forty-six damage. Guess holding my sword with two hands does do more damage, just like in Dark Souls. Useful. I then jumped back away as it swung at me while getting up, the one-armed Puppet moved to stab me with its singular arm but I cut its head off with one quick slash. I already know that didn't kill it but hey its good practice I suppose. I breathe out once again, holding my sword in one hand again as I get out my shield. I tap the flat of the blade against it with a smirk. The sound ringing through the workshop.
"Come at me you wannabe mannequins!" I say
The headless and one-armed Puppet charged towards me, prompting me to catch its strike on my shield and swiftly thrust my sword straight through its chest, the wood cracking apart around the wound. Piercing its chest like its friend. I then quickly tore the blade out before charging forward, knocking the Puppet back before I finished it off with one final wide slash across the chest. The other Puppet staggered forward before I simply slashed its chest, easily splitting through its frame and finally killing it. The music fades out as Essence flies out from the Puppets, entering into me once again like before. I pick up my Dagger before looking at my drops, after all it would be bad to leave behind a free item like that. Even if it's not exactly a great weapon, it's one that I think will prove useful in the future. Plus you never know when you need a good knife for something.

[+100 Essence]
[Item Drops from Macabre Puppet A: Broken Puppet Fragment (Common), Poppet Knife (Uncommon), Dull Condensed Essence]
[Item Drops from Macabre Puppet B: Bronze Cog, Broken Puppet Fragment, Dull Condensed Essence]

Okay, got an Uncommon Item drop. Hello there. I bring out the Poppet Knife from my Inventory and have a quick look at it. It had a metallic grey blade with a hilt that had a few chips and scratches, the crossguard was just a simple rectangle of tarnished steel and the handle was wrapped in frayed red silk. The pommel had a grey ring with a string hanging from it. Honestly it did seem like the type of knife a Puppet would use for… whatever reason. Kinda makes me question why someone would wrap something like this in silk. Bit of a classy material to use on a weapon like this. May as well see what its stats are like considering the fact that it is, in fact, a knife.
[Poppet Knife: A knife that was made to be used by some Macabre Puppets, its quite sharp (C Rank AGL Scaling {5+AGL*0.5} {Inherited Skill: Repeating Thrust}]
…These things have Skills? Huh, guess this system has Elden Ring aspects for some weapons. It makes sense why my Starter Weapons wouldn't exactly have anything in terms of Skills. Still, while the damage isn't exactly great on this weapon. The Repeating Thrust skill makes it fairly worth it, not to mention the fact that it actually has a pretty decent amount of reach compared to the Dagger. So essentially it's less damage for more range and a Skill compared to just damage. I'll probably keep this around. Placing it back into my Inventory, I continue to travel through the Workshop before finally arriving at the center of the room. Where there's a table with a small chest on it, looking at the chest closely it's colored blue which is a little strange. I hum and open the chest, revealing an item inside of it. A silver ring with a dark red gemstone on it. Bit of an interesting find but I won't question it, I grab it out and then examine it.

[Ring Of Suppression: A ring forged by someone who would rather not have as much of a presence when walking down the street. {Effect: Suppresses presences related to Aura, Magic, and Divinity} {WARNING: TOO MUCH PRESENCE CAN OVERLOAD THE RING} (Rare)]

That's a bit to take in but… a ring that suppresses presence? Now that's useful. I equip it and… well it doesn't feel like anything is happening but hey. A ring that'll allow me to walk around Kuoh without being noticed is useful as hell. Deities alive know I'm gonna need it. Actually considering the good chance of turning into a Devil, I should probably avoid invoking any particular Deities in name. Yeah I'll just say something like System or whatever. It'll make things easier on me. I breathe out and open the menu, leaving the dungeon soon after. Looking at the time, I'm pretty sure I was in that Dungeon for a solid ten minutes. Most of that was spent carefully walking down and kinda taking the place in a little. Yet the clock in the living room says I've spent barely even that amount of time.
"...Dungeon has a different time compared to the real world. Good to know." I mutter to myself
Well with that I guess I don't really have much excuse to not explore around the area. I decided to grab on my shoes after getting dressed, oh System I just realized I ran around there in sleep clothes even if I was wearing armor, and well… honestly? I'm glad my sense of fashion transferred over. I decided to wear a loose white shirt with rolled-up sleeves underneath a short sleeved red jacket and a pair of jeans alongside a set of black sneakers. It's a simple outfit but one I'll be able to probably add onto later on. Especially considering there is a Gamer Shop in town. After I got dressed and grabbed my wallet, I grabbed the handle of the door… before finally heading outside.

---

Surprise! It's another Gamer Story! And one that was actually a bit more recent... and only has about this chapter. Next chapter I don't think I ever really got around to completing. Eh, if folks are interested I might wanna buckle down and get that done. But yeah, a Souls-like Gamer System. I'm not sure if folks have done something like this, I kinda figured someone at some point would do a Dark Souls sort of deal.

In case anyone is curious, yes. The Arcane and Holy Stats actually do have a lot more of an impact story-wise also. I think I'll let people make their guesses on that. Though will say after a certain amount of chapters. I'll probably move this story to its own one in NSFW Creative Writing. This is one of the first NSFW Stories I've planned on making.

Regardless, this is just sort of a snippet of what that would be. Tomorrow though, I'll post another thing with a bit more meat on its bones.

I'll see you all folks around, make sure to hydrate.

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 1: Isekai 101 P1

[Please select your Save Files to pull Data from]
​

That was the first thing that greeted me when I opened my eyes. Currently I was floating in a black void with the blue translucent screen being the only thing in front of me. Weirdly it kinda reminds me of the game over screen from Kingdom Hearts. Think I'm hearing the ocean, unsure. Mind is probably playing tricks on me due to a lack of stimulation. Now you might be asking why I'm not freaking out currently. The answer is simple. I did that for over an hour, I think it is really hard to tell if time is passing or not here, already. After a bit I kinda calmed down and realized that there's not a lot I can do about this. Especially since, currently, my memory of my old life isn't great. I do remember falling asleep in my room, I remember a few other details. I remember my name, I remember what I liked. I remember a few things about various media I've watched. Frankly the fact that's one of the things I remember speaks volumes about how much of a Nerd I am about various things. Other than that, there's no specifics. Not even sure how I got here. I just fell asleep and then woke up to this. This wraps all around back to well… the floating screen in front of me. Save file. Not aware of what every single person goes through but I am very sure that a lot of people only get one chance at life. After all it's not like you hear any sane person prove that they've lived a past life before. So the fact that I'm asked to pull data from some sort of other save file is pretty strange to say the least. Like does this mean that I'm pulling from previous data of another life or? Actually thinking about it, what does it even mean by data? I shake my head slightly, yeah I can't overthink it otherwise I might start shouting and screaming into the void wordlessly again. After a few more moments of staring at the screen, I slowly move my hand to softly tap at it. May as well see if that does anything right? And to my slight surprise, it changes. Revealing an entirely different screen.

[Select your Data (You may be able to add additional Data later on)]
[Battle Data + Equipment: {BLANK}]]
[Technique Data: {BLANK}]
[Magic Data: {BLANK}]
​

Pretty strange in all honesty that those are the options. What does it mean by Data? After I tap to select something related to Battle Data and Equipment… I realize, it's Save Data. For video games. All of which I have played and beaten. That answers one question at least. Of course that's not to mention the fact that technically there is more but apparently I can't exactly access them yet. Which isn't entirely unfair, if I had the Keyblade then there's not too many things that can face off against me. And that's even with just the Kingdom Key. Especially considering what it was like in Kingdom Hearts 3. If this is pulling from my collective save data of the game, then I'd have a lot more to use. I've played a lot of games at this point. Still, that kinda makes me ask what I should choose. After a few moments of thinking, I've decided to select each of the Data based on what I think kinda makes a lot of sense. Honestly it's impressive how detailed some of these lists are, there's even different specified versions of some Magic Spells from RPG's that I've played.

[Battle Data + Equipment: Final Fantasy 16 - "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."]
[Technique Data: Kingdom Hearts 1+2 - "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that."]
[Magic Data: Final Fantasy {Black Magic} - "Not all those who wander are lost."]
​

Not sure why each of these has a quote tied to them but… frankly I think all of this is useful. Especially after the brief explanations for each bit of Data. Though in all honesty, none of this will make me overpowered. Even with the techniques that I'm getting from Kingdom Hearts, there's only so much that I can do. But it'll definitely make me strong for quite a few fights. Though in all honesty, I'm hoping that during my time in whatever world I end up in I'll be able to get a bit stronger at least. Especially if I'm allowed to be a bit creative, people can underestimate what the mind can do if you give someone's abilities a little wiggle room. After a bit, the menu shifts around. Showing a small loading screen with… weirdly a chocobo chasing a moogle on it. Is this thing pandering to me? I think it's pandering to me because this is something I like in all honesty. Reminds me of a setting in Dissidia I used once. After what felt like a moment or so, the screen stopped loading and showed this.

[Sava Data synced]
[Character Inventory and Abilities activated]
[Loading into world now]
​

Wait what? Right as I questioned that, I could feel things shift around me and change. My body grew less weightless as that faint sound of the ocean faded into nothingness. Light began to come in, first being a soft glow before it gradually grew brighter and brighter. Flooding the void with pure nothingness. I could feel sensations creep in as everything began to fade into bright light before I closed my eyes once again. Letting it all take me and guide me elsewhere with the thought that maybe… I'll land somewhere safe.

---

His body had gained a familiar weight to it and after a moment, he slowly opened his eyes to a bright blue sky. He could feel warm air brush past his skin as the sound of leaves rustling, the scent of wet grass filling his senses. He slowly sat up and looked around the area. He was in a field of grass with a few trees dotting the landscape not too far away from a town that seemed to feel a bit familiar to him. The young man softly brushed off some of the blades of grass that were stuck to his clothing off of him alongside a bit of dust and debris. Frankly he shouldn't be too surprised that he had gotten a little dirtied upon arriving in this world. Faintly he could hear the sounds of birds chirping as he stared a bit across the vast grasslands in front of him.
"Well this is already off to a good start. I can tell that I was probably Isekai'd… after all I'm pretty sure waking up in a field somewhere is how some people's stories had started." He muttered to himself after he finished brushing himself off
He slowly blinked to himself before looking towards his hand, he then created a flame in it. Without even putting much thought into it, the young man could feel the power of Magic inside of him. All the Spells that the Black Mage Job had access to. Slowly standing up, he decided to give himself a quick look over. His outfit consisted of a denim jacket with a few patches over a plain red t-shirt with a pair of black jeans and black sneakers. Wrapped around his neck was a long blue scarf. It was getting to be winter in his world if he remembered correctly. Right as he moved, he felt a particular weight on his back. Moving his hand, he unsheathed a weapon and looked at it. In his hands was the sword he gained near the end of the game… Ragnarok. His reflection was visible in the polished blade. He had light brown hair and deep blue eyes. He was just idly glad being transported to another world hadn't changed anything. Sometimes that can happen. Ragnarok wasn't the greatest weapon from the game but it was a pretty late-game item he had gained. Smiling a bit, he slowly sheathed the weapon back onto his back. Frankly he was a bit surprised at the fact that there was a sheath similar to Clive's on his back but he wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Looking around once more, he breathed out to himself as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Well I'm not sure what world I'm in… so I should probably head towards that down I saw. Not like there's anywhere else I could go at the moment." He said with a resigned breath
After walking into the town, he strolled through the cobblestone streets. The sounds of people chattering and walking around filling his ears as he could smell the scent of baked bread among a few other things. He swore he could hear his stomach rumble a little as he passed by a restaurant that had the scent of meat wafting from it. It didn't take him long before arriving at a particular building. The young man's eyes widened as he stared at the familiar symbol before him. The banners emblazoned with the symbol of what seemed like a fairy gently billowing in the wind before him in various different colors alongside the name of the very guild he had recognized.
"Fairy Tail… I ended up in Fairy Tail of all worlds." He said to himself in a quiet voice
It wasn't the worst world to end up in, if anything he could be considered fairly lucky by some people's standards. Though chances are, he probably wouldn't be able to handle some of the more powerful threats later on even with what abilities he had gained from choosing from the Black Mage Class and the techniques Sora was able to use throughout Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. He wasn't thrown into the deep-end at least from what he could tell. He, currently, was in front of the Guild Building at the start of the series. Meaning he was fairly early into the story at least. At most, he had arrived right at the time that the timeskip was gonna happen. Which has its own downsides but a few upsides also if he plays his cards right at least. Staring for a few moments, he was thinking over what he could do.
'I could do the rational thing and not involve myself… but at the same time? I get the feeling that not getting involved won't do me any good.' The young man thought to himself
At that thought, he suddenly heard a small beep. His head quickly and swiftly looked around the area for a few moments but… there was nothing to be seen. The feeling that his thoughts were just confirmed filled him. He may as well just head inside and get it over with. After all, indecision never was something he really liked. The young man then slowly opened the door and walked into the Guild. Immediately, he was hit with the sound of chatter with some people laughing together. The air filled with the distinct scent of food and a bit of alcohol if he really strained his sense of smell enough. It was honestly quite the warm atmosphere, though to the young man it made sense considering Fairy Tail members have always been pretty close together. At a glance he could tell there's a wide variety of people within the guild. Tall, short, fat, skinny, muscular, and all in-between. At the far end of the room, standing behind a counter, was Mirajane who was polishing a glass. Taking a calming breath, he then stepped over towards the counter as she placed it aside. She looked at the young man with a bright expression and a friendly smile. It was something that was a bit sheepish since a part of him was expecting to just not see her there.
"Hello there! You seem like a new face. Are you here looking for directions or are you wanting to possibly join the Guild?" She asked him
"Well… honestly? Yeah, I'd love to join the Guild. I'm Felix Stroud and I've heard a lot about the Guild and figured I should give it a shot since I guess you could call me a bit of a rookie mage." Felix explained carefully
What he said wasn't exactly lying. While he did have instinctual experience using Magic considering the knowledge that the Save Data he was given. He wasn't exactly fully used to using it, frankly in Felix's eyes he may as well be considered a rookie due to the fact that all he did was create a fire in his hand and nothing else. He hasn't even launched a single fireball out. Though when he does get down to using Magic alongside the other Abilities he has, it was gonna be a hell of an experience getting properly acquainted with them. Of course all of that, for now, was just gonna be saved for later. There were more important things to do and focus on at the moment anyway.
"I see! What color do you want your mark to be then?" Mirajane asked as she claps her hands
"Red. Crimson specifically." Felix says a bit awkwardly
Mirajane simply nods before quickly grabbing out a stamp and gesturing for him to extend his hand forward. The brown-haired man did exactly that and she used the stamp on it soon after. Leaving a Crimson version of the Guild's symbol on the back of his hand. Surprise filled his gaze and expression for a moment before he remembered that despite being one of the top Guilds of Fiore, they're actually a bit relaxed on their entry requirements. It wasn't gonna be hard for him to stay in, of course, due to the fact that a lot of the more problematic members have been kicked out and the current ones aren't probably too interested in him. After all, at the moment, is literally nothing more than a newbie that strolled into the Guild with a sword on his back. Albeit a fairly impressive looking sword since he has noticed a few people looking and muttering about it.
"Alrighty, anything else aside from the stamp?" Felix asked
"Yeah, just write down your name and information. In case anything happens." Mirajane said, handing him some paperwork
Looking it over, it seemed all pretty standard. Areas to put down family members, next of kin since fighting monsters is dangerous, home address, and of course his legal name. He wrote down the details he could, like his name, and wrote down that he was homeless for a home address. It was pretty much true that was his current home status. After all, he just came into the world with nothing but the literal clothes on his back, a sword, and some magical abilities. Plus there's a pretty good chance he didn't come here with the cash he had on in his wallet here anyway, not to mention the fact that it'd be impossible to convert anyway. Not like American Dollars exist in this world. After handing the paperwork back, Mirajane gives a small frown after she had read it over.
"You're homeless?" She asked, catching a few people's attentions
"Yeahhhh… funny thing, always been a bit of a wanderer. I only have the clothes on my back and well… my sword." Felix says while gesturing to Ragnarok
"Hmmm… well you can live in the Guild until you get onto your feet. The guildmaster wouldn't mind it one bit before you ask." Mirajane said with a warm friendly tone
"Appreciate it. I'll make sure to not let this Guild down then." Felix said, thumping his fist against his chest
Suddenly an arm slides around his shoulder and pulls the young man in close, glancing over. He could see it was Elfman who seemed quite impressed and enthused by Felix's attitude. He wasn't exactly surprised that the muscular Take-over User would react like this considering his general attitude towards things but it was nice that he was already giving some people a good first impression.
"Now that's an attitude for a true man to take!" Elfman said in his usual valor-filled tone
Felix just gives a light chuckle before saying "In all honesty, I think all men should just generally be like that."
Elfman suddenly looks at him with surprise, he then gives a thoughtful nod after letting Felix go. Frankly he didn't even think of that. The brown-haired swordsman, meanwhile, just glanced over to Mirajane who just had a sheepish expression from the situation. In response, Felix just gives her a silent thumbs up to ease her mind a bit. He can't exactly get mad at him considering that outside of the whole 'being manly' deal, Elfman was genuinely a pretty nice person. Plus, in Felix's opinion, it was a pretty good form of Masculinity. At least it's better than what some people try to do at least because he's seen enough stories on the internet and in real life about how some people go about being masculine.
"Some things a man should do should be standard… that is… so MANLY!" Elfman bellowed impressed
"Heh. Glad you think so big guy… so I'll probably just take a lower-ranked job before doing anything… before I do so. I have to ask… I heard that there's a famous mage nicknamed Salamander that's a part of this Guild… if you don't mind my curiosity. Where is he at?" Felix asks, looking over at Mirajane
"Oh he's currently at a port called Hargeon looking into something… did you want to meet him?" She asks with her head slightly tilted
"Less meet and more know what he's up to. I've heard he's a destructive force… but a good force." Felix said in a fairly plain tone
As it turns out, he was around the first 'episode' of Canon. More than likely on the day that Natsu arrived at Hargeon. That was a good idea of what things are like right now, of course the young man had no plans on treating this like it was just some story and every character was an NPC in a game. He's got some standards after all and enough savviness to know how well that route would go. Mirajane gave an accepting nod to Felix's question before he walked over to a Job Board. Looking over, he quickly found a C-Rank Job hunting some wolves with fire capabilities called 'Ember Howlers'.
'Well… that's an interesting name… shouldn't be that hard to beat them right?' Felix thought to himself as he took the job and let Mirajane know what was going on

---

Sweat went down Felix's brow as he dodged away from another Ember Howler's attack. The earth being scorched underneath its flaming claws. Breathing out, he readjusted his sword stance. His expression was calm as his gaze narrowed. Keeping his feet firmly planted as the flaming wolves growled at him. They had ash-like skin and flames billowing out of them like fur with only two glowing orbs for eyes. Their growls echoing across the cavern walls almost like thunder. Apparently this pack is a lot larger than the townspeople though, he wasn't exactly happy with the idea of killing a family of animals this large but apparently the population has needed a small amount of culling anyway so it was for the best that they were dealt with. It is what it is in the end, people fighting to survive against the forces of nature trying to survive in their own ways.
'Frankly thinking about it… in my old life, some people would probably fight like hell to keep these population numbers up.' Felix thought to himself as he raised up an arm
Soon after, he created a trail of ice that impaled one of them before shooting another Ember Howler with a quick shot of Blizzard. This was a family of ten and he had managed to kill three thus far. Quickly dashing forward with a burst of speed, he appeared in front of another wolf and stabbed them in the neck before beheading them, embers and ash spilling out from them. Flicking his wrist, he shot a Blizzard spell towards an Ember Howler that was charging at him, instantly stopping them in their tracks. He leapt towards it before stabbing Ragnarok right through it, making it yelp with pain. Piercing through it with ease. Soon after with a swift movement, he slashed the blade through it. Swinging the sword away from him, the ash flung off of it and spilled onto the ground as he looked over at the remaining Ember Howlers. His work wasn't done just yet.
'Four down. Six to go.' Felix thought to himself
An Ember Howler leaps towards him with fangs blazing, prompting him to quickly block the attack. Pushing it away soon after as it tries to claw and bite at Felix. Charging up a spell in his hand, he flicked his wrist and struck it with Blizzara. Making a fairly good sized explosion of ice. A good chunk of its body was missing from the attack before it slowly regenerated. The only way to kill them is by cutting them up enough that they wouldn't survive, beheading being a common choice. It was one of the things that made it hard for ordinary people that didn't really use Magic to fight back against them. As it regenerated, Felix focused and then created three shards of ice behind him before launching them into the Ember Howler. Stabbing it in different parts before it exploded into ash. Moving swiftly, he dodged away from another Ember Howler as it breathed fire towards him. The fact that the flaming wolves were capable of even doing that terrified Felix slightly. He then began to slash it into pieces with a flurry of glowing slashes. He was glad that using the technique called Last Arcanum didn't require him to use a Drive form thanks to the Data from Kingdom Hearts 1. Good damage and fast attack speed was something he'd always take if possible. After he had finished with his attack, he then spun his blade around real quick before practically gliding over the ground to stab its blade through the other Ember Howler. He then quickly slashed it multiple times before blasting it away with a Blizzara spell. Of course it wasn't dead yet, so he stabbed his blade into its neck before finally beheading it. Looking over, he could see the two remaining Ember Howlers growling at him with fangs bared. He then got back into his stance, holding his blade with two hands.
"...This job is gonna be worth it, Felix. It'll be worth it." He muttered to himself
Then he charged forward, jumping forward before slashing his blade through an Ember Howler's side before quickly stabbing it through the mouth as it tried to sink its fangs into him. The attack didn't kill it but it was close to death at this point. Felix steadily moved his hand before shooting multiple Blizzards down its mouth, instantly damaging it enough inside that it exploded into ash and embers. Before he could even recover, the other Ember Howler bit into his arm. Sinking his fangs as deep as it could with the denim jacket only providing modest protection. It made him grunt in pain before he focused Blizzard Magic into that arm, making Embler Howler yelp in pain and stop biting as the wintery cold of the ice emanating from it caused its own set of pain. Focusing once again, Felix launched another trail of ice. Impaling the final Ember Howler with a series of shimmering crystals. After it was all said and done, he breathed out and relaxed for a moment after slashing his blade outward to make some of the ash and soot on it fly off.
'Frankly? This was a good way of getting me into form… weirdly, the save data I was given also gave me knowledge of how Clive fought.' Felix thought to himself as he slowly looked at his hand
Having that amount of swordsmanship experience combined with what Clive learned using the powers of the Eikons? It was enough to kinda make him a pretty good fighter. That's not even considering the fact he managed to apply some Eikon abilities to Black Magic. One that would be capable of fighting against stuff like this. Of course the difference between him and Clive was that only one of them managed to kill a being like Ultima after a bunch of effort. Slowly getting up, he sheathed Ragnarok onto his back before heading out of the cave that the person who had the job told him to go to. After that, he managed to get my pay from the job, which was two hundred thousand Jewel. It was the standard for most Monster Hunts at C Rank level. The farmer that posted the job was honestly happy to have its cattle stopped from being eaten. After a moment, Felix arrived back at the Guild with his arm bandaged. The farm he had headed to was only three hours away from Magnolia and it only took him about ten minutes to track them. The fight itself took about twenty minutes to beat them. All in all, a little over six hours for this job wasn't too bad of a deal. Felix sat down at the bar counter with an exhausted breath. Though he can't exactly say the experience didn't leave him a little worn out from it all.
"Mirajane. I'd like a sandwich and some water." Felix said simply
"Ah, I see the job went well… though your arm is wrapped up." Mirajane pointed out with some concern
Felix learned as he headed back to the Farmer that gave him the job that his clothing slowly regenerates apparently, he wasn't gonna ask how that worked nor even explained how it worked. That was a bag of worms he didn't wanna think too hard about. Of course his wounds would take a bit longer, whatever gave him these abilities had also given him a pretty good healing factor. Though he can feel the fact that he's not at 'full health', translating game mechanics into something without a UI feels weird in his eyes but he'll get used to it over time. He'll have to due to the fact that these abilities were a part of his life. But if he were to be really honest, he's just glad that the Farmer's wife was nice enough to wrap his arm up for his troubles. Felix hopes those two live a long and happy life for that kindness. As he saw her still looking with concern, he just laughed and waved it off.
"Yeah, one of the Ember Howlers took a bite. There were about ten of them." Felix explained with a light tone
"You took on ten of them alone? Damn, you must have some serious skill." Wakaba says, smoking his pipe
"Honestly I'm just fairly good at fighting… plus the form of magic I use helps." Felix stated
"Actually, you know… you don't exactly broadcast what kind of magic you use. Some people tend to do that with their outfit styles. Plus you don't look like you have any keys, so you're not a Celestial Mage. Not to mention you don't seem to carry any Lacrima either." Cana stated as she… drank from her usual barrel
Honestly it amazes him in person also how casually she's able to do that. She really can hold her liquor sometimes and that scares Felix more than anything. Soon after he began to look a bit awkward as he began to notice some people paying more attention now. Then he noticed Makarov looking with interest also as he stood a good few feet behind some of the Guild Members. After a few more moments of stares with bated breath, Felix sighed to myself. Silently cursing himself for getting the attention of some observant people in this Guild. He wasn't exactly too surprised that Cana managed to catch that detail considering not only does she use Tarot Cards and can use them to read the future but also the fact that she drinks so much. If he's learned anything, it's that paying attention to what you're drinking matters a lot in some contexts.
'I didn't wanna get attention but I suppose considering this Guild has Erza and Natsu, with his Fire Dragon Slaying Magic, chances are I might be someone of interest also.' Felix thought to himself
Felix placed aside his sandwich and water before slowly raising his hand. Focusing magic through it before creating a fire in his hand. Making sure to not charge it up, it looked a lot more intimidating when he did it like that. A lesson he learned when he charged up Flare in his hand. The flame had crackled softly and warmly, some people looked unimpressed but others could tell that the flame he was using seemed quite a bit more potent. Makarov, meanwhile, had a feeling that the flame that Felix was using was far more controlled then it seemed.
"Huh, didn't take you for a Mage with Fire Magic." Wakaba said a bit unimpressed
"That's one part of it." Felix say simply
"...One part of it?" Levy asked with some curiosity
Felix didn't even notice she was there alongside the others, he could only guess her team must have been relaxing in the Guild Hall after a mission. Thinking about it, he never really thought too much about the rest of Team Shadow Gear after their technical introduction during one of the arcs. Pushing that thought aside, he then quickly focused on shifting over towards the power of Wind, replacing the flame with green energy eliminating off of his hand with the sound of rushing wind. Quite a few people had their eyes widened upon seeing that with Makarov stroking his mustache thoughtfully. Managing to switch to Wind magic like that was fairly impressive, that implied he was good at using multiple forms of magic and using multiple magics takes some time to master.
"You… switched it to Wind? Generally when using magic, it takes a moment to do that sort of thing." Levy said surprised
"I can use more than just wind also." Felix responded with simply
Soon after, he switched to Thunder with electricity sparking off of his hand with a faint purple glow. Faintly, Felix could hear the sound of Cid chuckling in the back of his head. He always was one of his favorite characters of Final Fantasy 16, while he isn't exactly using the power of Ramuh. He hopes he can use the power of Thunder well. Even if, in this case, he's not an outlaw. Mirajane looked quite impressed at this point. Felix then switches it to Earth with rocks and dust emanating from his hand.
"Earth magic also? You know four magic Elements?" Cana asked a bit surprised
"Well in total… I know eight." Felix says with a bit of a sheepish look
Felix's hand then had ice eliminated from it with a cold frosty mist. Then the frosty ice turned into flowing water. Frankly he was a bit surprised he managed to be able to use it in that controlled a way, it then disappeared as he channeled away from the magic. Soon after he lowered his hand and looked at everyone with a more placid expression as he took a sip of water. Frankly he was kind of thirsty and would rather not keep showing off his abilities like that so easily. After all the fact that he can fire out multiple different elements was something to take notice of, he hasn't even shown some of the things he can pull off with the abilities he has. Here's hoping he had managed to get some people's curiosity satiated with that relatively simple demonstration. Of course some people looked a bit confused afterward.
"Hey, what's the deal? You show off six and not even show the two left?" Wakaba asked a bit annoyed
"I'm not comfortable showing those elements. To put it simply, they are… powerful in their own right. Though Elemental Magic is part of what I can do." Felix says simply
He then grabbed his sandwich and ate it quickly before giving Mirajane the proper amount of Jewel after digging the amount out from his jacket pocket. The brown-haired swordsman then quickly got up from his seat… before quickly leaping over to where Makarov was with a small burst of wind from where he had jumped. Apparently combined with what Clive could do alongside the abilities he's chosen has given him a pretty good ability to jump. Everyone looked quite surprised at this, including the Guildmaster himself. He stares at Felix with interest for a good few moments as he stands there with a calm yet somewhat awkward gaze. Frankly he just wanted to show that as one last thing to get them to not dig deeper but he might have played his hand too much.
"...Well that's a heck of an introduction. I must say, that does show off that you are well-trained in terms of movement quite easily… though I do believe you'll give a normal old man a heart attack with that one. Leaping towards him like that" Makarov says after a moment with good humor
"Heh, figured I'd show off some other things I can do without really having to explain… but yeah, as you've probably figured out. I'm uh… a new member. My name's Felix Stroud." Felix said, extending his hand
"You've clearly got spirit, young man. Not to mention that magic of yours… strange but potent." Makarov said to him, a slight glint in his eyes as he shook his hand
"You can just call it a simple form of Elemental Magic for now." Felix said with a sense of finality
Then he turned to look at everyone, clapping his hands as he could still see that quite a few people were surprised at him basically leaping over to their Guildmaster like that. At least he knows that this is probably gonna make them ask less questions about what he can do for now. The more flashy something is, the less someone is likely to question it is. That's the thought process he was going with here. Still, he was gonna have to try and keep a little under the radar. That task was gonna be a bit hard with how Gray was eyeing him up. Either readying to get into a fight with him or keep an eye on him to see what else he can do.
"And with that, I think I've shown off enough. So… go about your business." Felix said, walking back over and drinking the rest of his water
Everyone does so but it was obvious that quite a few people in the Guild were planning on keeping a good eye on him with what he just showed. And this is while Erza alongside Natsu are out currently, so it was plain to see that when the two get back? There was a good chance that him going under the radar was going to be less and less possible as time went on. Especially with the fact he knows that things later on were only gonna get more crazy as time goes on.
'Eh well in for a penny, in for a pound. Or however you'd convert it to Jewel in this world in this case. Here's hoping that I'll be able to hold my own in some regards.' Felix thought to himself
Otherwise if he's probably not gonna be able to keep up against some things. Though if worst comes to worst, at least he'll be able to use techniques like Strike Raid and Sonic Blade. There will be questions as to why he's able to do that but at least he can maybe play it off a little. Flare is probably going to be his best bet in case some encounters occur where using the normal elements isn't exactly possible.

---

So to explain a bit about this story. It's very Gamer-lite. He does get abilities, yes. But there's no actual system in place. If anything, he just gains abilities from video games and it's up to him to make lemonade with those lemons more or less. I've gotten a good amount of chapters written. I wanna state that if folks don't like Fairy Tail, boy are you gonna be stuck with this story for quite a bit. Because genuinely, a good chunk of the story is gonna take place inside Fairy Tail before moving onto another world.

Reasoning for that? Essentially it helps build up a good sense of storytelling and a good connection between characters. Some worlds the protagonist will travel to might be shorter, others might be longer. In the end; it's gonna really vary. This is one of those stories that, genuinely, I do struggle to right because I have to get the details just right in order to be satisfied. If folks really like this, I might even consider making this its own separate story and this'll just be the former snippets for it.

Anyway, if anyone is curious why I chose the abilities I did for this character. I figured it was fairly balanced. A weapon, some magic that could be useful, and techniques that could be pretty useful overall to use in a fight. As you saw though, that doesn't necessarily mean he's overpowered. This'll become even more apparent as time goes on.

With that explanation, I'll wrap things up here. See you all around

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 2: Isekai 101 P2

Felix sighed to himself as he sat in the Guild Hall with the usual sounds of chatter, he already knew that Natsu would be coming back today. From what he could recall, it took him two days to get back from Hargeon since Felix had arrived on July 2nd. He especially knew that's the case simply because he had overheard some people talking about 'someone impersonating Salamander being arrested in Hargeon' from a few of the townsfolk with a good amount of the guild members just mentioning the property damage. Frankly some people weren't too bothered with that aspect due to the fact that the impersonator was trafficking Humans.
'Reminds me that I might need to talk to people about property damage while I'm in this guild. It's a real problem and I think they, genuinely, really need to get past that. Though I'm not even gonna touch Gray's habit of removing his clothes. Lost cause there.' He thought to himself blandly
He already knew that's a lost cause from the moment he realized that he ended up in this world. Though frankly there were some details of Fairy Tail he had a hard time remembering past a certain point. Yet from what he was able to recall right now? Crystal clear. Down to the person who impersonated Natsu and what their name was all the way up to what happened right before the Lullaby Arc. The fact this was the case made him guess that it was the result of the weird abilities he had gotten from whatever sent him here. It was something that had actually unnerved him slightly if he was to be honest. Who knows what else might be going on with him at this point. Of course he pushed that thought aside as he sat in the Guild Hall, sandwich in hand with a few bites off of it. Idly watching as people lived their lives from the counter he leaned against it slightly. Sometimes keeping his gaze looking over and lingering on the doors leading into the Guild.
"...Are you expecting something, Felix?" Mirajane asked curiously
"I'm getting a feeling that today is gonna be an interesting one." Felix said simply
He then took another bite of his sandwich as he went back to idly watching the guild without another word. Frankly he had to admit that Mirajane's cooking really is no joke. It's genuinely pretty good stuff. Though seeing as he was already thinking about the future to an extent… it was game plan time. He, of course, was planning on helping out with Macao. In fact Felix could have saved him by now. There were some problems with that idea. While he knew he was fairly strong, he doesn't know if he's strong enough to handle Vulcan's by himself. Not to mention the tiny detail that if he does end up going there, people will ask questions as to why he went to a random snowy mountain that just so HAPPENED to be the location that Macao ended up going missing at and just so HAPPENED to find him there and bring him back. Even if Felix were to bring it up with the Guildmaster, he'll probably tell him to not get involved. Frankly, he doesn't wanna end up arguing with people just yet. That's something that'll just cause tension and he doesn't need to do that right now. So it was better for him to bide his time and wait for Natsu to arrive. Was it something he considered it objectively shitty to do? Yeah, it was.
'I should be going there and helping him. But I know that if I reveal everything about me out of the gate? I might be considered insane even for Fairy Tail.' Felix thought as he took another bite of his sandwich
And that was not mentioning the fact that if he were to give his proof, he'd honestly really have none considering that he doesn't exactly have any sort of skills to prove that he isn't from this world. If anything, the fact he can control multiple elements the way he does and some of the spells he has that he took from Eikon Skills from Final Fantasy 16 could just be seen as a particular flair he has. In the end, he really doesn't like doing cloak and dagger business but he's not all that strong yet. He's gonna have to play it carefully for a bit before being able to make world-changing plays. He then took another bite of his sandwich right as Natsu kicked the doors in.
"We're back!" He shouted loudly
Soon after, he quickly ran over and slugged a person in the face right after they said something to Natsu upon seeing him. Felix already knew why and didn't exactly know the guy's name, there were some details that still escaped him after all. Regardless, the man had been practically launched towards the ground with that punch as Natsu looked at him angrily. Frankly it was a miracle the Rune Knights weren't ever called here because of these things. Then again there was always a small chance they were and it was just straight-up never discussed.
"That rumor you gave me was a fake!" The Fire Dragon-slayer yelled angrily
"Hey! I said it was just a rumor but you have to go and blame all of that on me huh?!?" The other member retorted
It didn't take long for things to begin to escalate into a fight from there. With Gray, of course, joining in and not having any clothing aside from his underwear. Felix sighed as he began to watch them fight, making sure to stop Elfman from being launched into Mirajane by grabbing him out of the air with a quick more passive use of Aero. Using it in such a way that it slowed him down enough that he could recover and land. He looked at the brown-haired Dominant with a grateful expression and a thumbs up.
"Thanks Felix." He says simply
"No problem, kick some ass my man and show them what you've got." Felix said, patting the muscular man on his back
Elfman then launches himself back into the fight as Felix notices Lucy staring at him with some surprise. He just grabs his sandwich and takes another bite before looking at her with a fairly relaxed gaze. Giving a small raise of the hand as a hello which made her look him over with a bit of trepidation. An understandable reaction considering the fact that a good chunk of the Guild was in what was basically a barfight right now.
"...Yeah before you ask, I'm new also. I came here two days ago. Name's Felix Stroud." Felix says calmly
"Okay at least someone here is a little… relaxed." Lucy said sheepishly
"I try to be. Anyway, nice to meet a Celestial Mage. Don't worry about this, fights happen fairly often. Should let you know that the Guildmaster is probably gonna break this up. He's a nice dude." Felix said as he leaned back against the counter once again
Right as he said that, Makarov came out in his more gigantic form and yelled out angrily. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!? YOU MORONS ALMOST WRECKED THE GUILD HALL AGAIN!"
Lucy began to freeze in terror as Felix looked more calmly at this with the fighting having stopped due to well… the giant being now yelling at them. The brown-haired swordsman raised a hand in a hello with a bored expression as he stared at Makarov's giant form.
"Heya Guildmaster. I made sure nobody that wasn't fighting got hurt." He said lazily
"Ah… that is much appreciated Felix. Though it seems we have a new recruit also." Makarov said with a grateful tone after transforming back into a normal old man
"You're quite welcome." Felix said simply, taking another bite of his sandwich
Makarov then made his way up to the second floor, looking down on everyone with a stack of papers as they all looked up at him with their full attention. Frankly, Felix tuned some of what he was saying out. Simply because the complaints weren't related to him. He's actually done a fairly good job making sure to not cause property damage, of course his jobs mostly consisted of hunting things down or just helping people around town with various tasks. He's been earning a fairly good amount of Jewel, he might be able to get his own place at this rate. Then he tuned more back into the conversation as Makarov stated this to everyone while burning the paperwork.
"I say screw the Magic Guild! Now listen, any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason, right? Our Magic is meant for greatness and rules from the Magic Council just keep hammering us down, but these rules only suppress our potential and fail to have us grow as individuals. Don't be afraid of those knuckleheads on the council. Do whatever you think is right! That's the way of the Fairy Tail mages!"
Everyone cheered as he said that. Frankly hearing it in person was different, Felix could actually hear the deep passion in his town. The guildmaster truly believed what he had said. Of course he knew that was something that Fairy Tail often believed in. Following their beliefs was an important factor of being a great mage. And it just so happened a lot of Fairy Tail has the belief of helping and caring for others. It was something that he could actually admire, especially since he's overheard a few Fairy Tail members that seemed hardcore say they actually like helping out around town when they can. It was something that reminded him that for all of the property damage and fights they had, Fairy Tail was a guild of good people. Smiling to himself, the brown-haired swordsman ate more of his sandwich as everyone cheered. Later after the Guild was cleaned up a bit from the earlier fight, Lucy got her mark. She showed it off to Natsu soon after.
"Natsu! I got my mark!" She said happily
"Congrats. Welcome to the Guild." Natsu said without much care as he looked at the request board
Felix walked over to the board and glanced at a few jobs for a moment before looking back over at the pink-haired Mage. Frankly, seeing the Dragon Slayer in person was a lot more different then the anime. Especially considering the fact that he actually gives a bit more of an intimidating aura then some people would think.
"Well it's finally nice to meet Salamander in person." He said simply after a few moments
Upon hearing that, Natsu looked over at him with some surprise. "Oh yeah you're a new guy huh? …You seem strong, fight me!" He said with a grin
Everyone looked over upon hearing that with Felix having a slightly surprised expression with a bit of dread in his eyes. He shouldn't have said anything, he only said that to keep his cover up since he mentioned on his first day here about being interested in Natsu. Glancing around, he could see some people watching expectantly. Frankly? This could be a good test of his skills, see how he'll be able to stack up against the main character. With a small breath, Felix just crossed his arms and nodded.
"Alright, let's spar then… uh… outside of course, I'd rather not cause any damage in here." He said sheepishly
Natsu gave a fist pump before he headed outside with Felix following, already not liking this. Lucy, meanwhile, was idly shocked by this. After all it's not everyday you see a famous mage fight against someone who was still new to the guild. Lucy, meanwhile, looked a bit shocked with wide-eyes. She then looked over at Mirajane a bit confused by all of this.
"Is this normal?" She asked
"For Natsu? Very." Mirajane said with a giggle
The two then followed along, seeing the two fighters outside with a good amount of the Guild surrounding them to watch the fight in a circle. As they stood in front of the guild, Natsu set his hands ablaze with fire as Felix unsheathed his sword from his back. The blade glimmering slightly in the sunlight. A few people muttered about how nice the sword looked and how it looked like a pretty good blade. Especially from those more savvy about swords and blacksmithing. The two stood across from each other for a few moments… before Natsu charged forward, yelling out as his body was covered in flames.
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
Swiftly, Felix dodged out of the way before countering with a Blizzard shot from a flick of his wrist. Causing a small explosion of steam as the two elements collided. Natsu looked a bit surprised at this as the flames from his missed attack dissipated slightly, despite how he seemed. He did actually have a bit of a head for fighting and he didn't think the brown-haired swordsman had elemental magic like that. He then grinned before being promptly surprised as Felix quickly lunged towards him, stabbing his blade forward right as the Fire-Dragon Slayer weaved his body away from the attack before quickly being slashed. Hitting the pink-haired mage back a bit as he had barely managed to cross his arms in time to block the strike.
"Woah… that's a pretty strong strike you've got. Almost reminds me of Erza." He said
"...I'm nowhere near her sort of level yet." Felix responded with calmly
Then with a quick burst as his blade began to glow, he used Sonic Slash and quickly slashed Natsu in a blitz multiple times with the Dragon Slayer having a hard time keeping up before hitting him with a quick burst of Blizzard as soon as he finished using the technique. Magic Burst was a pretty useful technique to use at times, even if it was hard for him to pull off at times. He then followed up with another swift slash soon after. Striking against Natsu who knew he could only take so many more of those hits in combination with the ice magic. Felix stabbed his blade forward again with it being dodged and countered with a flaming right hook.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
The attack made Felix skid back slightly before he blocked another strike that followed with the flat of his sword, making a loud metallic clang ring through the air. Many people were looking impressed, not expecting the Elemental Magic-user to last this long in a fight. Gray's eyes narrowed as he watched this go on, getting the feeling that Felix was just preparing something. Soon after, the brown-haired swordsman pushed Natsu back before striking him with a quick punch across the face. Following it up with an upward slash, he then jumped back as the Fire Dragon Slayer countered with a flaming axe kick. The swordsman breathed out as he charged a Blizzard spell in his hand, strengthening it to Blizzaga. He then shot it out, making a fairly large explosion of ice as Natsu crossed his arms to block it while he was launched back from the force of the two elements colliding. Steam and mist from the ice mixing in the air.
"Damn! You can hit harder than I thought with ice magic, though surprised you're not yelling out your spell names." He said, slowly uncrossing his arms
"...That really isn't a spell as much as me just flinging ice at you basically." Felix said, settling back into his swordsman stance
"Then hit me with your best shot!" Natsu said, fists flaming once again
Felix nodded before he began to charge ice through his arm as it began to glow with a bright icy blue energy. His eyes began to give a dim glow as the area grew slightly colder than before. His scarf began to billow behind him with a slight energy trailing from it. Everyone else looked a bit shocked and a bit confused at the cold mist swirling around his arm. Though many knew he was preparing a fairly strong spell as the icy blue glow continued to get stronger and stronger. Happy stared with some amazement from the sidelines.
"Woah! Never seen Magic like that before!" He said amazed
"Yeah that doesn't seem like any Ice Magic I'm familiar with also…" Lucy said surprised
"ICE AGE!" Felix shouted out as his attack was ready
Then, in a single moment, he swung his arm upward and sent a series of ice spikes that hit Natsu as his eyes widened from the attack. The Fire Dragon Slayer couldn't dodge in time and was sent flying upward from one particularly large ice spike beneath him as they began to shatter into mist. The brown-haired swordsman dashed towards him in the air in a burst of wind behind him and hit him with a powerful slash before quickly attacking him multiple times as his sword gave a dull glow. Everyone looked quite amazed at the quick turn-around of the fight. At first it seemed like they were on equal terms yet with Natsu caught off-guard like that, it was in Felix's advantage. The Elemental Magic-user finishes off his flurry of glowing slashes with a powerful downward slash that causes them to both hit the ground, dirt and debris flying everywhere with slight bits of ice and mist clouding people's visions. When it cleared, it revealed Natsu on the ground with Felix having Ragnarok close to his neck. A focused gaze in his eyes as the Fire-Dragon Slayer looked with some surprise.
"...Yield." He simply said
"Heh, not a chance!" Natsu said, his tone a bit cocky
He then readied to use a Fire Dragon's Roar while Felix was close… but it was met with his face frozen in ice. Breathing out, the brown-haired swordsman got off of Natsu. Slashing his blade across the air once before sheathing it onto his back. Everyone stared in silence for a few moments… before loudly roaring.
"Woaahhhhhh! The new guy just beat Natsu!" "Yeah, Natsu might not be able to beat Erza but he can beat out a lot of people in a fight." "That new guy is pretty strong!"
Felix then looked a bit embarrassed in that moment, frankly he wasn't expecting to do that well in that fight. He only really used Shiva's Ice Age, the Blizzard spells, Sonic Rave, and Last Arcanum alongside a few of the more basic techniques he knew thanks to the Save Data he had chosen. Soon after, he unfroze Natsu's face. The pink-haired Mage looked surprised as he sat up, rubbing his head slightly with a bit of snot coming out of his nose.
"Ugh, that was really cold." He said
"Yeah it's pretty potent magic… here. As a sort of… apology. I'm Felix by the way." Felix said, creating a flame in his hand
Natsu then looked surprised at this before simply saying. "Well I'm Natsu."
Frankly the pink-haired Dragon Slayer thought that Felix might have been an Ice Mage with what he had done during their fight but… apparently he knew multiple elements also. Well he wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth considering he was being offered a fairly tasty looking flame in front of him. He quickly ate the flame that appeared in Felix's hand. Chewing on it for a few moments with a thoughtful expression before swallowing it down.
"Hmmm… your flames kinda have this like… warmth to it. Like sunlight but it also has this intense spice to it. Like it's angry. It tastes weird but… nice." Natsu said after some silence
"Oh uh… well glad my flames taste nice." Felix said, unsure how to exactly to react to that
"So you know other kinds of magic huh?" Happy asked after coming over
"Yeah it's… sort of like other kinds of Magic but I use my own sort of spins on it. You can just call it Elemental Magic though." Felix said simply
Happy nodded thoughtfully as things began to settle down, everyone headed back inside of the guild and things were pretty much back to normal. Of course a few people approached Felix and talked to him about the fight but many were just turned away after he said 'Yeah I'd rather relax after that fight, talk to me another time about it'. He honestly didn't really wanna catch attention for this but… well he already knew that being in a fight with Natsu even if he lost would catch some people's attention in other ways. So he may as well have a little bit of a reputation for being a skilled fighter. After a few minutes, Romeo walked into the guild. And this would be one of the moments that Felix knew canon was gonna start really moving forward.
"How come my dad hasn't come back yet?" Romeo asked Makarov
The guildmaster stopped drinking his beer for a moment and looked at the young boy with a somewhat annoyed expression. He sighed slightly as Felix's eyes narrowed. Frankly looking back at this moment, Makarov was a little bit callous about what was going on.
"You're starting to get on my nerves young man, you're the son of a Wizard. Have some faith in him." He said
"But sir, he said it'd only take three takes but he's been gone for over a week!" Romeo responded worriedly
"Hmmm… that is true, last I recall he took that job on Mt. Hakobe." Makarov said thoughtfully
"Exactly, that area isn't too far from here. My dad's been gone for too long, so why won't anybody go look for him!?!" He said, his tone growing enraged
"Now boy, your father is a very capable Wizard. I doubt he'd be given much trouble on Mt. Hakobe. You should learn some patience Romeo, now-"
And that's when Makarov was interrupted by Felix saying. "Now Guildmaster, with all due respect… that's the worst advice to give someone's worried child."
Some people looked surprised at him speaking out like that with Romeo looking at him a bit surprised. Natsu was just about ready to break the board before he heard that. Felix, meanwhile, stared at Makarov with some anger in his eyes. Frankly he didn't exactly like the idea of telling a child to wait for their parent to come home when that very parent could actually be dead. Even without knowing what was going on Mt. Hakobe… he'd still point this out. This wasn't something he'd let stand very easily.
"You and I both know how dangerous being a Mage can be sometimes. He has every right to worry about his father. If he genuinely thinks his father would never be gone this long, perhaps we should listen and investigate at his behest." Felix said, his tone a bit cold
"...Young man, perhaps you are correct… very well. I suppose since you are bringing this up more seriously, you'd like to investigate this yourself?" Makarov asked
"Yeah. I would… though we may need some winter clothes." Felix said with crossed arms
"I suppose that would make sense… who are you bringing with though?" Makarov asked
Felix then looked at Natsu who had a deep frown on his face from overhearing this conversation, silently cracking his knuckles with the understanding that he'll be coming with. The brown-haired swordsman just nodded at him before looking at Lucy. She stared back a bit confused before silently pointing to herself with some surprise and a somewhat startled expression.
"Eh?"

---

Moments later, Felix was in a carriage with Natsu, Happy, and Lucy. The pink-haired mage, currently, was covering his mouth and groaning. Hunched over looking quite green around the gills. Doing his best to not throw-up from his usual motion sickness. Something he's internally cursing again and again alongside how much vehicles suck. Meanwhile Lucy hummed as she looked over the winter clothes she was wearing. Her outfit consists of a cream-colored long coat with a set of brown buttons and a fur trim that reached down to her mid-thigh over a dark red turtleneck, a coffee brown skirt over a set of black leggings, and a pair of knee-high brown fur-trimmed boots. Frankly she was a bit surprised that she was brought along on this mission, she could understand Natsu since he was strong but her? All he knows about her is that she's a Celestial Mage, a fact he could easily note from the keys around her waist.
"So… not to be rude or anything but uh… why'd you bring me along exactly?" Lucy asked sheepishly
"Simple, Celestial Mages in Guilds like ours generally have good Spirits that are combat-focused. Especially so if they have Golden Keys, so in my opinion. You've got a good amount of strength on your side with just that alone." Felix explained
And he was being honest when he said those words. While yes he did it just so some things could go the same, he also knew that Lucy was fairly strong with her Celestial Spirits as is. Even if it didn't seem like it at first, the fact she has multiple Golden Keys shows that she's a powerhouse in her own right. So in the end, taking her along was just a logical choice even if he didn't really wanna follow canon anyway.
"Right I guess that makes sense but… why are you not wearing winter clothes then? Didn't you suggest getting some?" Lucy said, looking a bit confused
"Oh… yeah weirdly the forms of Elemental Magic I use have made me a bit more resistant to some Magical Elements. So I'll be fine in my current outfit frankly." Felix explained casually
Another thing he was being honest about, despite the fact he was wearing a denim jacket and a scarf in spring. He never really felt hot, if anything he always felt perfectly fine. So he just chalked it up to the fact that it came from the fact his knowledge of Black Magic allowed him to be a bit more resistant. Sometimes the abilities he had were a bit weird but he isn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Glancing at Natsu, he could see that he was still groaning a bit.
"Don't worry man, the ride'll be over in a bit." Felix said, patting his back
"...U-Ughhhhh… I-I hope so." Natsu said as he still tried his best to not throw up
"So why are you wanting to help out Romeo anyway? You're new to the Guild, so it's kinda strange you're helping out someone you haven't even met." Happy questioned
"...Because it's basic decency. I don't care if I've never met the kid's father, if he wants someone to investigate and see if his father is fine. I'll step up. No questions asked." Felix says, his tone growing soft as he looked at the window
Happy just nods with a bit of silent surprise and doesn't say anything after that. After a few moments, the carriage finally stops with Natsu immediately recovering. Frankly the brown-haired swordsman is glad that he doesn't have to deal with motion sickness, as cool as Dragon Slayer powers seemed. That was a downside he'd never really wanna deal with. The four stepped out of the carriage soon after as the carriage driver said this.
"This is as far as I can take you. Apologies."
"Hey, it's all good. Take this as a tip." Felix said, handing the driver some Jewel
As they took in the scenery, they could see it was an ice-cold mountain wasteland. With violent blizzards also. Lucy pulled up the hood of her coat as she did seem a little cold but she could manage it a bit more, the clothing she was wearing was made of more weather resistant thread. In response to seeing her cold, Felix made a flaming ball in the air with a quick flick of his wrist. Frankly that was one of the pieces of knowledge that the brown-haired swordsman found pretty useful in situations like these. The air warmed up slightly as Lucy felt a little less cold.
"Okay, how many things are you able to do with your Magic?" She questioned
"...You'll probably see it all one day." Felix said simply with a light shrug
"Honestly I'm just glad we're out of that thing!" Natsu said happily
"Well we've got a mission to focus on. So let's get going. Stick closely together, step carefully." Felix said before walking forward
"Geez, who made you the boss?" Happy asked with an annoyed voice
"I'm just gonna warn you this once, Happy, I can be pretty irritable sometimes… so don't poke the bear please." Felix said, glancing at the blue-cat with a sharp gaze
"G-Got it!" Happy said a bit afraid, idly being reminded of Erza
Felix sighed before he drew out his sword, holding it in his hand as they began traveling up the mountain. Lucy looked around a bit as they traveled, idly glad that she put on the clothing she was given. Otherwise she'd be utterly miserable up here with how cold it was. At least she has a Celestial Spirit she can use if that becomes the case during their time on the mountain. Though frankly, she had to admit this is a bit of an odd location to go on a Job for.
"So why did Macao come up here anyway? I know the Guildmaster said he was on a Job but… why here?" Lucy asked
"Oh, he came out here to take down a Vulcan. Big monster, kinda ugly by some reports. Can be a bit dangerous. But you don't have to worry about that." Felix said simply
"U-Um… why wouldn't I worry about that, exactly?" Lucy said a bit scared
"You've got Spirits you can summon. Not to mention the fact uh… me and Natsu are here." Felix said, gesturing to him and the Fire Dragon Slayer
"Are you seriously thinking we can take on a big ugly monster like that!?!?" Lucy asked angrily
"Yeah. We can." Felix said with utmost honesty
"Agreed, we can handle this." Natsu said grinning
"Aye!" Happy cheered loudly
Lucy blinked as she could see in Felix's eyes… he actually did have faith in her. Humming slightly, she reached down to grab her Keys. Maybe she should have a Key ready just in case they do encounter that monster. Suddenly Felix stopped as he looked around the area. Tension entering his frame. Natsu noticed this and got a bit tense also with Lucy suddenly looking a bit afraid at what was going on. She could feel a slight chill crawl up her spine upon noticing the warmth leaving his eyes and being focused with an almost rigid focus.
"Felix? Is something wrong?" She asked
"Yeah… we're about to be ambushed." Felix said as his eyes narrowed
He then saw a large ape-like creature leap towards them from a nearby cliff that was above them. Moving quickly, he leapt forward and blocked a strike from the creature. A loud metallic clanging sound rang out across the air as the Vulcan was forced back a step from the parry. Clearly enraged by the people that were traveling in its territory. Lucy looked a bit terrified alongside Happy as Natsu immediately got into a fighting stance. His fists are lit on fire as his gaze immediately gets serious.
"T-That's a big Vulcan!" Happy said, his tone having fear creeping into it
"Hell yeah! Now we're talking!" Natsu said with an almost menacing grin
"Lucy! Summon a Spirit! Anyone that you can think will help! Natsu, help get this guy off of me!" Felix said as he held his sword up as he blocked another strike
The Vulcan growled with fangs bared as he pushed against him, making the brown-haired swordsman skid back slightly. Natsu then charged forward, punching the ape-like creature back a good few feet. Snow blasting outward from the sheer force of the strike. Felix moved back slightly before breathing out, holding Ragnarok in one hand as it began to glow a bright radiant yellow.
"STRIKE RAID!" He boomed out
He then threw his sword, the blade rapidly spinning and slashing at the Vulcan before the sword quickly reappeared in his hand. Fun aspect of his magic, he can make his weapon return to his hand. Another gift horse he does not plan on looking in the mouth. Lucy got out a Key with a serious expression. Now was the time for her to help. Especially considering the fact that Felix believes that she can help with this fight.
"Open! Gate of the Bull: TAURUS"
Lucy then turned the key in the air, her gaze focused as Felix used another Strike Raid against the Vulcan upon resummoning Ragnarok back to his hand. He was focused on making sure the Vulcan didn't have any time to do anything to Lucy while she was summoning a Spirit for the fight. The Celestial Spirit appeared in a quick shimmer with his axe at the ready. He then looked at Lucy with hearts in his eyes which made her look quite annoyed with a small tic mark almost visibly appearing on her head.
"Luuuucccy! You're looking beautiful in those winter clothes!" Taurus said with a flirty voice
"Not now! I need you to fight that Vulcan!" Lucy said with a particularly fierce anger
"Yes ma'am!" Taurus said, immediately getting the message
Felix threw his sword again in another Strike Raid, hitting the monster once again and stunning it for a bit. He breathed out as he saw the Bull Spirit charged forward and slashed at the ape-like monster with his axe with a powerful downward strike. The attack sent it flying a good few feet away from the group. The fight still wasn't finished as it tried to recover from that strike. Moving quickly, Natsu then followed up the attack with his own, shouting out as his fist was on fire.
"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"
He then punched the Vulcan in the face, making it staggered for a few moments. It rubbed its face before roaring angrily as it clutched its face. It readied to leap towards them again to try and clobber them but then Felix leapt forward with a glowing blue energy mixed in his hand, his eyes giving a faint glow. He then said with ice cold fury in his voice before the monster could even recover.
"Flare Breath."
Bright blue flames then burst out of his hand and flowed outward like a flamethrower, making the Vulcan roar in pain as it could barely do anything in response to the attack. After a moment, Felix shut off the attack before slashing at it multiple times before it could recover. Keeping up the aggression in this fight was valuable because letting do anything could spell a myriad of issues later on. He then leapt back, looking at Natsu with a serious expression as his eyes still had a bit of the glow from his earlier use of magic.
"NATSU! FINISH IT!" He yelled
"YOU'VE GOT IT! WITH A FLAME IN MY RIGHT HAND AND A FLAME IN MY LEFT HAND, WHEN YOU COMBINE THEM TOGETHER; FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!" Natsu said before launching the fireball
When it hit the Vulcan, the area around them became a bit hot before quickly cooling down due to the mountain blizzard's freezing temperatures. When the clouds cleared, the Vulcan stood there for a few moments… before collapsing onto the ground with a loud distinct thud. Making snow kick up into the air for a few moments. Felix breathed out a bit before slowly nodding, swinging his sword to the side before sheathing it onto his back. Lucy looked amazed as she stood there, Taurus already having headed back to the Celestial Spirit Realm after his duty was done.
"Wow you guys… really didn't give him a chance to fight huh?" She asked a little bit stunned
"Vulcan's are dangerous creatures. Giving him a single chance could have resulted in a lot more pain for us." Felix explained simply
"Yeah… though hey, what was up with that technique? Kinda reminded me of a Dragon's breath." Natsu asked with a serious gaze
"...I'll just say it like this. A part of my Magic has inspiration taken from Dragon's. I'm not like you Natsu, a Dragon Slayer… it's nothing you really need to worry about. After all, Dragons are pretty strong creatures and I may as well take some ideas from them." Felix said with a calm voice
"...Fine… but still, why the hell didn't you use that during our fight! I know you were probably holding back a bit but you could have at least used that!" Natsu asked angrily
"I don't like to show off! A lot of people would ask questions if I used some of the other things I can do!" Felix responded angrily
"Uh guys… Macao apparently was the Vulcan." Happy said, pointing at the man's body
Everyone looked at him soon after, going silent for a few moments. Felix then immediately grabbed the man's body and lifted him onto his shoulder with ease. He knew the guy wasn't gonna be too injured from the strikes, he actually did take a little bit of time to read up on Vulcan's in between missions and learned that when a person was possessed by a Vulcan. They were generally a lot more durable and stronger in that state. It's why he was fine with using a Flare spell like that.
"Yeah, let's get to a safe place with this guy and get him patched up." He said
After that, the group traveled to the nearest cave they could find and got to patching him up with Felix making a fire with his magic. It wasn't too hard since there were a few trees he found that he could tear a few branches off of. As they sat around it, Macao was still laying on the makeshift bed they made out of a few cloaks and some blankets thanks to Natsu's pack that he brought with them. The brown-haired swordsman stared into the fire with a thoughtful expression, Lucy looked over at him with a curious glint in his eyes.
"Hey Felix… mind if I ask you something?" She said
"Sure. Shoot." Felix responded with simply
"Why did you join Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked softly
"...Simple, it was the best place for me to be. I've always been… a bit of a traveler you could say. Considering the skills I have? I figure I may as well put them to good use a little bit… I like helping people when you boil it all down really. So since I ended up drifting here… I figured 'why not join'?" Felix explained with a casual expression
"...You know, helping people is a pretty good trait to have. Lot of people have joined Fairy Tail to do that. Still, when you were carrying Macao out there… I could see it in your eyes you were hellbent on getting him to safety." Natsu said, his tone serious
"...Family more than anything matters to me. Romeo cares and loves his father a lot… he went over to the Guild multiple times asking when his father will be back and if he's okay. Some might see it as impatience but that's love and care. Sure it might be because kids are teasing him but down to the core? I think he might know that his father might not come back one day." Felix said simply
"Hey, he's a strong guy. Chances of that happening are low." Happy said simply as he was eating a cooked fish
"And look at today… listen, no matter how strong you are. Everyone can meet their match eventually. Besides, I'd check even if Macao wasn't actually in danger. I'd rather make sure that kid knows he's got another day with his father… then be left unsure if he'll ever see his dad again. That's a horrible feeling to have, especially as a child his age." Felix explained sharply
Happy looked a bit surprised at that before nodding with an understanding expression. Natsu stared at the brown-haired swordsman… getting a distinct feeling he has his own history involving his family. After a moment, he clapped a hand onto his back with a small smile.
"Heh, well hey. You managed to save him. So I'd say today is a job well done." He said
"Yeah… what's your father like, Felix?" Lucy asked, tilting her head
"...Bit of a personal thing, honestly. I'll explain it one day but all you need to know is this… my father is a sore subject for me." Felix explained with some tension entering his tone
"Oh, I'm sorry if I brought any bad memories up." Lucy said apologetically
"Ehhhh, it's fine. Not like you knew. Still, Macao should be waking up here soon." Felix stated, waving it off
As if on cue, Macao woke up with a groan right after he had said that. Getting up from his spot, the swordsman headed over to the man and crouched near him as Natsu headed over also. The blue-haired man looked at the Elemental Magic user a bit confused as he blinked blearily.
"N-Natsu I recognize but… who are…?" He asked in a murmur
"Hey, don't push yourself too much. I'm Felix, I'm a new member at the guild. Your son requested we check up on you here on Mt. Hakobe. We did have to get a bit violent with you when you were a Vulcan but… well we patched you up as best we could." Felix said
He then focused only the smallest power of Fire in his hand before gently placing it onto the man's chest. Instead spreading a good amount of warmth across his body. Macao looked a bit surprised by the action as he glanced over at Natsu who nodded in confirmation. He then looked back over at the brown-haired swordsman as he gave a tired laugh.
"Heh… how pitiful… I was only able to take down nineteen of the… but the twentieth got me… I feel too ashamed by that to head back in all honesty." He said weakly
"...Hey, dumbass. You have a son back at home." Felix said, his tone firm but not unkind
"Right Romeo… but… I let him down. His old man got cocky and fell for such a rookie mistake." Macao said softly
"Your son doesn't care about that. He was so worried about his old man getting home he came by multiple days asking the Guildmaster to help. Besides, he can say his old man can beat up nineteen monsters by himself. That's much more than the average kid can say." Felix stated sharply
"Yeah man! You're a mage of Fairy Tail, don't beat yourself up over it. We all mess up sometimes." Natsu said with a grin
"...Heh… heheheheh, geez. I didn't think I'd be lectured like that… you're right." Macao said oddly amused by the turn of events
Lucy could see in Felix's eyes a sense of intense care as he kept warming the man with his magic. Frankly, a part of her had to admit that it was strange. Just a little bit earlier, he had a relaxed expression before he looked tense upon mentioning his father. When Macao mentioned feeling too ashamed to go home, he looked at the man with the sense of 'I'm not letting you beat yourself up' in his eyes. And when it shifted into just intense care. It made her wonder what drives him to even give that amount of emotion. After a few moments the brown-haired stopped and removed his hand from Macao's chest.
"It won't heal you but it'll make things ache a hell of a lot less. We're gonna need to get out of here." Felix said as he stood up

---

Romeo hugged his father crying happily, his sobs being muffled by the man's coat as the sun was setting in the distance. It took them a bit to get down from the mountain since the carriage they were on had left not long after they had gotten to their destination, not to mention the fact the cold weather made it hard to navigate. So they had to make sure to watch their steps. At one point Natsu had almost fallen off but he managed to get himself back up. That moment made Felix idly wonder sometimes why anyone would even go up mountains for jobs if going up and down it was so dangerous. In the end, they had made it back safely and with no more fighting.
"I-I'm sorry dad! It was my fault I made you go on that job! I-I should have ignored those bullies like you saiiiidddd." He said, hot tears trailing down from his eyes
"Hey hey… it isn't your fault. I'm sorry I made you worried." Macao said gently
"I-It's alright… I'm the son of a Fairy Tail Wizard right?" Romeo said with a watery smile
Macao then pulled his son back enough to look into his eyes, his gaze having a bit of guilt and relief for making his son so worried. He then pushed those feelings away before giving a grin on his face. One that reassured his son greatly. In response, Romeo looked at his father with some admiration in his eyes as he spoke these words.
"Next time bullies pick on you, tell them this. 'Can your dad take down monsters all by themselves? Because mine can!'. Your old man will always come back to you… I promise."
The two then hugged more tightly with the two smiling softly. Felix smiled satisfied as he watched with arms crossed as Natsu, Happy, and Lucy stood beside him. The Elemental Magic-User was always glad to see events like these happen, it brought a particular sense of warmth to his heart. Romeo then looked over at the group and stopped hugging his father, smiling at the four.
"T-Thank for helping my dad!" He said as he bowed down
Getting down to a knee, Felix got down to Romeo's height. Then he reached a hand and ruffled the kid's hair with a soft smile. In response, Romeo looked a bit annoyed at his hair being messed up but also a bit surprised at the amount of care that was in the swordsman's gaze.
"Kid, I'd gladly do it again. Don't ever be afraid to ask for help and don't be afraid to bring up concerns you might have. If you ever need help with anything, have your dad call me in." He said, grinning a little
"Yeah, I owe you one in all honesty." Macao said with a soft smile
"...You don't but hey, if you really wanna pay me back. Do this." Felix said as he stood back up
"Name it then." Macao said
Felix then patted the man's shoulder, looking at the Mage with a smile on his face as he raised his other hand to give a small thumbs up. His expression was surprisingly light and sincere for someone who generally looked pretty serious. Something that Macao rarely saw in a few people during his time as a Mage.
"Keep being a good dad. That's all I'll ask for."
"...Felix…" Macao said a bit surprised
The brown-haired swordsman then turned around and started walking back towards the guild with a hand raised. The sun continued to set in the distance as he did so. "Anyway I'mma head back to the Guild for tonight. Have a good evening." He said simply
Afterward; Lucy, Happy and Natsu headed off to take care of their own things. Of course as Natsu and Happy headed towards where they usually stayed at, the blue cat hummed to himself in thought. Noticing this, the Fire-Dragon Slayer glanced over at him.
"Hey Happy, what's with that look?" He asked
"...Natsu… that Felix guy is really something isn't he?" Happy said
Natsu blinked a bit in surprise at that before looking at the sky, tapping his chin slightly in thought before rubbing it a bit. Thinking over everything that happened today. Their spar, the fight against the Vulcan, how he seemed to act in and out of a fight. It honestly reminded him of someone. He then gave a grin to himself.
"Yeah. Honestly I think he's almost as strong as Erza is." Natsu said with honesty in his voice
"R-REALLY?!?" Happy said shocked
"Yeah… don't know why but that guy? He's got a lot more up his sleeves than people think." Natsu said thoughtfully
He then looked back up at the sky again for a few more moments before nodding to himself, a smile creeping onto his face. It just made him all the more excited to try and fight him again, maybe he'll even be able to push him to the limit to use more of his Magic against him. But little did he know that those thoughts about what Felix could do were far more right then he could imagine.

---

So, Felix winning against Natsu. I wanna discuss that. I wanna stress that this is a spar, in a full life or death scenario? Natsu would have a really high chance of winning. Here he just wanted to test someone's strength. Not to mention that ice, an element that's generally considered pretty strong against fire even if it is also weak to it logically, was used a lot. I wanna stress that as it stands, Felix isn't really near Erza's complete level of strength.

Now that being said, he can get there. It'll just take a lot of hard work and a whole hell of a lot of experience to do so. That sort of thing will be shown later on.

If folks have any complaints or things they wanna say about this particular chapter. By all means, tell me. I kinda wasn't super confident about this one in retrospect.

With that said, see you all around.

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 3: Learning isn't just a Blue Mage Skill

Felix yawned slightly as he was reading a book in the Guild, it had only been a few days since what happened with Macao and in that time. Things were fairly relaxed, of course he noticed that some people were talking about the fact that Natsu took the Job to steal the book from a corrupt politician. Frankly he wasn't gonna even be involved with the events of the Daybreak Arc at all. Not to mention he was using the days that had passed to do something that actually could help him. Learn more Magic. Simply put, as he was? He could only do so much with what he had, so he may as well use a bit of the combat knowledge he has to use and also learn more Magical techniques in order to get a little bit stronger at least. As he read through the book, he hummed to himself in thought.
"Let's see… details here that when it comes to the uses of Elemental Magic, people can be able to be a bit creative with a variety of techniques. Most, however, prefer to learn techniques that are already made simply because it is easier to work with due to the step-by-step processes involved." He muttered to himself as he read
"Oh! Are you reading the book on Elemental Magic Theory?" Levy asked curiously
Felix glanced away from his book, he forgot that she was interested in that sort of thing. Still he could actually talk with some people about things related to Magic, it might actually be able to give him a better understanding since even with what he has learned about magic from what he can remember in media from home. Actually using it was an entirely different practice at times.
"Yeah, I want to use my Magic in better ways. While I've already got a few things up my sleeve, I do think it's better that I don't just rely on what I've learned on the road." He explained
"Hmmm… well, have you tried using it on your sword a bit more? Elemental Magic is actually one of the less restrictive magic types. Of course because of that the learning curve is a lot more steep." Levy explained
"Really? Tell me more because while the book did say a little bit on it, there wasn't much elaboration on that detail." Felix said curiously
Levy nodded and quickly brought out a book of her own, placing it down on the table and opening it. Idly, he could see her teammates looking with a bit of anger and jealousy. Frankly the swordsman wasn't exactly interested in her like that and wanted to just talk to her about stuff like this. Of course he might actually try and prevent the whole relationship with Gajeel from happening since well… he recalls there being a few things he had an issue with. Looking back over, he noticed there were a few particular drawings on the page of elements.
"So to explain. Elemental Magic, at its core, focuses only on Elements. Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Lightning, and quite a few others. I've heard that some forms of Elemental Magic are more combinations of certain Elements to make it work, like using a combination of Fire & Water Magic to create Steam." Levy explained
"I see… I kinda get that part. So I already know there's a catch." Felix stated thoughtfully
"Yeah, see you have to be really creative to use Elemental Magic and there's limits. Make-Magic focuses on one Element for a reason, trying to learn how to make things with multiple Elements is pretty hard usually. But just because you can't MAKE things out of Elemental Magic doesn't mean you can't take ideas from things." Levy explained, tapping the ice drawing on the page
"Oh, like creating a lightning bolt that looks similar to the spear and calling it something like 'Lightning Spear' right?" Felix asked
Levy nodded in confirmation. Thinking about it… he actually did manage to make Flare Breath by using the instinctive knowledge Clive had gained from Eikon's. Basically taking Flare and extending it outward like flames. So logically, why can't he do something similar involving his sword? Blinking, an idea then ran through his head as he idly remembered something from when he used to look on wiki's for information for games he was playing.
"...Levy, I think I just got an idea. Is there a training hall?" Felix asked as he had a particular glint in his eyes
"Oh uh, yeah there is!" Levy said a bit surprised
"Hey Levy, we still gotta do a job!" Jet said with a tiny bit of annoyance entering his tone
"Coming! Well tell me how your research goes when I get back Felix." Levy said before getting up
Felix nodded before heading to the training hall… he asked Mirajane where it was first since Levy hadn't told him where it was.

---

Makarov hummed to himself as he headed into the training hall, he had heard that Felix was spending quite a bit of time in there today and he figured he should check on arguably one of the most interesting new members to date. After all, he had managed to take down Natsu with a fair amount of effort. Despite the fact the Fire Dragon Slayer had gotten beaten by Erza quite frequently, he was actually one of the stronger members of the Guild that wasn't an S-Class Mage. So the fact that someone who was more new to being an official Mage had gotten his attention, especially with Mavis saying that he was someone that had far stranger of an aura to him then he first seemed. Though when he entered, he saw a flaming sword being thrown at a dummy. Standing there panting slightly, shirtless and without his jacket & scarf, was Felix. He raised his hand and resummoned Ragnarok back into his hand. Breathing in and out, he focused again. His sword glowing brightly before flames began to billow off of it.
"FIRE RAID!" He yelled out
Then he threw his blade, the flames being strong at first but before it hit the dummy the flames had weakened slightly and only created a small burst of fire. Felix panted slightly as he stood there, sweating quite a bit. He then hummed to himself as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Let's see… that was stronger that time. I think focusing on the sword being more engulfed then the flames rather than the thought of the sword having flames hovering over it helped. Though I need to focus on my imagery more. It's gotta be like a blaze, not a burst." He muttered to himself
"I see you're developing something young man. Tell me, what are you trying to do?" Makarov asked
"Oh guildmaster… I'm trying to combine aspects of Fire Magic with a technique I know called Strike Raid." Felix explained
"Interesting… tell me, how has it been going?" Makarov asked
Felix then resummoned Ragnarok back into his hand and propped it against his shoulder with a somewhat thoughtful expression. Immediately from that gaze in his eyes, the Guildmaster could tell he was thinking quite deeply on his techniques. That just made Makarov more intrigued about what the swordsman was trying to do here with his technique.
"Well… my current issue is that I can't seem to get it working the way I'm wanting it to. I'm trying to make it cause an explosion of flame upon hitting someone. Of course it didn't work the first time I tried it so… I just kept changing my approach." He explained
"Mind if I try giving some advice here?" Makarov said
"Sure, I'd appreciate it." Felix said with a small smile
"How do you normally use this Strike Raid technique?" Makarov questioned
"I just… channel magic into my sword before throwing it. The magic basically is meant to make it sharper and faster, kind of infusing it with more strength. Otherwise it'd not be that effective." Felix explained
He then demonstrated it by readying to throw Ragnarok again, the blade glowing with a bright yellow light before he threw it. The sword slashing through the dummy, not cutting through it but merely piercing it and doing some damage to it. After a moment, Felix then resummoned it back into his hand and looked back at the guildmaster who hummed thoughtfully.
"Perhaps try infusing your weapon with Fire Magic instead. You're trying to focus on the first step of infusing it with Magic before adding Fire Magic on top of it. It'll merely confuse the flow. You need it to harmonize with your weapon." Makarov said sagely
Felix blinked before looking at Ragnarok, a glint appeared in his eyes before he immediately focused. The blade then began to glow a bright orange, he then reared his arm back to throw his sword again. His eyes gave a particularly sharp gaze before he said.
"Fire Raid."
Then he threw the sword, flames exploding with a loud crackle around the sword as it spun in a circle before it struck through the dummy. Causing an explosion of flame as the sword landed on the other side. He then looked satisfied at the result before summoning Ragnarok back into his hand. Makarov was about to say something before the blade then glowed with a bright blue energy before Felix threw his sword once again.
"BLIZZARD RAID!"
Cold freezing ice trailed around the blade as it spun across the air, hitting through the dummy and causing an explosion of ice. The room filled with a slightly cold mist before it quickly dissipated. Ragnarok appeared in Felix's hand again as he grinned to himself. Makarov stared a bit amazed at this. Most would already be content with one variation of a technique they figured out but going for multiple? That was something that some Mages didn't do very often due to the fact they already use their Magic in multiple ways or use multiple forms of Magic.
"Thanks Guildmaster. Elemental Strike Raids will be pretty useful." Felix said gratefully
"Yes… Felix, you are quite the hard worker from what I can tell. Keep at it and you may become quite a powerful Mage." Makarov stated
"Heh, I don't think I'll be as powerful as some people. I just wanna get strong enough to be able to help others." Felix said simply
"...If you ever need advice again, feel free to come up to my office." Makarov said simply
He then headed off, Felix breathed out as he looked at Ragnarok in his hand. He clenched around the handle tightly before nodding to himself. Now he just needed to keep applying what he had learned during all of this towards other attacks. After all, he can probably figure out more than just the attacks from one Kingdom Hearts game. Focusing, he channeled ice into the tip of his sword before leaping forward and striking the dummy. Making an explosion of ice upon the strike landing.
"I'm not gonna be able to use everything… but I'll be able to use the Data I have to recreate what I can." Felix said to himself

Later on in the day​

Levy and the rest of Team Shadow Gear had arrived back from the guild after the Job had finished, it was a simple one. It only took a few hours for them to do after all. Of course when she got back, she could see a few people were near the room where people took time to train their magic in for a little bit. Many of them were muttering about things that were going on, the trio headed over upon seeing all of this go on.
"Hey what's going on here?" Droy asked
"Felix has been training in there for hours and… well… he's gone through a few dummies at this point." One guild member said
"Woah! He's really been practicing huh?" Levy asked
She then moved herself between the crowd to try to get a better look, there she saw Felix. He was in front of a dummy that was set-up with a few broken ones nearby. He breathed out as his sword glowed a bright orange, he then threw it forward with flames trailing around it with a loud crackling noise. To some, it sounded like he was throwing out a raging inferno.
"Fire Raid!"
The sword struck the dummy before going upwards at an angle, sending the dummy into the air. Suddenly Ragnarok reappeared in his hand as Felix quickly dashed forward and leapt into the air, he spun around with bright purple electricity sparking off of his sword as he struck the dummy multiple times. Looking like a blur as he spun around in the air, scorching the dummy more with the sparking sword.
"Spark Sweep!"
Afterward, he transitioned the spin into pointing his sword at the dummy with the tip glowing with a bright radiant light at the end of it. His eyes glowed slightly as the light pulsed slightly. Then, after only a small moment, it fired off a series of glowing projectiles that hit the dummy. Each shot breaking off pieces of it as it was struck multiple times.
"Infinity!"
Some thought that was where the attack would have been finished yet he reared his blade back. The edge of Ragnarok began to be coated in a thin bright glowing green energy with the sound of hissing wind. Levy looked a bit surprised considering she remembers hearing wind is one of the harder elements to control in that way. He then stabbed it downward, creating a large burst of wind as it pierced through the dummy.
"Wind Dive!"
And when he landed, the dummy was completely destroyed from the attack. Making the pieces that were blown off of it fall from the air and land with various clanking thuds. He slashed his blade to the side with it making a crisp sound as he did so, his body still covered in sweat as he panted slightly. He then hummed to himself as he propped his sword onto his shoulder, seemingly not noticing all of the people that were staring at him as he was training.
"Let's see… that was a lot quicker, I'm getting a bit better at chaining them together like that. It takes a moment for me to switch between elements like that but I'm only getting better as I keep using them." Felix muttered to himself
"Wow! You really managed to figure out how to use your Magic creatively huh?" Levy said
He then looked over and saw everyone staring at him, the realization hit him that people might have seen what he had just done and he looked a bit sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. Frankly the attention was making him a little bit nervous.
"Uh… heya there! Sorry if I was taking up the training room too much. I wanted to test some stuff out for a while." He said
"...And he managed to keep up with Natsu without all of that." One guild member murmured
"He's starting to remind me of Erza a little with how skilled he is with that sword." Another murmured
Levy then walked over, not at all caring that he was currently shirtless, and gave him a smile as he continued to look a bit sheepish from the event. He genuinely kinda lost focus for a while and just trained in the room for a while with only a few breaks. The brown-haired swordsman genuinely didn't even notice people were watching him.
"So what did you manage to figure out by yourself?" She asked
"Well I managed to make a few variations of techniques I have. Though I'd say the Elemental Raids are pretty useful. The Guildmaster actually gave me some really good advice." Felix said
"Really! Wow, you must have caught his attention with what you were doing for him to do that." Levy said impressed
"Eh, I was just trying to figure out how to use Fire Raid. Honestly his advice of imbuing my sword with Fire rather than just thinking of engulfing it in flames helped." Felix said with a small chuckle
"That's some pretty good advice. How many techniques did you figure out?" Levy asked
"Oh… well… about three? Each of them have an elemental variation though. It wasn't really hard to figure out how to use them, a lot of them used a pretty basic principle. The hard part was figuring out how to chain them together." Felix explained
Some of the Guild members went a bit pale upon hearing that. Some of them knew he had about eight types of magic he could use, so that with some quick mental math if they were to think about the total techniques accounting for every variation. He had basically over twenty of them. He spent time figuring out how to chain them together essentially… meaning that all that time spent in the training room was just spent learning how to hone using them all to a fine edge. It distinctly reminded them of a particular red-haired S-Class Mage.
"If he fights Erza, the Guild might be destroyed." One person murmured
"Hey! He's strong but he isn't Titana levels of strong." Another person hissed
Felix breathed out after grabbing a towel and wiping himself down, he had to admit. He was a lot more fit compared to his old world, not super muscular but he did have the makings of a six-pack. After wiping himself down, he grabbed his shirt and jacket before putting them on. Adjusting his clothing slightly, he looked at Levy with a small smile.
"You know; I'd kinda like to learn more about this sort of thing. If you've got some time tomorrow or the day after, we can meet up and discuss more about Elemental Magic." He said
"I'd like that. In all honesty, I don't get to discuss Magic Theory with very many people. It's not a topic that a good amount of people are interested in." Levy said with a bit of a sheepish tone
"That's a shame honestly." Felix said simply
Meanwhile, Jet and Droy were glaring daggers at him. Little did they know that Felix was… not at all interested in her at the moment. He frankly was just wanting to learn more stuff from her because simply put, he just wants to get strong. Some would consider him dense but he can tell she just likes talking to him about this sort of thing, so there's really no mutual interest outside of friendship. Still, the pair fully planned on the future spying on him in case he does anything. Just another day in the Fairy Tail Guild some would say really.

Canon: Omake
Felix: So… you guys look like you had a fun day.
Lucy: I don't wanna talk about it.
Natsu: Hey, even if we didn't get paid. At least we helped out the son of that author you liked
Happy: Not to mention we did a good deed today!
Felix: …Lucy, I'll help you out with a quick job so you can get paid and get some money for rent. I'll split it with you 75-25. 75 in your favor
Lucy: Thanks
Natsu: HEY!

---

So in case anyone is curious, yeah there is gonna be a fair amount of moments where Felix is training. To put it simply, he's trying to get himself a lot stronger to handle the sorts of things that happen in Fairy Tail. I know this chapter was a bit short but this was mostly an interlude chapter. There's gonna be a lot of those in this particular fic because downtime is important to a story I believe. Especially one like this one.

That aside, yeah next chapter is gonna be for Remnant: The JRPG. I'll see you all around.

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 6: A Dangerous Interlude

[Your HP, AP, and MP has been 100% restored after resting in a bed]
​

I got up from my bed, I already knew I woke up early. Always been an early riser and that translated here, glad that I can easily set out long I rest in a bed. Opening my menu, I immediately take a small look at my stats. Humming slightly. Frankly I really need to use those Stats points. I get five per level-up. So I always do my best to put a good amount of points into the stats that matter. So looking over my current stats. I need to think over what I'm going to be doing from here.

[STR: 25]
[END: 25]
[SPD: 20]
[INT: 21]
[WIS: 25]
[CHR: 21]
[LCK: 15]

After a few moments of thinking. I decided to put three points into speed. A point into Intelligence. And a point into Charisma. My strength is at a pretty good point currently where I could easily spend the next few level-ups putting a point into it. I might be a match for fighting Drake but from what I had apparently heard, he was a fairly good student. Not the best but not the worst either. Nodding. I accept the choice, letting the menu close. Well, it was time for another school day… wait a moment, I check the calendar. Ah, it's a Saturday… forgot yesterday was a Friday. Could spend more time training… but I could check out that Spellcraft System since that interests me a bit. Let's see… I can take two Spells I know and create a strong spell. But I can't make a Spell above the current Tier of what I have. For example, I can mix Fire and Blizzard to create a variation of the Water spell but I can't take Singe and Fire to create Fira. Weird system but I can work with it. After a bit, I took a lot of the Tier 0 Spells and combined them together. Getting a total of eight new spells. Half of them damaging, the other half inflicting Statuses which will be useful.
[{Skills}]
[Crafted Magic (LVL Max): Crafted Spell, Mastery of other Magic effects Spell Tiers]
◆[Fire Spear (T1): Create a Spear Of Fire that can inflict {Burn} Status {Costs 10 MP}]
◆[Frost Bolt (T1): Cast a Bolt of Ice {Costs 10 MP}]
◆[Thunder Spear (T1): Create a Spear Of Thunder that can inflict {Shock} Status {Costs 10 MP}]
◆[Tidal Bolt (T1): Cast a Bolt of Water {Costs 10 MP}]
⩺[Freezing Fog (T1): Send out a Fog that can inflict {Cold} Status {Costs 5 MP}]
⩺[Steam Spray (T1): Create a burst of Steam that can inflict {Blind} Status {Costs 5 MP}]
⩺[Static Haze (T1): Manifest a electrified Haze that can inflict {Shock} Status {Costs 5 MP}]
⩺[Ember Spray (T1): Send out Embers that can inflict {Burn} Status {Costs 5 MP}]

Suffice to say. I've got a good amount of Spells to work with. Not to mention the fact that in terms of usefulness, I'd say they have a pretty good place in my kit. Fast moving attacks that can inflict Statuses are good, same with the ability to inflict AOE Status Effects. While the Status Inflicting moves don't do damage, they make up for it by having a higher chance of inflicting those Statuses and those Statuses they inflict are quite useful. Burn lowers Endurance and does what is essentially chip damage, Cold lowers Endurance and Speed, Shock can cause attacks to be interrupted and is another form of chip damage, and Blind just does as the title says. It blinds people. Some would say that's weak. I'd say that's quite useful for a fast moving opponent. Regardless since it's the weekend… I guess I could spend some more time training… or I could hang out with people. Leveling up Social Links could be useful at the moment, not to mention the fact I am getting the feeling that sooner or later I'll be able to figure out what those Spells and Skills even are. Not entirely sure what any of that entails at the moment. I'll have to think more about the whole situation after breakfast. As the sun crept over the windowsill, I did a stretch before letting out a yawn. Walking down the hall after spending a few more minutes relaxing.

Hours Later
​

I hummed to myself as I ate my breakfast with Ruby, Yang, and Roselyn. It was pancakes and bacon alongside some scrambled eggs, Taiyang's weekend staple usually. I noticed that today he was moving around with a particular energy and flourish. I can already tell this is one of his better days since some days he was just… dead inside. Some mornings, Taiyang shuffled through breakfast like he was just ready to collapse. Those days he had tired eyes, half-hearted smiles, and the kind of silence that said he was trying but barely holding himself together. Can't blame him for mourning but still, it's hella concerning. But that aside, it is nice seeing him up and about like this. Watching him laugh with his daughters after telling a bad Dad Joke. Reminds me why Yang and Ruby care about him so much, he's a pretty good dad just trying to hold himself together as best as he can for his daughters. I notice that there's a particular glint in Taiyang's eyes as I get close to finishing eating my breakfast. It's a glint that, while it isn't anything bad, does kinda draw a lot of my curiosity currently. Something was brewing in that head of his, I could just tell.
"Uh… Taiyang… is there something up?" I ask
"Well I do have a plan in mind for today." Taiyang says
"A… plan?" I echoed
"Ooooh, what's the plan daddy?" Yang asks
Taiyang chuckles softly. I then recall sometimes that he mentions that sometimes homework over the weekend takes up a bit of his attention, meaning that he doesn't always have as good a chance to spend time with his daughters as he'd like. I guess he probably managed to get some stuff done enough that he can either not worry about the work he needs to grade or grade the rest of it later. He began drying his hands with a dish towel after having finished eating his own meal.
"I was thinking today maybe we'd head down to the city? Have a look around, see some interesting sights. Go out for today. Get out of the house for a bit together." He says
"...I mean I'm down for it. Maybe we could head down to the beach? It is getting warmer now, so wouldn't be a bad time to visit." I state
From what I can recall, I arrived here in Early Spring so it'd make sense if it was starting to get to Summer slowly but surely. Frankly that should just remind me that the time I have here can go by super fast depending on what I do and how I react. But for the most part, it's just reminding me that I'm living in this world as a part of it now. So no anime time-skips for me, just experiencing the tides of time itself. God I feel old thinking of it like that… and I was twenty when I died.
"Hmmm… depends on how the weather is. I do like the idea." Taiyang says
In all honesty? I probably should be taking the time to get stronger. I should be power-leveling the fuck out of my Stats. But there's the general fact that one cannot live a life purely on training. Not to mention the fact that I've got plenty of time ahead of me and plenty of ways of screwing over Salem as is. There's very little I can do with the information and even with the possible strength I could get, there's not a lot I can do with that either. So taking some time off to relax? That's not a bad option. Plus in a way I am getting stronger anyway. There's also the fact that I could try buying some items to clean rust off of that sword using my own money since I do have a good amount. This'll probably be a nice relaxing day.

---

I give a content smile to myself as I hold a bag filled with items meant to clean off rust. I told Taiyang that I was saving up some money for it to clean something I found off, which was some old Coins I found. It wasn't exactly a lie since I did find that Old Coin and I could clean off some of the rust. Outside of that today was just a nice day out, going around. Walking to places. Seeing some things that were going on in the town. Generally speaking it was just a nice change of pace. Sometimes I forget that in spite of the future knowledge I have, nothing is going to go to shit just yet. It's going to be a slow gradual thing, something that absolutely sucks, but it's slow enough that I can plan for it. I chuckled softly as I listened to Ruby ramble on about something she read in the storybook she got, it was interesting knowing that before becoming a massive Weapons Nerd. She loved reading storybooks. Something that wasn't really talked about often in the show. I then notice my ear twitch… and then feel something is off. Like something about the area just changed. I stop my movements which catch everyone else's attention. I look around, feeling a sudden sense of danger. A cold feeling begins to seep into my gut as I notice a menu pop up in front of me.

[Ability Learned!]
{Danger Sense: LVL 1}

Shit. I turned my head and immediately began scanning around the area quickly before looking at Taiyang who immediately looked concerned. Understandable considering I just stopped out of nowhere, not to mention the fact I was hardly keeping the sudden sense of tension from my body and stance. Dammit, why did I have to get this skill now? Of all times? On today of all days for that Ability to come up?
"Someone's following us." I say
"Dammit… seems I've been caught… damn Faunus!" I hear
Then a man begins charging forward and grabs Ruby, holding her at knife point. Making her cry out in panic. Taiyang is practically ready to leap on the man and beat his ass but as soon as he steps forward. He brings the knife closer to her as she screams loudly.
"Nobody move! Or the girl gets it!" He yells out
Ruby whimpered in fear as everyone in the area stood there, unable to move. Someone clearly had already called the Police. Dammit… even with all of the power that I have at my fingertips. I feel useless here. I can't kill that guy because then I'd get into major trouble, regardless if I was a kid. But if I don't fight him then… then. I can't… I can't do anything here. I feel time slows down to a crawl as I watch on in horror, despite Gamer's Mind being in effect… my emotions. They're out of control. It's like a wave. And I just… I need to break through it. I need to do something. Anything. Then I realized… there is something I can do. But it's gonna be something I have to play with carefully considering that everything could easily go wrong. I focus my breath… before slowly raising my hands. It makes the man hold the knife just a bit closer to her throat, making my gaze narrow slightly.
"Lower your hands kid! Keep them to your side! I know what some of you Faunus can do!" The Man barks angrily
"Hey… let's all calm down here. Don't lose your head. I'm just raising my hands to not reach for anything since I can easily do that." I say somewhat calmly, my voice shaking a little
"Hah! A kid like you? Telling me to calm down?!? Do you know what you damn Faunus have been doing? You've taken so many of our jobs and-"
I interrupt his ranting by casting Steam Spray in his face, instantly blinding him. Making him drop Ruby alongside his knife, with her out of the way. I'm gonna make sure this guy understands what sort of situation he's gotten himself into. I instantly pick up the Knife before tackling the man to the ground, barely managing to do so with my smaller weight. I then held the knife up to his neck with an intense gaze, adrenaline running through my veins. Genuinely speaking? My anger? It's more genuine than I'd like to admit. Because there's a lot of things I don't even tolerate, not even Gamer's Mind could suppress that I believe. People like the man in front of me? They are not one of the kinds of people I tolerated in my world and will not tolerate in this world either. Considering what this guy was about to possibly do in order to do what he believed was right? I'm a little inclined to kill him. But that's mostly the dark parts of my mind speaking. The rest of my mind knows killing him would be wrong, it's far too severe in this situation, it wouldn't benefit me to do so, and it would raise suspicion around my character anyway. So instead, my gaze narrows as I slightly focus on bringing out a very particular aura around me.

[Ability Unlocked!]
{Killing Intent: LVL 1}

"...You are lucky that I don't kill people, you know that? Bigots like you? Oooooh I hate bigots like you so much." I say simply
"Y-You… you're nothing but a mangy m-mutt! I-I'm not scared of you!" The man yells out, somewhat scared
"You shouldn't be scared of me, you're right… but unfortunately for you, currently I've got a knife against your neck. Of course, there's someone here who would GLADLY make sure you don't do anything. So seeing as I'm not exactly old enough to prevent someone like you from getting away very easily." I say, tilting my head towards Taiyang
I move away from the man, tossing away the knife a good distance away. He tries to scramble for it but Taiyang instantly pins him down, making sure he can't do anything. Meanwhile, I go over to comfort Ruby with Yang and Roselyn helping. Honestly I'm pretty sure this is gonna be one of the more traumatizing days of her life… or she'll just not think much about it. People are kinda weirdly resilient about that. Regardless, I hold her tightly as she cries from the fear she felt. Police Sirens echoing in the distance as they get closer and closer.

Time passes
​

"So… that steam you shot out of your hand. That was a Spell you learned?" Taiyang asks me
To put it simply. After we talked to the Police, I was pretty much let go pretty quickly seeing as I was a kid whose Semblance mostly likely manifested in a stressful moment. I was technically a minor after all, mental age withstanding. Especially considering that same Semblance just stopped someone from being hurt. It was honestly a good thing I crafted those Spells today. Because frankly? Steam Spray actually really helped out in dealing with that guy. Of course he wasn't really all that majorly affected by the attack. Guess in a weird way, it was pretty much sand being thrown in someone's eyes. Of course from what the police had told Taiyang, that guy was apparently tailing us and was planning on robbing us. It just so happened the guy was also a bit of a bigot. It's not something I'm too surprised with considering sometimes being a criminal and being a bigot go hand in hand. Then again my life experience has taught me nothing is ever that simple and this is just one of those many weird overlaps that tend to happen in life. Frankly, thinking about it is depressing sometimes even when I'm pretty much in an anime world filled with cool mechashift weaponry and superpowers that come from the soul but some things never change in other worlds I suppose. In the end, when all was said and done, we headed back home to relax. With Taiyang immediately deciding to grill me on it because this is pretty major. Can't exactly blame him.
"Yep. Of course I'm pretty much just gonna say it's a part of my Semblance." I say with a shrug
Far as I can tell? Don't have a Semblance. Gamer Ability giving me that sort of thing would make me way too overpowered considering what Semblances are capable of doing sometimes. Of course as is, I'm pretty good at what I can do in a fight anyway. I've got healing and Magic Damage thus far in two different ways. And knowing the Gamer Ability, I might be able to gain more Classes later on. Which will be useful because I absolutely plan on trying to get more Classes. If Final Fantasy 5 has taught me anything it's that using just one Class sometimes doesn't cut it, having a good array of Classes can be pretty useful depending on what sort of build you're doing. And I'm pretty much making my Build to be good not just in a fight alone but also with a group. Always was sort of the type to play Support in some regards. Alongside the fact that, generally speaking, people might get hurt even with my plans to change Canon so I may as well be prepared for the worst case scenario anyway. The Social Links are pretty good proof anyway that I'm affecting things regardless. Not sure why the Gamer Ability isn't exactly giving me a clear answer on all the details related to that whole thing but I'll learn why later on I suppose. After all, even if it's been slow-going. I have still been gaining Ranks with people and if I've learned anything? It's that having a good social network can do wonders for making things go well. As it stands, however, I'm just gonna have to be patient and make sure to build out everything carefully.
"Right… right… I know you're already planning on being a Huntsman but with what you did today? I'm starting to think maybe… you should start designing your own weapon here soon." Taiyang states, breaking me out of my thoughts
"I… yeah I guess I should. Any particular reason why you want me to hurry up on that?" I ask
Usually, one would start designing their weapon around thirteen years old since that was generally considered one of the better early points towards Huntsman and Huntress training. It's kind of a milestone in that regard. Some were allowed to do that, in fact in my case with my intelligence? I'd probably have been allowed that way earlier. But Taiyang wanted me to slow down on that purely so I would be able to live a somewhat normal life.
"Simply put. I'm pretty sure at this point, handling you with kid gloves isn't a good plan. I know you're a lot older mentally but when I look at you… all I can see is…" Taiyang trails off
"A kid. Yeah I get it. I don't necessarily like it but I get it. Being handled with kids gloves does suck frankly. I appreciate you wanting to give me a more normal life. I really do. But nothing Magic has ever lived a normal life." I say, rolling my eyes a little
"Yeah. I… that is true. But I think you're already training yourself so… don't think there's much I can teach you at the moment anyway." Taiyang says with an awkward laugh
"Pretty much… but I'll come to you for advice anyway. After all, I don't know everything." I say, giving him a small grin
Taiyang just gave a soft smile in return. Frankly I feel closer with the man after this conversation. It was nice hearing from him that he's going to treat me with some more maturity after what happened. This conversation wasn't about the powers I had. It was about trust. About being seen for who I really was. And I honestly do genuinely appreciate him putting in the effort to do so.

[{Social Link Rank Up}]
[Taiyang - The Helios Brawler (Enlightenment): 2≫3]
[Skill Learned!]
{Guidance: Teach one Spell/Skill to a Target {Costs 20 AP per use} (LVL 1)}

…Huh, after me and Taiyang parted ways, with him going to grade some students' homework. I instantly look over my menu. I then came to the realization… at certain Ranks. I learn Skills from people I have a Social Link with. In this case, I learned Guidance from Taiyang since he is a Teacher. Not to mention the fact that, considering he's somewhat of a Father figure at this point, I'm pretty much gonna look towards him for advice. I actually did mean it when I said that I'm gonna come to him for advice. I really don't know everything, I may have a lot of knowledge about the world of RWBY but that doesn't necessarily mean I have the knowledge about the world of Remnant. There's a pretty clear difference between the two. Regardless, Guidance is gonna be a useful Skill to use later on. I'm not entirely sure how to feel about that honestly. Still… guess that means I should probably knuckle down and really hang out with people more often. I didn't exactly need motivation before but this just adds a little sweet topping to it all. Always was a fan of doing the Social Links in Persona anyways.

---

Okay so. An explanation on the Social Link system a bit with the skills. Essentially, the protagonist gets Skills from ranking up Social Links enough. Generally the at what Rank a skill is gained can vary alongside the aforementioned Skill but basically, a large part of this system is to give more motivation for anyone using this system, even if they weren't someone like our dear protagonist here, to make friends and make allies.

Now there's a reason for that. I'm of the belief that sometimes, you can't do shit alone and it's good to work with people. In this case? I think genuinely speaking the protagonist making friends and allies on Remnant allows him to do far far more then if he did something alone. Simply because he'd gain more resources from some people and he'd gain someone who could teach him a few things from others.

All in all, like from Persona itself. Social Links are both something very valuable in-universe and in-gameplay. So I've reflected it here also.

With that, I'll see you all around. Next few chapters is gonna be this story. I've got a few other stories in the background cooking that are far less interesting. Keep yourselves safe and all that.

 

[DracoStar12]

Chapter 7: Education & Dungeons: Stats and Drops Abound

It has been a month since what happened with Ruby, in that time, things have been fairly slow. In fact, I've been holding off from going into the new dungeon I can access in favor of just grinding in the Watching Woods. I've managed to gain about two levels. My Strength is now twenty-nine, my Speed is twenty-six, and my Charisma is at twenty-five. In that time, I also gained two points in Intelligence thanks to reading a few books on Weapons and Weapon Maintenance. Of course due to this, my MP is now at a nice Three-hundred eighty-eight… instead of Four Hundred like my HP and AP are. That annoys me immensely and I plan on fixing that later. Regardless, school was a bit dull in spite of what happened. Some things never change after all. God I can't wait to go to Beacon, I know I can just drop out but Taiyang wants me to be normal so… act normal I shall do. Of course I can't exactly act normal in this circumstance. I peek around a corner as I see one of Drake's goons stomping around. Turns out, due to the Winchester Family's influence, Drake was let off with a heavy warning. So with that in mind, instead of laying low, he's gotten smarter. He has elected to start having some goons to bring people to him off of school grounds in order to be less liable for any trouble. Lately I've been a particular target they've been looking for. Luckily my Speed Stat has also been useful for stealth, so I've been able to escape. I don't really want to fight Drake. Because even if I win, chances are problems will occur for me. I keep an eye on the goon as they look around the area, changing my hiding spots and making sure to keep myself from being spotted. After a few moments, he leaves. I wait a beat longer, just in case. Then I carefully move to leave the school. Ruby, Yang, and Roselyn have been covering for me by basically lying by omission about where I was. They said I was at a school Club… never said I was an actual member or if I was actually in one, I tend to stick by them. Teachers have been helping me a lot also since they understand that while they can't exactly punish Drake due to his family's influence, they can at the very least get me out of a sticky bit of trouble. Late passes, calling some of the Goons over to discuss important details privately, and pretty much doing as much as possible to make it hard for Drake to do his thing. Taiyang has been especially helpful since it doesn't take much for people to back off but he can't help me out every time. Hence, stealth. Best part is about it though?

[Due to your stealthy movements, you've gained +1 SPD]
​

This counts towards training a Stat. Something that I planned on exploiting as much as possible. Even if you don't know it Drake, you're helping me get stronger. Thanks for the Stat Boost, jackass. After getting off the school grounds, I sigh as I walk back home. Seeing Ruby, Yang, and Roselyn watching some TV. They don't get harassed for two reasons. If Drake harasses any of them, Taiyang will gladly come down on him as a Huntsman protecting his children. The other reason is simple; he apparently doesn't like being mean to girls. He's fine with fighting them if needed but he doesn't like being mean to them. Which is super weird seeing how racist he is but I guess he has a weird feminist soft spot alongside an odd sense of decency. I'd respect that part a lot more if it weren't for… the whole thing with the racism against Faunus but some people have weird hidden depths I suppose. In the end; I am not gonna care too much. I idly notice the show they're watching is from Vacuou and is… loosely based off of Kamen Rider. Watched a bit of the original show in my world, one of the later parts of the series to be specific. Have to admit, fun and interesting stuff.
"Well I'm home, they almost got me but I managed to slip past them." I say simply as I kick off my shoes
"...How long do you think he's going to keep doing this?" Roselyn asks me as I sit on the couch
"I'd probably estimate until he heads off to one of the big Academies after graduating from school. So I'd estimate about… two or three years." I say with a shrug
"Remind me again why you're not decking him in the face?" Yang asks, tilting her head a little
"To put it simply. It'd cause more problems than it solves because he'd tell his parents, then his parents would abuse their power to help their son, and that's just a mess I'd rather avoid than deal with." I explain simply
Yang nodded in understanding, she probably didn't entirely understand the situation but she knew that I was just wanting to not cause a whole bunch of messy stuff to happen to me. Frankly, I've been making sure to tell her a lot that she can't charge headlong into situations as much as she wants to. Because while she doesn't mind getting in trouble for doing something she thinks is right, I've been making sure to note that there's some bits of trouble that could hurt way more than it helps. Or worse, affects Ruby. And considering how much she cares about her? Yeah, it's not a surprise to say she immediately begins using her head a bit more when it comes to situations.
"Um… Ash, can I ask something?" Ruby says after a few moments
"Yeah? What's up?" I ask
"Why do you act like a grown-up so much?" Ruby asks
I stiffen for a moment. I… yeah I guess I kinda do act like an adult a lot. Kinda hard to turn that off even when you're young again. I mull over her words for a moment. Though I can't exactly say I didn't mature quickly. While my life could have been worse, it did have its fair share of bad moments… moments that have stuck with me for quite a bit. Breathing out, I lean back on the couch.
"'Cause I have to Ruby… 'cause I have to." I say simply
Ruby looks at me softly before gently patting me, then she offers me a cookie. I will not lie and say I wasn't super touched by that. Frankly I'm… glad she offered it. I gingerly take the cookie and smile at her, giving it a bite before watching the show. I don't know why but I feel like she and I sort of grew closer from that conversation even if it was pretty brief.
[{Social Link Rank Up}]
[Ruby- The Reaper Of Roses (Star): 1≫2]

---

My gaze was fixed on the ceiling, quietly listening to the gentle rhythm of Roselyn's breathing as they slept nearby. Eventually, I rolled over and checked the time on my COMP. I take a slow breath as it once again reaches that time, the usual time in the night where I go head into dungeons. I activate the skill and enter into the usual space for making Dungeons. The familiar interface surrounding me. I then take the Fortress Key out from my inventory and look it over. It was charred black, as if scorched by intense heat, and one end was flat, etched with a distinct shell-like pattern. Frankly, if I had to make a guess. The dungeon it was going to make was probably going to be quite a bit different from the Watching Woods. The real question is, will it be based off of one from a different game. After all, seeing as I managed to arrive in an area from Salt & Sanctuary of all games. Breathing out and refocusing myself on what was at hand, I take the item and turn it into a dungeon. Making a new menu pop up in front of me, prompting me to select it soon after.

[Fortress Dungeon - Black Citadel (LVL 12): A Dungeon that is within a dark fortress filled with lava traps and all sorts of dangerous enemies. The layout, however, is the bigger challenge than the lava traps and enemies.]

[Now playing: Black Citadel Theme]
​

After a few moments, the menu closes with the world shifting into the entrance leading towards a large fortress in the distance. The sky has dark clouds above it with a distinct coloration going from a pale orange to a deep dark red. Thunder rumbles faintly, muffled by the heavy air. Dead trees line the path ahead, withered and having long since lost any sense of life. The ground below me is a mixture of ash and stone. The air has a distinct smell of fire and brimstone. Embers gently dance around the sky. Heat lingers in the air, not overwhelming but a stern reminder that this wasn't just some ordinary fortress. All in all, ominous. Just as the name implies. I breathe out and equip my shroud alongside my gauntlets, some protection is better than no protection. I hold the newly cleaned sword in my hands. The golden blade glinting in the light, polished to a near-mirror shine. The handle was slightly curved upward with it being made of shining gold alongside the pommel. The handle was made of a smooth deep blue ivory that had distinct swirl patterns on it, making it feel all the more regal to hold.

[Ancestral Sword: A cleaned version of the Rusted Sword, has a distinct mythical edge to it. >>B Rank Strength Scaling<< (10+(STR*.75) {Can be Enchanted} {|Cannot be Upgraded|} (Unique Item)]

As it stands, it does thirty-two damage with my current strength. Which isn't all that bad. Frankly it's a pretty impressive weapon in that regard. Honestly, it's kind of amazing how much a good cleaning and restoration transformed it. But the fact that it can't be upgraded is kinda lame, guess it's probably due to its unique status. In the end though, I'm gonna keep this weapon purely because it's just overall pretty useful. I keep a tight grip on the blade before slowly walking down the path, my footsteps crunching with each step. My eyes kept a careful glance across the area, it didn't take me long to arrive at the entrance of Fortress as I had managed to get there uncontested. Standing before me was a bridge over a river of lava with a large set of doors at the end, marked with a familiar symbol that I've known for a long time playing video games. Though the fact that the dungeon had decided to choose this game series out of all games is a bit strange. Here's hoping I don't have to do too much platforming here. Stepping across the bridge, I slowly open the doors. Looking inside and was pleasantly surprised that there weren't any open pools of lava… but this was still a fortress, so I had to keep an eye out. Traps were likely. Ambushes, guaranteed. From where I stood, I could see three paths. One to the left, one to the right, and a staircase directly ahead. The stairs themselves lead up to another large door, marked with the same insignia as before. I give an amused scoff as I see the symbol glinting slightly within the torchlight of the room.
"Well at least they got Bowser's personality down." I say to myself
Walking up the stairs and heading to it, I try to open the door. Only to find that it won't budge. Yep. Gonna need to find a key. Nothing's ever easy, huh? Well I knew things were gonna ramp up in difficulty eventually, so may as well go ahead and start looking for it. Heading down the stairs, I head into the leftmost area. As I passed through the archway, a heavy gate dropped behind me with a metallic slam, sealing me in. Blinking slightly, I suddenly get the feeling that I'm not going to be able to head back until I finish exploring this area. Fine by me, I've always been pretty thorough in looking for chests and the like. Walking forward, I make sure to keep an eye on the area around me… before noticing the Danger Sense Skill activating. Prompting me to leap back from a large hammer that was thrown at me, the ground breaking and cracking from the impact. Landing in front of me soon after was a Sledge Bro which prompted me to quickly unsheath my sword. Don't even need to scan this one to know the name but may as well get a read out on it. More information than barely any is always useful in a pinch.

[Combat Mode Activated]
​

[Name: Sledge Bro]
[Race: Koopa (Large Variation)]
[HP: 304/304]
[MP: 184/184]
[STR: 18]
[END: 17]
[SPD: 6]
[INT: 7]
[WIS: 9]

Okay well that does confirm a bit of the idea that enemies level scale. Not ideal. Regardless, there's not a lot of weaknesses I can exploit here. Nothing that wasn't immediately obvious at the very least. Breathing out, I position my blade before jumping out of a way of another Hammer throw. The sound leaves a loud dull thud as the ground shakes slightly. I think for now I should get a pattern on it instead of being aggressive. This isn't a zombie after all and I did learn a bit from the fight with the Sodden Knight. I see it jump before slamming itself down, creating a powerful shockwave which I easily dodge over with jump. Afterward it pauses for a moment before throwing another hammer at me. I dodge it before dodging the other hammer that was thrown soon after. Then it jumps up and creates another shockwave. So its pattern is two hammers then a shockwave. I dodge the hammers, then the shockwave. Making sure to dodge swiftly as with a burst of speed, I finally close the distance and slash across its chest. I manage to strike it again before it tries to slam the new hammer in its hand onto me. It's got two-hundred and forty health left. Not bad, now if I add some magic into the mix. I might be able to find if it is a weakness and then exploit it to end the fight quickly. I dodge another hammer throw and launch a Frost Bolt at it. Making it screech in pain as frost forms on the area where the spelt had hit it. It then leaps at me, forgoing range in favor of trying to close the distance between us. I quickly roll underneath it before slashing at its back after it lands. Just gotta keep being patient, slow and steady wins the race. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a boomerang begin to approach me. I block it, breaking it into little pieces. I then see that there's a Boomerang Bro backed up with a Fire Bro approaching from the shadows. With the Fire Bro already having a fireball prepared. Great. Seems I'm going against three enemies instead of one. I'll have to get a read out on them.

[Name: Boomerang Bro]
[Race: Koopa (Medium Variation)]
[HP: 220/220]
[MP: 244/244]
[STR: 11]
[END: 10]
[SPD: 13]
[INT: 12]
[WIS: 10]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[Name: Fire Bro]
[Race: Koopa (Medium Variation)]
[HP: 208/208]
[MP: 256/256]
[STR: 10]
[END: 9]
[SPD: 12]
[INT: 13]
[WIS: 11]

Guess the game really isn't playing around huh? Fine by me. I jumped away from another strike from the Sledge Bro before charging at the Boomerang Bro. As they notice me approaching them, They throw another Boomerang with the Fire Bro throwing out a Fire Ball. I deflect the boomerang and roll beneath the fireball's arc. Enchanting the Ancestral Sword with Ice with a quick spell, I strike at the Boomerang Bro. The blade gave a hum as it glowed a faint blue with ice forming on it. The strike makes it screech as I notice it did seventy-two damage to it, Ice Weakness. Makes sense considering where we are. I keep up the aggression, managing to slash it two more times before the Fire Bro shoulder-checks me from the side, sending me tumbling. Lowering my health by a good amount. Boomerang Bro is almost down, I just need to take down this guy. Healing myself with Cure, I dodge away from another Fireball before reapplying the Ice Enchant. Charging at the Fire Bro who notices the Ice on it and starts trying to run away but I don't plan on letting it escape. I jumped at it. Striking it three times in rapid succession. It gives a loud defeated screech before it poofs into dark smoke. Leaving behind a bag, I'll have to check it later as I notice the Boomerang Bro readying to throw three boomerangs at me instead of one. Must be a spell with how its mana went down a bit. But it doesn't matter, I close the gap and drive the Ancestral Sword straight into its chest before it can cast its spell. The spell fizzles as it too disappears into black mist. Now for the Sledge bro. I see it charge towards me with the intent of tackling but I dodge out of the way and slashing it, the timer running out on my Enchant. Don't exactly need to use too much mana on finishing this encounter. I am a bit caught off guard as it gives a loud roar before a red Aura comes off of it. Even without using Libra, I already had a feeling it was in a Berserk state. I quickly slams its hammer into me, launching me into a wall. Fuck, that took out a hundred and fifty of my health. Granted part of that was because I got launched into a wall but still. Over a hundred damage is nothing to sneeze at. It charges towards me after I get out of the wall, I focus up and dodge the strikes. Waiting to find an opening… and there! Right as it slams its hammer near me, I jump towards it and stab my blade into one of its eyes. Blinding it. Taking out one eye should make the battle a bit easier. It begins swinging with more reckless abandon, prompting me to cast Blizzard. It manages to get some space between us with a fairly large chunk of frozen ice between us. I create a Thunder Spear and throw it at the Sledge Bro, doing a solid forty damage. Must have a bit of a weakness to Lightning. Still, it's almost dead. It charges towards me once again, I wait until the last moment to dodge out of the way and slash at its side. It trips over the ground, laying on it with only eighteen health left. Not hesitating, I leap at it and then plunge my blade downward into its chest. Making it cry out in pain before, much like its allies, making it disappear. Leaving behind a bag. Guess these are item drops. Glancing at my EXP Bar, I noticed that wasn't enough to make me level-up. Can't exactly say that isn't surprising, they are around the same level as me. The Sledge Bro probably gave the most amount of EXP since it had a Berserk State. I breathe out and look through the items. Seeing what I had gotten from beating them.

[Sledge Bro Drops]
{Heavy Shell Fragment (Common), Meat Skewer (Common), Shell Chestplate (Uncommon)}
[Boomerang Bro Drops]
{Gale Fragment (Common), Tempest Cloth (Uncommon), Storm Gem (Uncommon)}
[Fire Bro Drops]
{Heat Shell Fragment (Common), Scroll Of Fireball (Common), Ember Stone (Common)}

All in all, getting drops in general is just good. Though I get the feeling with my current luck, I didn't have the best chance of getting anything above Uncommon. The fact that I managed to get three feels lucky in and of itself. Looking over the items, basically the Shell Fragments are something that can be applied to armor to either upgrade it or repair it. The Gale Fragment, however, just has a charge Wind Spell that does about twenty damage. The Scroll Of Fireball, however, does fifteen Fire Damage. The Ember Stone is just a random material that can be used in creating something. As opposed to the Storm Gem which can be used to enhance an item. The Tempest Cloth is an item material much like the Ember Stone and the Shell Chestplate is a piece of armor as the name implies. I should probably give it a better look over real quick.

[Shell Chestplate: A chestplate that's almost as tough as a Koopa Shells while also looking less out of place to wear. (Can be enhanced with a Gem) {Uncommon}]

Seems from what I can tell, Gems have basically unique effects that don't boost Stats or Resistances. In fact it seems Armor works like how real world armor does. So more or less it has durability and is just good at protecting the bits it covers. The chestplate has a dark green, semi-curved surface with a subtle shell-like pattern embossed across it. The interior is padded for comfort, and adjustable leather straps crisscross the sides and back. I'll probably give this Chestplate a Gem if I get another one but for the other one? I might save it for the Shroud after I repair it. Soon after, I equip it and quickly adjust to the slight weight. With the fight over and gear sorted, I glance around. There's a door opposite from where I entered, another to the right, and to the left is… a treasure chest. Tucked behind some broken pillars. Suddenly I'm reminded of Kingdom Hearts where in some areas where you fight enemies, there's treasure chests. Walking over I give a hum before kicking the chest, making it open instantly which makes me chuckle slightly.
"Heh, should have known that would have worked. I'm definitely going to open any chest I can that way from now on." I mutter to myself
I then begin looking through the treasure chest. Finding only a single item inside of it. Guess chests don't give multiple items. Damn shame honestly, the loot goblin inside of me always appreciates more items. Ah well, I'll take what I can get. Practically any item I can get my hands on will probably be useful one way or another. After all, I totally plan on eating that Meat Skewer later to recover a quick amount of health. I soon reach in and pull it out, giving it a look over with the usual menu related to an item popping up on it.

[Fire Flower Shot: A gun that harnesses the power of a Fire Flower to shoot out bolts of Fire (Can be Upgraded) >>C Rank Speed Scaling<< (15+(SPD*.5) {Uncommon}]

Okay, so… essentially this is my first gun. I give a glance at the color of the chest, green. So that means chests have Rarity Colors to them. I remember reading up on Rarities during a particularly brief moment. Common is white/grey, Uncommon is green, Rare is blue, Elite is purple, Legendary is Golden, and Mythical is red. With Unique getting its own color in pink. From what I've read, it's just reserved for items that are either Key to something, unique in terms of the world, or it's like my Ancestral Sword in that while it isn't exactly great. It does have something in store possibly. Not sure what the Rusted Sword/Ancestral Sword is going to become later on but I get the feeling that it'll be something pretty damn great. Regardless, the Fire Flower shot is shaped like a futuristic pistol. It's built with a white ceramic-style casing, accented with streaks of fiery orange and a trim of gold around the edges. Four cooling vents line the barrel. The back of the gun sports a small screen with an ammo counter and a glowing pixelated Fire Flower icon. Looking under the barrel, it has a serial number. FFLWR-1985. That's a pretty cute reference in all honesty. I nod and put it into the black holster it came with. Already equipped it to my belt upon getting it. Honestly, I should be careful with this because… well… guns are dangerous and guns that can shoot bolts of fire are especially dangerous. Though I will admit, having a firearm that can do that is just too cool in my opinion. I stepped through the door directly across from the one I'd come in from, the door didn't close behind me… so chances are I'm not going to be trapped here like before. Keeping a hand on my sword's grip, I carefully stepped across the room. Looking around… let's see here. Fairly simple room. It wasn't large, maybe the size of a modest living room. The walls were built from dark, aged stone, their surfaces worn smooth with time, and faintly damp near the corners. A soft orange glow came from a lit fireplace on the left side of the room, its fire crackling lazily and casting flickering shadows across the space. It didn't look like it had been recently lit, but somehow, it burned anyway. Then again, when have video game dungeons run on logic? Hanging on the walls were a few paintings, nothing of note. The general stuff you'd probably see in Bowser's Castle in really… any game with him as the main bad guy. Several simple wooden tables lined the walls, most of them bare, save for a few scattered items. Of course one object that catches my attention is a wooden board affixed to the wall with various rings with parts of an emblem on it. Moving my hand away from the sword, I look at it a bit confused.
"...Weird, very weird. Probably should investigate this… may be important." I mutter to myself
I look at it more closely and well… essentially a series of rings that have various parts of a Bowser Emblem on them with dials on the side. Turning one, I notice the ring in the center turns with the other parts turning soon after. Humming, I turn a different dial and it turns the outermost ring. One of these puzzles eh? I cracked my knuckles before focusing on solving this puzzle. After a few minutes or so, I managed to get all of the rings turned right to form the emblem. A distinct click locking it all together. A little 'ding' sounds out in the room with a painting swinging open. At the same time, a menu appears in front of me.

[For solving the puzzle, you get +1 INT]
​

Hell yeah, walking away from the wall I was standing at. I head over to where the painting swung open and find an item inside of it. Yep, I knew there was a good reason to do this. Because even if it's not important to progression, the loot goblin inside of me will be satisfied. Not to mention the fact that doing a puzzle in general is a nice distraction from fighting things. Let's see what I've managed to get here as a fun little reward. I reach inside of the compartment that had the item and pull it out.

[Blaze Gem: A gemstone that contains the power of Fire. (Can be used to enhance an item or as an upgrade material) {Uncommon}]

Nice, well I can use that gemstone for later. Putting it away into my inventory, I leave the room before heading into the final option that I have. The door creaks open smoothly, and I step inside. The space is dimly lit by a few flickering sconces mounted on the stone walls. The air carries the scent of soot and faint iron, like old machinery mixed with dungeon musk. Immediately, my eyes land on two things: a lever set into the wall and a treasure chest resting just beneath a worn tapestry. This one being pink. Yep, that one has a unique item and I don't think it'll be something that'll be like the Ancestral Sword. Walking over, I kick the chest open and see inside… is a large silver key. Part of me, for a moment, thought it was the Boss Room Key… but I know better. Grabbing it out, the menu describing it confirms my exact thoughts.

[Silver Boss Key: A Key meant to unlock the room leading to the Mid-Boss. {Unique}]

Straightforward explanation really. Still, progress is progress. I groan to myself before grabbing out the key, pocketing it soon after before grabbing the switch and giving it a firm pull. It resists slightly, then gives way with a groan. Somewhere behind me, the heavy grinding of gears echoes through the dungeon followed by the screech of a metal gate sliding open. So I'll have to beat a Mid-Boss now instead of finding the boss randomly? Interesting change of pace but I'll accept it considering that this is a fortress… not a forest. I head out into the room before arriving back at the main entrance. Honestly I'll probably clear out the next room then call it for tonight since I've been here for quite a bit at this point and I'll need to make sure to see about getting the Tattered Shroud repaired finally.
"At the very least, I'll get plenty of interesting items from this Dungeon. That's for sure." I idly say to myself as I walk into the next room
The moment I cross the threshold into the room, a gate slams shut behind me. The iron bars locking into place with a finality. Well this is just going to be a reoccurring thing for this dungeon isn't it? I sigh, rubbing the bridge of my nose. Here's hoping it'll function like a Zelda Dungeon and reopen if I beat the enemies inside of here. I shift my grip on my weapon, eyes scanning the room. Then, immediately, I block a strike from an enemy. Sparks dance off the steel. With a narrowed gaze, I already knew this enemy. The crimson shell, the glowing gauntlets, the familiar metallic helm… I already knew Fire would just heal it instead. After all, Super Mario RPG was one of my favorite games.

[Combat Mode Activated]
​

[Name: Terra Cotta]
[Race: Koopa (Medium Variation)]
[HP: 196/196]
[MP: 300/340]
[STR: 20]
[END: 8]
[SPD: 10]
[INT: 20]
[WIS: 15]

Obviously that attack was infused with Magic, if I didn't block it. Then chances are I'd probably have lost a good amount of Health. It's times like these I wish my Aura wasn't pierced in Dungeons. Oh well, I'll just have to make do with what I have. I push back hard, knocking it off balance, then quickly fire off a Frost Bolt. Getting a solid Forty Damage on it. Bolts of cold energy slamming into its chest with a crackling burst. Before it can recover, I close the gap and slash across its side, lowering its health down to one hundred and twenty-four. It snarls and clenches its fist, which ignites with flame. I leap back just in time to avoid the follow-up punch, only to have a Fireball launched at me seconds later. That technique took thirty MP with the Fireball taking ten MP. Definitely more of the Mage type. Which begs the question… where's the more physical type enemy. Danger sense then alerts me of an attack approaching from behind, prompting me to duck. I then rolled away from another strike, seeing that the Terra Cotta did actually have back-up… just didn't expect it to be the technically less powerful version doing so. I immediately cast Libra on it.

[Name: Terrapin]
[Race: Koopa (Medium Variation)]
[HP: 244/244]
[MP: 160/160]
[STR: 15]
[END: 12]
[SPD: 15]
[INT: 5]
[WIS: 5]

Of course they'd buff it. I unholster the Fire Flower Shot, pulling the trigger and shooting the Terrapin. Doing a nice twenty-nine damage to it. Not the best damage but that clearly tells me Speed is the Stat to start investing into. I get two more shots off before Terra Cotta interrupts, forcing me into another dodge. I charge towards it soon after, enchanting my sword with Ice before slashing at it. Lowering its health down to fifty-two Health. Choosing the Spellblade Class came in clutch for these sorts of situations, I dodged another attack from the Terrapin before I could get another attack in. That high speed stat isn't for nothing, just means I have to play it as I usually do. Slow and careful. I then notice the Terra Cotta run to a different part of the room. Most likely to try and recover a little bit. Focusing up, I disenchant the Ancestral Sword before slashing at the Terrapin missing before shooting it. Lowering its health down to one-hundred twenty-eight, I just need to keep being aggressive. I dodge another strike before slashing my blade at it, putting its health down to ninety-six. I then jump back as it slams its fist into the ground, causing a series of earth spikes to shoot out. I grit my teeth as one spike pierces my shoulder. Guess it knows some spells after all. I quickly pull the spike out before firing again on the Terrapin, missing most of my shots aside from three. Nine health left. It then throws down a smoke bomb covering the area, breathing out slowly. I focus. Holding my sword in two hands, letting the Danger Sense skill do what's needed… left. I block a strike before parrying it, stabbing my blade through the Terrapin. Reducing its health to zero before it disappears in a puff of smoke, much like the other enemies. A bag is the only thing left behind. The smoke clears soon after as I look around, using Cure to heal my shoulder of its wound.
"Hate it when enemies do that." I mutter to myself
I then quickly dodge a Fireball, I look over and see it peeking out from behind a pillar… it's healed fifty health. Must have used a Fire Attack on itself. No matter, positioning my blade once again. I then charge at it as fast as possible, making it jump back before firing another Fireball. I cast Blizzard, creating a massive burst of steam. If they're gonna obscure my vision to get an advantage, I'll return the favor also. I make sure to carefully step around it, noticing it looking around confused… before leaping at it as soon as I see my chance. Stabbing my blade through its chest. I then move my hand onto its head, grinning slightly. After all, there's nowhere for it to run. I then cast Blizzard. Forty damage. It screeches in pain as frost forms on its head. Some part of me should be feeling a little bit of empathy but to put it simply? These are Monsters inside of a Dungeon, they're only as real as I let it be. Not to mention considering some of the things in Remnant? I can't always show empathy anyway. One more cast of Blizzard freezes it completely. I slide my sword out, making it fall to the ground before shattering into pieces. Leaving behind a back after a puff of dark smoke. Guess this was meant to be one of the more simple encounters. I glance over and notice the gate slide back up. My hunch was right. I then notice that familiar little pop-up.

[Level-up!]
​

A small, satisfied smirk crossed my face. Hell yeah. I immediately take the Stat Points and put two points towards Speed. A point towards Intelligence. Then dump the rest into Luck. May as well get that Stat up a bit more. I then decide to check out the items I've gotten from the enemies. After all, I am pretty curious about what I got from these two guys. Especially considering the fact they're from Super Mario RPG of all things. Plus that added Luck may get me some better items, who knows? I'm not entirely sure how the item drop system works and I frankly don't think I want to try and understand it.

[Terrapin Drops]
{Shell Plate (Common), Blunt Fang (Common), Meat Skewer (Common)}
[Terra Cotta Drops]
{Molten Shard (Common), Ashen Powder (Common), Ember Stone (Common)}

All Common Drops. Even with my improved Luck, I'm not easily able to get Uncommons. Doubt I'll even be able to get a Rare. Breathing out after putting everything away into my inventory, I flicked open my COMP again to check the time and hum as I saw how late hit's gotten. Yeah I should probably leave, I head back to the Entrance and leave the Dungeon soon after. Collapsing into my bed before resting finally. Frankly, that dungeon is going to take a lot more effort than I thought. Didn't even manage to get to the Mid-Boss Room. Eh, well it's not exactly a surprise. After all, dungeons are only going to get longer and longer from here. So if I could clear them all in just a few nights, then I'd probably be rapidly gaining way more items and levels. For now? I'll just need to take my time clearing it, I may even get a few rare items along the way.

---

I'm not gonna explain myself for the Mario Dungeon. I'm a massive Nintendo nerd.

Anyway, moving on from that. Yeah, dungeons are gonna be a lot larger and a bit more complex as time goes on. All of them are gonna be related to some game of some sort since... well this is the Gamer ability. There's always gonna be at least a few references involving other games.

In case anyone is curious, yeah I did roll dice on these. There isn't a strict item pool, I generally just type down whatever makes sense but the Dice rolls for drops have scaling basically. It's essentially to not make the Luck stat secretly overpowered if I'm recalling my notes here correctly.

Regardless if anyone did enjoy the Mario references this chapter. I'd love to hear it because genuinely speaking, I wish I could put more references sometimes.

With that, I'll see you all around. Make sure to stay hydrated, get a good meal.