DAWinz
The Mad Villain
It could be a SI/OC, or maybe have another protagonist instead of Greg when the cross-dimensional warrior appears and takes a apprentice.
Greg Veder vs The World (Worm x The Gamer)
- Thread starter ZFighter18
- Start date
- Crossover
-
- Tags
- worm greg veder gamer (litrpg)
- Location
- Море песка, солнце огня и множество злых сарацин
...um, I hadn't actually read Rise of Titan yet (never got around to it), but wouldn't this, like, be a completely different story?
I'm not sure I would even try to read a remake of RoT that didn't have Greg as a protagonist if it wasn't several kinds of awesome and/or not at all dark (preferably both).
DAWinz
The Mad Villain
Greg wasn't the protaganist at first, Evron was. Evron just took a liking to Greg.
ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
Actually, Greg alway was going to be the protagonist. Evron was more like a faciliator, a mentor at best.
- Location
- Море песка, солнце огня и множество злых сарацин
...wait, was Evron a SI? In this case, I guess I might be interested in a remake that doesn't focus on Greg...
...though I'd prefer it to be non-dark either way.
- Location
- Somewhere I shouldn't be
But...but mah grimderp?
How will we finish our collection of skull legos and angst?
DAWinz
The Mad Villain
Ah makes sense.
Evron is from a Original setting by Zwarrior. He's a OC not a SI.
- Location
- Море песка, солнце огня и множество злых сарацин
I don't have a problem with grimderp as such. It's grimdark, the middle option, that I have problems with - possibly because it's too similar to the bad parts of real life.
Unfortunately, it's very hard to make a Worm fic (or nearly any non-WH40k fic) truly grimderp without coincidentally also making it crack, and your typical "this is Worm, baby" isn't quite grimderp enough.
(That said, Exponential Growth, some of Cambrian's stories, the early Really Bad End before Amy got killed off, and maybe Dominion, did manage to get that far.)
Mob 5.8
ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
I'd like to thank all those who pledged to me on the site known as Patreon.
Jack, Roman Krupkin, Agamnon Solarion, Weise, yosef vicars, Alec, Spooky Bones, Christian Schroter, Agamnon Solarion, Weise, yosef vicars, Yobthog, Zach Collins, Ryan, Lazysailor, Lyte, Binary Giant, e-addict, Erik Mickiewicz, James Carl Henderson, Liam O' Neil, Mathieu Martineau, Sackthanaban Kounlavong, Cedron Spaulding, Silver W. King, TM, Chris, zdront, Door, NexusClown, Brandon Dayne Baugh, AntaeusTheGiant, Mira, Jacek Blonski, Sartek, ALEX, and Benjamin Helkey. And of course, I can't go without mentioning Segev, who does a great job of Beta as well.
Thanks to my other Betas. Kenmadragon, Dasstan, and the Fanciest of Molasses. Seriously, I appreciate all of you guys for your help and I want to make sure you know that.
Mob 5.8
April 18, 2011
12:23 PM
A figure sat atop one of the newer buildings in Brockton Bay's downtown area, feet dangling over the edge of the rooftop as they kicked the air. Dressed in all black with a splash of red around his neck acting to break up the singular color scheme, his appearance as a cape told a story about his affiliations that many in the Bay would quickly latch onto.
For better or worse.
Regardless, as the rain fell on Greg Veder, he couldn't bring himself to care much about how he might have appeared to any onlookers, not that there were any around. The blond simply sat where he was, overlooking the empty streets below as droplets of water peppered his body, the drizzle more of an annoyance than any actual problem Greg felt like rectifying.
He hadn't even given it a thought in the first place, simply at peace with having something to wear other than what ragged strips remained of his pants from the day before. Really, it wasn't like he had much choice when it came to what he was wearing at all. The costume he had on right now, as well as the black balaclava he used to cover the parts of his face that the skull mask didn't, all came from his inventory and despite everything else Greg had made sure to stock up on, clothing was something he had not thought much about.
Well, apart from accessories for his costume.
Dressing up in the costume that PHO had termed 'Hardkour' would not have been his first option but it's not like he had a great many others to choose from. At the very least, it kept him warm. Although, on further reflection, that might have not much to do as much with the clothes as he thought. (Resistance: Cold + 2)
Regardless of the actual reasons, he was finally both clothed and clean, the latter mainly being achieved by his willingness to sneak into the building he currently sat atop, the city's newest rec center/library that thankfully came equipped with hot showers.
No soap or shampoo, of course, but you couldn't have everything.
Breaking into the recreational center hadn't been his first choice but after engaging in several fights covered in filth along with his own dried blood and remaining entrails, Greg felt that a change was in order. All that had led him to where he was now, sitting atop said aforementioned rec center in the rain with a beat-up old flip phone in hand, mouth area of the balaclava pulled down as he spoke into the device.
"I don't know what to tell you, man…" His voice was as calm as it had been the last time he had called this number, each word was spoken with as little intonation as the one before it. "I went down to the neighborhoods you texted me. Most of them were total duds… I mean, I didn't see anything weird around but that could have just been me."
"..."
"Anyway, for the last two, I spotted a couple suspicious looking places. First was a dud too, but for the last one, I snuck in, found some ABB, fought pretty much all of them and then asked them some questions." (Sneaking + 3, Disarm + 2, Parry + 1, Reflexes + 1, Resistance: Blunt Force + 1, Aerokinesis + 2, Resistance: Piercing + 1, Resistance: Slashing +2, Resistance: Electricity + 2, Beginner Combat + 3)
"...!"
"Sp-" He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again as his friend continued speaking.
"..."
"Sparky… it was nothing. A few bruises here and there. At worst, a missing tooth or a black eye." One thing Greg could appreciate about Gamer's Mind was that it seemed to calm everything down. From his heart rate to his blinking and all the way down to his speech, there was a sense of purpose to everything he did and said. Something like that took all the stress and worry out of telling a lie… no matter how big. "No broken bones or anything like that."
"...?"
"... A missing tooth isn't that serious. 'sides, no one was hurt too bad, anyway." (New Ability Gained: Intimidation, Intimidation + 1, +1 STR, +1 CHA)
Really, it was better that Sparky not know what actually happened, considering his tendency to overreact and fall into a rant. "Everything went as good as you would expect. Both were duds, though."
"...?"
"They didn't know anything important," Greg replied, pausing for a moment to stare up at the cloud-covered sky. The blond rolled his eyes, the action almost invisible behind the dark tint of the goggles. "Of course I used Observe on them. I'm not brain-dead." (Observe + 2)
"...!"
"...Funny," the blond replied as the voice on the other end finished speaking. "Listen, Sparks, I ran all over the Downtown Coast this morning looking for ABB (+1 SPD, + 3 Acrobatics, + 2 Aerokinesis)," Greg continued speaking, voice still level. "I would have checked the Docks South but that's on the other side of town. Just give me what you can find for down here."
"..."
"... Just… Okay. Just give me what you can. I know it's not easy but whatever you can find… I'll take it." From what he knew, Sparky had been scouring for clues on PHO and several local crime watch websites, hunting for any locations or areas in the city where ABB presence was high. News of the bombing being ABB-related had managed to get out overnight, likely due to the public noting how ABB territory was free from the attacks. Right now, the whole city was lit up with reports. Knowing where ABB territory was wouldn't get him anywhere, either, because that still made up a good quarter of the city. He didn't have the time or means to comb such a massive area.
There was another silence, Greg nodding his head for a second or two. "Thanks, man."
He hung up the phone, dropping the brick of a device into one of his chest pockets without paying much attention to it, his attention still focused on the city in front of him. As empty as the streets were this Tuesday morning, apart from the occasional distant explosion or the fading whines of multiple emergency sirens, one could be at fault for thinking Brockton deserted.
Unfortunately for Greg, that also applied to any visible criminal activity.
The ABB, in particular.
No, that he couldn't get anywhere.
At least not on his own.
The next step on his mind was making a call. That required acquiring a new phone, or at the very least, a functioning one. Considering that it had been a little after three in the morning and less than 10 hours after the city had been subject to a mass bombing, buying anything wouldn't have been an option.
So, Greg turned to the only other available choice.
Part of him had to wonder when he had become so blase that rifling through the pockets of a dead person for their usable items barely made him flinch. The other part of him had quickly shut that part up with the reminder that he'd been hauling around a headless corpse for the better part of a month now. A third part of him idly noted that he really should take care of that thing sooner or later.
Greg shook his head, letting out a frustrated sigh as his mind began to wander again. I seriously need a plan. The blond's eyes tracked over the smoke-filled skyline simply out of boredom, the expression under his mask almost completely flat. I've done nothing but… His hands tightened in his pockets. Nothing but waste time with stupid, low-level grunts.
A few moments later, he winced, eyes shutting as a faint sound hit his ears, followed by another one… and then a third before finally petering out, the noises incredibly familiar even despite their distance from him. Another one.
In seconds, another plume of smoke began to rise into the sky in the distance, darkening the already gray sky just a bit more. Another set of bombs going off somewhere in the city and he couldn't do anything to stop them. Greg set his jaw, his eyes oddly cold behind his mask as he glanced back out over Brockton's nearly empty streets.
I can't just keep going at it like this, he continued, mind elsewhere as he returned to his previous line of thought. Sparky is helping me out right now, trying to find where they are, but even then...
The ABB needs to go down. All of them.
Especially Oni Lee. The warmth in his chest burned cold under the influence of Gamer's Mind and Greg wouldn't have had it any other way. Focused anger was better than the uncontrolled stuff, when it really came down to it.
He rose, pulling himself up to a sitting position with nothing more than a flexing of his leg muscles as they remained flush against the top of the wall. This just isn't gonna work.
It really wasn't.
Greg knew that there was still far too much of the ABB for him to take down the way he was. It wasn't impossible, though. It couldn't be, after all.
None of his quests were impossible.
That didn't mean they weren't hard as hell, though. The blond spat over the edge, tasting the remnants of congealed blood once again as the red-tinted loogie hurtled down. The mission was simple by definition; Take down the Azn Bad Boys.
It was also extremely vague, by any definition of the word. What did such a thing even entail? HIt was also something that Greg had mused over for far too long before seeking assistance.
The two quests that came after that one, thanks to information that Sparky provided, helped clarify what the first one needed from him.
Still, it left far too much open for him to consider it simple.
He couldn't take down a criminal empire with simple fisticuffs and Greg wasn't stupid enough to assume he could. If he wanted to get anywhere at all, he needed a plan.
Desperately.
Greg Veder blinked slowly, glancing down at his breast pocket in slight confusion.
Blue eyes widened slightly as he realized what it was, the vibration snapping Greg out from his thoughts and the increasingly over-complicated plans therein. Before the phone could buzz again, the blond pulled it out from his pocket and noting the familiar number on the back screen, flipped the device open and opened the new set of text messages he just received.
Seconds after reading the series of messages Sparky sent, a slight frown formed on his face, the blond slightly annoyed with what he just read. After a moment, the frown faded to be replaced with a flat stare as Greg let out a sigh, pulling himself to a standing position on the very edge of the rooftop. "Docks South, here I come."
Docks South
16 Miles West of Winslow High
1:17 PM
Squatting on the edge of another rooftop wasn't where he'd envisioned himself roughly an hour later, Greg Veder passively noted, the slightest of frowns on his face. No, based on what he had been looking forward to, he had assumed that whatever he'd be doing at this point in time would be a lot more… physical.
Instead, he held still in an awkward pose, knees just below his chin, doing nothing but casting long glances around himself.
Just waiting.
Things were quiet, the blond could say that much. The neighborhood was almost too calm considering what had been going on for hours in the rest of the city. Even as he continued his watch, searching for clues, the streets directly below him remained quiet and empty, free of everything but parked cars, litter and growing puddles of rainwater.
For the last twenty-two minutes, nothing had happened to draw his attention. No one frequented the sidewalks of this area, half the buildings consisting of run-down condos and the other half nothing more than old office buildings.
Most of which were in desperate need of an owner.
Greg couldn't bring himself to care about the dilapidated state of the buildings though, his mind too focused on the growing frustration he could feel at not being able to actually find what he came down here for. Ten more minutes, he thought to himself. Ten more minutes on lookout and I'm checking out the next address.
In all honesty, Greg doubted if he could bring himself to be patient for even half of that. After all, why waste time waiting in a clean neighborhood when he could go somewhere else crawling with ABB? In fact…
Why am I even waiting in the first place? Greg thought, rising to his feet with a look of annoyance behind his mask. The blond pulled out his borrowed phone to glance at the time, frown only increasing as he noted it. 1:35? He grunted at that, the sound barely audible. Definitely wasted too much time here.
He turned to leave, already stepping off the edge and onto the graveled surface that covered the majority of the rooftop when he heard it.
The sound of an engine as it drew ever closer.
The blond stepped back onto the edge and dropped into another squat to prevent himself from being spotted before looking down below, eyes narrowing as a gray sedan with peeling paint came to a halt at the end of the street. Dried blood fell from his gloves in flakes as Greg clenched his fists, attention focused on the car as it came to a hard stop in front of a series of abandoned storefronts, parking behind a derelict car.
His eyes narrowed further, almost into slits, as four men of distinctly Asian descent stepped out of the worn vehicle, all of them with a single metal briefcase in each hand. Fists clenched even tighter as Greg thought to himself, I wonder what those could be.
Four heads turned from side to side, anxiously scanning both ends of the street for possible onlookers. None of them taking the opportunity to look up, they quickly began to scurry over to the building just a little further down from where they parked, a two-story office building just as run-down as many of the others on this same block.
Blue eyes locked onto the back of the biggest one in a sweat-stained wife beater, his skin also much darker than that the other three. Observe.
or behind them, his eyes never leaving the building as Greg began to make his move. Let's do this.
Entering the building was easy, really.
Skittering over the side of the building like one of those old comic-book characters from the 90s was trivial as his Surface Adhesion took away any real effort it would normally take to scale the building. Forcing open a window on the upper floor, though?
That was a bit trickier to do without drawing attention. Still, compared to what he had to do next, it was pretty simple.
Greg crawled over the edge of the window, careful not to make any noise as he lifted his lower half over the windowsill and let himself drop to all fours on the ground. Pulling himself back into a standing position, the blond took a moment to glance around the room and could only frown as he took in the damp darkness of what was likely once a private office.
The smell of mold was almost overpowering, the peeling paint on the wail and fallen foam ceiling tiles giving the room even more of a decrepit feel. For a moment, Greg turned his face away, raising his arm to block his nose from the raw stench of it. The blond fought the urge to gag, shutting his mouth instead as he grit his teeth and held his breath. As if I didn't already need a reason to hate this place.
He could hear them below his feet, several voices. Far more than four, he could tell that much, almost trying to talk over one another. He couldn't help but wonder how they could talk to each other, let alone breathe, in this crapsack of a building without hazmat suits.
At the very least, the other building he had invited himself into — at least, the one that actually had any significant ABB presence — had been nothing like this, the ABB actually bothering to keep that safehouse livable, if still disgustingly trash-laden. Whatever the difference was with this building, Greg didn't know and frankly, he couldn't bring himself to care. Not like I'm gonna be here long, anyway. Shaking his head, Greg stepped around the old-looking metal office desk, the build-up of rust and grime on the thing serving as a signifier to how truly ancient it was.
Rather than dwell on any of that, though, Greg continued to creep forward, walking on his heels as he carefully made his way to the dilapidated, water-damaged relic of a door. Carefully twisting the corroded iron doorknob, the blond fought the urge to wince at the loud, screeching groan the hinges made as the door creaked open.
He held his position, waiting for a small army of ABB gangsters to come rushing up to check out the strange noise… only to be surprised when nothing of the sort happened.
Realizing that they apparently hadn't, the blond gave a mental shrug and proceeded out into the hallway in a crouch. He glanced from side to side, frowning as he took in more of his environment, his survey assisted by the sunlight coming from a window at the far end of the hallway and a single solitary light bulb flickering weakly in the middle of the corridor. The hallway was in nearly as bad a state as the private office, the ceiling tiles hanging loose and openly gaping in several areas to expose the building's damp insulation. The walls were in similar shape, massive holes in the drywall, unpainted swaths of wall and white dust coating various surfaces, including the old dark carpeting that lined the floor.
Greg shook his head again, tilting his head to the side as he continued carefully creeping forwards, each step adding another slight creak to the constant din of the office itself. Fu- The blond shook his head and kept moving, not wanting to waste any time complaining about something he couldn't fix anyway.
Even with his best efforts at moving quietly, he was bound to make some sort of noise and with the office floors constantly creaking even with the carpet, he had no other choice but to continue on his current path as he stealthed towards the stairs. As he got closer and closer, he could hear the voices far more clearly, now able to make out individual voices instead of a large mass talking at once. They mainly spoke English, interspersed with snatches of a few other ethnic languages Greg did not understand, each one of their voices bearing various level of accent; enough to leave Greg confused as to what they were actually saying.
At best, Greg thought he could make out almost five or six different voices speaking in hurried tones over the same topic with several others chiming in every few seconds or so with something that Greg couldn't really make out.
So, he began, already going over what information he could understand, expression a stony grimace behind his skull mask and balaclava, I'm up against… anywhere between… His frown deepened for a moment as he gave the matter some thought, Anywhere between five to ten different guys. Best scenario, only half of them have any weapons. At worst, all of them have guns.
The blond let out a quiet sigh, the sound barely audible to his own ears over the noise from below. Most likely case, at least two of them have guns, a couple more will have a pipe or a bat and all of them have pocket knifes. Maybe an axe or two, like in Aleph kung-fu movies. His fists tightened at his sides, Greg relaxing his fingers before repeating the action several times more, his frown growing.
After a long moment, Greg's face returned to a blank expression as he glanced over at the banister. So, like before… move fast, hit hard, and make sure at least one of th-
The thought died on his lips as a chill went down his back, something in the back of his mind screaming a warning. The blond's eyes widened and he suddenly pulled back, ducking to the side as he followed familiar instincts. Wha-
The blond spun on his heels with preternatural speed, twisting around the object that he could tell was aimed directly at his head, eyes widening at the sight of a rusted metal pipe as it passed by his head. Performing a perfect 180 in less than a second, Greg snapped his gaze up, blue eyes locking onto the shocked face of a man that looked the perfect picture of an ABB member, the tattoos on his bare chest marking his allegiance for all to see.
For a second, they locked eyes and the world seemed to freeze, neither of them moving as Greg's thoughts barrelled through his mind like a stampeding horde, taking into account several factors in an instant, including the fact that the shirtless gangster now stood directly between him and the path downstairs. It was almost a whole third of a second later before Greg finally settled on a single, yet deceptively simple, plan.
Take him down hard. Take him down fast. Take him down quietly.
Greg moved.
His first punch was wild and thoughtless, but undeniably fast. A gloved fist rushed out, smashing into the thug's unprotected jaw with a force just shy of bone-breaking. The man let out a gurgling scream for less than a second as he reeled back in pain, hands in the middle of rising to cradle his face as the pipe in his hands fell from his grasp.
One hand snatched the weapon out of the air at the same moment as Greg moved in to finish the job. His other hand snapped out in a fist, sinking into the stumbling criminal's rib cage before he could make any more noise, the action forcing the air out of the man's lungs in a forceful gasp. The tattooed thug's eyes widened as he doubled over, folding onto Greg's fist and leaving himself completely unprepared for the next strike as a length of pipe met his temple with all the force the teen could deliver in an instant.
The thug fell back, groaning loudly as blood spilled from the open gash on the side of his head. Unable to stop what he already put into action, Greg could only watch as the man sent back by his last blow didn't stop, unable to halt his own backwards motion.
There was complete silence as the shirtless ABB member landed at the foot of the stairs.
Complete and utter silence.
Greg chose to indulge in that for a moment, allowing himself a single thought. Okay. Two out of three, then. Stealth missions suck, anyway.
The blond chose that moment to follow the same path, vaulting over the banister to hit the floor in a classic superhero landing. Greg took the moment between landing and standing up to survey the room full of angry Asian men of various ethnicities staring at him with shocked and angry expressions, each and every single one of them armed with some type of weapon.
The blond also took that same moment to note that he had been wrong on his earlier estimate of people in the room. Wrong by just about half, I think, he mused, utterly too calm at this very moment.
Staring down the room full of about roughly twenty armed and angry hardened criminals, Greg Veder took a moment to nod calmly and roll his shoulders, the taunt already spilling out of his mouth before he could stop it. "Before we get to the fun stuff, show of hands… how many of you want to avoid an ass-kicking by just telling me what the deal is with the bombs? Anyone? You in the front?"
The thug in question, a scrawny man with wiry muscles and a penchant for gold chains, raised his hand.
It had a gun in it.
"Making me work for it, huh?" Greg allowed himself an eager smile behind his mask, the blond already pulling on the well of power that fueled his Reinforcement. "Even better."
Jack, Roman Krupkin, Agamnon Solarion, Weise, yosef vicars, Alec, Spooky Bones, Christian Schroter, Agamnon Solarion, Weise, yosef vicars, Yobthog, Zach Collins, Ryan, Lazysailor, Lyte, Binary Giant, e-addict, Erik Mickiewicz, James Carl Henderson, Liam O' Neil, Mathieu Martineau, Sackthanaban Kounlavong, Cedron Spaulding, Silver W. King, TM, Chris, zdront, Door, NexusClown, Brandon Dayne Baugh, AntaeusTheGiant, Mira, Jacek Blonski, Sartek, ALEX, and Benjamin Helkey. And of course, I can't go without mentioning Segev, who does a great job of Beta as well.
Thanks to my other Betas. Kenmadragon, Dasstan, and the Fanciest of Molasses. Seriously, I appreciate all of you guys for your help and I want to make sure you know that.
Mob 5.8
April 18, 2011
12:23 PM
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
A figure sat atop one of the newer buildings in Brockton Bay's downtown area, feet dangling over the edge of the rooftop as they kicked the air. Dressed in all black with a splash of red around his neck acting to break up the singular color scheme, his appearance as a cape told a story about his affiliations that many in the Bay would quickly latch onto.
For better or worse.
Regardless, as the rain fell on Greg Veder, he couldn't bring himself to care much about how he might have appeared to any onlookers, not that there were any around. The blond simply sat where he was, overlooking the empty streets below as droplets of water peppered his body, the drizzle more of an annoyance than any actual problem Greg felt like rectifying.
He hadn't even given it a thought in the first place, simply at peace with having something to wear other than what ragged strips remained of his pants from the day before. Really, it wasn't like he had much choice when it came to what he was wearing at all. The costume he had on right now, as well as the black balaclava he used to cover the parts of his face that the skull mask didn't, all came from his inventory and despite everything else Greg had made sure to stock up on, clothing was something he had not thought much about.
Well, apart from accessories for his costume.
Dressing up in the costume that PHO had termed 'Hardkour' would not have been his first option but it's not like he had a great many others to choose from. At the very least, it kept him warm. Although, on further reflection, that might have not much to do as much with the clothes as he thought. (Resistance: Cold + 2)
Regardless of the actual reasons, he was finally both clothed and clean, the latter mainly being achieved by his willingness to sneak into the building he currently sat atop, the city's newest rec center/library that thankfully came equipped with hot showers.
No soap or shampoo, of course, but you couldn't have everything.
Breaking into the recreational center hadn't been his first choice but after engaging in several fights covered in filth along with his own dried blood and remaining entrails, Greg felt that a change was in order. All that had led him to where he was now, sitting atop said aforementioned rec center in the rain with a beat-up old flip phone in hand, mouth area of the balaclava pulled down as he spoke into the device.
"I don't know what to tell you, man…" His voice was as calm as it had been the last time he had called this number, each word was spoken with as little intonation as the one before it. "I went down to the neighborhoods you texted me. Most of them were total duds… I mean, I didn't see anything weird around but that could have just been me."
"..."
"Anyway, for the last two, I spotted a couple suspicious looking places. First was a dud too, but for the last one, I snuck in, found some ABB, fought pretty much all of them and then asked them some questions." (Sneaking + 3, Disarm + 2, Parry + 1, Reflexes + 1, Resistance: Blunt Force + 1, Aerokinesis + 2, Resistance: Piercing + 1, Resistance: Slashing +2, Resistance: Electricity + 2, Beginner Combat + 3)
"...!"
"Sp-" He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again as his friend continued speaking.
"..."
"Sparky… it was nothing. A few bruises here and there. At worst, a missing tooth or a black eye." One thing Greg could appreciate about Gamer's Mind was that it seemed to calm everything down. From his heart rate to his blinking and all the way down to his speech, there was a sense of purpose to everything he did and said. Something like that took all the stress and worry out of telling a lie… no matter how big. "No broken bones or anything like that."
"...?"
"... A missing tooth isn't that serious. 'sides, no one was hurt too bad, anyway." (New Ability Gained: Intimidation, Intimidation + 1, +1 STR, +1 CHA)
Really, it was better that Sparky not know what actually happened, considering his tendency to overreact and fall into a rant. "Everything went as good as you would expect. Both were duds, though."
"...?"
"They didn't know anything important," Greg replied, pausing for a moment to stare up at the cloud-covered sky. The blond rolled his eyes, the action almost invisible behind the dark tint of the goggles. "Of course I used Observe on them. I'm not brain-dead." (Observe + 2)
"...!"
"...Funny," the blond replied as the voice on the other end finished speaking. "Listen, Sparks, I ran all over the Downtown Coast this morning looking for ABB (+1 SPD, + 3 Acrobatics, + 2 Aerokinesis)," Greg continued speaking, voice still level. "I would have checked the Docks South but that's on the other side of town. Just give me what you can find for down here."
"..."
"... Just… Okay. Just give me what you can. I know it's not easy but whatever you can find… I'll take it." From what he knew, Sparky had been scouring for clues on PHO and several local crime watch websites, hunting for any locations or areas in the city where ABB presence was high. News of the bombing being ABB-related had managed to get out overnight, likely due to the public noting how ABB territory was free from the attacks. Right now, the whole city was lit up with reports. Knowing where ABB territory was wouldn't get him anywhere, either, because that still made up a good quarter of the city. He didn't have the time or means to comb such a massive area.
There was another silence, Greg nodding his head for a second or two. "Thanks, man."
He hung up the phone, dropping the brick of a device into one of his chest pockets without paying much attention to it, his attention still focused on the city in front of him. As empty as the streets were this Tuesday morning, apart from the occasional distant explosion or the fading whines of multiple emergency sirens, one could be at fault for thinking Brockton deserted.
Unfortunately for Greg, that also applied to any visible criminal activity.
The ABB, in particular.
When he had first woken up on that rooftop early this morning, Greg had immediately set out on that vaguely-defined mission. After nearly three hours of running around the Commercial district in the dead of night, he was forced to admit to himself that he wasn't getting anywhere.
No, that he couldn't get anywhere.
At least not on his own.
The next step on his mind was making a call. That required acquiring a new phone, or at the very least, a functioning one. Considering that it had been a little after three in the morning and less than 10 hours after the city had been subject to a mass bombing, buying anything wouldn't have been an option.
So, Greg turned to the only other available choice.
Part of him had to wonder when he had become so blase that rifling through the pockets of a dead person for their usable items barely made him flinch. The other part of him had quickly shut that part up with the reminder that he'd been hauling around a headless corpse for the better part of a month now. A third part of him idly noted that he really should take care of that thing sooner or later.
Greg shook his head, letting out a frustrated sigh as his mind began to wander again. I seriously need a plan. The blond's eyes tracked over the smoke-filled skyline simply out of boredom, the expression under his mask almost completely flat. I've done nothing but… His hands tightened in his pockets. Nothing but waste time with stupid, low-level grunts.
A few moments later, he winced, eyes shutting as a faint sound hit his ears, followed by another one… and then a third before finally petering out, the noises incredibly familiar even despite their distance from him. Another one.
In seconds, another plume of smoke began to rise into the sky in the distance, darkening the already gray sky just a bit more. Another set of bombs going off somewhere in the city and he couldn't do anything to stop them. Greg set his jaw, his eyes oddly cold behind his mask as he glanced back out over Brockton's nearly empty streets.
I can't just keep going at it like this, he continued, mind elsewhere as he returned to his previous line of thought. Sparky is helping me out right now, trying to find where they are, but even then...
The ABB needs to go down. All of them.
Especially Oni Lee. The warmth in his chest burned cold under the influence of Gamer's Mind and Greg wouldn't have had it any other way. Focused anger was better than the uncontrolled stuff, when it really came down to it.
He rose, pulling himself up to a sitting position with nothing more than a flexing of his leg muscles as they remained flush against the top of the wall. This just isn't gonna work.
It really wasn't.
Greg knew that there was still far too much of the ABB for him to take down the way he was. It wasn't impossible, though. It couldn't be, after all.
None of his quests were impossible.
That didn't mean they weren't hard as hell, though. The blond spat over the edge, tasting the remnants of congealed blood once again as the red-tinted loogie hurtled down. The mission was simple by definition; Take down the Azn Bad Boys.
It was also extremely vague, by any definition of the word. What did such a thing even entail? HIt was also something that Greg had mused over for far too long before seeking assistance.
The two quests that came after that one, thanks to information that Sparky provided, helped clarify what the first one needed from him.
Still, it left far too much open for him to consider it simple.
He couldn't take down a criminal empire with simple fisticuffs and Greg wasn't stupid enough to assume he could. If he wanted to get anywhere at all, he needed a plan.
Desperately.
Bzzzt
Bzzzt
Bzzzt
Bzzzt
Bzzzt
Greg Veder blinked slowly, glancing down at his breast pocket in slight confusion.
Blue eyes widened slightly as he realized what it was, the vibration snapping Greg out from his thoughts and the increasingly over-complicated plans therein. Before the phone could buzz again, the blond pulled it out from his pocket and noting the familiar number on the back screen, flipped the device open and opened the new set of text messages he just received.
Seconds after reading the series of messages Sparky sent, a slight frown formed on his face, the blond slightly annoyed with what he just read. After a moment, the frown faded to be replaced with a flat stare as Greg let out a sigh, pulling himself to a standing position on the very edge of the rooftop. "Docks South, here I come."
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Docks South
16 Miles West of Winslow High
1:17 PM
Squatting on the edge of another rooftop wasn't where he'd envisioned himself roughly an hour later, Greg Veder passively noted, the slightest of frowns on his face. No, based on what he had been looking forward to, he had assumed that whatever he'd be doing at this point in time would be a lot more… physical.
Instead, he held still in an awkward pose, knees just below his chin, doing nothing but casting long glances around himself.
Just waiting.
Things were quiet, the blond could say that much. The neighborhood was almost too calm considering what had been going on for hours in the rest of the city. Even as he continued his watch, searching for clues, the streets directly below him remained quiet and empty, free of everything but parked cars, litter and growing puddles of rainwater.
For the last twenty-two minutes, nothing had happened to draw his attention. No one frequented the sidewalks of this area, half the buildings consisting of run-down condos and the other half nothing more than old office buildings.
Most of which were in desperate need of an owner.
Greg couldn't bring himself to care about the dilapidated state of the buildings though, his mind too focused on the growing frustration he could feel at not being able to actually find what he came down here for. Ten more minutes, he thought to himself. Ten more minutes on lookout and I'm checking out the next address.
In all honesty, Greg doubted if he could bring himself to be patient for even half of that. After all, why waste time waiting in a clean neighborhood when he could go somewhere else crawling with ABB? In fact…
Why am I even waiting in the first place? Greg thought, rising to his feet with a look of annoyance behind his mask. The blond pulled out his borrowed phone to glance at the time, frown only increasing as he noted it. 1:35? He grunted at that, the sound barely audible. Definitely wasted too much time here.
He turned to leave, already stepping off the edge and onto the graveled surface that covered the majority of the rooftop when he heard it.
The sound of an engine as it drew ever closer.
The blond stepped back onto the edge and dropped into another squat to prevent himself from being spotted before looking down below, eyes narrowing as a gray sedan with peeling paint came to a halt at the end of the street. Dried blood fell from his gloves in flakes as Greg clenched his fists, attention focused on the car as it came to a hard stop in front of a series of abandoned storefronts, parking behind a derelict car.
His eyes narrowed further, almost into slits, as four men of distinctly Asian descent stepped out of the worn vehicle, all of them with a single metal briefcase in each hand. Fists clenched even tighter as Greg thought to himself, I wonder what those could be.
Four heads turned from side to side, anxiously scanning both ends of the street for possible onlookers. None of them taking the opportunity to look up, they quickly began to scurry over to the building just a little further down from where they parked, a two-story office building just as run-down as many of the others on this same block.
Blue eyes locked onto the back of the biggest one in a sweat-stained wife beater, his skin also much darker than that the other three. Observe.
His expression shifted behind his mask as the four men shut the do
or behind them, his eyes never leaving the building as Greg began to make his move. Let's do this.
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Entering the building was easy, really.
Skittering over the side of the building like one of those old comic-book characters from the 90s was trivial as his Surface Adhesion took away any real effort it would normally take to scale the building. Forcing open a window on the upper floor, though?
That was a bit trickier to do without drawing attention. Still, compared to what he had to do next, it was pretty simple.
Greg crawled over the edge of the window, careful not to make any noise as he lifted his lower half over the windowsill and let himself drop to all fours on the ground. Pulling himself back into a standing position, the blond took a moment to glance around the room and could only frown as he took in the damp darkness of what was likely once a private office.
The smell of mold was almost overpowering, the peeling paint on the wail and fallen foam ceiling tiles giving the room even more of a decrepit feel. For a moment, Greg turned his face away, raising his arm to block his nose from the raw stench of it. The blond fought the urge to gag, shutting his mouth instead as he grit his teeth and held his breath. As if I didn't already need a reason to hate this place.
He could hear them below his feet, several voices. Far more than four, he could tell that much, almost trying to talk over one another. He couldn't help but wonder how they could talk to each other, let alone breathe, in this crapsack of a building without hazmat suits.
At the very least, the other building he had invited himself into — at least, the one that actually had any significant ABB presence — had been nothing like this, the ABB actually bothering to keep that safehouse livable, if still disgustingly trash-laden. Whatever the difference was with this building, Greg didn't know and frankly, he couldn't bring himself to care. Not like I'm gonna be here long, anyway. Shaking his head, Greg stepped around the old-looking metal office desk, the build-up of rust and grime on the thing serving as a signifier to how truly ancient it was.
Rather than dwell on any of that, though, Greg continued to creep forward, walking on his heels as he carefully made his way to the dilapidated, water-damaged relic of a door. Carefully twisting the corroded iron doorknob, the blond fought the urge to wince at the loud, screeching groan the hinges made as the door creaked open.
He held his position, waiting for a small army of ABB gangsters to come rushing up to check out the strange noise… only to be surprised when nothing of the sort happened.
Did they… Greg blinked slowly, eyes scanning what little he could see of the hallway from where he stood. The voices from downstairs came through far more clearly through the open door, allowing the teen to glean even more from their conversation, though the multiple languages involved complicated his ability to understand the arguments taking place. Did they not hear that?
Realizing that they apparently hadn't, the blond gave a mental shrug and proceeded out into the hallway in a crouch. He glanced from side to side, frowning as he took in more of his environment, his survey assisted by the sunlight coming from a window at the far end of the hallway and a single solitary light bulb flickering weakly in the middle of the corridor. The hallway was in nearly as bad a state as the private office, the ceiling tiles hanging loose and openly gaping in several areas to expose the building's damp insulation. The walls were in similar shape, massive holes in the drywall, unpainted swaths of wall and white dust coating various surfaces, including the old dark carpeting that lined the floor.
Greg shook his head again, tilting his head to the side as he continued carefully creeping forwards, each step adding another slight creak to the constant din of the office itself. Fu- The blond shook his head and kept moving, not wanting to waste any time complaining about something he couldn't fix anyway.
Even with his best efforts at moving quietly, he was bound to make some sort of noise and with the office floors constantly creaking even with the carpet, he had no other choice but to continue on his current path as he stealthed towards the stairs. As he got closer and closer, he could hear the voices far more clearly, now able to make out individual voices instead of a large mass talking at once. They mainly spoke English, interspersed with snatches of a few other ethnic languages Greg did not understand, each one of their voices bearing various level of accent; enough to leave Greg confused as to what they were actually saying.
At best, Greg thought he could make out almost five or six different voices speaking in hurried tones over the same topic with several others chiming in every few seconds or so with something that Greg couldn't really make out.
So, he began, already going over what information he could understand, expression a stony grimace behind his skull mask and balaclava, I'm up against… anywhere between… His frown deepened for a moment as he gave the matter some thought, Anywhere between five to ten different guys. Best scenario, only half of them have any weapons. At worst, all of them have guns.
The blond let out a quiet sigh, the sound barely audible to his own ears over the noise from below. Most likely case, at least two of them have guns, a couple more will have a pipe or a bat and all of them have pocket knifes. Maybe an axe or two, like in Aleph kung-fu movies. His fists tightened at his sides, Greg relaxing his fingers before repeating the action several times more, his frown growing.
After a long moment, Greg's face returned to a blank expression as he glanced over at the banister. So, like before… move fast, hit hard, and make sure at least one of th-
The thought died on his lips as a chill went down his back, something in the back of his mind screaming a warning. The blond's eyes widened and he suddenly pulled back, ducking to the side as he followed familiar instincts. Wha-
The blond spun on his heels with preternatural speed, twisting around the object that he could tell was aimed directly at his head, eyes widening at the sight of a rusted metal pipe as it passed by his head. Performing a perfect 180 in less than a second, Greg snapped his gaze up, blue eyes locking onto the shocked face of a man that looked the perfect picture of an ABB member, the tattoos on his bare chest marking his allegiance for all to see.
For a second, they locked eyes and the world seemed to freeze, neither of them moving as Greg's thoughts barrelled through his mind like a stampeding horde, taking into account several factors in an instant, including the fact that the shirtless gangster now stood directly between him and the path downstairs. It was almost a whole third of a second later before Greg finally settled on a single, yet deceptively simple, plan.
Take him down hard. Take him down fast. Take him down quietly.
Greg moved.
His first punch was wild and thoughtless, but undeniably fast. A gloved fist rushed out, smashing into the thug's unprotected jaw with a force just shy of bone-breaking. The man let out a gurgling scream for less than a second as he reeled back in pain, hands in the middle of rising to cradle his face as the pipe in his hands fell from his grasp.
One hand snatched the weapon out of the air at the same moment as Greg moved in to finish the job. His other hand snapped out in a fist, sinking into the stumbling criminal's rib cage before he could make any more noise, the action forcing the air out of the man's lungs in a forceful gasp. The tattooed thug's eyes widened as he doubled over, folding onto Greg's fist and leaving himself completely unprepared for the next strike as a length of pipe met his temple with all the force the teen could deliver in an instant.
The thug fell back, groaning loudly as blood spilled from the open gash on the side of his head. Unable to stop what he already put into action, Greg could only watch as the man sent back by his last blow didn't stop, unable to halt his own backwards motion.
There was complete silence as the shirtless ABB member landed at the foot of the stairs.
Complete and utter silence.
Greg chose to indulge in that for a moment, allowing himself a single thought. Okay. Two out of three, then. Stealth missions suck, anyway.
The blond chose that moment to follow the same path, vaulting over the banister to hit the floor in a classic superhero landing. Greg took the moment between landing and standing up to survey the room full of angry Asian men of various ethnicities staring at him with shocked and angry expressions, each and every single one of them armed with some type of weapon.
The blond also took that same moment to note that he had been wrong on his earlier estimate of people in the room. Wrong by just about half, I think, he mused, utterly too calm at this very moment.
Staring down the room full of about roughly twenty armed and angry hardened criminals, Greg Veder took a moment to nod calmly and roll his shoulders, the taunt already spilling out of his mouth before he could stop it. "Before we get to the fun stuff, show of hands… how many of you want to avoid an ass-kicking by just telling me what the deal is with the bombs? Anyone? You in the front?"
The thug in question, a scrawny man with wiry muscles and a penchant for gold chains, raised his hand.
It had a gun in it.
"Making me work for it, huh?" Greg allowed himself an eager smile behind his mask, the blond already pulling on the well of power that fueled his Reinforcement. "Even better."
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Greg Lucas Veder
Student
Level 20
Title: Ninja - In Training
XP: 3150/32000
Age: 15 (and three-quarters!)
HP: 1632/1632
MP: 495/495
Will: 563/563
STR: 66
SPD: 63 (+2 [65])
VIT: 97
INT: 51
WIS: 18 ((-12.6) [5])
CHA: 24 ((+9) (-90%)
Unspent Stat Points: 25
Unspent Perk Points: 1
Cash: $18,568.57
Student
Level 20
Title: Ninja - In Training
XP: 3150/32000
Age: 15 (and three-quarters!)
HP: 1632/1632
MP: 495/495
Will: 563/563
STR: 66
SPD: 63 (+2 [65])
VIT: 97
INT: 51
WIS: 18 ((-12.6) [5])
CHA: 24 ((+9) (-90%)
Unspent Stat Points: 25
Unspent Perk Points: 1
Cash: $18,568.57
Nerd-Geek Hybrid: Your obsession with video gaming, computers, fantasy/sci-fi literature and 80's/90's pop culture has left you in the rare middle of two circles; the obsessive fandom-loving geek and the intelligent, knowledge seeking nerd. Sadly, your hobbies have left you with an aversion to physical exertion. (50% bonus to INT gains, -50% penalty to STR, SPD & VIT gains.)
Asperger's Syndrome: Ever since you were a little kid, you've always been a little bit off. Impulsive, obsessive, socially obtuse and emotionally needy, you're a bit of a weirdo. You now know that you have Asperger's Syndrome. Thanks to the help of a PRT doctor with good advice, you're now more aware of your own mental state. (-70% reduction to overall WIS, -90% reduction to overall CHA.)
Casanova Bloodline: As a Veder man, you have a great smile, natural charm and a confident approach to life that draws the ladies in like a moth to a flame. Your great cheekbones don't hurt either. It's how your dad got your mom to go out with him while dating at least three other girls and sleeping with two others, at least that's what he always told you - even when you didn't ask - all the time. (+ 9 CHA)
Dragon-Blooded
Fire and fury flows through your veins, blood of the dragon.
The mythical hero Siegfried was baptized in the blood of a magical dragon and became nigh-invulnerable, immune to nearly all forms of damage. You, on the other hand, were splattered in the blood of a not-so-magical dragon. (+ 250 HP, + 10 STR, + 10 SPD)
Dragon-Souled
For some, baptism by fire tends to be a symbolic term. Not for you, though.
Facing the heat of Lung's flames head-on has purified the strength of your will and the power of your soul. The beginnings of draconic power grow throughout your being. (+250 MP, +250 Will, +10 INT, +10 VIT)
Peak Human
What is peak human, anyway?
Somehow, you have surpassed the physical threshold of humanity, surpassing those inherent limits man is beholden to. (Unlocks perks for STR, SPD, VIT and INT once a stat crosses a benchmark of 50 pts)
Asperger's Syndrome: Ever since you were a little kid, you've always been a little bit off. Impulsive, obsessive, socially obtuse and emotionally needy, you're a bit of a weirdo. You now know that you have Asperger's Syndrome. Thanks to the help of a PRT doctor with good advice, you're now more aware of your own mental state. (-70% reduction to overall WIS, -90% reduction to overall CHA.)
Casanova Bloodline: As a Veder man, you have a great smile, natural charm and a confident approach to life that draws the ladies in like a moth to a flame. Your great cheekbones don't hurt either. It's how your dad got your mom to go out with him while dating at least three other girls and sleeping with two others, at least that's what he always told you - even when you didn't ask - all the time. (+ 9 CHA)
Dragon-Blooded
Fire and fury flows through your veins, blood of the dragon.
The mythical hero Siegfried was baptized in the blood of a magical dragon and became nigh-invulnerable, immune to nearly all forms of damage. You, on the other hand, were splattered in the blood of a not-so-magical dragon. (+ 250 HP, + 10 STR, + 10 SPD)
Dragon-Souled
For some, baptism by fire tends to be a symbolic term. Not for you, though.
Facing the heat of Lung's flames head-on has purified the strength of your will and the power of your soul. The beginnings of draconic power grow throughout your being. (+250 MP, +250 Will, +10 INT, +10 VIT)
Peak Human
What is peak human, anyway?
Somehow, you have surpassed the physical threshold of humanity, surpassing those inherent limits man is beholden to. (Unlocks perks for STR, SPD, VIT and INT once a stat crosses a benchmark of 50 pts)
Baby Steps (1/3) [Ranked Skill]
With Catlike Tread...
Allows very light movement across surfaces, allowing you to move or stand on surfaces that would normally not support your weight.
Bulwark
Facing off against an opponent who far outclassed you has given you an ability to withstand impossible pain in the face of impossible odds.
Takes 50% less damage from opponents over five times your level.
Catch Your Breath
Endurance is patience concentrated.
After forcing yourself to move under extenuating circumstances for a long period of time, your willpower recovery rate has doubled. (1 Will per 5 Seconds)
Danger Sense (4/10) [Ranked Skill]
My common sense is tingling.
You gain a sixth sense that allows you to sense the presence of incoming danger.
Developed Mind (1/10) [Ranked Ability]
I like to think of myself as enlightened.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 MP for each rank of this perk.
Dragon Blood's Gift
What is a knight without armor? A dragon without scales? A lion without teeth?
All equipped armor and gear is self-repairing at a rate of 1% a minute, so long as it is constantly being fed mana or will in some manner.
Fire Dragon's Aura (1/10) [Ranked Skill]
"Bathed in Dragon Fire and Blood, I shall fear no flame"
At a rate of 1 MP per second per rank, draw upon your pyrokinesis to generate an aura of fire. Your equipment and body are immune to the heat, of it and anything cooler than it. It is, however, actual fire, so try not to burn down your house. In addition, you can literally breathe fire instead of air while this is active.
Growing Will (1/10) [Ranked Ability]
Some people say you're rather willful.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 Will for each rank of this perk.
Keen Vision
20/20? That's weaksauce.
The range and clarity of your vision scale with your INT by a ratio of 2:1. (100%)
Lifegiver (5/10) [Ranked Ability]
Health is more than just not getting sick.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 HP for each rank of this perk.
Not Quite Dead
People die when they are killed… usually.
Survive after your HP sinks below 0 and a harmful status effect is active.
10% Chance to recover with full health when HP drops to 0.
Quick Healer
Don't worry, it won't scar.
You heal rather fast, at a rate of a tenth of your VIT every fifteen seconds.
Surefooted
I don't trip.
Allows perfect traction over any solid ground, eliminating the chance of slipping and falling over your own feet.
Swift Learner (2/10) [Ranked Ability]
You're no idiot.
You gain an increased amount of experience, increasing by 10% for each point in this skill.
Toughened Body
Charles Atlas would be proud.
Simply put, you're already tougher than most people. Now, well, look at the title of this perk. All physical damage is reduced by half your level number, in addition to all other damage reduction.
Transformation Sequence (1/3) [Ranked Skill]
"It's Morphin' Time!"
By willing yourself to transform, you can equip any full outfit within your inventory, transforming in a flash of blue light, mana glitter and/or a whirlwind of aerokinesis obscuring you.
With Catlike Tread...
Allows very light movement across surfaces, allowing you to move or stand on surfaces that would normally not support your weight.
Bulwark
Facing off against an opponent who far outclassed you has given you an ability to withstand impossible pain in the face of impossible odds.
Takes 50% less damage from opponents over five times your level.
Catch Your Breath
Endurance is patience concentrated.
After forcing yourself to move under extenuating circumstances for a long period of time, your willpower recovery rate has doubled. (1 Will per 5 Seconds)
Danger Sense (4/10) [Ranked Skill]
My common sense is tingling.
You gain a sixth sense that allows you to sense the presence of incoming danger.
Developed Mind (1/10) [Ranked Ability]
I like to think of myself as enlightened.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 MP for each rank of this perk.
Dragon Blood's Gift
What is a knight without armor? A dragon without scales? A lion without teeth?
All equipped armor and gear is self-repairing at a rate of 1% a minute, so long as it is constantly being fed mana or will in some manner.
Fire Dragon's Aura (1/10) [Ranked Skill]
"Bathed in Dragon Fire and Blood, I shall fear no flame"
At a rate of 1 MP per second per rank, draw upon your pyrokinesis to generate an aura of fire. Your equipment and body are immune to the heat, of it and anything cooler than it. It is, however, actual fire, so try not to burn down your house. In addition, you can literally breathe fire instead of air while this is active.
Growing Will (1/10) [Ranked Ability]
Some people say you're rather willful.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 Will for each rank of this perk.
Keen Vision
20/20? That's weaksauce.
The range and clarity of your vision scale with your INT by a ratio of 2:1. (100%)
Lifegiver (5/10) [Ranked Ability]
Health is more than just not getting sick.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 HP for each rank of this perk.
Not Quite Dead
People die when they are killed… usually.
Survive after your HP sinks below 0 and a harmful status effect is active.
10% Chance to recover with full health when HP drops to 0.
Quick Healer
Don't worry, it won't scar.
You heal rather fast, at a rate of a tenth of your VIT every fifteen seconds.
Surefooted
I don't trip.
Allows perfect traction over any solid ground, eliminating the chance of slipping and falling over your own feet.
Swift Learner (2/10) [Ranked Ability]
You're no idiot.
You gain an increased amount of experience, increasing by 10% for each point in this skill.
Toughened Body
Charles Atlas would be proud.
Simply put, you're already tougher than most people. Now, well, look at the title of this perk. All physical damage is reduced by half your level number, in addition to all other damage reduction.
Transformation Sequence (1/3) [Ranked Skill]
"It's Morphin' Time!"
By willing yourself to transform, you can equip any full outfit within your inventory, transforming in a flash of blue light, mana glitter and/or a whirlwind of aerokinesis obscuring you.
Gamer's Body (Passive) Lv. MAX
Allows you to live life as if were a game.
Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects.
Gamer's Mind (Passive) Lv. MAX
Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional and mental trauma and severely dangerous emotional states.
Basic Aerokinesis Lv 14
"Winds, guard me!"
Exert the force of your air control over a range of 37.5 meters. Grows by 10 mph and 2.5 meters every other level. (150 mph)
Cost: 20 mp per second of sustained use at max range & power.
Basic Pyrokinesis Lv 3
Burn, baby, burn!
Generate flames and control them up to a range of 3 meters.
Cost: 20 MP per second of sustained use at max range.
Dash Straight Lv 11 (XP: 35%)
Force equals Mass times Acceleration.
You may suck at physics, but you know that much.
Through reinforcing the body, you smash your fist into a target while moving at high speed. Damage scales based on distance moved. (1.5x Damage Cap)
Damage: 165
Cost: 25 Will + 2 Will for every meter power sprinted
Mana Glitter Lv 9 (XP: 15%)
Sparkle like the pretty bishounen you were always meant to be. Or a princess. Or a pedophilic slightly-rapey vampire. Who's judging you?
Release particles of mana from your body in the form of iridescent sapphire sparkles. Max Range increases by half a meter per level. (5 meters)
Cost: 1 MP per second
Mana Platform Lv 1
I call it walking on air.
Using raw mana, you create semi-solid platforms under your feet that last only as long as you remain still. (.25 m)
Cost: 1 MP per 2 seconds
Observe Lv 14 (XP: 75%)
A skill to find out basic information relating to the chosen object.
Cost: 1 MP
Raging Combo Lv 13 (XP: 15%)
A blistering barrage of belligerent blows built to batter baddies.
By repeatedly using weaker forms of Angry Straight, you pummel your target with raw frustration and anger. (36 Hits)
Damage: 390
Cost: 65 Will
Reinforcement (Apprentice) Lv 21 (XP: 10%)
A discount version of the Kaio-Ken for the squishy wizard.
Increases your effective strength, speed and health by 5% per level with this technique from a base of 50%. Does not increase actual points of vitality or willpower. Improved control means that weaker usages of Reinforcement is within your grasp for lower costs. (135%)
Cost: 5 Will every 2 seconds
Warning: Overuse will lead to HP damage.
Surface Adhesion Lv 11 (XP: 15%)
You ever wanted to be Spider-Man? Don't lie. Of course you did.
This skill allows you to stick to walls and hang on to ceilings and vertical surfaces without a risk of falling. While not denying gravity, this allows you to adhere to surfaces unaided.
Cost: 2 MP per second
Structural Analysis Lv 13 (XP: 55%)
Judging the concept of creation, Hypothesizing the basic structure...
Grants the ability to gain a rudimentary understanding of the internal structure and functional design of simple, non-living objects.
Cost: 2 mp per square half-meter of object.
Conceptually do twice as much damage with a weapon. Broken?
What's that mean?
Boosts weapon damage x 2.
Length of charge increases by 1/2 second for every level. (8.5 sec)
Cost: 8 MP
Allows you to live life as if were a game.
Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects.
Gamer's Mind (Passive) Lv. MAX
Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional and mental trauma and severely dangerous emotional states.
Basic Aerokinesis Lv 14
"Winds, guard me!"
Exert the force of your air control over a range of 37.5 meters. Grows by 10 mph and 2.5 meters every other level. (150 mph)
Cost: 20 mp per second of sustained use at max range & power.
Basic Pyrokinesis Lv 3
Burn, baby, burn!
Generate flames and control them up to a range of 3 meters.
Cost: 20 MP per second of sustained use at max range.
Dash Straight Lv 11 (XP: 35%)
Force equals Mass times Acceleration.
You may suck at physics, but you know that much.
Through reinforcing the body, you smash your fist into a target while moving at high speed. Damage scales based on distance moved. (1.5x Damage Cap)
Damage: 165
Cost: 25 Will + 2 Will for every meter power sprinted
Mana Glitter Lv 9 (XP: 15%)
Sparkle like the pretty bishounen you were always meant to be. Or a princess. Or a pedophilic slightly-rapey vampire. Who's judging you?
Release particles of mana from your body in the form of iridescent sapphire sparkles. Max Range increases by half a meter per level. (5 meters)
Cost: 1 MP per second
Mana Platform Lv 1
I call it walking on air.
Using raw mana, you create semi-solid platforms under your feet that last only as long as you remain still. (.25 m)
Cost: 1 MP per 2 seconds
Observe Lv 14 (XP: 75%)
A skill to find out basic information relating to the chosen object.
Cost: 1 MP
Raging Combo Lv 13 (XP: 15%)
A blistering barrage of belligerent blows built to batter baddies.
By repeatedly using weaker forms of Angry Straight, you pummel your target with raw frustration and anger. (36 Hits)
Damage: 390
Cost: 65 Will
Reinforcement (Apprentice) Lv 21 (XP: 10%)
A discount version of the Kaio-Ken for the squishy wizard.
Increases your effective strength, speed and health by 5% per level with this technique from a base of 50%. Does not increase actual points of vitality or willpower. Improved control means that weaker usages of Reinforcement is within your grasp for lower costs. (135%)
Cost: 5 Will every 2 seconds
Warning: Overuse will lead to HP damage.
Subskill: Burst
Cast from hit points. Yeah, it's one of those skills.
- A short, yet extremely concentrated and focused burst of reinforcement applied to the extremities for an insane burst of ability lasting 1 second.
- (x 2.5 top Reinforced SPD/STR)
Cost: 20 Will, 40 HP
Subskill: Layer Reinforcement
- Increases the quality of non-living items, increasing their sharpness, durability, and hardness.
- This form of reinforcement can be used on non-living substances for a base quality increase of 250% Each level improves this by 25%.
- (750%)
Cost: 2 Will every 5 seconds.
Surface Adhesion Lv 11 (XP: 15%)
You ever wanted to be Spider-Man? Don't lie. Of course you did.
This skill allows you to stick to walls and hang on to ceilings and vertical surfaces without a risk of falling. While not denying gravity, this allows you to adhere to surfaces unaided.
Cost: 2 MP per second
Structural Analysis Lv 13 (XP: 55%)
Judging the concept of creation, Hypothesizing the basic structure...
Grants the ability to gain a rudimentary understanding of the internal structure and functional design of simple, non-living objects.
Cost: 2 mp per square half-meter of object.
Subskill: Physical Analysis
Allows an innate understanding of the human body with the levels of complexity based on the progression of the primary skill, Structural Analysis.
Weapon Charge Lv 17 (XP: 75%)Conceptually do twice as much damage with a weapon. Broken?
What's that mean?
Boosts weapon damage x 2.
Length of charge increases by 1/2 second for every level. (8.5 sec)
Cost: 8 MP
Acrobatics Lv 23 (XP: 45%)
Parkour!
An ability that enables you to pull off backflips, frontflips and any manner of jumping-based ground-movement technique with greater ease.
Awareness: Mana Lv 11 (XP: 85%)
Mana, magic energy, magicka, prana, ether, thaum, spiritual energy, magatsuhi or even chakra… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of Mana, the spiritual energy found within the human mind and soul. Gaining awareness of your magical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Awareness: Willpower Lv 7 (XP: 85%)
Willpower, ki, chi, qi, stamina, aura, mantra, physical energy, life energy, od, or even hamon… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of your Willpower, the physical energy found within all living organisms. Gaining awareness of your physical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Ballroom Dancing Lv 1
I wouldn't call it dancing yet. More like a full-body dry heave set to music.
Represents your skill in the art of dancing in a fancy, romantic manner when with a partner.
Anatomy: Intermediate Lvl 2 (XP: 5%)
The quickest way to a man's heart? Directly through his ribcage.
Gain a more experienced understanding of the human body and how interconnected systems function.
[Status Effects] become easier to inflict in melee combat by 2% every level. (4%)
Basic: Increases [Critical Hit] damage by 10% per level. (100%)
Beginner Combat Lvl 8 (XP: 45%)
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
The next level of combat, Beginner Combat is a fusion of fighting and footwork into the ability to learn new styles of combat, fusing them into a novice martial combat capability.
Increased bare-handed damage by 2% per level. (16%)
Blunt Weaponry Lv 5 (XP: 4%)
Carry a big stick. Speaking softly is optional.
Measures your skill with using a blunt weapon.
Increases damage with a blunt weapon by 2% per level. (10%)
Breath-Holding Lv 14 (XP: 25%)
Asphyxiation is a terrible way to die.
Increases time able to stay conscious without air by 30 seconds per level. (7 min)
Bullshitting Lv 6 (XP: 15%)
First, you tell a lie; then you believe it; then you become it.
Increases chances that any lie you tell is successful by 2% with every level. (12%)
Disarm Lv 5 (XP: 15%)
Take their weapon from their warm, living hands.
Increases chance of disarming the enemy by 2% with every level. (10%)
Driving Lv 4 (XP: 25%)
NASCAR, here we come.
Measures your skill at operating a four-wheeled motorized vehicle.
Gunplay: Handguns Lv 6 (XP: 5%)
Possibly more than the automobile, the handgun is synonymous with America.
Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a handgun by 5% per level. (30%)
Improves damage with a handgun by 2% per level. (12%)
Gunplay: Rifles Lv 3 (XP: 35%)
Slightly better than a stormtrooper.
Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a rifle by 5% per level. (15%)
Improves damage with a rife by 2% per level. (6%)
Intimidation Lv 2 (XP: 10%)
If you want to control someone, all you have to do is to make them feel afraid
Strike fear into the hearts of man and throw them off their guard, allowing you to score critical hits much easier. Increases chance of [Critical Hits] on enemies by 1% every level. (2%)
Kissing Lv 8 (XP: 15%)
Looks like practicing on a peach actually paid off.
Represents your skill in the art of smooching.
Language: Japanese Lv 8 (32%)
Gratuitous Japanese indeed.
Reflects your speaking skill, and understanding of, the Japanese language.
Meditation Lvl 12 (XP: 10%)
Breathe in the good shit. Breathe out the bullshit.
By finding your inner focus, you push out all earthly distractions and enter a state of mental and physical harmony, allowing a greater understanding of your mind and body. While meditating, your Mana and Will recover at a rate of 10% faster per level into this ability. You retain this bonus for a period of ten minutes post-Meditation. (120%)
Parry Lv 9 (XP: 10%)
To deflect an attack is a double-edged sword;
Risking more damage for the chance to inflict the same.
Increases the effectiveness of any attempt to divert or deflect a physical attack by 2% with every level. (18%)
Reflexes Lv 14 (XP: 15%)
DODGE!
Decreases innate reaction time by 10% per level and increases innate perception speed by the same amount. (150%)
Resistance: Biological Manipulation Lvl 5
Some people like to work with clay, or glass, or wood. Others prefer the mutability of flesh.
Measures your ability to resist any attempt to directly control your physical form, referring to skin, nerves, organs or otherwise. Increases by 2% per level. (10%)
Resistance: Blunt Force Lv. 64 (XP: 25%)
Going from punching yourself in the face to actual self-mutilation?
Bold move, Veder. Let's see if it pays off.
Reduce all blunt force damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (48%)
Resistance: Cold Lv 8 (XP: 10%)
The cold never stopped bothering you.
Increases resistance to cold temperature by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (8%)
Resistance: Electricity Lv 8 (XP: 25%)
Everyone knows electrocution is harmless.
Increases resistance to electrical damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (8%)
Resistance: Heat Lv 46 (XP: 75%)
"You have to respect anything that can just stand there, on fire."
Increases resistance to heat damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (46.25%)
Resistance: Piercing Lv 30 (XP: 20%)
The thrust or stab is risky because it can kill and yet not stop
Reduces piercing or stabbing damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (22.5%)
Resistance: Poison Lv 3 (XP: 15%)
I wonder what counts as a poison...
Reduces damage and effects caused by poison by 1% every level that will cause damage less than 100% of your health, in any way, shape or form. (3%)
Resistance: Slashing Lv 16 (XP: 10%)
The cut will stop but not kill.
Reduces slashing or cutting damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (12%)
Seduction Lv 1 (XP: 5%)
I didn't mean to turn you on… or did I?
Manage to draw the attention of a member of the opposite sex using your innate attraction skills. Increases chance of [Critical Hits] on enemies by .5% every level. (.5%)
Singing Lv 2 (XP: 30%)
Stick to doing musicals in the shower for now.
Represents your ability to hit the correct notes, harmonize and anything to do with the art of vocals.
Sneaking Lv 15 (XP: 20%)
Ugh… stealth missions suck.
Allows for 2% quieter movement per level while trying not to be heard. (30%)
Stamina Lvl 20 (XP: 15%)
Whatever I lack in talent I have in stamina.
Increase Will by + 5 with every level. (100 Will)
Swordplay: Single Blade Lv 25
All swords are the same.
Represents your martial skill with the art of a single blade.
Increases damage with a blade by 2% per level. (50%)
Taunt Lv 10 (XP: 10%)
"And this! Is when I taunt you!"
Draw the attention of a target through nonsensical, idiotic, but occasionally piercing, verbal attacks. Increases chance of Critical Hits on enemies by 2% with every level. (20%)
Thrown Weapons Lv 4 (XP: 75%)
Throwing your sword always works. Except, you know, when it doesn't.
Increases the skill, range and force by which items and weapons can be thrown by 2% with every level. (8%)
Parkour!
An ability that enables you to pull off backflips, frontflips and any manner of jumping-based ground-movement technique with greater ease.
Awareness: Mana Lv 11 (XP: 85%)
Mana, magic energy, magicka, prana, ether, thaum, spiritual energy, magatsuhi or even chakra… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of Mana, the spiritual energy found within the human mind and soul. Gaining awareness of your magical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Awareness: Willpower Lv 7 (XP: 85%)
Willpower, ki, chi, qi, stamina, aura, mantra, physical energy, life energy, od, or even hamon… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of your Willpower, the physical energy found within all living organisms. Gaining awareness of your physical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Ballroom Dancing Lv 1
I wouldn't call it dancing yet. More like a full-body dry heave set to music.
Represents your skill in the art of dancing in a fancy, romantic manner when with a partner.
Anatomy: Intermediate Lvl 2 (XP: 5%)
The quickest way to a man's heart? Directly through his ribcage.
Gain a more experienced understanding of the human body and how interconnected systems function.
[Status Effects] become easier to inflict in melee combat by 2% every level. (4%)
Basic: Increases [Critical Hit] damage by 10% per level. (100%)
Beginner Combat Lvl 8 (XP: 45%)
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
The next level of combat, Beginner Combat is a fusion of fighting and footwork into the ability to learn new styles of combat, fusing them into a novice martial combat capability.
Increased bare-handed damage by 2% per level. (16%)
Blunt Weaponry Lv 5 (XP: 4%)
Carry a big stick. Speaking softly is optional.
Measures your skill with using a blunt weapon.
Increases damage with a blunt weapon by 2% per level. (10%)
Breath-Holding Lv 14 (XP: 25%)
Asphyxiation is a terrible way to die.
Increases time able to stay conscious without air by 30 seconds per level. (7 min)
Bullshitting Lv 6 (XP: 15%)
First, you tell a lie; then you believe it; then you become it.
Increases chances that any lie you tell is successful by 2% with every level. (12%)
Disarm Lv 5 (XP: 15%)
Take their weapon from their warm, living hands.
Increases chance of disarming the enemy by 2% with every level. (10%)
Driving Lv 4 (XP: 25%)
NASCAR, here we come.
Measures your skill at operating a four-wheeled motorized vehicle.
Gunplay: Handguns Lv 6 (XP: 5%)
Possibly more than the automobile, the handgun is synonymous with America.
Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a handgun by 5% per level. (30%)
Improves damage with a handgun by 2% per level. (12%)
Gunplay: Rifles Lv 3 (XP: 35%)
Slightly better than a stormtrooper.
Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a rifle by 5% per level. (15%)
Improves damage with a rife by 2% per level. (6%)
Intimidation Lv 2 (XP: 10%)
If you want to control someone, all you have to do is to make them feel afraid
Strike fear into the hearts of man and throw them off their guard, allowing you to score critical hits much easier. Increases chance of [Critical Hits] on enemies by 1% every level. (2%)
Kissing Lv 8 (XP: 15%)
Looks like practicing on a peach actually paid off.
Represents your skill in the art of smooching.
Language: Japanese Lv 8 (32%)
Gratuitous Japanese indeed.
Reflects your speaking skill, and understanding of, the Japanese language.
Meditation Lvl 12 (XP: 10%)
Breathe in the good shit. Breathe out the bullshit.
By finding your inner focus, you push out all earthly distractions and enter a state of mental and physical harmony, allowing a greater understanding of your mind and body. While meditating, your Mana and Will recover at a rate of 10% faster per level into this ability. You retain this bonus for a period of ten minutes post-Meditation. (120%)
Parry Lv 9 (XP: 10%)
To deflect an attack is a double-edged sword;
Risking more damage for the chance to inflict the same.
Increases the effectiveness of any attempt to divert or deflect a physical attack by 2% with every level. (18%)
Reflexes Lv 14 (XP: 15%)
DODGE!
Decreases innate reaction time by 10% per level and increases innate perception speed by the same amount. (150%)
Resistance: Biological Manipulation Lvl 5
Some people like to work with clay, or glass, or wood. Others prefer the mutability of flesh.
Measures your ability to resist any attempt to directly control your physical form, referring to skin, nerves, organs or otherwise. Increases by 2% per level. (10%)
Resistance: Blunt Force Lv. 64 (XP: 25%)
Going from punching yourself in the face to actual self-mutilation?
Bold move, Veder. Let's see if it pays off.
Reduce all blunt force damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (48%)
Resistance: Cold Lv 8 (XP: 10%)
The cold never stopped bothering you.
Increases resistance to cold temperature by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (8%)
Resistance: Electricity Lv 8 (XP: 25%)
Everyone knows electrocution is harmless.
Increases resistance to electrical damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (8%)
Resistance: Heat Lv 46 (XP: 75%)
"You have to respect anything that can just stand there, on fire."
Increases resistance to heat damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (46.25%)
Resistance: Piercing Lv 30 (XP: 20%)
The thrust or stab is risky because it can kill and yet not stop
Reduces piercing or stabbing damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (22.5%)
Resistance: Poison Lv 3 (XP: 15%)
I wonder what counts as a poison...
Reduces damage and effects caused by poison by 1% every level that will cause damage less than 100% of your health, in any way, shape or form. (3%)
Resistance: Slashing Lv 16 (XP: 10%)
The cut will stop but not kill.
Reduces slashing or cutting damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (12%)
Seduction Lv 1 (XP: 5%)
I didn't mean to turn you on… or did I?
Manage to draw the attention of a member of the opposite sex using your innate attraction skills. Increases chance of [Critical Hits] on enemies by .5% every level. (.5%)
Singing Lv 2 (XP: 30%)
Stick to doing musicals in the shower for now.
Represents your ability to hit the correct notes, harmonize and anything to do with the art of vocals.
Sneaking Lv 15 (XP: 20%)
Ugh… stealth missions suck.
Allows for 2% quieter movement per level while trying not to be heard. (30%)
Stamina Lvl 20 (XP: 15%)
Whatever I lack in talent I have in stamina.
Increase Will by + 5 with every level. (100 Will)
Swordplay: Single Blade Lv 25
All swords are the same.
Represents your martial skill with the art of a single blade.
Increases damage with a blade by 2% per level. (50%)
Taunt Lv 10 (XP: 10%)
"And this! Is when I taunt you!"
Draw the attention of a target through nonsensical, idiotic, but occasionally piercing, verbal attacks. Increases chance of Critical Hits on enemies by 2% with every level. (20%)
Thrown Weapons Lv 4 (XP: 75%)
Throwing your sword always works. Except, you know, when it doesn't.
Increases the skill, range and force by which items and weapons can be thrown by 2% with every level. (8%)
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SneakyWalrus
Is the Water Free?
Sparky, stop enabling your not-boyfriend best friend.
- Location
- Madison, AL
-PAY NO ATTENTION, TO THE MAN BEHIND, THE CURTAN!-
- Location
- Somewhere I shouldn't be
Greg, it's good to see you coming into your own.
Enjoy this Roaring Rampage of Revenge. Take them down, and don't forget to piss on the ashes.
Enjoy this Roaring Rampage of Revenge. Take them down, and don't forget to piss on the ashes.
SpiritualSlacker
Nurse God of Mischief
- Location
- Grandma's attic
I mean, they say catharsis is good for you, but Jesus, Greg. Something, something Dark Side.
- Location
- In my Lair, on my Hoard
Persona 5, actually, but close enough.
It's the "Hardkour" outfit from back in Arc 4: Aggro. The costume is visually based off of Sakamoto Ryuji's alter-ego "Skull" from the fifth Persona game - black leather, crossed-belts, biker pads, red kerchief and skull-like mask.
Greg still had the costume in his Inventory after the fiasco with Shadow Stalker which prompted the creation of an actual Outfit Item Set (which has more significant bonuses than random pieces of clothing put together). And since skulking about the city and taking down the ABB while using the Prodigy costume is a tad overkill and inadvisable given how brutal he wants to be... he brought back Hardkour.
But yeah, the Hardkour costume is more conducive to subterfuge and stealth in the city at night - which is precisely when Greg wants to be a Ninja. It helps that Hardkour's costume provides minor benefits to Stealth in dark environments and the pads provide slight boosts to Resistance against scrapes and bruises as a result of acrobatics and free-running.
ScottotheUnwise
Verified Crack (fic) Dealer
- Location
- Mulberry, Fl
And now he should kick off the Aerokinesis around him as he makes a few steps left and right. Then whip the hands around with fire trailing off them to add to the swirl, making a fire tornado effect. Not saying that Asians specifically think that those old Kung Fu movies are REAL, but that they are much more likely to have seen them and have a tradition that says they were more than flowery prose. It's right there in their history, just like Bigfoot is in ours.
Intimidate: "And now we all burn and you get to see why Lung isn't around to boss you." Pause. "Was that someone wanting to surrender? Speak up now."
Intimidate: "And now we all burn and you get to see why Lung isn't around to boss you." Pause. "Was that someone wanting to surrender? Speak up now."
Mob 5.9
ZFighter18
I'm not a god. I AM WHAT A GOD PRAYS TO.
- Location
- Maryland
I'd like to thank all those who pledged to me on the site known as Patreon.
Jack, Roman Krupkin, Agamnon Solarion, Weise, yosef vicars, Alec, Spooky Bones, Christian Schroter, Agamnon Solarion, Weise, yosef vicars, Yobthog, Zach Collins, Ryan, Lazysailor, Lyte, Binary Giant, e-addict, Erik Mickiewicz, James Carl Henderson, Liam O' Neil, Mathieu Martineau, Sackthanaban Kounlavong, Cedron Spaulding, Silver W. King, TM, Chris, zdront, Door, NexusClown, Brandon Dayne Baugh, AntaeusTheGiant, Mira, Jacek Blonski, Sartek, ALEX, and Benjamin Helkey. And of course, I can't go without mentioning Segev, who does a great job of Beta as well.
Thanks to my other Betas. Kenmadragon, Dasstan, and the Fanciest of Molasses. Seriously, I appreciate all of you guys for your help and I want to make sure you know that.
Mob 5.9
April 18, 2011
1:21 PM
In hindsight, that was a bad move.
Still, it was enough time.
The crowd of people thickened in a rough semi-circle centered on him, the shooter already lost behind a wall of men. A metal bat came swinging down on him, its holder likely cursing in some language Greg either didn't know or bother to think about at the moment. The blond reacted, hand grabbing hold of the silver-colored melee weapon as he yanked the thing forward.
The man on the other end was pulled towards him, letting go of the bat at the last moment as he realized what was happening. Greg, new weapon in hand albeit in an awkward position, swung the bat directly behind him on a gamble as his eyes darted around to those opponents that he could keep track of already. The sound of several people crying out in pain as the bat met resistance was all he needed for confirmation and the blond spun around, the wind buffeting around his limbs as he thrust his leg forward in a kick any true Spartan would be proud of.
A burst of wind exploded outwards as his foot made contact, the thug on the receiving end flying across the room and colliding against the door with a cracking noise that sounded nothing if not utterly painful. Before he could even take a moment to celebrate that little victory, Greg was forced to dodge again as the edge of a long bladed weapon flitted past his field of vision.
Shit!The blond quickly threw his head back in the opposite direction as another machete came swinging for his head less than a second later. Greg responded by swinging his own weapon back, yet another machete blade bouncing back off the thinner end of the bat as he diverted it into someone's open face. The resulting shriek of pain and accompanying spray of blood from a broken nose only made the smile under his mask grow that much bigger.
He knew that it wasn't the fight itself he was enjoying so much as much as it was the knowledge that he was making them hurt with every action he took. Still, the fighting didn't hurt… in a manner of speaking.
His heart rate spiked as he ducked forward, quickly maneuvering into a forward roll to avoid the continuing onslaught of weapons from all sides. Springing up to his feet in a handstand that quickly turned into a backwards flip, Greg drew around to face all of the ABB again as they formed up on each other, no longer allowing anyone of them to be at his back.
"Jayus lo!" One of the thugs closest to him, a reedy man with a thick head of hair and dressed in a green leather jacket, let out a shout as he lunged forward, a butcher's knife in one hand. The panic in his voice was clear for all to see and only made more obvious by the fear-stricken expression he wore. He rushed towards Greg despite all that, his confidence inspiring several of those around him as they began to make their own move, another in a red jacket of similar make right behind him with knives in both hands.
For Greg, time slowed down by at least half as he prepared for their approach, eyes darting all over as he noted their weapons. Granted, half speed was still pretty damn fast when several grown men were charging you down in a room already filled to at least a fifth of its capacity but still…
It was enough.
Fistswitchbladebrassknucklesbatknifeknivesmachetepistol.
The thoughts filled his mind in a fraction of a second, Greg adjusting his stance as the eight men neared him with visible anger in their eyes… Now.
Greg Veder had never considered himself an expert on advanced martial arts on any level, his fighting skills consisting of knowing how to throw a simple punch or kick and everything he needed to do not to trip over his own feet while doing so. He also didn't consider himself a master of the more simple arts either; the intricacies of boxing or wrestling eluded him.
Honestly, it was a good thing that the wannabe hero never thought that highly of his own skill because what happened next could not be considered advanced or masterful in any way, shape or form.
Gloved fists moved with a furious speed as he dashed forward, slamming into Red Jacket's unguarded face and chest several times before the man dropped to the ground, each blow visibly jarring his frame before the knives flew from his hands. Without hesitation, Greg sprang at the next one with inhuman speed, slamming a vicious elbow into Green Jacket's chest.
They were definitely an improvement.
The last fight he had been in had been a good deal more hectic than this even at the beginning, each man stumbling over each other in their attempts to kill Greg. Here, they had at least some common sense.
Though the slight fog in his ears remained, Greg could hear someone yelling out orders in fragmented English, the words not coming across well amid all the other faint shouts and curses.
Greg dodged to the side as another aluminum bat came swinging at him, the blond tearing it out of his attacker's hand with an angry tug. Wishing to end it fast, the blond twirled the bat into a proper grip and quickly thrust the bat forward, attempting to jab the butt of the weapon into his temple.
Rather than going down, the man snapped his head to the side, wide-eyed with shock as he avoided the strike by a hair. Before he could so much as move again, though, Greg quickly corrected his mistake with a vicious punch that sent the man down.
Instincts warned him to watch his back and the teen spun on his heels and thrust his forearm up to guard his face, just in time to receive the welcome gift of a pipe slamming down onto it. Jesus Ch- A shock of pain traveled up the affected limb, the strike sending Greg's body back a few inches as he audibly grunted.
The explosion of displaced air washed over him like a light breeze, the blowback barely enough to flutter his scarf. On the other end, it was like watching a bomb go off. Most of them were unlucky enough to be directly in front of it were lifted off their feet and slammed into walls, tables, chairs… whatever happened to be in their path served to break their fall. The rest were toppled over, knocked to the ground and suffering nothing more than a slight dazing. Good enough.
As he freed his mouth from its cloth enclosure, Greg quickly rushed forward again, taking them by surprise with his speed as he forced himself directly into the face of the first man to regain his footing. With a forceful ejection, Greg spat into the gangster's face, painting his eyes with a mouthful of blood.
The cry of surprise and disgust was expected as his hands flew to wipe his eyes, as were the similar shouts thrown by several others around him, the remaining men rushing to attack him.
Already prepared for this, Greg parried several vicious strikes away from his body, diverting them off to the side, and with a seemingly unnecessary spin, the teen jerked to the side and slammed his open arm into the blood and spit-covered man with a move that was half-clothesline and half something else entirely. Hurricane Lariat!
The tightly packed air churning around his forearm lifted the thug up and sent him across the room, the body only stopping when it slammed into a desk and slumped over it.
His jump turned into a dropkick, the force behind it magnified by his aerokinesis once more as Greg's feet met the other man's chest with a visible burst of air upon contact. It hadn't been intentional, not in the slightest, but Greg Veder would be lying if he said he wasn't smiling as he sent the thug flying face-first into a wall with a scream and the sound of something cracking that definitely wasn't the sudden hole made in the cheap drywall and plaster that led to an adjacent room.
"You!"
The man in question reared back and nearly fell over, quickly attempting to scramble behind a desk for cover as his eyes widened in visible fear.
Greg didn't allow that.
The blonde's gloved fingers tightened around a handful of thick, greasy hair and yanked the shooter to his feet with a pained yelp as he visibly struggled. Greg drew his fist back and let an angry fist fly directly into his captive's face. "Fuck you."
He hit him again, growling with the strike and forcing a choked groan from the chain-wearing gang member. "Fuck your chains too." Another hard strike to the chest, the sound of something cracking under his fist music to Greg's ears. The third was just overkill at that point, considering the second hit was enough to make sure that the guy wouldn't be getting up for a while.
Still, Greg felt like it was important to make sure of these things.
The teen drew his fists up again, ready to crack another joke at the expense of the ABB when the sound of another gunshot echoed through the ground floor of the office building. Greg stumbled forward as that familiar white heat spread across his torso, the sensation feeling like a vice grip around his chest.
"You." Greg pulled the bat from his back and twirled it slowly, the thing coming free as he willingly cancelled the Surface Adhesion skill. The sweaty thug glanced up at Greg as his voice caught his attention, gun falling from his trembling hands as his eyes widened.
"I'm gonna make you eat metal." He punctuated the statement with another twirl of the bat, all the while fighting the urge to wince again as the burn in his chest kept eating away at him. In all honesty, the pain was a great motivator for what came next.
The vicious bat to the man's kneecaps was something that Greg believed he would remember fondly in the coming future, possibly in the form of a story that he would tell to Sparky. The day he delivered a lesson as to why you shouldn't shoot people in the back, an entirely different lesson from why you shouldn't shoot people in the first place.
That lesson came in the form of an angry roundhouse to the jaw.
"I'm not gonna ask you again!"
Greg Veder spun the man around, slamming his bruised body into the broken and cracked wall, the back of his head bouncing off the drywall for what had to be the fourth time in half as many minutes. The tattooed man's attempts to struggle were almost laughable, the blond cape's innate strength making even holding back a man larger than he was much easier than it should have been.
Si Taksin.
That was his name, Greg knew that much. It had been less than twenty minutes since he had Observed the thug as he and his four-man crew loaded several metallic suitcases into this building; the same ones that Taksin adamantly chose to remain tight-lipped about.
Greg sunk his fist into the man's stomach several times more as he growled his words into the remaining gang member's face, punctuating each one with another strike to the solar plexus.
"Start." Punch. "Talking." Punch. "Or." Punch. "Else." Punch.
The last few were met with almost no resistance as Greg's target went almost entirely limp in his grip, the thug's eyes almost rolling back into his head. "Wake up!" Greg's voice was a growl as his hands gripped the man's shoulder tight, furiously shaking the man in an attempt to force him back to consciousness. When Taksin didn't respond, the blond fired off a quick Observe and frowned at the results as the thug's health still rested at nearly an eighth of its maximum.
"Hey!" Greg tried again, shoving a finger into the man's face as he pushed him back against the wall. "Don't try and pull that. I know you're faking." Both his hands dropped to the man's chest as the teen gripped his shirt and Greg fiercely shook the man, trying to force him back into consciousness through his own means.
After a few seconds, it was clear that his attempts were pointless. Fuck.
With a frustrated sigh, Greg pushed away his anger again, letting it sink into the ever-placid lake that was Gamer's Mind as he ignored the voice in his head berating him for not holding back enough. Without even looking at him, the blond pushed the thug back against the wall, mind already on another topic as he turned around. Another waste of time.
The blond stopped in front of the four desks shoved up against each other, each table holding two of the suitcases he had seen before. "Since he didn't want to talk…" Greg angled himself to face the case closest to him, fingers already reaching for the clasps, "then I guess I gotta see it for myself."
It opened with a click.
Blue eyes narrowed, Greg staring at the multiple items inside the padded foam confines of the suitcase for a minute before uttering a single word as he chose one to focus on. ["Observe."]
Those same eyes glazed over for a moment as he quickly read the panel that arose over the item he had been focusing on before completely shutting for a moment. As the moment passed, Greg Veder snapped his head back to the beaten and bruised form of the last ABB to hit the ground, face fixed in what could only be described as a venomous glare. "Are you…" His lips curled, sentence becoming a snarl before the blond could catch himself. A few moments passed before he made another sound, that of a single breath as he released it.
"...fucking kidding me." He continued speaking, ending his thought as his hands trembled above the suitcase. With a sense of cautiousness and patience that most wouldn't attribute to Greg, the teen shut the case and carefully re-did the latches, and returned to staring at the table with a flat expression.
In another slow move, the blond spread his hand over the tables in a wide arc, one more word on his lips.
"Inventory."
The eight cases vanished one by one as Greg's arm moved over it, each surrounded by a flash of blue light and leaving nothing behind to mark their existence but motes of glowing blue light that quickly faded. A scowl on his face, Greg dropped his fists on the now-empty table, mouth a flat thin line of displeasure. "Well, now what?"
The blond slowly turned around, facing the room full of prone bodies as he leaned back on the table, still pondering that question. His shoulders sunk, posture dropping as he brought a hand to his mouth and continued to look around the room. His gaze landed on one of said prone figures, the sound of stilted breathing suddenly as loud as a siren in the quiet room.
Greg's mouth turned down at both ends, confusion twisting the frown on his face. I missed one? Tilting his head to the side, Greg pushed himself off the table, paying little attention to the groan of the metal as he removed his weight from it. Eyes flashed blue for an instant as Greg thought the word. [Observe.]
Kitchen knives that he barely managed to use, some part of him tried to argue for whatever reason, but Greg quickly strangled the thought promoting some leniency with another argument, Still… it is the thought that counts.
"Get. Up."
Each word was punctuated with a sharp kick in the thug's ribs, each one inciting a sharp intake of breath from the young man lying on the floor. Greg tilted his head to the side as the man went still again, still feigning unconsciousness despite what had just been done to him.
Greg Veder shut his eyes and took a deep breath, unsure if he should shout or laugh at the situation in front of him. Choosing to do neither, the blond dropped to one knee, body looming over the ABB member's bruised figure.
His left hand lashed out next, individual fingers latching on to the gang member's thick locks as Greg pulled back.
Hard.
The howl of agony Arashiro let out gave no illusions as to his state of consciousness, Greg not even flinching as the man's wails faded as he realized the position he was in. The lines of dried blood tracing from his nostrils and the bruising and swelling around his face did serve to remind Greg of the furious combo he had delivered to this man's face and chest, though. So, that's half the job done.
Greg flashed the beaten man a smirk, balaclava still hanging around his neck and leaving his mouth uncovered. "So, do you feel like telling me where you got these bombs from?"
The silence was all the answer Greg needed, the ABB member managing a defiant look through one swollen eye and the other brimming with pained tears.
"Okay. I can understand where you're coming from. I get your position. I really do," Greg managed to shift his mocking smirk into a smile, the friendly expression coming out just as hollow as the humor in his voice. "But I'm just saying, you might change your mind if you understood mine."
Silence.
"Okay, let me explain, then." Greg paused to stretch his neck to both sides, the action failing to create the cracking sound he had expected. "You see, Jin, I'm very angry right now. Mostly 'cause of people like you. Terrorists who think it's okay to bomb this city…"
His grip tightened in Jin's hair, forcing a slight groan from the man, "... think it's okay to kill people and just… just ruin lives. Innocent lives. Innocent people. People who had nothing..."
Greg's teeth slammed down on each other, the blond remaining quiet for a few moments before speaking up again, voice much quieter this time, "... absolutely nothing… to do with any of this and you guys just blew them up because… because…"
The blond raised an eyebrow, tilting his head down as he shot the gangster a look that was equal parts curious and manic. "Why did you guys do this anyway?"
JIn held on to his defiant expression and remained stoic, his only show of emotion being that of slight groans and a continued twitching in Greg's hold as the blond's knee dug forcefully into his ribs.
Realizing that another of his questions wasn't going to be answered, the teen let out a long sigh and continued speaking. "You know, it's taking a lot out of me not to just… I dunno," Greg shook his head as he made a wavering gesture with his free hand, "break your neck or something and go out to find one of your buddies out in this big ol' city actually willing to talk to me. I just want you to know that."
Jin stared back at Greg, defiant expression shifting into something resembling confusion, before reverting all the way back to outright scorn. "You're not… ngggh… you won't do that, teme."
Greg raised an eyebrow at the words, confusion spreading across his expression as the grounded goon finally replied to something he said. "I won't? Who said that?"
A tongue darted out over cracked and bleeding lips, Jin taking in another sharp breath. "You… you did. You would have done it already. You ain't Empire either. They..." Jin gestured with his chin at the others in the room, "They'd all be dead already... if… if you were... Empire."
Geg glanced around the room, slowly nodding. "You sure about that?"
"Yeah, those chikushou fucks… they don't hold back." Jin continued, voice obviously strained. "I bet… I bet you're a hero, probably a new one." The gangster visibly flinched a moment later as the silence left in the wake of his response was suddenly filled with loud, snide laughter courtesy of the cape kneeling above him.
"Hero?" Greg's laughter stopped abruptly, his fist tightening around Arashiro's spiked hair. "See… the thing is, normally, yeah, pretty much. But not right now," Greg paused to wrench the ABB member's head closer to his own face, the thug letting out another scream as Greg yanked him by the hair, "... and definitely not when I'm dressed like this."
Jin's voice faded away again, the man shuddering as he stared up at the skull mask with blue eyes that glared down at him. "Y-y-you're lying…"
Without saying a word, Greg opened his free hand, the other pulling harder on Arashiro's thick head of spiked hair to elicit another yelp. As his fingers opened up, a small tongue of flame came into existence on the blonde's gloved palm, the tongue slowly blossoming into a small sphere that almost seemed to dance a few inches above his hand.
Greg moved it closer, Jin's sweat no longer being from fear alone as the heat neared his face. It took all the willpower the gangster had not to let out another shout when the ball almost doubled in size, jumping to the size of a baseball just a few inches from his face.
"This feel like a lie to you?"
"N-n-n-n…" His words tapered off as Greg closed his fist to snuff out the ball of fire, the grown man letting out a shudder of relief.
"Tell me what I want to know."
Rooftop
1:30 PM
Greg Veder stood atop the rooftop adjacent from the building he had just been inside, the teen in full balaclava and mask as he waited for the police to arrive. The last gangster had told him almost everything he could think to ask about, information ranging from who was now leading the ABB to where his gang was getting the bombs from.
Strangely, all the answers seemed to simply range back to one single name. Bakuda.
Why did you blow up Brockton Central? Bakuda's orders.
Why are you blowing up the city? Bakuda's orders.
What does Bakuda want? ...
That question seemed to be enough to stump the man, the guy simply shrugging after a few seconds of thought. Anything further than that was a dead end, with the man bearing no knowledge as to where this Bakuda actually was or where Greg could find the rest of these bombs. He didn't even seem to know who Bakuda really was, apart from the vague knowledge of some bomb-based Tinker Lung recruited a short while ago.
It had been a drop in the bucket, admittedly, but one the teen couldn't help but be thankful for. Greg showed his appreciation to the unwilling informant by knocking him out as painlessly as he could. The guy actually thought I was gonna let him go… Greg rolled his eyes as he let out a snort of laughter. Like he suddenly wasn't a murdering terrorist. Seriously, where does Lung find these guys?
That little bit of humor was interrupted as his phone rang in his pocket, the blond blinking in confusion for a few moments before fishing the device out of his front pockets. Flipping it open, Greg answered it with as much genuine happiness as he could manage.
"Hey, Sparks. What's up?" Granted, it wasn't a lot but it was adequate.
"Hey, G… um, I g-"
"Guess what I just did?" Greg interjected, not even Sparky a moment to really speak in his own eagerness.
"...what? I-is it bad?"
The hesitation in Sparky's voice was almost enough to make the blond snort, his friend no doubt jumping to the worst possible conclusion. "Relax, dude, nothing like that. I just got us a major lead that's gonna crack this whole thing wide open."
"That's…" Sparky sighed, "that's really great, man but I gotta tell y-"
"Waitwaitwait, let me finish," Greg interrupted again, "I gotta tell you ab-"
"Greg!" Now, it was Sparky's turn to interrupt, voice an angry whisper. "Dude, it's really important! You gotta listen to me right now. My parents are all over the place, going back and forth in the living room and I had to go in the bathroom to call you so listen up."
Greg blinked, a slight frown forming on his face at what Sparky was saying before the blond just shrugged. "Sure, sure, go ahead."
"I just called to tell you that…" Sparky paused again, his words trailing off to a furious mutter under his breath.
"Sparks?" Greg couldn't help the frown that deepened on his face as he caught the words 'bad idea' and 'might as well' from Sparky's undertone.
"...Sorry… Sorry about that."
"It's cool, I guess. Just tell me what you need to say."
"...He escaped."
Greg blinked at the emphasis in just those two words. "Okay, I heard the capitalization in that," he began, frown only now turning into a full blown scowl. "Who exactly are we talking about here?"
"Lung."
Jack, Roman Krupkin, Agamnon Solarion, Weise, yosef vicars, Alec, Spooky Bones, Christian Schroter, Agamnon Solarion, Weise, yosef vicars, Yobthog, Zach Collins, Ryan, Lazysailor, Lyte, Binary Giant, e-addict, Erik Mickiewicz, James Carl Henderson, Liam O' Neil, Mathieu Martineau, Sackthanaban Kounlavong, Cedron Spaulding, Silver W. King, TM, Chris, zdront, Door, NexusClown, Brandon Dayne Baugh, AntaeusTheGiant, Mira, Jacek Blonski, Sartek, ALEX, and Benjamin Helkey. And of course, I can't go without mentioning Segev, who does a great job of Beta as well.
Thanks to my other Betas. Kenmadragon, Dasstan, and the Fanciest of Molasses. Seriously, I appreciate all of you guys for your help and I want to make sure you know that.
Mob 5.9
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
April 18, 2011
1:21 PM
The gangster adjusted his aim and Greg made his move, quickly dashing to the side in a feat of speed that could only be described as blatantly superhuman. His sudden movement came not a moment too soon as a sound of thunder jarred the blond's eardrums at the very same instant that a section of the wall exploded less than a meter away from his face.
Fu-! His head jerked back as the sound washed over, Greg shutting his eyes for an instant as his upper body was peppered with fragments of plaster and drywall dust, a spike of pain stabbing into his skull without warning. Less than a second later, the blond furiously shook his head as he pushed away the pain, vicious anger in his eyes as he charged towards the backpedaling shooter, the mob of gangsters already on the move themselves.
In hindsight, that was a bad move.
Another gunshot rang through the air as Greg let out a sound that was more anger than pain; a new hole opened up in his chest and a white-hot pain in his torso and back informing him of what happened. He paused, only stumbling for a single moment as the pain in his chest ate at what little remained of his self-control.
Still, it was enough time.
The crowd of people thickened in a rough semi-circle centered on him, the shooter already lost behind a wall of men. A metal bat came swinging down on him, its holder likely cursing in some language Greg either didn't know or bother to think about at the moment. The blond reacted, hand grabbing hold of the silver-colored melee weapon as he yanked the thing forward.
The man on the other end was pulled towards him, letting go of the bat at the last moment as he realized what was happening. Greg, new weapon in hand albeit in an awkward position, swung the bat directly behind him on a gamble as his eyes darted around to those opponents that he could keep track of already. The sound of several people crying out in pain as the bat met resistance was all he needed for confirmation and the blond spun around, the wind buffeting around his limbs as he thrust his leg forward in a kick any true Spartan would be proud of.
A burst of wind exploded outwards as his foot made contact, the thug on the receiving end flying across the room and colliding against the door with a cracking noise that sounded nothing if not utterly painful. Before he could even take a moment to celebrate that little victory, Greg was forced to dodge again as the edge of a long bladed weapon flitted past his field of vision.
Shit!The blond quickly threw his head back in the opposite direction as another machete came swinging for his head less than a second later. Greg responded by swinging his own weapon back, yet another machete blade bouncing back off the thinner end of the bat as he diverted it into someone's open face. The resulting shriek of pain and accompanying spray of blood from a broken nose only made the smile under his mask grow that much bigger.
He knew that it wasn't the fight itself he was enjoying so much as much as it was the knowledge that he was making them hurt with every action he took. Still, the fighting didn't hurt… in a manner of speaking.
His heart rate spiked as he ducked forward, quickly maneuvering into a forward roll to avoid the continuing onslaught of weapons from all sides. Springing up to his feet in a handstand that quickly turned into a backwards flip, Greg drew around to face all of the ABB again as they formed up on each other, no longer allowing anyone of them to be at his back.
"Well, come on," Greg bit out, undisguised eagerness in his tone as he tossed the aluminum bat over his shoulder and brought both fists up to his face in his best mimicry of a boxer's stance. He let the reinforcement around his body die down, the realization that he needed them in good enough condition to answer his questions coming to mind. "Let's do this. I don't got all day."
"Jayus lo!" One of the thugs closest to him, a reedy man with a thick head of hair and dressed in a green leather jacket, let out a shout as he lunged forward, a butcher's knife in one hand. The panic in his voice was clear for all to see and only made more obvious by the fear-stricken expression he wore. He rushed towards Greg despite all that, his confidence inspiring several of those around him as they began to make their own move, another in a red jacket of similar make right behind him with knives in both hands.
For Greg, time slowed down by at least half as he prepared for their approach, eyes darting all over as he noted their weapons. Granted, half speed was still pretty damn fast when several grown men were charging you down in a room already filled to at least a fifth of its capacity but still…
It was enough.
Fistswitchbladebrassknucklesbatknifeknivesmachetepistol.
The thoughts filled his mind in a fraction of a second, Greg adjusting his stance as the eight men neared him with visible anger in their eyes… Now.
Greg Veder had never considered himself an expert on advanced martial arts on any level, his fighting skills consisting of knowing how to throw a simple punch or kick and everything he needed to do not to trip over his own feet while doing so. He also didn't consider himself a master of the more simple arts either; the intricacies of boxing or wrestling eluded him.
Honestly, it was a good thing that the wannabe hero never thought that highly of his own skill because what happened next could not be considered advanced or masterful in any way, shape or form.
Gloved fists moved with a furious speed as he dashed forward, slamming into Red Jacket's unguarded face and chest several times before the man dropped to the ground, each blow visibly jarring his frame before the knives flew from his hands. Without hesitation, Greg sprang at the next one with inhuman speed, slamming a vicious elbow into Green Jacket's chest.
The man stumbled back, choking as he tried to take in air, but remained on his feet. Greg didn't allow him the option. Weaving around the attacks of several of his friends, the blond met the thug's attempts to stay in the fight with a punishing kick to his lower body, sending him screaming to the ground.
The annoying thing about this fight wasn't the fact that he had gotten shot already. What was more annoying was that, unlike the other group Greg had encountered today, these guys actually had some sense of teamwork; their quick reaction to any visibly opening was making it just the tiniest bit more troublesome for Greg to get a moment of peace in between hits. Of course, they weren't perfect but still…
They were definitely an improvement.
The last fight he had been in had been a good deal more hectic than this even at the beginning, each man stumbling over each other in their attempts to kill Greg. Here, they had at least some common sense.
Though the slight fog in his ears remained, Greg could hear someone yelling out orders in fragmented English, the words not coming across well amid all the other faint shouts and curses.
Greg dodged to the side as another aluminum bat came swinging at him, the blond tearing it out of his attacker's hand with an angry tug. Wishing to end it fast, the blond twirled the bat into a proper grip and quickly thrust the bat forward, attempting to jab the butt of the weapon into his temple.
Rather than going down, the man snapped his head to the side, wide-eyed with shock as he avoided the strike by a hair. Before he could so much as move again, though, Greg quickly corrected his mistake with a vicious punch that sent the man down.
Not even paying the batsman any more attention as he slumped to the ground without a word, Greg spun around with the bat in hand, the weapon striking yet another one of the ABB thugs, the man bending over in pain from the hit right before Greg dropped him with a swift kick.
Holding the bat to his back, Greg made it stick there with a quick application of Surface Adhesion, the weapon not budging as his free hand lashed out in a quick jab. His gloved knuckles sunk into the gut of an unprepared thug wielding a chipped machete, the man's leather jacket no protection at all when he didn't bother to zip the thing up. Red-rimmed eyes bulged as the thug let out a wheezing gasp and stumbled backward, that little sound completely drowned out by all the shouting going on around them.
Instincts warned him to watch his back and the teen spun on his heels and thrust his forearm up to guard his face, just in time to receive the welcome gift of a pipe slamming down onto it. Jesus Ch- A shock of pain traveled up the affected limb, the strike sending Greg's body back a few inches as he audibly grunted.
The pipe was quickly followed up by a slab of flesh in the shape of a fist as it slammed dead center into the teen's chest. Greg bent at the waist slightly, an instinctive action as he tried to suck in a breath, as his vision was filled with the sight of a dirty wife-beater and an impressively muscled body.
As he jerked back up to his full height, a second fist slammed into his jaw from below in a mighty uppercut, and Greg's gaze was lifted high enough from the force of it to catch sight of the chipped teeth, broken nose and scarred face of one of the ugliest men he had ever seen before.
Before he could recover from those strikes in tandem, Greg was forced to take another strike as the end of a metal bat avoided his upraised arm entirely as it crashed into his right temple with skull-shattering force, the blond sent reeling with the force of took tremendous effort to force himself not to fall to the ground while still rolling with the hit. A groan spilling from his lips, Greg struggled to stay on his feet as his head pounded like a jackhammer, but he accomplished it regardless. Oh great, I just love the taste of my own blood.
Greg glanced back up, ears ringing as he forced down a sudden wave of nausea. Fighting the urge to fall to his feet, the blond let out a wordless scream, full of anger as he pulled deeply on his mana and yelled along in his own head. Wind Explosion!
The explosion of displaced air washed over him like a light breeze, the blowback barely enough to flutter his scarf. On the other end, it was like watching a bomb go off. Most of them were unlucky enough to be directly in front of it were lifted off their feet and slammed into walls, tables, chairs… whatever happened to be in their path served to break their fall. The rest were toppled over, knocked to the ground and suffering nothing more than a slight dazing. Good enough.
The blond rushed forward into the mob of fallen ABB, doing his best to ignore the pain as it reverberated throughout his skull, a solid thudding from the side of his eye warning him to be careful. Okay… let's finish this quick. A hand tore at the bottom of the balaclava under his mask, Greg pulling down the cloth to expose his mouth. Before I start getting angry.
As he freed his mouth from its cloth enclosure, Greg quickly rushed forward again, taking them by surprise with his speed as he forced himself directly into the face of the first man to regain his footing. With a forceful ejection, Greg spat into the gangster's face, painting his eyes with a mouthful of blood.
The cry of surprise and disgust was expected as his hands flew to wipe his eyes, as were the similar shouts thrown by several others around him, the remaining men rushing to attack him.
Already prepared for this, Greg parried several vicious strikes away from his body, diverting them off to the side, and with a seemingly unnecessary spin, the teen jerked to the side and slammed his open arm into the blood and spit-covered man with a move that was half-clothesline and half something else entirely. Hurricane Lariat!
The tightly packed air churning around his forearm lifted the thug up and sent him across the room, the body only stopping when it slammed into a desk and slumped over it.
The blond was already in motion as soon as the ABB went flying, using the remaining churned-up air from his aerokinetic clothesline to boost the force of his jump as he darted towards two shirtless men trying to circle around him.
His jump turned into a dropkick, the force behind it magnified by his aerokinesis once more as Greg's feet met the other man's chest with a visible burst of air upon contact. It hadn't been intentional, not in the slightest, but Greg Veder would be lying if he said he wasn't smiling as he sent the thug flying face-first into a wall with a scream and the sound of something cracking that definitely wasn't the sudden hole made in the cheap drywall and plaster that led to an adjacent room.
As several others scrambled to their feet, a flash of gold caught Greg's gaze and he rushed forward again, eyes locked on his target as the man attempted to pick himself up off the ground.
"You!"
The man in question reared back and nearly fell over, quickly attempting to scramble behind a desk for cover as his eyes widened in visible fear.
Greg didn't allow that.
The blonde's gloved fingers tightened around a handful of thick, greasy hair and yanked the shooter to his feet with a pained yelp as he visibly struggled. Greg drew his fist back and let an angry fist fly directly into his captive's face. "Fuck you."
He hit him again, growling with the strike and forcing a choked groan from the chain-wearing gang member. "Fuck your chains too." Another hard strike to the chest, the sound of something cracking under his fist music to Greg's ears. The third was just overkill at that point, considering the second hit was enough to make sure that the guy wouldn't be getting up for a while.
Still, Greg felt like it was important to make sure of these things.
Greg let go of the man, allowing him to drop to the ground, turned his attention back to what remained of the ABB in the room. Five of them still stood, one with a nose currently gushing blood as he tried his hardest to look threatening with a machete in hand.
The teen drew his fists up again, ready to crack another joke at the expense of the ABB when the sound of another gunshot echoed through the ground floor of the office building. Greg stumbled forward as that familiar white heat spread across his torso, the sensation feeling like a vice grip around his chest.
Fuck… Fuck… Fuck. Jesus fucking Christ, that hurts!Greg forced himself to ignore the second hole in his chest and the inconsequential ABB armed with melee weapons trying to entrap him as he turned to stare daggers into the confused man. The man in question was busy staring between the gun and the boy in black, likely wondering why the latter wasn't bleeding out on the floor.
"You." Greg pulled the bat from his back and twirled it slowly, the thing coming free as he willingly cancelled the Surface Adhesion skill. The sweaty thug glanced up at Greg as his voice caught his attention, gun falling from his trembling hands as his eyes widened.
"I'm gonna make you eat metal." He punctuated the statement with another twirl of the bat, all the while fighting the urge to wince again as the burn in his chest kept eating away at him. In all honesty, the pain was a great motivator for what came next.
The vicious bat to the man's kneecaps was something that Greg believed he would remember fondly in the coming future, possibly in the form of a story that he would tell to Sparky. The day he delivered a lesson as to why you shouldn't shoot people in the back, an entirely different lesson from why you shouldn't shoot people in the first place.
That lesson came in the form of an angry roundhouse to the jaw.
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
(5 Minutes Later)
(5 Minutes Later)
"I'm not gonna ask you again!"
Greg Veder spun the man around, slamming his bruised body into the broken and cracked wall, the back of his head bouncing off the drywall for what had to be the fourth time in half as many minutes. The tattooed man's attempts to struggle were almost laughable, the blond cape's innate strength making even holding back a man larger than he was much easier than it should have been.
Si Taksin.
That was his name, Greg knew that much. It had been less than twenty minutes since he had Observed the thug as he and his four-man crew loaded several metallic suitcases into this building; the same ones that Taksin adamantly chose to remain tight-lipped about.
Greg sunk his fist into the man's stomach several times more as he growled his words into the remaining gang member's face, punctuating each one with another strike to the solar plexus.
"Start." Punch. "Talking." Punch. "Or." Punch. "Else." Punch.
The last few were met with almost no resistance as Greg's target went almost entirely limp in his grip, the thug's eyes almost rolling back into his head. "Wake up!" Greg's voice was a growl as his hands gripped the man's shoulder tight, furiously shaking the man in an attempt to force him back to consciousness. When Taksin didn't respond, the blond fired off a quick Observe and frowned at the results as the thug's health still rested at nearly an eighth of its maximum.
"Hey!" Greg tried again, shoving a finger into the man's face as he pushed him back against the wall. "Don't try and pull that. I know you're faking." Both his hands dropped to the man's chest as the teen gripped his shirt and Greg fiercely shook the man, trying to force him back into consciousness through his own means.
After a few seconds, it was clear that his attempts were pointless. Fuck.
With a frustrated sigh, Greg pushed away his anger again, letting it sink into the ever-placid lake that was Gamer's Mind as he ignored the voice in his head berating him for not holding back enough. Without even looking at him, the blond pushed the thug back against the wall, mind already on another topic as he turned around. Another waste of time.
Greg left the man to fall to the ground in a crumpled heap as he began striding over the unmoving and bleeding bodies of multiple ABB, not even bothering to so much as pause, his gaze focused on several metal cases resting on a few desks at the far end of the room.
The blond stopped in front of the four desks shoved up against each other, each table holding two of the suitcases he had seen before. "Since he didn't want to talk…" Greg angled himself to face the case closest to him, fingers already reaching for the clasps, "then I guess I gotta see it for myself."
It opened with a click.
Blue eyes narrowed, Greg staring at the multiple items inside the padded foam confines of the suitcase for a minute before uttering a single word as he chose one to focus on. ["Observe."]
Those same eyes glazed over for a moment as he quickly read the panel that arose over the item he had been focusing on before completely shutting for a moment. As the moment passed, Greg Veder snapped his head back to the beaten and bruised form of the last ABB to hit the ground, face fixed in what could only be described as a venomous glare. "Are you…" His lips curled, sentence becoming a snarl before the blond could catch himself. A few moments passed before he made another sound, that of a single breath as he released it.
"...fucking kidding me." He continued speaking, ending his thought as his hands trembled above the suitcase. With a sense of cautiousness and patience that most wouldn't attribute to Greg, the teen shut the case and carefully re-did the latches, and returned to staring at the table with a flat expression.
"...I honestly don't know what I expected." Another breath passed his lips as he slowly shook his head, teeth grinding together. "I really don't."
In another slow move, the blond spread his hand over the tables in a wide arc, one more word on his lips.
"Inventory."
The eight cases vanished one by one as Greg's arm moved over it, each surrounded by a flash of blue light and leaving nothing behind to mark their existence but motes of glowing blue light that quickly faded. A scowl on his face, Greg dropped his fists on the now-empty table, mouth a flat thin line of displeasure. "Well, now what?"
The blond slowly turned around, facing the room full of prone bodies as he leaned back on the table, still pondering that question. His shoulders sunk, posture dropping as he brought a hand to his mouth and continued to look around the room. His gaze landed on one of said prone figures, the sound of stilted breathing suddenly as loud as a siren in the quiet room.
Greg's mouth turned down at both ends, confusion twisting the frown on his face. I missed one? Tilting his head to the side, Greg pushed himself off the table, paying little attention to the groan of the metal as he removed his weight from it. Eyes flashed blue for an instant as Greg thought the word. [Observe.]
Huh, Greg blinked behind his mask as he continued walking over to the ABB in question, taking his time as he avoided stepping on any of the others. None of that was helpful except the last part. As he came to a stop directly behind Arashiro, Greg noticed the thug's subtly rising chest freeze in place. For a long moment, the blond regarded him with completion for a brief moment, eyes narrowing as he slowly realized this one was the same guy that had come after him with a pair of kitchen knives.
Kitchen knives that he barely managed to use, some part of him tried to argue for whatever reason, but Greg quickly strangled the thought promoting some leniency with another argument, Still… it is the thought that counts.
"Get. Up."
Each word was punctuated with a sharp kick in the thug's ribs, each one inciting a sharp intake of breath from the young man lying on the floor. Greg tilted his head to the side as the man went still again, still feigning unconsciousness despite what had just been done to him.
Greg Veder shut his eyes and took a deep breath, unsure if he should shout or laugh at the situation in front of him. Choosing to do neither, the blond dropped to one knee, body looming over the ABB member's bruised figure.
His left hand lashed out next, individual fingers latching on to the gang member's thick locks as Greg pulled back.
Hard.
The howl of agony Arashiro let out gave no illusions as to his state of consciousness, Greg not even flinching as the man's wails faded as he realized the position he was in. The lines of dried blood tracing from his nostrils and the bruising and swelling around his face did serve to remind Greg of the furious combo he had delivered to this man's face and chest, though. So, that's half the job done.
Greg flashed the beaten man a smirk, balaclava still hanging around his neck and leaving his mouth uncovered. "So, do you feel like telling me where you got these bombs from?"
The silence was all the answer Greg needed, the ABB member managing a defiant look through one swollen eye and the other brimming with pained tears.
"Okay. I can understand where you're coming from. I get your position. I really do," Greg managed to shift his mocking smirk into a smile, the friendly expression coming out just as hollow as the humor in his voice. "But I'm just saying, you might change your mind if you understood mine."
Silence.
"Okay, let me explain, then." Greg paused to stretch his neck to both sides, the action failing to create the cracking sound he had expected. "You see, Jin, I'm very angry right now. Mostly 'cause of people like you. Terrorists who think it's okay to bomb this city…"
His grip tightened in Jin's hair, forcing a slight groan from the man, "... think it's okay to kill people and just… just ruin lives. Innocent lives. Innocent people. People who had nothing..."
Greg's teeth slammed down on each other, the blond remaining quiet for a few moments before speaking up again, voice much quieter this time, "... absolutely nothing… to do with any of this and you guys just blew them up because… because…"
The blond raised an eyebrow, tilting his head down as he shot the gangster a look that was equal parts curious and manic. "Why did you guys do this anyway?"
JIn held on to his defiant expression and remained stoic, his only show of emotion being that of slight groans and a continued twitching in Greg's hold as the blond's knee dug forcefully into his ribs.
Realizing that another of his questions wasn't going to be answered, the teen let out a long sigh and continued speaking. "You know, it's taking a lot out of me not to just… I dunno," Greg shook his head as he made a wavering gesture with his free hand, "break your neck or something and go out to find one of your buddies out in this big ol' city actually willing to talk to me. I just want you to know that."
Jin stared back at Greg, defiant expression shifting into something resembling confusion, before reverting all the way back to outright scorn. "You're not… ngggh… you won't do that, teme."
Greg raised an eyebrow at the words, confusion spreading across his expression as the grounded goon finally replied to something he said. "I won't? Who said that?"
A tongue darted out over cracked and bleeding lips, Jin taking in another sharp breath. "You… you did. You would have done it already. You ain't Empire either. They..." Jin gestured with his chin at the others in the room, "They'd all be dead already... if… if you were... Empire."
Geg glanced around the room, slowly nodding. "You sure about that?"
"Yeah, those chikushou fucks… they don't hold back." Jin continued, voice obviously strained. "I bet… I bet you're a hero, probably a new one." The gangster visibly flinched a moment later as the silence left in the wake of his response was suddenly filled with loud, snide laughter courtesy of the cape kneeling above him.
"Hero?" Greg's laughter stopped abruptly, his fist tightening around Arashiro's spiked hair. "See… the thing is, normally, yeah, pretty much. But not right now," Greg paused to wrench the ABB member's head closer to his own face, the thug letting out another scream as Greg yanked him by the hair, "... and definitely not when I'm dressed like this."
Jin's voice faded away again, the man shuddering as he stared up at the skull mask with blue eyes that glared down at him. "Y-y-you're lying…"
Without saying a word, Greg opened his free hand, the other pulling harder on Arashiro's thick head of spiked hair to elicit another yelp. As his fingers opened up, a small tongue of flame came into existence on the blonde's gloved palm, the tongue slowly blossoming into a small sphere that almost seemed to dance a few inches above his hand.
Greg moved it closer, Jin's sweat no longer being from fear alone as the heat neared his face. It took all the willpower the gangster had not to let out another shout when the ball almost doubled in size, jumping to the size of a baseball just a few inches from his face.
"This feel like a lie to you?"
"N-n-n-n…" His words tapered off as Greg closed his fist to snuff out the ball of fire, the grown man letting out a shudder of relief.
"Tell me what I want to know."
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Rooftop
1:30 PM
Greg Veder stood atop the rooftop adjacent from the building he had just been inside, the teen in full balaclava and mask as he waited for the police to arrive. The last gangster had told him almost everything he could think to ask about, information ranging from who was now leading the ABB to where his gang was getting the bombs from.
Strangely, all the answers seemed to simply range back to one single name. Bakuda.
Why did you blow up Brockton Central? Bakuda's orders.
Why are you blowing up the city? Bakuda's orders.
What does Bakuda want? ...
That question seemed to be enough to stump the man, the guy simply shrugging after a few seconds of thought. Anything further than that was a dead end, with the man bearing no knowledge as to where this Bakuda actually was or where Greg could find the rest of these bombs. He didn't even seem to know who Bakuda really was, apart from the vague knowledge of some bomb-based Tinker Lung recruited a short while ago.
It had been a drop in the bucket, admittedly, but one the teen couldn't help but be thankful for. Greg showed his appreciation to the unwilling informant by knocking him out as painlessly as he could. The guy actually thought I was gonna let him go… Greg rolled his eyes as he let out a snort of laughter. Like he suddenly wasn't a murdering terrorist. Seriously, where does Lung find these guys?
That little bit of humor was interrupted as his phone rang in his pocket, the blond blinking in confusion for a few moments before fishing the device out of his front pockets. Flipping it open, Greg answered it with as much genuine happiness as he could manage.
"Hey, Sparks. What's up?" Granted, it wasn't a lot but it was adequate.
"Hey, G… um, I g-"
"Guess what I just did?" Greg interjected, not even Sparky a moment to really speak in his own eagerness.
"...what? I-is it bad?"
The hesitation in Sparky's voice was almost enough to make the blond snort, his friend no doubt jumping to the worst possible conclusion. "Relax, dude, nothing like that. I just got us a major lead that's gonna crack this whole thing wide open."
"That's…" Sparky sighed, "that's really great, man but I gotta tell y-"
"Waitwaitwait, let me finish," Greg interrupted again, "I gotta tell you ab-"
"Greg!" Now, it was Sparky's turn to interrupt, voice an angry whisper. "Dude, it's really important! You gotta listen to me right now. My parents are all over the place, going back and forth in the living room and I had to go in the bathroom to call you so listen up."
Greg blinked, a slight frown forming on his face at what Sparky was saying before the blond just shrugged. "Sure, sure, go ahead."
"I just called to tell you that…" Sparky paused again, his words trailing off to a furious mutter under his breath.
"Sparks?" Greg couldn't help the frown that deepened on his face as he caught the words 'bad idea' and 'might as well' from Sparky's undertone.
"...Sorry… Sorry about that."
"It's cool, I guess. Just tell me what you need to say."
"...He escaped."
Greg blinked at the emphasis in just those two words. "Okay, I heard the capitalization in that," he began, frown only now turning into a full blown scowl. "Who exactly are we talking about here?"
"Lung."
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Greg Lucas Veder
Student
Level 20
Title: Ninja - In Training
XP: 9650/32000
Age: 15 (and three-quarters!)
HP: 1385/1632
MP: 495/495
Will: 563/563
STR: 66
SPD: 63 (+2 [65])
VIT: 97
INT: 51
WIS: 18 ((-12.6) [5])
CHA: 24 ((+9) (-90%)
Unspent Stat Points: 25
Unspent Perk Points: 1
Cash: $20,025.82
Student
Level 20
Title: Ninja - In Training
XP: 9650/32000
Age: 15 (and three-quarters!)
HP: 1385/1632
MP: 495/495
Will: 563/563
STR: 66
SPD: 63 (+2 [65])
VIT: 97
INT: 51
WIS: 18 ((-12.6) [5])
CHA: 24 ((+9) (-90%)
Unspent Stat Points: 25
Unspent Perk Points: 1
Cash: $20,025.82
Nerd-Geek Hybrid: Your obsession with video gaming, computers, fantasy/sci-fi literature and 80's/90's pop culture has left you in the rare middle of two circles; the obsessive fandom-loving geek and the intelligent, knowledge seeking nerd. Sadly, your hobbies have left you with an aversion to physical exertion. (50% bonus to INT gains, -50% penalty to STR, SPD & VIT gains.)
Asperger's Syndrome: Ever since you were a little kid, you've always been a little bit off. Impulsive, obsessive, socially obtuse and emotionally needy, you're a bit of a weirdo. You now know that you have Asperger's Syndrome. Thanks to the help of a PRT doctor with good advice, you're now more aware of your own mental state. (-70% reduction to overall WIS, -90% reduction to overall CHA.)
Casanova Bloodline: As a Veder man, you have a great smile, natural charm and a confident approach to life that draws the ladies in like a moth to a flame. Your great cheekbones don't hurt either. It's how your dad got your mom to go out with him while dating at least three other girls and sleeping with two others, at least that's what he always told you - even when you didn't ask - all the time. (+ 9 CHA)
Dragon-Blooded
Fire and fury flows through your veins, blood of the dragon.
The mythical hero Siegfried was baptized in the blood of a magical dragon and became nigh-invulnerable, immune to nearly all forms of damage. You, on the other hand, were splattered in the blood of a not-so-magical dragon. (+ 250 HP, + 10 STR, + 10 SPD)
Dragon-Souled
For some, baptism by fire tends to be a symbolic term. Not for you, though.
Facing the heat of Lung's flames head-on has purified the strength of your will and the power of your soul. The beginnings of draconic power grow throughout your being. (+250 MP, +250 Will, +10 INT, +10 VIT)
Peak Human
What is peak human, anyway?
Somehow, you have surpassed the physical threshold of humanity, surpassing those inherent limits man is beholden to. (Unlocks perks for STR, SPD, VIT and INT once a stat crosses a benchmark of 50 pts)
Asperger's Syndrome: Ever since you were a little kid, you've always been a little bit off. Impulsive, obsessive, socially obtuse and emotionally needy, you're a bit of a weirdo. You now know that you have Asperger's Syndrome. Thanks to the help of a PRT doctor with good advice, you're now more aware of your own mental state. (-70% reduction to overall WIS, -90% reduction to overall CHA.)
Casanova Bloodline: As a Veder man, you have a great smile, natural charm and a confident approach to life that draws the ladies in like a moth to a flame. Your great cheekbones don't hurt either. It's how your dad got your mom to go out with him while dating at least three other girls and sleeping with two others, at least that's what he always told you - even when you didn't ask - all the time. (+ 9 CHA)
Dragon-Blooded
Fire and fury flows through your veins, blood of the dragon.
The mythical hero Siegfried was baptized in the blood of a magical dragon and became nigh-invulnerable, immune to nearly all forms of damage. You, on the other hand, were splattered in the blood of a not-so-magical dragon. (+ 250 HP, + 10 STR, + 10 SPD)
Dragon-Souled
For some, baptism by fire tends to be a symbolic term. Not for you, though.
Facing the heat of Lung's flames head-on has purified the strength of your will and the power of your soul. The beginnings of draconic power grow throughout your being. (+250 MP, +250 Will, +10 INT, +10 VIT)
Peak Human
What is peak human, anyway?
Somehow, you have surpassed the physical threshold of humanity, surpassing those inherent limits man is beholden to. (Unlocks perks for STR, SPD, VIT and INT once a stat crosses a benchmark of 50 pts)
Baby Steps (1/3) [Ranked Skill]
With Catlike Tread...
Allows very light movement across surfaces, allowing you to move or stand on surfaces that would normally not support your weight.
Bulwark
Facing off against an opponent who far outclassed you has given you an ability to withstand impossible pain in the face of impossible odds.
Takes 50% less damage from opponents over five times your level.
Catch Your Breath
Endurance is patience concentrated.
After forcing yourself to move under extenuating circumstances for a long period of time, your willpower recovery rate has doubled. (1 Will per 5 Seconds)
Danger Sense (4/10) [Ranked Skill]
My common sense is tingling.
You gain a sixth sense that allows you to sense the presence of incoming danger.
Developed Mind (1/10) [Ranked Ability]
I like to think of myself as enlightened.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 MP for each rank of this perk.
Dragon Blood's Gift
What is a knight without armor? A dragon without scales? A lion without teeth?
All equipped armor and gear is self-repairing at a rate of 1% a minute, so long as it is constantly being fed mana or will in some manner.
Fire Dragon's Aura (1/10) [Ranked Skill]
"Bathed in Dragon Fire and Blood, I shall fear no flame"
At a rate of 1 MP per second per rank, draw upon your pyrokinesis to generate an aura of fire. Your equipment and body are immune to the heat, of it and anything cooler than it. It is, however, actual fire, so try not to burn down your house. In addition, you can literally breathe fire instead of air while this is active.
Growing Will (1/10) [Ranked Ability]
Some people say you're rather willful.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 Will for each rank of this perk.
Keen Vision
20/20? That's weaksauce.
The range and clarity of your vision scale with your INT by a ratio of 2:1. (100%)
Lifegiver (5/10) [Ranked Ability]
Health is more than just not getting sick.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 HP for each rank of this perk.
Not Quite Dead
People die when they are killed… usually.
Survive after your HP sinks below 0 and a harmful status effect is active.
10% Chance to recover with full health when HP drops to 0.
Quick Healer
Don't worry, it won't scar.
You heal rather fast, at a rate of a tenth of your VIT every fifteen seconds.
Surefooted
I don't trip.
Allows perfect traction over any solid ground, eliminating the chance of slipping and falling over your own feet.
Swift Learner (2/10) [Ranked Ability]
You're no idiot.
You gain an increased amount of experience, increasing by 10% for each point in this skill.
Toughened Body
Charles Atlas would be proud.
Simply put, you're already tougher than most people. Now, well, look at the title of this perk. All physical damage is reduced by half your level number, in addition to all other damage reduction.
Transformation Sequence (1/3) [Ranked Skill]
"It's Morphin' Time!"
By willing yourself to transform, you can equip any full outfit within your inventory, transforming in a flash of blue light, mana glitter and/or a whirlwind of aerokinesis obscuring you.
With Catlike Tread...
Allows very light movement across surfaces, allowing you to move or stand on surfaces that would normally not support your weight.
Bulwark
Facing off against an opponent who far outclassed you has given you an ability to withstand impossible pain in the face of impossible odds.
Takes 50% less damage from opponents over five times your level.
Catch Your Breath
Endurance is patience concentrated.
After forcing yourself to move under extenuating circumstances for a long period of time, your willpower recovery rate has doubled. (1 Will per 5 Seconds)
Danger Sense (4/10) [Ranked Skill]
My common sense is tingling.
You gain a sixth sense that allows you to sense the presence of incoming danger.
Developed Mind (1/10) [Ranked Ability]
I like to think of myself as enlightened.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 MP for each rank of this perk.
Dragon Blood's Gift
What is a knight without armor? A dragon without scales? A lion without teeth?
All equipped armor and gear is self-repairing at a rate of 1% a minute, so long as it is constantly being fed mana or will in some manner.
Fire Dragon's Aura (1/10) [Ranked Skill]
"Bathed in Dragon Fire and Blood, I shall fear no flame"
At a rate of 1 MP per second per rank, draw upon your pyrokinesis to generate an aura of fire. Your equipment and body are immune to the heat, of it and anything cooler than it. It is, however, actual fire, so try not to burn down your house. In addition, you can literally breathe fire instead of air while this is active.
Growing Will (1/10) [Ranked Ability]
Some people say you're rather willful.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 Will for each rank of this perk.
Keen Vision
20/20? That's weaksauce.
The range and clarity of your vision scale with your INT by a ratio of 2:1. (100%)
Lifegiver (5/10) [Ranked Ability]
Health is more than just not getting sick.
Every time you gain a level, you gain an additional 5 HP for each rank of this perk.
Not Quite Dead
People die when they are killed… usually.
Survive after your HP sinks below 0 and a harmful status effect is active.
10% Chance to recover with full health when HP drops to 0.
Quick Healer
Don't worry, it won't scar.
You heal rather fast, at a rate of a tenth of your VIT every fifteen seconds.
Surefooted
I don't trip.
Allows perfect traction over any solid ground, eliminating the chance of slipping and falling over your own feet.
Swift Learner (2/10) [Ranked Ability]
You're no idiot.
You gain an increased amount of experience, increasing by 10% for each point in this skill.
Toughened Body
Charles Atlas would be proud.
Simply put, you're already tougher than most people. Now, well, look at the title of this perk. All physical damage is reduced by half your level number, in addition to all other damage reduction.
Transformation Sequence (1/3) [Ranked Skill]
"It's Morphin' Time!"
By willing yourself to transform, you can equip any full outfit within your inventory, transforming in a flash of blue light, mana glitter and/or a whirlwind of aerokinesis obscuring you.
Gamer's Body (Passive) Lv. MAX
Allows you to live life as if were a game.
Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects.
Gamer's Mind (Passive) Lv. MAX
Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional and mental trauma and severely dangerous emotional states.
Basic Aerokinesis Lv 15
"Winds, guard me!"
Exert the force of your air control over a range of 40 meters. Grows by 10 mph and 2.5 meters every other level. (150 mph)
Cost: 20 mp per second of sustained use at max range & power.
Basic Pyrokinesis Lv 3
Burn, baby, burn!
Generate flames and control them up to a range of 3 meters.
Cost: 20 MP per second of sustained use at max range.
Dash Straight Lv 11 (XP: 35%)
Force equals Mass times Acceleration.
You may suck at physics, but you know that much.
Through reinforcing the body, you smash your fist into a target while moving at high speed. Damage scales based on distance moved. (1.5x Damage Cap)
Damage: 165
Cost: 25 Will + 2 Will for every meter power sprinted
Mana Glitter Lv 9 (XP: 15%)
Sparkle like the pretty bishounen you were always meant to be. Or a princess. Or a pedophilic slightly-rapey vampire. Who's judging you?
Release particles of mana from your body in the form of iridescent sapphire sparkles. Max Range increases by half a meter per level. (5 meters)
Cost: 1 MP per second
Mana Platform Lv 1
I call it walking on air.
Using raw mana, you create semi-solid platforms under your feet that last only as long as you remain still. (.25 m)
Cost: 1 MP per 2 seconds
Observe Lv 14 (XP: 75%)
A skill to find out basic information relating to the chosen object.
Cost: 1 MP
Raging Combo Lv 13 (XP: 15%)
A blistering barrage of belligerent blows built to batter baddies.
By repeatedly using weaker forms of Angry Straight, you pummel your target with raw frustration and anger. (36 Hits)
Damage: 390
Cost: 65 Will
Reinforcement (Apprentice) Lv 21 (XP: 10%)
A discount version of the Kaio-Ken for the squishy wizard.
Increases your effective strength, speed and resistances by 5% per level with this technique from a base of 50%. Does not increase actual points of vitality or willpower. Improved control means that weaker usages of Reinforcement is within your grasp for lower costs. (155%)
Cost: 5 Will every 2 seconds
Warning: Overuse will lead to HP damage.
Surface Adhesion Lv 11 (XP: 15%)
You ever wanted to be Spider-Man? Don't lie. Of course you did.
This skill allows you to stick to walls and hang on to ceilings and vertical surfaces without a risk of falling. While not denying gravity, this allows you to adhere to surfaces unaided.
Cost: 2 MP per second
Structural Analysis Lv 13 (XP: 55%)
Judging the concept of creation, Hypothesizing the basic structure...
Grants the ability to gain a rudimentary understanding of the internal structure and functional design of simple, non-living objects.
Cost: 2 mp per square half-meter of object.
Conceptually do twice as much damage with a weapon. Broken?
What's that mean?
Boosts weapon damage x 2.
Length of charge increases by 1/2 second for every level. (8.5 sec)
Cost: 8 MP
Allows you to live life as if were a game.
Sleeping restores HP, MP, Will and removes most negative status effects.
Gamer's Mind (Passive) Lv. MAX
Grants immunity to mental status effects, emotional and mental trauma and severely dangerous emotional states.
Basic Aerokinesis Lv 15
"Winds, guard me!"
Exert the force of your air control over a range of 40 meters. Grows by 10 mph and 2.5 meters every other level. (150 mph)
Cost: 20 mp per second of sustained use at max range & power.
Basic Pyrokinesis Lv 3
Burn, baby, burn!
Generate flames and control them up to a range of 3 meters.
Cost: 20 MP per second of sustained use at max range.
Dash Straight Lv 11 (XP: 35%)
Force equals Mass times Acceleration.
You may suck at physics, but you know that much.
Through reinforcing the body, you smash your fist into a target while moving at high speed. Damage scales based on distance moved. (1.5x Damage Cap)
Damage: 165
Cost: 25 Will + 2 Will for every meter power sprinted
Mana Glitter Lv 9 (XP: 15%)
Sparkle like the pretty bishounen you were always meant to be. Or a princess. Or a pedophilic slightly-rapey vampire. Who's judging you?
Release particles of mana from your body in the form of iridescent sapphire sparkles. Max Range increases by half a meter per level. (5 meters)
Cost: 1 MP per second
Mana Platform Lv 1
I call it walking on air.
Using raw mana, you create semi-solid platforms under your feet that last only as long as you remain still. (.25 m)
Cost: 1 MP per 2 seconds
Observe Lv 14 (XP: 75%)
A skill to find out basic information relating to the chosen object.
Cost: 1 MP
Raging Combo Lv 13 (XP: 15%)
A blistering barrage of belligerent blows built to batter baddies.
By repeatedly using weaker forms of Angry Straight, you pummel your target with raw frustration and anger. (36 Hits)
Damage: 390
Cost: 65 Will
Reinforcement (Apprentice) Lv 21 (XP: 10%)
A discount version of the Kaio-Ken for the squishy wizard.
Increases your effective strength, speed and resistances by 5% per level with this technique from a base of 50%. Does not increase actual points of vitality or willpower. Improved control means that weaker usages of Reinforcement is within your grasp for lower costs. (155%)
Cost: 5 Will every 2 seconds
Warning: Overuse will lead to HP damage.
Subskill: Burst
Cast from hit points. Yeah, it's one of those skills.
Cast from hit points. Yeah, it's one of those skills.
- A short, yet extremely concentrated and focused burst of reinforcement applied to the extremities for an insane burst of ability lasting 1 second.
- (x 2.5 top Reinforced SPD/STR)
Cost: 20 Will, 40 HP
Subskill: Layer Reinforcement
Subskill: Layer Reinforcement
- Increases the quality of non-living items, increasing their sharpness, durability, and hardness.
- This form of reinforcement can be used on non-living substances for a base quality increase of 250% Each level improves this by 25%.
- (750%)
Cost: 2 Will every 5 seconds.
Surface Adhesion Lv 11 (XP: 15%)
You ever wanted to be Spider-Man? Don't lie. Of course you did.
This skill allows you to stick to walls and hang on to ceilings and vertical surfaces without a risk of falling. While not denying gravity, this allows you to adhere to surfaces unaided.
Cost: 2 MP per second
Structural Analysis Lv 13 (XP: 55%)
Judging the concept of creation, Hypothesizing the basic structure...
Grants the ability to gain a rudimentary understanding of the internal structure and functional design of simple, non-living objects.
Cost: 2 mp per square half-meter of object.
Subskill: Physical Analysis
Allows an innate understanding of the human body with the levels of complexity based on the progression of the primary skill, Structural Analysis.
Weapon Charge Lv 17 (XP: 75%)Allows an innate understanding of the human body with the levels of complexity based on the progression of the primary skill, Structural Analysis.
Conceptually do twice as much damage with a weapon. Broken?
What's that mean?
Boosts weapon damage x 2.
Length of charge increases by 1/2 second for every level. (8.5 sec)
Cost: 8 MP
Acrobatics Lv 23 (XP: 45%)
Parkour!
An ability that enables you to pull off backflips, frontflips and any manner of jumping-based ground-movement technique with greater ease.
Awareness: Mana Lv 11 (XP: 85%)
Mana, magic energy, magicka, prana, ether, thaum, spiritual energy, magatsuhi or even chakra… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of Mana, the spiritual energy found within the human mind and soul. Gaining awareness of your magical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Awareness: Willpower Lv 7 (XP: 85%)
Willpower, ki, chi, qi, stamina, aura, mantra, physical energy, life energy, od, or even hamon… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of your Willpower, the physical energy found within all living organisms. Gaining awareness of your physical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Ballroom Dancing Lv 1
I wouldn't call it dancing yet. More like a full-body dry heave set to music.
Represents your skill in the art of dancing in a fancy, romantic manner when with a partner.
Anatomy: Intermediate Lvl 2 (XP: 5%)
The quickest way to a man's heart? Directly through his ribcage.
Gain a more experienced understanding of the human body and how interconnected systems function.
[Status Effects] become easier to inflict in melee combat by 2% every level. (4%)
Basic: Increases [Critical Hit] damage by 10% per level. (100%)
Beginner Combat Lvl 8 (XP: 45%)
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
The next level of combat, Beginner Combat is a fusion of fighting and footwork into the ability to learn new styles of combat, fusing them into a novice martial combat capability.
Increased bare-handed damage by 2% per level. (16%)
Blunt Weaponry Lv 5 (XP: 4%)
Carry a big stick. Speaking softly is optional.
Measures your skill with using a blunt weapon.
Increases damage with a blunt weapon by 2% per level. (10%)
Breath-Holding Lv 14 (XP: 25%)
Asphyxiation is a terrible way to die.
Increases time able to stay conscious without air by 30 seconds per level. (7 min)
Bullshitting Lv 6 (XP: 15%)
First, you tell a lie; then you believe it; then you become it.
Increases chances that any lie you tell is successful by 2% with every level. (12%)
Disarm Lv 5 (XP: 15%)
Take their weapon from their warm, living hands.
Increases chance of disarming the enemy by 2% with every level. (10%)
Driving Lv 4 (XP: 25%)
NASCAR, here we come.
Measures your skill at operating a four-wheeled motorized vehicle.
Gunplay: Handguns Lv 6 (XP: 5%)
Possibly more than the automobile, the handgun is synonymous with America.
Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a handgun by 5% per level. (30%)
Improves damage with a handgun by 2% per level. (12%)
Gunplay: Rifles Lv 3 (XP: 35%)
Slightly better than a stormtrooper.
Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a rifle by 5% per level. (15%)
Improves damage with a rife by 2% per level. (6%)
Intimidation Lv 4 (XP: 50%)
If you want to control someone, all you have to do is to make them feel afraid
Strike fear into the hearts of man and throw them off their guard, allowing you to score critical hits much easier. Increases chance of [Critical Hits] on enemies by 1% every level. (4%)
Kissing Lv 8 (XP: 15%)
Looks like practicing on a peach actually paid off.
Represents your skill in the art of smooching.
Language: Japanese Lv 8 (32%)
Gratuitous Japanese indeed.
Reflects your speaking skill, and understanding of, the Japanese language.
Meditation Lvl 12 (XP: 10%)
Breathe in the good shit. Breathe out the bullshit.
By finding your inner focus, you push out all earthly distractions and enter a state of mental and physical harmony, allowing a greater understanding of your mind and body. While meditating, your Mana and Will recover at a rate of 10% faster per level into this ability. You retain this bonus for a period of ten minutes post-Meditation. (120%)
Parry Lv 9 (XP: 10%)
To deflect an attack is a double-edged sword;
Risking more damage for the chance to inflict the same.
Increases the effectiveness of any attempt to divert or deflect a physical attack by 2% with every level. (18%)
Reflexes Lv 14 (XP: 15%)
DODGE!
Decreases innate reaction time by 10% per level and increases innate perception speed by the same amount. (150%)
Resistance: Biological Manipulation Lvl 5
Some people like to work with clay, or glass, or wood. Others prefer the mutability of flesh.
Measures your ability to resist any attempt to directly control your physical form, referring to skin, nerves, organs or otherwise. Increases by 2% per level. (10%)
Resistance: Blunt Force Lv. 64 (XP: 25%)
Going from punching yourself in the face to actual self-mutilation?
Bold move, Veder. Let's see if it pays off.
Reduce all blunt force damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (48%)
Resistance: Cold Lv 8 (XP: 10%)
The cold never stopped bothering you.
Increases resistance to cold temperature by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (8%)
Resistance: Electricity Lv 8 (XP: 25%)
Everyone knows electrocution is harmless.
Increases resistance to electrical damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (8%)
Resistance: Heat Lv 46 (XP: 75%)
"You have to respect anything that can just stand there, on fire."
Increases resistance to heat damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (46.25%)
Resistance: Piercing Lv 31 (XP: 20%)
The thrust or stab is risky because it can kill and yet not stop
Reduces piercing or stabbing damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (23%)
Resistance: Poison Lv 3 (XP: 15%)
I wonder what counts as a poison...
Reduces damage and effects caused by poison by 1% every level that will cause damage less than 100% of your health, in any way, shape or form. (3%)
Resistance: Slashing Lv 16 (XP: 10%)
The cut will stop but not kill.
Reduces slashing or cutting damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (12%)
Seduction Lv 1 (XP: 5%)
I didn't mean to turn you on… or did I?
Manage to draw the attention of a member of the opposite sex using your innate attraction skills. Increases chance of [Critical Hits] on enemies by .5% every level. (.5%)
Singing Lv 2 (XP: 30%)
Stick to doing musicals in the shower for now.
Represents your ability to hit the correct notes, harmonize and anything to do with the art of vocals.
Sneaking Lv 15 (XP: 20%)
Ugh… stealth missions suck.
Allows for 2% quieter movement per level while trying not to be heard. (30%)
Stamina Lvl 20 (XP: 15%)
Whatever I lack in talent I have in stamina.
Increase Will by + 5 with every level. (100 Will)
Swordplay: Single Blade Lv 25
All swords are the same.
Represents your martial skill with the art of a single blade.
Increases damage with a blade by 2% per level. (50%)
Taunt Lv 10 (XP: 10%)
"And this! Is when I taunt you!"
Draw the attention of a target through nonsensical, idiotic, but occasionally piercing, verbal attacks. Increases chance of Critical Hits on enemies by 2% with every level. (20%)
Thrown Weapons Lv 4 (XP: 75%)
Throwing your sword always works. Except, you know, when it doesn't.
Increases the skill, range and force by which items and weapons can be thrown by 2% with every level. (8%)
Parkour!
An ability that enables you to pull off backflips, frontflips and any manner of jumping-based ground-movement technique with greater ease.
Awareness: Mana Lv 11 (XP: 85%)
Mana, magic energy, magicka, prana, ether, thaum, spiritual energy, magatsuhi or even chakra… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of Mana, the spiritual energy found within the human mind and soul. Gaining awareness of your magical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Awareness: Willpower Lv 7 (XP: 85%)
Willpower, ki, chi, qi, stamina, aura, mantra, physical energy, life energy, od, or even hamon… Call it what you want. It's all the same in the end.
You have gained awareness of your Willpower, the physical energy found within all living organisms. Gaining awareness of your physical energy has given you some semblance of control over it.
Ballroom Dancing Lv 1
I wouldn't call it dancing yet. More like a full-body dry heave set to music.
Represents your skill in the art of dancing in a fancy, romantic manner when with a partner.
Anatomy: Intermediate Lvl 2 (XP: 5%)
The quickest way to a man's heart? Directly through his ribcage.
Gain a more experienced understanding of the human body and how interconnected systems function.
[Status Effects] become easier to inflict in melee combat by 2% every level. (4%)
Basic: Increases [Critical Hit] damage by 10% per level. (100%)
Beginner Combat Lvl 8 (XP: 45%)
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
The next level of combat, Beginner Combat is a fusion of fighting and footwork into the ability to learn new styles of combat, fusing them into a novice martial combat capability.
Increased bare-handed damage by 2% per level. (16%)
Blunt Weaponry Lv 5 (XP: 4%)
Carry a big stick. Speaking softly is optional.
Measures your skill with using a blunt weapon.
Increases damage with a blunt weapon by 2% per level. (10%)
Breath-Holding Lv 14 (XP: 25%)
Asphyxiation is a terrible way to die.
Increases time able to stay conscious without air by 30 seconds per level. (7 min)
Bullshitting Lv 6 (XP: 15%)
First, you tell a lie; then you believe it; then you become it.
Increases chances that any lie you tell is successful by 2% with every level. (12%)
Disarm Lv 5 (XP: 15%)
Take their weapon from their warm, living hands.
Increases chance of disarming the enemy by 2% with every level. (10%)
Driving Lv 4 (XP: 25%)
NASCAR, here we come.
Measures your skill at operating a four-wheeled motorized vehicle.
Gunplay: Handguns Lv 6 (XP: 5%)
Possibly more than the automobile, the handgun is synonymous with America.
Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a handgun by 5% per level. (30%)
Improves damage with a handgun by 2% per level. (12%)
Gunplay: Rifles Lv 3 (XP: 35%)
Slightly better than a stormtrooper.
Improves aim/accuracy/stability with a rifle by 5% per level. (15%)
Improves damage with a rife by 2% per level. (6%)
Intimidation Lv 4 (XP: 50%)
If you want to control someone, all you have to do is to make them feel afraid
Strike fear into the hearts of man and throw them off their guard, allowing you to score critical hits much easier. Increases chance of [Critical Hits] on enemies by 1% every level. (4%)
Kissing Lv 8 (XP: 15%)
Looks like practicing on a peach actually paid off.
Represents your skill in the art of smooching.
Language: Japanese Lv 8 (32%)
Gratuitous Japanese indeed.
Reflects your speaking skill, and understanding of, the Japanese language.
Meditation Lvl 12 (XP: 10%)
Breathe in the good shit. Breathe out the bullshit.
By finding your inner focus, you push out all earthly distractions and enter a state of mental and physical harmony, allowing a greater understanding of your mind and body. While meditating, your Mana and Will recover at a rate of 10% faster per level into this ability. You retain this bonus for a period of ten minutes post-Meditation. (120%)
Parry Lv 9 (XP: 10%)
To deflect an attack is a double-edged sword;
Risking more damage for the chance to inflict the same.
Increases the effectiveness of any attempt to divert or deflect a physical attack by 2% with every level. (18%)
Reflexes Lv 14 (XP: 15%)
DODGE!
Decreases innate reaction time by 10% per level and increases innate perception speed by the same amount. (150%)
Resistance: Biological Manipulation Lvl 5
Some people like to work with clay, or glass, or wood. Others prefer the mutability of flesh.
Measures your ability to resist any attempt to directly control your physical form, referring to skin, nerves, organs or otherwise. Increases by 2% per level. (10%)
Resistance: Blunt Force Lv. 64 (XP: 25%)
Going from punching yourself in the face to actual self-mutilation?
Bold move, Veder. Let's see if it pays off.
Reduce all blunt force damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (48%)
Resistance: Cold Lv 8 (XP: 10%)
The cold never stopped bothering you.
Increases resistance to cold temperature by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (8%)
Resistance: Electricity Lv 8 (XP: 25%)
Everyone knows electrocution is harmless.
Increases resistance to electrical damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (8%)
Resistance: Heat Lv 46 (XP: 75%)
"You have to respect anything that can just stand there, on fire."
Increases resistance to heat damage by 1% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (46.25%)
Resistance: Piercing Lv 31 (XP: 20%)
The thrust or stab is risky because it can kill and yet not stop
Reduces piercing or stabbing damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (23%)
Resistance: Poison Lv 3 (XP: 15%)
I wonder what counts as a poison...
Reduces damage and effects caused by poison by 1% every level that will cause damage less than 100% of your health, in any way, shape or form. (3%)
Resistance: Slashing Lv 16 (XP: 10%)
The cut will stop but not kill.
Reduces slashing or cutting damage by 0.75% with every level from attacks less than 100% of your health. (12%)
Seduction Lv 1 (XP: 5%)
I didn't mean to turn you on… or did I?
Manage to draw the attention of a member of the opposite sex using your innate attraction skills. Increases chance of [Critical Hits] on enemies by .5% every level. (.5%)
Singing Lv 2 (XP: 30%)
Stick to doing musicals in the shower for now.
Represents your ability to hit the correct notes, harmonize and anything to do with the art of vocals.
Sneaking Lv 15 (XP: 20%)
Ugh… stealth missions suck.
Allows for 2% quieter movement per level while trying not to be heard. (30%)
Stamina Lvl 20 (XP: 15%)
Whatever I lack in talent I have in stamina.
Increase Will by + 5 with every level. (100 Will)
Swordplay: Single Blade Lv 25
All swords are the same.
Represents your martial skill with the art of a single blade.
Increases damage with a blade by 2% per level. (50%)
Taunt Lv 10 (XP: 10%)
"And this! Is when I taunt you!"
Draw the attention of a target through nonsensical, idiotic, but occasionally piercing, verbal attacks. Increases chance of Critical Hits on enemies by 2% with every level. (20%)
Thrown Weapons Lv 4 (XP: 75%)
Throwing your sword always works. Except, you know, when it doesn't.
Increases the skill, range and force by which items and weapons can be thrown by 2% with every level. (8%)
- Location
- Madison, AL
". . . I'm a kill em."
Neruz
Rogue Spiderbanana
- Location
- The Land of Fire and Poison
Killing is too easy; stasis bomb him so that from his perspective a million years passes by in an instant, leaving the dragon alone in the future with everything he knew long since returned to dust.