Dingdimension Sniptunia

[dingbat779]

More Than Meets the Eye 1



The Spacebridge is safe. There is nothing to fear from the Spacebridge. It was just serviced this year and passed all of the inspections. She didn't get a chance to look at it first because why trust her to know anything? She didn't fix a Spacebridge in the time it took the experts to argue about how it's done. It wasn't like she was a technopath with an innate understanding of machinery. That's just crazy talk!

Sometimes Sari Sumdac hated her life.

She could complain about the faulty Spacebridge later. If there even was a later! The iris opened but it was a vivid green color. No one seemed to think this was unusual. Sari knew that the iris was supposed to be blue. Of course, no one wanted to check. Everyone was in such a hurry to get home from Alceti. The newly discovered planet was just right as a second home for the Cybertronians. She was part of a team of security agents to keep the workers safe. This was supposed to be the first day of her vacation. Sari was supposed to be going home to see her father.

"Teletraan? Can you read me?" Sari tried using her built-in comm, but there was no signal.

The void looked nothing like space. It wasn't black in the conventional sense. There were scintillating lights and shifting colors just beyond the ability of her human eyes to see. It's a good thing she was in her Alt Mode. The strange particles read as some sort of quantum anomaly. Her Cybertronian armor made survival easier, but who knew how long that would last? Being a technorganic lifeform granted her several advantages of a purely organic or mechanical person. That being said, no one really knew much about her unique biology. She was one of a small handful of similar beings and all of them came about through different methods.

Sari didn't look the same as before. The years passed by and she continued to grow. Something that the experts didn't think was possible, but Ratchet understood. She was still full of Allspark energy. While it couldn't do the same things as before, it was allowing her to mature like a human. Now it looked like she might not even see her next birthday! It was maddening to think that with everything she survived a Spacebridge might kill her!

"Okay, listen up Allspark. I'm not dying here. I have a family, friends, and a job I love to get back to. So please, one more time, pull off some crazy deus ex machina for me!" Sari pleaded with the Allspark. She only had a fragment of the real thing, but the only thing left was hope.

The Allspark sent a comforting pulse through the frightened young woman's Spark.

Just when Sari was about to try again, a glowing green circle opened up before her. It looked just like the Spacebridge's wonky iris! Sari activated her boosters to steer towards the rift.

She cleared the portal only to immediately come under fire from some sort of explosive weapon. Billowing dust erupted from the impact obscuring the area completely. The Cybertronian Security Agent rolled to the side and twirled around with her Master Blades humming lethally. Her palm cannons were aimed in the direction of the assault, but something held her back. Scanners showed that there were only humans here. None of them possessed a weapon advanced enough to cause that explosion. Except they also had a strange energy flowing through them. Most of the humans were adolescents with a single adult. That was when her scanners detected animals, but the readings made little sense.

Where the Hell was she now?

That's when she heard the laughter. Sneering, mocking, jeering laughter. Sari instantly felt bad for whoever was the recipient. Not even remembering that someone used an energy weapon in her direction helped. That was something her former classmates on Cybertron had a hard time understanding. It wasn't that didn't have emotions, but hers were more intense than theirs. Which is a long-winded way of saying her empathy was much higher.

"Enough!" A male voice called out before a wind stirred to blow the dust cloud away.

"Oh crap," Sari muttered.

The cloud dissipated to reveal her position to the crowd of onlookers. She was standing on the grounds of a medieval castle. Her scanners were correct in that there was a gathering of school-age children with a single adult chaperone. They looked like they were dressed for a Harry Potter convention. That wasn't the biggest surprise, however. Standing, lounging, or flying beside each child was a creature from myths or a really weird D&D campaign. The balding man with a staff and robes didn't have one, but the way he looked at her put Sari on alert. Almost as if he were sizing up whether she was a threat or not. Her gut reaction said that she better pray he didn't think she was dangerous. She quickly dismissed the Master Blades and stood up from her battle crouch. When she retracted her helmet/faceplate he relaxed further.

"A…A person?" One of the students asked in a bewildered fashion. She was standing the closest to where Sari entered this world. Her hair was vivid pink with burgundy eyes and a slight stature. Sari couldn't really throw stones since she was a petite girl herself.

"Miss Valliere? You must complete the ritual," the professor said to Miss Valliere. That must be the pink-haired girl.

"B-but she's a woman," the girl stammered. Her heartrate was elevated and the first signs of panic were settling in for a long stay.

The language was strange. Almost, but not quite, like Belgian mixed with French. Good thing her autotranslator was up to the task. That being said, Sari wasn't used to being passive especially when people were discussing her!

"Excuse me, but what do you mean 'ritual?'" Sari inquired. "My name is Sari Sumdac and I'm not used to being volunteered for things without my permission." That's better. Firmly state her intent and don't let anyone walk all over her. She didn't stare down Decepticons just to be run roughshod by these strangers!

"The Zero can't even get her hired stooge to play along!" The speaker was a busty girl with vivid red hair and dusky skin. The pink-haired girl glared back at her, but it simply bounced off without effect.

That was when the haranguing and the insults started. The man was trying to restore order, but it was futile. Sari was the only one watching as the girl lost whatever will she had left. This ritual was a pretty big deal. She tried to get her subspace comms to work, but it was just dead air. That meant this place was so far off the beaten path no one heard of it before. The young woman inwardly sighed. She needed to be close to the site of the rift to maybe figure out how to get home. The best way to do that would be to stay here. This way she could satisfy her conscience as well.

"Fine, what do I have to do?" Sari asked Miss Valliere.

"You will do it?" The girl looked up at her hopefully. Okay, so she wasn't looking up all that far. Sari stopped growing at 5'6". This girl was still shorter than that.

"I need to know what's involved first," Sari reiterated. If it was some form of slavery her conscience could take a flying leap.

"Well, I wave my wand over your head…" The girl started to demonstrate, but Sari was a bit quicker and stepped back. The Valliere looked chagrined. "I am sorry…I was not trying to trap you. I was just caught up in explaining. Ahem, I wave my wand and speak the words. Then I must…kiss…you…" She trailed off while turning a truly interesting shade of red.

"Right, what happens then?" Sari asked.

"Then we are together for life. The Runes would bind us together until death," the girl explained matter-of-factly.

No sign of deceit, her heart rate was slightly elevated, but that was easy to explain. The younger girl was no doubt still flustered over potentially kissing Sari. That part was flustering her too. She could have been lied to and that's why the Valliere didn't appear to be lying. From what she was hearing this ritual was a very big deal among her people. The Allspark provided a way to escape the void, but it didn't guarantee that nothing would befall her. It was all up to Sari to make this decision. Just the thought of never seeing her family again hurt so bad she wanted to cry. She needed to be here to study the rift. The rift was closed now, but her scanners could still detect traces.

"Okay. Let's get it over with Miss Valliere," Sari sighed. The girl perked up excitedly. She knelt down to make it easier for the Valliere to wave her wand over her head.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being, and make her my familiar," Louise intoned before hesitating. Sari tilted her face indicating the cheek. Both girls relaxed as Louise kissed her cheek.

Sari's systems immediately detected an intrusion. The strange energy permeating the people here was trying to overwrite her mind. However, it ran right into the Allspark and stopped dead. She was dimly aware of Louise calling her name, but the two forces were struggling for dominance. Whatever this ritual was it was much older than Louise. There was something almost alive about the energy. The Allspark finally won, but Sari felt like she ran a marathon. Her armor completely retracted during the internal struggle. On her hand were strange runic markings.

"Sari!" Louise called as if from a million miles away.

"Just…tired…" Sari collapsed on her side.

Thus begins a strange tale of two misfits. One a noble with unknown and dangerous potential. The other a young woman caught between two worlds. Who knows just where this will lead? Only time will tell.


AN: Right so my Muse hijacked me again. Have a stranger offering than I usually deliver.

 

[dingbat779]

It's Supernatural 1



The thought occurred to me that I should've asked more questions. A random stranger appears and starts chatting with me about Jumpchains. I should have been more suspicious, but what was the harm?

"What do you think about themed Chains?" The guy asked. I don't remember much about him. That's just how generic he seemed to me.

"They're pretty cool. I've had a few ideas for something like that," I replied. We were just sitting in a restaurant. I was waiting for a delivery order. A glance at my phone made me wince. The customer was going to be pissed at how long this was taking.

"How would you make it exciting? Is there anything you would like to add? Alt Chains can be a lot of fun as long as they're not loaded down with massively OP options," he rolled his eyes.

"Maybe for each Jump, that continues the theme, the Jumper receives a free Discount? You can't double up the Discount to make something free, but it works on anything," I suggested.

"That's a good incentive to keep taking the same kinds of Jumps. How would it be exciting though? Just jump into a majorly powerful Jump right away and bang. Instantly no problem," he shrugged.

"You could make it so the Jumper can't go to a Jump that's half as powerful, or lower, than their current one. Like if you started in DBZ, you couldn't go to Ranma ½. But going to Spiderman movies, the Raimi Trilogy, and then to 9 to 5 is okay," I offer after some thought.

"Yeah…That could work…So where would you go to start?" He asked.

"Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night," I answered without hesitation. He chuckled over just how quickly I responded.

"But then you wouldn't be able to go to some of the other horror franchise settings," he pointed out.

"Not if I took them as a Gauntlet. Then it doesn't matter how powerful I am. Gauntlets seal all out of Jump powers and start me with zero CP to spend," I reminded him with a smirk.

"Okay, that's fair. It doesn't do anything about your knowledge, but locking down your powers would make the Jump a lot more challenging," he allowed with an approving smile.

"I, uh, already have a character sheet. Not for a chain like this, but in general. I didn't even go over budget," I flushed bright red. Here we were talking about our shared weirdness. At least he wasn't running off into the sunset. No, he seemed genuinely interested.

"Mind if I take a look?" He asked curiously. I brought up the doc on my phone before handing it to him. The guy looked it over with interest. "You really didn't go over budget," he noted.

"The first Jump is basically your formative Jump. You don't want to go into it with a massive amount of Drawbacks and no way to handle them," I explained with a shrug.

"A sensible attitude to have. Yes, I think you will do nicely," he decided.

"...What?" I inquired hesitantly. The nice, and kinda cute, guy suddenly didn't seem quite so harmless anymore. Like the universe just titled at a forty-five-degree angle. I felt sick to my stomach as he looked as if he believed this stuff.

"Time to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!" He didn't seem to notice I was less than enthused. The man rubbed his hands together with glee.

I tried to call out to a waiter, but no one was reacting to us. That's when I realized the restaurant had gone utterly still. No one was moving meaning I truly was alone with a crazy person. If this was a dream I would wake up when the whacko killed me. Except, he didn't kill me. He pointed his splayed fingers in my direction. I saw something that hurt to look at. The man just kept shoving it in my face until I fell through the floor…

Down…down…down…

Down I fell…

It felt like the vast nothing beneath me stretched on forever…

Until suddenly it didn't.

I slammed into a wooden floor hard enough to rattle my skull. There was a coppery taste. I must have bitten my cheek when I landed. The scent of saltwater filled my nostrils as I tried to think through a blinding headache. Wood splintered nearby and a male voice cried out in alarm. There was a despairing shriek from somewhere. Gentle hands gripped my arm and helped me sit up.

"Celia, please stay with Johannes. I will deal with the demons while you rest," a voice I knew all too well spoke. I gazed up at Miriam in amazement and more than a bit of hero worship. She was a dark-haired lass with blonde near the tips cut to shoulder length. The garment she wore was functional, even if quite revealing. It reminded me of Shanoa's dress from Castlevania in fact. I quickly looked away from her cleavage and found myself staring at her toned thighs. Yeah, that wasn't helping.

"Uh, yes, okay Miriam," I replied. Miriam smiled encouragingly before turning to Johannes.

"Will you be safe here?" She inquired.

"As safe as can be. I can have Celia back on her feet in no time. Just be careful, Miriam," Johannes cautioned. He was a handsome man with blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing spectacles. The man was a scholar, but he did have some muscle. Probably from lugging around heavy books.

My 'Benefactor' inserted me just as the Seama attacked. Seamas were tentacled monstrosities that resembled octopi. If octopi had big mouths with disturbingly human-like teeth set in their head, no eyes, and walked upright on their tentacles. The monster shattered the wall right beside me and that was why I was on the floor with a migraine starting. Johannes gave me a healing potion which at least removed the blurry vision.

"I'm a little fuzzy on the details, Johannes. What's going on?" I don't have to pretend to be confused. A chunk of wall smacked me in the noggin!

"How much do you remember?" Johannes asked in concern. He started feeling along my skull for fractures. Potions are great, but weaker ones only fix the minor stuff.

"The Alchemists were tired of being made irrelevant and decided to show the world their might. They crafted a ritual to use all of the Shardbinders to bring about a worldwide catastrophe only they could stop. Except that the lynchpin of the ritual, Miriam, was asleep. Now we're on our way to find Gebel and talk some sense into him…" I trailed off. Talking about Gebel called to mind memories of him. He always acted like an older brother to Miriam and me. It was he who convinced us that we weren't monsters. Despite the fact, a Shardbinder was essentially altered to absorb demonic powers.

"Good, you remember most of it. I suppose some disorientation is expected considering how long you slept and the recent trauma," Johannes said.

"Slept?" That sounded familiar, "...Did I sleep like Miriam?"

"Indeed. You were there when my former master, Alfred, was putting Miriam to sleep. He placed the same spell on you so that you wouldn't alert the other alchemists by accident," he explained.

Well, at least that explained why I wasn't a part of the ritual. The alchemists failed to even get it to work since Miriam wasn't there. She would have accounted for half of the ritual by herself. My potential wasn't nearly as great as hers. I had a choice of splurging for the greater magical power or having a first Jump with no Drawbacks. That decision felt even better now since some crazy guy turned my 'What if?' into my life!

"Let me get my things…" I made it to my feet with only a little wobbling. That was mainly caused by the swaying of the ship.

"Yes, should anything make it past Miriam you should be properly armed," he remarked.

Miriam and I brought different things. She had her Kung Fu Shoes and an iron dagger. I took the time, with Johannes' help, to craft more substantial gear. Inside of the trunk was a grappling hook that I affixed to my right forearm. Just beside that was a pair of Spiked Boots, more rugged than Miriam's shoes, with four shortswords attached to a swordbelt. The swords were perfectly balanced for throwing. They were slender and light, but could be used in melee. At the bottom of the chest was a metal breastplate of an unusual design. I read somewhere about a mystical armor capable of protecting the wearer from traps of all sorts.

"Why didn't Miriam take any of this? I told her she could…" I lamented. The in-Jump memories were clashing with my real world thoughts. For now I was just going to go with the flow. There would be time later to use my out-of-context knowledge.

"You know how she can be. With what happened to Gebel, she is even more protective of those she has left," Johannes looked away with a sad sigh.

Right, that's why she didn't take any of the incredible stuff I have. She's trying to protect me. Which is also why she left me back here to protect Johannes. He was already casting a sanctuary spell on the room. There was no reason for me to be here!

"Johannes, will you be alright if I go after Miriam?" I asked.

"I will be fine," he replied with an understanding smile.

The closer we got to the castle the quicker demonic energies would gather to spawn new creatures. Johanne's sanctuary spell would keep out almost anything except for a higher level demon. That would change the closer we were to land, but for now, it was fine. My Benefactor dropped me off in the deep end without any warning whatsoever. If he wanted entertainment then I'd show him. I would give him something to watch. This was my time to shine. I wasn't going to be a passive observer in my own chain. Today I needed protection, but tomorrow I would do the protecting! Starting here!


AN: Celia's making a number of faulty assumptions. She's assuming her Benefactor dropped her in like this as something to amuse himself. The real reason isn't hard to see. This is her first Jump, she's a baby Jumper, and not equipped to hit the ground running yet. By taking her briefly out of commission it gave her more time to gather her bearings. I'm not using a jerkass Benefactor. I do that too often already.

 

[dingbat779]

It's Supernatural 2



Galleon Minerva. The first area in the game served as a basic tutorial for what Bloodstained had to offer. It wasn't complicated as long as you didn't try to rush. Of course, this wasn't a game now and I was actually here. I wanted to catch up with Miriam right away, but there were some things I could do to help her. Just outside of the room, I spotted a wooden platform hanging from the down by ropes just below a hole in the ceiling. In the game, Miriam needed the Double Jump Shard to reach it, but that wasn't necessary. I only needed to get a running start and catch the edge.

"OoOoOoAh!" A hideously distorted voice groaned. From the floor, a creature rose. It had a gelatinous appearance at first before assuming a bipedal form. I had to fight down a wave of nausea as the foul thing reeked of tar and decay. Considering it was made of a black ooze it made sense.

"Right! Thanks for volunteering!" I informed the Morte. It tried to reach for me with its fetid arms, but I simply backflipped away.

Nice to see my old gymnastics training worked. While it was bent over, I executed a front flip and slammed both of my heels down on its head. The Morte bent double, but not before I used its head as a springboard to launch me onto the platform. In one sense it was nice to see my knowledge would work here. Except for the whole cruising on a ship full of dead sailors towards a demonic castle deal. The upper rooms contained a Warp Room, a stateroom with a firearm in a chest, and a room with a haunted portrait.

"Hmmm…The Warp Room doesn't feel like it's ready yet," I noted. The room in question was slowly transforming due to the magic of the castle. A stained glass window inside of a picture frame gradually came into focus, but it wasn't connected to anything.

The haunted portrait looked like an Asian man dressed in English finery. Rather lovely actually, but it would attack me as soon as I was close enough. I didn't give it the chance and buried my throwing blades into its canvas body. That certainly woke it up as the damned thing soared off of the easel and immediately charged right at me. The portrait was actually taller than me which didn't give me a lot of room to maneuver. I quickly used the grappling line launcher to try to leap over it. The first part went well as the hook embedded in the wood, but the second part wasn't that great. I almost cleared my attacker when the damn thing did a sudden flip and cracked me in the ass. The force of the blow sent me careening the length of the room. I tried to angle my flight for safety, but the Poltergeist wasn't finished. It considerately returned my blades to me. Left with no other option, I curled up tightly in a ball. The swords passed by harmlessly. I crashed into the wall hard enough to splinter the wood.

"Fuck!" I hurriedly dived to the side as the Poltergeist rushed at me again. The damned thing didn't even give me a chance to quaff a potion.

The rolling dodge was far from graceful. I felt like something in my back was sprained. My ribs hurt just from trying to breathe. The Poltergeist gathered up my lost swords again and tried another ramming attack. This time it had my blades spinning around like a blender of death. The Aegis Plate was good for blocking blades I'm sure, but it didn't do much for sheer impact. I still had my legs bare from midthigh down to the Spiked Boots. There were plenty of places a smart enemy could end me.

At least that was the impression I gave off.

The Poltergeist went in for the kill as it sent my blades forth to skewer my gorgeous self. I rolled past the assault, even as the pain made me flinch, before coming out behind the painting. The holes I made initially were still there. Perfect. I channeled magic into my feet just before executing Miriam's classic Flashing Air Kick.

"Une! Deux! Trois!" I called out as my legs blurred with speed. Trails of shimmering light followed my feet as each enhanced kick struck home. The weakened spot steadily gave way even as the Poltergeist screeched in fury. With a last kick, my foot completely shattered the painting and splintered part of the canvas.

I shook out my legs. Wood could be very sharp when shattered. Magically enhanced wood was even worse as my poor legs could attest. I had to drink a High Potion to fix my back and other injuries. Purchasing the potion pack from the Jumpdoc was great. The only downside was that it was only replenished by the day. If barely surviving battles became a trend I wouldn't have anything left for major encounters. The painting wasn't haunted anymore and it didn't disappear. I salvaged the oak and gathered some magically reactive dust in a vial. The dust came from the cursed paint.

"Not even a Shard for this?" I knew that Shards were not easy to come by. Some demons yielded Shards more readily than others. Still, I could use some magical assistance.

That's when I noticed something peculiar. The essence of the Poltergeist was indeed entering my body, but not as a Shard. I felt strangely more powerful. Not by much, but it was noticeable. Was I absorbing some of the Demon's essence because I was a Shardbinder? It wasn't the insane growth of a genuine Gamer System, but it made sense from a realistic standpoint.

The stateroom did have a chest, but a more believable sea chest. Unfortunately, it also had the corpse of its former occupant. I picked up the Culvert, a pistol with more stopping power than my blades, and picked up his cutlass. The blade didn't do him any good, but it was better than relying on the throwing swords in melee. Spiked Boots were great for kicking of course. It just felt wrong to risk having my legs hacked off by a Demon at this early stage. The Poltergeist fight frightened me more than I care to admit. Yes, I had a Perk for helping me keep a level head, but it merely kept me from going catanonic with fear. Maybe if I survived this Jump I could get more bravery Perks elsewhere.

"Ugh…Suck it up, Celia. You have to find Miriam. You can feel sorry for yourself later," I scolded myself.

I also managed to forget something incredibly important. Demons respawn. The Poltergeist was back and just waiting for me to strike. Now in Bloodstained firearms had access to a very weak form of ammo that infinitely spawned. Throwing my swords would only give it more weapons to use against me. That just left the Culvert. I still needed another blasted High Potion after the battle, but it was easier than before. At least this time the Poltergeist spawned a Shard which impaled me through the chest…

"Ahhhhh!" I let out a shriek of pain as the crystalline Shard speared right through me. I gripped the fragment of Demonic power by reflex to keep it from getting away. It felt like my insides were being forcibly rearranged as this sharp crystal scratched against my bones.

After what felt like hours, but was probably merely seconds, I came to on the floor. I honestly prayed it wasn't like this every single time. If it took me out of action like that I could seriously be killed by another Demon lying in wait. On the bright side, I now had a Conjure Shard. Welcome Company summoned a trio of smaller Poltergeists to act as the caster's shield. Enemies could simply power through it, but it would buy me some much-needed time.

"You are certainly Welcome Company," I quipped as my shiny new Shard spell made mincemeat of the Mortes.

Mortes were simply too weak to form a Shard. They didn't give me a minor essence bonus. Their real strength was in numbers and unpredictability. I was growing more paranoid by the moment as each step suddenly became vitally important. Was I about to step down on a Morte as it rose from the floor? Welcome Company took some of the worry away. I made it out onto the deck of the ship only to discover a new trial. Seama. The sides of the ship were crawling with the tentacled monstrosities. I once made a bad joke about hentai when I got to this part. Now I had to face the reality. I didn't believe it would devolve into tentacle porn, but those tentacles could still wring me out like a dishrag.

"That'll teach me to take detours!" I pressed on ahead at full speed.

Aellos were basically Harpies. They could fly and unleash a powerful gust of wind attack in a straight line. I ignored the annoying Flappy Birds and gave the massive armored Dullahan a pass as well. The deck of the ship was thankfully easy to traverse. I was able to outrun the Seama and dive below decks before anything caught up to me.

"Oh come on!" I complained.

Seama were slithering and crawling from the deck after me with single-minded determination. Right, this wasn't a game, monsters didn't have a reason to stay on their screen. They were already too close for the Culvert. I used Welcome Company and drew the cutlass with my left hand. My defensive ring was immediately tackled to the ground leaving me exposed to the remaining three. I didn't use swords a whole lot when I played Bloodstained. Shoes were much easier to use. That meant I didn't have a ready-to-use special attack to copy from Miriam. A tentacle lashed out with surprising speed, but I managed to block the strike. The cutlass sheared straight through the tentacle with a squelching noise. The stricken Seama reared back in shock over its injury.

"Huh…Swords are sharp…" I wanted to scream. That was almost as bad as "People die when they are killed." Sharp sword against boneless tentacles meant a seafood platter. Simple logic.

The Seama learned just how easy it was to lose a tentacle. That isn't to say I had an easy time. However, compared to the Poltergeist, this was a walk in the park. Complete with sore legs, sore butt, and sore lower body in general. Those damn things kept going for my legs!

"Why were they obsessed with my butt?" I knew I was whining.

Okay, so it was a fair strategy. If they took out my legs I'd fall down and be easy pickings. I just felt like the bastards were taking too much enjoyment out of it. They did yield Cerulean Splash. A useful Conjuration Shard that created bouncing orbs of water. The higher the level the more the orb bounced. I also discovered something unpleasant. On top of the extreme pain from absorbing a Shard, I had a much lower Shard limit than Miriam. Two. I could only hold two of the same Shard. The third one passed right through me and didn't take.

Miriam was already down in the ship's hold when I reached her. I was feeling fatigued, but she looked as fresh as a daisy. She just finished kicking a Cannon Morte to death before noticing me. The way her eyes widened was slightly comical.

"Celia! What are you doing here? What about Johannes?" Miriam asked. My friend was busily assessing whether I was hurt. The scene bordered on the absurd with the two of us standing in the flooded ship's hold. Water was pouring down from the damaged walls, but here she was fretting over me.

"Johannes cast a sanctuary on the room. The only way he'll be in danger is if we fail to slay the demons before they destroy the ship. Now perhaps we can continue together? Safety in numbers and all that," I suggested with some asperity. I appreciated her concern, but there was a time and place for that. Right here and now was not appropriate.

"How do we slay all of the demons? Every time I turn my back more of them appear!" Miriam let out a groan of frustration.

"We make our way to the front of the ship. The vessel only has to last long enough to reach shore," I said.

"Or we split our efforts. You continue killing the Demons damaging the ship's hull and I'll sprint on ahead to see where we are," Miriam suggested.

Honestly, it was a better plan than the one I had. There was safety in numbers, but the Demons wouldn't stop trying to sink the ship just because we were together. In fact, they would be able to finish sinking the ship unopposed with no one here. Seama were pouring through the holes in the sides and using their tentacles to crack the wood. Cannon Mortes, essentially animated demon cannons, were respawning and aiming for the supports. Miriam gave me a quick hug before rushing off to the front of the ship. I wanted her to go there to meet with Gebel and the high Demon organizing this mess. Vepar was basically the Seamas' "Mother" and could easily pulverize the ship if she wasn't slain.

"Okay, you ugly bastards. You have no idea who you are fucking with!" I cried out a challenge.

Every single Demon in the hold turned to stare at me with unsettling leers. Maybe my challenge was a tad too effective? The good news was that the Cannon Mortes, while dangerous if you stood in front of one, were easy enough to dispatch by standing on their backs. The bad news was that the other Cannons didn't know the meaning of the term "Friendly Fire." They had no problem whatsoever with aiming at their fellow Demons if it meant hitting me. Even worse? The other Demons didn't seem to care either! So I could lure them into attacking each other, but their lack of basic empathy, or camaraderie, meant they could attack me full force without fear. Luckily the Seama were rendered Hors de Combat as the Cannon Mortes fragged them.

There were many bright sides to all this. I was picking up a lot of SP Rounds, HP Rounds, scraps of demonic metal, and elm, and filled up my Flame Cannon Shards. Gotta look at the silver lining, right? Otherwise, you're forced to look at the uglier stuff such as being outnumbered and outgunned. The Culvert came in handy as SP Rounds made big holes in their metal bodies. Sadly I didn't suddenly develop eyes in the back of my head. A Seama decided to perform a Death or Glory attack right at my back. The sudden weight of the tentacled horror threw off my rhythm enough that I took a cannon to the chest.

I cratered another wall with my body. This was becoming a theme.

"Fuck me running…" I spat out a wad of bloody saliva. The blast struck the Aegis Plate hard enough to throw me out of the room. That meant they were following me out of the hold and away from the ship's hull. That also meant they were following me to finish the job. I rolled over onto my stomach before pushing myself to stand on unsteady legs. Another High Potion joined the ranks of fallen soldiers.

The doorway would provide a natural bottleneck right up until they blasted out the walls. I knew of a decently powerful weapon nearby. Whether it would be here in real life was another story. Anything was better than standing around waiting for them to kill me. I used the grappling line on the ceiling above and pulled myself up to the storage loft. Unlike in the game, it was full of stuff the crew was carrying for trade. A loud boom echoed from down below as the Cannon Mortes decided to just blow any obstacle away. They were smarter than I hoped. Instead of getting caught up on the door, they were making their own.

I almost missed the chest due to my distraction. It was engraved with oriental characters. Sadly, I couldn't read the language, but that wasn't important. I yanked it out with adrenaline-fueled strength and threw the chest open. Lying inside was a beautifully crafted three-section staff. Sanjiegun wasn't my favorite weapon in Bloodstained originally, but right now I absolutely loved it.

"Hiyah…!" I cried out as performed a leaping descent. I channeled my magic through the staff and thrust it downward rapidly. Each thrust caused the weapon to extend violently. The first Cannon Morte through the door was pulverized as steel-capped ends pounded it to scrap.

Three more thrusts of the extendable staff utterly demolished the remaining Cannon Mortes. I could see more of them appearing, but I was no longer afraid. We were playing a completely different game now! Their essence flowed into me strengthening my limbs incrementally, but it was still an appreciable amount. The Seamas showed great wisdom and fled from my vicinity.

"That's right! Run away, you cowards! I'll gut the lot of ya with this staff!" I called after them.

Sanjiegun's Lunging Serpent was a mana-intensive technique. After my reckless charge, I had to start playing it smarter. Just because I had five High Ethers didn't mean much if they were used up too quickly. I only had to hold out until Miriam came back. My arms were starting to feel like lead. Even a basic Potion would've helped with my fatigue, but I wouldn't falter. I was starting to develop tunnel vision as darkness crept in at the edges. That's when the whole ship shook causing me to fall on my face in the brackish water of the hold. The sudden cold shock woke me up. Though I could've done without the taste of bilgewater. The Demons rushed me as soon as I faltered.

"Thrashing Tentacles!" Miriam's voice carried over the din. Monstrous tentacles swept out around me sending my assailants flying. She rushed over to pull me out of the briny deep. "Celia! Thank God you're alright…"

I spat out a stream of murky water before speaking, "Yeah…I'm alright…"

"I met Gebel on the prow of the ship. He was with a greater Demon. He wants me to come to the castle…" Miriam looked away with a sad expression. "What was wrong with him? I've never seen him act so cold before. The things he said about giving humanity what it deserves… He was the one who told us we weren't monsters. It doesn't make sense!" I embraced her with tired limbs.

"It's okay, Miriam. The Demon is probably messing with his mind. We just need to smack some sense into him," I said soothingly. In the game it wasn't possible to save Gebel. A cutscene played and he instantly turned to crystal.

This wasn't a game. Perhaps it was a pipe dream, but I wanted to hold onto hope. I had memories of Gebel treating Miriam and I like his little sisters. He was a good man. There had to be something we could do besides follow the whims of fate. I wasn't ready to accept that nothing could be changed. Miriam returned the embrace. Her resolve melded with mine. We were going to find Gebel and remove that creature's control together.


AN: Yeah it won't be a straight rehash of canon. I'll also try to keep the fight scenes interesting and avoid too much info dumping.

 

[dingbat779]

It's Supernatural 3



The Galleon Minerva was beached forever. With all the hull damage, there was no way to get it sailing again. That meant we were effectively trapped here until another ship arrived. Miriam sent me back to get Johannes while she explored the beach. Unlike in the game, the beach outside of Arvantville was quite large. Most of the Demons from the ship were migrating to the rocky outcroppings. Even they could recognize the ship was becoming a deathtrap. Johannes and I managed to grab what supplies we could before fleeing the ruined vessel. We found Miriam standing on the beach gazing towards Arvantville sorrowfully.

Arvantville was burning and it was every bit as horrific as one could imagine. The game cleaned up several things, but we were experiencing it all without censoring. Demons roamed the fiery streets as they searched for more prey. Giant rats nibbled on the corpses of fallen villagers. Bone Mortes patrolled with bones in hand ready to smash some poor person's skull. The air was filled with the crackling of flames, but I could hear bats screeching. Evil demon bats circled the skies like demented vultures.

"My God…" Johannes reacted with stunned horror.

"This is simply too cruel. They didn't deserve this," Miriam shook her head.

"Damn it," I wanted to say something stronger.

How could anyone think this was a good idea? I know Gebel's excuse. A greater Demon of the Ars Goetia was manipulating him. That didn't excuse the former nun Dominique. She had a major beef with God over losing her parents during the first demonic invasion years ago. Now she wanted to make the whole world suffer. That shit would not fly. I couldn't accuse her outright, not yet anyway, but I planned to keep an eye on her. To that end, I needed to speak with Alfred. Johannes' old master had a plan to use a tome of great power to destroy the castle. He was just going about in such a way that everyone assumed the worst. Alfred didn't help matters by not simply explaining himself. Oh, and it was fairly obvious he suspected Dominique from the start.

So much to do and I was just one person. I had foreknowledge, but I couldn't use it without more proof. To get the proof would require people to believe me. For them to believe me I needed proof. A class Catch-22.

"We need to make contact with Dominique. She is our liaison with the Church," Johannes visibly shook himself out of his stupor.

"Celia? Keep an eye on Johannes," Miriam said before rushing off towards the Church.

"I swear that woman needs to have her hide tanned. She keeps running off without a plan!" I railed at the sky.

"Then perhaps we should follow. I do not think we would find many survivors," Johannes trailed off bleakly. I gave the poor man a hug which surprised him.

"This was not your fault. I know you won't believe me, but you didn't cause this. It was Alchemists who didn't have a shred of empathy or mercy. Focus on the here and now. That's all you can do. We need you to be strong, Johannes. I know you can do it," I smiled reassuringly. Johannes didn't fully believe me, but at least some of the despair left his eyes.

"If you say so," Johannes relented with a half-hearted smile.

"I do say so. Now let's get a move on. Miriam probably found Dominique already," I said wryly.

Miriam did find Dominque and the ever-adorable Anne. The surprisingly upbeat child witnessed her parents murdered by Demons before being rescued by Dominique. Then Miriam had to rescue both of them since the nun didn't appear to be a fighter. I knew differently. Dominique could have utterly curbstomped the Morte without breaking a sweat. She was playing a long con of being a harmless clergywoman. I couldn't stop her plans entirely, but there was something I could do to slow her down. Dominique led us to an empty building, not the Church as it was already burning, but this place seemed safe enough. Johannes and I could detect the presence of powerful wards on the premises. Miriam could as well, but she was less interested in investigating that and more into challenging the castle now. Good thing she didn't just run off to do that and instead joined us in the lab Dominique set aside for Johannes.

"I asked where Dominique received her wares from, but all she said was she had a supplier," Miriam remarked with a dubious shake of her head.

"Perhaps she brought them with her? I know that she asked me to help her remain stocked up. She has a hunter named Zangetsu who brings back what he finds," Johannes explained.

Honestly, it made more sense to me that Zangetsu was harvesting this stuff than some nameless supplier. Which also explained why she was charging so much. Zangetsu was a powerful swordsman and demon hunter. I can't imagine he works for cheap.

"Dominique also offered a service where she would buy the Shards I do not need," Miriam said. Johannes looked doubtful, but it was clear he didn't how to respond.

"That sounds like a monumentally bad idea. We've already seen what the Shards do when used by people who studied them. Dominique is a member of the clergy and not an Alchemist. How would she know how to handle them safely? Johannes and I could make better use of them," I replied. This was how I would keep Dominique from receiving any Shards. She was not going to learn how to make herself into a Shardbinder.

"I agree with Celia. This has the potential to go wrong. I do not wish for Dominique to be hurt if something were to happen," Johannes quickly remarked.

"Perhaps you are right. There has been enough death and catastrophe," Miriam sighed softly. Crisis averted and in an easy to believe way. Now it was Miriam's turn to get a hug. When in doubt, hug it out. Yes, it was cheesy, but it worked more often than not.

"We've had a long day. Perhaps we should try to get some sleep," I suggested gently. Holding Miriam in my arms let me feel just how strung out she was. Right now she was running on fumes as were Johannes and myself.

"The castle will be there in the morning. Both of you get some rest," Johannes urged.

"Take your own advice, Mister. None of that staying up all night to research that you do. We all need clear heads to tackle this," I admonished him.

"I just want to make it all stop…" Miriam whispered sleepily. I was cheating outrageously by lightly stroking her scalp with my nails. Once you find the right spot it becomes easy to induce a somnolent state. It wasn't magic usually, but that's where the cheating came in. If she wasn't so tired my paltry magic wouldn't affect her.

"Rest Miriam…" I murmured.

As it turns out there was no 'morning.' The moon remained in the sky even though the clocks said it was after seven o'clock. Johannes hypothesized that this is what the Alchemists were trying to do originally. Demons weakened greatly under the sun's rays, but if the sun never rose? The Demons would walk the Earth without end. Stupid bastards didn't realize just how badly this could go wrong for them. The Ritual failed back then, but it was a success now. We met the rest of the survivors at breakfast.

Starting with the angriest we had Lindsay. The poor woman saw her entire family and beloved neighbors slaughtered by Demons. She had a supply of things to use as payment for slaughtering specific Demons. I tried to convince her that we could kill many more Demons with the aid of her stash, but she refused.

"Alchemists and Shardbinders got us into this mess. I'll only believe you're here to help if you actually try to fix this. Words are useless in times like these," Lindsay snapped waspishly.

Harry was a much more understanding man. He was angry at the Demons for taking the lives of his loved ones but chose to place the blame where it belonged. Unfortunately, his service was in growing crops using the magic-enriched soil. Even if he wanted to help more, he was restricted by how fast the crops could grow.

Abigail was a good-natured woman, but she buckled to peer pressure easily. She wanted to help, but only if we brought back mementos for the dead. I almost convinced her to give us something to help unfortunately it didn't go well.

"Do not give them anything. Make them earn it," Lindsay told her.

"Of course, Lindsay… I understand," Abigail said meekly.

Miriam just got this stubborn look on her face. The constant negativity wasn't going to get her down. Johannes found her resolve downright inspirational. I thought the negativity was aggravating. Lindsay's anger was justified, but it wasn't helping to save anyone. She was just lashing out because of how much it hurt. Trying to convince her to be flexible, or even somewhat reasonable, was futile.

The old woman, Suzie, was a sweetheart but very fragile. I suspect the only reason she survived in canon was because of the magical food. She could eat like a horse if the dish was good. We managed to get her a rice ball which did a world of good. Unfortunately, she didn't actually remember where she kept her treasures. That did make a certain amount of sense.

"I'm sorry dears. I would love to give you more, but my memory isn't what it used to be," Suzie smiled apologetically.

"No, it's alright. We understand," Miriam hastened to assure her. Beat me to it by several seconds.

"Miss Suzie…" Lindsay started to say, but the old woman stared back at her. Lindsay flinched.

"None of that now. You don't speak for me. I still have my wits even if my memory is terrible. I understand that it hurts, but taking it out on the very people trying to help is foolish. It's all foolishness…" Suzie started strong before lapsing into despondency. Anne hugged the old woman which seemed to help.

"Perhaps Miss Suzie should rest now…" Dominique suggested. The woman was a fine actress, I'll give her that. She leads Miss Suzie off solicitously. I believe she does still care in some small fashion otherwise her acting would lack authenticity.

Miriam, Johannes, and I went back to the lab to discuss our strategy for tackling the castle. It was a large sprawling edifice full of dangerous monsters and traps. If we just ran inside without a plan it would only end in our deaths.

"I must reach Gebel as soon as possible. I am certain I can reach him. You weren't there, Celia. He was almost himself again, but something happened…" Miriam said.

"I truly believe you can find the man he once was. Don't give up on hope," I smiled encouragingly.

"What do you intend to do? Will you go together? I think it would not be a good idea. Miriam's potential is much greater than yours, Celia. The Shards would be drawn to her every time," Johannes said apologetically. I hadn't considered that, but it made sense.

"Okay, we'll split up and tackle different parts of the castle. The grappling hook and my Aegis Plate will help me reach places Miriam can't go. I'm not trying to do this alone. This is just a reconnaissance mission," I said. That was when I handed Miriam the Culvert. "Take this with you in case you need a ranged option," I held up a hand to forestall an argument, "...Please don't argue with me."

"Fair enough…" Miriam accepted the pistol meekly. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "If we have duplicate Shards we can share. We will meet back here in four hours. Only four hours. Which should be doable if you are correct about there being more Warp Rooms." I already told her and Johannes about the one on the Galleon Minerva.

"Don't forget to take some of these…" I gave Miriam two High Potions and two High Ethers. I wanted her to be safe, but not at my own expense. This left me with three of both. Miriam put them in her belt pouch.

"Thank you, Celia," Miriam smiled warmly.

"I wish there was more that I could contribute," Johannes lamented.

"Didn't Gebel keep a journal of his own experiments into Shardbinding? I think he was working on binding Shards to weapons and such," I reminded him.

"Hmmm…Yes, you're right. They require a Shardbinder, but I can make notations on the theory. Perhaps even refine it…" Johannes turned to the trunk full of books. I can't have anyone feeling useless around here. The only way we were going to survive was through grit, determination, and positivity.

Johannes worked a bit of magic on a pair of parchments. As an Alchemist he knew the spells the others used to create the castle. It was too powerful for his limited magical strength to handle, but he could enchant parchments to become maps. He even linked them together so that Miriam and I would always know where the other was. We couldn't see each other's status, but it was immensely impressive regardless. Which meant that whatever rooms I discovered would show up on Miriam's map and vice versa.

Miriam was going along the straight path which would eventually lead her to Zangetsu. She would need certain Shards to progress any further. I didn't have that restriction. The idea was to find the best Shards and certain treasures that I could give to Miriam. I desperately wanted the Optimizer Shard. What it did was grant improved competency with all weapons represented by an increase in speed and damage. It could even stack with other Weapon Shards once it was made a Skill Shard. I wasn't going to go anywhere near the 'bosses' of the castle. That was the very opposite of safe. However, I would probably need to take a run through the Oriental Sorcery Lab for Strength Shards and Bovine Plumes.

If none of this makes sense that's okay. I'm only keeping this record in case something happens to me. Perhaps it might even entertain my Benefactor wherever that jerk is right now.

Ever tried speedrunning your life? I don't recommend it. There are all sorts of things that can go wrong and there are no save states. Sanjiegun was still an incredible weapon through the first part of the castle. I ran straight through the entrance without pausing. The Gothic architecture was beautiful actually. Statues of Angels holding burning torches lined the main hall. The Oriental Sorcery Lab was straight up, but the distance was too great for my grappling line. Which is fine since I had other ways to reach my goal. Miriam would deal with Zangetsu which would clear a path for me. How did I know she would win? He let her. The Japanese warrior wasn't trying to kill her. I wasn't sure when he started to suspect Dominique of being the enemy, but it must've been early.

"Who is playing a pipe organ?" It took me a moment to realize there was honest-to-God background music. I chanced a look up and found a shadowy figure playing a grand pipe organ as if its life depended on it. Gebel really wanted that ambiance.

Mysterious organ music wasn't a problem. The shadowy figure wasn't using it to cast a spell or anything so I let it lie. Down the hall I went slaying bats and Mortes with impunity. The only threat was the Blood Grinder Knight. He looked sort of like Lord Zed from the Power Rangers but with a horned helmet and wielding a drill-like sword. I darted around to the side as he clumsily turned to face me before lashing out at his knee with the Sanjiegun. The empowered sectioned staff smashed into the joint hard enough that it shattered. He pitched forward with a roar of outrage, but I slammed my heel on the back of his neck several times. Driving him beneath my heel made me feel like a real badass.

Until the demon dog blindsided me at sixty miles an hour.

Rollin' rollin' rollin' for my life as I frantically tried to get out from under the Gieremund. I kicked out blindly just to get some space and heard a very high-pitched yelp. My Spike Boots caught the evil beastie between the legs. Too bad for him I was all out of sympathy. While the heck hound whimpered and tried to stand, I rolled back to my feet and smashed it atop the skull with my staff. As he collapsed, I had to deal with a very angry and very large lion man. Sabnock came in with his enormous sword to cleave me in twain.

"Power pole…EXTEND!" I cried and stabbed the Sanjiegun forward. The bizarre cry took it momentarily off guard, but just long enough to take the steel-capped head to the groin. As it turns out, Sabnock isn't wearing groinal protection just a simple cloth.

Honestly, killing him was a mercy at this point.

There was a slight flaw in my original plan. I needed Miriam to clear out Zangetsu before I could reach the Oriential Sorcery Lab and the upper parts of the Dian Cécht Cathedral. Instead of letting that bother me, I went ahead with my secondary objective. I wanted to reach the Tower of Twin Dragons to collect the Aegis Plate stored there for my friend. She would need it soon and it was a really good armor to have this early. That meant going through the Garden, but I was up to the challenge. Besides, I could open up the Warp Room. In order to reach it one needed to move a heavy stone pillar so an undead carriage driver could take you across the bridge. The other way was to simply use my Grappling Line to lift me up onto the broken bridge. I glanced down at my map and did a double-take.

"Miriam's back in Arvantville already?" I stared at the map in bemusement.

It took me another half hour to reach the Warp Room and return back to Arvantville. There was a little cutie sitting on my shoulder and generally being adorable. I loved the Carabosse Familiar Shard. The little pink-skinned, pink-haired, and jewel-eyed Fairy was just so cute! When I found Miriam she was complaining, loudly, to Johannes about some freakishly strong swordsman with a bad attitude.

Ah, she met Zangetsu. That explains why she came back so soon.

"He acted as if it was just a game and threatened to kill us if we betrayed him. What sort of person does something like that?" Miriam planted her fists on her hips with an aggrieved huff.

"A cautious one. A survivor. I cannot throw stones given what the Alchemists did…"Johannes shrugged helplessly.

"Let her get it out, Johannes. She just needs to blow off some steam," I said while walking into the room. Carabosse immediately started investigating the room, the desk, and Johannes' glasses from half an inch away.

"Ah!" Johannes yelped. Carabosse yelped as well before zooming back to hide behind me.

"Where did you find her?" Miriam demonstrated her amazing ability to be distracted by cuteness in record time.

"In the Garden of Silence past the broken bridge. I even brought you a Carabosse Shard," I smiled while holding out the pretty green Shard.

"Hmmm…Do I stab it into my chest?" Miriam mused as she touched the crystal. The Shard entered her body without the usual tortured screams. That startled her more than anything.

"Fascinating. So a Shard freely given doesn't hurt the recipient? This is excellent news!" Johannes enthused.

A second Carabosse appeared over Miriam's shoulder. Mine came out from behind my back to greet her new sister. The two of them began harmonizing bringing a smile to all our faces. We were going to get something to eat and take care of a few things. Once we were prepared it would be time to set out again. There was just no time to truly take it slow and methodical. That was why it was such a good thing there were two of us. Miriam embraced the role of the forward powering through to the goal. I planned on harvesting materials and locating things to make her journey easier. Johannes would keep us stocked up on potions, healing items, and food.

The one question I had was: How long would my foreknowledge hold out?


AN: Doing a little set up to show the division of labor. Who wouldn't love having someone do your farming for you? That's basically the role Celia set for herself. Locate the Good Shit and farm enough for everybody. The only downside is that she can't hold many Shards. Still, better than nothing.

 

[dingbat779]

Big Bad Beetleborgs Sunnydale Edition 1



Just three typical, average kids on a Friday night. Maybe they weren't the coolest or had the most money, or popular, but they had each other and that meant something! This wasn't their usual Friday activity, however. Xander shot another annoyed glare at his best guy friend since forever. Jesse had a major problem called Puberty. He discovered girls, which led to nothing but trouble—case in point. The cutest girl in their grade, Cordelia Chase (long may she reign in hellfire), dared him to go to the old Hillhurst Mansion and spend the night. She wasn't very nice, but he just couldn't find it in him to say no. Now Jesse would do anything she asked except he was kind of a coward. So he asked his bestest buddy Xander to go with him. Of course, he agreed but not without a lot of grumbling first. Which is why they were on their way to the supposedly haunted mansion together. However, before they got too far, the third member of their little posse joined them. Willow was the smartest girl in the whole girl and definitely not a fan of Cordelia. She was the President for Life of the We Hate Cordelia Fanclub. Xander was the treasurer while Jesse used to be the secretary.

"This is so stupid," Xander moaned.

"C'mon, man. It's no big deal! There's no such thing as ghosts. The old Hillhurst place is just an empty house. Lighten up!" Jesse tried to raise his friend's spirits. He was putting on a brave face even though the old place scared him.

"There might not be ghosts, but the mansion is practically falling apart. There could be loose floorboards, black mold, holes in the ceiling, bed bugs…mmph!" Willow yelped as Xander covered her mouth.

"Yeah, I know all that. I'm not afraid of ghosts. There's lots of other stuff to be afraid of," Xander remarked dryly. He said to Jesse, "You're gonna owe me a lot of Twinkies."

"Dude, Willow's almost as red as her hair," Jesse snickered. Xander looked back at her and quickly let go of her. She was as red as a beet!

"Oh geez, Will. Sorry 'bout that…Couldn't breathe or something?" He asked worriedly.

"Oh no…I'm fine!" Willow squeaked. Jesse glanced back and forth between them before letting out a sigh of exasperation.

"Blinder than bats…" He grumbled.

The irony was lost on him.

Hillhurst Mansion was built sometime around the founding of Sunnydale. There was a great deal of historical significance tied to the old structure which made it's state of neglect odd. Most of the old buildings in Sunnydale were taken care of by the Historical Society, but not this one. Some said it was because the mansion was too far gone to be saved. No one in their right mind wanted to visit for even a minute let alone a whole night. That was Cordelia's test. She challenged Jesse to stay the night in the dilapidated old house. Xander figured she was laughing about it to her "Cordettes" and the other cool kids. Middle school sucked. Luckily they wouldn't be totally roughing it as Willow had the bright idea to bring supplies. Too bad no one thought to pack sleeping bags.

The old house stood eerily at the top of the hill. Its reputation as a haunted house was well deserved just from its state of disrepair. Strangely enough, the windows appeared to be intact. The sides of the building were worn by time and the elements. Yet the front porch seemed solid. The children expected it to be spooky and falling apart, but somehow the lack of damage was even eerier.

"Do we have to do this?" Willow whimpered. The little redhead was using Xander as a shield.

"I gotta do it. You guys can go…I'm sure it'll be fine," Jesse replies with false bravado.

"All this for a girl who makes fun of us? Dude, you have some messed up priorities," Xander sighed.

"But it's Cordelia Chase! The hottest girl in school! She promised to go out with me if I did this!" Jesse spread his arms with a big grin.

"She's a poopy head…" Willow mumbled. "You're a poopy head too for listening to her."

"Aw c'mon…Don't be like that…" Jesse wheedled.

"Eh, I didn't have anything to do tonight," Xander shrugged with forced nonchalance. His friends winced. He really didn't have much to do especially with his parents checked out all the time. They weren't mean or physically abusive drunks. They just weren't there.

"We have our stories straight?" Willow asked. Xander and Jesse nodded in unison. The story they told their parents was a simple one. Willow and Xander said they were at Jesse's house. He claimed to be at Willow's. That way no one would be the wiser.

The front door creaked open as Xander reached for the knob. He swallowed heavily before flashing his friends a reassuring smile. It wasn't all that reassuring when his smile quivered. Jesse entered next with Willow bringing up the rear. Just as they crossed the threshold the door slammed shut. Jesse hurriedly tried to pull it open, but it was stuck.

"Th-The wood probably warped a-and it's just stuck…" Willow reasoned.

"There's probably a backdoor somewhere. Let's use that," Xander suggested quickly.

"But what about the challenge!" Jesse protested.

"We're just gonna see if the backdoor works. Okay?" Xander assured him.

"...Worst Friday night ever…" Willow muttered to herself.

The entryway led to a foyer that clearly saw better days. There was a stairway leading up the second floor complete with a balcony around the upper floor with several doors. Off to the side was a living room, or more accurately, a dead room with just how mildewed the furniture looked. The trio of involuntary explorers found the kitchen beyond the dining room. Willow squealed as a rat the size of a terrier darted across the floor. The little redhead buried her face in Xander's back while gripping his shirt. Her brave knight looked like he wanted to hide behind someone himself. Jesse hurriedly tested the backdoor, but it was just as stuck as the front door.

"Uhhh…Guys? Think there's a phone to call our folks?" Jesse asked nervously. Xander and Willow both stared at him in disbelief.

"Of course there's no phone! Hillhurst Mansion was around before phones were even invented!" Xander burst out with annoyance.

"Hey, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't think this would happen!" Jesse fired back.

"No, you didn't think. You were too busy going 'Oh Cordy's so hawt! Oooh!' and now we're trapped here!" Xander waved his hands in exasperation.

"Cordy! She knows we're here! When we don't show up she'll call for help!" Jesse enthused.

"Queen C? Cordelia Chase? That Cordy? She wouldn't piss on us if we were on fire!" Xander shouted.

"Guys…?" Willow tugged on Xander's shirt.

"She's not that heartless! She'll call for help and save us. Just you watch!" Jesse insisted.

"Right, I'll watch, but I'm not holding my breath," Xander retorted.

"Guys…?" Willow tugged on Xander's shirt harder.

"Why ya gotta rag on her man?" Jesse moaned.

"Because she hates our guts? She can't stop herself from calling us every name in the book? Gee, I dunno why," Xander remarked acidly.

"Guys!" Willow yelled.

"What!?" Jesse and Xander both whirled around. Willow pointed at something behind them. In the gloom of the old kitchen, a bandage-wrapped figure approached. The mummified corpse paused as if realizing the gig was up.

"Boo," he deadpanned.

"Ahhhhhh!" The children screamed before fleeing from the kitchen through a servant's door.

The chase was on! Their pursuer knew the layout of the mansion better than the intruders, but he wasn't as fast as they were. Another advantage they had over him was their smaller size. There was just one problem. The doors were still stuck and they were trapped with a mummy! Then they heard a moaning sound from somewhere. A creature made of spare human parts like Frankenstein's monster crashed through a door ahead of them. Willow and the boys shrieked before blindly charging back the way they came. The mummy loomed out of the darkness before them trapping the children between the two monsters. Jesse and Xander tried to shield Willow as they were backed against the wall. The redhead's flailing hand slapped something on the wall eliciting a sharp "click." A section of the wall swiftly spun around whisking the children to safety.

"I wanna go home!" Willow cried.

"This sucks! No girl is worth all this crap!" Jesse complained.

"Quiet guys…We're not out of the woods yet. It looks like we're in a different part of the house…" Xander looked around at the newly discovered room.

There was something strange going on. The creature was able to bust down a door, but he wasn't able to break a wall? Willow burrowed under Xander's arm for cuddles. Jesse looked like he wanted to do the same, but settled for clapping his friend on the back. The room appeared to be for entertainment. At least that was the easiest explanation for the absolutely enormous pipe organ crammed in the room.

"Why isn't Frankenstein just breaking in here?" Jesse wondered.

"Maybe the walls are stronger than the doors…Oh, you know what I mean!" Willow pouted. Of course, walls were stronger than doors.

"Yeah, we know…Hey guys? I'm sorry about this. If it wasn't for me we wouldn't be in danger of dying to Universal Studios rejects," Jesse apologized.

"Eh…Yeah, it kinda is your fault. Thing is it's kinda my fault too. I didn't try to talk you out of it," Xander shrugged.

"No, it's my fault. I know better…I should've said something…" Willow bit her lip.

"Man, I hope someone finds us…You guys are great, but I really don't wanna die with you," Jesse nervously joked. He leaned against the pipe organ right on the keys. The children jumped as the surprisingly tuned instrument shattered the stillness.

Before they had a chance to react a blue light gathered around the organ. The children drew together for protection. Each one was acutely aware of just how powerless they were if this turned out to be a threat. That was when the light coalesced with a blinding flash. As their eyes cleared a jaw-cracking yawn was heard. Did ghosts need to yawn? What they were greeted with was a very strange sight. The figure had pale blue skin and looked like a cross between Jay Leno and Elvis Presley with Liberace's wardrobe.

"Whoo! That was some nap! I feel like I slept for ages…!" The bizarre figure stretched with a satisfied groan. And when he stretched, he really stretched, as in his arms reached the ceiling! He snapped back to normal with a sound like a rubber band.

"Uhhh…" The general consensus was confusion. They were trapped in here with terrifying monsters, chased around the mansion, and now a Looney Tune come to life stood before them. Suffice it to say they were beyond done with this.

"Hmmm? Oh hey, kids! Are you the ones who released me? Thanks a bunch, guys. I guess the organ was clogged or something and I got stuck. As thanks, I'll grant you a wish! My name's Flabber!" He gleefully shook their hands.

"Uh, uh, hi? I-I'm Xander. This is Jesse and this is Willow. We're kinda stuck here…" Xander tried not to jerk his hand back. He didn't want to seem rude to Casper the Friendly Ghost.

"What the heck are you?" Jesse blurted out. His friends shot him identical glares. He shrugged sheepishly. They were certainly thinking it, but to just ask like that? It was like he forgot they got into this mess through his impulsiveness.

"Me? I'm a Phasm. We're spirits that are capable of all kinds of stuff like granting wishes. Hint hint," Flabber reminded them with a comical eyebrow lift.

"Could we wish to get out of here?" Willow eagerly seized the chance to escape this crazy nightmare.

"I can get you out of here no problem. That's not a wish, that's just good manners," Flabber waved it off.

"Wait. We can get a wish and leave the mansion?" Xander asked.

"Sure thing. I'm a Phasm of my word!" He swore.

"Hey…Think he could turn us into superheroes? Like the Beetleborgs?" Jesse asked excitedly. He hastily dug a copy of a brightly colored comic book from his bag.

"Superheroes…?" Willow trailed off speculatively. She should be trying to figure out a better wish, but her childish heart throttled her brain and demanded to be a superhero.

"And this isn't a Monkey's Paw wish n' stuff? Like if we become Beetleborgs the villains won't show up?" Xander quickly asked.

"Ooh, good thing you said that. Sometimes I forget to close the door," Flabber admitted with a shrug. The kids let out sighs of relief, but it was short-lived as the Phasm raised a finger. "However! I can't promise that someone else won't open the door again. What one magic user can do another can copy."

"Right, cool, Beetleborgs now?" Jesse held out the comic impatiently.

"Okay okay okay…" Flabber laughed indulgently as he took the comic. The spectral being flipped through the pages to familiarize himself with the subject. He glanced at the children as if sizing them up. "Three Beetleborgs and three children. Simple enough. Just gotta make sure the powers grow with you as you get older…Perhaps something for your civilian identities? Sunnydale is no laughing matter at night…"

Before they could ask him what he meant an eldritch wind surrounded them. The comic book's pages flipped rapidly on their own as metal parts emerged from within. Armor the likes of which this world has never seen before latched onto their bodies and obscured them in blue, green, and red light. The light-shrouded figures grew before the shells shattered to reveal what was inside. Willow was encased in red cybernetic armor with black pauldrons that looked to be modeled after a female rhinoceros beetle. Jesse appeared in green cybernetic armor also with black pauldrons modeled from the stag beetle. Xander emerged in a suit of blue cybernetic armor with the motif of the longhorn beetle. Their yellow eye crystals flashed as the transformation completed.

"Whoa! I'm really the Green Hunter Beetleborg! This is so awesome!" Jesse was enthused as he started throwing punches and kicks at the air.

"That means I'm the Red Striker Beetleborg!" Willow clapped her hands excitedly. The repeated clashing of metal on metal managed to be more endearing than annoying.

"This is so cool! You made me the Blue Stinger Beetleborg!" Xander laughed as he spun around in place to check himself over.

Flabber watched them celebrate their new powers with a fond smile. He glanced towards a shadowy corner where a figure stood silently. His smile turned a little wicked. Just because he was a nice Phasm didn't mean he couldn't enjoy causing a little chaos. The man in the shadows vanished without a trace.

"Yep, this promises to be a lot of fun…" Flabber mused to himself.

This would be a lot of fun indeed.


AN: Right so I had a wild plot bunny appear and hurried to get it down. For those of you who know the source material for the cross this isn't gonna make ripples. This is gonna make tidal waves.

 

[dingbat779]

Just a Normal Girl
Character Sheet

AN: This is not an SI but instead a person who lives in the starting world. She has no idea what her Perks are during the Jump. No Warehouse but she does get the basic Quicksilver Bodymod after the first Jump. The "Normal" part of the title is a slight misnomer. She doesn't want Magic or Super Science powers. This is straight up a martial arts chain.


Chapter 1



Tokonosu City was the second largest city in Japan. The exact population escaped me, but I knew it was a lot. Despite that crime rates were fairly low with the worst thing being petty larceny. In this typical average city, people went to work, students went to school, and I absolutely despised it all. It was just me and Dad after mom died due to cancer when I was ten. She fought it for years, but it eventually caught up to her. I've always had a hard time talking about it with anyone. Dad arranged for a therapist, but it just became one more thing that made me seem weird to my classmates. I couldn't even grieve properly for my mom because of the school. To be Japanese means to keep your emotions to yourself. Family business was just that, family only. No one cared if you were emotionally wrecked. If you weren't sick you were expected to suck it up and move on.

That's a gross generalization of course. I've spent my life trying to be more culturally Japanese than anyone. Why? Because I'm not Japanese. I was born here, but my nationality is American and Chinese. My dad was born on a military base. He met my mother when she came to visit with some friends. The way she told it, it was love at first sight. They received a lot of flak for their relationship, but it didn't matter to them. Mom wasn't even disowned by her family over it. No, the only people who made a fuss were my wonderful countrymen. Now that same spite was passed down to me. The children of my generation don't know why their parents seem to dislike me. It's not cartoonish levels of hate, but more a general apathy and disdain. If you look at what the Chinese have done to the Japanese it makes some sense. I don't forgive them, but I just don't have the energy to get worked up. Ironically, my father being "American" is less of an issue given the close ties between Japan and America.

My mother's death is when things grew worse. I was always closer to my mother than my father. He's a good man and I love him dearly. It's just that she always knew what to say to make the discrimination easier to take. My dad was always full of solid advice and encouragement, I won't say he didn't help, but Mom could get to the heart of my pain. Together they made living in Tokonosu bearable and I enjoyed living here. Now half of the machine has broken down, gone forever, but my father works twice as hard to make me feel loved. The problem is that he was at work a lot so stuff slipped through the cracks. Such as the toxic situation developing at school.

Koichi Shido was one of the most popular teachers at school. Many people adored him for his kind smile and generous nature. However, that was all a front to hide the monster within. I was one of those caught up in his masquerade. I only saw the real man behind the mask when he failed one of my classmates, Rei Murayama, without even a reason. She tried to appeal, but the school was so enamored with him as the son of a prominent politician, they turned a blind eye. I don't know what came over her. The other girl looked so sad and alone that I just had to talk to her. She never made fun of me or treated me like garbage. Why shouldn't I try to reach out? Rei didn't understand what was going on, but she didn't turn me away either. It felt good to have a real friend for the first time in years. Then Shido found out and tanked my grade too just because he could. I should thank him for doing his job as a teacher. He taught me a valuable lesson. The true measure of a person is how they treat those below them.

Cut to the present day. Once again I'm standing on the school rooftop with Rei. She likes to come up here to spend time with her boyfriend Hisashi and their friend Takashi. I kind of liked them actually. They didn't try to shoo me away or act like jerks. It was nice to be included in their private rendezvous. The three were friends since elementary school and totally inseparable. I never really felt the desire to get closer to people so Rei kind of had to drag me along the first couple of times. Years of isolation made me almost painfully shy, but she made me feel like I belonged.

Sadly this wasn't one of those idyllic days and our reason for seeking the roof wasn't so innocent…

"Hisashi! Takashi! Mei! Help!" Rei cried out as she stumbled on the rooftop stairs. A man with graying skin lurches forward to grab at her legs. She managed to kick him off, but there were others coming.

"Damn it…!" Takashi tried to run back with a baseball bat in hand, but Hisashi snatched it from him.

"Get Rei and keep going! I'll hold them off!" He swore. Takashi didn't hesitate to take Rei by the arms and heave her quickly up the stairs. The bat whistled through the air as he brought it down savagely on the undead creature's skull. Hisashi looked like he wanted to vomit, but kept it together admirably.

"Come on, hero! Don't you get left behind too!" I grabbed him by the bicep and muscled the taller boy up the stairs. Hisashi didn't argue as we scrambled for the roof. Takashi took Rei all the way to the astronomy tower and was getting the supplies needed to make a barricade.

Hisashi sagged against the wall as I slid to the floor. My legs didn't feel like they could support me. I felt like my head was spinning. I was distantly aware of Hisashi comforting Rei while Takashi prowled around the small room. The details bounced around in my head, but nothing clicked. When did my life turn into a Romero movie? I heard someone giggling but there was no one else here. It took me a moment to realize the giggling person was me. There was nothing funny about this at all but I just couldn't stop giggling! Takashi knelt down in front of me and drew me to his chest. The sudden motion almost made me shove him away, mostly from surprise, but I just couldn't find the strength. I'm not sure how much time passed as it all became a blur of sloppy tears and trying to control myself.

"What do we do now? There's no food, no water, nothing up here to survive on. The only weapons we got are a baseball bat and a broom handle. That's not going to hold us forever," Rei's voice trembled with thinly veiled panic.

"I mean I've got a couple granola bars and a bottle of water…" Hisashi produced the items from his pockets. The meager offerings only served to highlight our position.

"We're going to have to make a break for the staff lounge. I'm sure we can find the keys to a car. Maybe the phones are still working? You're right that we can't stay here," Takashi agreed. He was still stroking my hair and trying to calm me down. I pulled back as the sense of closeness suddenly became stifling. This was the longest someone besides my Dad had hugged me. It wasn't a bad experience, but I really wish the situation wasn't so dire.

How did we even get here? The day started as normal as we waited for the homeroom teacher to arrive. Rei was seated beside me. We were just chatting about something. I think she was talking about her boyfriend again. She was dating Hisashi while being in love with Takashi. The two of them were best friends and both wanted to date Rei. It was a love triangle that gave me a headache just thinking about. Hisashi was also in our homeroom but he was put on the other side of the room from us.

"Why don't you just date them both? It saves time. This way you get both of them without any hard feelings," I said with a faint smile.

"Our classmates would flip out if I even suggested such a thing," Rei retorted hotly, but the blush on her face said she liked the idea.

"Winding up our dear classmates isn't a drawback. It's a bonus," I replied easily. Rei's eyes narrowed at my tone before sagging in defeat.

"Of course, you wouldn't see the problem," she muttered without heat.

"Rei, you have a type. There's no shame in that. Cute, dependable…" I started ticking off their virtues on my fingers before Rei quickly grabbed my hands.

"We've gone over this already!" Rei insisted. I looked down at our joined hands in amusement.

"Are you trying to add me to your harem too?" I asked.

"Huh?" She noticed our position and quickly sat back so fast her chair left the floor. Rei managed to catch herself at least.

"Smooth," I said dryly. Hisashi quietly snickered to himself. If he knew just why she was so off balance he would be blushing twice as hard.

Before she could reply the door slammed open and Taskashi burst in. He was a man on a mission. There was a wild look in his eyes as he looked around. Saya Takagi, another friend of his and probably the brattiest genius in Japan, demanded to know what was going on. Takashi ignored her as his eyes landed on Rei.

"Rei! We have to get going!" He exclaimed while trying to yank her out of the seat.

"What's gotten into you? I'm not going anywhere!" Rei argued.

"Dude, give it a rest! Don't just yank her around!" Hisashi interposed himself while pushing Takashi back. Takashi shook his head like a dog coming out of the water.

"No, you don't understand! There's no time!" He insisted.

"Then give us the short version. Breathe, get your thoughts in order, and try again," I told him.

"That's the most she's said to him ever…" Hisashi said in shock.

"Ahhh…wait! Look outside!" Takashi pointed at the windows.

Down below on the concourse was a horde of people shambling unsteadily through the gate. At first, it looked like a mob of humanity, but that's when we saw something even more disturbing. There were people missing limbs, and parts of their torso, and even one man had most of his skull ripped off. That said it all. Rei and Hisashi were not arguing anymore. The macabre sight sent the rest of the class running for the doors. Takashi somehow managed to keep us together as we shoved our way through the throng. Once out in the hall, we fled towards the roof access. The front doors would be clogged with students trying to escape. I've watched enough zombie movies to know how well that would work. Hisashi had us stop at the janitor's closet to pick up some weapons. The only things we found were a broom handle and a baseball bat he confiscated.

"Wakisaka-sensei? Listen, we have to get out of here! There's a horde of undead…" Takashi paused as the social studies teacher stumbled past him.

"He's one of them!" Hisashi realized.

"Hoh!" Rei didn't hesitate to ram the wooden pole into the man's chest. Unfortunately, without a blade, all it did was just push him back a little. He continued to advance and was even driving her back.

"Ha!" I executed a leg reap that caught him behind the knees. The shambling undead lurched backward and fell heavily on his back. I caught Rei's hand and jerked her past the flailing body.

Which is how we found ourselves running towards the roof and trapped in this observatory. Now that the initial panic was passed it was time to plan. The best idea so far was to go to the teacher's lounge on the first floor to find a set of keys. There had to be some way to get out of here. I wanted my classmates to stop shunning me. It looks like I needed to word my wishes better.

This was the end of the world as we knew it…

 

[dingbat779]

Chapter 2



We had a plan of action, but there was just one problem. The stairs beyond the barricade were crowded with zombies. Rei, however, had a brilliant plan that would surely succeed. She remembered when the fire department came to school for an assembly. Why was this important? They explained why it's a bad idea for someone untrained to use an emergency firehose. There was a lot of pressure firing out of that nozzle and it could cause serious harm. That was how we were going to clear the stairs by using the firehose. Takashi and Hisashi braced themselves and aimed the intense stream of water through the barricade. It was a good thing no one alive was nearby as the force sent undead bodies careening down the stairs with bone-breaking force.

"Wait!" I pointed at the fire axe case.

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Hisashi took the bat and smashed it open. With the zombies taken care of it just didn't make sense to leave a weapon behind.

"Mind if I take this?" Takashi asked. I gestured for him to take it which he did with a smile. Sure, I wanted it for myself, but he and Hisashi had the least amount of martial arts training. Rei was on the Sojutsu Team and I had extensive training in martial arts from my mom and dad.

"I wish I at least had a bokken or something…" I sighed.

"We'll find you something to use. Maybe we could swing by the gym? The practice armor could help too," Rei suggested.

"If it's not too far out of the way. We don't even know what it will look like down there," Takashi pointed out.

There were still some undead near the door but much less than before. I did the sensible thing and hung back so my friends didn't have to worry about me. We weren't trying to wipe out every zombie on the way of course. Their slow speed worked in our favor as we were through the line and running down the stairs in moments. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line except when that route is filled with carnivorous undead. There was just something about their behavior that I couldn't quite put my finger on. We were crouched behind a wall waiting for a zombie to move. It was standing between us and the stairs. The stupid thing seemed perfectly content to stand there. I had a stupid idea.

"Something's strange about this…" I murmured close to Rei's ear. She looked at me in confusion, but I held my finger to my lips for silence. I crept out from cover much to my friends' consternation and stood directly in full view of the zombie.

"Mei!" Rei's voice came out strangled as Takashi quickly silenced her with his hand.

The zombie was staring in my general direction but it didn't seem to notice me. It was probably the scariest thing I've ever done, but I had to be sure. Relief flooded me as it became readily apparent that it couldn't see me. I took a metal pen out of my pocket and gave it a sharp throw at the lockers further down the hall. The zombie spun around so quickly it almost fell over as it tracked the sound. This made our task significantly easier. As long as we didn't make too much noise they wouldn't notice us. Of course, there was a price. Rei was glaring daggers at me as we crept down the stairs. The boys were up front just in case. Luckily we could smell them coming. Stealth went out the window as the sound of a gunshot echoed from the direction of the faculty room followed by a scream.

I will admit I did not expect to see Saya Takagi here of all places. She might be an incredibly intelligent young woman, but I didn't think she would survive this long. The girl was half a head shorter than me which wasn't as important as the fact she was using a power drill on a zombie's head. Kohta was an overweight military otaku who knew a disturbing amount about firearms. Good thing he was such a nice guy or he might've become a school shooter. I saw the nail gun in his hand and realized that it must have been the source of the gunshot. From another hallway, the school's kendo champion, Saeko Busujima, was leading the school nurse. I couldn't remember her name. She had abnormally large breasts and zero brain power. Aside from that, I didn't pay attention to her. Now I might have to since she was the only one with medical training. While Saya freaked out over her near-death experience, I walked over to Kohta. He was looking uncomfortable over how upset the shorter girl was. Points to him for being a functional human being.

"Hey, do you have another weapon in that bag you're carrying?" I asked. Kohta blinked at me in confusion.

"That's the most you've ever said to me…" Kohta marveled. I needed to nip this in the bud.

"We're in the middle of a crisis. I can't afford to be standoffish and aloof when our lives are at stake. Okay?" I pitched my voice so that it would carry to the others. That should stop the inevitable stupidly obvious comments.

"Oh, uh, right…Sorry, but all I got in here is stuff to keep the nail gun going," Kohta shrugged apologetically.

"Don't worry about it. You've got your priorities straight," I wouldn't hold that against him. He had an effective weapon so of course he needed to keep it functional.

"I am a genius who deserves to be treated with respect!" Saya suddenly erupted with a ragged and emotionally strained cry. She was covered in blood and trying to keep it together. Most of my irritation with her died a swift death. Saeko offered what comfort she could while the others stood around bereft of direction.

"Let's keep going. The faculty lounge is just over there. Maybe the news will have something…" Takashi managed to get us moving again. Just from a casual observation it was clear that trying to reach the gym was suicide. There were just too many of them walking around the campus.

The faculty lounge only had the one door and two windows making it easy to barricade. All it took was the couch and the door wasn't going anywhere. I found a backpack in the Lost and Found box and started emptying the staff fridge and cupboards. Saya was near the sink with a withdrawn expression. She was trying to clean off the blood with mixed success. Kohta went over to check on her so I kept my distance. Hisashi joined me in looting the pantry while Rei and Takashi tried to call their parents. I knew my dad would be at work. He was in a different precinct from Rei's father.

"How are you holding up?" Hisashi asked.

"Shouldn't you be asking Rei?" I inquired without looking up from what I was doing. I knew it was petty, but I didn't want to talk about my feelings in front of all these strangers. We would have to rely on each other for survival yet I just didn't want to share yet.

"Yeah…Guess I should…I just didn't want you to feel alone," Hisashi said with an embarrassed blush. I turned to him with a faint smile.

"I'll come to you guys when I'm ready, okay? It's just…hard," I was feeling frustrated but not with Hisashi. There were just too many people now and the tense situation wasn't helping. I needed a nice dark corner to sit and brood for a while. I needed a quiet place to recharge my batteries.

"Hey guys…" Takashi said. He was staring at the television in a daze. Someone turned up the volume so we could all hear.

There was a news program on, and the reporter was referring to the events taking place as "riots." She said that the local death count has already surpassed 1,000, and the governor has declared a state of emergency. She was interrupted by gunshots and said the police had opened fire. After seeing two dead bodies on stretchers coming back as "them," the reporter screams for help, and the camera feed cuts to the news studio. The anchors glanced uneasily at one another before turning back to the camera.

"Why isn't anyone saying what's really happening?" Takashi asked in bewilderment.

"They do not wish to cause a panic I imagine," Saya remarks. "This is a global pandemic. If they revealed the full scope of this then societal order would break down. Right now we need the government to function so they can deal with them."

"Society is already breaking down. The government isn't doing anything. We have a military base nearby that could've mobilized its troops already. Do you know why they haven't? The Japanese government is so afraid to admit that anything is wrong that they'll allow their citizens to die rather than lose face," I know it was bitchy, but the words just flowed out of me.

"What else can we expect from one with your blood? Always acting like you're superior to everyone. You never talk except to put someone down. Meh, why am I even bothering?" Saya threw her hands up literally and metaphorically.

"Why you…!" Rei almost lunged at her, but Hisashi was quicker. She strained against his grip before giving up with a sullen glare in Saya's direction.

"Ugh…Okay, I'm sorry. This isn't the time to be discussing philosophical differences," I probably should have tried to sound more contrite. I meant them, but in hindsight, it sounded like I wasn't serious.

"Found them!" Shizuka (That's the airheaded nurse's name!) crowed triumphantly as she held aloft a keyring.

"Right. Let's go!" Takashi once again took charge.

As we left the lounge, Saeko briefly walked beside me. "You are not wrong," she whispered before hurrying to act as a vanguard. Okay, that kind of threw me for a loop. She was everything a good Japanese woman should aspire to be and she agreed with me? I felt a sense of validation. However, by saying it to me in private, she also avoided causing more friction in the group. I stayed closer to Saya. The best thing I found for a weapon was some thick dish towels I wound around my forearms.

"The corpses are already rotting badly. The reason we're not seeing skeletons is because this must be strictly biological. Once the flesh has putrefied and fallen off the threat should be over," Saya mused half to herself. That seemed to perk up the group.

"Looks like cremation might become popular again. I think you might be right," I said quietly to avoid alerting our stalkers. Saya gave a brief nod. The air wasn't clear between us, but we could work together. We had to for our survival.

We found another group of survivors trying to reach the entrance. There was a whole pack of zombies surrounding them. They were doing their best, but it was clear none of them were used to fighting. Luckily for them, we had a group of people who were very good at combat. Saeko and Rei sprinted off and proceeded to make mincemeat out of the undead. Takuzo, the leader of the other survivors, asked if he could join us.

"Sure thing. Come on, we have the keys to a bus," Takashi said.

"Wait wait wait…How are we supposed to reach it? There's a bunch of them out there," one of the other guys said.

"They only respond to sound. All we have to do is just keep quiet and carefully walk towards the bus," Takashi replied.

"I knew that, but how did you figure it out?" Saya asked.

"This one decided to test a theory," Rei remarked dryly while jerking her thumb at me. I think she was still mad.

I carefully took an old coffee can out of my backpack. "This should act as a nice distraction," I said in response to their curious stares. Inside was a bunch of little metal spoons and shakers. "Get ready to move…!" I stepped out the door and slung the noisemaker as far as I could. The can tumbled through the air before bouncing heavily on the pavement. That got the zombie's attention. It caught the attention of every undead in the vicinity. The crazy can kept bouncing and skittering about due to the spoons and shakers inside.

The next minutes were crazy as we rushed to the bus. I stayed towards the rear in case someone fell. Hey, I might not like most people, but I'm not evil. Just as we're boarding the bus I hear a well-hated voice call out. It's Shido and he's leading a group of students. Takashi wants to wait for them but I can Rei, with fear in her voice, tell him to just close the door. Shido tried to proposition her once. He told her that she could pass if she made it worth his time. I had absolutely no love for him. The students were those brats who followed every little thing he said. If we let him on board he would quickly poison our group. My conscience flared up mightily. That was when a dark thought took hold. A thought I had no trouble going along with.

"Takashi! I'll help the stragglers!" I called out as I quickly pushed past him.

"Wait! Mei! What are you doing!?" Rei demanded.

"I can't let anybody die! It's too much! Not even Shido!" I added the right amount of desperation to my voice. Takashi, Rei, and Hisashi remembered how I lost control in the observatory. Phase one of my plan complete.

The students seemed surprised to see me running towards them but didn't stop. Good. I needed them to see this yet not close enough to hear anything. Shido was running near the rear of the group with only one other student. The boy's foot landed wrong and I could see his ankle twist badly. Whether it was broken or not was unknown. I'm good but I'm not that good. He grabbed for Shido's leg, but the psycho teacher tried to kick him off with the zombies approaching. Thank you, Shido for clearing my conscience. I snatched at the fallen boy's arm and hauled him upright with desperate strength. "Unfortunately" I accidentally hip-checked Shido while he was in mid-kick. The evil bastard's eyes widened as he fell into the path of the ravenous horde.

"Shido-sensei!" I cried but it was too late. He went down in a screaming heap too fast for anyone to save him.

"Ah…! My ankle's busted…!" The student I saved grit his teeth in pain. I put his arm around my shoulders.

"Lean on me and hop fast!" I told him. Thankfully Takashi arrived at that moment to help from the other side.

The shock of Shidou's death left his students adrift without an anchor. Rei pulled me down into the seat beside her. She was hugging me and whispering soothing words. It was better for all involved if I never admitted it was my intent to murder him. The weapon couldn't even be traced back to me. Shizuka revved up the bus and took off like a bat out of Hell. There was some discussion about who should be in charge.

"First thing's first we need supplies. Let's go to Junes first. There's also a hunting store nearby. We need weapons, food, and medical supplies," I said.

"Good idea. Then what do we do? We could go looking for our parents," Takashi suggested.

I nestled against Rei's side as the discussion continued. We had a tentative long term goal but our short term goals were in place. What was my father doing right now? Was he alright? I wanted to fly to his precinct right now. Rei's arm around my shoulder trembled as she wrestled with her own feelings. I hugged her waist tight eliciting a tremulous smile in response.

We just had to stay strong. No matter how hard it got.


AN: Bye bye Shido! Get rekt! Ah the lovely lovely butterflies..

 

[dingbat779]

Chapter 3



I didn't expect there to be no one at Junes. The end of the world as we know it, zombies filling the streets, and a big box store? Who wouldn't take advantage of the chaos to do a little five-finger shopping? However, there was a difference between us and the common panicked civilian. My dad was a camping enthusiast trained by his father and grandfather to be a survivalist. We weren't doomsday preppers or anything. Probably should have been since that level of paranoia might have been useful. What I'm trying to say is that I know what a group needs to survive in the wild. Kohta was a military otaku with a ton of overlap with general weapons. Together we could pull our knowledge to scavenge the resources necessary to survive out here. A couple of buildings down was a Dick's Sporting Goods Store.

"Okay, we don't know how many of Them are in the stores. That being said there are a lot of us so as long we play it smart it should be simple. Kohta? Take a group to Dick's and grab whatever you can find. Bows especially and don't forget the shafts," Saya directed. She said to the others, "We'll go into Junes and take whatever isn't nailed down. Especially from the hardware section. Don't forget fresh meat if you can find it…"

"Fresh meat would be a bad idea. How would we keep it cold? You could take a bunch of coolers and ice, but that would take up too much space. The bus doesn't have infinite carrying capacity. We should raid the canned goods section. Also, dried meats can last a really long time and could be rehydrated later. We also need water so make sure to stock up. Until we're sure if this can be spread through water or not it's better to have a safe source of water. Large pots and pans are also a must. There are a few other things we'll need…" I probably stunned them with how much I was saying at one time. They weren't wrong that I just didn't talk to people. However, this was a matter of life and death. I could afford to freak out later.

"...Yeah, okay, that's a better idea than what I had," Saya looked physically pained admitting that. Saeko patted her on the shoulder comfortingly while Takashi gave her an approving smile.

"The idea to get fresh meat was a good one for the morale benefit alone…" I offered the olive branch. She merely huffed but some of the tension went out of her shoulders.

"Are we just going to forget Shido-sensei? Our classmates? How can you be so cold?" The dulcet tones of one of Shido's fans burst in as the adults were talking.

"That guy? Fuck that guy! He was kicking me in the face when I tried to get help! I'm sorry about the others…but Shido-sensei can rot in Hell…" The boy, Hideki I think, glowered. His ankle wasn't broken, but it was badly sprained. He definitely wasn't going to sing Shido's praises.

"How can you say that!?" The girl's voice ratcheted up another decibel. "He's dead and we're stuck with his murderer! That halfbreed mongrel bitch…!" Rei shut her up by the simple expedient of a backhand across the mouth.

"Keep talking Taniuchi and I'll knock your teeth down your throat! You weren't watching at all…" Rei turned to Hiashi for comfort. Her boyfriend immediately embraced the distraught girl.

"Rei, Hiashi, Hideki, stay with the bus. Shizuka? Look for medical supplies. Take whoever you need to carry things," Takashi took over before the atmosphere turned poisonous.

The interior of the store was full of like-minded people busily looting the place. There were some bloody patches where a zombie met a messy end. Clearly, they've never had to deal with Junes during their Springtime Sales Event. It gets ugly. Saya's plan to grab fresh food was good, but that was the first place the scavengers hit. I wasn't surprised that people were grabbing as many canned foods as they could. We weren't aiming for the stuff on the floor but in the back of the store. The goods up front were the easiest to get and would be the fastest to go. Most people when they panic focus on the immediate future. Also, we weren't competing with anyone for our supplies. Again, Junes during a sale is nasty. I have seen little old ladies knock down grown men.

"Hey, uh, Lynne-san?" A girl from Shido's group asked. She looked a little timid but not hostile. I made sure my smile was in place before answering.

"What is it, Masaka-san?" I must have got the smile right because she looked relieved. I do know how to smile, but I generally have little use for other people. They shun me so I shun them back. There was no place for that attitude now as I kept reminding myself.

"Uhm…Thank you for saving Hideki-kun…I just thought you should know some of us are glad you're here," she blushed brightly. I felt my cheeks warm up.

"You're welcome, uh, Masaka-san…" I managed to say before the last of my nerve fled. She just smiled and went back to loading a shopping cart.

I kept half an eye on Taniuchi but the problem child was behaving herself. She kept shooting me little glares whenever my back was turned, but the mirrors at the ends of the aisle showed me everything. The part of the warehouse dedicated to hunting and camping was my main objective. We were going to need to construct shelters eventually and weapons were a necessity. Preferably weapons that didn't make a lot of noise. I might be biased, but I find a hunting bow to be more practical when stealth is necessary. My dad made sure I knew how to use one. Another guy came up to me with a big grin on his face.

"Guess what? There's a service hallway behind Junes right to Dick's. Isn't that wild?" He seemed pleased with himself.

"Good job, uh, Hanigata-san," I really hope he didn't catch my slip-up. From the way his smile widened I don't think he did.

There was way too much to carry on the bus itself. That's when Saya, Kohta, and I worked together to figure out how to strap carry-alls on top of the bus. We were all dressed in a variety of clothing ranging from motorcycle suits to mishmashed pieces of dirtbike armor. Except for Saya and Shizuka. I'll have to sit down and modify something to contain their, ahem, assets. Once again I was glad that my development stopped early on otherwise I couldn't shoot a bow. Shizuka used her own initiative and raided the pharmacy next door. She also picked up a book on drug interactions just in case. Some of the students in the nursing club were also on the bus. Honestly, we were about as prepared as anyone could get without more notice. Of course, another crisis had to pop up.

"Where are you going?" Takuzo asked. A valid question considering Takashi, Hiashi, and Rei were taking some supplies and sturdy backpacks.

"We still have to find our parents. You were talking about going to the island off the coast, right? Sorry, but that's in a completely different direction," Takashi shrugged with a faint smile.

"My dad's at the police station. I'm sure that once we link up with him we'll be fine," Rei said.

"I can't just let these knuckleheads go alone," Hiashi chuckled sheepishly.

"When did you guys decide that?" I asked in bewilderment. That being said I was getting my own gear together. They weren't leaving without me! Rei handed me a compound bow with a smile.

"You were elsewhere. We weren't going to leave you behind," she said fondly. I got a little choked up and looked away before anyone noticed.

"...You better not," I whispered.

"I will accompany you if that is alright," Saeko said with a smile. Her bokken rested in a pool stick bag repurposed as a sheathe.

"Ugh, you idiots would be lost without me…" Saya tried to play it cool, but it was painfully obvious she didn't want to be left behind either.

"What the Hell? I'm in," Kohta shrugged. He commandeered a crossbow and appeared proficient with it so that was a plus.

"Oooh…" Shizuka groaned before quickly exiting the bus herself. "I know somewhere we can go first." She casually tossed the keys back to Takuzo. He looked about as bewildered by her cavalier attitude as the rest of us.

"They really could use a nurse…" Takashi tried to appeal to her sense of duty.

"There are four students from the nursing club and several first aid manuals. How much do you know about medicine?" She asked. Shizuka looked around but none of us could really argue with her. The most I knew was some minor first aid for camping injuries. I wasn't some super amazing rustic surgeon.

"Good luck guys. We'll keep a space open for ya, alright?" Takuzo called out.

"Thanks! Good luck to you too!" Takashi called back.

Luckily there were no zombies around to hear our goodbyes.

The bus drove away with a strange sense of finality. We were truly on our own now. Would this be the last time we saw them? Where they were going was once a beachside resort on a small island off the coast. There were two ways to reach it either by boat or through a tunnel. If they used the bus to block the tunnel it should make a decent barricade. I was actually worried about them. Kind of funny how close you can feel to someone in such a short time. I glanced back at my friends and saw they were waiting for me. Rei gave me a brief hug before we discussed marching positions.

"Shizuka and Saya in the middle. Hiashi, Rei, and myself in the front. Saeko, Kohta, and Mei in the back," Takashi suggested.

"Sound strategy. Rei is the best with a spear while Hiashi has his baseball bat. Takashi still has the fire axe so that makes them the front row. The squishies are in the middle just in case. Saeko is back here with us as the best close-range melee fighter. That way Kohta and I can concentrate on fire support," I mused to myself.

"Uh, right. I just thought it sounded good in my head," Takashi admitted.

"Don't admit when you just guessed. You're the leader so act like it. If you're not sure of something then ask, but don't ever say you were just winging it," Saya scolded him.

"Why am I the leader?" Takashi demanded. Okay, that was a stupid question. I wasn't alone in staring at him in disbelief.

"Hey man you spoke up first. You've broken the deadlock a few times already and stepped in as the leader. Better you than me, buddy!" Hisashi clapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, guys. Can we not stand out in the open? It's not just them we gotta watch out for. Look at us and how well-armed we are," Kohta gestured at us.

"We're not far from my place. My roommate has loads of stuff we can use and there's a Hummer," Shizuka got our attention when she mentioned a vehicle.

There is something to be said for being the best equipped in an apocalypse. The undead we came across mostly ignored us as long as we didn't make a sound. Those that didn't fell quickly to arrows or artistically executed violence. I recognized the neighborhood. Shizuka, as it turns out, only lived a couple of floors away from me. It was a strange coincidence, but a welcome one. Rei went with me to my apartment to search for anything useful. Dad didn't like to bring work home with him and that included the cool stuff he used. There was one thing I wanted that belonged to my mother.

"Looks like your dad isn't home," Rei said softly as if speaking too loudly might draw the zombies to us.

"I figured he wouldn't be, but I could hope…" I shrugged absently. Rei wasn't having any of that and hugged me. My shoulders trembled as I tried to stay strong. In some ways, this was worse than Mom dying. At least we had a chance to make peace with her passing. This horrible uncertainty was scratching along my nerves.

"Did you want to take your mother's jewelry? A picture?" Rei started playing Tetris with her backpack as she tried to find places to put my precious mementos. I'm kicking myself for not thinking of that first, but I had something else in mind.

"Actually…" I left the room and returned with an ornate sheath. The hilt was black with a bronze ring and burgundy strand attached to the pommel. I drew the blade with reverence as it once belonged to an ancestor on my mother's side of the family.

"Your mother's honor blade. Of course, you would want that," Rei realized before favoring me with a gentle smile. I resheathed the Qing Dao and affixed it to my waist.

"I'm pretty good with it too," I smiled self-deprecatingly. My mother could cleave the air without a sound. I was nowhere near that good. I'm sure she would approve of the sword being used to defend as it once had long ago.

"God I'm tired…" Rei groaned while collapsing on the sofa. I let myself flop down beside her.

"It's just like any other afternoon. The only thing missing is popcorn and the TV in the background," I lay my head on her shoulder. After a moment, she laid her head on mine. The silence was almost peaceful. Just imagining the way things were before made me feel painfully nostalgic. It was hard to believe those wonderful days were just yesterday.

"Do you think we should have stayed with the others?" Rei asked.

"Probably. I know why we didn't, and I approve, but from a practical standpoint it didn't make sense. I would still do it again…You're worth doing stupid stuff for," I blushed a little. "Takashi and Hiashi are alright I guess…" Now my face was flaming and it wouldn't stop!

"U-Uhm…Thanks, Mei. I really like you too…Just, uh, not like that…" Rei stammered. I went back over what I said. How did she come to the conclusion that I was confessing? Oh. Never mind.

"Rei, I love you too, and I'm as straight as you are. Unless you really are angling for that harem. I suppose I wouldn't complain," I replied with a smirk. Now her face was burning up. She looked away quickly. Why would she react like that? I've said worse things.

"I'm not making a harem…" Rei replied petulantly. She should not look so cute sitting there with her eyes glistening. I must have pushed her buttons too much.

"I'm sorry. You're just so easy to tease," I said while giving her a hug.

Saeko came to get us as Hiashi, Kohta, and Takashi finished bathing. Apparently we were doing it in shifts which made sense. Rei was blushing even harder and couldn't bring herself to look at either of us. Did I really set her off that badly? I didn't take her as someone who was that ultra straight. How was I supposed to fix this without making it even worse? Bathing together was not going to help things! Someone bring back the zombies. The zombies made sense!


AN: Zombies definitely make more sense than teenagers. I'm going to do the furo scene but keep it tame. Promise.

 

[dingbat779]

Chapter 4



Shizuka and her friend Rika had one of the luxury apartments in the building. At least I assume it's luxury because the bathroom alone was ridiculous. The one at my place was about a third as large as this one. Even then it still seemed small considering five women were in one place. The furoba itself was big enough for three people at a time, but I wasn't ready to get that cozy with anyone. By the time Rei and I arrived Shizuka was already in the water. My friend went to rinse herself off while I decided to just wait until the end. No offense to anyone but I just don't feel comfortable bathing with others. I'm fine at a public bath with room to spread out. This is just too close for my comfort. Saya, Rei, and Saeko were rinsing off. Each of us occasionally stole glances at the nurse. I was mentally evaluating her sizes for a sewing project later, but the others looked defeated. That is until I saw a calculating gleam appear in Rei's eyes. I had the strangest urge to either facepalm or leave the room.

Next time I'm going to listen to my common sense.

Shizuka continued soaking in the furo oblivious to my friend's approach. Saya and Saeko watched in morbid fascination as Rei crossed the room. It felt like I was watching a trainwreck. Without hesitation, the brunette decided to give the busty blonde a mammary exam. The nurse apparently appreciated Rei's thoughtfulness and thorough attention to detail. Looks like Shizuka was free of cancer and everything was okay. The other girls were of the opinion that such examinations should be conducted in private and fled the room. I did finally indulge in that facepalm.
-

What happened in the bathroom stays in the bathroom. The boys were curious as to why Saya and Saeko came out first, but they weren't talking. Rei was suffering from a case of terminal embarrassment and wouldn't even look at me or Shizuka. The alleged adult seemed to find it weirdly hilarious but at least she kept her mouth shut. I was going to have to find my friend later once she had a chance to cool off. My main issue is that I always have to be doing something. No matter how minor. I need to feel productive. To that end, I took over a corner of the living room and got out my sewing kit. I brought back a bunch of camo pants, jackets, and other stuff from my apartment. There were also spare motorcycle jackets. My sewing kit included thick needles and leather cord for repairing our gear in the woods.

"What are you doing?" Saya asked. The pinkette was like a cat. She had to butt her nose into everything. Since this was for her and Shizuka's benefit I didn't mind.

"I'm modifying some jackets for you and Shizuka to wear. You're, ahem, quite talented so normal stuff wouldn't work," I vaguely indicated her torso region.

"Why? We're not going to be upfront," Saya folded her arms defensively. Her tone was a bit sharp, but I let it slide. She wasn't really asking why I was altering body armor for them. I think she was asking why I cared.

"Human teeth can't tear through genuine leather or kevlar. I could just let the chest out of a couple of jackets and call it a day. The thing is…It's not just zombies out there. We will be coming across people who have nothing to lose. I'm going to make a sandwich of leather, kevlar, and leather under a camouflage layer. It will probably be a little heavier, but it should handle piercing weapons better than just Kevlar alone," I explained as I prepared the materials. "But, that's not what you're truly asking. Why do I care?" I looked up at her and did probably the hardest thing I've ever done. I looked her in the eyes and said, "Because you are a person and I care."

The way her eyes widened said that I was right. I could barely make out the little "Thank you" but it was sincere. She quickly fled to the balcony which was fine. That much openness was exhausting for me too. Takashi watched her as he walked over to me. He took a seat on the sofa and quietly watched as I was making the layers. It was strangely soothing just sitting here and working while he observed with a little smile on his face. My emotional batteries were still drained, but he didn't mind.

"What I'm making isn't pretty and will probably heat up fast in the sun. Shizuka and Saya just aren't as fit for fighting as we are. I'm making a harmaki for Kohta as well. It won't be the best…" I suddenly started blurting out words. Nature abhors a vacuum and I start getting nervous with long silences. Usually when I spazz Rei just walks away and gives me some space. This was the first time Takashi was ever at ground zero for one of my fits.

"Mei, it's okay…You're doing your best. No one can expect any more. Seriously, this is awesome. I can't make stuff like this," Takashi said with a gentle smile. The words didn't wash over me but instead went through. I felt my chest unclench as the anxiety receded. It wasn't a miracle cure, but I could breathe again.

"How did you get so good at this motivational stuff?" I managed a smirk. He returned the smirk with one of his own.

"Hey, I'm not your best friend like Rei, but I do pay attention," he said in a mock haughty fashion.

"You are my friend. You and Hiashi," I said softly. He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't ever doubt that," he insisted before getting up and walking away. Shizuka stumbled into him drunkenly. I giggled a little as he just groaned and carried her upstairs. That's what I mean about this being a luxury apartment. It had a second floor!

There is a reason I don't do anything without setting an alarm. I have been known to get so into a project hours pass. Before I know it the sun is pouring through my window as I've worked through the night. Someone lightly shook my shoulder almost causing me to scream. Saeko jerked back with an apologetic grimace. I felt like I was coming up out of the water. This particular fugue must have been especially bad. Her first words confirmed it.

"I was trying to get your attention for a few minutes now. We are going to bed," Saeko said gently.

"Oh, right…" I stretched and just barely resisted groaning. My back, shoulders, and even my hips felt painfully stiff.

"You were so into your project we didn't want to disturb you," Saeko gestured.

"Thanks. I was trying to integrate the dirtbike body armor into the jackets themselves. Like an armored greatcoat. That should make it easier to wear…" I said while trying to crack my neck. If I could crack my neck the rest would follow. Saeko elegantly stepped around me and deftly popped my neck.

"Is that better?" She inquired. I think I turned into a puddle.

"Yes…" I moaned blissfully.

"Now come to bed. We need to be up early," Saeko said.

"Right. Night favors the zombies more than it does us…" I trailed off with a jaw-cracking yawn.

Shizuka proved to be a semi-responsible adult in that she made the boys sleep downstairs while the girls took upstairs. She was already asleep before the rest of us due to all the alcohol she drank. Still, with the kind of day we've all had, I wouldn't deny the woman needed a drink. Rei's bout of insanity in the bathroom meant that she was given the largest space on the floor. My friend never liked being singled out so I knew this was torture for her. Unfortunately, no one else knew that. I don't like sleeping near people. Even at a slumber party, I was the weird child who slept off in a corner. For Rei, I pushed all that aside and set up my bedroll beside hers. Her brief fragile smile told me I did the right thing.

I was just on the edge of sleep when the crack of a rifle split the silence. Kohta called out that Takashi and Hiashi went out to save a little girl and her dog from a group of zombies.

"Ooh…" Shizuka groaned as she sat up.

"Say here, Shizuka. I can drive," I quickly assured her. The only thing worse than driving intoxicated was being exhausted on top of that.

"Let's go!" Saeko darted from the room wearing her underwear and an apron.

"Right!" Rei quickly snatched up the Springfield Rifle mounted with a bayonet for a spear. She also ran out in her sleepwear.

"Is no one going to at least put on the damned armored jackets!?" I yelled after them in frustration. I snatched the keys off the table, shrugged into my jacket, and ran out after them.

Driving a Hummer is different than driving a pickup truck. It seems so obvious in retrospect, but I just didn't want Shizuka trying to drive. Kohta was using the roof access to stabilize his rifle. Rei was fidgeting in her seat as we sped towards the confrontation. For some ungodly reason, Saeko was standing on top of the Hummer perfectly balanced. No, it didn't make sense to me, and I pray it never does. We were heading at full speed towards a large gathering of zombies. Takashi was holding a little girl with a dog zippered up in his jacket. He was balanced precariously on a thin wooden fence. Hiashi was taking advantage of his vantage point on top of a wall to smash downward at any undead that got too close. At least they remembered their protective gear. Even the pants.

"Haaaa…!" Saeko leaped from the top of the Hummer and into the fray. Her bokken lashed out in a brutally fast series of strikes. Wherever she passed, zombies fell from extreme blunt force trauma.

"Clearing a path!" Rei didn't even wait for the Hummer to stop before jumping out, spear at the ready, to back Saeko.

"Kohta! Help them get inside!" I called out to the marksman. He called back an affirmative as I quickly jerked the steering wheel and sent the Hummer into a long skid. Zombie bodies smashed and pulped as the heavy machine slammed into them. The vehicle ended its skid almost flush with the fence. No, I didn't plan it like that I half expected to plow straight through the fence. God really does look out for children and fools.

That was how Alice and Zeke came into our lives. Just like everything else in this world gone to Hell it involved violence and humans being assholes. She was dozing in Hiashi's lap with Zeke curled up on the floor of the Hummer. The poor girl lost her father because the survivor group they were with locked them out. There's practical and then there's just pure evil. I know people will need supplies in the coming days. I just didn't expect someone to be so mercenary they would just kick out a father and daughter over this. Maybe I'm not as cynical as I thought. Seeing her try to sleep was just heartbreaking. Every little twitch and fretful moan hurt us. We couldn't reach where it really hurt. When we got back to the building, I continued to sit behind the wheel.

"Come to bed…" Rei whispered softly.

"I'll be there in a little bit," I promised. I got Takashi's attention before he left, "Did she say where it happened?"

"You could see the lights. It's not far from where we were. C'mon, we all need some rest," Takashi said. Rei nodded.

"I just need some time to think, okay?" I smiled a little bitterly. Takashi patted my shoulder and Rei gave me a hug. They hurried to catch up to the others. The smile fell from my face.

What they did was evil pure and simple. Motives, extenuating circumstances, all that crap was for courts to argue about. For society to function people devised a set of rules. When these rules are ignored is when society truly breaks down. To abandon innocent children to the mercies of monsters was beyond reprehensible. No, the undead weren't the monsters here. They didn't have a choice in their actions. These things willfully, and with cold calculation, decided to do this of their own free will.

Maybe what I needed was a walk to clear my head…

Half an hour later I needed to rinse off again. The smell of smoke was still prevalent. I never made a Molotov cocktail before, but it worked beautifully. They wanted the house? They could keep the house forever. To deal with monsters one needed to use fire after all. The great cleanser. I curled up beside Rei with a smile. My heart was at ease.

Perhaps I was finally starting to understand my place in this new world…


AN: I always age characters up if the subject matter turns naughty or just plain makes me uncomfortable if the cast is too young. As for Mei suddenly turning to arson? Read her Perks. She has Kohta's ability to compartmentalize her psychotic half.

 

[dingbat779]

Chapter 5



We were up before dawn and dressed in our spiffy new gear. Mostly everyone was helping to load the Humvee for the road ahead while Saya, with great reluctance, tended to Alice. The child was almost inhumanly upbeat considering everything that happened to her. I probably wasn't the only one waiting for the other shoe to drop. The lingering smell of smoke hung in the air. It was a good thing that we weren't going in that direction.

"Smells like something's burning…Without a functioning fire department, the city might burn down…" Rei bit her lip worriedly.

"Just imagine how many of them the fire might get," Hiashi patted her back reassuringly.

"That's true," she put on a brave face even though her eyes betrayed her misgivings.

"I don't think it's spreading. The houses over there are predominantly brick. This whole section of the city is new. It was only built like thirty years ago," Saya shrugged.

"Wow! You sure know a lot!" Alice eyed the genius wonderingly. Zeke barked as if in agreement.

"Regardless, we should not remain out in the open. Where are we going?" Saeko reminded her.

"According to Shizuka, the Humvee can cross shallow water. We'll use it to cross the canal and head out of the city," Saya explained.

"Rei, Hiashi, Mei, and I still want to find our parents," Takashi pointed out.

"We can get help from my parents. If anything, we could stay at my house and wait for more information. We have a strong fence and a high wall," she laid a hand modestly on her bosom.

"That should work," Kohta piped up.

"Yeah, great. In close quarters with the leader of the Ultranationalist Party," I muttered, but not quietly enough.

"Yeah? What's your problem?" Saya demanded. I pointed at my face and waited for the realization to sink in. She flushed with embarrassment before looking away. "...My parents aren't like that…Especially not at a time like this…"

The only thing deeper than the ocean was her denial. She might be glossing over some important details, but I wasn't. Her father went on television once to stridently declare that Japan's businesses were being tempted away by foreign, i.e. American, powers. Immigrants were stealing jobs from decent hardworking Japanese people. He was in the camp that wanted to restore the traditional taboo against those with Burakumin ancestry. Burakumin referred to those people who did the most unsavory and 'disgraceful' jobs like butcher and undertaker. Saya wasn't like that, I know that, but her parents were definitely a problem.

I volunteered to act as a sentry on the Humvee's roof. That should cut down on the friction for now. The bow at my side was in easy reach just in case. My companion was Kohta who was using a scope to keep an eye out for threats. His singleminded focus was admirable. If we didn't have him along the guns at Shizuka's apartment would've gone unused. Dad always said any idiot can shoot a gun, but it takes training to make it count.

"How did you get so good with a gun?" I asked. As conversation starters went I'd rate it a 3 our of 5. It helped that I was honestly curious.

"Huh? You want to know?" Kohta appeared surprised before giving a little shrug. "I've always been into this kind of stuff. Military hardware, tactics, survival, I just think it's all fascinating. Well, I thought it was cool until we started living it…" He trailed off uncomfortably. There was something lurking just under the surface. A darkness that could just barely be seen. It lurked within Saeko, Kohta, and even myself. If I hadn't given into it I wouldn't be able to recognize it now.

"Don't bottle it up, Kohta. You don't have to hold it in anymore. Hate the circumstances, but don't deny your gift. You are extremely good in this situation," I said. Kohta chuckled a bit. He looked quite chuffed.

"Who knew you were a motivational speaker?" He joked.

"I'm like an onion. I have many layers," I remarked dryly. We both got a good laugh out of that.

The Humvee continued its serene trek along the canal. Rei poked her head out the side window and exclaimed that she couldn't see a single zombie. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the cue for several zombies to appear along the shore.

"I'm keeping my mouth shut next time…" Rei sulked.

"Oh well…They're just target practice," I said before standing on the moving Humvee. Now the difference between me standing on the roof and Saeko is obvious. She was doing it while the vehicle was speeding on asphalt. One pothole and she would've gone flying. There were no potholes at the bottom of the canal. I drew back on the string with my first shaft and let it fly. One zombie spontaneously sprouted feathers from his forehead and collapsed. The rest fell soon after. Kohta gawked before grinning wildly.

"Nice shootin' Tex," he said in a fair imitation of a Texas drawl.

"Fasted archer in the East," I couldn't help bragging. I'm good with the Qing Dao, but with a hunting bow I'm exceptional.

"Hold on tight everybody! I need to clear the bank!" Shizuka called out.

"Uh, Shizuka? The bank is a little steep on this side. We might need to abandon the Humvee…" Saya was trying to point out to the airheaded nurse, but it wasn't registering.

"Whooo…!" Shizuka caroled gleefully as she gunned the engine. The powerful machine surged forward with surprising force and immediately ascended the river bank. Which is fine for the people inside, but it wasn't so great for the silly girl standing on the roof!

"Ahhhh!" As far as last words went it wasn't the greatest, but I don't have a scriptwriter. The sudden acceleration threw me off the roof and into the canal head first. Not helping matters was the fact it was shallow water. It barely came up past the wheel well on the Humvee.

The last thing I heard was a splash before my head smacked into the concrete bottom…

"You don't have time to sleep now. I have better things to do with my time and waiting for a mortal to wake up isn't one of them," a gruff baritone penetrated the darkness. Couldn't I even die in peace? "You're not dead yet! Ugh, mortals can be so strange…Can you still hear? Can you feel the breeze on your face? Can you hear your heartbeat?"

Now that he mentioned it, I could. His voice was gruff and exasperated. The very definition of an overworked employee. Possibly middle management. There was a light breeze that smelled faintly of jasmine. A calming scent that did much to soothe my jangling nerves. The steady thrum of my heartbeat…

"See? You're not dead! Now open your eyes!" He commanded. My silent contemplation was shattered by the demands of an overworked man. I barely kept from yelping in surprise at the interruption. Though I definitely yelped when I saw him. He looked like King Enma from Dragon Ball!

"Ahhhh!" Again, not the most imaginative line, but I didn't have a scriptwriter yet. Though if I was seeing King Enma it might be a bit too late for that.

"You. Are. Not. Dead. What you are is in a transitional space. The waystation between life and death. How you ended up in this particular place is something of a mystery and I don't have time for that. Do you want to die? Go through that door and find your eternal reward," King Enma gestured towards a door that felt like the distillation of all that was good and right.

"You said I wasn't dead," I reminded him meekly.

"It's just an option," he retorted defensively, "...If that's not what you want you can traverse Snake Way and visit King Kai."

"Would he know how I can get home?" I wasn't exactly a big fan of trying my luck with Snake Way. In Dragon Ball Z it nearly killed Goku and he was already dead the first time! I was nowhere near that strong!

"Ehhh…no, no, good point. He couldn't help you get home…" King Enma nibbled on his quil thoughtfully.

"Then again you could just put me back in my body. If I'm not dead wouldn't that be easier?" I suggested. The look on his face made my heart sink.

"You sustained a concussion and you're underwater. No matter how quickly they fish you out, there would be complications…Ah ha! I have an idea!" He perked up. The expression of delight on his face looked kind of strange given his fearsome reputation, but I'm not complaining. Anything is better than being stuck here or just dying.

He started rummaging around in his desk for something. Did he have an Instant Make Everything Not Suck Button in there? Was it some weird invention by Capsule Corp? Were we going to cross genres into Doctor Slump? Finally, after what felt like ages, King Enma pulled out a dusty old spherical crystal. He blew on it sending the funk of forty thousand years everywhere. We were both coughing up a storm.

"Ugh…Blegh…It got in my mouth…" Enma groaned.

"My eyes…!" I rubbed my eyes until they cleared. "What is that?" I asked.

"This is a Crystal Ball. Usually used for seeing the past, present, or future. This one is special, however. It allows the users to insert themselves into other worlds. You can't go home directly, but this would allow you to visit other places. Places where you could gain power, train, and return with the ability to save your world. There is just one caveat…" He held up a hand to forestall me.

"It sounded too good to be true. What is the catch?" I asked resignedly.

"This Crystal Ball originated in our reality where Martial Arts clashes with Mysticism. The worlds it's tied to are all fundamentally shaped by this truth. In other words, you could only go to primarily martial arts worlds," King Enma explained.

"That's…not as much of a restriction as you might think…" I laughed as a drop of sweat trickled down my neck. An honest-to-goodness sweatdrop!?

"Hmmm…Our reality's metaphysics is infecting you already…You really should be going. You're not strong enough to survive here yet," he pointed out unnecessarily. King Enma handed me the sphere.

"How do I use it? And how much time passes?"" I looked at it doubtfully. I didn't have time to contemplate my navel. \

"You just concentrate on where you want to go. Time is relative all things considered. You'll return home moments after falling off of the Humvee. However! Once you return the crystal will shatter! Be absolutely certain you wish to return!" He pointed at me sharply. I instinctively straightened with a squeak.

"Yes sir!" I don't know why I saluted, but it couldn't be helped. He was just so intimidating!

I needed power and skill enough to wield it properly. To save my friends, I wanted to become the very best. Like no one ever was. To find knowledge is my true quest, to train myself is my cause. Great. I'm paraphrasing the American Pokemon Theme in my head. Get it together, Mei! Though modifying Team Rocket's motto would work better. Too bad Pokemon didn't appear in the crystal's surface. I steered the images toward one of the numerous Zero to Hero Shonen manga. That was when History's Mightiest Disciple Kenichi appeared. How much did I know about it? Not a lot, unfortunately. Enough to know that it might suit my needs. Kenichi Shirahama wanted to train and stop being a wimp. The dojo he went to was eccentric, but they got results. As my desires crystalized, the surface started to shine with a brilliant golden light.

It felt like I was falling down a long shaft. The golden light suffused my body and filled me up with an ethereal glow. I felt it begin to subtly change me according to my desires. There wasn't much of a change, but I instinctively knew the golden light would grow stronger with time. My mystical trip came to an abrupt halt as I landed head-first on a hard wooden surface. Then everything faded to black…


AN: So now you see how I intended to get her involved in Jumpchain. She has a Drawback where she doesn't get to consciously choose her Perks. Nothing mean or cruel for Drawbacks. It has to be in line with what she actually wants. We'll know her Perks but she won't. I'm also removing the cost for certain backgrounds. Disciple in Kenichi shouldn't be 100 CP. C'mon people.

History's Mightiest Disciple Kenichi
Background: Disciple (Free)
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Location: Ryouzanpaku
Philosophy: Katsujinken
Ki Type: Sei
Style: Armed (Bow and Qing Dao)
CP: 1000

Perks
Martial Arts Style (200 CP)
- Archery
- Tai Chi
- Kenpo
- Ninjutsu

Etiquette (100/Free) You are instinctively knowledgeable about the etiquette and deference
that must be shown in any martial art or martial culture. You are aware of faux pas or mild signs
of disrespect and will subconsciously avoid making them. You know how to show respect as
well as where and when it is best to show it without being considered a sycophant or rude. So
long as the culture is rooted in combat and discipline, you will never offend someone unless you
actively seek to do so.

Disciple's Discipline(300/150) You have the most important feature of a disciple;
discipline. You will never grow bored or lose focus while training and will receive a modest
boost to your willpower and mental fortitude whenever your master orders you to do something.
Furthermore, you will not be dissuaded from training as a result of great physical pain or danger.
In fact, the presence of danger and pain only makes you train harder and may help you improve
your physique faster.

Combat Empathy(600/300) In battle, you can "read" the flow of your opponent's
movements, understanding where they intend to hit and their thoughts and emotions behind their
attacks. While this may not be useful unless you are fast or strong enough to counter them, you
will still likely know where it is the enemy intends to hit in advance of the actual strike, though
the accuracy of these predictions decreases with the speed and number of your opponents.
Alternatively, you could use this ability to have a civil conversation with someone, expressing
complex feelings and emotions through a series of blows and spirited shouts.

Master's Body(Free after ten years) You possess the body of a master. You are very
near tireless, capable of fighting for days without sleep and only limited food. You never run out
of breath, and will still be able to engage in vigorous physical activity even after extreme
exercise. You now have access to a limitless logarithmic growth of your physical strength,
durability, speed and agility.

Speed and agility(300/150) You are fast. VERY fast. You have trained and continue to
train in techniques that will allow you to move at incredible speed with great agility. You will be
able to run as fast as automobiles and with training these speeds will increase in time. You are
also physically coordinated enough to engage in Olympic-level gymnastics with ease, and by
extension move with the seemingly effortless grace of a toptier ballerina.

Enhanced Ki(300/150) Some have ki. You have KI. You can feel it in you and channel it
more easily, enhancing the normal effects of Sei and Dou ki to a much greater degree. Perhaps
upon reaching the status of a master you may project your ki beyond your body, achieving
techniques that can only be described as supernatural in nature. This perk stacks with any boost
to ki, chi, aura or other general bodybased energy field you may have.

Items
Self Help Books(100/Free) You possess a small bookcase filled with titles on selfhelp and
"how to do X". These books are mundane in nature but will be a good reference if you decide to
take up a mundane profession or hobby such as gardening, cooking or carpentry. You will find
that these books let you learn mundane skills more easily and quickly than normal, letting you
read and retain the information in half the time as any other selfhelp book on the market. They
may be shared with others.

Drawbacks
None! Who willingly takes Drawbacks besides Minmaxers?

 

[dingbat779]

How My Munchkin Ass Learned What it Means to Fuck Around and Find Out

Session 0



The concept of an Isekai is really old. All it means is "another world" which is something people fantasize about all the time. Who doesn't? I even have specific scenarios and other ideas lovingly crafted over months of planning. Of course, you never expect to have your wish granted. It's a good thing I'm always prepared because when opportunity knocked it was loud. Instead of being whisked away by Truck-kun, I managed to take myself out by crashing my van into a chicken farm. How would that kill me you may ask? I smacked right into the generator spilling fuel everywhere. There were chickens in my face and I couldn't find the door. That was when the farmer fired their shotgun and with sparks we had ignition.

Now I'm here in a dark space waiting for judgment. The annoying thing is I smell like fried chicken.

"Please don't let me smell like this for all eternity…" I beseeched the sky…or at the blackness above me.

"I wouldn't do that to you. That's not nice at all! You shouldn't be a punchline," an earnest voice said from in front of me. I jumped half a foot as this girl, no older than fourteen, appeared before me. She looked to be about 5'2-ish. I couldn't guess any more accurately than that. Her clothing reminded me of Alice just that the dress was pink with a white pinafore. Bright pink hair cascaded down her back in ringlets. Even her eyes were pink! I contracted Type 2 Diabetes just looking at her.

"Uh…huh…Right. So where am I?" I asked. I couldn't see my body as it was covered in censor steam. That's never a good sign. Just because she said I wouldn't smell like a chicken dinner for all eternity, didn't mean I wouldn't look like this. A good rule of thumb for dealing with ROBs is that they never do anything without getting something…

"Away away pain begone! Restore this poor mortal's natural form!" The vivid pink monstrosity before me covered me in pretty sparkles. In seconds the steam was replaced by healthy skin. My red hair was restored and then made even more luxurious. I'm pretty sure even my green eyes were shiny and new.

Despite her seeming altruism, this was not helping my rising paranoia.

"Now we can discuss matters. This is my first time so I'm a little nervous…" She squirmed adorably. This level of cute should be criminal. The girl drew herself up and began to recite something she no doubt had to memorize a lot. Most magical girls were ditzes.

"Welcome Traveler to the waystation between worlds. You are here because the afterlife is more of a choose your own adventure than what most mortals think. You could go to Heaven or Hell, but they would be your interpretation of them. Any questions so far?" She asked nervously.

"No, I think I got it so far. There is no Heaven or Hell except what you make," I replied flippantly.

"Uh, no. There is no Heaven or Hell period. It would be a reality based on your interpretation," she reiterated while tilting her head cutely as if confused. "I know it's hard to understand at first…" Now she was trying to comfort me. Right. Next time I shouldn't be so flippant. She's a literal-minded person.

"Please continue," I gestured politely.

"Right! My name is Nisa and I will be your guide through this process. For you see every mortal is reincarnated in another world when they die. Souls are not made or destroyed. They are just recycled among the countless stars that shape our reality. A-Are you still with me?" Nisa's sales pitch stuttered to a halt again.

"Still good," I assured her. Nisa looked relieved that I was following along.

"Excellent! Now then you will be issued a boon and an item to make your insertion easier. Most mortals don't have enough good karma to afford both. You must have been a very good person indeed!" Nisa beamed.

This must be some stored-up good karma from my other lives. I wasn't a bitch in my former life, but I wasn't an altruistic person either. I took the phrase Do unto others as you would have done unto you to its logical conclusion. Did it make me a bad person? No, but it didn't make me a good one either. Assholes generally outnumber good people or at least they're louder about it.

"Okay, so what's my budget? Is this a point buy system?" I figure I'm not getting out of this. Tentatively taking Nisa at face value couldn't hurt. I wasn't cynical enough to equate this pink moeblob with Kyuubey. She was definitely more Madokami than Homucifer.

"Budget? Point buy? Oh no we don't use that. You just tell me what you want and we figure out how to grant your wish," Nisa said earnestly.

"Right, like it's that easy," I replied sardonically despite my wish to be a little more polite.

"Exactly! Now you're getting it!" She enthused. My sarcasm didn't go over her head. It struck dead on and bounced off of an impenetrable wall of innocence. Now I felt guilty for distrusting her so much.

"Well since you're being so helpful…" I mentally rubbed my hands together with glee. The way her smile dimmed a little showed that she had some idea of what was coming.

We went at it for hours. There were times I was certain she would quit, but Nisa never stopped. She was truly an inspiration for Guides and Magical Girls everywhere with her perseverance and can-do attitude. Because dealing with me was not a cakewalk. I'm not so blind that I can't recognize how difficult I can be. When Nisa said that I could have nearly everything I had to test that. My questions had sub-questions and two-part answers at a minimum. The poor girl had to summon her training manual at one point and just didn't send it back. She had to put on wire frame spectacles not because they were cute, but I think she had acute eye strain.

"Right…Let me see if I have all of this straight…" Nisa wobbled on her feet. A loveseat appeared behind her just as she toppled over backward. I winced in sympathy.

"You want a Disgaea style UI with the ability to make Item Worlds to the limit of my ability to grant. Is that right?" She took off her glasses and massaged the bridge of her nose. I got around behind her and started massaging the poor girl's neck and shoulders.

"That's right," I replied as the magical girl became putty in my hands.

"With that UI also comes the ability to create portals to a Dark World to deal with extraplanar beings to get Bills passed to alter reality. I, uh, can't guarantee your safety if you do that," Nisa reminded me. She repeated it often enough during the negotiations.

"I understand," I inclined my head without stopping. Nisa sagged against the loveseat with a drawn-out moan of delight. Of course, she didn't break character even now. There was less sinful delight and more cuteness.

"Last but not least you can 'reincarnate' to reset yourself back to Level 1. However, the higher your level the greater the percentage of stats and skill levels you'll keep," Nisa squinted at the page in front of her before I put her glasses back on the girl's face. She let out a quiet groan of exhaustion.

"Thank you very much," I said appreciatively.

"And that's all…" Nisa sighed.

"Now for the item," I said with a grin.

Nisa burst into tears at that point. Too much. Way too much. I can minmax and argue about optimal builds for hours, but others didn't have my geek stamina. Without really thinking about it, I sat down on the loveseat, took the emotionally wrecked girl in my lap, and cuddled her until the tears slowed down. They didn't stop which did a wonderful job of making me feel like an absolute heel.

"Just give me what I had on me when I died. Phone, backpack, that stuff. Nothing magical or crazy," I said soothingly.

"Just that?" She whimpered.

"Yes. Just that," I assured her. The temptation was there to magically pimp my smartphone, but I wrung this poor girl out.

"Wish granted," she whispered before falling asleep in my lap.

"Uh, hey universe? I don't want to kidnap her by accident. She's dealt with me enough," I tried to say it jokingly.

"Would you do it again? Even knowing the results?" A voice as cold as the grave drifted across my neck.

"Maybe a lot less stumbling around and not being quite as anal about the wording…" I hedged. We both knew I'd do it again. This was going to be my new life and all. Why shouldn't I make it the best I can?

"You're not a saint or a sinner. You're not a total asshole. You are, however, the most cynical bitch to enter the waystation in weeks. Why did it have to be you that Nisa got for a client?" The voice lamented. Now the other shoe was about to drop and it was literally my own fault. The real danger wasn't the ROB it was my own stupidity. Miss Elle 'Uses Wisdom for a Dump Stat' Dunn struck again.

"This is gonna suck, isn't it?" I muttered.

"Did you already forget what Nisa told you? I suppose you did. Well, I won't remind you. Don't worry, you can't accidentally take Nisa from here. She's not Aqua after all. However, you will be leaving now. I can promise that you won't be in immediate danger. Just a modest amount. Toodles!" The voice sounded entirely too gleeful. I can't blame them either.

"Goodbye, Nisa. Sorry about everything…You did an awesome job with a really shitty client…" I kissed her on the forehead before vanishing into shadows.

The voice promised I wouldn't be in immediate danger. The voice didn't promise that I wouldn't be dropped from a great height into a body of water. I bellyflopped so hard that the pain almost knocked me out. My health dropped nearly two-thirds. Slowly, painfully, I managed to roll over onto my back and let the water cradle my aching body. That's when my backpack slammed into me and dropped my HP to 1.

"That…" I coughed painfully, "...That I had coming…" I still flipped off the sky. Whether I deserved it or not I wasn't a bitch that would take it lying down.

From what I could tell the sky was blue and I landed in a body of fresh water. I was content to just drift along since the water wasn't taking me anywhere. A quick look around showed me that I landed in a lake somewhere. The air smelled fresh but I could see jet contrails in the sky. I must be somewhere modern or at least semi-modern. Where the Hell did they drop me?


AN: I kind of drew a blank on where to send Elle. Either an original setting or something more well known. Either way she's not on her Earth anymore and the voice sent her someplace she wouldn't be instantly godlike. I'm sure you remembered what Elle forgot you smart people you.

 

[dingbat779]

Session 1



The first order of business was getting out of the lake. It was easier said than done when I also had to juggle my backpack. Fortunately, I was a strong swimmer and made it to shore. My staggeringly low health was worrying. Acting on a hunch, I fished a strawberry hard candy out of my bag, and after fumbling to get the soggy paper off, popped it in my mouth. Instantly my health was restored. I know candy and other foods can restore HP, but it's not usually that good.

"Damn…Did my phone get wet too?" I didn't whine. I merely expressed displeasure in an adult way.

My phone suddenly appeared in my hand. So it seems I did have a Warehouse like from Disgaea. Why wasn't my backpack put in there too? Tossing the soaking wet backpack into the Warehouse dried it completely. There was even a sub-menu showing what was inside. Of course just because it was dry didn't mean it was fixed. All of my notebooks and homebrew class sheets were water-damaged. I could run them through the Item World and make them better than new. For now, I had other things to check like my character sheet.

"What the Hell?" I stared at the sheet.

Name: Elle Dunn
Level: 1
Race: Demon
Class: Majin
Base Stats: HP 25 SP 12 ATK 18 DEF 13 INT 15 RES 13 HIT 15 SPD 13
Aptitude: HP 110% SP 110% ATK 110% DEF 110% INT 110% RES 110% HIT 110% SPD 110%
Weapon Mastery: Fist S Sword S Spear S Bow S Gun S Axe S Staff S
Counter: 3
Evility: I Want Candy - Sweet Treats restore 100% more HP/SP

I was torn. Nisa started me with an incredibly broken Class and a great starting Race. No complaints there. Majins didn't start off with any abilities of their own, but that could be rectified with some work. The part that had me torn was that she still did right by me after I was so hard on her. This would not happen again. I would apologize to Nisa if I ever saw her again. The Evility made me involuntarily giggle. I did love candy and other sweets. Making it my superpower was hilarious without being too over the top. She was a good egg doing her best despite trying circumstances: me.

There didn't appear to be signs of civilization. The nice freshwater lake would make a perfect spot for a village, but no one was there. That meant there was either something seriously wrong with it, there was a monster nearby, or some asshole claimed it as private property. I might even be on some rich jackoff's country estate. Before I could work myself into a fine tizzy I heard the sound of running feet from the tree line. Demons have incredible senses for which I was grateful. I turned to look and had to fight down a worried groan. Goblins. Twelve of the little buggers were heading right for me. They were armed with daggers that looked like shortswords in their smaller hands. The most insulting part was they were almost as tall as me.

"If I got dropped in Goblin Slayer I'm gonna be so pissed!" I reflexively got into a ready stance. My body reacted quicker than I expected. Basic combat techniques flitted through my mind.

"Graaaah!" The lead goblin lunged at me with its teeth bared. As he stabbed down I caught his wrist with one hand, seized his worn leather belt with my other, and drove him face-first into the ground. If I had any hope they would take a minute and think about this, I was mistaken. They didn't even hesitate!

"Stay down!" I yelled at the down goblin before instinctively twisting his arm and shattering it. The dagger was in my hand before it fully registered.

I wasn't in the driver's seat as the captured dagger flashed through the air and nearly beheaded a second goblin. My foot slid under the second dagger and flipped it into the air before I did a rapid spin and kicked the pommel driving it into a third goblin's chest. No, I didn't want to die, but I was not okay with turning into a Kill-o-Matic! I tried to wrestle control over my body back. Now I might be genre savvy and yadda yadda yadda. There's just one problem with that. You never can tell what's going to happen in the heat of the moment. So instead of waiting until the violence was over, I chose to fight my instincts. The brief hesitation was all they needed to surround me and try to turn me into a pincushion.

"Yeah, that was dumb…" I winced as another dagger found my side. I let my reflexes take over again as a surge of energy gathered around the dagger I held. Without hesitation, I backflipped through the air and landed outside the ring of goblins. Just as they were turning around, I coiled my legs and vaulted forward with the blade swept forward in a brutal arc. The hideous monsters fell as blood sprayed from their chests.

[Blade Rush Acquired]

I spent some time watering the bushes with the contents of my stomach. Their blood was still all over me. The smell was in my nose. It felt like it was seeping into my skin. I dived back into the lake to try to wash some of it off. My lungs were screaming for air by the time I surfaced. Trying to drown myself wasn't going to solve anything. I tossed the daggers and assorted coins in my Warehouse on autopilot. I almost forgot to eat a candy to replenish my lost health. It helped to settle my stomach, but not my head.

"When people talk about Isekai they don't mention the horrors of taking a life…" I laughed even though it wasn't funny. My hands trembled from either nerves, cold, or a mixture of the two. Could Demons catch a cold? I giggled some more.

A distant rustling in the bushes reminded me that I wasn't safe. I forced myself not to break into a sprint and just walk faster. If I ran, or even jogged, there was a good chance I could twist my ankle in a gopher hole or something. This was playing havoc with my nerves. Even after an hour of walking I still couldn't see a town, a village, or even a cabin. The sun was starting to set and I was still no closer to finding a place to sleep for the night. I was trying to outrun the rustling bushes. The wind was picking up as dark clouds decided it was too sunny. Was the wind ruffling the bushes or was it more goblins? I couldn't be sure. Before I could construct any more nightmarish scenarios in my head, I got out my phone. I didn't need a magic circle to trigger the Item World. A dagger made a good spade in a pinch so that I could partially bury the smartphone. There's no sense leaving it out where anyone could steal it. There was a swirl of blue light as I fell into the phone.

The light cleared to reveal a vast expanse of white marble. Silvery columns were stretched towards the sky. I could just barely make out chests sitting on top of some of them. The sky above was an unnatural dark blue swirled with purple light. A crystalline version of my smartphone hovered overhead like a bizarre sun. Scattered about were marble buildings with a stylized symbol above each door. I recognized the symbols as belonging to the apps on my phone. That was when I noticed the people. Each one of them represented a different picture on my phone.

"The first floor is an Innocent Town?" I gazed about in awe. That was when I caught sight of my Hidden Folder's contents and damn near fled the Item World.

No, I'm not going into details.

A bunny girl suddenly popped up in my face with a manic smile and yelled, "Hi!"

"Ah!" I reflexively reached for a dagger, but thankfully she didn't take it personally. She looked sort of like Amiya from Arknights. I have way too many Arknights pics on my phone. That along with NISA and IF/Compile Heart made up the bulk of my images.

"Is this your first time here? Of course, it is, why wouldn't it be? I don't remember seeing you before. Nice to meet you! I'm Bunny!" The aggressively cheerful bunny girl continued to advance until she was right in my face. I made sure to make no sudden moves as I put the dagger away.

"Uh, hi Bunny. I'm Elle and this is my first time here," I responded as I tried to get my heart rate back down.

"Why don't I give you a tour?" She enthusiastically said. I didn't get a chance to reply before she grabbed my hands and dragged me off.

The first place she took me to had the logo for DoorDash. Bunny pulled me through the door easily. A glance at her level showed that it was 25. Her Class was Fire Witch and I had no desire to be target practice. She was friendly at least so I decided to not make an issue of it. That was the mistake I made with Nisa. She just wanted to help me and I wrung the poor girl dry. Inside the building was a full-size shopping mall. We were currently in the food court.

"You can buy pretty much anything you want here. Food, supplies, games, you name it and they have it," Bunny explained.

"Do you have Rosenqueen's?" I asked.

"Pffft! No way! We don't allow a monopoly here. How can businesses stay competitive when some big guys squeeze them out? Just remember to fill out the survey forms. If there's a product the mall doesn't have then drop them a line. Forms are over here…" Bunny led me over to a customer help desk.

"Seriously? I can just write in anything and the mall shops will get it?" I couldn't believe my ears. That was so abusable!

"Seriously! You will have to pay of course. Though if the product is really rare expect the price to match," she cautioned.

"Yeah, that's fair," I shrugged.

"Glad you understand. Come on! We have more places to visit!" Bunny dragged me out of the mall without warning.

Luckily I wasn't treated like a pennant for long. The next place we entered had the Temu logo over the door. It looked like a junkshop on crack. Bunny reflexively wrinkled her nose. Her gesture didn't go unnoticed as the stereotypical Old Chinese Shopkeeper flipped her the bird. She stuck out her tongue before turning away and resolutely ignored him.

"This place is The Market. That guy there fishes in the dimensional sea for all of his wares. He's not very good at it so what shows up varies wildly in quality. Sometimes he gets awesome goods, but most of the time it's crap," Bunny shrugged.

"Aiya! Is not all crap! My prices are rock bottom! You get what you pay for!" He shouted.

"Yes. You pay for crap and get crap," she agreed easily.

"Hey, he's got a full camping set for 100 dollars!" I picked up the camping set. It boasted a three-person tent, cooking supplies, three sleeping bags, and a beginner's fishing kit. Still, I didn't have a lot of money. I had to sell him the daggers to afford it.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya," Bunny cautioned.

"How much is an Inn around here?" I countered.

"Fair point. No one will say anything if you camp in the park," she admitted grudgingly.

"Ah good! Thank you! I will cast one-time spell of longevity on purchase!" The shopkeeper pulled out a blowfish and started chanting, "Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!" He then shot the camping set with a ray of green light. "There. Now it last three times as long!" I noticed he was careful not to say how long it would've lasted normally.

Bunny was even quicker to pull me out of there than the mall. How could I tell? My feet left the ground! She stopped before a building with a telephone icon over the door. I couldn't see beyond the doorway. The darkness was absolute, but I could hear voices arguing about something.

"This is the Dark Assembly. Try not to bother them until you're a lot stronger. These guys are mean. I know Demons can be nasty, but something about these guys makes my fur stand on end," she shivered.

"So if the Telephone App became the Dark Assembly, what did the Text App become?" I mused to myself.

"Oh, that's the hospital. I try to stay away from there too. The Nurse is a little…" Bunny twirled her forefinger in the universal gesture for crazy. How bad was this person if my eccentric guide thought she was nuts?

"I'll try to avoid it," I promised.

"This district over here is where the Dungeons are. You can enter them to fight Demons, gain levels, and earn cool prizes based on the Dungeon type. You do need a Mr. Gency's Exit. I put a free one in your Warehouse. You either need that or to reach ten levels," she gestured at the far more imposing buildings.

This could be heaven or this could be hell. I saw one with the Arknights logo. There were also Dungeons for FFBE, Azur Lane, and Candy Crush Saga in the foreground. Behind those were all of the third-party games I downloaded. Distantly I could see one dedicated to Solitaire. That one looked almost decrepit probably because I barely played it.

"There is one more place, but you shouldn't go there. It leads to the catacombs beneath Alcatel. Do not go down there. Who knows what might happen? The legends say the Land of Setup controls everything. Our oldest tales still speak of the dreaded time of the Factory Reset. Only those integral to Alcatel survived," Bunny shivered.

Great. Now I'm experiencing secondhand existential terror. How many civilizations have I wiped out with full resets? Now I'm shivering! Bunny decided that I needed a hug until the shaking stopped. I returned the hug since she was still shivering too.

"Ah ha…Okay…I think that's all for now…" I gently disengaged. That's when I realized something. "When you said to avoid the Dark Assembly, does that mean I can't create a Unit?"

"I mean you could. You're better off recruiting someone though. Sure you can specify the exact Class, Gender, and Type with a created Demon, but recruitment is less traumatizing. Much less traumatizing," Bunny insisted.

"Do you, uh, want to go with me? I mean you're really nice and helpful…Please?" I hated to put myself out there like this, but I was scared of trying to do this alone. One encounter with goblins and I was jumping at shadows! Bunny stared at me in wonder. The next thing I know I'm flat on my back, half of my health gone, and a happy bunny girl is hugging the stuffing out of me.

I'll take that as a yes.

Bunny took me home with her to the residential district. She insisted that I wasn't going to sleep in the park like a vagrant. The tent set wasn't a useless purchase since it did come with cooking utensils and a fishing set. Who knows if we would have the privacy to jump back in my phone, right? I'll admit it felt good being welcomed into someone's home. My new partner happily made dinner for us. Despite what I expected the vegetarian dishes were delicious. She didn't get a chance to cook for others all that often.

"If there's anything you would like just tell me. I'll be happy to make it for you. I'm very good with the stove," she beamed. Fire Witch, Fire affinity, that tracks.

"Thank you for taking me in and showing me around," I smiled back at her. I couldn't match her brightness, but I tried. If anything my smile made hers widen.

"Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet," Bunny said.

Maybe it was time for me to stop expecting people to be assholes. Well, all the time. I could let go of my cynicism just a little bit. Maybe someday I could get a chance to thank Nisa for everything. She really was a good-hearted soul. Now I've run into another just a few hours later. Things were looking up. I let myself be cautiously optimistic.


AN: She definitely didn't land in Goblin Slayer. That show makes me uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. I'm toying with the idea of this being Overlord, but I'm undecided. I hope the Smartphone Innocent Village is fun for you guys.

 

[Tomakahic]

I don't really like being a person sent to the new world unless it's as a player just seems to lead to existential dread.

 

[Diabreon]

Which Overlord are you considering? the one with an emotionally challenged lich or the one where Evil always finds a way?

 

[dingbat779]

Which Overlord are you considering? the one with an emotionally challenged lich or the one where Evil always finds a way?

Click to shrink...

Emotionally challenged Lich one

 

[dingbat779]

AN: I am keeping track of her level but since this isn't The Gamer the math is much easier. This is for all those nerds who want all the details. You're welcome.

Name: Elle Dunn
Level: 8
Race: Demon
Class: Majin
Base Stats:
HP 109
SP 54
ATK 81
DEF 55
INT 64
RES 55
HIT 64
SPD 55

Aptitude: HP 110% SP 110% ATK 110% DEF 110% INT 110% RES 110% HIT 110% SPD 110%
Weapon Mastery: Fist S Sword S Spear S Bow S Gun S Axe S Staff S
Counter: 3
Evility: I Want Candy - Sweet Treats restore 100% more HP/SP

Session 2


Disgaea leveling is completely bonkers. I checked my stats today and immediately thought there was a glitch. No, there is no glitch, I'm leveling up like a Majin. The second thing to hit me was that I nearly died twice just yesterday. Bunny found me in the bathroom making offerings to the porcelain god. This wouldn't be the last time I wished for Gamer's Mind. No one is truly ready to face their mortality three times in twenty-four hours. I did have to die to be reincarnated here after all.

"Do you want to stay here for a while longer? There's no rush," Bunny assured me.

"I left my smartphone buried in the dirt. It's not deep so one good rain is all it would take to ruin it," I explained. The offer was tempting, but I might die for real this time.

"Maybe you could do the first ten levels of Alcatel's underground. Then you could choose to increase the phone's water resistance," Bunny suggested.

"Didn't you say that area was off-limits?" I reminded her.

"Riiiiight…You would need permission from the Dark Assembly first…" She remembered.

"Let's get this over with. If I don't leave now I'll keep finding reasons to stay," I sounded as thrilled as I felt which was not at all.

"You didn't even buy armor! All you bought was the camping set!" Bunny clutched my hands in a vice grip.

"You're coming with me so I won't be alone. We just need to get some money," I smiled with more confidence than I felt. She didn't look reassured. Understandable really.

In the central square was a clock that kept time for the entire village of Alcatel. I didn't question how it could be accurate when there were no satellites here. It's magic, it don't gotta explain shit. Unfortunately, we couldn't check to see what was going on outside. A terrible oversight on my part. The next time I came here would be after we found someplace safer to stay. We left through the marble arch and reappeared in the wilderness. Now that I wasn't so freaked out more details became apparent. The area we were in had large trees on either side with a wide grassy center. I could still see the lake and an even thicker forest beyond that. It didn't look like someone made it like this. Bunny cautiously sniffed the air.

"Oof! There's a lot of goblin stink from the left…It's old, maybe a few hours, but there's a lot of it. If this isn't goblin country then it will be soon," she said. Her ears swiveled alertly. From what I saw she didn't seem to be the serious type. At least she wasn't one of those crazy cloudcuckoolanders that make you wonder how they've survived.

"Let's keep going. Take the path of least resistance and all that," I suggested.

"Not a fan of the woods?" She asked.

"The closest I've been to camping was summer camp and it was a day camp," I replied with a shrug.

"That's not good. Guess we'll have to fix that, won't we?" Bunny grinned.

"I could make some smartass comment, but really I'm just grateful you came along. I can't pay you…" I trailed off.

"Hey, it's no biggie. I wasn't doing anything. Besides, I can make a ton just by following you. Friends share the loot, right?" Bunny smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, friends share the loot," I said softly. Her gesture touched me. I know most Demons are selfish, but she kind of reminded me of Raspberyl from Disgaea 3.

Bunny did have the proper gear. A jacket like Amiya's which improved SP, INT, and SPD. The DEF was so-so. Her staff looked like it was made of black metal with a silver sphere on the end surrounded by black gears. She had Staff lvl 6 and all the Fire spells up to Giga Fire. Her unique abilities centered around buffing her spellcasting power including an Evility for SP restoration. I was kind of jealous. The way her Evility worked is that for every enemy killed she restored her SP by 10% of their max.

"Neither of us have healing spells," I realized.

"That could be a problem. I mean we have items to heal us, but I didn't think to grab status recovery stuff," Bunny's ears dropped. I patted her head comfortingly which she seemed to enjoy.

"We'll try to recruit a healer eventually. For now I think we can make do," I said.

"Perhaps they have staves or even books that can teach healing magic!" Bunny beamed excitedly.

"That would be nice. I've got Blade Rush and that's all," I shrugged.

"Blade Rush isn't bad. Hmmm…Stand next to me," she said.

"Yeah, okay, sure…" I did as she asked in confusion.

"Check your Stats," she said with barely contained enthusiasm.

"What am I looking for…? Huh? It says I have Magic Boost, Braveheart, Fire, Mega Fire, and Giga Fire at level zero! How is that possible? You're not my Pupil," I blinked owlishly at the menu.

"Ha! That's not the only way you can learn magic! I accepted you as my Apprentice. Since my level is higher than yours, you can learn any spell I know at a faster rate," Bunny was quite proud of herself. I patted her affectionately on the head.

"That's awesome. Thanks, Bunny!" I know we would need more than Fire spells eventually, but for now, I was basking in the warmth of friendship.

Our trek through the wilderness continued. Bunny remained on high alert with both her sense of smell and vastly greater hearing working overtime. The scent of Goblins was growing more pronounced as we went. We were probably behind them which could be a good thing. If we got too close we might have time to hide or at least plan an attack. Neither of us wanted to be right behind the goblins when nightfall came around. I was mostly admiring the scenery while scanning the tree line. Bunny was better with hearing and smell, but my vision was dynamite. Everything looked so sharp and crystal clear. It was like the difference between an old TV and HD. From what I could tell birds, animals, and insects appeared the same as on Earth. There were some squirrels with rabbit-like ears, but it was all recognizable. I could only see one sun in the sky so the world wasn't too alien so far.

"Hmmm? I thought I heard something to the left…" Bunny murmured. She indicated a stand of trees. I squinted to see what details there were.

"Yeah, it looks like a cave. I think I see someone on the ground," I made sure the dagger was in hand.

"Maybe we should investigate…? Oh. You're already planning that," Buffy blinked owlishly.

"It might just be a harmless traveler, but why take chances?" I reasoned.

The guy on the ground was almost painfully average in appearance. If not for the Japanese school uniform he wouldn't have stood out. His hair was a nondescript brown which complimented his unremarkable body. I almost looked away from him, but that wasn't right. He appeared to be unconscious. The rock his head was resting on probably had something to do with it. Bunny bit her lip as knelt down to check his condition. She carefully felt along his skull for fractures and checked his neck. Since she had that well in hand, I kept watch in case those pesky Goblins tried to sneak up on us. By now I was starting to think the Goblins might be further away.

"Okay, he's safe to move. Which we really should because that is a Goblin cave. We're just lucky the lazy buggers didn't bother posting a guard," Bunny said.

Then again I have been wrong before.

I picked him up which was all kinds of awkward. He was of about average height and I was a few inches shorter. We managed to get clear of the cave mouth and find a defensible position a short distance away. It was in the middle of a cluster of trees. The largest had fallen over to reveal a hollow in the center. Bunny, our new guest, and I weren't that big so it was easy to squeeze inside for shelter. I used the new tent to cover the opening. The boring brown tent should provide some protection from scrutiny.

"My aching head…" The boy groaned. His hand latched onto something it really shouldn't, in typical anime fashion, but luckily for him, I wasn't a violent psychopath. Bunny stared at him hard enough I was amazed he didn't burst into flames.

"Don't squeeze. Just remove your hand and we will forget this happened," I said tightly. He slowly retracted his hand.

"Ah, my apologies…I didn't mean to offend anyone…" He babbled at full volume until Bunny clapped a hand across his mouth. The situation was kind of funny really. This poor guy was sandwiched between hot babes with nowhere to go. He didn't even have a safe place to put his hands. That is until he just stuffed them up his sleeves. Smart guy.

"We are using this tree to hide from the Goblins. There was no time to get away since we didn't know when they would be back. I'm Bunny, this is Elle, now who are you?" Bunny whispered in his ear. She removed her hand to let him speak.

"Kenji Yoshida, Class 3A…Which I guess doesn't mean anything now…They left me behind…" He started off strong before petering out. Bunny looked contrite for being hard on him. I knew that feeling all too well.

"Why would they do that?" She asked in bewilderment. I was about to say something biting and sarcastic, but Kenji spoke up.

"Everyone was given a power on arrival. My classmates all got something useful along with a Job Class. I got 'Bare' for my starting Job and the power to be unremarkable. Ha ha…The dullest guy in class gets a power that makes him more unremarkable…" He let out a startled 'off' as Bunny hugged him from behind. I wasn't too far behind. The sandwich was a Panini at this point. Kenji turned bright red over all the attention.

"Some people don't need a reason to be assholes. Don't start shit and take no shit. Be the bigger person only as long as it doesn't actively hurt you. The power to be unremarkable has to have some use. You just need to find it," I assured him.

"Oh, I already figured that out. I wanted to be a thief. If I can become unremarkable at will wouldn't that be a great power for a rogue?" He enthused.

"Good boy. You already have a goal in life. We were looking for a healer, but a thief isn't bad," Bunny looked at me hopefully with her eyes shimmering just right and the perfect amount of quivering lip.

"Put it away, Bunny. I was already planning on inviting him along," I said dryly.

"Wait. You really want me around?" Kenji clearly didn't know how to take that. I had the strongest urge to punch some little shits in the face, but I let it go.

"I still can't believe they left him in front of a Goblin cave," Bunny shook her head in disbelief.

"We were hired to clear out the cave…" He said.

"Which means the little idiots are probably still inside. If the Goblins have a cave then they probably have loot. What do you say we rob them all?" I suggested with a smirk.

"Most of them I could do without, but Ayame is okay. She never treated me badly," Kenji said.

"Then she won't get robbed. C'mon gang. Let's go loot a Goblin cave and some asshats!" I felt good about this plan. If this was the kind of stereotypical Isekai plot I suspected, the class probably did most of the work already. All we had to do was go in there, Kenji steals everything not nailed down, and we provide backup.

We did have to give Kenji a crash course in using the Warehouse, but once he had that down it would be a simple matter to just transfer everything he stole. It's hard to retrieve your stolen belongings when they're in an interdimensional space. I gave Kenji the dagger. As a Majin all of my weapon proficiencies were S meaning even my fists would be enough. The only problem I could see with his power was that it worked on us too. Bunny kept glancing away before locking onto him again. My eyes kept sliding right off. Either there was something magical we could use or exposure. That slightly limited how useful it would be in combat. Bunny couldn't just spam area spells for example.

The cave reeked of filth, decay, and unwashed bodies. Bunny tied a kerchief over her nose and mouth. She almost passed out from the stench. Kenji scouted ahead while I stayed in the middle. Standard tactics when dealing with a dark cave. The caverns were suspiciously well-lit by torches. There were some semi-fresh spatters of blood but whether they were human or goblin was unclear. It looked like there was quite a fight stretching from the mouth of the cave to the third cavern. Scattered around were gnawed-on bones and warm ashes from cookfires. Kenji's class did a great job from what I could tell. The lack of bodies was worrying, however. Did the Goblins eat their dead? This whole thing was making my hair stand on end.

"Elle, Bunny!" Kenji hissed urgently. I almost screamed at his sudden appearance. He briefly looked contrite. "My class is up ahead. They have Ayame tied to a spit and are about to put her on the fire!" He almost shouted but remembered our situation at the last minute.

"Is she…?" I asked hesitantly.

"No, she's still alive. They're going to cook her alive!" His voice raised.

"Right. Go get her off the spit and get to the far wall. Don't move once you're there! Bunny? Light 'em up!" I snarled angrily. These little bastards wanted to play? We were about to play a game of Goblin Says Ouch.

The next cavern was considerably larger than the rest. Near the center was a cage with twenty or so high schoolers inside. They were fretting and wailing over their circumstances. Whatever their super-special Class and Powers were didn't help them. There were at least five times as many Goblins. Their leader was seated on a rude throne garbed in makeshift black armor. It would be comical if not for the ring of undead goblins standing around him. I checked his class and it listed him as a Dark Knight with Necromancy 10. No wonder Kenji's class lost. The little son of a bitch could just keep reviving his troops as undead. It doesn't matter how many cheats you've got if the other guy has something just as bad. Ayame was tied securely to the spit with two goblins carrying the pole towards a large bonfire. She was whimpering and squirming to be freed, but her actions only excited the bastards. Suddenly the ropes were cut and she fell to the ground. The goblins closest to her stared stupidly before their throats erupted in blood. I could barely notice Kenji dragging her towards the cage with his classmates.

"Good job, Kenji," I said before turning towards the boss. "Give 'em, Hell!"

"Just watch me! Spirit Burst!" Bunny raised her staff and slashed it down dramatically. A volley of chaotically pulsating burning orbs launched into the tightest cluster. The Goblins screamed as they were immolated. Deranged cackling filled the air as she cried out for them to burn and accept her gifts.

I left the mooks to Bunny while sprinting towards the boss. That seemed to be the safer option.

The undead tried to get in my way, but it was simply no use. If their stats were higher they might have been more than glorified cannon fodder. My first punch shattered a zombie Goblin's jaw and snapped its neck. I ripped off its head and smashed it into the skull of another slaying both at once. The boss wasn't stupid. He tried to stab me from behind with a black longsword, but I tossed one of his toys in the way. The hapless Zombie was speared through. Silly thing tried to climb up the blade to attack him. His eyes glowed red before the undead started to bulge grotesquely and explode. Bone shards and rotting meat flew everywhere. The Zombies around me started bulging as well. I had moments to dive out of the ring, but I still took heavy damage from the corpse bombs.

"Son of a bitch!" I quickly popped a candy and bit down. My health refilled but it was a near thing. The rotten explosives also poisoned me. A wave of nausea caused me to stumble slightly.

"Not an Elf…A Demon, huh? You're gonna make a great slave!" The demented little Knight cackled with glee. "I just need to beat ya down some more…!" He charged in with his sword raised. I staggered to the left just in time to avoid a downward cleave. Dark energy erupted from the ground on contact in all directions. My stagger turned into an uncontrolled fall.

"Motherfucker!" I scrambled to my feet hastily and ate another candy. Was this it? Was I stuck in defense all over again? These damn Goblins just kept pissing me off! A bestial yell tore out of my throat as I aimed a haymaker for the Dark Knight's helm. I felt something crack, but it wasn't my hand. The faceplate of his full helm shattered.

"Guh!" He stumbled back, but credit where credit was due, his guard didn't falter.

"I keep forgetting I'm a Demon! I'm not a Human any longer! I have to stop holding back! I have to stop being afraid!" My anger continued to climb as I just kept screaming. Each punch cracked his helmet more and more until it finally fell to the floor. Even with his head exposed I didn't stop. I could see the sudden terror in his eyes as he realized death was approaching.

I didn't stop!

"My whole life I've dealt with monsters like you! People that think they can treat you like shit and kick you around because they've got power! FUCK YOU! I've got the power now! I'm gonna use this power to make worthless assholes like you SUFFER!" Tears streamed down my face as I just kept punching him over and over again. His face started to crack, skin tore, as each devastating blow pushed his nose inward. Finally, his neck shattered and the abused hunk of meat ripped free. I was sobbing, my nose was running, and I just didn't know what to do now. I might have started beating his corpse, but someone stopped me. I didn't resist as Bunny held my head against her chest.

"Shhh…It's okay now, Elle. Let it out…Just let it out…" Bunny murmured softly as she stroked my hair. There was a warm, pleasant scent that I just knew was hers alone. The ache started to fade as the tension seeped out.

"Thanks…" I whispered hoarsely. She caressed my cheek gently.

"No charge," she said with a warm smile.

The warm and fuzzies might have continued if not for one thing. I could hear from across the room a bunch of future Darwin Award winners engaged in being shitheels. Now it was my turn to hug Bunny or she might just start flamebroiling some people. Reluctantly, we stopped hugging to go put a stop to this latest bout of stupidity.

"All you did was hide while we fought! We had a plan and you ruined it!" A burly young man, whom I shall dub Moron 1, jammed his finger into Kenji's chest.

"Yeah! We didn't need you!" This (un)worthy was a slimmer guy that I shall dub Moron 2.

"What was your plan, huh?" Kenji demanded. That seemed to surprise his former classmates. They didn't expect him to talk back.

"Yes, what was this plan? No one told me about it. Was it just as brilliant as leaving Kenji-kun outside with a head wound?" Ayame glowered. She was a very pretty girl with long dark hair dressed in a schoolgirl uniform. Her silvery eyes promised dire things if she didn't like their answer. I definitely approved of the way she stood firmly at Kenji's side.

"We were gonna break out while they were busy with you. You were the distraction!" Moron 1 folded his arms smugly.

"It would've worked too! Your power is Divine Body with the Sacred Knight Class, right? You could handle it for a few minutes!" Another voice, whom I shall call Moron 3, interjected.

"You were going to let her get cooked as a distraction!?" Bunny exploded. Thankfully it was only figuratively and not literally.

"That's not even getting into how pissed the Divines of this world would be with you. Cuz, y'know, you were planning on sacrificing a Holy champion?" I remarked snidely.

"Hmph! There are no gods. I doubt the imaginary sky fairies would care," thus sayeth Moron Alpha and Omega. The truly Perfect Idiot.

"You know what? I'm leaving. If I stick around I might contract your stupidity. You're on your own," Kenji said tiredly. Ayame took his arm with a little smile before turning back to their classmates.

"I'm leaving too. You're going to get yourselves killed and I don't want to be there for it. You almost got me killed and eaten! I should've stayed with Kenji-kun until he woke up…That's on me…But I'm not turning away from him again," she insisted.

That was how it ended. We left the delusional idiots to their own devices. I hoped they would eventually grow out of it and become better people. Hopefully, before anyone else died. For now, this was entirely on them. They stayed behind to loot the cave which suited me just fine. If we had to deal with them a minute longer I might've hurt them. Once outside Kenji started to laugh. A wonderful clear sound that seemed to uplift the soul. Ayame, Bunny, and I were confused. He turned to us with eyes free of doubt.

"I tossed everything into the Warehouse while they were fighting. Now we can go back to Rastur and turn in the job before they can," Kenji smiled beatifically.

"Wait. You robbed them?" Ayame asked in disbelief.

"Twice over!" Bunny doubled over laughing.

"They're alive and maybe a little wiser. That's good enough for me," I said with a grin. The pettiness of Kenji's act warmed my shriveled heart.

"I should be saying something about it not being right but…" Ayame glanced back at the cave and shuddered. Kenji gave her a side hug.

"I did say I would be a Master Thief someday. Gotta start somewhere," he said.

This is what I missed in my old life. The little things other people take for granted. I couldn't help feeling doubly blessed. Sure, this life was more dangerous than my old one. There might even be more jerks around. However, the experience of standing here and laughing in the sun with my friends was a treasure I wouldn't trade for anything. Thank you, Nisa. Wherever you are. You gave me the greatest gift anyone has ever given. I wish you nothing but the best.


AN: I thought it was appropriate to end the chapter here. Now for a quick overview of the other players in this tale:

Bunny
Unique Fire Witch
Evility: Burn Baby Burn! - Increases the damage of Fire Spells by 50% and sets them on FIRE!

Kenji
Bare
Evility: The Blank - The concept of average and uninteresting taken to supernatural heights! You can't be noticed by physical or magical means unless you do something really unusual.

Ayame
Sacred Knight (Basically Celestial Host)
Evility: Divine Body - This grants a body as strong as divine marble. Injuries heal perfectly. Resists magical ailments and total immunity to nonmagical ailments. Str/Def + 50%

Now that's settled…Wait…What's that sound?

-A Short Distance Away-

"Aiyeeeeee!"

A feminine squeal split the air as a bundle of pink and white descended from the sky at high speeds. It was clear this wasn't what she intended. The ground was rising fast to meet her. She quickly summoned a white staff topped by a gold crescent moon with a brilliant sapphire at the base of the curve. The girl had only one chance to get this right. Words of power spilled forth from her lips as she quickly put the staff between her knees like a flying broomstick. The staff remained perfectly motionless, unfortunately, inertia still had its hold on the spellcaster.

"Owie…!"

The girl blinked tears from her eyes. This was her first assignment so she wasn't all that experienced yet. Her magic scores were practically perfect in every way in theory. She just never had to use them in real life. Nisa the Witch in Pink and Trainee Benefactor had a mission to accomplish. Her instructor took over when Elle's requests caused Nisa to have a nervous breakdown. That same instructor didn't remind the young woman that she could choose the world herself. Elle felt so guilty over making Nisa cry that she let herself go to a really dangerous world. Every time Elle apologized or thought about her in general, she knew.

"Oooh! Don't worry, Elle! I'm not upset! I'm coming to help!"

Nisa set off on her staff to find Elle. She wanted to try to make this right! As she flew off a familiar quartet walked by down below.

AN: Nisa! That's the wrong way! That's…ah well. She means well.

 

[dingbat779]

AN: I know I have a rule regarding snippets. If it reaches 10 snippets it gets its own thread. We're gonna do something a little different from now on. If enough Patrons vote for it to continue then I'll chuck it in the schedule. If you're cool with that, and down with that, then buckle up! Cuz here we go!


Slay the SI 1


"Why is my bed so hard?"

The thought slowly surfaced from the sleeper's mind. He didn't ask why the bed was cold. At this time of year, the interior of his apartment was like an ice box. That usually ended when the building manager finally remembered to turn on the heat. The chilly person grumbled as he tried to snuggle under his blanket except there was one problem. No blanket. In fact, he couldn't feel his pillows. That woke him up in a hurry. He sat up to find that his bed was replaced with a stone floor. His sleep-fogged mind slowly corrected itself. There was no bed only a floor.

"Don't panic," he thought to himself.

Easier said than done when the room he was in looked like a dungeon. The high ceiling was lost in shadow as the torchlight couldn't reach. He continued to take in his surroundings, but nothing looked familiar. The only saving grace was that he was dressed. Checking his pockets proved fruitless. His wallet and keys were missing, but that was a smaller concern.

"I've written enough SI's to know the setup by now," he muttered.

This had all the earmarks of a SI Isekai. It helped to think of it like that to hold back the slowly rising panic. One of his problems, among many, was that he suffered from anxiety. If a situation was too strange, or at least unfamiliar, he would start to freeze up. He didn't have that luxury, but tell his stupid nerves that. The dungeon beckoned, heedless of its newest occupant's slowly eroding sanity. Slowly, hesitantly, he got to his feet and started walking.

His thought that this was a dungeon might have been misplaced. There were windows lining the wide hallway. It appeared to be nighttime, but the stars were all wrong. He might not be an astronomer, but the North Star wasn't there. None of the constellations he was familiar with could be found. The land itself looked like a barren wasteland. There was nothing for miles beyond this structure. When he leaned out and looked up his eyes widened. This wasn't a castle but instead a great tower stretching towards the heavens.

"Where do I know that has a tower motif?" He mused.

There was the Iron Tower, the Dark Tower, he knew of many towers. Each one was easy enough to dismiss with some thought. This puzzle had him so perplexed that he didn't notice how the scenery changed. It was still the same stone motif, but the room was considerably wider than the hall. If that was all he might be forgiven, however he missed the biggest change of all.

"Greetings mortal…" A deep resonant voice filled the chamber with a hint of whale song. That brought him up short.

"Uhhh…hi…?" He turned towards the speaker and nearly fell on his ass.

"How unusual…I do not remember seeing you before…Quite a conundrum," the voice at least was friendly, almost motherly, but that wasn't what took him by surprise. The speaker looked like a massive blue whale with six yellow eyes observing him placidly.

"H-Hello Neow," he stammered. Slay the Spire!? Right, Towers were also considered Spires. Somehow that thought never crossed his mind. Was it time to panic? Maybe?

"You know of me, but I have never met you before. What is your name?" Neow inquired.

"My name is [Ding]," he introduced himself then frowned. Ding wanted to tell her his given name, but his mouth said something else.

"Ding? Ah, yes, I see…This is a terrible place for a casual visit…As you are already aware," Neow realized after a moment.

"Yeah. Adventures from four different Classes ascend the Spire one at a time to kill the Heart. If they die they're brought back by your magic to try again. Each run is different because the Spire is alive and doesn't want to die, but it has a certain fairness. How close am I?" Ding asked. A video game had to be somewhat fair. Slay the Spire's popularity was because it was a fair game. There were some no-win conditions, but that was usually because the Player screwed up.

"Fairly close except for one thing…" Neow let out a heavy sigh. Her next words hit like a gut punch, "...none of the Adventurers arrived."

"Oh," Ding replied. It was impossible to leave once inside the Spire.

"I tried to locate them with my magic, but they simply did not hear the call," she said sorrowfully.

"W-wait! What about the Defect? The Defect is already in the Tower!" Ding exclaimed as he latched onto even a shred of hope.

"The Defect failed to break its chains…The Ironclad died with his Clan…The Silent's first hunt was also her last…As for the Watcher…She did not leave her monastery. The world is too far gone in her eyes…" Neow concluded as her eyes closed with regret.

The Defect was an ancient automaton controlled by the Spire. It one day gained enough sentience to try and rebel against it's Master. In this timeline the Defect was unable to break free. The Ironclad was from a Clan of mighty warriors nearly rendered extinct by the Spire. He contracted with a powerful Demon to exact vengeance upon the terrible construct. The Silent was an assassin and huntress of her people. She undertook the challenge to not only end the Spire's malice, but as the greatest prey. The Watcher was a monk who saw the Spire's evil and sought to cleanse it from the world. She was the only one alive of the four. From the sound of things it seemed that she lost faith.

"...Could your magic send me home?" Ding asked softly.

"The Spire exerts too much of a hold. I could send you home if the Spire was weakened, but it is just as strong as ever. I am truly sorry…Your fate should never have crossed with ours…" Neow sighed.

Ding would be lying if he claimed this wasn't terrifying. His anxiety threatened to boil over and leave him paralyzed. Neow was able to resurrect the Adventurers indefinitely if they died. She could do the same for him. There was just one problem. He didn't have unlimited willpower. If he went through with this the pain would be unimaginable. Cowards die a thousand deaths before their true death. Those who give up before they even try suffer an even worse death. A death of the soul.

"Fuck fate…" Ding clenched his fists. His shoulders shook from a mixture of anger and terror. Neow's eyes opened as if she couldn't believe what he said. "There is no Fate except what we make for ourselves…" He didn't truly believe it yet, but the words sparked something in his heart. His self-respect solidified further.

"Do you truly mean what you say?" Neow asked gently.

"...Not completely. I really don't want to do this. B-But if I don't do something then I can't go home. So Neow…What do I gotta do?" Ding asked.

"Ahhh…So you are The Reluctant. Despite your words and bravado, your heart is unsure. You will attempt to see this through to the end because you lack the will to do otherwise. A foolish decision, but not a terrible one. I will grant you a Boon as you lack any unique quality. Choose your Deck Color and gain the associated abilities," Neow said. Four brilliant lights appeared before Ding. Each one was a different color. Red, Green, Blue, and Purple.

[Ironclad Deck]
This deck wields an arsenal of powerful strikes, boasts formidable defensive options, and draws fiendish strength from the empowerment of demonic benefactors. Starts with 80 HP and manipulates Exhaust Cards. -Restriction: Need to Collect Black Blood Relic

[Silent Deck]
This cunning deck weakens its foes with numerous cuts and poison while using cheap tricks and agility to avoid their attacks. With many powerful cards that draw and discard, this deck ensures that it will always be one step ahead of the enemy. Starts with 70 HP. -Restriction: Need to Collect Ring of the Snake Relic

[Defect Deck]
This deck attacks foes with a high-tech arsenal, an array of Powers, and elemental evocations. It has a unique mechanic, the Orbs. Using cards and Relics, this deck Channels these elemental spheres into a set of Orb slots, activating their passive effects each turn or Evoking them for a one-time burst. This deck starts with three Orb slots, though cards and relics can add or consume them. Starts with 75 HP. -Restriction: Need to Collect Data Core Relic

[Watcher Deck]
This is a monk deck that utilizes the effects of different stances to its advantage, boasts an arsenal oriented around deck control via scrying, retaining cards, and Energy generation, as well as a unique focus on mid-combat card generation. Starts with 72 HP. -Restriction: Need to Collect Holy Water Relic

"Neow? I can't use any of these. I don't have the Relics required," Ding pointed out.

"Hmmm…Perhaps I did make a mistake. You cannot traverse the Spire without a way to defend yourself…Ah! Now this may be a bit unusual, but I believe this might work…" Neow began to sing. Flecks of silvery light drifted down before gradually coalescing into a new sphere of light. It was a peculiar translucent silver color. "Hmmm…It is a fragile deck…unsure of itself. This is a new experience for this nascent spirit…"

[Reluctant Deck]
This deck is comprised of the cards any Class may use. They are frequently seen as support but are rarely the central focus of anyone's strategy. That has left these cards somewhat adrift and uncertain. This deck covers a variety of effects not covered by the other cards. Starts with 60 HP.

"I naturally pick up colorless cards? The low starting health is a problem, but I don't see a problem with the deck itself. Most of the more common Colorless are dirt cheap energy-wise. I start with 3 Energy, right? Just like anyone else?" Ding asked for clarification.

"Indeed. You are not being penalized in any way," she assured him.

"Then come to papa…" Ding gladly reached out to the light. His prospects were still dim, but at least his starting Deck should be good.

Spoiler: Reluctant Deck

5 Swift Strike - En 0 - Deal 7 Damage

4 Good Instincts - En 0 - Block 6

1 Discovery - En 1 - Add 1 of 3 random cards into your hand. It costs 0 this turn. Exhaust

"First thing I need for this Deck is more Card Draw," Ding said as he absently flipped through his Deck. It was great with all of the zero cost starting cards, but some Card Draw would make this absolutely devastating. The Unceasing Top Relic would be amazing here. Whenever the hand was empty it would just keep drawing more cards. His cards pulsed softly in appreciation.

"Now for your first gift to aid you on this journey. I strongly suspect this will be the first of many attempts," Neow said with a mix of encouragement and fatalism.

[Choose one]
Max HP + 8
Enemies in the Next Three Combats will have 1 HP

Max HP was always good, but if the stars lined up just right, the 1 HP Blessing was better. Ding chose the 1 HP Blessing. The door behind Neow started to open with a grinding of metal on stone. Now that the moment was upon him he felt a weird sense of exultation. The fear was there, but this felt like the start of something great. He knew the feeling wouldn't last yet was determined to enjoy it for now.

"Thank you, Neow. Maybe I'll do great, maybe I'll totally suck, but at least I can say I tried," Ding said with a wry smile.

"Good luck, Ding," she said.

As he stepped through the double doors they slammed shut with a resounding clang. Before him was a flight of stairs leading upwards to the Exordium. That was when he looked down at his rotund physique and let out an exhausted sigh.

This was probably how the Spire would kill him…

AN: Yeah this is an SI into Slay the Spire and using my own body. Fun! Luckily positive gains will carry over to subsequent runs. For those of you who know the game then you've got an idea of how potentially busted an all Colorless Deck could be.

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102
bresklinhalsey
havefeith

Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06
james020106
kalebmj13
iwrdehart
drakeshade35
jonaspfisterer10

Special Friends
titanicwargod
bjoebubba

Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

 

[dingbat779]

Almost forgot to shamelessly plug myself
Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102
bresklinhalsey
havefeith

Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06
james020106
kalebmj13
iwrdehart
drakeshade35
jonaspfisterer10

Special Friends
titanicwargod
bjoebubba

Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

 

[dingbat779]

Slay the SI 2


The ancient stone stairs were worn smooth from years of service. Adventurers of all kinds ascended the Spire seeking fame, fortune, or an end to its fathomless evil. There were other adventurers beyond the four, but they remained unrecognized and unlamented. Probably those without the will to see this through to the end. Neow did care for those who took on the Spire's challenge, but she had no use for someone who gave up. Ding had a great many things to think about as he trudged up the stairs. His lungs burned and his legs ached from the painfully slow ascent. It came as little surprise when he reached the first floor and already had two debuffs.

[-1 Str, -1 Def]

"Fuck my life…" Ding groaned.

The chamber beyond was larger than expected. He could see the doorway onward beckoning, but there was just one problem. Two large colorful worms sat in the middle of the floor barring his path. Louses. One would alternate attacks with buffing its strength while the other would attack and reduce his defense. The first hit would cause them to curl up and gain block. He could see the [Prompts].

"So this really is like the game…" He breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't completely negate his apprehension but minimized it somewhat.

In his mind's eye, the first hand was drawn. Three Swift Strikes and two Good Instincts. Ding made his choice to split attacks between the two Louses and use both defensive cards. Once he made his decision something weird happened. His body moved all on its own to perform the necessary actions. He kicked each Louse once to force it to roll up before returning to the start with his arms up defensively. The sudden rush of motion made his lungs burn and his legs felt like lead. In retaliation, the first Louse dived at Ding but his guard held. A translucent shield briefly formed over his crossed arms to repel the monster. The second monster charged in and crashed through the barrier causing him to cry out in pain. Ding slammed into the floor hard, the air exploded from his lungs.

"F-Fuck…" He croaked while fighting to stand. The Isekai victim didn't have time to catch his breath before the next draw.

The next cards were two Swift Strikes, Good Instincts, and Discovery. Neither of his foes would go down in one attack. That meant he had to roll the dice and pray Good Instincts gave him something. Ding used his two Swift Strikes to finish off the first Louse and Good Instincts to defend himself. When he chose Discovery a trio of cards appeared. His eyes instantly locked on one card in particular as a satisfied smile crossed his face.

Spoiler: Discovery

"Jackpot!" Ding crowed as he activated the final card.

As the final Louse fell so did Ding. He was alive, but his body was complaining about the treatment. That was when his HP appeared before him.

[56/60]

"Yeah I think I'm just gonna sit here and catch my breath…" Ding grunted.

Where the Louses fell was a collection of things. The first thing he noticed was the bottle with a thin neck and rounded bottom. Inside was a liquid that changed colors as he watched. Entropic Brew. A unique potion that upon imbibing would fill his potion belt with potions. That would come in handy. Right now he had three potion slots. He stowed it away carefully. The gold on the ground could help him at the merchant. That left a leather satchel just big enough for a playing card. Inside were three cards.

"Right…I pick one and the rest disappear…" He needed to think about this carefully.

The Heart of the Cards was with him as inside the booster was exactly what he needed.

Spoiler: Booster

"Finesse is definitely my friend here," Ding smiled painfully as he added the card to his deck. The others were good like Bandage Up and Trip. With the injuries he sustained a healing card might have been better.

He made it back to his feet and trudged wearily towards the steps. Four more floors and he would reach a rest site. The rest site could either magically heal a portion of your injuries or help forge a card into a stronger form. Using it for its originally intended purpose sounded heavenly to him.

His lungs screamed for air as he reached the second floor. Before him lay a shrine to an ancient entity. In the center of the floor was a square altar with a golden arrow pointing upward from the center. The arrow's base was split into four upward curved line. A mystical radiance swirled around it. Ding almost fell on his butt. This was a seriously lucky find!

"A Duplicator Shrine? Hooo…" Ding approached with a pleased grin. He didn't hesitate to kneel at the Altar and offer up the Finesse. Duplicator Shrines did exactly what their name said. They duplicated whatever card was offered.

Ding didn't use build defense heavy decks, but this was his life. He wanted to at least make it to the Act 1 Boss. The sad thing was he knew what his chances were in that fight. What made this trek worse is that it looked like Certain Future was in effect. Certain Future meant there was only a single path in each Act. Ding just didn't see any branching paths. That was when a pain built behind his eyes before a map appeared in front of him.

"You couldn't show this to me sooner?" He grumbled.

This wasn't Certain Future, Ding was just an idiot. He missed a turn off on the beginning stairwell. From here he could go up the right path that took him to another Question Mark room and a Merchant before the Rest Site. Question Mark rooms could be another monster battle, an Elite Monster, another Event like the Duplicator, or a Treasure Room. The left path was a guaranteed two monster battles before the Rest Site. After the Rest Site on both paths was a shit show of Elite Monsters and Question Mark rooms.

"Going right it is…" Ding muttered sourly.

The Question Mark Room was just an Elite Monster just as he feared. Even worse it was the Gremlin Nob. The Gremlin Nob stood at almost eight feet in height with big curved yellow horns, and red skin, and wielded a giant rat skeleton as a club. During the first turn, he would just stand there. From the second turn onward he would grow stronger when the player used Skill Cards. It was too late to change his mind. Ding drew his opening hand and bit back a curse. It was four Good Instincts and Discovery. He used Discovery but the only useful thing it offered was Trip. The next turn started with the Gremlin Nob's defense down but that was all.

"Roar…!" The Gremlin Nob roared and flexed his muscles.

"Yeah, you uh just keep yelling buddy…" Ding chuckled nervously.

"Hrrr…" The Gremlin Nob gripped his club in both hands and lifted it above his head.

The next draw was three Swift Strikes and both Finesses. Ding knew this was a risk, but what choice did he have? That was when he remembered Neow's blessing. Why didn't it work on the Louses? He shook his head. At least he could see the Gremlin Nob only had 1 health. The first Swift Strike was also the last. The Elite let out a roar before a bloody froth boiled past his lips. As he fell, Ding let out a sigh of relief.

From the Gremlin Nob he received a Strike Dummy. Strike Cards dealt three more damage and it worked with Swift Strike. More gold and another choice of cards. Flash of Steel, Dramatic Entrance and Forethought.

Flash of Steel was a low damage card that could draw one card. Dramatic Entrance was an Innate Card that dealt damage to all enemies. Innate Cards showed up in the opening hand. Forethought could be good later. It allowed the player to put a card back in the deck and it would cost zero until played. That wasn't so great here. He chose Flash of Steel for the card draw. Now the card draw engine was starting to come together.

Ding staggered into the merchant's shop tired, hungry, and seriously missing his cat. There wasn't anything the merchant could do about any of that unfortunately. The merchant had an interesting white mask with blue and red painted on the porcelain. He had on a blue robe and sat upon a carpet full of wares.

"Oh ho! A new traveler! My goodness, you look…rough," the merchant said delicately.

"I look like shit," Ding remarked with a wry twist of his lips.

"Well, yes, but I was trying to be polite," he laughed merrily.

"Let's see what you've got and if I can afford it…" Ding lowered his tired body to the ground across from the merchant.

"Well, why don't we see…? Huh. You're using colorless cards. I can only offer two at a time," the merchant shrugged uncomfortably.

"Might as well take a look…" He sighed.

The cards were Jack of All Trades and Apotheosis. Ding almost leaped on the Apotheosis but refrained. He had barely enough for the card. What it did was instantly upgrade all of the cards in his deck for that combat which could be insanely useful. The potions on sale were two Energy Potions and Blessing of the Forge. Extra Energy didn't matter when his deck was already incredibly cheap to use. The Relics were where Ding nearly had a coronary.

"The Collector? I thought that was from a Mod…" Ding muttered. The Collector Relic executed enemies below 5% health and gave 5 gold per kill. That was crazy good, but would definitely wipe out his budget.

"It just doesn't execute the bosses. I found it in my travels and decided to offer it here. You really should take it as I can see you do not have a Relic of your own," the merchant noted shrewdly.

"Right. Each of the Adventurer's has their own Relic…Are you offering to attach this to me as my personal Relic?" Ding suddenly realized what the shrewd businessman just said.

"Why yes! Then it can follow you through the varied trials and tribulations. Just don't wander off your path or it could be lost forever," the merchant leaned forward intently.

Ding didn't hesitate to put down the money. A Relic like that would be absolutely amazing. The money was nice, but being able to execute stronger enemies in the later Acts was a godsend. At the Rest Site he chose to sleep by the fire. He was just too tired physically and mentally to continue. When he woke up his stomach snarled like a mad thing, but what could he do? The merchant wasn't offering food.

Was it really any surprise when he died to another Elite? The Lagavulin would sleep for three turns. That was usually the time when Players would start preparing to fight. Because once they attacked it would wake up massively angry. It attacked savagely for two straight rounds before reducing its victim's Str and Def by 1. Then the cycle would continue. Despite the card draw engine Ding built it just wasn't enough. By the third cycle his Str and Def were too low to significantly hurt the menace. The sinister shelled spider raked its scything legs down on Ding's head one final time.

"Desecrated…"

He awoke before Neow with a heavy heart. The phantom pains remained before slowly starting to fade. Neow gazed upon him in sympathy but they both knew this wasn't the end. It was only the beginning…

AN: Yeah this is an average run for Slay the Spire especially for a n00b. Just because I know how to play the game I'm actually living it in the story.

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102
bresklinhalsey
havefeith

Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06
james020106
kalebmj13
iwrdehart
drakeshade35
jonaspfisterer10

Special Friends
titanicwargod
bjoebubba

Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

 

[dingbat779]

A Very Different Game 1


Ai Shiranui was nobody special. She wasn't the most brilliant, or the hottest, but that was okay. Her future was all but assured as she was a student at Kuoh Academy. All she had to do was work hard and keep her grades up. Easy peasy really. Most of her classmates didn't even know her name but that was okay. The purpose of school was to study, get good grades, and get into a good college. Since Kuoh was an elevator school she could go straight to college from there! It was the first day of the new year and she felt a bit peckish. Now she could've made dinner, but the local convenience store sold amazing pork cutlet sandwiches. Since she was in such a good mood, Ai decided to treat herself.

The night was cool and pleasant, but there was something off. Yellow eyes peered about as she tried to figure out what alerted her. She brushed a strand of red hair behind her ear nervously. Her ears picked up the sound of footsteps that weren't her own. Ai picked up the pace but the steps continued in an unhurried fashion. Once she reached the convenience store everything would be fine. They knew her there. It wouldn't be a problem. The neon sign up ahead promised safety. That was when Ai made a fatal mistake. She glanced behind her.

There was a man following her but something was off about him. He wore a ratty old hoodie and battered jeans. His sneakers looked as if they were falling apart. Just another bum on the street but his eyes were an icy blue. Ai swallowed heavily as his gaze almost seemed to burn. As soon as she looked at him a smile crossed his face. That was when he started to walk faster. The man almost seemed to flow over the ground as each step carried him further than it should. She looked to the store but it was too far. Even if she started running now he would still catch her. The slender girl was fairly athletic yet his stride was inhuman. Ai quickly ducked down an alleyway.

That was just five minutes ago. Ai squirmed further back behind the dumpster. The slender redhead used to hate how flat she was, but now it was coming in handy. She curled herself in as tightly as possible so that he couldn't find her. Her decision to flee down an alley wasn't a bad one, she knew this area like the back of her hand and led him on a merry little chase through a rabbit warren of backstreets. Except he was still following her. Much to her horror, it sounded as if he was scenting the air.

"C'mon out little girl…It's okay…I won't hurt you…" The man's coarse voice grated on her ears.

The only sound besides his voice was her heart hammering. It was a wonder he couldn't track her by that. How did she get into this mess? All she wanted to do was take a walk to the convenience store. Was that so wrong? She was about to be killed over a pork cutlet sandwich!

"Hrrr…There's no one out here but you and me…Make this easy on both of us, huh?" He growled softly.

Did he think she was stupid? Ai's panicky breaths probably weren't helping matters. His steps drew closer to her hiding place. She clapped both hands over her mouth to try and silence herself. When he started to walk away it was like the answer to her prayers. The beating of her frantic heart slowed as she allowed herself to relax by degrees. Ai was about ready to go home, call the police, and take a shower. Without warning the dumpster was suddenly ripped away and slammed into the opposite wall on its side. Ai shrieked as she frantically dived forward before landing in an ungainly heap.

"Ha! Good job using the trash to hide from my nose, but I could hear your breathing," he gloated. The smile that stretched across his face showed too many sharp teeth.

"W-What do you want with me!?" Ai's normally contralto voice came out shrill.

"I'm just passin' through and decided to get a bite to eat. Then I'll be on my way with a full belly and whatever's in your wallet," he said as claws began to sprout from his fingertips.

"You can have my money! Get whatever you like!" Ai hurriedly reached for her wallet, but his next words stopped her.

"Oh no…It's been a long time since I've had fresh meat…Hrrr…Fresh virgin meat…That's extra tender and juicy. Smells like you eat well…" He said with a leer.

"N-No…" She moaned. Ai was past panicking. Why did he have to mention she was a virgin? Her assailant scoffed, almost as if he could read her mind.

"Relax! I'm just gonna eat ya. Humans just don't have enough stamina," he laughed to himself.

"Oh sure! At least I'm only getting eaten!" Ai managed to snark. It wasn't like she could make her situation any worse.

Just as he bunched up his legs to leap the world froze. The air stilled as all colors turned gray except for Ai. She could move her arms and head, but the rest of her body was stuck to the ground. A brilliant flash of light briefly blinded her. When the light died down there was a strange watch on her wrist. It looked like one of those fancy smartwatches. The body was predominantly cobalt blue with silver tracings and black buttons. None of it looked like plastic.

"What the hell…?" Ai whined.

A vivid blue box appeared before her leaving Ai to wonder if she wasn't hallucinating. Maybe she was already dying and her mind snapped under the strain. Words appeared in the box.

[Sacred Gear "Ludus Crepusculi" has finished formatting and is ready to activate]

[Finish Activation Process?: Yes or No]

"W-what?" The redhead asked in disbelief. Yes and No looked like buttons on a touch screen. If this was a hallucination, then it didn't matter what she did. She tapped Yes.

[Activation Complete!]

[Welcome Holder of the Sacred Gear. This is not the proper time for a full explanation so this message will be brief. You have awakened to a power possessed by very humans. A power gifted by God to allow His children to protect themselves against the supernatural. During this time your emotions are being suppressed so you can make a clear decision. This is a one-time boon. If you wish to survive then you will have to either fight or escape. Choose a Class.]

This was a very vivid hallucination. There were terms flying over her head but at least she was calm enough to understand. Ai did enjoy a good RPG and this seemed to be what the box was alluding to. It felt like the plot of an urban fantasy anime. She tapped the Class button and another menu appeared.

[Classes]
Fighter - This is the standard combat Class in most RPGs. Able to wield any weapon and armor with ease. Their talents are geared entirely towards fighting.
Stat Growth: Str/Vit + 2 per Level.
HP + 10 per level
MP + 2 per level
Starting Skill: Accumulate
Type: Support
Effect: +25% Damage
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

Thief - This basic class is based around nimble fingers, speedy moves, and filching whatever isn't (and sometimes is) nailed down. Able to use light weapons, bows, and up to medium armor.
Stat Growth: Agi/Mind + 2 per Level.
HP + 6 per level
MP + 6 per level
Starting Skill: Flee!
Type: Support
Effect: Triples Speed and Evasion when escaping.
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

Mage - The starting point to becoming a fine slinger of spells! Able to wield staves, simple weapons, and light armor. They can be a diverse lot with their spell choices.
Stat Growth: Mag/Will + 2 per Level
HP + 2 per level
MP + 10 per level
Starting Skill: Element Bolt
Type: Attack
Effect: Fires a bolt of mana. Element determined by the caster.
Duration: Instant
MP: 4

Artificer - A reliable base class capable of creating and maintaining their own gear. Able to wield firearms, simple weapons, and wear up to medium armor.
Stat Growth: Vit/Mind + 2 per Level
HP + 8 per level
MP + 4 per level
Starting Skill: Repair
Type: Support
Effect: Restores 20% of an object's Durability. Lowers max Durability by 5%.
Duration: Instant
MP: 4

[Warning! You can only change your Class during Level Up!]

Fighting was out. Whatever this guy was he wasn't human. She didn't know of anything that would let her narrow the gap. That left only one thing. Running. Ai prepared herself for this next part. If she was hallucinating than it was already game over. However, if this was really happening, then she had one chance to escape. She locked in Thief and prepared herself.

[Resuming normal time in 3…2…1…0!]

Ai used Flee and made a break for it. Her assailant had only a moment to realize that she just sprinted away. The man howled as he charged after her but she was able to just barely keep ahead of him. Blood pounded in her ears as the enforced calm fell away. She didn't dare look back. Not once. Not even when she heard him yelp.

She wouldn't stop running for a long time…


AN: Hey guys and gals! I'm working on creating my own Gamer style system for an original fic. This is just a trial run so feel free to tell me what ya think! There are no instant dungeons. Skills are static. They can evolve but only through effort or level progression.

Spoiler: Ai Shiranui

​

Name: Ai Shiranui
Age: 17
Level: 1
Race: Human (?)
Class: Thief - This basic class is based around nimble fingers, speedy moves, and filching whatever isn't (and sometimes is) nailed down. Able to use light weapons, bows, and up to medium armor.
Stat Growth: Agi/Mind + 2 per Level.
HP + 6 per level
MP + 6 per level
Sacred Gear: Ludus Crepusculi - This is a rather peculiar Sacred Gear as it continually evolves with the times. Often this takes the form of the most popular, prolific, or mixture of games in the world. It takes a form that is most comfortable for the user to understand. As far as rankings go this isn't a Longinus Class Sacred Gear. In fact aside from being rare, this isn't even a High Tier. Except something happened. Something rather profound has shifted in humanity's Collective Subconscious…

HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100

Ability Scores
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Vitality: 4
Mind: 6
Magic: 2
Willpower: 4

Skills
Flee!
Type: Support
Effect: Triples Speed and Evasion when escaping.
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

Powers

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102
bresklinhalsey
havefeith

Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06
james020106
kalebmj13
iwrdehart
drakeshade35
jonaspfisterer10
rayshawn611
smittym115
josematos977
jrschafe13
www.ant.anton
minidrshock

Special Friends
titanicwargod
bjoebubba

Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

 

[dingbat779]

A Very Different Game 2


Ai didn't stop running until she got home. She had to refresh Flee twice because the girl got lost three times on the way home. A near brush with death would make anyone freak out. Her knees gave out just after locking the door. The redhead slid down the door to land gracelessly on her butt. Between her hammering heart and panicky trembling, she just couldn't seem to catch her breath.

"It's not every day you get to third base with Death…" Ai's voice wavered before a giggle escaped her. It wasn't that funny, but suddenly it was the most hilarious thing she ever heard. She laughed so hard that it took a moment to notice the tears streaming down her face.

The watch on her wrist pulsed softly with an inner glow. On the screen, it suggested that she go to bed. Whatever this Sacred Gear thing was (and she could feel the capitalization), the mystical device was trying to calm her. She made it to her feet after a couple of false starts. Her legs were wobbly from all of the running. Ai felt sticky, stinky, and all-around gross. The redhead let her mind run on auto-pilot as she went through the nightly routine. A bath was out. With how tired she felt the warm water might put her to sleep. That meant a quick shower to rinse off the worst muck before tossing her clothes in the corner. She would see in the morning if anything could be saved.

She was unconscious before her head even hit the pillow.

Her sleep was blissfully dreamless, or at least she couldn't recall anything, before awakening to the sound of the alarm. Bleary eyes opened just in time to see the smartwatch shoot her alarm with blue light and turn it off. Was today a school day? No, that was on Monday. Satisfied with that, Ai went back to sleep. The next time her eyes opened the sun was further up in the sky and she felt famished. Ai remembered, belatedly, that she never did that pork cutlet sandwich last night. With a weary groan, the girl levered her tired body out of bed in search of breakfast.

[Would you like to take the Tutorial now? It will not interfere with your current activities. Just set me to Hands Free mode.]

[Activate Hands Free mode? Yes or No]

Ai tapped Yes and the screen immediately changed.

[Excellent. Please continue going about your morning routine. It is 12:49 on Saturday, April 5, 2008. The temperature outside is 66 degrees F and it is a sunny day.]

"You're really going all out as a smartwatch, huh?" Ai mumbled at the popup box.

[You can sync a Bluetooth headset with me to stop the blue boxes from appearing.]

That seemed like a good idea so she did what it suggested. She listened as the smartwatch guided her through syncing it with her other devices. The original screen was the default, but it could also communicate through other Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled devices. Why shouldn't she take advantage of that? Ai hummed a little as the Sacred Gear got into her playlist while she made a quick meal. That's when she suddenly froze as the last dregs of sleep cleared.

"Why am I letting you into everything!?" She blurted out in mortification.

[Ah. I am sorry. It was not my intention to take advantage of your impaired state. Would you like me to desync?] The cool voice in her ear managed to sound apologetic. She couldn't tell if it was male or female.

"...No. Just tell me what's going on, please. Did we start the Tutorial yet?" Ai asked with a sigh before starting to eat.

[Oh no. I wanted you to get something to eat before we started. The Tutorial also counts as an introduction to Quests. As you are already familiar with RPGs I won't insult your intelligence.] The voice was already switching to contractions. It sounded less formal and more welcoming.

"Quests, huh…?" Ai trailed off as a text came through on her phone.

[Subject: Taking the Tutorial ]
Message: The first part of the Tutorial is going to be exploring the Menu. Your Character Sheet, Inventory, Abilities Page, and the Options Menu.
Reward: 100 XP (Level Up), Reinforced School Uniform
Failure: 0 XP
Accept: Yes or No?

As soon as Ai thought 'Yes' the message disappeared. A new file was made on her phone labeled Quest List. That could come in handy.

[Now just think <Menu>.] The voice directed.

The Menu box popped up in front of her. Ai figured it would be easier to see instead of trying to stare at her phone or get out the laptop. She read down the list. It listed everything in order just like in the Quest prompt. There didn't seem to be a point in waiting so she thought Character Sheet.

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Name: Ai Shiranui
Age: 17
Level: 1
Race: Human (?)
Class: Thief - This basic class is based around nimble fingers, speedy moves, and filching whatever isn't (and sometimes is) nailed down. Able to use light weapons, bows, and up to medium armor.
Stat Growth: Agi/Mind + 2 per Level.
HP + 6 per level
MP + 6 per level
Sacred Gear: Ludus Crepusculi - This is a rather peculiar Sacred Gear as it continually evolves with the times. Often this takes the form of the most popular, prolific, or mixture of games in the world. It takes a form that is most comfortable for the user to understand. As far as rankings go this isn't a Longinus Class Sacred Gear. In fact aside from being rare, this isn't even a High Tier. Except something happened. Something rather profound has shifted in humanity's Collective Subconscious…

HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100

Ability Scores
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Vitality: 4
Mind: 6
Magic: 2
Willpower: 4

"What does that question mark mean next to my name?" Ai latched onto that as the weirdest thing. The rest was pretty strange, but that seemed to be the most important.

[Do you want me to try and access your heritage?] The voice inquired.

"Would it hurt?" She asked timidly. Her first run-in with the supernatural nearly resulted in death. So far Ludus Crepusculi was nice, but she was a bit gun shy.

[Not at all. Either I can or I can't. There will be no pain.] The voice said soothingly.

"Might as well…" Ai said with a sigh. That Question Mark would just keep bugging her.

[Accessing…Accessing…Ah! Now this is a nice surprise!]

[Full Racial Details Unlocked]
Human (Fallen Angel Ancestry) - At some point in your family's history an ancestor coupled with a Fallen Angel. This isn't the rarest thing to happen given that most Fallen do due to Sin. However, it is an uncommon bloodline.
Bloodline Strength: Weak
Benefits: Magic/Willpower + 2 per level
Element: Light (Minor)
Vulnerability: Dark (Minor)

[Your Ancestory is something of a two-edged sword as you've no doubt realized. New Classes have been added that may aid you in strengthening your blood. However, it would also strengthen your weakness.] The voice warned.

"So my Light would get stronger and so would my Dark weakness. How likely am I to encounter straight Dark users?" Ai asked.

[I have only just awakened. Unfortunately, I do not know the supernatural composition of Kuoh. The new Classes are stronger than what you have available now.] The voice said.

"I'll look at them when I level up," Ai decided before noticing something else about her sheet. Namely her Ability Scores. "What about those? Is that good, bad, average?" She assumed a '2' wasn't the best, but it was in Magic. Until now she didn't know the supernatural really existed or her heritage.

[Ability Score Breakdown]
Strength is a measure of carrying capacity and the ability to cause damage.
Agility is a measure of flexibility and dexterity.
Vitality is a measure of health and how quickly one recovers from illness.
Mind is the measure of mental acuity broken down into intelligence and wisdom.
Magic is the ability to manipulate arcane forces.
Willpower is a measure of spiritual resilience and mystic reserves.

Lowest is 1
Unenhanced Human Maximum is 10

[A score between 4 to 6 is average for a human. People can train to increase their ability scores and so can you. However, as your body is like that of a videogame character, you can train faster. As you've seen different Classes can raise certain values on level up as well.] The voice explained.

[Ability Score Breakdown Cont]
Carrying Capacity is Str x 25 lbs.
Speed is Str x Agi
Vitality is how many minutes you can go all out before needing to rest.
HP is Vitality x 25
MP is Willpower x 25

Ai almost dropped the coffee cup. She immediately blurted out, "I can't carry a hundred pounds!"

[You can as your body is like that of a videogame character. Normally people can only use a fraction of their full strength as it's divided equally among the limbs. You could, in fact, continue to function perfectly fine until your health reaches 0. At that point injuries would start to show. Unless an effect specifically targets a limb, you can't be permanently crippled. Just have a good night's rest and you'll be ready to go in the morning.] The voice said cheerfully.

"That…is kind of busted…" Ai murmured. The redhead needed a moment to take it all in. She still had more questions regarding her Character Sheet. "...What is a Sacred Gear?"

[Sacred Gears, also known as God's Artifacts, are items with powerful abilities bestowed upon Humans and Human hybrids by God of the Bible.

The God of the Bible created the Sacred Gears to give strength and future possibilities to the Humans, who interact with supernatural beings and Gods and Buddhas.

Each one is fueled by Human desire. That is why some require the holder to exhibit a strong will to live. I am not usually one of those. In fact, I am mostly awakened by the holder as they grow up. Unfortunately, that is not what happened here. For the first time in my existence, I was awakened through desperation. This is not how I would have wanted to meet you.] The voice sounded wistful.

"It would've been nice…" Ai smiled tremulously. Remembering last night almost made it all come rushing back. Her hand shook as she set down the coffee cup.

In an effort to move past the memory, Ai opened the Inventory next. Her eyes widened as she saw just how many pages were available. The only limitation seemed to be that she had to be able to lift the object to put it inside. There were multiple tabs for keeping track of general items, materials, equipment, Key Items, and Relics. The equipment page was further divided into different presets. A tooltip helpfully said that she could stack a maximum number of one hundred of the same item in each slot.

The Abilities Page was divided into Skills, Powers and Perks. Her only listed Skill was Flee. Ai huffed with annoyance.

"I have more skills than just that!" She protested.

[I'm sorry. Since last night was the first time we've met I can only quantify observed Skills. You didn't even cook breakfast beyond using the microwave.] The voice said apologetically.

"Oh," Ai muttered. The coffee was even instant. She did know how to cook, but hunger took center stage over making something the proper way.

The last thing to check was the Options Menu. Since most of that was stuff found in a normal computer game, she decided to leave it alone. Who wanted to mess with the aspect ratio or color palette? Ai did give in to curiosity to mess with the brightness a bit but nearly blinded herself by turning it up too high. That just reinforced the desire to leave it the hell alone. She did see a Cheat Menu under Options, but it said there were no points available. Those were probably super rare one-of-a-kind rewards.

[And that concludes the Tutorial. Now then your reward is two-fold. A reinforced School Uniform and a level up.]

[Loot Received!]
Reinforced School Uniform - What else is there to say about this beyond the fact it's an armored school uniform? It is somewhat of a lackluster reward but it's better than nothing.
Defense: Slash 4, Pierce 2, Bludgeon 0
Durability: 100/100

[Level Up x 1!]
Agility + 2
Mind + 2
Magic + 2
Willpower + 2

[New Classes Available Due to an Awakened Bloodline!]
Paladin - This class is a Hybrid of Fighter and Mage utilizing the power of Light to safeguard others. They stand as a shield against the Darkness. This Class can wield lesser Light Affinity Spells of Defense and Support.
Stat Growth: Str/Vit + 3 Willpower + 2
HP + 15
MP + 3

Exorcist - This class is a hybrid of Fighter and Thief. The Exorcist is the offensive arm of the Church. Their mastery of swords and firearms allows them to even the odds. This Class utilizes Light for personal enhancement.
Stat Growth: Agi/Vit + 3 Willpower + 2
HP + 9
MP + 9

Cleric - This class is a Hybrid of Mage and Fighter with an emphasis on healing. Able to utilize heavy armor like a Fighter, they do not shy away from the battlefield. This Class uses their Light for Healing, Support and Defense.
Stat Growth: Vit/Willpower + 3 Int + 2
HP + 8
MP + 10

"It doesn't say what starting Skill I get," Ai noticed.

[These Hybrid Classes draw their Skills from the parent Classes. Another thing to remember is that you are not limited to what your Class knows. You can create Skills through trial and error.]

"So if I went to Exorcist I would still be on the 'Thief' path, right?" Ai asked.

[Correct. You would be considered 'Thief lvl 2' and 'Fighter lvl 1.'] The voice clarified.

"Then I would get the Fighter's starting Skill too…?" Ai wheedled hopefully.

[Yes you would.] The voice confirmed.

"What's the catch?" She asked skeptically.

[You can choose to take one Skill from Thief, Fighter, or Exorcist on level up.] The voice explained.

"Okay…I'm locking in Exorcist. Maybe I better look at the talent trees before I start wasting Skill Points…" Ai mused.

[Unless a Skill specifically states differently, the only restriction is level.] Her Gear promised.

That made things significantly easier on her. She already received the Fighter's Skill as a freebie. Which left her with three choices.

[Choose a Skill!]
Steal
Type: Support
Effect: Steals the goods right off the target's back. Percentage chance is based on (Agility + Mind)/2
Duration: Instant
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add 10% to the success chance)

Weapon Bash
Type: Attack
PWR: Equal to Weapon Attack x 1.5
Effect: Knocks the foe off balance with a sudden blow. Percentage chance is based on (Str + Vit)/2
Duration: Instant
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add 10% to the success chance)

Vital Boost
Type: Support
Effects: Raise Str/Agi/Vit + 2
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

This was a tough decision. Ai did narrow it down to a choice between Steal and Vital Boost. Weapon Bash was fine if she had more strength. In the end she chose Vital Boost. There were just too many benefits. Bonus health, greater movement speed, and higher damage output? She would definitely take Steal. Being able to take her opponent's stuff would be such a godsend. Ai glanced at her new watch. Maybe she should see about adding other skills to the list. She did know a lot more than just whatever this power gave her.

The burning eyes of her assailant might haunt Ai's waking moments now, but it wouldn't be forever. This was the first step towards forging her own path.

Spoiler: Character Sheet

​

Name: Ai Shiranui
Age: 17
Level: 2 (1 Exorcist, 1 Thief)
Race: [Full Racial Details Unlocked]
Human (Fallen Angel Ancestry) - At some point in your family's history an ancestor coupled with a Fallen Angel. This isn't the rarest thing to happen given that most Fallen do due to Sin. However, it is an uncommon bloodline.
- Bloodline Strength: Weak
- Benefits: Magic/Willpower + 2
- Element: Light (Minor)
- Vulnerability: Dark (Minor)
Class: Exorcist - This class is a hybrid of Fighter and Thief. The Exorcist is the offensive arm of the Church. Their mastery of swords and firearms allows them to even the odds. This Class utilizes Light for personal enhancement.
Stat Growth: Agi/Vit + 3 Willpower + 2
HP + 9
MP + 9
Sacred Gear: Ludus Crepusculi - This is a rather peculiar Sacred Gear as it continually evolves with the times. Often this takes the form of the most popular, prolific, or mixture of games in the world. It takes a form that is most comfortable for the user to understand. As far as rankings go this isn't a Longinus Class Sacred Gear. In fact aside from being rare, this isn't even a High Tier. Except something happened. Something rather profound has shifted in humanity's Collective Subconscious…

HP: 106/106
MP: 156/156

Ability Scores
Strength: 4
Agility: 7
Vitality: 4
Mind: 8
Magic: 4
Willpower: 6

Skills
Flee!
Type: Support
Effect: Triples Speed and Evasion when escaping.
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

Accumulate
Type: Support
Effect: +25% Damage
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

Vital Boost
Type: Support
Effects: Raise Str/Agi/Vit + 2
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

Powers

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102
bresklinhalsey
havefeith
connorstratman

Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06
james020106
kalebmj13
iwrdehart
drakeshade35
jonaspfisterer10
rayshawn611
smittym115
josematos977
jrschafe13
www.ant.anton
minidrshock
ishy391
romanem242
jordangadberry2008

Special Friends
titanicwargod
bjoebubba

Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

 

[dingbat779]

A Very Different Game 3


[New Skills Unlocked!]
General Skills
Academics lvl 12
Effect: This is how well you study, retain, and recall information related to basic subjects. Percentage chance to remember obscure information is a percentage equal to Mind + Skill lvl 1
MP: 0 (MP:4 to add 10% to the effectiveness )

Acrobatics lvl 6
Effect: This covers tumbling, balance, and evasion. The effectiveness of acrobatics maneuvers is increased by a percentage equal to Agility + Skill lvl.
MP: 0 (MP:4 to add 10% to the effectiveness )

Crafting lvl 3
Effect: This covers several forms of crafting such as cooking, sewing, etc. The effectiveness of crafting is a percentage equal to Mind + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP:4 to add 10% to the effectiveness )

Perception lvl 2
Effect: Essentially how well you notice fine details using your five main senses. The effectiveness of perception is a percentage equal to Mind + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP:4 to add 10% to the effectiveness )

Combat Skills
Kendo lvl 4
Effect: It would be more accurate to call this a sport style, but still effective. This serves as a branching off point for more complex forms. Requires: Bokken, Katana, Bo, Yari, Naginata, Unarmed
- Attack Speed +30% + 1% per level
- Attack Damage +10% + 1% per level
- Evasion + 10% + 1% per level

After spending most of the day seeing if anything she knew could become a Skill this was it. Five Skills total. Crafting was several Skills rolled into one. Her Cooking Skill was the highest at 18 but then the system averaged them together. While it was annoying to lose so much progress in Cooking, she didn't have to train the others individually. Another thing of note is that she could use her MP to bump the chance of a skill's success.

Evasion was the part she had a little trouble understanding. The Voice explained Evasion as a catch-all term for defensive maneuvers. Things such as dodging, guarding, and parrying were all a part of evasion. However, Evasion only worked if she knew the attack was coming. Some weapons even helped increase Evasion. Ai still had her training naginata from when she briefly joined a dojo. It wasn't that she didn't want to continue. She did.

Ai let out a soft sigh of regret as she glanced around the apartment. The whole place was hers. It was a two-bedroom in a nice part of Kuoh. There were two bathrooms. One was connected to the largest bedroom and one past the modest-sized kitchen. Her eyes landed on a picture frame resting on the bookshelf. In it was a man with dark curly hair and yellow eyes. He had a big smile on his face as he held a redheaded toddler with yellow eyes like his own.

"Dad…" Ai murmured.

Akihito Shiraniu was a businessman. Maybe not the most prosperous, but he made enough to give them a comfortable life. He died in a plane crash on the way to his company's New York office. She was supposed to go with him, but her dojo was scheduled for a tournament. Dad told her to stay and do her best. Ai took third place and was over the moon. That is until she got the call. The despondent girl left the dojo the same night. Sometimes, when the night was really dark and cold, Ai wished she was on the plane with her father.

As for her mother…

Hitomi Shiranui never wanted children. She came from money and believed the high life was her right. If only a pesky little thing like insider trading hadn't cost her family their fortune. For some bizarre reason, it never crossed her mind that a woman could get pregnant from having sex one time. Her father was absolutely besotted with the woman and gladly married her. Ai was five when dear mother couldn't take it anymore. Dad made more than enough money to be comfortable, but it just wasn't enough. Hitomi packed up and walked away without ever looking back. Ai got her red hair from dear mommy.

She could still remember when mommy dearest showed up on the doorstep. Her father wasn't even cold when this woman came and demanded a share of the inheritance. They weren't married anymore, but Hitomi thought she might be in the will. Then she tried to get custody after not seeing her daughter for almost eleven years. It was a good thing her father planned ahead just in case. He put it in his will that Hitomi was never to get her hands on Ai. The owner of the apartment building was a third cousin. Just close enough by blood to be made her legal guardian. She called him Uncle Ken her whole life. That's how close they were.

"Maybe I should go for a walk," Ai mused. The apartment always felt stifling when she started thinking about the past.

The city of Kuoh was a much more inviting place in the daytime. Ai checked her account just in case she wanted to pick up anything. Dad left her a decent-sized inheritance that provided an allowance until she reached twenty or got married. As long as she never touched her savings she could live off of the interest comfortably. So no wild spending, but the redhead was usually thrifty anyway. Her pork cutlet sandwich habit notwithstanding. Though the thought of one made her stomach flip in a bad way. Maybe she should learn to make her own at home.

[You can use cookbooks like Skill Trainers. They wouldn't instantly give you more levels, but a cookbook would give an XP bonus until you learned everything. Just a little food for thought.] The voice said in her ear. It sounded playful like it was trying to cheer her up. If that was the intention then it worked as Ai couldn't help cracking a smile.

This was as good a time as any to see how the Inventory worked. The voice explained that she could use a normal bag, backpack, or purse to mask the use of her Inventory. It just had to fit in the mouth of the container. Ai grabbed her backpack on the way out. All of her books were instantly transported to the Inventory without making the bag look empty. Anything put in her extradimentional pocket was held in suspended animation. The voice suggested that she not put living creatures in there. The space wouldn't kill them, but the sensory deprivation was absolute. Ai had no intention of subjecting any living creature to that.

She spent the remainder of the afternoon shopping. Ai always clipped coupons and found deals to stretch her budget. That made her monthly payments stretch even further. How else could she splurge once in awhile? The frugal redhead had a savings account of her own, not tied to the inheritance, just in case anything unexpected came up. Dad taught her everything he knew about managing money.

[New General Skills Discovered!]
Haggling lvl 16 - This is the true Art of the Deal. Covers bargaining for lower prices on goods and services as well as higher returns on sales. The effectiveness of haggling is a percentage equal to Mind + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add %10 to the effectiveness)

Home Economics lvl 14 - This is a catch-all skill for budgeting,.cooking, sewing, millinery, laundering, home decoration, home sanitation, home hygiene, and home nursing. The effectiveness of home economics is a percentage equal to Mind + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add %10 to the effectiveness)
Note: Half of the percentage chance stacks with Crafting where applicable.

Laundering was just doing laundry and millinery was apparently making hats. Carpentry somehow was part of home decoration and home hygiene. According to the voice, Skills could have overlapping parts. The second part of a stack only gave half of its total value. Third parts were so rare that they shared the rule for the second. Fourth was nonexistent.

"What if I somehow go above a hundred percent?" Ai asked. Since she had the Bluetooth in her ear it just looked like a normal phone call.

[That is why it is 'effectiveness.' Effectiveness can continue to grow beyond one hundred percent. The only time the percentage is capped is for things such as damage reduction. Elemental Resistance is also based on effectiveness. Anything over one hundred percent would effectively heal you. At present you have a Light Resistance of plus 25% and a Dark Resistance of minus 25%.] The voice explained.

"I need to invest in some Dark protection and fast…" Ai muttered.

[Damage Reduction and Elemental Resistance can be trained, but I wouldn't recommend it at the moment.] Her UI buddy sounded especially nervous over this.

"I don't plan on blasting myself with anything until I have some kind of healing first," Ai promised. Then again nothing said she couldn't just make a healing Skill herself. That was something to look into later.

Ai was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she accidentally bumped into someone. Before she could apologize a feeling of inexplicable dread washed over her. The girl couldn't have been much younger than her. She was well-developed for her age with long black hair and jewel-like purple eyes. Her school uniform clung just right to the girl's curvy frame. Except the feeling of standing ground zero next to a volatile reactor made such observations moot. There was something about this girl that was more dangerous than the wolf guy. If Ai was level 2 then this girl was at least fifty levels above her.

"Watch where you're going!" The girl snapped reflexively before flinching. "Uh, I mean, sorry about that…I've had a rough day…Ha ha ha ha…" She laughed self consciously.

"Oh, uh, no problem…I was at fault…totally…" Ai hastened to say while bowing apologetically. Repeatedly. To the point the other girl grabbed her shoulders with probably more force than necessary.

"You can stop now," she said dryly. Though the excessive bowing did seem to improve her mood.

"Uh, right," Ai said shakily as she involuntarily shivered. An interested gleam filled the other girl's eyes before a smile crossed her face. It was not a pleasant smile.

"See you around," the girl said politely even though it felt like a threat.

"Right, you too…?" Ai giggled a trifle hysterically.

"Oh, you might want to be careful. You dropped your wallet…Ai," she said while handing the wallet back to her. How did she get that out of her pocket?

From now on her wallet was not leaving her Inventory!

"My name is Yuuma…" That was clearly a lie, "...have a pleasant day!" The inexplicably terrifying individual waved as she walked away.

The redhead waited until she was around the corner before using Flee and sprinting for home. She didn't stop running until the door was shut and locked. A large part of her was pissed that this was the second day in a row something terrified her. This can't keep happening! Kuoh was her home! There was nowhere else for her to go!

[New General Skill Obtained!]
Sixth Sense lvl 1 - This doesn't grant Sixth Sense but instead measures your ability to utilize what is already there. All creatures possess some form of spiritual awareness. The effectiveness of Sixth Sense is a percentage equal to Magic + Skill lvl.
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add 10% to the effectiveness)

[You can use your burgeoning Sixth Sense to locate sources of corrupt spiritual energy. What I can do is make those places into training grounds or dungeons in RPG terms. Once you defeat the core it would cleanse the area. That should be an excellent source of XP. I don't want you to be so afraid. This is the only way I can help…] The voice said sadly.

"Tomorrow…We'll go looking tomorrow…" Ai managed to speak past the lump in her throat. A hard glint appeared in her eyes. She was not going to be so weak and afraid any longer.

No one was running her out of her home.

No one!

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future. Don't forget to vote on the Monthly Poll!

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06
james020106
kalebmj13
iwrdehart
drakeshade35
jonaspfisterer10
rayshawn611
smittym115
josematos977
jrschafe13
www.ant.anton
minidrshock
ishy391
romanem242
jordangadberry2008
elijah.sims3440
joeysmith0065
dwaynecpkr
allakazzam99

Special Friends
titanicwargod
bjoebubba
oleksiy1132

Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

 

[Profilozof]

Poor Ai having to deal with golddiggers

 

[dingbat779]

It looks like I'm being evicted from my apartment effective Dec 2. I just didn't have enough money to make it. I just don't know what to do. For now I'll try to continue writing and praying for kindness. That and trying to find a place to move to. Which is difficult since my only income is Patreon.

 

[dingbat779]

AN: I switched the Exorcist's bonuses to Str/Agi + 3 on level up.

A Very Different Game 4


The thought of just wandering around Kuoh until she found a corrupt source didn't thrill her. She wanted to start training now. Sadly her online map couldn't help with that. That meant poking around and praying she found something. At least she had an idea of where to go. When she was little, she and a group of friends explored the 'Mysteries of Kuoh.' Places that the locals treated as haunted or just had a weird vibe. It was all she had without a better clue.

"Let's see…Oh! There's the old playground! I'm surprised no one's torn it down yet. No one goes there. Supposedly children have gone missing there just after dark…" Ai smiled in disbelief before remembering her own situation. Ice water ran through her veins as the smile withered and died.

Ai made sure to prepare herself before setting out. The old training naginata would help. She also stuck a bokken in her Inventory. If she still had her kyudo bow that would've gone as well, but the string broke. Her only armor was the reinforced school uniform. All the practice gear belonged to the dojo. Then again trying to use in full kendo armor in a real fight? Bad idea.

The old park was rather small and tucked away out of sight. It was overgrown with the places children once played claimed by rampant vegetation. Just looking at it was giving Ai the heebie jeebies. Even if it wasn't haunted the location didn't exactly appear inviting. She walked around the park slowly until a faint wisp of unsettling energy caught her attention. The redhead swallowed hard as Sixth Sense ticked up a level. Ai played a game of Hot and Cold with the warped energy until she stopped just outside of a dilapidated play fort.

[Located Dungeon: The Gaki Playground]
Suggested Level: 4
Proceed?: Yes or No

She looked around to see if anyone noticed her, but it was early morning on a Sunday. Most people were spending the day doing other stuff. The suggested level gave her pause, but this was the closest dungeon to her home. Ai stepped across the threshold and immediately felt space shift. The play fort turned into a real, if rundown, house. It wasn't too large but appearances could be deceiving. She took a step back and instantly returned to the normal world.

"At least I'm not trapped in there…" Ai muttered before stepping back inside.

The naginata was immediately taken from the Inventory with the bokken slung across her back. There might not be time to fish around in her extradimensional pocket. As she drew closer something weird stood out. There were strange charms affixed to the exterior of the building. The edges were singed and some appeared to be flaking off. Did someone already try to deal with this before? Ai shivered as one of the charms disintegrated before her eyes. Whatever was going on here looked bad. Did the supernatural beings inhabiting Kuoh know about this? How would she ask?

"Right. I'm sure that would go over well. 'Hey, I was out for a stroll one day and came across a dungeon full of monsters. Care to comment?'" Ai snarked to herself.

Ai used the naginata to nudge the door open cautiously. When nothing jumped out at her, she made her way into the first room. It looked like an old living room with beaten and mildewed furniture. There was no way to even tell the original color of the wallpaper. Everything was just a dingy brown. She used some MP to boost her Sixth Sense and Perception just in case anything was hiding. MP acted as a general enhancer to even basic Skills and lasted for a number of minutes equal to her Willpower. Her senses sharpened making the darkened interior appear a little brighter. The scent of decay filled her nostrils unexpectedly causing Ai to sneeze violently. Ai froze as her heightened hearing picked up a faint sound from the kitchen. Then another from the upstairs.

Furtive little footsteps shuffled in the gloom as something approached. The girl involuntarily backed up until her back hit the front door. She stiffened in shock. Ai knew she left the door open in case she needed to retreat. Weird laughter echoed from the shadows. That was when a squat-bodied thing emerged from the darkness. It had a pot belly and long arms with wickedly sharp claws. The creature stared at her with its gaping maw and bulging eyes.

"A gaki…" Ai whispered. A Hungry Ghost. No wonder the dungeon was called The Gaki Playground. She thought it was based on the slang for calling someone a brat.

"This one is bigger…Yes…Good eating…More thigh meat…" The gaki giggled as it wiped its chin free of drool.

Without hesitation, she quickly drew the bokken. The naginata had reach, but it would be a hindrance against shorter foes. That told the gaki she wasn't some scared little girl. It leaped at her with its claws outstretched. She was briefly taken off guard by its speed yet managed to smack it to the side with her weapon. The ungainly maneuver caused her to step away from the door. Raking claws slashed down her back. Ai yelped in pain and cursed herself for forgetting they were others approaching.

"Accumulate! Vital Boost!" Ai whispered fiercely. Energy surged through her body. The bokken in her hands felt lighter as did her body. She quickly slashed downward at the gaki, but it dodged just in time as the bokken cracked the wooden floor.

The gaki were short, and despite their ungainly bodies, were devilishly quick. Ai backed up against the door again to keep them from flanking her again. She made quick swipes with the bokken when one approached, but the nasty little things kept skipping away. If she didn't end the stalemate soon then more of them would come. Her legs and back were scored where the gaki managed to get through. This wasn't the type of game where the MC didn't bleed it seemed. That was when she suddenly remembered something the voice said. She could still make a Skill with enough determination.

"Hee hee hee…Little girl is slowing down…soon into the stewpot you go!" The first gaki licked its chops.

"Yes, yes, yes!" The second gaki hopped up and down gleefully.

Ai let out a yell as she let the frustration boil over and thrust out her right hand. A searing bolt of yellow Light streaked out and struck the first gaki. The creature let out a pitiful shriek as it was thrown across the room. While the second stared stupidly at where its buddy stood, the redhead brought down the bokken in a double-hand chop. Its head was driven into the floor so hard it partially broke the boards. She darted forward to end the remaining gaki before it could shake off its disorientation. The monsters turned to black ash and disappeared. Pain lanced up her legs and down her spine from the sudden motion.

"Yowch…!" She squeaked painfully.

[New Skills Gained!]
Light Bullet lvl 1
Type: Attack
Effect: Fires a single bullet of Light. Damage is equal to Magic + Skill lvl
MP: 9

Dash lvl 1
Type: Support
Effect: Enables short-range bursts of speed. Triples the user's Speed over a short distance. Distance is equal to Str + Skill lvl
MP: 10

Damage Resistance
Type: Support
Effect: Reduces physical damage taken by a percentage equal to Vitality/2
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to increase the percentage by 10%)

"Yeah, great, but my health is flagging…" Ai grimaced. The feeling of malevolent anticipation increased. She focused on her Light and wished desperately for it to heal her. A burst of yellow light wreathed her body for a moment causing the injuries to vanish.

[New Skill Gained!]
Heal lvl 1
Type: Recovery
Effect: Restores a number of HP equal to Magic + Skill lvl
MP: 6

[Spells are located under Powers.] The voice whispered so as not to distract her.

Class Skills couldn't grow, but other Skills could? Something seemed wrong with that system. This wasn't the time to ask about it as she still heard more footsteps. Restless and angry, the feeling of danger continued to grow. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. Striking it with her bokken only caused cracks to form in the weapon. Ai quickly switched to the naginata. It was wooden like the bokken and probably just as durable.

From the living room, there was a staircase leading to the second floor, a doorway to the kitchen, and an open door to a study. Ai played enough games to know that she should search everything closely. She entered the study and shut the door. That wasn't good enough so she stuck a chair against it to keep the gaki out. The redhead checked the desk for clues, but nothing leaped out at her. All she found was a perfectly ordinary ledger. It was also decayed with bits sliced out from a monster's claws.

"Isn't there anything valuable here?" Ai asked herself.

[This place is a recreation of the original home that resided on the property. Anything you find here is a recreation.] The voice explained apologetically.

"No, no, I'm not upset at you. I'm annoyed at myself for expecting it all to conform to video game logic," AI hastily assured her Gear. "I didn't level up yet either…I guess two gaki weren't enough XP…"

[Accumulated XP is awarded at the end or in a safe zone. This is not a safe zone.] The voice said.

"Right because all that stands between me and them is a wooden door…" Ai said before swallowing heavily.

She could hear them just beyond the flimsy barrier. Their laughter and jeers were profoundly unsettling. Listening to them try to remain quiet like a bunch of naughty children infuriated her. They weren't taking this seriously. Ai refreshed her buffs while carefully pulling the chair away from the door. The redhead was only going to get one chance at this. Her anger ignited as she gathered the Light in her fist. Sweat stood out from her forehead as she continued to feed magic to the Light. An audible hum emanated from the violently shining ball of radiance.

With a fierce shout, she drove her fist forward and released the Light. An eruption of magic ripped outward in a destructive cone, blasting the door to pieces, and sending the massed gaki flying. Ai activated Dash before the remaining monsters recovered. The naginata lashed out left, right, and forward as she laid the beasties low. It didn't take long to vanquish the remaining enemies. As the last one turned to ash, more pings alerted her to another new Skill.

[New Skill Gained!]
Shotgun Blast lvl 1
Type: Attack
Effect: Unleashes a cone of Light in a thirty foot burst. Damage is equal to Magic + Skill lvl
MP: 16

Ai winced. That wasn't a cheap Skill at all. Her passive MP regen was equal to her Willpower every 3 minutes. She could go from zero MP to full in over an hour. Suboptimal when her spells were basically carrying the fight. Gaki would be the very definition of a trash mob in most games. They had low health, pitiful loot, and attacked in groups. Which made the fact Ai was having trouble with them even more worrisome.

The rest of the first floor was empty aside from some utensils in the kitchen. Ai picked up a butcher knife just in case. Of all the things in the kitchen, it was the only one not rusted. She tested the edge with a sheet of paper and was reasonably satisfied. Thieves gained Small Weapons proficiency automatically so why not use that? She grabbed a few more knives for throwing. These were rusty and nasty-looking things. Perfect as expendable tools.

"Basement or upstairs…Upstairs," Ai decided. She would have to tackle the basement eventually, but eventually was not right now.

She almost got to visit the basement sooner than intended. The third step broke beneath her feet which almost sent Ai plummeting. Ai managed to catch herself on the railing, but the naginata vanished into the gloom. That was the second weapon lost in less than two hours. After a series of contortions, she levered herself out of the hole. Yellow eyes narrowed with determination as she leaped for the second floor, bypassing the remaining steps entirely, and coming to rest in a fighter's crouch with a butcher knife in hand…

…except there was nothing to greet her.

A thorough search of the upstairs and attic didn't yield anything except confusion. The rooms were bland as expected of a generic recreation. She found some letters and personal effects hinting at an ordinary if rather bland, family living here. Something about all of this was making her twitch. Focusing on Sixth Sense didn't help. There was just so much background 'noise' that the supernatural sense was confused.

"Would this count as a safe zone?" Ai asked her Gear.

[There are no enemies detected. Erecting a Safe Zone now.] The voice said.

"Why do you need to wait to make one?" Ai inquired curiously.

[The initial creation is somewhat unstable. Hostile auras can interfere with the creation. However, once the zone is erected, it can keep out threats equal to ten levels above you.] The voice explained.

"Great. Now let's see what I got from this…" Ai said with a grin. When the Level Up chime sounded she elected to continue through Exorcist.

[Level Up + 4]
HP + 36
MP + 36
Str + 12
Agi + 12
Magic + 8
Willpower + 16

Perception + 3
Sixth Sense + 6
Dash + 1
Kendo + 1

Ai glanced through the Skills available from her Class. Right now it just made more sense to lean more on the Thief side of things. However, she did select something good from the Exorcist list.

[Class Skills Attained]
Sneak Attack
Type: Attack
Effect: Deal bonus damage to an incapacitated or unaware foe. Adds a percentage equal to Agility + Mind

Shadow Step
Type: Support
Effect: This makes the user harder to spot in the dark. Adds: Translucent. Increases the effectiveness of Stealth by a percentage equal to Magic.

Eye for Quality (Lesser)
Type: Support
Effect: Allows the user to discern notable traits of an object. Increases the effectiveness of Appraise by a percentage equal to Magic. It can be used to identify lesser magical items.
MP: 15

Sacred Light
Type: Support
Effect: Weakens vile magic and curses by a percentage equal to Magic.
MP: 20

"Last place to go is the basement," Ai said to herself.

Basements in a horror movie were some of the most terrifying places. Who knew what could be down there? Getting back down to the first floor was a bit tricky because of the broken stairs. That was when Ai noticed there was a sloping roof portion just outside of the master bedroom. The window opened after some fiddling and an application of Vital Boost. She actually thanked genetics for making her so slender as the girl slithered through the opening. It was much easier to just slide down the roof and hop off to the ground below. The feeling of danger dropped off sharply.

[You are at the edge of the dungeon. Do you wish to exit? Yes or No]

"I'm down to a butcher knife…" She grimaced. "What happens if I exit?""

[The dungeon will reset.]

"It won't disappear, but I'll have to kill the gaki again. Maybe I'll just take a break," Ai decided reluctantly.

She checked the perimeter of the house, something that should've been done first, just in case. There didn't seem to be anything beyond overgrown weeds and partially decayed patio furniture in the back. The redhead mentally scoffed at herself. What did she expect to find? Is some hidden loot cache just waiting for a plucky young adventurer to find? Of course, life decided to throw her a bone in the most disrespectful way possible. Her foot got caught on a partially hidden metal case causing Ai to fall flat on her face. The little red '3' that popped up did not improve her mood.

"Ow," her voice came out muffled from the grass.

On closer inspection, it looked to be a case for transporting long objects. She used Eye for Quality to discern that it belonged to a group of Exorcists left there almost a decade ago. It would only open for someone with a Light attribute. The inside looked bigger than the outside. Ai saw two black hilts without blades and two futuristic-looking guns. There were over a dozen vials of holy water and Bibles of all things. The part Ai had the most trouble with was the bodysuits.

"Why do they look like gimp suits without the hoods?" Ai noted with confusion. Then her eyebrows raised as she took in their stats. "Why is their armor value so good?"

The Reinforced Uniform wasn't showing tears yet. Apparently, as long as it had durability it wouldn't tear. That didn't mean she wanted to test the limits. She switched out her gear for the new stuff. Well, new-ish stuff as none of this stuff was exactly in perfect repair. Years without proper maintenance would do that.

[Loot Received!]
2 x Exorcist Uniforms
2 x Light Sabers
2 x Light Guns

Exorcist Uniform - This is the holy armor worn by the Church's top Exorcists! A bit damaged from not being maintained properly, but still quite serviceable.
Defense: Slash/Pierce/Bludgeon 10
Special: Resist Evil -20% from Evil Magic/Powers
Durability: 50/50

Light Saber - The only thing the Church fears more than heathens is Disney lawyers hence why it's two words instead of one. These are the primary weapon of Exorcists. Mass-produced using artificial Light crystals.
Attack: Slash/Pierce 10
Special: Requires Light to activate.
Durability: 75/75

Light Gun - Designed using a similar principle to the Light Saber, but in a ranged form. Standard issue for the Church's Exorcists. Mass-produced using artificial Light crystals.
Attack: Pierce + 10
Special: Requires Light to activate
Durability: 75/75

Ai never used a gun before and this was not the time to experiment. The Light Saber was, well, light in her hand. She took a few minutes to familiarize herself with the weapon. Her HP and MP needed more time to recover anyway. Exorcists were automatically proficient with Light Sabers and Light Pistols, but try telling her muscle memory that. The redhead was instinctively compensating for the weight of a bokken. By the time her MP was full, she was no longer worried about severing her own leg.

Once more back into the house and she felt better about her chances. The new gear was leaps and bounds above her old stuff. That didn't mean she felt reckless, but Ai didn't feel quite so afraid now. That lasted right up until she opened the basement door and instantly gained a Level in Sixth Sense from a wave of malignant intent. She almost turned right around and left, but another thought intruded. How many children have gone missing in this park over the years? Clearly enough that a whole local legend started up.

"Time to screw my courage to the sticking place…" Ai muttered. Her quaking knees didn't help matters.

[Skill Attained!]
Iron Will lvl 1
Effect: Resists mind-affecting abilities and effects. The effectiveness of Iron Will is a percentage of Willpower + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add 10% to the effectiveness)

She immediately pumped 4 MP into Iron Will. The fact the Skill was leveling up while standing there was weirdly impressive and alarming. At the base of the stairs was a nearly impenetrable blackness. However, the Light Saber's radiance chased back the shadows. Ai crept down the stairs cautiously while watching for anything that might be under the basement steps. Despite all of her caution, nothing happened. Perplexed, the redhead reached the basement floor unmolested. She could see where her naginata fell amidst a pile of debris. The light weapon continued to drive back the darkness as she slowly turned around. That was when her eyes rested on something unusual.

"Why is there a pit in the floor…?" Ai mused.

The feeling of malevolence increased sharply. She stumbled back as the pressure nearly drove the girl to her knees. From the pit, the sound of something scrabbling on stone could be heard. Ai tried to break for the stairs, but her feet refused to move. The thing continued its ascent from the stygian blackness. Sweat poured down her back as she just couldn't look away. That was when a hand gripped the edge. It was bone white from cold and clammy. Another hand joined the first as the monstrous entity pulled itself from the pit. Long, stringy black hair covered her face. The strange girl wore a tattered white dress.

"Oh no…" She breathed. A Kyōkotsu. The inspiration for the movie The Ring.

Ai tried throwing holy water at it, but the monster looked offended. The redhead blushed in embarrassment. Of course that wouldn't work! Water was one of her attributes! The Kyōkotsu took another menacing step in her direction yet seemed to recoil slightly. Ai held up the Light Saber and watched as the sinister being hissed with anger. Her fear dwindled as it soon became apparent this wasn't a powerful monster.

"Let me get this straight…The only ones you can menace are children? I mean, look at you! You're pathetic! You can't even get close to me because of a little light!" Ai yelled as she brandished the Light Saber angrily.

The angry monster girl replied by throwing a ball of condensed frigid moisture. Ai slashed it out of the air with a furious gleam in her eyes. She didn't seem to notice as the creature flinched back from her. Ai used Dash to get into her guard and slashed downward with full force. The Kyōkotsu fell back with a wail of pain as her torso was opened diagonally.

"You're afraid!? You're in pain!? How do you think those children felt! You don't get to feel sorry for yourself!" Ai yelled. Anger was in the driver's seat as she continually slashed at the monstrous being. No technique, no restraint, her outrage combined with all the fear she felt.

The Kyōkotsu almost seemed relieved when her body finally gave out.

Ai only came back to her senses when the Light Saber struck the lip of the pit. It felt like she just couldn't get enough air. Her chest heaved as she tried to breathe. The lingering traces of panic and righteous anger drained out of her in stages. She glanced down into the pit with blearly eyes to behold a strange sight. There at the bottom was a swirling sphere of purple and green energy. It made her sick just looking at it.

"W-what is that…" Ai asked shakily.

[That is the Core of the Distortion. All you need to do is unleash your Light on it and I can do the rest.] The voice assured her.

The distance was greater than thirty feet so Shotgun Blast wouldn't reach. Ai just kept using Light Bullet until the sphere shattered into crystal fragments. Her Gear seemed to reach out with its own glow to draw the fragments into itself.

[Success! You have just received 20 Ethereal Shards. The Core has been destroyed and the creatures will never return. This distortion will collapse as soon as you exit so perhaps you should wear your school uniform?] The voice suggested.

"Good idea…Uh, now what can these Shards do?" Ai asked after switching her loadout.

[Since I'm unable to provide you with a mystical shop like in RPGs we have to do something different. Over the years I have had many wielders. Each one was talented in some fashion or possessed intriguing treasures. I can use the Shards to replicate their Skills, Powers, and even treasures!] The voice enthused.

That was much better than what she expected. Her Sacred Gear could do so much! This did incentivize exploration, but she was already doing that to grow stronger. She didn't want to be helpless before another powerful being again. Ai clenched her fists with determination. The redhead tossed her hair back and strode out of the dungeon.

It was late and she had school in the morning.

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Name: Ai Shiranui
Age: 17
Level: 6 (5 Exorcist, 1 Thief)
Race: [Full Racial Details Unlocked]
Human (Fallen Angel Ancestry) - At some point in your family's history an ancestor coupled with a Fallen Angel. This isn't the rarest thing to happen given that most Fallen do due to Sin. However, it is an uncommon bloodline.
- Bloodline Strength: Weak
- Benefits: Magic/Willpower + 2
- Element: Light (Minor)
- Vulnerability: Dark (Minor)
Class: Exorcist - This class is a hybrid of Fighter and Thief. The Exorcist is the offensive arm of the Church. Their mastery of swords and firearms allows them to even the odds. This Class utilizes Light for personal enhancement.
Stat Growth: Str/Vit + 3 Willpower + 2
HP + 9
MP + 9
Sacred Gear: Ludus Crepusculi - This is a rather peculiar Sacred Gear as it continually evolves with the times. Often this takes the form of the most popular, prolific, or mixture of games in the world. It takes a form that is most comfortable for the user to understand. As far as rankings go this isn't a Longinus Class Sacred Gear. In fact aside from being rare, this isn't even a High Tier. Except something happened. Something rather profound has shifted in humanity's Collective Subconscious…

HP: 142/142
MP: 592/592

Ability Scores
Strength: 16
Agility: 19
Vitality: 4
Mind: 16
Magic: 20
Willpower: 6

Class Skills
Flee!
Type: Support
Effect: Triples Speed and Evasion when escaping.
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

Accumulate
Type: Support
Effect: +25% Damage
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

Vital Boost
Type: Support
Effects: Raise Str/Agi/Vit + 2
Duration: 1 Min per point of Willpower
MP: 4

Sneak Attack
Type: Attack
Effect: Deal bonus damage to an incapacitated or unaware foe. Adds a percentage equal to Agility + Mind

Shadow Step
Type: Support
Effect: This makes the user harder to spot in the dark. Adds: Translucent. Increases the effectiveness of Stealth by a percentage equal to Magic.

Eye for Quality (Lesser)
Type: Support
Effect: Allows the user to discern notable traits of an object. Increases the effectiveness of Appraise by a percentage equal to Magic. Can be used to identify lesser magical items.
MP: 15

Sacred Light
Type: Support
Effect: Weakens vile magic and curses by a percentage equal to Magic.
MP: 20

General Skills
Academics lvl 12
Effect: This is how well you study, retain, and recall information related to basic subjects. Percentage chance to remember obscure information is a percentage equal to Mind + Skill lvl 1
MP: 0 (MP:4 to add 10% to the effectiveness )

Acrobatics lvl 6
Effect: This covers tumbling, balance, and evasion. The effectiveness of acrobatics maneuvers is increased by a percentage equal to Agility + Skill lvl.
MP: 0 (MP:4 to add 10% to the effectiveness )

Crafting lvl 3
Effect: This covers several forms of crafting such as cooking, sewing, etc. The effectiveness of crafting is a percentage equal to Mind + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP:4 to add 10% to the effectiveness )

Damage Resistance
Type: Support
Effect: Reduces physical damage taken by a percentage equal to Vitality/2
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to increase the percentage by 10%)

Haggling lvl 16
Effect: This is the true Art of the Deal. Covers bargaining for lower prices on goods and services as well as higher returns on sales. The effectiveness of haggling is a percentage equal Mind + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add %10 to the effectiveness)

Home Economics lvl 14
Effect: This is a catch-all skill for budgeting,.cooking, sewing, millinery, laundering, home decoration, home sanitation, home hygiene, and home nursing. The effectiveness of home economics is a percentage equal to Mind + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add %10 to the effectiveness)
Note: Half of the percentage chance stacks with Crafting where applicable.

Iron Will lvl 11
Effect: Resists mind-affecting abilities and effects. The effectiveness of Iron Will is a percentage of Willpower + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add 10% to the effectiveness)

Perception lvl 5
Effect: Essentially how well you notice fine details using your five main senses. The effectiveness of perception is a percentage equal to Mind + Skill lvl
MP: 0 (MP:4 to add 10% to the effectiveness )

Sixth Sense lvl 7
Effect: This doesn't grant Sixth Sense but instead measures your ability to utilize what is already there. All creatures possess some form of spiritual awareness. The effectiveness of Sixth Sense is a percentage equal to Magic + Skill lvl.
MP: 0 (MP: 4 to add 10% to the effectiveness)

Combat Skills
Dash lvl 2
Type: Support
Effect: Enables short-range bursts of speed. Triples the user's Speed over a short distance. Distance is equal to Str + Skill lvl ft
MP: 10

Kendo lvl 5
Effect: It would be more accurate to call this a sport style, but still effective. This serves as a branching off point for more complex forms. Requires: Bokken, Katana, Bo, Yari, Naginata, Unarmed
- Attack Speed +30% + 1% per level
- Attack Damage +10% + 1% per level
- Evasion + 10% + 1% per level

Powers
Heal lvl 1
Type: Recovery
Effect: Restores a number of HP equal to Magic + Skill lvl
MP: 6

Light Bullet lvl 1
Type: Attack
Effect: Fires a single bullet of Light. Damage is equal to Magic + Skill lvl
MP: 9

Shotgun Blast lvl 1
Type: Attack
Effect: Unleashes a cone of Light in a thirty foot burst. Damage is equal to Magic + Skill lvl
MP: 16

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future. Don't forget to vote on the Monthly Poll!

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:

Fans
Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06
james020106
kalebmj13
iwrdehart
drakeshade35
jonaspfisterer10
rayshawn611
smittym115
josematos977
jrschafe13
www.ant.anton
minidrshock
ishy391
romanem242
jordangadberry2008
elijah.sims3440
joeysmith0065
dwaynecpkr
allakazzam99
luknalepa
whseuberling
dragon9157
mike439

Special Friends
titanicwargod
bjoebubba
oleksiy1132

Fanatics
connorstratman


Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.
Please support my GoFundMe to help pay off my back rent and keep a roof over my head.