What do you do when your Muse shows up and offers a chance at a Jumpchain? You jump at it of course! Too bad there's no help for the Jumper who was already dead. Well nothing that a dip through Disgaea couldn't fix, right?
Leveling Up (SI, Disgaea)
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Chapter 1
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Chapter 1
Darkness surrounded me on all sides. The dark even passed through me. Gotta say it was disconcerting to say the least. I should probably be panicking right about now, but I lacked even the biology to create fear hormones. Pretty sure they're not fear hormones. Woo…Thoughts are fleeting…stretching out…the darkness is mixing with my…my…huh. What am I? Where am I? Am I just a dream…?
"Oh for the love of…Get back here Ding!"
Just like that I stop drifting away. Some force crams me back together. I'm finally able to see myself and it's, well, not good. Ever seen a zombie near the end of the movie? The really bad ones? Yeah, that's me. I could actually itch my brain. Someone slaps my hand as I try. Oops. My nose fell off. I tried to pick it up…Pffft…Pick my nose! Ah ha ha ha ha…Oops. My jaw fell off. The girl before me stares at me in unimpressed silence. She's a tiny thing. Maybe five feet tall, if she was in platforms, dressed like a Disgaea Catsaber. A tiny crown sat on her ear. The girl alternated between watching me fall apart and swatting at her outfit.
"So undignified…ugh…" She whined before clearing her throat. In a louder voice she scolded me, "Stop screwing around. We have a lot to do and not enough time to do it. Digging your lame ass up wasted a ton of my precious time!"
"Why did you have to dig me up!?" I was able to, somehow, speak up. Flailing agitatedly was a bad idea though. My left arm flew off somewhere while my right hand landed on her head. She managed to look even less amused.
"Because you were dead and buried," she replied calmly and patiently like I was the slow one. This was the maniac who just admitted to desecrating my grave and somehow reanimated me! I think I'm allowed to be a little aggravated.
"What the fuck is going on here?" I tried to fold my arms. Except they were still missing. In fact I shouldn't be able to speak since it was just my tongue flopping around. Weird.
"Oh, right, you wouldn't know all that…Shit. I can't even be properly angry because no one told you anything…" She tried to massage the bridge of her nose, but my hand picked that moment to pinch her nostrils shut. The cosplaying girl squealed and did a little jig as she tried to pry the errant body part off her face.
"Down! Heel!" I tried to call it off, but it wasn't listening to me. Index and middle finger went up her nose and pulled. The little girl flailed in distress as she ran back and forth. "Stop, drop and roll!" I called to her.
"I'm not on fire dumbass!" She shrieked.
"That's fair," I admitted. The hand leapt off into the darkness just in time for her to collapse at my feet. She stared hard at my jaw where it lay. The disconnected bit bounced once triggering the loudest shriek yet. "That's also fair." I agreed with her. This would freak out anyone. Except I was more bemused than excited.
"L-Let's try this again…" She panted. "I-I am your Muse. I was trying to prepare you for your shot at a Jumpchain. Mainly by spamming Jumpchain ideas. You weren't wrong to blame me, but I was using the format to train you. To get you ready for your eventual selection. Just one problem…"
"I died," I deadpanned. As an undead I was a champion at deadpan.
"You died," Muse agreed. "The problem is that your invitation finally came. Now, I could have just let it go and all that, but this was your shot. Your one chance at an Isekai adventure like none other. That and I didn't prepare you so hard only to see my efforts wasted."
"At least your priorities are in order," I snarked. The sarcasm rolled right off her.
"I know, right? So I dug you up, dragged your corpse into the Void Between Worlds and snagged your soul. The problem is that…I'm not really trained to do all that. You've been in the ground for several months…" I would have choked if I could still swallow, "...and your soul was stuck here since your death. Unfortunately mortal souls don't really do so well when exposed to Eternity."
"Y'think?" I remarked sardonically.
"So bits of your soul eroded and your corpse decayed. That's what I meant about having a tight schedule. Just let me get through the explanations before snarking at me anymore. We'll be here all night and then it will be too late," she cautioned. I would have mimed zipping my lips but…yeah…I lacked the necessary biology.
Why did my butt itch when the nerves should be dead…?
"The biggest issue is that with your soul damaged I can't access the Variable Soul System. That's the System that lets you choose to be other races in those Jumps with race options. I can either make you fully human for the entire duration of your chain or a basic humanoid race. Humans lack supernatural powers or advantages but can enter nearly any Jump. Humanoid races are restricted to those Jumps with magic and that have similar racial options. I can use the unspent energy from the VSS, combined with the Body Mod Add-on, to make your first Jump into your Body Mod," Muse explained.
"Human please," I didn't have to think about it. Frankly it wasn't much of a hardship. There were plenty of Jumps out there where Humans were actually pretty friggin' badass. What really convinced me was getting to take my first Jump as my Body Mod. I already knew a good place to go to gain a ton of power. If I was smart about it.
"Okay and…done. Let me know where you want to go first. We can finish the explanations when you're no longer falling apart…literally," she eyed me with renewed disgust.
"Disgaea." With those words I suddenly filled out once more. Then I filled out in weird ways while promptly losing several inches of height. Lavender hair fell in my face. That combined with the weight pulling at the back of my head, and the heaviness of my chest, said this wasn't my original body.
"I used a combination of the characters you've created. The stuff that didn't work was scrapped. Namely anything that wasn't true blue human. This is now your base form. Yes, it's an intersex body, so please don't check right now," Muse said dryly. She snapped her fingers to summon a mirror.
"Oh I like this…It's definitely growing on me…" I couldn't help preening a bit. The body might not have been mine before, but I liked it a lot. Muse facepalmed at my pun.
"Riiight…Before we get into actually picking your Perks there's some stuff to do. If you give up the ability to change your gender in future Jumps, I'll let you roll on the Three Boons of Jumpchain List. If you agree to have your form locked you can take the Expanded Three Boons of Jumpchain," she offered.
"Wow that is tempting…" I spent some time thinking it over. Haste makes waste and all that. I didn't want to cheat myself of course. The thing is I already knew the Three Boons of Jumpchain List. Finding out that there was an Expanded List was a surprise. I liked the original doc a lot. It gave some really nice benefits. An Expanded doc must be better, right? Well, it would have more options, not necessarily better ones. "Could I see the expanded doc?"
"No problem. I'm trying to make this fair of course," Muse informed me. The doc in question was actually much better than the one before. I could pick any three, with the exception of ones that said "must roll", or roll 4d20 for four boons and a chance at the really good stuff.
"Yeah, I'll take the Expanded Three Boons of Jumpchain," I decided.
"These dice are cosmically balanced. No luck, good or bad, can affect them. They represent chance in its purest form. Doesn't mean much when all the options are actually good," Muse commented wryly. I gave them a good shake before tossing the dice out.
"The die is cast," I intoned sarcastically.
Alt Chain Builder : 3 Boons of Jumpchain (Extended) (Random Roll)
17, 13, 18, 20, 3, 8, 10
3. Drawback Booster: Some Drawbacks don't pay enough, Jump-chan has seen this trend in many a jump and especially on older ones or the ones on the /tg/ drive's With Images folder. With this boon your drawbacks now pay out 2x as much CP as normal. This may be taken up to three times and it stacks multiplicatively. Does not affect the payout of
"Maximum Rewards" and Drawback Limits on CP are calculated based on the base prize. This may be taken three times.
8. The Conqueror: Might makes right, Jumper. If you have defeated a great foe you may lay claim to all they own once per jump. This includes all of their powers, all they own and much more. May be taken up to three times.
10. Friendly Friends: Most Jumpers pick up a lot of companions along the way, don't they? Well, this boon is definitely in support of that. With this boon you get infinite import capability, meaning anyone who is in your Warehouse before the jump starts can import into the world if you so choose. Furthermore you can take any companion options for free and lastly, any imports you do make with this have 400 extra CP in addition to the highest CP stipend available in-jump, or
800 CP if there is no such import. You may purchase this three times and each time double the CP Stipend alloted by this boon to your companions.
13. Instant Craft: You know how in some RTS games you can just throw resources at a building and get products? Well, now you can do that too. By sacrificing an appropriate amount of raw resources (Food for living things, metals, wood or other stuff for machines or constructs) you can have them spawn almost instantly, as long as you have the facilities in which these could be made. Take Age of Mythology as an example on where to get magical creatures or workers. You
can also do this for buildings but this will require a minute of work and includes a cost in construction tools. Can only be purchased once.
17. For the Long-Haul: This boon is only available if you roll for Boons. Normally being a Jumper and dying means you get sent back home unless something else interferes. This is no longer the case. If you die in a jump or trigger a failure condition you get kicked out of the jump without anything you gained there. You can retry after one jump and even make a new build if you wish. You can also revisit old jumps in new timelines, meaning restarting it at the starting point with none of your changes from the previous visit of the same jump.
18. Double CP: This boon may only be obtained by rolling for it. This boon doubles your starting CP total, if you would have no starting CP (Gauntlet-kun or Gauntlets) then double the amount of CP you take from Universal Drawback Supplement Drawbacks instead. This may be gained twice.
20. Double the Extra Boons:This boon may only be obtained by rolling for it. You can roll 3 additional times with this.
May be obtained two times.
We stared at one another in sheer disbelief. I did mention that this Alt Chain doc was really good, right? This right here proved my choice was a good one.
"Now I have one last thing to offer. In exchange for giving up the Disgaea DLC, I'm willing to attach this to your first Jump," Muse gestured. A new option appeared before me.
Tutorial Level
Some Jumpers don't want the security of Jumpchain alt-modes that make chain failure impossible, but the full vanilla experience. While Jump-Chan certainly doesn't mind giving Jumpers every available opportunity to make very poor decisions, she's still not entirely thrilled with the percentage of Jumpers who die on their first jump. And so, she offers new Jumpers the
option of treating your first jump and only your first jump as a Tutorial Level. Tutorial Level jumps have the following rules:
First off, your Tutorial Level cannot be a Gauntlet. For purposes of this rule, any Jump with a 0 CP starting allowance is a Gauntlet. Likewise, you may not take any jump, Drawback or Scenario that has a chain-fail condition other than dying. Second, your Tutorial Level provides +600 CP as a handicap. This CP does not count against Drawback limits, but you may
not take a power-loss Drawback even if one is offered in the jump. Most importantly, dying in the jump does not count as chain-failure. Instead, if you die in the jump you will be sent back to the
beginning to try again. You may redo your build sheet at that time if you choose, but like all other Tutorial Level provisions that applies to your first jump only. Your jump will end after you have spent ten years' of personal duration in the jump (counting any and all loops) or entirely exhausted Jump-Chan's patience at your hopeless inability to survive, whichever comes
first.
"Holy shit…" The whisper of disbelief passed my lips. I wanted to take it so badly. The Disgaea Jump's DLC though was a personal Netherworld. Yes, I would have to fight my way through a ridiculous number of high powered enemies, but it came with Overlord Priere at the end! I planned on playing it safe. Except with the Tutorial Level handicap I could be more reckless. Why play it safe when I could take chances?
"No, I won't give you a way to sneak Overlord Priere into this. You want her? Go to the La Pucelle Jump, but only after this one," Muse wagged her finger at me scoldingly.
"Damn it…" Even as I pouted, I tapped the button to lock it in. The DLC section completely disappeared. I still felt a pang of regret over the lost opportunity.
"One last thing. I'm giving you the Inventory Bag Supplement," she manifested the doc for my perusal.
"Is this along with or instead of the Warehouse?" I asked.
"If you take it instead of the Warehouse, I'll let you carry properties inside," Muse shrugged.
"Something you would prefer because then I couldn't just disappear into a Warehouse for decades," I pointed out with a smirk.
"True…Ah. You're taking the Large Hammerspace. Yes, you could stay inside your pocket, but it wouldn't be very comfortable. Unless you took a house or something. Still, cheaper than tossing out the energy for a full Warehouse supplement. I definitely approve," she nodded.
Inventory Bag
CP: 1000
Bag Type: Hammerspace L(200 cp): Same thing, but with a backpack sized opening.
Attributes:
Capacity (25 cp): Adds a cubic meter of Space for each time purchased. X 16 (450 CP)
Connected (50 cp): Connects to the pockets on any clothing you are wearing.
Preserving (100 cp): Food, drink and other perishables you store in the bag will never
go bad.
Sorted (200 cp): The particular item you want to retrieve is always at the top.
Additions:
Wallet (50 cp): Comes with infinite space, but only for money and identification.
Flashlight and Emergency Flare (50 cp): Useful in case of an emergency.
"I just have to climb through a backpack-sized opening. Doable. Wait, what if I try to store a vehicle inside?" Maybe I didn't think this one through. Unsurprising really. I was just so excited to be on a Jumpchain that stuff just slipped my mind.
"Then I hope you have a property with a garage. Just drop it into the world at the start of the Jump," she shrugged.
"If you could add this to my Body Mod…" I hinted teasingly.
"Since you're buying it in your first Jump? Sure. Just no more supplements, okay? I'm skirting the edge very carefully," she warned.
"While we were talking I was kinda working on the Disgaea sheet…" I admitted sheepishly.
"Let's see what you picked…Holy shit!" Muse yelped.
Name: Terry Dragon
Location: Netherworld (100 CP)
Origin: Drop-In
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Race: Human
CP: 2000 + 600 (Tutorial Mode) + 400 (Drawbacks) = 3000
Companions: Battle Monkeys [200]
Name: Evoria
Location: Netherworld
Origin: Netherworld
Age: 1600
Gender: Female
Race: Demon
CP: 400 + 400 (Alt Chain) = 800 CP
Perks
Level One [Free, Mandatory] – You've probably heard some interesting things about this world. Angels that can call down meteors that destroy entire continents, magic that can shatter planets like glass, ice cream that never melts! Some of these may be gross exaggerations, but one thing cannot be denied: This is a place of great heroes and villains, even if they're just silly parodies more than half of the time. That said, you can have the flashiest, galaxy-destroying lightshow on the planet and it won't actually do squat for damage to anyone or anything unless you work for it. (You'll probably be a hit at parties, though!) This place works on RPG logic, not 'real' logic. Most humans, demons, and even Angels don't really bother improving their potential past what you'd consider common for most 'mooks' in stories, but the exceptions to this rule are powerful indeed, and more than likely match up to the legends you hear.
Where do you fit in? Well, that depends. Your true potential from perks and powers from this world depends on one thing: experience. Or, to be more accurate, obscene amounts of level grinding! Every perk and class in here come with a set of powers that all depend on your 'level', that is, the amount of skill and training you have, in addition to how many powerful foes you've defeated from this point on. You start at Level One – fresh but full of potential, with plenty of room for growth! While your level won't reflect what you gained before now, things that improve training, learning, and fighting ability can speed up your growth a little for each source of 'help' you have, though don't expect to blaze through levels every five seconds. Early levels involve things you'd see in most 'low-key' anime or video games, or what you youngsters call 'peak human'. And from there, the sky's the limit, but you must work and train hard to hope to match things such as powerful demons or Overlord candidates...or worse, actual Overlords, who may be far beyond you if you don't dedicate every waking minute to grinding like a madman.
Be warned. However you choose to see how power and people work in this world, it goes both ways: Any peak of power you can obtain using these perks can be obtained by others who are dedicated enough. And mark my words: while the common man, Demon, Angel, and Prinny will never come close to you if you work hard enough, you WILL run into main character material that will kick your butt into next week eventually if you get cocky. How your abilities will manifest will depend on your Features.
Ninja – Nin, nin, nin! Masters of the shadows, connoisseur of assassination, looks really good in black. You become very fast and good at dodging as you grow with experience, and likewise very good at sneaking and wielding weapons like knives, kunai, and shuriken. You become especially deadly at sneak attacks, and can become good enough at dodging to avoid bullets by making a shimmy and a shake. You're fast, you're sneaky, you're hard to hit. Consider the ninja lifestyle.
Thief – And here's another one. A thief is...well, really good at stealing things. Picking pockets,
sneaking around, using small and quick weapons, that sort of thing. But you can become really,
REALLY good at it. Like, stealing someone's weapons mid-swing, taking their wallet while they're distracted by the plot, or removing someone's pants without them noticing. Fun things like that. You become better at stealing and sneaking as you gain experience, to the point you could take things like 'memories' or 'strength' and WOAH CALM DOWN! DOWN, JUMPER, DOWN! These aren't as exciting as they sound. It mostly means stealing a fraction of the 'stats' of an enemy to boost yourself or inflicting 'status effects'. You can't really put to use the things you steal in other ways, much less steal abilities. They don't actually last very long or anything quite as exciting as permanently stealing things like those, but they're definitely useful in battle. Still, never underestimate the ability to take a chunk out of someone's physical strength, okay?
Professional Peanut Gallery [Free] – At least a day before a major event happens to you, or before a new jump begins, Etna herself (or some of your companions) will give a hilariously inaccurate 'next episode' preview of what will happen. They tend to involve her taking the spotlight somehow, even if she's dead or otherwise unavailable in later jumps. You and your companions are free to act as a peanut gallery to this, but it won't have any real bearing on your adventures. Occasionally, Etna's predictions will be dead serious and completely accurate...but by then, you'll be so used to the silliness that it will be hard to believe or see coming. Can be toggled on and off.
Theme Song [Free] – What is a good character without a good theme song?! A dork, that's what. You're not a dork, are you? You now have a dedicated theme song with lyrics that perfectly describe your personality. There's a bias towards quirky, upbeat tunes in this world, but it will be whatever genre or style that you desire. Nobody except you will hear it unless you decide otherwise, and others will likewise only comment on it if you will it so (or if they notice the fourth wall with any regularity). Tends to play whenever you do something cool or take the spotlight.
Moe [Free] – There's no such thing as an ugly main character! Okay, well, maybe not the monster classes...but don't judge! Point is, you look some form of beautiful, sexy, handsome, or adorable. Maybe even some combination of all of the above. Those who work out can be deceptively thin and boyish or made of rippling muscle, ladies can be short, adorable and flat or have large...erm, tracts of land. Muscular ladies work fine, too, as do particularly androgynous boys. You know who you are. Everyone here looks like this to some extent, but for an extra 100 points, you look especially gorgeous or awesome even among the locals. Expect a fanclub.
Mana Burst [300] - 'Mana' is the life energy in all things, and is where the source of most power from Angels and Demons comes from. It's most often used for the incredibly flashy abilities that people throw around like candy in battle. In short, this energy and its use is what powers most special attacks or abilities in this world. Though it's rare for Humans to be able to use it, choosing that as your Species will give you access to this all the same. You start with a fairly small pool of it, enough to create small bursts of power or strength in your attacks, and the occasional finishing move blast. It will steadily recover with rest or standard RPG item use. As you grow in experience and level, your mana pool will grow a bit larger with you, letting you accomplish greater feats. Exactly what that manifests as is up to you, but note that mana-effects tend to be biased towards flashy, combat-y things, and doesn't really wander into the world of the conceptual or utility most of the time...with some exceptions. Raw power is where it's at, here. That aside, if you'd rather get a head start on the competition, you can spend 300 mana to both considerably increase the growth of your pool and to double the starting amount you have. This lets you throw around flashier attacks with less experience. With enough time and training, you'll be a match for even Overlords. And with this extra boost? You'll get there faster.
Reincarnation [300] – For...obvious reasons, a Jumper can't safely benefit from reincarnation in
this world. The whole 'dying' part and all. However, you can instead willingly channel your energy into the power of rebirth, creating a sort of pseudo-reincarnation. Your Level and all of your abilities (except for skills) will be reduced to their lowest possible intensity, and will slowly recover over time. In exchange for this temporary power-up letdown, your growth and learning rate greatly intensifies, especially if you go right back to punching above your own weight during the reduction in power. You can also willingly use a lesser version of this perk to weaken yourself or lower your level, then scale it back up or down from full power at will, though it will lack the growth boost. For 300 points, you can use this in any jump past this one.
Maximum Bully [100, Free for Netherworld] – A demon is evil, EVIL! And while you may or may not be one yourself, the only people who get by in the Netherworld are the baddest of the bad. The maddest of the mad. The killers of kings and destroyers of worlds! Okay, not really, but still. You need to act the part. You can now pull off a perfect Saturday Morning Cartoon villain act and know how to look the part. You're also very good at making small children cry and become a master of internet trolling. You know, because that's a useful skill.
The Wickedest of Them All [100, Free for Netherworld] – Demons don't have soft spots or 'good' in them! And neither do humans or any other residents worth their salt here! And you'll prove it! You can now read as 'evil' to any alignment detectors that work on you, and mask your actions as obviously malevolent even if they're contradictory – you weren't SAVING that Angel, you were just murdering the competition so you could kill them later! You weren't FEEDING those orphans, you were torturing them with sugary candies and tooth decay! You aren't REALLY in love with that human, you're just deceiving them and taking a REALLY long time to spring the trap! In short, you can convince everyone you're a villain with minimal effort, but those close to you (as if!) will probably see through the facade.
Items
Hero's Scarf [Free] – It's a flowing red scarf that will manage to look good on you regardless of your outfit. Never gets caught in anything, either. Perfect for the aspiring or veteran hero! Or protagonist. Whatever works for you.
Trademark Outfit [Free] – You receive a stylish outfit like the locals here do, which is just your size and looks really good on you. The outfit is tailored to your tastes and won't impede your movement at all, though it won't have any magical or other special qualities to it. You can also 'wear' this outfit over any equipment and armor, making it look like you're still wearing a fancy dress instead of trying to shove a fancy dress over a heavy suit of armor. Doesn't change the weight or how much you can actually fit on yourself, though, and is purely aesthetic. Can have a minor color or aesthetic change to reflect alternate equipment or forms you're using. For 100 points, you can apply this 'layer' quality over any outfit you own.
Starting Weapon [100 CP] – You receive an amazingly basic weapon for any of your chosen
Features. If you've chosen no Features that involve a particular weapon, choose a single mundane melee or ranged weapon of your choice. Magic-users may receive staffs, as well. For an extra 100, you instead receive a slightly better starting weapon, but the primary benefit to it is that you can give it any sort of neat-looking aesthetic of your choosing so long as its function doesn't change, or give it any special properties. (Twin Slicer (Sword))
Comfy Coffin [100, Free for Netherworld] – It's a large coffin, just your size that's actually very
comfortable to sleep in. It even has soft cushions inside. Looks very imposing from the outside, too. It...can fit more than one person, if you really wanted.
"Ah, to be young again..." Vyers sighs nostalgically.
Infernal Throne [100, Free for Netherworld] – A suitably villainous throne that is both comfortable to sit on and gives a minor boost in your intimidation ability when you're sitting on it. Can be of any design or aesthetic you desire, though it will only change in appearance, and not function.
Dark Assembly Ticket [200, Discount for Netherworld] – Oh, this is a little bit early. It wasn't supposed to be in this section...wait, no, this isn't what I ordered at all! Sent it back, damn it!
"The Dark Assembly is a fickle beast...and often involves a lot of pointless politics and troublesome bureaucracy." Vyers says, folding his arms and nodding.
Well, might as well get some use out of this. So I'll give you this ticket if you pay for it. What it does is...well, it changes the gender of the person you use it on. They'll be fully aware of the change, too. Good for pranks or confusion, I guess. Can be used once a day.
"I shouldn't be too surprised…Mind if I roll for Trouble Magnet before you go?" Muse held up the dice.
"No problem. Go right ahead," I shrugged. Surely it wouldn't be too awful…
Nat 1
I felt the sweat run down my forehead. Muse was also sweating. We shared the robotic laugh of the totally mortified.
"Lessee…Uhhh…Etna Mode?" Muse gawked.
"I…I have no words…" I tried to formulate a plan, but nothing was gelling.
"Well I guess it's time to go. Try not to die too often!" She said rapidly even as I tried to break in, but failed. Muse yanked on a lever. "Launch!"
Me and Etna stuck together without a Laharl…hoooo boy…
This was really going to suck…
AN: Thus begins my 1 Month Fidelity Challenge. Writing a single story for the entire month. Prepare to be amazed! If this works out I might just do it with other stories, older stories. Drop me a line on Patreon. I need ma pizza money!
Darkness surrounded me on all sides. The dark even passed through me. Gotta say it was disconcerting to say the least. I should probably be panicking right about now, but I lacked even the biology to create fear hormones. Pretty sure they're not fear hormones. Woo…Thoughts are fleeting…stretching out…the darkness is mixing with my…my…huh. What am I? Where am I? Am I just a dream…?
"Oh for the love of…Get back here Ding!"
Just like that I stop drifting away. Some force crams me back together. I'm finally able to see myself and it's, well, not good. Ever seen a zombie near the end of the movie? The really bad ones? Yeah, that's me. I could actually itch my brain. Someone slaps my hand as I try. Oops. My nose fell off. I tried to pick it up…Pffft…Pick my nose! Ah ha ha ha ha…Oops. My jaw fell off. The girl before me stares at me in unimpressed silence. She's a tiny thing. Maybe five feet tall, if she was in platforms, dressed like a Disgaea Catsaber. A tiny crown sat on her ear. The girl alternated between watching me fall apart and swatting at her outfit.
"So undignified…ugh…" She whined before clearing her throat. In a louder voice she scolded me, "Stop screwing around. We have a lot to do and not enough time to do it. Digging your lame ass up wasted a ton of my precious time!"
"Why did you have to dig me up!?" I was able to, somehow, speak up. Flailing agitatedly was a bad idea though. My left arm flew off somewhere while my right hand landed on her head. She managed to look even less amused.
"Because you were dead and buried," she replied calmly and patiently like I was the slow one. This was the maniac who just admitted to desecrating my grave and somehow reanimated me! I think I'm allowed to be a little aggravated.
"What the fuck is going on here?" I tried to fold my arms. Except they were still missing. In fact I shouldn't be able to speak since it was just my tongue flopping around. Weird.
"Oh, right, you wouldn't know all that…Shit. I can't even be properly angry because no one told you anything…" She tried to massage the bridge of her nose, but my hand picked that moment to pinch her nostrils shut. The cosplaying girl squealed and did a little jig as she tried to pry the errant body part off her face.
"Down! Heel!" I tried to call it off, but it wasn't listening to me. Index and middle finger went up her nose and pulled. The little girl flailed in distress as she ran back and forth. "Stop, drop and roll!" I called to her.
"I'm not on fire dumbass!" She shrieked.
"That's fair," I admitted. The hand leapt off into the darkness just in time for her to collapse at my feet. She stared hard at my jaw where it lay. The disconnected bit bounced once triggering the loudest shriek yet. "That's also fair." I agreed with her. This would freak out anyone. Except I was more bemused than excited.
"L-Let's try this again…" She panted. "I-I am your Muse. I was trying to prepare you for your shot at a Jumpchain. Mainly by spamming Jumpchain ideas. You weren't wrong to blame me, but I was using the format to train you. To get you ready for your eventual selection. Just one problem…"
"I died," I deadpanned. As an undead I was a champion at deadpan.
"You died," Muse agreed. "The problem is that your invitation finally came. Now, I could have just let it go and all that, but this was your shot. Your one chance at an Isekai adventure like none other. That and I didn't prepare you so hard only to see my efforts wasted."
"At least your priorities are in order," I snarked. The sarcasm rolled right off her.
"I know, right? So I dug you up, dragged your corpse into the Void Between Worlds and snagged your soul. The problem is that…I'm not really trained to do all that. You've been in the ground for several months…" I would have choked if I could still swallow, "...and your soul was stuck here since your death. Unfortunately mortal souls don't really do so well when exposed to Eternity."
"Y'think?" I remarked sardonically.
"So bits of your soul eroded and your corpse decayed. That's what I meant about having a tight schedule. Just let me get through the explanations before snarking at me anymore. We'll be here all night and then it will be too late," she cautioned. I would have mimed zipping my lips but…yeah…I lacked the necessary biology.
Why did my butt itch when the nerves should be dead…?
"The biggest issue is that with your soul damaged I can't access the Variable Soul System. That's the System that lets you choose to be other races in those Jumps with race options. I can either make you fully human for the entire duration of your chain or a basic humanoid race. Humans lack supernatural powers or advantages but can enter nearly any Jump. Humanoid races are restricted to those Jumps with magic and that have similar racial options. I can use the unspent energy from the VSS, combined with the Body Mod Add-on, to make your first Jump into your Body Mod," Muse explained.
"Human please," I didn't have to think about it. Frankly it wasn't much of a hardship. There were plenty of Jumps out there where Humans were actually pretty friggin' badass. What really convinced me was getting to take my first Jump as my Body Mod. I already knew a good place to go to gain a ton of power. If I was smart about it.
"Okay and…done. Let me know where you want to go first. We can finish the explanations when you're no longer falling apart…literally," she eyed me with renewed disgust.
"Disgaea." With those words I suddenly filled out once more. Then I filled out in weird ways while promptly losing several inches of height. Lavender hair fell in my face. That combined with the weight pulling at the back of my head, and the heaviness of my chest, said this wasn't my original body.
"I used a combination of the characters you've created. The stuff that didn't work was scrapped. Namely anything that wasn't true blue human. This is now your base form. Yes, it's an intersex body, so please don't check right now," Muse said dryly. She snapped her fingers to summon a mirror.
"Oh I like this…It's definitely growing on me…" I couldn't help preening a bit. The body might not have been mine before, but I liked it a lot. Muse facepalmed at my pun.
"Riiight…Before we get into actually picking your Perks there's some stuff to do. If you give up the ability to change your gender in future Jumps, I'll let you roll on the Three Boons of Jumpchain List. If you agree to have your form locked you can take the Expanded Three Boons of Jumpchain," she offered.
"Wow that is tempting…" I spent some time thinking it over. Haste makes waste and all that. I didn't want to cheat myself of course. The thing is I already knew the Three Boons of Jumpchain List. Finding out that there was an Expanded List was a surprise. I liked the original doc a lot. It gave some really nice benefits. An Expanded doc must be better, right? Well, it would have more options, not necessarily better ones. "Could I see the expanded doc?"
"No problem. I'm trying to make this fair of course," Muse informed me. The doc in question was actually much better than the one before. I could pick any three, with the exception of ones that said "must roll", or roll 4d20 for four boons and a chance at the really good stuff.
"Yeah, I'll take the Expanded Three Boons of Jumpchain," I decided.
"These dice are cosmically balanced. No luck, good or bad, can affect them. They represent chance in its purest form. Doesn't mean much when all the options are actually good," Muse commented wryly. I gave them a good shake before tossing the dice out.
"The die is cast," I intoned sarcastically.
Alt Chain Builder : 3 Boons of Jumpchain (Extended) (Random Roll)
17, 13, 18, 20, 3, 8, 10
3. Drawback Booster: Some Drawbacks don't pay enough, Jump-chan has seen this trend in many a jump and especially on older ones or the ones on the /tg/ drive's With Images folder. With this boon your drawbacks now pay out 2x as much CP as normal. This may be taken up to three times and it stacks multiplicatively. Does not affect the payout of
"Maximum Rewards" and Drawback Limits on CP are calculated based on the base prize. This may be taken three times.
8. The Conqueror: Might makes right, Jumper. If you have defeated a great foe you may lay claim to all they own once per jump. This includes all of their powers, all they own and much more. May be taken up to three times.
10. Friendly Friends: Most Jumpers pick up a lot of companions along the way, don't they? Well, this boon is definitely in support of that. With this boon you get infinite import capability, meaning anyone who is in your Warehouse before the jump starts can import into the world if you so choose. Furthermore you can take any companion options for free and lastly, any imports you do make with this have 400 extra CP in addition to the highest CP stipend available in-jump, or
800 CP if there is no such import. You may purchase this three times and each time double the CP Stipend alloted by this boon to your companions.
13. Instant Craft: You know how in some RTS games you can just throw resources at a building and get products? Well, now you can do that too. By sacrificing an appropriate amount of raw resources (Food for living things, metals, wood or other stuff for machines or constructs) you can have them spawn almost instantly, as long as you have the facilities in which these could be made. Take Age of Mythology as an example on where to get magical creatures or workers. You
can also do this for buildings but this will require a minute of work and includes a cost in construction tools. Can only be purchased once.
17. For the Long-Haul: This boon is only available if you roll for Boons. Normally being a Jumper and dying means you get sent back home unless something else interferes. This is no longer the case. If you die in a jump or trigger a failure condition you get kicked out of the jump without anything you gained there. You can retry after one jump and even make a new build if you wish. You can also revisit old jumps in new timelines, meaning restarting it at the starting point with none of your changes from the previous visit of the same jump.
18. Double CP: This boon may only be obtained by rolling for it. This boon doubles your starting CP total, if you would have no starting CP (Gauntlet-kun or Gauntlets) then double the amount of CP you take from Universal Drawback Supplement Drawbacks instead. This may be gained twice.
20. Double the Extra Boons:This boon may only be obtained by rolling for it. You can roll 3 additional times with this.
May be obtained two times.
We stared at one another in sheer disbelief. I did mention that this Alt Chain doc was really good, right? This right here proved my choice was a good one.
"Now I have one last thing to offer. In exchange for giving up the Disgaea DLC, I'm willing to attach this to your first Jump," Muse gestured. A new option appeared before me.
Tutorial Level
Some Jumpers don't want the security of Jumpchain alt-modes that make chain failure impossible, but the full vanilla experience. While Jump-Chan certainly doesn't mind giving Jumpers every available opportunity to make very poor decisions, she's still not entirely thrilled with the percentage of Jumpers who die on their first jump. And so, she offers new Jumpers the
option of treating your first jump and only your first jump as a Tutorial Level. Tutorial Level jumps have the following rules:
First off, your Tutorial Level cannot be a Gauntlet. For purposes of this rule, any Jump with a 0 CP starting allowance is a Gauntlet. Likewise, you may not take any jump, Drawback or Scenario that has a chain-fail condition other than dying. Second, your Tutorial Level provides +600 CP as a handicap. This CP does not count against Drawback limits, but you may
not take a power-loss Drawback even if one is offered in the jump. Most importantly, dying in the jump does not count as chain-failure. Instead, if you die in the jump you will be sent back to the
beginning to try again. You may redo your build sheet at that time if you choose, but like all other Tutorial Level provisions that applies to your first jump only. Your jump will end after you have spent ten years' of personal duration in the jump (counting any and all loops) or entirely exhausted Jump-Chan's patience at your hopeless inability to survive, whichever comes
first.
"Holy shit…" The whisper of disbelief passed my lips. I wanted to take it so badly. The Disgaea Jump's DLC though was a personal Netherworld. Yes, I would have to fight my way through a ridiculous number of high powered enemies, but it came with Overlord Priere at the end! I planned on playing it safe. Except with the Tutorial Level handicap I could be more reckless. Why play it safe when I could take chances?
"No, I won't give you a way to sneak Overlord Priere into this. You want her? Go to the La Pucelle Jump, but only after this one," Muse wagged her finger at me scoldingly.
"Damn it…" Even as I pouted, I tapped the button to lock it in. The DLC section completely disappeared. I still felt a pang of regret over the lost opportunity.
"One last thing. I'm giving you the Inventory Bag Supplement," she manifested the doc for my perusal.
"Is this along with or instead of the Warehouse?" I asked.
"If you take it instead of the Warehouse, I'll let you carry properties inside," Muse shrugged.
"Something you would prefer because then I couldn't just disappear into a Warehouse for decades," I pointed out with a smirk.
"True…Ah. You're taking the Large Hammerspace. Yes, you could stay inside your pocket, but it wouldn't be very comfortable. Unless you took a house or something. Still, cheaper than tossing out the energy for a full Warehouse supplement. I definitely approve," she nodded.
Inventory Bag
CP: 1000
Bag Type: Hammerspace L(200 cp): Same thing, but with a backpack sized opening.
Attributes:
Capacity (25 cp): Adds a cubic meter of Space for each time purchased. X 16 (450 CP)
Connected (50 cp): Connects to the pockets on any clothing you are wearing.
Preserving (100 cp): Food, drink and other perishables you store in the bag will never
go bad.
Sorted (200 cp): The particular item you want to retrieve is always at the top.
Additions:
Wallet (50 cp): Comes with infinite space, but only for money and identification.
Flashlight and Emergency Flare (50 cp): Useful in case of an emergency.
"I just have to climb through a backpack-sized opening. Doable. Wait, what if I try to store a vehicle inside?" Maybe I didn't think this one through. Unsurprising really. I was just so excited to be on a Jumpchain that stuff just slipped my mind.
"Then I hope you have a property with a garage. Just drop it into the world at the start of the Jump," she shrugged.
"If you could add this to my Body Mod…" I hinted teasingly.
"Since you're buying it in your first Jump? Sure. Just no more supplements, okay? I'm skirting the edge very carefully," she warned.
"While we were talking I was kinda working on the Disgaea sheet…" I admitted sheepishly.
"Let's see what you picked…Holy shit!" Muse yelped.
Name: Terry Dragon
Location: Netherworld (100 CP)
Origin: Drop-In
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Race: Human
CP: 2000 + 600 (Tutorial Mode) + 400 (Drawbacks) = 3000
Level One [Free, Mandatory] – You've probably heard some interesting things about this world. Angels that can call down meteors that destroy entire continents, magic that can shatter planets like glass, ice cream that never melts! Some of these may be gross exaggerations, but one thing cannot be denied: This is a place of great heroes and villains, even if they're just silly parodies more than half of the time. That said, you can have the flashiest, galaxy-destroying lightshow on the planet and it won't actually do squat for damage to anyone or anything unless you work for it. (You'll probably be a hit at parties, though!) This place works on RPG logic, not 'real' logic. Most humans, demons, and even Angels don't really bother improving their potential past what you'd consider common for most 'mooks' in stories, but the exceptions to this rule are powerful indeed, and more than likely match up to the legends you hear.
Where do you fit in? Well, that depends. Your true potential from perks and powers from this world depends on one thing: experience. Or, to be more accurate, obscene amounts of level grinding! Every perk and class in here come with a set of powers that all depend on your 'level', that is, the amount of skill and training you have, in addition to how many powerful foes you've defeated from this point on. You start at Level One – fresh but full of potential, with plenty of room for growth! While your level won't reflect what you gained before now, things that improve training, learning, and fighting ability can speed up your growth a little for each source of 'help' you have, though don't expect to blaze through levels every five seconds. Early levels involve things you'd see in most 'low-key' anime or video games, or what you youngsters call 'peak human'. And from there, the sky's the limit, but you must work and train hard to hope to match things such as powerful demons or Overlord candidates...or worse, actual Overlords, who may be far beyond you if you don't dedicate every waking minute to grinding like a madman.
Be warned. However you choose to see how power and people work in this world, it goes both ways: Any peak of power you can obtain using these perks can be obtained by others who are dedicated enough. And mark my words: while the common man, Demon, Angel, and Prinny will never come close to you if you work hard enough, you WILL run into main character material that will kick your butt into next week eventually if you get cocky. How your abilities will manifest will depend on your Features.
Majin Soul [400] – What, you want to go right for the cheat option? Seriously?! I even went through the trouble of detailing all of the above! Ugh. Fine. Non-Prinnies can forsake the ability to take Features and just take this one, though it can't be taken for free and costs 400 instead of 200. You have the soul of a mighty Majin, giving you an across-the-board growth rate and potential increase in all stats and mana use, though you won't gain any of the special abilities of the other features and will have to learn them at the same, boring pace as you would normally. But you will master the use of weapons quickly, and have an increased mana pool to throw around power with. It will be a literal grind, but you will become a master of battle and a terror on the field with enough experience, dishing out raw power like candy. If you're a Demon, you will be an actual Majin, if you so wish.
Ninja [200] – Nin, nin, nin! Masters of the shadows, connoisseur of assassination, looks really good in black. You become very fast and good at dodging as you grow with experience, and likewise very good at sneaking and wielding weapons like knives, kunai, and shuriken. You become especially deadly at sneak attacks, and can become good enough at dodging to avoid bullets by making a shimmy and a shake. You're fast, you're sneaky, you're hard to hit. Consider the ninja lifestyle.
Magic [200] – See, if you're some kind of NERD, you can actually refine mana into something besides generic energy blasts or cutscene attacks. Namely, you can form classic RPG elements – fire, water, and so on – using a smaller amount of mana than you would throwing it around like an idiot. It even has use outside of combat, too. The only downside is that it needs a lot more concentration, setup, and study as opposed to just tossing raw power around. With enough time and experience, you can bathe cities in fire, flood them, or even ruin the day of the local weather reporter. You might be a tiny bit more fragile than the average fighter, though, if you don't keep up your stamina or physical training – wizards never seem to jog very much. Comes with a free Skull Mask or Witch Hat.
Boring Magic [200] – Okay, maybe you're not really into the whole 'slinging around fire and lightning like a madman' kind of magic. Maybe you prefer a more passive, supportive approach. Either that or you're a companion who got shafted back into the healing role. It's okay, I understand. This is one of the odd exceptions I mentioned earlier, where instead of blowing the crap out of stuff, you actually heal and restore others. Close up wounds, purge diseases from the body, things like that. With some extra practice, you can form powerful barriers or defensive buff spells, along with being able to restore lost limbs, organs, and even broken hearts! Nah, I'm just kidding about that last one. One thing, though – reviving the dead is actually incredibly rare here, outside of reincarnation or the services of the various Netherworld hospitals. You won't be able to learn that sort of thing without some kind of help, even if you grind your butt off. That sort of thing usually results in sacrificing your life for others, and I'm pretty sure that's something you might want to avoid.
What a Ripoff! [100, Free for Drop-In] – Something you'll notice very quickly is that this world runs on archetypes. The bratty Overlord kid, the love-obsessed angel, the bombastic hero, the devious villain...and so forth. And then you have things like the tsundere, the other tsundere, a comic relief frog-look, point is, everyone on here on a surface level is some kind of character type you'd see in an anime. You can now imitate any such archetype of your choosing to convincingly make someone think you fit that character type to a tee – even if it doesn't match your real personality or intentions at all. People will be more prone to accepting what you say at face value, but it won't stop later suspicions or a lack of acting ability make it eventually apparent you're hiding something. Still, with enough practice...
Hiding Your Power Level [100, Free for Drop-In] – Whether this is your first stop or not, it can be a little annoying when people immediately identify you as the scariest thing in the room...or immediately target you first. Sometimes you just want to relax and go out for a milk run. You can now hide the amount of energy, skill, or power you have that can be sensed by anyone else. This only lasts until you actually use said abilities in any form, but others will be more easily convinced you're a civilian or underdog. This includes your level and title, by the way, which will read 'Level 1: Loser', when in use.
I Will Be The Main Character! [600, Discount for Drop-In] – So you want to be the protagonist. Not just a main character, THE protagonist. To have your own game, to have your own supporting cast of characters, to finally escape development hell! Well, first, shut up Asagi. Second, you may or may not be able to supplant a protagonist with what you have now, but you certainly have the growth of one. You can now apply the principle for experience points – fighting bigger, tougher, better enemies than you – to any skill or power you currently have. In short, the more outmatched you are and the harder you get your butt kicked, the more your abilities will increase in potency and skill. If you survive, anyways. Actually defeating said enemies while the power gap is wide (and it has to be an up close and personal affair – no using a doomsday weapon in the safety of a moon base or something) will result in an even greater boost. That said, this is a high-risk, high-reward sort of ability – a low risk will
give you little to nothing, while something that beats you within an inch of your life and has a real chance of ending your chain will make you rise like a phoenix. You know, if you don't die.
Professional Peanut Gallery [Free] – At least a day before a major event happens to you, or before a new jump begins, Etna herself (or some of your companions) will give a hilariously inaccurate 'next episode' preview of what will happen. They tend to involve her taking the spotlight somehow, even if she's dead or otherwise unavailable in later jumps. You and your companions are free to act as a peanut gallery to this, but it won't have any real bearing on your adventures. Occasionally, Etna's predictions will be dead serious and completely accurate...but by then, you'll be so used to the silliness that it will be hard to believe or see coming. Can be toggled on and off.
Theme Song [Free] – What is a good character without a good theme song?! A dork, that's what. You're not a dork, are you? You now have a dedicated theme song with lyrics that perfectly describe your personality. There's a bias towards quirky, upbeat tunes in this world, but it will be whatever genre or style that you desire. Nobody except you will hear it unless you decide otherwise, and others will likewise only comment on it if you will it so (or if they notice the fourth wall with any regularity). Tends to play whenever you do something cool or take the spotlight.
Moe [Free] – There's no such thing as an ugly main character! Okay, well, maybe not the monster classes...but don't judge! Point is, you look some form of beautiful, sexy, handsome, or adorable. Maybe even some combination of all of the above. Those who work out can be deceptively thin and boyish or made of rippling muscle, ladies can be short, adorable and flat or have large...erm, tracts of land. Muscular ladies work fine, too, as do particularly androgynous boys. You know who you are. Everyone here looks like this to some extent, but for an extra 100 points, you look especially gorgeous or awesome even among the locals. Expect a fanclub.
Mana Burst [300] - 'Mana' is the life energy in all things, and is where the source of most power from Angels and Demons comes from. It's most often used for the incredibly flashy abilities that people throw around like candy in battle. In short, this energy and its use is what powers most special attacks or abilities in this world. Though it's rare for Humans to be able to use it, choosing that as your Species will give you access to this all the same. You start with a fairly small pool of it, enough to create small bursts of power or strength in your attacks, and the occasional finishing move blast. It will steadily recover with rest or standard RPG item use. As you grow in experience and level, your mana pool will grow a bit larger with you, letting you accomplish greater feats. Exactly what that manifests as is up to you, but note that mana-effects tend to be biased towards flashy, combat-y things, and doesn't really wander into the world of the conceptual or utility most of the time...with some exceptions. Raw power is where it's at, here. That aside, if you'd rather get a head start on the competition, you can spend 300 mana to both considerably increase the growth of your pool and to double the starting amount you have. This lets you throw around flashier attacks with less experience. With enough time and training, you'll be a match for even Overlords. And with this extra boost? You'll get there faster.
Reincarnation [300] – For...obvious reasons, a Jumper can't safely benefit from reincarnation in
this world. The whole 'dying' part and all. However, you can instead willingly channel your energy into the power of rebirth, creating a sort of pseudo-reincarnation. Your Level and all of your abilities (except for skills) will be reduced to their lowest possible intensity, and will slowly recover over time. In exchange for this temporary power-up letdown, your growth and learning rate greatly intensifies, especially if you go right back to punching above your own weight during the reduction in power. You can also willingly use a lesser version of this perk to weaken yourself or lower your level, then scale it back up or down from full power at will, though it will lack the growth boost. For 300 points, you can use this in any jump past this one.
Item World [300] – Every weapon, armor, and gear has untapped potential. A sword, a gun, a
plastic spoon – anything can become an artifact of legend with the right motivation. Such as
journeying into the item's own 'world', made of thousands of islands connected to each other via
Dimension Gate, and beating the crap out of its imperfections. If it's something you wear or use, it's an item. If it's something you command or position like a unit, it's not an item, and thus you cannot enter its World. You and up to nine other people can enter this world, which will be entirely random and full of various monsters. The weaker the item is, the weaker the monsters will be, and vice-versa...truly powerful items of legend will create terrifying opponents indeed – Item Kings and even Item Gods, titanic foes who will slaughter an unwary party. The further you journey into the item, the stronger it will become – and the stronger the enemies inside will be. Imperfections will disappear, and even a common household item can become worth ten times
more than its weight in combat. This won't directly improve or modify complex devices or weapons with a lot of working parts, but it will increase their output or raw power when in use. Be wary – you can't bring the item whose Item World you're entering with you, so bring a backup weapon or any extra gear you need. If the item is destroyed with you and company in it, you will be killed along with it. Thankfully, there is a chance every ten floors that you will find a town full of Innocents, a place without monsters you can rest and recover in. With the right amount of determination and sufficiency, one could journey for a long time in the Item World...but be wary of both the growing enemies and the fact time is still marching on outside of the World!
The Item World is a staple of this setting and can be entered at any time in this jump for free, but to be able to enter it post-jump, you must spend 300 points.
Main Character [500] - You're not just anyone, you're a protagonist! The star! The shining beacon of hope or despair! The one people constantly complain about on the internet and wish one of your companions took the lead instead! Well, screw them. You've even got a unique portrait to show for it. Your weight and importance to this world gives you the ability to unlock the same potential within others – in exchange for a considerable but temporary decrease in your power and energy reserves, you may unlock the potential within others – effectively granting them the Level One perk as well as the free version of Mana Burst. They will have none of the skill or training available from beings in this world – but with a certain handsome Jumper training them hard enough, they can now reach greater heights of skill and power. It doesn't completely remove their limitations – but that particular ceiling is now much, MUCH higher. This also unlocks the true potential of the various abilities of the realms, as follows...
-I Will Be The Main Character: You already are one, silly! While you keep the old benefits of this perk, you now realize what it takes to make a true protagonist! You can now apply the experience gain and ability increase via hardship, defeat, and narrow victories to anyone you personally train. Using Level One on them is optional, but certainly helpful. Just try not to kill your students – even if you can revive them somehow, they don't get experience for dying painfully.
Where do you fit in? Well, that depends. Your true potential from perks and powers from this world depends on one thing: experience. Or, to be more accurate, obscene amounts of level grinding! Every perk and class in here come with a set of powers that all depend on your 'level', that is, the amount of skill and training you have, in addition to how many powerful foes you've defeated from this point on. You start at Level One – fresh but full of potential, with plenty of room for growth! While your level won't reflect what you gained before now, things that improve training, learning, and fighting ability can speed up your growth a little for each source of 'help' you have, though don't expect to blaze through levels every five seconds. Early levels involve things you'd see in most 'low-key' anime or video games, or what you youngsters call 'peak human'. And from there, the sky's the limit, but you must work and train hard to hope to match things such as powerful demons or Overlord candidates...or worse, actual Overlords, who may be far beyond you if you don't dedicate every waking minute to grinding like a madman.
Be warned. However you choose to see how power and people work in this world, it goes both ways: Any peak of power you can obtain using these perks can be obtained by others who are dedicated enough. And mark my words: while the common man, Demon, Angel, and Prinny will never come close to you if you work hard enough, you WILL run into main character material that will kick your butt into next week eventually if you get cocky. How your abilities will manifest will depend on your Features.
Majin Soul [400] – What, you want to go right for the cheat option? Seriously?! I even went through the trouble of detailing all of the above! Ugh. Fine. Non-Prinnies can forsake the ability to take Features and just take this one, though it can't be taken for free and costs 400 instead of 200. You have the soul of a mighty Majin, giving you an across-the-board growth rate and potential increase in all stats and mana use, though you won't gain any of the special abilities of the other features and will have to learn them at the same, boring pace as you would normally. But you will master the use of weapons quickly, and have an increased mana pool to throw around power with. It will be a literal grind, but you will become a master of battle and a terror on the field with enough experience, dishing out raw power like candy. If you're a Demon, you will be an actual Majin, if you so wish.
Ninja [200] – Nin, nin, nin! Masters of the shadows, connoisseur of assassination, looks really good in black. You become very fast and good at dodging as you grow with experience, and likewise very good at sneaking and wielding weapons like knives, kunai, and shuriken. You become especially deadly at sneak attacks, and can become good enough at dodging to avoid bullets by making a shimmy and a shake. You're fast, you're sneaky, you're hard to hit. Consider the ninja lifestyle.
Magic [200] – See, if you're some kind of NERD, you can actually refine mana into something besides generic energy blasts or cutscene attacks. Namely, you can form classic RPG elements – fire, water, and so on – using a smaller amount of mana than you would throwing it around like an idiot. It even has use outside of combat, too. The only downside is that it needs a lot more concentration, setup, and study as opposed to just tossing raw power around. With enough time and experience, you can bathe cities in fire, flood them, or even ruin the day of the local weather reporter. You might be a tiny bit more fragile than the average fighter, though, if you don't keep up your stamina or physical training – wizards never seem to jog very much. Comes with a free Skull Mask or Witch Hat.
Boring Magic [200] – Okay, maybe you're not really into the whole 'slinging around fire and lightning like a madman' kind of magic. Maybe you prefer a more passive, supportive approach. Either that or you're a companion who got shafted back into the healing role. It's okay, I understand. This is one of the odd exceptions I mentioned earlier, where instead of blowing the crap out of stuff, you actually heal and restore others. Close up wounds, purge diseases from the body, things like that. With some extra practice, you can form powerful barriers or defensive buff spells, along with being able to restore lost limbs, organs, and even broken hearts! Nah, I'm just kidding about that last one. One thing, though – reviving the dead is actually incredibly rare here, outside of reincarnation or the services of the various Netherworld hospitals. You won't be able to learn that sort of thing without some kind of help, even if you grind your butt off. That sort of thing usually results in sacrificing your life for others, and I'm pretty sure that's something you might want to avoid.
What a Ripoff! [100, Free for Drop-In] – Something you'll notice very quickly is that this world runs on archetypes. The bratty Overlord kid, the love-obsessed angel, the bombastic hero, the devious villain...and so forth. And then you have things like the tsundere, the other tsundere, a comic relief frog-look, point is, everyone on here on a surface level is some kind of character type you'd see in an anime. You can now imitate any such archetype of your choosing to convincingly make someone think you fit that character type to a tee – even if it doesn't match your real personality or intentions at all. People will be more prone to accepting what you say at face value, but it won't stop later suspicions or a lack of acting ability make it eventually apparent you're hiding something. Still, with enough practice...
Hiding Your Power Level [100, Free for Drop-In] – Whether this is your first stop or not, it can be a little annoying when people immediately identify you as the scariest thing in the room...or immediately target you first. Sometimes you just want to relax and go out for a milk run. You can now hide the amount of energy, skill, or power you have that can be sensed by anyone else. This only lasts until you actually use said abilities in any form, but others will be more easily convinced you're a civilian or underdog. This includes your level and title, by the way, which will read 'Level 1: Loser', when in use.
I Will Be The Main Character! [600, Discount for Drop-In] – So you want to be the protagonist. Not just a main character, THE protagonist. To have your own game, to have your own supporting cast of characters, to finally escape development hell! Well, first, shut up Asagi. Second, you may or may not be able to supplant a protagonist with what you have now, but you certainly have the growth of one. You can now apply the principle for experience points – fighting bigger, tougher, better enemies than you – to any skill or power you currently have. In short, the more outmatched you are and the harder you get your butt kicked, the more your abilities will increase in potency and skill. If you survive, anyways. Actually defeating said enemies while the power gap is wide (and it has to be an up close and personal affair – no using a doomsday weapon in the safety of a moon base or something) will result in an even greater boost. That said, this is a high-risk, high-reward sort of ability – a low risk will
give you little to nothing, while something that beats you within an inch of your life and has a real chance of ending your chain will make you rise like a phoenix. You know, if you don't die.
Professional Peanut Gallery [Free] – At least a day before a major event happens to you, or before a new jump begins, Etna herself (or some of your companions) will give a hilariously inaccurate 'next episode' preview of what will happen. They tend to involve her taking the spotlight somehow, even if she's dead or otherwise unavailable in later jumps. You and your companions are free to act as a peanut gallery to this, but it won't have any real bearing on your adventures. Occasionally, Etna's predictions will be dead serious and completely accurate...but by then, you'll be so used to the silliness that it will be hard to believe or see coming. Can be toggled on and off.
Theme Song [Free] – What is a good character without a good theme song?! A dork, that's what. You're not a dork, are you? You now have a dedicated theme song with lyrics that perfectly describe your personality. There's a bias towards quirky, upbeat tunes in this world, but it will be whatever genre or style that you desire. Nobody except you will hear it unless you decide otherwise, and others will likewise only comment on it if you will it so (or if they notice the fourth wall with any regularity). Tends to play whenever you do something cool or take the spotlight.
Moe [Free] – There's no such thing as an ugly main character! Okay, well, maybe not the monster classes...but don't judge! Point is, you look some form of beautiful, sexy, handsome, or adorable. Maybe even some combination of all of the above. Those who work out can be deceptively thin and boyish or made of rippling muscle, ladies can be short, adorable and flat or have large...erm, tracts of land. Muscular ladies work fine, too, as do particularly androgynous boys. You know who you are. Everyone here looks like this to some extent, but for an extra 100 points, you look especially gorgeous or awesome even among the locals. Expect a fanclub.
Mana Burst [300] - 'Mana' is the life energy in all things, and is where the source of most power from Angels and Demons comes from. It's most often used for the incredibly flashy abilities that people throw around like candy in battle. In short, this energy and its use is what powers most special attacks or abilities in this world. Though it's rare for Humans to be able to use it, choosing that as your Species will give you access to this all the same. You start with a fairly small pool of it, enough to create small bursts of power or strength in your attacks, and the occasional finishing move blast. It will steadily recover with rest or standard RPG item use. As you grow in experience and level, your mana pool will grow a bit larger with you, letting you accomplish greater feats. Exactly what that manifests as is up to you, but note that mana-effects tend to be biased towards flashy, combat-y things, and doesn't really wander into the world of the conceptual or utility most of the time...with some exceptions. Raw power is where it's at, here. That aside, if you'd rather get a head start on the competition, you can spend 300 mana to both considerably increase the growth of your pool and to double the starting amount you have. This lets you throw around flashier attacks with less experience. With enough time and training, you'll be a match for even Overlords. And with this extra boost? You'll get there faster.
Reincarnation [300] – For...obvious reasons, a Jumper can't safely benefit from reincarnation in
this world. The whole 'dying' part and all. However, you can instead willingly channel your energy into the power of rebirth, creating a sort of pseudo-reincarnation. Your Level and all of your abilities (except for skills) will be reduced to their lowest possible intensity, and will slowly recover over time. In exchange for this temporary power-up letdown, your growth and learning rate greatly intensifies, especially if you go right back to punching above your own weight during the reduction in power. You can also willingly use a lesser version of this perk to weaken yourself or lower your level, then scale it back up or down from full power at will, though it will lack the growth boost. For 300 points, you can use this in any jump past this one.
Item World [300] – Every weapon, armor, and gear has untapped potential. A sword, a gun, a
plastic spoon – anything can become an artifact of legend with the right motivation. Such as
journeying into the item's own 'world', made of thousands of islands connected to each other via
Dimension Gate, and beating the crap out of its imperfections. If it's something you wear or use, it's an item. If it's something you command or position like a unit, it's not an item, and thus you cannot enter its World. You and up to nine other people can enter this world, which will be entirely random and full of various monsters. The weaker the item is, the weaker the monsters will be, and vice-versa...truly powerful items of legend will create terrifying opponents indeed – Item Kings and even Item Gods, titanic foes who will slaughter an unwary party. The further you journey into the item, the stronger it will become – and the stronger the enemies inside will be. Imperfections will disappear, and even a common household item can become worth ten times
more than its weight in combat. This won't directly improve or modify complex devices or weapons with a lot of working parts, but it will increase their output or raw power when in use. Be wary – you can't bring the item whose Item World you're entering with you, so bring a backup weapon or any extra gear you need. If the item is destroyed with you and company in it, you will be killed along with it. Thankfully, there is a chance every ten floors that you will find a town full of Innocents, a place without monsters you can rest and recover in. With the right amount of determination and sufficiency, one could journey for a long time in the Item World...but be wary of both the growing enemies and the fact time is still marching on outside of the World!
The Item World is a staple of this setting and can be entered at any time in this jump for free, but to be able to enter it post-jump, you must spend 300 points.
Main Character [500] - You're not just anyone, you're a protagonist! The star! The shining beacon of hope or despair! The one people constantly complain about on the internet and wish one of your companions took the lead instead! Well, screw them. You've even got a unique portrait to show for it. Your weight and importance to this world gives you the ability to unlock the same potential within others – in exchange for a considerable but temporary decrease in your power and energy reserves, you may unlock the potential within others – effectively granting them the Level One perk as well as the free version of Mana Burst. They will have none of the skill or training available from beings in this world – but with a certain handsome Jumper training them hard enough, they can now reach greater heights of skill and power. It doesn't completely remove their limitations – but that particular ceiling is now much, MUCH higher. This also unlocks the true potential of the various abilities of the realms, as follows...
-I Will Be The Main Character: You already are one, silly! While you keep the old benefits of this perk, you now realize what it takes to make a true protagonist! You can now apply the experience gain and ability increase via hardship, defeat, and narrow victories to anyone you personally train. Using Level One on them is optional, but certainly helpful. Just try not to kill your students – even if you can revive them somehow, they don't get experience for dying painfully.
Hero's Scarf [Free] – It's a flowing red scarf that will manage to look good on you regardless of your outfit. Never gets caught in anything, either. Perfect for the aspiring or veteran hero! Or protagonist. Whatever works for you.
Trademark Outfit [Free] – You receive a stylish outfit like the locals here do, which is just your size and looks really good on you. The outfit is tailored to your tastes and won't impede your movement at all, though it won't have any magical or other special qualities to it. You can also 'wear' this outfit over any equipment and armor, making it look like you're still wearing a fancy dress instead of trying to shove a fancy dress over a heavy suit of armor. Doesn't change the weight or how much you can actually fit on yourself, though, and is purely aesthetic. Can have a minor color or aesthetic change to reflect alternate equipment or forms you're using. For 100 points, you can apply this 'layer' quality over any outfit you own.
Starting Weapon [100 CP] – You receive an amazingly basic weapon for any of your chosen
Features. If you've chosen no Features that involve a particular weapon, choose a single mundane melee or ranged weapon of your choice. Magic-users may receive staffs, as well. For an extra 100, you instead receive a slightly better starting weapon, but the primary benefit to it is that you can give it any sort of neat-looking aesthetic of your choosing so long as its function doesn't change, or give it any special properties. (Scythe)
Dimensional Gate [300] – Not too far away from wherever you begin, whether as a public
commodity or your own private property, you own a working Dimensional Gate. When operated, it can open a portal leading to anywhere in the Netherworld, Earth, or Celestia. The portal remains open until the one operating the device on the gate's side closes it, and up to ten people can travel through it at once. Transportation is instant, but the portal is easily detected by those on the receiving side, often resulting in random encounters, monster attacks or suspicious locals. Be ready for trouble, wherever you end up, especially if you openly go to somewhere dangerous. You can keep it after this jump, but it will not function until you enter another Disgaea jump or a jump in the same multiverse. Generally, any place made by NIS that had a Disgaea character cameo into it, the gate will be functional. You also can't leave the local universe you're in (in this case – the three realms described and seen in 1 and D2), except under the conditions noted in the Anon drawback. For 300 points, the Gate remains functional on a contextual scale – a setting that is mostly on a single planet can take you anywhere on said planet, whereas a sci-fi adventure in a vast galaxy is your oyster to explore. You'll still need someone to stay behind and maintain the gate, though...not to mention learn how to punch in coordinates for each new world. In case it isn't obvious, this gate cannot take you to alternate timelines or different eras.
Useless Time-Wasting RPGs [100, Free for Drop-In] – Perfect for ruining your plans that day as you keep. On. Level grinding. I'm just kidding, though. Just don't mention that to the locals, okay? You receive a copy of every Disgaea game in existence, along with working game consoles to play them on.
Sweet Jacket [100, Free for Drop-In] – It's a really nifty jacket that looks good on you. Comes in white, black, and blue. Keeps you cozy even in extreme temperatures, though it won't stop you from freezing in the arctic or burning when you're on fire.
Rosen Queen Shop [400, Discount for Netherworld] - You know what blows? Having to constantly wander around in search of supplies or some place that can buy all of your stuff. Well, not anymore. A bunch of demons in incredibly suspect clothing have set up shop near where you're living, and will sell a bunch of common supplies – food, water, and some basic weapons that are common in the world. Occasionally, they'll sell something a bit more uncommon or rare for a higher price, but they'll never get their hands on any unique, one-of-a-kind, or plot-important items of any kind. Strict 'No MacGuffin' policy, you know.
They'll take any currency you can offer at the same rate it has in its home world. Though they're willing to haggle, attempting to cheat, kill, steal from, companion, seduce, or bamboozle the merchants will result in them vanishing for the remainder of the jump, along with whatever gear you were hoping to get from them.
Post-jump, they'll set up shop in a Warehouse attachment, though they'll be storing their merchandise out of your reach until you pay up. Note their merchandise always 'resets' to match the jump you're currently in.
Trademark Outfit [Free] – You receive a stylish outfit like the locals here do, which is just your size and looks really good on you. The outfit is tailored to your tastes and won't impede your movement at all, though it won't have any magical or other special qualities to it. You can also 'wear' this outfit over any equipment and armor, making it look like you're still wearing a fancy dress instead of trying to shove a fancy dress over a heavy suit of armor. Doesn't change the weight or how much you can actually fit on yourself, though, and is purely aesthetic. Can have a minor color or aesthetic change to reflect alternate equipment or forms you're using. For 100 points, you can apply this 'layer' quality over any outfit you own.
Starting Weapon [100 CP] – You receive an amazingly basic weapon for any of your chosen
Features. If you've chosen no Features that involve a particular weapon, choose a single mundane melee or ranged weapon of your choice. Magic-users may receive staffs, as well. For an extra 100, you instead receive a slightly better starting weapon, but the primary benefit to it is that you can give it any sort of neat-looking aesthetic of your choosing so long as its function doesn't change, or give it any special properties. (Scythe)
Dimensional Gate [300] – Not too far away from wherever you begin, whether as a public
commodity or your own private property, you own a working Dimensional Gate. When operated, it can open a portal leading to anywhere in the Netherworld, Earth, or Celestia. The portal remains open until the one operating the device on the gate's side closes it, and up to ten people can travel through it at once. Transportation is instant, but the portal is easily detected by those on the receiving side, often resulting in random encounters, monster attacks or suspicious locals. Be ready for trouble, wherever you end up, especially if you openly go to somewhere dangerous. You can keep it after this jump, but it will not function until you enter another Disgaea jump or a jump in the same multiverse. Generally, any place made by NIS that had a Disgaea character cameo into it, the gate will be functional. You also can't leave the local universe you're in (in this case – the three realms described and seen in 1 and D2), except under the conditions noted in the Anon drawback. For 300 points, the Gate remains functional on a contextual scale – a setting that is mostly on a single planet can take you anywhere on said planet, whereas a sci-fi adventure in a vast galaxy is your oyster to explore. You'll still need someone to stay behind and maintain the gate, though...not to mention learn how to punch in coordinates for each new world. In case it isn't obvious, this gate cannot take you to alternate timelines or different eras.
Useless Time-Wasting RPGs [100, Free for Drop-In] – Perfect for ruining your plans that day as you keep. On. Level grinding. I'm just kidding, though. Just don't mention that to the locals, okay? You receive a copy of every Disgaea game in existence, along with working game consoles to play them on.
Sweet Jacket [100, Free for Drop-In] – It's a really nifty jacket that looks good on you. Comes in white, black, and blue. Keeps you cozy even in extreme temperatures, though it won't stop you from freezing in the arctic or burning when you're on fire.
Rosen Queen Shop [400, Discount for Netherworld] - You know what blows? Having to constantly wander around in search of supplies or some place that can buy all of your stuff. Well, not anymore. A bunch of demons in incredibly suspect clothing have set up shop near where you're living, and will sell a bunch of common supplies – food, water, and some basic weapons that are common in the world. Occasionally, they'll sell something a bit more uncommon or rare for a higher price, but they'll never get their hands on any unique, one-of-a-kind, or plot-important items of any kind. Strict 'No MacGuffin' policy, you know.
They'll take any currency you can offer at the same rate it has in its home world. Though they're willing to haggle, attempting to cheat, kill, steal from, companion, seduce, or bamboozle the merchants will result in them vanishing for the remainder of the jump, along with whatever gear you were hoping to get from them.
Post-jump, they'll set up shop in a Warehouse attachment, though they'll be storing their merchandise out of your reach until you pay up. Note their merchandise always 'resets' to match the jump you're currently in.
Companions: Battle Monkeys [200]
Name: Evoria
Location: Netherworld
Origin: Netherworld
Age: 1600
Gender: Female
Race: Demon
CP: 400 + 400 (Alt Chain) = 800 CP
Perks
Level One [Free, Mandatory] – You've probably heard some interesting things about this world. Angels that can call down meteors that destroy entire continents, magic that can shatter planets like glass, ice cream that never melts! Some of these may be gross exaggerations, but one thing cannot be denied: This is a place of great heroes and villains, even if they're just silly parodies more than half of the time. That said, you can have the flashiest, galaxy-destroying lightshow on the planet and it won't actually do squat for damage to anyone or anything unless you work for it. (You'll probably be a hit at parties, though!) This place works on RPG logic, not 'real' logic. Most humans, demons, and even Angels don't really bother improving their potential past what you'd consider common for most 'mooks' in stories, but the exceptions to this rule are powerful indeed, and more than likely match up to the legends you hear.
Where do you fit in? Well, that depends. Your true potential from perks and powers from this world depends on one thing: experience. Or, to be more accurate, obscene amounts of level grinding! Every perk and class in here come with a set of powers that all depend on your 'level', that is, the amount of skill and training you have, in addition to how many powerful foes you've defeated from this point on. You start at Level One – fresh but full of potential, with plenty of room for growth! While your level won't reflect what you gained before now, things that improve training, learning, and fighting ability can speed up your growth a little for each source of 'help' you have, though don't expect to blaze through levels every five seconds. Early levels involve things you'd see in most 'low-key' anime or video games, or what you youngsters call 'peak human'. And from there, the sky's the limit, but you must work and train hard to hope to match things such as powerful demons or Overlord candidates...or worse, actual Overlords, who may be far beyond you if you don't dedicate every waking minute to grinding like a madman.
Be warned. However you choose to see how power and people work in this world, it goes both ways: Any peak of power you can obtain using these perks can be obtained by others who are dedicated enough. And mark my words: while the common man, Demon, Angel, and Prinny will never come close to you if you work hard enough, you WILL run into main character material that will kick your butt into next week eventually if you get cocky. How your abilities will manifest will depend on your Features.
Ninja – Nin, nin, nin! Masters of the shadows, connoisseur of assassination, looks really good in black. You become very fast and good at dodging as you grow with experience, and likewise very good at sneaking and wielding weapons like knives, kunai, and shuriken. You become especially deadly at sneak attacks, and can become good enough at dodging to avoid bullets by making a shimmy and a shake. You're fast, you're sneaky, you're hard to hit. Consider the ninja lifestyle.
Thief – And here's another one. A thief is...well, really good at stealing things. Picking pockets,
sneaking around, using small and quick weapons, that sort of thing. But you can become really,
REALLY good at it. Like, stealing someone's weapons mid-swing, taking their wallet while they're distracted by the plot, or removing someone's pants without them noticing. Fun things like that. You become better at stealing and sneaking as you gain experience, to the point you could take things like 'memories' or 'strength' and WOAH CALM DOWN! DOWN, JUMPER, DOWN! These aren't as exciting as they sound. It mostly means stealing a fraction of the 'stats' of an enemy to boost yourself or inflicting 'status effects'. You can't really put to use the things you steal in other ways, much less steal abilities. They don't actually last very long or anything quite as exciting as permanently stealing things like those, but they're definitely useful in battle. Still, never underestimate the ability to take a chunk out of someone's physical strength, okay?
Professional Peanut Gallery [Free] – At least a day before a major event happens to you, or before a new jump begins, Etna herself (or some of your companions) will give a hilariously inaccurate 'next episode' preview of what will happen. They tend to involve her taking the spotlight somehow, even if she's dead or otherwise unavailable in later jumps. You and your companions are free to act as a peanut gallery to this, but it won't have any real bearing on your adventures. Occasionally, Etna's predictions will be dead serious and completely accurate...but by then, you'll be so used to the silliness that it will be hard to believe or see coming. Can be toggled on and off.
Theme Song [Free] – What is a good character without a good theme song?! A dork, that's what. You're not a dork, are you? You now have a dedicated theme song with lyrics that perfectly describe your personality. There's a bias towards quirky, upbeat tunes in this world, but it will be whatever genre or style that you desire. Nobody except you will hear it unless you decide otherwise, and others will likewise only comment on it if you will it so (or if they notice the fourth wall with any regularity). Tends to play whenever you do something cool or take the spotlight.
Moe [Free] – There's no such thing as an ugly main character! Okay, well, maybe not the monster classes...but don't judge! Point is, you look some form of beautiful, sexy, handsome, or adorable. Maybe even some combination of all of the above. Those who work out can be deceptively thin and boyish or made of rippling muscle, ladies can be short, adorable and flat or have large...erm, tracts of land. Muscular ladies work fine, too, as do particularly androgynous boys. You know who you are. Everyone here looks like this to some extent, but for an extra 100 points, you look especially gorgeous or awesome even among the locals. Expect a fanclub.
Mana Burst [300] - 'Mana' is the life energy in all things, and is where the source of most power from Angels and Demons comes from. It's most often used for the incredibly flashy abilities that people throw around like candy in battle. In short, this energy and its use is what powers most special attacks or abilities in this world. Though it's rare for Humans to be able to use it, choosing that as your Species will give you access to this all the same. You start with a fairly small pool of it, enough to create small bursts of power or strength in your attacks, and the occasional finishing move blast. It will steadily recover with rest or standard RPG item use. As you grow in experience and level, your mana pool will grow a bit larger with you, letting you accomplish greater feats. Exactly what that manifests as is up to you, but note that mana-effects tend to be biased towards flashy, combat-y things, and doesn't really wander into the world of the conceptual or utility most of the time...with some exceptions. Raw power is where it's at, here. That aside, if you'd rather get a head start on the competition, you can spend 300 mana to both considerably increase the growth of your pool and to double the starting amount you have. This lets you throw around flashier attacks with less experience. With enough time and training, you'll be a match for even Overlords. And with this extra boost? You'll get there faster.
Reincarnation [300] – For...obvious reasons, a Jumper can't safely benefit from reincarnation in
this world. The whole 'dying' part and all. However, you can instead willingly channel your energy into the power of rebirth, creating a sort of pseudo-reincarnation. Your Level and all of your abilities (except for skills) will be reduced to their lowest possible intensity, and will slowly recover over time. In exchange for this temporary power-up letdown, your growth and learning rate greatly intensifies, especially if you go right back to punching above your own weight during the reduction in power. You can also willingly use a lesser version of this perk to weaken yourself or lower your level, then scale it back up or down from full power at will, though it will lack the growth boost. For 300 points, you can use this in any jump past this one.
Maximum Bully [100, Free for Netherworld] – A demon is evil, EVIL! And while you may or may not be one yourself, the only people who get by in the Netherworld are the baddest of the bad. The maddest of the mad. The killers of kings and destroyers of worlds! Okay, not really, but still. You need to act the part. You can now pull off a perfect Saturday Morning Cartoon villain act and know how to look the part. You're also very good at making small children cry and become a master of internet trolling. You know, because that's a useful skill.
The Wickedest of Them All [100, Free for Netherworld] – Demons don't have soft spots or 'good' in them! And neither do humans or any other residents worth their salt here! And you'll prove it! You can now read as 'evil' to any alignment detectors that work on you, and mask your actions as obviously malevolent even if they're contradictory – you weren't SAVING that Angel, you were just murdering the competition so you could kill them later! You weren't FEEDING those orphans, you were torturing them with sugary candies and tooth decay! You aren't REALLY in love with that human, you're just deceiving them and taking a REALLY long time to spring the trap! In short, you can convince everyone you're a villain with minimal effort, but those close to you (as if!) will probably see through the facade.
Items
Hero's Scarf [Free] – It's a flowing red scarf that will manage to look good on you regardless of your outfit. Never gets caught in anything, either. Perfect for the aspiring or veteran hero! Or protagonist. Whatever works for you.
Trademark Outfit [Free] – You receive a stylish outfit like the locals here do, which is just your size and looks really good on you. The outfit is tailored to your tastes and won't impede your movement at all, though it won't have any magical or other special qualities to it. You can also 'wear' this outfit over any equipment and armor, making it look like you're still wearing a fancy dress instead of trying to shove a fancy dress over a heavy suit of armor. Doesn't change the weight or how much you can actually fit on yourself, though, and is purely aesthetic. Can have a minor color or aesthetic change to reflect alternate equipment or forms you're using. For 100 points, you can apply this 'layer' quality over any outfit you own.
Starting Weapon [100 CP] – You receive an amazingly basic weapon for any of your chosen
Features. If you've chosen no Features that involve a particular weapon, choose a single mundane melee or ranged weapon of your choice. Magic-users may receive staffs, as well. For an extra 100, you instead receive a slightly better starting weapon, but the primary benefit to it is that you can give it any sort of neat-looking aesthetic of your choosing so long as its function doesn't change, or give it any special properties. (Twin Slicer (Sword))
Comfy Coffin [100, Free for Netherworld] – It's a large coffin, just your size that's actually very
comfortable to sleep in. It even has soft cushions inside. Looks very imposing from the outside, too. It...can fit more than one person, if you really wanted.
"Ah, to be young again..." Vyers sighs nostalgically.
Infernal Throne [100, Free for Netherworld] – A suitably villainous throne that is both comfortable to sit on and gives a minor boost in your intimidation ability when you're sitting on it. Can be of any design or aesthetic you desire, though it will only change in appearance, and not function.
Dark Assembly Ticket [200, Discount for Netherworld] – Oh, this is a little bit early. It wasn't supposed to be in this section...wait, no, this isn't what I ordered at all! Sent it back, damn it!
"The Dark Assembly is a fickle beast...and often involves a lot of pointless politics and troublesome bureaucracy." Vyers says, folding his arms and nodding.
Well, might as well get some use out of this. So I'll give you this ticket if you pay for it. What it does is...well, it changes the gender of the person you use it on. They'll be fully aware of the change, too. Good for pranks or confusion, I guess. Can be used once a day.
Drawbacks: 200 + 200 (Bonus) = 400
Trouble Magnet [+200]: Bad things will always cluster around you. Things will not go smoothly. There is a +10% cumulative chance per week of something personally happening to you, The Jumper, that will personally inconvenience or annoy you. Thus if you have the base, the chance each week is 10%, but if nothing happened to you in week 1, there's a 20% chance in week 2, and a 30% chance in week 3. This resets to the baseline once something bad happens to you.
Trouble Magnet [+200]: Bad things will always cluster around you. Things will not go smoothly. There is a +10% cumulative chance per week of something personally happening to you, The Jumper, that will personally inconvenience or annoy you. Thus if you have the base, the chance each week is 10%, but if nothing happened to you in week 1, there's a 20% chance in week 2, and a 30% chance in week 3. This resets to the baseline once something bad happens to you.
"I shouldn't be too surprised…Mind if I roll for Trouble Magnet before you go?" Muse held up the dice.
"No problem. Go right ahead," I shrugged. Surely it wouldn't be too awful…
Nat 1
I felt the sweat run down my forehead. Muse was also sweating. We shared the robotic laugh of the totally mortified.
"Lessee…Uhhh…Etna Mode?" Muse gawked.
"I…I have no words…" I tried to formulate a plan, but nothing was gelling.
"Well I guess it's time to go. Try not to die too often!" She said rapidly even as I tried to break in, but failed. Muse yanked on a lever. "Launch!"
Me and Etna stuck together without a Laharl…hoooo boy…
This was really going to suck…
AN: Thus begins my 1 Month Fidelity Challenge. Writing a single story for the entire month. Prepare to be amazed! If this works out I might just do it with other stories, older stories. Drop me a line on Patreon. I need ma pizza money!
Chapter 2
- Location
- PA
Chapter 2
I didn't expect Drop-In to be quite so literal. One moment I'm getting yeeted from the Void Between and the next? Head first into the ground. Unlike Neptune my head is a bit harder than hers. The proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the cracked flagstones. Make of that what you will. Whoever owned this place would probably be annoyed with my unintended vandalism. My arms and legs seemed to work just fine. No numbness or loss of senses. The luckiest break was that there were no breaks. I must say I just love the decor. Crumbling old ruins are just so chic. It was probably a lovely place at one time. The signs of fading beauty gave the old castle a melancholic air. A quick check showed that I had all of my purchases on me. My Muse stuffed the Gate in my Hammerspace. That would be a bitch to retrieve. The only thing I couldn't find was my Powered Scythe. I had this weird idea of it being like a sword and staff combo. Probably not the strongest weapon, but that would change with the Item World.
"What's that whistling sound…?" I peered alertly at my surroundings. Nothing would be able to sneak up on me. Too bad that I fell victim to one of the oldest cliches. I forgot to look up. Just as I realized that my missing scythe hit the ground tip first. The shaft tilted ominously over my head. The decorative axe-like protrusion was so close it just barely touched my nose. I might have peed a little. Good thing no one was around to see this…
"That is not a good look for you, Boss," a pleasant alto remarked. I almost jumped, which would have been bad considering my position, but the new girl quickly grabbed my shoulder. She huffed with amusement. That's when I heard something that opened a yawning pit of my stomach. The sound of a camera. I looked over to see who did it. Oh. It was my Companion, Evoria. A Demoness with the same sort of development, or lack thereof, as Etna. Similar taste in clothes too. Her ears and twintails were longer, but she lacked the wings and tail.
"Hey Evoria. Lovely weather we're having, yeah?" I knew my smile was fake. Nearly getting cut in half by my own weapon would do that. My lovely assistant casually pulled the weapon out of the ground, missing my groin by inches, and spinning it until it rested across her shoulders. I managed to grit out a "Thanks."
"No charge, Boss. Though if you actually want me to do anything it'll cost you," she informed me without shame.
"You do realize I'm a wee bit broke, right? If you want money then you're basically working for free until we find some," I made sure to get my scythe back before mentioning that. Evoria looked distinctly put out.
"Yeah yeah yeah. I know that already. You've got enough boosts stacked to be an Overlord. A little loyalty from me means more money in the end. As long as you don't double cross me. Then nothing will save you," her lips curled with amusement. I took my life in my hands and patted her on the head. She just gave me a deadpan stare.
"My Tsundere is broken. She doesn't even flail about or fold her arms," I complained good naturedly.
"Stop patting my head. You horrible beast. Uwaaa. Happy now?" Evoria said in the most bored tone possible.
"Ecstatic," I said dryly. Frankly her behavior was more entertaining than if she were a classic Tsundere or something. This was the kind of person I could actually talk to. If I got stuck with a trope I might've gone mad. Eventually. Madder? Pretty sure I wasn't all there to begin with.
"Let's check this place out. There might be something here we can use. If not that it's still better than sleeping out in the open. Did you figure out how to get the Gate out of your pocket yet?" She asked. I gestured for her to walk with me.
"Could you maybe hop into my Hammerspace and stick it in your Warehouse?" I asked. In Disgaea the Inventory was called a Warehouse. My Hammerspace was better in some ways, but it couldn't do what the Warehouse could. She didn't have to rely on a specific sized opening for hers.
"You're going to trust me in there? With all of your worldly possessions?" Evoria smirked.
"So you steal my games and my scarf. They're all fiat backed to return to me. It's not like you would get very far," I reminded her.
"Hmmm…Ooh! I have an idea~! Why not use your Item World power on the games? Just pick some useless kiddy game, you've probably got dozens, and we just loot our way through that!" She enthused.
"That is sneaky and disgustingly clever. Wish I'd thought of it first," I shrugged.
"What can I say? I'm brilliant," she laid a hand modestly on her modest (nonexistent) bosom.
The thought of using the Item World on a collection of Disgaea games amused me to no end. Which was the only amusement we found given that the castle was empty. There wasn't even the busted remains of ancient furniture or something. Whoever abandoned this castle stripped it to the foundation. My initial assessment of it being a moldering ruin wasn't quite right. The foundation was still strong. The walls could be repaired. I couldn't find any damage to the floors. Maybe it wasn't the castle and environs offered in the DLC, but it had potential. Evoria agreed. No sooner did we decide to keep the castle then a loud commotion started up by the gate. We ran down the stairs and through the halls to reach the entrance. There was a whole troop of Prinnies and Demons carrying in luggage, boards, signs and goodness knows what. A Fighter broke off from the group to greet us.
"Rosenqueen's Store! Mind if we set up in the entrance hall?" He asked. Evoria and I exchanged bewildered glances. Nice to know that this surprised even her.
"Yeah, sure, go ahead. Just so you know I'm not exactly swimming in cash right now. I don't even know if there are any Demons nearby…" I gestured vaguely.
"There's plenty of potential customers! Just down the road's a town. No one really wants this place for some reason. The last time they had a Lord was just before King Krichevskoy died. He packed up and took off. So that leaves you the de facto ruler of the region," the Fighter shrugged.
"Is this a Quest Hook or a Plot Hook?" Evoria asked me.
"Yes," I replied.
The doc mentioned that the starting point was one week before canon. Except according to my Trouble Magnet roll this was Etna Mode. Either way it meant we needed to tighten our armor and sharpen our knives. Neither Laharl or Etna would leave us alone. They would see our squatting as some kind of insult or something. That left us with maybe a week to get ready. Which might be difficult since we didn't have access to the Dark Assembly…
"When did Pleinair get here?" I rubbed my forehead.
"Huh. Looks like she shipped herself over here…" Fighter sweatdropped.
"Why the kitty ears?" Evoria stared in disbelief.
[Meow] Pleinair held up a sign. Disgaea's number one mascot was indeed sitting in a cardboard box. The kind you find on the side of the road. To complete the picture of a woebegone kitten was a blue cat ears headband hidden by her ribbon.
"It would be really weird if we suddenly had 10,000,000 HL right about now!" I called out. Evoria, Fighter and Pleinair stared at me in disbelief. "Everything else I thought we needed appeared. Couldn't hurt to try."
The Fighter finally introduced himself as Al. Just Al. Nothing weird about it besides just how normal it sounded. Evoria managed to get the Gate out of my pocket, but we had a new problem. No one to operate the darn thing. The first thing I was buying when we got the Mana was a Gatekeeper. Guards too. An unprotected Gate could provide easy access to an invasion force. Evoria stared at me in judgment when I asked her to hold onto the Gate for me. I really should have had the Gatekeeper before getting it out. Live and learn, right? If I didn't find a way to pay her soon I would be learning how to dodge knives in my sleep. Rosenqueen's didn't sell food and candy didn't count. At least the village could provide the provisions we needed.
"First stop, Item World! Let's give the scarf a whirl," I held the red scarf aloft.
"Why this and not one of the games?" Evoria folded her arms.
"Because this can be equipped. The games can't," my logic was flawless. The scarf had stats similar to a weak Emblem. A very weak Emblem. Running through the Item World should improve its stats somewhat.
"Let me go buy a few Stealing Hands. I have enough HL for that," she sighed.
"I'll reimburse you for any legit business expenses," I told her. That made Evoria a bit happier. I almost offered to pay her extra, but that would bite me in the ass sooner than later.
The Item World set-up reminded me of D2 and not the classic Disgaea. The ritual circle deposited us smack dab in the middle of Innocent Town. I discreetly checked my sheet. No one altered anything about the setting through Drawbacks or otherwise. A truly terrible thought crossed my mind. There were a lot of new mechanics introduced in the Disgaea series. Disgaea 6 served as a prequel to 1. Which means the stuff introduced in that game should have some bearing now. I should have checked the Dark Assembly before diving straight into the Scarf. I hated making suboptimal stuff. Well that's on me. The good news is that since this isn't a game we weren't limited to game mechanics. Evoria cleaned up by stealing from the inhabitants while I simply looted chests. The chests yielded some cans of soda and candy. Nothing too amazing, but vital for exploration. I was the only one with Healing Magic after all. On the other hand my partner did significantly better. Thanks to her we had actual armor and shoes. For those who haven't played Disgaea, shoes could be very useful for increasing movement range.
"Shoes still increase movement and jump. I have no idea what determines which gameplay mechanic is enforced and what isn't," I looked over my new gear's stats. There was a Scarf of even lower quality than the one we were in right now. Looks like we have a spare. Beyond the one Evoria has from her own purchases.
"That one's pretty obvious. Shoes magically make it easier to go faster and farther. Don't overthink it, Boss," Evoria folded her arms. "Oh yeah. I found an Imperial Seal. You don't mind if I keep it, right?" The fact she was actually telling me was a good sign. She could have just kept it and I'd never have known. It was on the weaker side of Emblems, but still higher than the Scarf.
"Go ahead, knock yourself out. We wouldn't have this stuff if not for you," I shrugged. Evoria paused briefly in thought.
"Right, I forgot. You actually keep your word," Evoria seemed to realize.
"Hey I'll be as honest with you as you are with me. We need each other for survival. It's in your best interest to play fairly with me. I do have a lot of potential and the will to make the most of it," I laid a hand on my chest with a smirk.
"I'm with you for the long haul. The chance for riches unseen and power beyond imagining is very tempting. Just don't get too cocky. I might just find a way to steal your place in the chain," Evoria smirked playfully. There was a threat hidden in the teasing, but a mild one. She wouldn't be a Demon otherwise. It all boiled down to keeping my word to her. As long as I gave her what she wanted I had the loyalty of a crafty Demoness.
The first few floors weren't that difficult. Evoria and I had the basic combat roles covered. She looted the poor buggers while I killed them off. We took turns setting off the Geo Symbols. The HL and Mana were pretty good too. At least for low levels. None of the units were particularly good so capturing them was out. The only fly in the ointment were the Geo Symbols that required flying to reach. Good thing I was grinding my Magic on the wimps. With the Scythe's Staff-like Range bonus I could just barely tag the Symbol. Evoria switched out to a gun she found to help with the job.
"I think I'm gonna stick with the gun. Unless you could use that crafting thing to make a gunblade," Evoria suggested half seriously.
"Son of a bitch…" I facepalmed. I was thinking too small. Instant Craft basically said all I needed were the materials and maybe a blueprint. All of the spare weapons, armor and accessories could be used for crafting fodder.
"Wait, you didn't think of that?" She stared at me in disbelief before starting to laugh. Not a little one either, but a full blown high pitched maniacal giggle. I gave her shoulder a light push, but not too hard. It was pretty funny.
Luck was on our side. On the tenth floor was the Innocent Town. All of the walking loot boxes, ahem, inhabitants were a bit more wary than before. Didn't matter since Evoria just took all their stuff again. I almost tripped over the chicken who shills for the Item Assembly. Aside from some ruffled feathers, she wasn't too angry. Except I was definitely going to be apologizing to my companion after all this. Much of our haul went towards bribes. I kept a few of the better pieces, mostly the stuff to try and make a gunblade, but the rest? Poof. The reason? More Speed Growth. We were making these guys look like chumps with our speed. Adding even more on top of that was just common sense!
"Let's blow this popsicle stand. We don't even know when Etna and her Merry Band will show up," Evoria reminded me.
"This should be good enough for now. I kept enough Mana to make a couple units. Maybe we can try to pass a few…unique bills," I headed for the gate with a spring in my step.
"Unique bills? Unique how?" Evoria demanded while running to catch up. I just kept right on skipping for the gate. No matter how she wheedled, pleaded, or outright threatened I didn't tell her. We left the Item World in high spirits and joking around.
I should have remembered the Natural 1.
"What…what happened here…?" I stammered in disbelief.
"Oh no…" Evoria stared in stunned horror. The sight was so terrible it robbed her of any snark.
The castle was in even worse shape than when we left. Chunks of the floor were missing while new cracks decorated the walls. Rosenqueen's Shop was in ruins. The merchandise was missing, but that wasn't the worst part. Demons laid among the wreckage. We didn't have a hospital, neither of us purchased it, leaving us with little recourse. If anyone was to be saved it would fall on us. I had healing magic and some recovery items.
"Evoria…" I shook her shoulder lightly. No response. "Evoria! Come on!" I gave her a harder shake.
"Right, right…What do you need?" She asked faintly.
"Look for clues. I'll try to stabilize these guys," I was looking right at her. There was no mistaking the tiny little tear in the corner of her eye. That's when I realized she truly had a marshmallow center. She didn't even look back before searching the scene with a frightening intensity.
Pleinair came back some time later. She went to the nearby village for a day off. First day on the job and already taking time off, that's a Demon for you. When she got there the village was a wreck. The citizens only remembered a female Demoness' laughter and the evil cries of "Dood!" There weren't too many Demoness' in the Netherworld who used Prinnies as enforcers. They said there was a weird Prinny in a scarf with antennae taped to its head. There were even fewer Demoness' that needed a Fake Laharl. Evoria found a single red hair clutched in Al's hand. The Rosenqueen Fighter didn't make it. Maybe if we had a hospital things would've been different. Except the attack happened hours before we returned. The fact that anyone survived was a bloody miracle.
"Beauty Queen Etna, huh? Bloody Queen is more like it!" Evoria snarled hatefully. Black lightning arced from her hands.
[What do we do?] Pleinair held up a sign.
"We help the villagers recover, train our asses off, then take our complaints to Etna herself! We'll stick her tail so far down her throat she'll choke!" I yelled. The remaining shopkeepers grinned evilly in the half light. A grin that spread to Evoria and Pleinair as well.
This was our territory. No fake Overlord was going to waltz in here and take what's ours! Etna's head might be screwed up from thinking she killed the Prince, but I didn't care. Fuck that. She wasn't getting a pass on this. That is the Demon way, right? The law of the Netherworld and all that. So we were going to be properly Demonic about this. Once preparations had been made it would be time to teach the girl a lesson. The King wasn't here to save her.
If this was the world reminding me this wasn't a game I had one thing to say…
Message received.
AN: Yeah. Who really thinks about the generic mobs your party mows down? What would it look like to the mobs? Rolling a Natural 1 has consequences. Get ready for Carnage Mode!
Just so you know it won't be grimdark. Only as dark as the original Disgaea. Promise~!
I didn't expect Drop-In to be quite so literal. One moment I'm getting yeeted from the Void Between and the next? Head first into the ground. Unlike Neptune my head is a bit harder than hers. The proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the cracked flagstones. Make of that what you will. Whoever owned this place would probably be annoyed with my unintended vandalism. My arms and legs seemed to work just fine. No numbness or loss of senses. The luckiest break was that there were no breaks. I must say I just love the decor. Crumbling old ruins are just so chic. It was probably a lovely place at one time. The signs of fading beauty gave the old castle a melancholic air. A quick check showed that I had all of my purchases on me. My Muse stuffed the Gate in my Hammerspace. That would be a bitch to retrieve. The only thing I couldn't find was my Powered Scythe. I had this weird idea of it being like a sword and staff combo. Probably not the strongest weapon, but that would change with the Item World.
"What's that whistling sound…?" I peered alertly at my surroundings. Nothing would be able to sneak up on me. Too bad that I fell victim to one of the oldest cliches. I forgot to look up. Just as I realized that my missing scythe hit the ground tip first. The shaft tilted ominously over my head. The decorative axe-like protrusion was so close it just barely touched my nose. I might have peed a little. Good thing no one was around to see this…
"That is not a good look for you, Boss," a pleasant alto remarked. I almost jumped, which would have been bad considering my position, but the new girl quickly grabbed my shoulder. She huffed with amusement. That's when I heard something that opened a yawning pit of my stomach. The sound of a camera. I looked over to see who did it. Oh. It was my Companion, Evoria. A Demoness with the same sort of development, or lack thereof, as Etna. Similar taste in clothes too. Her ears and twintails were longer, but she lacked the wings and tail.
"Hey Evoria. Lovely weather we're having, yeah?" I knew my smile was fake. Nearly getting cut in half by my own weapon would do that. My lovely assistant casually pulled the weapon out of the ground, missing my groin by inches, and spinning it until it rested across her shoulders. I managed to grit out a "Thanks."
"No charge, Boss. Though if you actually want me to do anything it'll cost you," she informed me without shame.
"You do realize I'm a wee bit broke, right? If you want money then you're basically working for free until we find some," I made sure to get my scythe back before mentioning that. Evoria looked distinctly put out.
"Yeah yeah yeah. I know that already. You've got enough boosts stacked to be an Overlord. A little loyalty from me means more money in the end. As long as you don't double cross me. Then nothing will save you," her lips curled with amusement. I took my life in my hands and patted her on the head. She just gave me a deadpan stare.
"My Tsundere is broken. She doesn't even flail about or fold her arms," I complained good naturedly.
"Stop patting my head. You horrible beast. Uwaaa. Happy now?" Evoria said in the most bored tone possible.
"Ecstatic," I said dryly. Frankly her behavior was more entertaining than if she were a classic Tsundere or something. This was the kind of person I could actually talk to. If I got stuck with a trope I might've gone mad. Eventually. Madder? Pretty sure I wasn't all there to begin with.
"Let's check this place out. There might be something here we can use. If not that it's still better than sleeping out in the open. Did you figure out how to get the Gate out of your pocket yet?" She asked. I gestured for her to walk with me.
"Could you maybe hop into my Hammerspace and stick it in your Warehouse?" I asked. In Disgaea the Inventory was called a Warehouse. My Hammerspace was better in some ways, but it couldn't do what the Warehouse could. She didn't have to rely on a specific sized opening for hers.
"You're going to trust me in there? With all of your worldly possessions?" Evoria smirked.
"So you steal my games and my scarf. They're all fiat backed to return to me. It's not like you would get very far," I reminded her.
"Hmmm…Ooh! I have an idea~! Why not use your Item World power on the games? Just pick some useless kiddy game, you've probably got dozens, and we just loot our way through that!" She enthused.
"That is sneaky and disgustingly clever. Wish I'd thought of it first," I shrugged.
"What can I say? I'm brilliant," she laid a hand modestly on her modest (nonexistent) bosom.
The thought of using the Item World on a collection of Disgaea games amused me to no end. Which was the only amusement we found given that the castle was empty. There wasn't even the busted remains of ancient furniture or something. Whoever abandoned this castle stripped it to the foundation. My initial assessment of it being a moldering ruin wasn't quite right. The foundation was still strong. The walls could be repaired. I couldn't find any damage to the floors. Maybe it wasn't the castle and environs offered in the DLC, but it had potential. Evoria agreed. No sooner did we decide to keep the castle then a loud commotion started up by the gate. We ran down the stairs and through the halls to reach the entrance. There was a whole troop of Prinnies and Demons carrying in luggage, boards, signs and goodness knows what. A Fighter broke off from the group to greet us.
"Rosenqueen's Store! Mind if we set up in the entrance hall?" He asked. Evoria and I exchanged bewildered glances. Nice to know that this surprised even her.
"Yeah, sure, go ahead. Just so you know I'm not exactly swimming in cash right now. I don't even know if there are any Demons nearby…" I gestured vaguely.
"There's plenty of potential customers! Just down the road's a town. No one really wants this place for some reason. The last time they had a Lord was just before King Krichevskoy died. He packed up and took off. So that leaves you the de facto ruler of the region," the Fighter shrugged.
"Is this a Quest Hook or a Plot Hook?" Evoria asked me.
"Yes," I replied.
The doc mentioned that the starting point was one week before canon. Except according to my Trouble Magnet roll this was Etna Mode. Either way it meant we needed to tighten our armor and sharpen our knives. Neither Laharl or Etna would leave us alone. They would see our squatting as some kind of insult or something. That left us with maybe a week to get ready. Which might be difficult since we didn't have access to the Dark Assembly…
"When did Pleinair get here?" I rubbed my forehead.
"Huh. Looks like she shipped herself over here…" Fighter sweatdropped.
"Why the kitty ears?" Evoria stared in disbelief.
[Meow] Pleinair held up a sign. Disgaea's number one mascot was indeed sitting in a cardboard box. The kind you find on the side of the road. To complete the picture of a woebegone kitten was a blue cat ears headband hidden by her ribbon.
"It would be really weird if we suddenly had 10,000,000 HL right about now!" I called out. Evoria, Fighter and Pleinair stared at me in disbelief. "Everything else I thought we needed appeared. Couldn't hurt to try."
The Fighter finally introduced himself as Al. Just Al. Nothing weird about it besides just how normal it sounded. Evoria managed to get the Gate out of my pocket, but we had a new problem. No one to operate the darn thing. The first thing I was buying when we got the Mana was a Gatekeeper. Guards too. An unprotected Gate could provide easy access to an invasion force. Evoria stared at me in judgment when I asked her to hold onto the Gate for me. I really should have had the Gatekeeper before getting it out. Live and learn, right? If I didn't find a way to pay her soon I would be learning how to dodge knives in my sleep. Rosenqueen's didn't sell food and candy didn't count. At least the village could provide the provisions we needed.
"First stop, Item World! Let's give the scarf a whirl," I held the red scarf aloft.
"Why this and not one of the games?" Evoria folded her arms.
"Because this can be equipped. The games can't," my logic was flawless. The scarf had stats similar to a weak Emblem. A very weak Emblem. Running through the Item World should improve its stats somewhat.
"Let me go buy a few Stealing Hands. I have enough HL for that," she sighed.
"I'll reimburse you for any legit business expenses," I told her. That made Evoria a bit happier. I almost offered to pay her extra, but that would bite me in the ass sooner than later.
The Item World set-up reminded me of D2 and not the classic Disgaea. The ritual circle deposited us smack dab in the middle of Innocent Town. I discreetly checked my sheet. No one altered anything about the setting through Drawbacks or otherwise. A truly terrible thought crossed my mind. There were a lot of new mechanics introduced in the Disgaea series. Disgaea 6 served as a prequel to 1. Which means the stuff introduced in that game should have some bearing now. I should have checked the Dark Assembly before diving straight into the Scarf. I hated making suboptimal stuff. Well that's on me. The good news is that since this isn't a game we weren't limited to game mechanics. Evoria cleaned up by stealing from the inhabitants while I simply looted chests. The chests yielded some cans of soda and candy. Nothing too amazing, but vital for exploration. I was the only one with Healing Magic after all. On the other hand my partner did significantly better. Thanks to her we had actual armor and shoes. For those who haven't played Disgaea, shoes could be very useful for increasing movement range.
"Shoes still increase movement and jump. I have no idea what determines which gameplay mechanic is enforced and what isn't," I looked over my new gear's stats. There was a Scarf of even lower quality than the one we were in right now. Looks like we have a spare. Beyond the one Evoria has from her own purchases.
"That one's pretty obvious. Shoes magically make it easier to go faster and farther. Don't overthink it, Boss," Evoria folded her arms. "Oh yeah. I found an Imperial Seal. You don't mind if I keep it, right?" The fact she was actually telling me was a good sign. She could have just kept it and I'd never have known. It was on the weaker side of Emblems, but still higher than the Scarf.
"Go ahead, knock yourself out. We wouldn't have this stuff if not for you," I shrugged. Evoria paused briefly in thought.
"Right, I forgot. You actually keep your word," Evoria seemed to realize.
"Hey I'll be as honest with you as you are with me. We need each other for survival. It's in your best interest to play fairly with me. I do have a lot of potential and the will to make the most of it," I laid a hand on my chest with a smirk.
"I'm with you for the long haul. The chance for riches unseen and power beyond imagining is very tempting. Just don't get too cocky. I might just find a way to steal your place in the chain," Evoria smirked playfully. There was a threat hidden in the teasing, but a mild one. She wouldn't be a Demon otherwise. It all boiled down to keeping my word to her. As long as I gave her what she wanted I had the loyalty of a crafty Demoness.
The first few floors weren't that difficult. Evoria and I had the basic combat roles covered. She looted the poor buggers while I killed them off. We took turns setting off the Geo Symbols. The HL and Mana were pretty good too. At least for low levels. None of the units were particularly good so capturing them was out. The only fly in the ointment were the Geo Symbols that required flying to reach. Good thing I was grinding my Magic on the wimps. With the Scythe's Staff-like Range bonus I could just barely tag the Symbol. Evoria switched out to a gun she found to help with the job.
"I think I'm gonna stick with the gun. Unless you could use that crafting thing to make a gunblade," Evoria suggested half seriously.
"Son of a bitch…" I facepalmed. I was thinking too small. Instant Craft basically said all I needed were the materials and maybe a blueprint. All of the spare weapons, armor and accessories could be used for crafting fodder.
"Wait, you didn't think of that?" She stared at me in disbelief before starting to laugh. Not a little one either, but a full blown high pitched maniacal giggle. I gave her shoulder a light push, but not too hard. It was pretty funny.
Luck was on our side. On the tenth floor was the Innocent Town. All of the walking loot boxes, ahem, inhabitants were a bit more wary than before. Didn't matter since Evoria just took all their stuff again. I almost tripped over the chicken who shills for the Item Assembly. Aside from some ruffled feathers, she wasn't too angry. Except I was definitely going to be apologizing to my companion after all this. Much of our haul went towards bribes. I kept a few of the better pieces, mostly the stuff to try and make a gunblade, but the rest? Poof. The reason? More Speed Growth. We were making these guys look like chumps with our speed. Adding even more on top of that was just common sense!
"Let's blow this popsicle stand. We don't even know when Etna and her Merry Band will show up," Evoria reminded me.
"This should be good enough for now. I kept enough Mana to make a couple units. Maybe we can try to pass a few…unique bills," I headed for the gate with a spring in my step.
"Unique bills? Unique how?" Evoria demanded while running to catch up. I just kept right on skipping for the gate. No matter how she wheedled, pleaded, or outright threatened I didn't tell her. We left the Item World in high spirits and joking around.
I should have remembered the Natural 1.
"What…what happened here…?" I stammered in disbelief.
"Oh no…" Evoria stared in stunned horror. The sight was so terrible it robbed her of any snark.
The castle was in even worse shape than when we left. Chunks of the floor were missing while new cracks decorated the walls. Rosenqueen's Shop was in ruins. The merchandise was missing, but that wasn't the worst part. Demons laid among the wreckage. We didn't have a hospital, neither of us purchased it, leaving us with little recourse. If anyone was to be saved it would fall on us. I had healing magic and some recovery items.
"Evoria…" I shook her shoulder lightly. No response. "Evoria! Come on!" I gave her a harder shake.
"Right, right…What do you need?" She asked faintly.
"Look for clues. I'll try to stabilize these guys," I was looking right at her. There was no mistaking the tiny little tear in the corner of her eye. That's when I realized she truly had a marshmallow center. She didn't even look back before searching the scene with a frightening intensity.
Pleinair came back some time later. She went to the nearby village for a day off. First day on the job and already taking time off, that's a Demon for you. When she got there the village was a wreck. The citizens only remembered a female Demoness' laughter and the evil cries of "Dood!" There weren't too many Demoness' in the Netherworld who used Prinnies as enforcers. They said there was a weird Prinny in a scarf with antennae taped to its head. There were even fewer Demoness' that needed a Fake Laharl. Evoria found a single red hair clutched in Al's hand. The Rosenqueen Fighter didn't make it. Maybe if we had a hospital things would've been different. Except the attack happened hours before we returned. The fact that anyone survived was a bloody miracle.
"Beauty Queen Etna, huh? Bloody Queen is more like it!" Evoria snarled hatefully. Black lightning arced from her hands.
[What do we do?] Pleinair held up a sign.
"We help the villagers recover, train our asses off, then take our complaints to Etna herself! We'll stick her tail so far down her throat she'll choke!" I yelled. The remaining shopkeepers grinned evilly in the half light. A grin that spread to Evoria and Pleinair as well.
This was our territory. No fake Overlord was going to waltz in here and take what's ours! Etna's head might be screwed up from thinking she killed the Prince, but I didn't care. Fuck that. She wasn't getting a pass on this. That is the Demon way, right? The law of the Netherworld and all that. So we were going to be properly Demonic about this. Once preparations had been made it would be time to teach the girl a lesson. The King wasn't here to save her.
If this was the world reminding me this wasn't a game I had one thing to say…
Message received.
AN: Yeah. Who really thinks about the generic mobs your party mows down? What would it look like to the mobs? Rolling a Natural 1 has consequences. Get ready for Carnage Mode!
Just so you know it won't be grimdark. Only as dark as the original Disgaea. Promise~!
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Chapter 3
- Location
- PA
Chapter 3
In Disgaea it doesn't matter if someone dies. They always return somehow. I should have remembered that little fact when the first batch of Prinnies arrived. Among them was a tanned Prinny with a spiky hairdo and a scar across its chest. It even had pants! His little peg legs tapping on the floor as he tried to do a cool strut. Evoria kept pinching herself in disbelief as the 'totally unfamiliar Prinny' waddled over to us.
"Al!?" We cried incredulously. Eerie level of synchronization there. He almost tripped and fell on his face…beak…whatever.
"Yeah it's me dood! Ack! No dood! Stop the dood, dood!" Al flailed his flippers before sagging with a mournful "...dood…"
"Are we still looking for revenge? I mean…Al is alive-ish…We can help him Reincarnate into a Fighter again. So it's not like he really lost much," Evoria noted.
"I lost like a chump dood…Stupid Etna took us all down…" Al's beady black eyes filled with tears. Hearing a stuffed demonic penguin blubber transcended embarrassing. It flew straight into 'most awkward noise ever heard.'
"What about the villagers? Sure, we got Al back, but what about them? They had their safety and peace of mind stolen from them. Yeah, this does mean I'm not going to kill her ass, but it doesn't mean she gets away with this. From what I heard King Krichevskoy wouldn't've approved of this shit," I folded my arms across my chest.
"They stole all our stuff dood! It sucks so bad…I was Employee of the Month dood! Now I'm just washed up…dood," Al looked particularly irked that even now he couldn't drop the verbal tic. I gave him a pat on the head. It didn't seem to help. His 'hair' fell off. The Prinny Fighter stared at the wig on the floor.
"Okay okay…Stop that already. Come with me to the Dark Assembly. Let's get you sorted out before you embarrass us even more," Evoria huffed.
I started to follow them, but Pleinair blocked my path. She stared into my eyes. I felt like she was trying to tell me something. That an incredibly flamboyant Demon was approaching. He was approaching with the swag of a Gigachad and not even half the talent. There was only one person who fit that description. Vyers. The Dark Adonis himself entered the castle past the workers, newly created this morning, fixing up the courtyard. There were more workers, but they were brought in by Rosenqueen to fix up the store. Vyers took his time looking around. I'm sure it wasn't just my imagination. His eyes were dim with sympathy. Something told me he came through the village. The Gate was almost installed. That should keep people from just randomly teleporting in and doing as they pleased. I managed to pull my scattered thoughts together just as he reached me.
"Bonne journée Mademoiselle. I am Vyers, the Dark Adonis, and I do believe we are neighbors!" He laid a hand on his chest. A completely unnecessary rose appeared between his teeth. There were even rose petals swirling around him. It might have been more impressive if there wasn't a squad of Prinnies throwing rose petals.
"Greetings, Vyers. I am Terra Dragon, the new ruler of this land, and a future candidate for Overlord," I smirked as he stiffened in shock. Give the man credit, he recovered quickly.
"Oh ho ho…You? The Overlord? I suppose we both have some competition. The son of the King and his Vassal are pushing the matter hard. They came to my castle not even two days ago. Left me without even a stick of furniture!" He pretended to swoon. A derogatory laugh slipped out. Vyers eyed me shrewdly. No doubt realizing I knew more than I was letting on. Perhaps the reincarnated King expected me to make it difficult. Play it cool, cagey, keep my cards close to my chest…
I liked breaking shit more than finesse.
"Come off it, Vyers. We both know that wasn't the Prince. Even the villagers weren't fooled. Etna just grabbed a Prinny and disguised it, badly, as Laharl. Everything she's doing is for her own glory and fuck loyalty. She might have been a loyal Vassal of King Krichevskoy, but those days are long gone," I waved dismissively. Vyers sighed. He was trying to keep it a secret I guess, but it just wouldn't fly. No one was fooled.
"I suppose it was too much to hope that anyone would buy that. Her plan is so full of holes I could drive a Dragon through it. She is desperately seeking something, redemption perhaps? Perhaps she believes that by doing this it would make up for what happened," Vyers passed a hand before his face dramatically. His distress wasn't entirely feigned.
"Let's teach her a lesson. Why don't you and I join forces? I'm sure you have access to things I don't. Such as a hospital…" I trailed off with a pained wince. Seriously. Why did I blow so much CP on personal power? A hospital would have been more useful!
"Perhaps we could help each other. On one condition! Once Etna is dealt with, one way or another, we will battle for the title of Overlord! A truly glorious struggle for dominance where only one can succeed! Oh ho ho ho ho…!" Vyers laughed delightedly.
"Yeah, sure, deal. I was thinking of delivering a challenge to Etna personally. Think it's a good idea or a bad one? I don't know if the former King's Vassals will try to stop me or not." I could run like the wind, but there might be faster people in the King's employ. Besides this would be a good way of checking Vyers' sincerity. He might want to teach Etna a lesson, but how far would he go?
"Until the 'Prince' proves himself my, er, Krichevskoy's Vassals won't do anything. You won't have to worry about them. Etna's troops shouldn't be a problem for you either," he eyed me appreciatively and not in a creepy way. Last night Evoria, Pleinair and I, with a bunch of new troops fresh from recruitment, charged into the Scarf. We plowed through the floors and subdued the Item Generals. I managed to pass another Bill, this time for greatly increasing Hit, before we finished.
Today was supposed to be Evoria's Scarf and maybe her new Emblem. That could be for later. Right now I had a date with a Demoness. It wasn't enough to take her out now. I wanted to absolutely break her completely. Vyers looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped himself. Instead he said, "I know where to get a hospital and staff. Perhaps I could interest you in a Cheat Shop? After all, I can't exactly go to the Dark Assembly myself. How you received access is a mystery. Normally they don't like working with pretenders to the throne."
"Cheat Shop, eh? That works for me. Fine, I won't kill Etna. Rough her up, embarrass her a bit, but she'll get out of this alive. Anything else you want?" I spread my hands magnanimously.
"I might have an idea of where the Prince was buried. If I'm right can I count on you to help retrieve him? I doubt he actually died…" Vyers murmured softly "I hope he didn't." I probably wasn't supposed to hear that part.
"Stellar Graveyard. I have an informant who mentioned Etna going there shortly after the Prince 'woke up,'" I told him. It was even true if you squinted. The 'informant' being a videogame.
"That is better than I expected. I shall find him while you deal with Etna. Just keep the heat on yourself for a little while," Vyers smirked dangerously, a similar expression blooming on my face.
There was an ulterior reason for going to visit Etna. Soon a very special Angel would descend to the Netherworld and get gaslit by Etna. Not to mention used and discarded by Vulcanus. I was still focused on my goal however I could actually think again. The one who was truly responsible for Etna's behavior was Maderas. Vyers would no doubt find the redhead's memories in Gehenna like last time. That left killing Maderas and denying Etna her vengeance. For someone as prideful as her? The loss would eat her alive. Vyers took his leave with a lot of unnecessary dramatics.
"Hey Boss. Are you really going there alone?" Evoria asked.
"Yeah. I can be there and back in no time. I have a guarantee that the King's Vassals won't get involved," I assured her easily. She just shrugged.
"Try not to get killed. Restarting from the beginning would suck," she folded her arms.
"Dooooood…!" Al's anguished cry split the air.
"Why is he still a Prinny?" I felt a drop of sweat trickle down my forehead. Flames, literal flames, spewed forth from his aura tinged green with his despair.
"Rosenqueen requested he be reincarnated as a Prinny. He has to stay like this until all 72,000,000,000 HL from his franchise starter kit is paid back," Evoria shrugged.
"Holy shit…" I think I went into shock. That kind of money would be hellishly difficult to raise. They basically gained a slave/source of free income.
"Go take care of business. I'll stick around here and, I dunno, take the troops through a can of soda or something…Actually~! Can I get one of the games?" Evoria batted her lashes at me. I handed her a copy of Rhapsody. She stared at it in bewilderment.
"It's in the Disgaea series if you squint. The first in the Marl Kingdom Series. I figured it would be a good introduction for the newer guys and gals. See if you can get a copy of Cornet's Puppet controlling horn for me please?" I asked cheerfully. The mischief I could make with that. Who wasn't at least a little creeped out by animated puppets?
"Very evil, Boss. I approve. I'll make sure to save you one," Evoria smirked. "Okay guys, gals and whatever else you are! Let's go!" She gestured for the troops to follow her into a world of adventure, puppetry and big musical numbers.
I don't think she knew it was a musical.
What's the worst that can happen?
…The crash of thunder from a clear blue sky wasn't scary at all.
I don't think I need to describe the interior of King Krichevskoy's castle. Suffice it to say it was a lot bigger, grander and better maintained than mine. They even had a river of lava around the edges of the throne room. The weirdest part was that it didn't even burn me to enter. My element resistances were actually kinda crap. Despite my game breaking potential everywhere else I was still susceptible to elemental damage. Etna had no idea how to properly secure the castle either. She remembered how it was done in the King's time and trusted the Vassals. Just one problem. They didn't actually care about serving her. Really, she should have had her own guards. I happened to glance at the Rosenqueen Shop as I passed. A truly evil idea percolated through my brain. Perhaps some mischief was in order?
"Hi there! Rosenqueen for all your shopping needs! What can I do for you?" The Fighter Lady caroled out cheerfully. Must be new. The world hadn't worn down her optimism yet. Either that or she was insane. This was the Netherworld after all. We were all a little insane here.
"Actually it's not what you can do for me, but what I can do for you. Did you know that Etna destroyed a Rosenqueen Store and stole all their wares? I should know. It happened at my castle," I informed the woman. She stared at me in sheer disbelief, her pupils mere pinpricks, as what I said clashed heavily with her worldview.
"Who are you? Why should I believe you?" She asked.
"Who am I? I am Deathscythe Terra! Candidate for Overlord! I have come to overthrow Etna's tyranny and return the Netherworld to the days of King Krichevskoy! When treaties and agreements actually mattered!" I declared while spinning my scythe around for emphasis. The head of the scythe landed perfectly with the tip curved upward.
[Gained the Title: Deathscythe!]
That just happened. Rather than react I decided to run with it.
"Now if you would excuse me I have to leave my calling card. Is Etna in?" I asked politely.
"I think she went to Hoggmeiser's Castle," the saleswoman replied. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to contact the home office." She smiled for a second longer before turning to the staff. "Close it up for the day!"
The staff hurried to do her bidding while I indulged in a long drawn out laugh. Because why not, right? If this actually worked then I just cut Etna's resources heavily. Then I could generously offer to supply her with goods for a percentage of the take. Oh yes. Just because I was willing to let her live didn't mean I shouldn't punish her. My rather bombastic announcement would make its way back to her of course. However, I had another goal. Flonne should be around here somewhere. Perhaps in the throne room…?
"Who turned her into a coat rack?" I facepalmed.
Flonne was in the middle of the throne room with a finger pointed towards the sky. All over her were coats, capes and gaudy costume jewelry in eye-watering colors. The blindingly purple pimp hat was just a tad excessive. Someone put cheap plastic sunglasses on her. Maybe to protect her eyes from the affront against decency she was wearing? In fact there were a couple Prinnies and lower level Demons piling on more clothes. The poor Angel-in-Training was sweating profusely.
"No hardship is too intense for a Space Detective!" Flonne grunted cutely.
"Yeah! That's right dood! Just stand right there!" A Prinny said.
"Space Detective Etna'll be so proud!" A Demon said sardonically.
"Boys? Clear out. I think you've played with the poor Angel enough," I said. The gathering of degenerates watched me approach warily. No doubt they could sense my power. None of them were over level 20. They were like baby amoebas compared to me. Don't lecture me on biology. I know there are no baby amoebas!
"You shouldn't be here. Master Etna won't like it dood," a different Prinny declared even as his peg legs shook.
"Relax. I'm not here to hurt anyone. Unless they attack me first then all bets are off. I at least acknowledge the difference between non combatants and combatants. Unlike your Master Etna," I informed them coldly.
"Uh oh…" The Martial Artist took an apprehensive step back.
"I-Is this about that village from yesterday? Oh sh-shit dood!" Another Prinny promptly fell on his bottom…and exploded. The Prinny next to him froze in place.
"So even a pratfall makes you guys explode? Ouch. That really sucks," I winced sympathetically.
"What about a village?" Flonne wobbled in place. Her head swiveled back and forth. She couldn't seem to find the source of the explosion. How dark were those sunglasses anyway?
"Etna brought her forces through my village yesterday. She stole everything, even their crops. What they didn't steal, they destroyed. A friend of mine is now stuck as a Prinny after she killed him. I'm not really here to chat. I'm here to deliver a message! I wasn't going to become an Overlord before this, but her callous actions changed my mind! I am Deathscythe Terra! Your future Overlord and I will not allow such cruelty to happen again!" I posed dramatically with my scythe. Purple smoke and fire exploded behind me dramatically. The sheer force of my resolve blew all the Demons off their feet (except the level 9000 monsters watching this with amusement). The winds generated were so powerful that all the excess clothes on Flonne were blown off. The shades were perfectly pushed back on her head to hold back her bangs. A blue cloak flapped in the breeze. The nicer pieces of jewelry remained making her look like a movie star.
Damn I'm good!
I could see the moment Flonne mentally said "Space Detective Etna who?"
"Yes! For great justice!" Flonne's eyes lit up figuratively and literally as she clenched her fists with passionate fervor.
"Come with me and I'll show you what it means to be a Demon in the style of King Krichevskoy!" I declared grandly.
"You're a human!" Some dumbass Demon exclaimed.
"You fool!" I pointed at him with such power he was blown across the floor." I'm so badass I can be a Demon while being Human!"
"O-Objection…withdrawn…uhhh…" The Demon passed out.
"Is this what Seraph Lamington wanted me to see…?" Flonne clasped her hands eagerly. She made a cute squeaking sound when I picked her up with one arm.
"Now we must go! My message was delivered and I've secured a treasure of Celestia! Away we go!" Yeah, this skit played out long enough. I didn't want Etna to actually show up. I hit the afterburners on my Powered Scythe, using it like a broomstick. The rockets kicked on to send us hurtling out of the room and through the halls. Flonne threw her arms exuberantly around my neck.
Just as we neared the Gate it lit up. Etna and her forces were just returning from their sojourn to Hoggmeiser's Castle. The Demoness stared at our approach in sheer bafflement. Time slowed down as we passed. Long enough for me to pull my eyelid down and stick my tongue out. Her outraged scream warmed my heart. The Gatekeeper in my castle switched the target destination so smoothly there wasn't even a bump. We popped out on the other side safe and sound. Flonne was a quivering mass of happy Otaku.
This was a good day…
"MUSICALS!? You subjected us to musicals!?" Evoria raged.
…emphasis on was.
"Who the heck does she think she is? This is my story! It says so in the Mode…"
Etna rages at the sky standing atop a windswept cliff. The crashing of waves is barely heard over her bombastic roar.
"Now you know how I feel! When am I getting my own game!?"
Asagi cries out to the uncaring sky on the next cliff over.
"Shut up, Asagi! Nobody likes you!"
Etna executes a perfect double drop kick to Asagi's back. The perpetually scorned wannabe protagonist is sent off into the sunset. A distant splash is the only sign of her passage.
"I won't stand for this. No one's gonna upstage me in my own tale. Nobody!"
"Next Time on Supreme Overlord Etna! The Fall of Death! Stay tuned!"
Asagi spits some water out. "Wow…what a poor sport…"
AN: I know. The irony is completely lost on her. SI me is learning to just embrace the Ham and Cheese and let narrative causality handle the rest. Luckily for Etna I've scaled back from 'kill' to just 'humiliate.' Progress?
In Disgaea it doesn't matter if someone dies. They always return somehow. I should have remembered that little fact when the first batch of Prinnies arrived. Among them was a tanned Prinny with a spiky hairdo and a scar across its chest. It even had pants! His little peg legs tapping on the floor as he tried to do a cool strut. Evoria kept pinching herself in disbelief as the 'totally unfamiliar Prinny' waddled over to us.
"Al!?" We cried incredulously. Eerie level of synchronization there. He almost tripped and fell on his face…beak…whatever.
"Yeah it's me dood! Ack! No dood! Stop the dood, dood!" Al flailed his flippers before sagging with a mournful "...dood…"
"Are we still looking for revenge? I mean…Al is alive-ish…We can help him Reincarnate into a Fighter again. So it's not like he really lost much," Evoria noted.
"I lost like a chump dood…Stupid Etna took us all down…" Al's beady black eyes filled with tears. Hearing a stuffed demonic penguin blubber transcended embarrassing. It flew straight into 'most awkward noise ever heard.'
"What about the villagers? Sure, we got Al back, but what about them? They had their safety and peace of mind stolen from them. Yeah, this does mean I'm not going to kill her ass, but it doesn't mean she gets away with this. From what I heard King Krichevskoy wouldn't've approved of this shit," I folded my arms across my chest.
"They stole all our stuff dood! It sucks so bad…I was Employee of the Month dood! Now I'm just washed up…dood," Al looked particularly irked that even now he couldn't drop the verbal tic. I gave him a pat on the head. It didn't seem to help. His 'hair' fell off. The Prinny Fighter stared at the wig on the floor.
"Okay okay…Stop that already. Come with me to the Dark Assembly. Let's get you sorted out before you embarrass us even more," Evoria huffed.
I started to follow them, but Pleinair blocked my path. She stared into my eyes. I felt like she was trying to tell me something. That an incredibly flamboyant Demon was approaching. He was approaching with the swag of a Gigachad and not even half the talent. There was only one person who fit that description. Vyers. The Dark Adonis himself entered the castle past the workers, newly created this morning, fixing up the courtyard. There were more workers, but they were brought in by Rosenqueen to fix up the store. Vyers took his time looking around. I'm sure it wasn't just my imagination. His eyes were dim with sympathy. Something told me he came through the village. The Gate was almost installed. That should keep people from just randomly teleporting in and doing as they pleased. I managed to pull my scattered thoughts together just as he reached me.
"Bonne journée Mademoiselle. I am Vyers, the Dark Adonis, and I do believe we are neighbors!" He laid a hand on his chest. A completely unnecessary rose appeared between his teeth. There were even rose petals swirling around him. It might have been more impressive if there wasn't a squad of Prinnies throwing rose petals.
"Greetings, Vyers. I am Terra Dragon, the new ruler of this land, and a future candidate for Overlord," I smirked as he stiffened in shock. Give the man credit, he recovered quickly.
"Oh ho ho…You? The Overlord? I suppose we both have some competition. The son of the King and his Vassal are pushing the matter hard. They came to my castle not even two days ago. Left me without even a stick of furniture!" He pretended to swoon. A derogatory laugh slipped out. Vyers eyed me shrewdly. No doubt realizing I knew more than I was letting on. Perhaps the reincarnated King expected me to make it difficult. Play it cool, cagey, keep my cards close to my chest…
I liked breaking shit more than finesse.
"Come off it, Vyers. We both know that wasn't the Prince. Even the villagers weren't fooled. Etna just grabbed a Prinny and disguised it, badly, as Laharl. Everything she's doing is for her own glory and fuck loyalty. She might have been a loyal Vassal of King Krichevskoy, but those days are long gone," I waved dismissively. Vyers sighed. He was trying to keep it a secret I guess, but it just wouldn't fly. No one was fooled.
"I suppose it was too much to hope that anyone would buy that. Her plan is so full of holes I could drive a Dragon through it. She is desperately seeking something, redemption perhaps? Perhaps she believes that by doing this it would make up for what happened," Vyers passed a hand before his face dramatically. His distress wasn't entirely feigned.
"Let's teach her a lesson. Why don't you and I join forces? I'm sure you have access to things I don't. Such as a hospital…" I trailed off with a pained wince. Seriously. Why did I blow so much CP on personal power? A hospital would have been more useful!
"Perhaps we could help each other. On one condition! Once Etna is dealt with, one way or another, we will battle for the title of Overlord! A truly glorious struggle for dominance where only one can succeed! Oh ho ho ho ho…!" Vyers laughed delightedly.
"Yeah, sure, deal. I was thinking of delivering a challenge to Etna personally. Think it's a good idea or a bad one? I don't know if the former King's Vassals will try to stop me or not." I could run like the wind, but there might be faster people in the King's employ. Besides this would be a good way of checking Vyers' sincerity. He might want to teach Etna a lesson, but how far would he go?
"Until the 'Prince' proves himself my, er, Krichevskoy's Vassals won't do anything. You won't have to worry about them. Etna's troops shouldn't be a problem for you either," he eyed me appreciatively and not in a creepy way. Last night Evoria, Pleinair and I, with a bunch of new troops fresh from recruitment, charged into the Scarf. We plowed through the floors and subdued the Item Generals. I managed to pass another Bill, this time for greatly increasing Hit, before we finished.
Today was supposed to be Evoria's Scarf and maybe her new Emblem. That could be for later. Right now I had a date with a Demoness. It wasn't enough to take her out now. I wanted to absolutely break her completely. Vyers looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped himself. Instead he said, "I know where to get a hospital and staff. Perhaps I could interest you in a Cheat Shop? After all, I can't exactly go to the Dark Assembly myself. How you received access is a mystery. Normally they don't like working with pretenders to the throne."
"Cheat Shop, eh? That works for me. Fine, I won't kill Etna. Rough her up, embarrass her a bit, but she'll get out of this alive. Anything else you want?" I spread my hands magnanimously.
"I might have an idea of where the Prince was buried. If I'm right can I count on you to help retrieve him? I doubt he actually died…" Vyers murmured softly "I hope he didn't." I probably wasn't supposed to hear that part.
"Stellar Graveyard. I have an informant who mentioned Etna going there shortly after the Prince 'woke up,'" I told him. It was even true if you squinted. The 'informant' being a videogame.
"That is better than I expected. I shall find him while you deal with Etna. Just keep the heat on yourself for a little while," Vyers smirked dangerously, a similar expression blooming on my face.
There was an ulterior reason for going to visit Etna. Soon a very special Angel would descend to the Netherworld and get gaslit by Etna. Not to mention used and discarded by Vulcanus. I was still focused on my goal however I could actually think again. The one who was truly responsible for Etna's behavior was Maderas. Vyers would no doubt find the redhead's memories in Gehenna like last time. That left killing Maderas and denying Etna her vengeance. For someone as prideful as her? The loss would eat her alive. Vyers took his leave with a lot of unnecessary dramatics.
"Hey Boss. Are you really going there alone?" Evoria asked.
"Yeah. I can be there and back in no time. I have a guarantee that the King's Vassals won't get involved," I assured her easily. She just shrugged.
"Try not to get killed. Restarting from the beginning would suck," she folded her arms.
"Dooooood…!" Al's anguished cry split the air.
"Why is he still a Prinny?" I felt a drop of sweat trickle down my forehead. Flames, literal flames, spewed forth from his aura tinged green with his despair.
"Rosenqueen requested he be reincarnated as a Prinny. He has to stay like this until all 72,000,000,000 HL from his franchise starter kit is paid back," Evoria shrugged.
"Holy shit…" I think I went into shock. That kind of money would be hellishly difficult to raise. They basically gained a slave/source of free income.
"Go take care of business. I'll stick around here and, I dunno, take the troops through a can of soda or something…Actually~! Can I get one of the games?" Evoria batted her lashes at me. I handed her a copy of Rhapsody. She stared at it in bewilderment.
"It's in the Disgaea series if you squint. The first in the Marl Kingdom Series. I figured it would be a good introduction for the newer guys and gals. See if you can get a copy of Cornet's Puppet controlling horn for me please?" I asked cheerfully. The mischief I could make with that. Who wasn't at least a little creeped out by animated puppets?
"Very evil, Boss. I approve. I'll make sure to save you one," Evoria smirked. "Okay guys, gals and whatever else you are! Let's go!" She gestured for the troops to follow her into a world of adventure, puppetry and big musical numbers.
I don't think she knew it was a musical.
What's the worst that can happen?
…The crash of thunder from a clear blue sky wasn't scary at all.
I don't think I need to describe the interior of King Krichevskoy's castle. Suffice it to say it was a lot bigger, grander and better maintained than mine. They even had a river of lava around the edges of the throne room. The weirdest part was that it didn't even burn me to enter. My element resistances were actually kinda crap. Despite my game breaking potential everywhere else I was still susceptible to elemental damage. Etna had no idea how to properly secure the castle either. She remembered how it was done in the King's time and trusted the Vassals. Just one problem. They didn't actually care about serving her. Really, she should have had her own guards. I happened to glance at the Rosenqueen Shop as I passed. A truly evil idea percolated through my brain. Perhaps some mischief was in order?
"Hi there! Rosenqueen for all your shopping needs! What can I do for you?" The Fighter Lady caroled out cheerfully. Must be new. The world hadn't worn down her optimism yet. Either that or she was insane. This was the Netherworld after all. We were all a little insane here.
"Actually it's not what you can do for me, but what I can do for you. Did you know that Etna destroyed a Rosenqueen Store and stole all their wares? I should know. It happened at my castle," I informed the woman. She stared at me in sheer disbelief, her pupils mere pinpricks, as what I said clashed heavily with her worldview.
"Who are you? Why should I believe you?" She asked.
"Who am I? I am Deathscythe Terra! Candidate for Overlord! I have come to overthrow Etna's tyranny and return the Netherworld to the days of King Krichevskoy! When treaties and agreements actually mattered!" I declared while spinning my scythe around for emphasis. The head of the scythe landed perfectly with the tip curved upward.
[Gained the Title: Deathscythe!]
That just happened. Rather than react I decided to run with it.
"Now if you would excuse me I have to leave my calling card. Is Etna in?" I asked politely.
"I think she went to Hoggmeiser's Castle," the saleswoman replied. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to contact the home office." She smiled for a second longer before turning to the staff. "Close it up for the day!"
The staff hurried to do her bidding while I indulged in a long drawn out laugh. Because why not, right? If this actually worked then I just cut Etna's resources heavily. Then I could generously offer to supply her with goods for a percentage of the take. Oh yes. Just because I was willing to let her live didn't mean I shouldn't punish her. My rather bombastic announcement would make its way back to her of course. However, I had another goal. Flonne should be around here somewhere. Perhaps in the throne room…?
"Who turned her into a coat rack?" I facepalmed.
Flonne was in the middle of the throne room with a finger pointed towards the sky. All over her were coats, capes and gaudy costume jewelry in eye-watering colors. The blindingly purple pimp hat was just a tad excessive. Someone put cheap plastic sunglasses on her. Maybe to protect her eyes from the affront against decency she was wearing? In fact there were a couple Prinnies and lower level Demons piling on more clothes. The poor Angel-in-Training was sweating profusely.
"No hardship is too intense for a Space Detective!" Flonne grunted cutely.
"Yeah! That's right dood! Just stand right there!" A Prinny said.
"Space Detective Etna'll be so proud!" A Demon said sardonically.
"Boys? Clear out. I think you've played with the poor Angel enough," I said. The gathering of degenerates watched me approach warily. No doubt they could sense my power. None of them were over level 20. They were like baby amoebas compared to me. Don't lecture me on biology. I know there are no baby amoebas!
"You shouldn't be here. Master Etna won't like it dood," a different Prinny declared even as his peg legs shook.
"Relax. I'm not here to hurt anyone. Unless they attack me first then all bets are off. I at least acknowledge the difference between non combatants and combatants. Unlike your Master Etna," I informed them coldly.
"Uh oh…" The Martial Artist took an apprehensive step back.
"I-Is this about that village from yesterday? Oh sh-shit dood!" Another Prinny promptly fell on his bottom…and exploded. The Prinny next to him froze in place.
"So even a pratfall makes you guys explode? Ouch. That really sucks," I winced sympathetically.
"What about a village?" Flonne wobbled in place. Her head swiveled back and forth. She couldn't seem to find the source of the explosion. How dark were those sunglasses anyway?
"Etna brought her forces through my village yesterday. She stole everything, even their crops. What they didn't steal, they destroyed. A friend of mine is now stuck as a Prinny after she killed him. I'm not really here to chat. I'm here to deliver a message! I wasn't going to become an Overlord before this, but her callous actions changed my mind! I am Deathscythe Terra! Your future Overlord and I will not allow such cruelty to happen again!" I posed dramatically with my scythe. Purple smoke and fire exploded behind me dramatically. The sheer force of my resolve blew all the Demons off their feet (except the level 9000 monsters watching this with amusement). The winds generated were so powerful that all the excess clothes on Flonne were blown off. The shades were perfectly pushed back on her head to hold back her bangs. A blue cloak flapped in the breeze. The nicer pieces of jewelry remained making her look like a movie star.
Damn I'm good!
I could see the moment Flonne mentally said "Space Detective Etna who?"
"Yes! For great justice!" Flonne's eyes lit up figuratively and literally as she clenched her fists with passionate fervor.
"Come with me and I'll show you what it means to be a Demon in the style of King Krichevskoy!" I declared grandly.
"You're a human!" Some dumbass Demon exclaimed.
"You fool!" I pointed at him with such power he was blown across the floor." I'm so badass I can be a Demon while being Human!"
"O-Objection…withdrawn…uhhh…" The Demon passed out.
"Is this what Seraph Lamington wanted me to see…?" Flonne clasped her hands eagerly. She made a cute squeaking sound when I picked her up with one arm.
"Now we must go! My message was delivered and I've secured a treasure of Celestia! Away we go!" Yeah, this skit played out long enough. I didn't want Etna to actually show up. I hit the afterburners on my Powered Scythe, using it like a broomstick. The rockets kicked on to send us hurtling out of the room and through the halls. Flonne threw her arms exuberantly around my neck.
Just as we neared the Gate it lit up. Etna and her forces were just returning from their sojourn to Hoggmeiser's Castle. The Demoness stared at our approach in sheer bafflement. Time slowed down as we passed. Long enough for me to pull my eyelid down and stick my tongue out. Her outraged scream warmed my heart. The Gatekeeper in my castle switched the target destination so smoothly there wasn't even a bump. We popped out on the other side safe and sound. Flonne was a quivering mass of happy Otaku.
This was a good day…
"MUSICALS!? You subjected us to musicals!?" Evoria raged.
…emphasis on was.
"Who the heck does she think she is? This is my story! It says so in the Mode…"
Etna rages at the sky standing atop a windswept cliff. The crashing of waves is barely heard over her bombastic roar.
"Now you know how I feel! When am I getting my own game!?"
Asagi cries out to the uncaring sky on the next cliff over.
"Shut up, Asagi! Nobody likes you!"
Etna executes a perfect double drop kick to Asagi's back. The perpetually scorned wannabe protagonist is sent off into the sunset. A distant splash is the only sign of her passage.
"I won't stand for this. No one's gonna upstage me in my own tale. Nobody!"
"Next Time on Supreme Overlord Etna! The Fall of Death! Stay tuned!"
Asagi spits some water out. "Wow…what a poor sport…"
AN: I know. The irony is completely lost on her. SI me is learning to just embrace the Ham and Cheese and let narrative causality handle the rest. Luckily for Etna I've scaled back from 'kill' to just 'humiliate.' Progress?
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Chapter 4
- Location
- PA
Chapter 4
Evoria woke me up at the asscrack of dawn with a reminder. I was supposed to figure out how to make her a gunblade. Of course Flonne was nearby and got really excited to see something mega cool. To make matters worse they roped Pleinair into reminding me. How the heck am I supposed to refuse three cute girls giving me moe stares? Though Evoria's 'moe stare' needs work. It looked like she was constipated the entire time. As her best friend and boss, I kindly didn't mention that little bit. To be honest I was curious to see how my boon even worked. Crafting was supposed to be done instantly. I just needed a blueprint or a really good idea of what was needed. Honestly, gunblades were easy. Take a gun, slap a blade on it and voila! Gunblade! Upgrading my scythe was easy too. I just needed to swap in a different shaft. Maybe add a spearpoint to the end? The actual blade needed more work than that. Flonne needed something better as well. Maybe I could cobble together some better armor?
"Go back to Rhapsody to get Flonne some levels. I'll hop into a different copy when I'm done here," I said to Evoria.
"Don't go in alone, Boss. I know you're tough, but you're not invincible. I'd hate to break in a new Boss now," Evoria cunningly disguised her concern. I patted her on the head. "Yes, feed my headpat addiction you monster." She deadpanned before squawking with outrage when I suddenly hugged her.
"Free hugs!?" Flonne exclaimed.
[Room for one more?] Pleinair held up a sign then looked mildly surprised at what it said. Flonne discreetly hid a marker.
I was so proud of her deviousness. Really brings a tear to my eye.
I managed to escape with my limbs intact, but it was so worth it. None of them really seemed to mind a group hug (even if Evoria would swear otherwise). Al led me to a chamber the Rosenqueen Shop converted into a crafting room. Some of the stuff we brought back wasn't fit to be sold again right away. Usually it was chipped, threadbare or just minor cosmetic damage. Since I was such a good customer they were letting me use their tools. Of course if I actually made something useful they wanted access to the plans. Fair enough. I don't mind sharing, especially when they're already doing me a solid. The new Cheat Shop was doing brisk business as well. It was possible to bribe the shopkeeper to expand the limits early. She didn't care about fairness as long as her pockets were lined with HL. Demons were reliable like that.
"Gimme a holler if ya need anything dood. I can get ya two hours a day, but that's it…dood. Is this stupid form's hold weakening!? DOOD! Uh…dood. No wait dood. Stop with the dood dood!" Al let out an outraged scream as he ran out of the room.
"Yeah…Being a Prinny isn't doing him any favors…" I felt a trickle of sweat run down my neck.
Maybe I should see if Rosenqueen would be willing to use 10% of the profits, from my gear, towards his debt? The sooner he stopped being a Prinny the better.
Now Dismantling things was like Crafting in reverse. You learn a lot about something when you're taking it apart. At least if you do it right. The most important part was to keep meticulous records of what went where. Parts needed to be cataloged so they could be put back in their right place. I had lots of notebook paper to write out my observations. Despite how frankly amazing my characters are at crafting, I'm really not. I'm not a super genius of invention. What I've got is a good imagination and visualization. I can usually see how something goes together. That and I've watched a lot of different home improvement, cooking and crafting shows. With a healthy dose of Forged in Fire and Mythbusters on top of all that. Building things just requires paying attention to detail and being willing to fail. Because you will fail. Apparently my newfound RTS crafting power believed me about Dismantling stuff. It wasn't really tricking the universe. RTS games did everything instantly. Even better? It kept detailed notes written just as I would. You know, if I took my time and actually researched the different parts. Which had the nice side benefit of teaching me how to construct a gun.
"Now this is a proper reality hack," I sighed with satisfaction. The best reality hacks were the believable ones. Something that could be replicated with enough time and effort.
Unfortunately for me I was a completionist. I say "unfortunately" because I have a tendency to grind. Disgaea just naturally encourages grinding. Everything in my Inventory Bag ended up dismantled. Except for my fully upgraded Scarf. I dismantled my Power Scythe as well. Thank goodness this was all instantaneous. To dismantle and rebuild the Power Scythe would have taken days. It would take weeks to put all of my stuff back together. I tried to see if a screw could be Item Worlded only to pause as the prompt appeared.
"Oh no…" I couldn't help moaning in dismay. If I could upgrade a screw then that meant I could do other components. My gear could be taken to new heights if I properly munchkined everything. Of course that meant even more grinding. What if I put my stuff back together and could use the Item World on the finished product too?
To know for certain would require experimenting. I mentally apologized to Evoria. She was going to be pissed off at me for what I was about to do. The simplest way to find out if my hypothesis was correct was to test with a simple item. That's how I wound up dismantling a cheap Prinny dagger and upgrading the components to level 10. Not too hard since all the enemies were ridiculously weak. Putting it back together left me with a Level 1 Prinny Dagger. What I saw made me want to curse. A lot. The Level said 1, but it was stronger than the rest of the Prinny Daggers. Much stronger. All of the parameters increased. My head hit the desk. The pain helped to clear my thoughts. Just because I could grind every single component to awesomeness didn't mean I had to. In fact I could just forget all about it right now. There might be some who would cry foul. This is a good chance to massively cheese the system and create completely broken gear. The problem is that it would be an even more massive time sink.
"Unless I only upgraded the major parts. Leave the screws, nuts, bolts and tiny stuff alone…" If I left the smaller parts alone it would be faster. The other thing to remember is that my scythe was a completely original weapon. Rosenqueen didn't carry scythes. To get a better scythe would require making one myself or upgrading my current one. For now I was just going to improve the Power Scythe. Upgrading piece by piece could come later.
The shaft of the Power Scythe was equivalent to a Rank 2 Magic Staff. Not too impressive considering some of the stuff that shows up later. The best staff we had right now was a Rank 28 Sorcerer Rod. Thanks to Dismantling the Scythe I knew what parts were needed where. Switching the shaft out for an actual Magic Staff was surprisingly simple. In fact the shaft didn't look all that different, but the Stats said otherwise. Tossing on the head of a Rank 30 Blue Stinger added more attack power and the Spear quality. By the time I was finished the Power Scythe looked similar, but it was definitely a higher quality weapon. I tossed together a Nanoha-ish Spear for Flonne. Used another decent quality Staff with a good quality Spear head. Just for fun I tossed an Orb on the other end. Just for decoration I added a gold ring like Raising Heart. To cap it off I affixed a Feather Token to the Spearhead angled back aerodynamically. Good for stabbing and bludgeoning in close. Mostly it was just a really good magic foci. I called it Raging Heart for fun. Since I made a totally custom weapon for Flonne then Evoria and Pleinair deserved something unique too.
Gunblades were something of an obsession of mine really. It would be easier to make the same kind for both my Companion and Pleinair, but I wasn't that insensitive. Evoria definitely deserved something that was totally hers alone. She didn't use a single sword but dual daggers. For her I was going to make paired weapons. First I started with a pair of Wing Blasters. Those were easy to get with our current Customer Rank. Then I used Chaos Knives, which were as long as shortswords with a nice curved edge. From there I adjusted the grips to make it more comfortable to switch between using them as blades and guns. Wings of Change was solely for Evoria. Pleinair didn't actually want a Gunblade. In fact she didn't ask me for anything. All the more reason to give her something really nice. To that end I took another Staff and dismantled a gun. Using a boring tool I planned on hollowing out the shaft to make a really long rifle. Toss another Spearhead on the end to conceal the barrel. The resulting weapon looked like something out of Nanoha. I liked the aesthetic. I then widened a Royal Ring and put it just beneath the spear. The last thing I added was a small plush Usagi on a string. Usagi Exceed was just for her!
With all the shit he was forced to go through? Al deserved something really nice too. He was equally talented in sword and axe. I felt bad for not thinking of something more original, but really it was just a Sword Axe. Except then I remembered Berserker from Fate Stay/Night. Grabbing some stone I combined the profiles of the sword and axe into one weapon. I used a Bravery Belt to wrap the handle. The resulting combination had sky high attack power. Somewhere along the way the hit penalty from axes was neutralized. Berserker's Fury was a very nice weapon indeed.
The reactions to my gifts were more funny than heartwarming. Al took the huge weapon in his comparatively tiny flippers and held it aloft with tears streaming from his beady eyes.
"I HAVE THE POWER DOOD!" Al cried to the sky. When a totally unnecessary bolt of lightning failed to strike him I relaxed. Not sure how the Netherworld would have reacted to He-Prinny. He commenced cuddling with his new stabby slashy smashy thing until the whole scene was pixelated.
Moving right along!
Pleinair stared at her new weapon blankly. The Usagi plush was seen and properly appreciated. It was the rest of it that confused her. She turned it over a few times. I felt like some poor dumb chef waiting on Chef Ramsey. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Then she nodded once approvingly. Stabbing people could be just as satisfying as shooting them, her eyes seem to say.
"Whoooooa…! This is the coolest Magical Girl Staff I've ever seen!" Flonne held Raging Heart aloft. Light shone from behind her like the sun rising. Completely unnecessary sparkles drifted on an unseen wind. A couple went up my nose, triggering a sneezing fit. She didn't seem to notice. The Angel-in-Training started twirling her shiny new weapon around and practicing her Magical Girl slogans. Shine on you crazy Angel.
As for Evoria…
"Custom work for all of us, huh? I knew your crafting thing was insane, but this really takes the cake, Boss. Wings of Change…I really like them," Evoria smiled. Not her habitual smirk, but an honest-to-goodness smile. The blades were redesigned to look like a fusion of demonic and angel wings. There was less put into their actual construction, but definitely more thought.
"I cut up Stealing Hands and wrapped the grips. It really works too. Try not to question it too hard," I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.
"Thanks," she replied before making them disappear to wherever her weapons usually went.
We spent the rest of the day finishing up the Marl Kingdom RPGs. Cornet finally dropped her Horn on the last level in the last game. As a bonus the Discs actually could be equipped for a rather nice increase to all Stats. The less said about the middle game's Item World the better. Oh fine, I'll explain since my Muse is no doubt reading this. The Geo Panels were once more the most dangerous thing in Disgaea. Why do I say that? Clone, Enemy Boost and Enemy Level Up. The only good things were the two Exp +50% Geo Symbols, Mana +50% and Healing 20%. There was only one place safe from the carnage. A single square smack dab in the middle of the level. I tried to just skip the level since the monsters were our level already. The Enemy Boost and Enemy Level Up would just make things worse. I must have rolled low on Trouble Magnet. Just as I started running for the exit my foot caught on a rock. A damn rock. That was the signal apparently for my entire blasted team to run out to try and save me.
Evoria made things easier by stealing everyone's gear alongside our other Thief. She was just better at it while Miss Thief debilitated them. Flonne and our Cleric spent most of the fight keeping us healed and running away when their insane doppelgangers appeared. Pleinair found a safe perch right on top of the Base Panel to provide cover fire. The real MVP was Al. Channeling FSN's Berserker he waded right into the fray. Even his Clones were no match for him. Each blow was powerful enough to send them flying and exploding among their allies. They had things covered.
I. Hate. Clones.
My Clones apparently hated me too. It was a mutual hatefest. They came after me to the exclusion of everyone else. Their levels continued to climb higher and higher. I wasn't able to kill them at all. They were certainly able to hurt me! None of my special abilities worked. The only thing that could hurt them were my Star spells, but I focused on healing only. Otherwise I'd run out of SP and die for real. Yes, I was in Tutorial Mode and it would just take me back to the beginning. One problem with that. How the Hell was I supposed to get here again? Much of what I did was an accident or done in the heat of the moment! Now my ardent pursuers didn't mind spamming their big damage attacks. Just as I gave up hope one of the low SP Clones triggered my Counter Attack. Despite her sky high HP she died in one shot.
[Evility Revealed: Touch of Death - Slay enemies when their SP is below 25%]
I drank every last SP potion in my Inventory. My SP was not falling below 25%! Too bad for the girls they didn't have anything to restore their magic. That was the turning point. I just had to survive their attacks long enough to wear down their SP for my Instakill. After what felt like hours of hacking and slashing, Evoria tackled me to one side.
"Set if off Pleinair!" Evoria cried.
Pleinair fired her rifle at one of the Geo Symbols. They must have been working on it for some time. Despite its high level it was destroyed in one shot. The results were quite explosive. Now do you remember the part where cloned gear wasn't actually real? Yeah, that's not what happened here. All of the upgraded equipment, weapons, armor and all that, remained. We left the disc at the next Innocent Town. We kind of needed a break after that. I triggered my first Reincarnation after that. It really was the best time since my level was in the thousands. Thanks other me's for being such huge bitches. At least you were worth something!
Vyers came back the day after we finished the last Marl Kingdom Disc. I was trying to decide if we went to La Pucelle: Tactics or skip straight to Ragnarok. One of my Boons was to kill something and gain all their powers. There was a Dark World representative in the La Pucelle games. He could combine items for a fee. The fee was sending a monster to the Dark World to battle for his Master. Would I have to charge a similar fee if I had the power…?
"Mademoiselle Terra?" Vyers inquired. I damn near jumped out of my skin.
"V-Vyers!? Uh, hi?" I waved weakly at him.
"I was wondering if you would like to help me proctor a duel. Etna and Maderas are going to battle over her missing memories. Prince Laharl is still recovering at my castle. I thought it might be a good idea to wait for him to be fully recovered before announcing his return," Vyers said.
"Did you tell him you're his father yet?" I asked distractedly. Really. La Pucelle Tactics or Ragnarok? Ragnarok was an updated re-release of Tactics. Perhaps I could double up on the cool stuff. Like Staves that actually taught spells and elemental aligned equipment…
"W-w-what? M-Moi? His father? Oh non non non I am not King Krichevskoy…!" His eyes were freaked out pools of white.
"Yeah, you're his father. He doesn't even recognize you, does he? That's gotta burn. Anyway, your lack of fathering aside, he really should know. I mean seriously…You don't even know about Sicily! Huh. Lamington is kind of a dick for not telling you about her…" I realized. Vyers turned to stone beside me.
"D-daughter…I, er, King Krichevskoy had a daughter!?" He yelped in astonishment.
"Actually why didn't Big Sis Prinny tell anyone? I get feeling ashamed over abandoning your son and watching him from afar, but leaving Sicily to suffer discrimination in Celestia is just dickish…" Man this world was just full of assholes, wasn't it?
"Big Sis Prinny is my, er, Krichevskoy's wife? Discrimination? Daughter? Son!? Oh damn it all! Kids! Papa's coming! Forgive meeeee….!" Vyers lit out of there like his ass was on fire.
"An actual flame trail…Neat," I eyed the blazing trail left by his frantic run. He dropped an object marked 'Etna's Memories.' "Wait a second! Did he forget the duel!? Oh shit!"
Vyers was long gone and the climactic duel of Etna Mode was approaching. The prize was right here in my hands. The temptation was strong to just give them back to Etna. They did belong to her after all. Then I could kill Maderas free and clear. It was the moral thing to do. One thing puzzled me however. What would happen now that Vyers knew all the stuff that happened behind his back?
That's foreshadowing people.
AN: We're nearing the end of the Jump. Etna Mode didn't last much longer beyond the battle between Etna and Maderas. Feel free to guess what's going to happen next.
Evoria woke me up at the asscrack of dawn with a reminder. I was supposed to figure out how to make her a gunblade. Of course Flonne was nearby and got really excited to see something mega cool. To make matters worse they roped Pleinair into reminding me. How the heck am I supposed to refuse three cute girls giving me moe stares? Though Evoria's 'moe stare' needs work. It looked like she was constipated the entire time. As her best friend and boss, I kindly didn't mention that little bit. To be honest I was curious to see how my boon even worked. Crafting was supposed to be done instantly. I just needed a blueprint or a really good idea of what was needed. Honestly, gunblades were easy. Take a gun, slap a blade on it and voila! Gunblade! Upgrading my scythe was easy too. I just needed to swap in a different shaft. Maybe add a spearpoint to the end? The actual blade needed more work than that. Flonne needed something better as well. Maybe I could cobble together some better armor?
"Go back to Rhapsody to get Flonne some levels. I'll hop into a different copy when I'm done here," I said to Evoria.
"Don't go in alone, Boss. I know you're tough, but you're not invincible. I'd hate to break in a new Boss now," Evoria cunningly disguised her concern. I patted her on the head. "Yes, feed my headpat addiction you monster." She deadpanned before squawking with outrage when I suddenly hugged her.
"Free hugs!?" Flonne exclaimed.
[Room for one more?] Pleinair held up a sign then looked mildly surprised at what it said. Flonne discreetly hid a marker.
I was so proud of her deviousness. Really brings a tear to my eye.
I managed to escape with my limbs intact, but it was so worth it. None of them really seemed to mind a group hug (even if Evoria would swear otherwise). Al led me to a chamber the Rosenqueen Shop converted into a crafting room. Some of the stuff we brought back wasn't fit to be sold again right away. Usually it was chipped, threadbare or just minor cosmetic damage. Since I was such a good customer they were letting me use their tools. Of course if I actually made something useful they wanted access to the plans. Fair enough. I don't mind sharing, especially when they're already doing me a solid. The new Cheat Shop was doing brisk business as well. It was possible to bribe the shopkeeper to expand the limits early. She didn't care about fairness as long as her pockets were lined with HL. Demons were reliable like that.
"Gimme a holler if ya need anything dood. I can get ya two hours a day, but that's it…dood. Is this stupid form's hold weakening!? DOOD! Uh…dood. No wait dood. Stop with the dood dood!" Al let out an outraged scream as he ran out of the room.
"Yeah…Being a Prinny isn't doing him any favors…" I felt a trickle of sweat run down my neck.
Maybe I should see if Rosenqueen would be willing to use 10% of the profits, from my gear, towards his debt? The sooner he stopped being a Prinny the better.
Now Dismantling things was like Crafting in reverse. You learn a lot about something when you're taking it apart. At least if you do it right. The most important part was to keep meticulous records of what went where. Parts needed to be cataloged so they could be put back in their right place. I had lots of notebook paper to write out my observations. Despite how frankly amazing my characters are at crafting, I'm really not. I'm not a super genius of invention. What I've got is a good imagination and visualization. I can usually see how something goes together. That and I've watched a lot of different home improvement, cooking and crafting shows. With a healthy dose of Forged in Fire and Mythbusters on top of all that. Building things just requires paying attention to detail and being willing to fail. Because you will fail. Apparently my newfound RTS crafting power believed me about Dismantling stuff. It wasn't really tricking the universe. RTS games did everything instantly. Even better? It kept detailed notes written just as I would. You know, if I took my time and actually researched the different parts. Which had the nice side benefit of teaching me how to construct a gun.
"Now this is a proper reality hack," I sighed with satisfaction. The best reality hacks were the believable ones. Something that could be replicated with enough time and effort.
Unfortunately for me I was a completionist. I say "unfortunately" because I have a tendency to grind. Disgaea just naturally encourages grinding. Everything in my Inventory Bag ended up dismantled. Except for my fully upgraded Scarf. I dismantled my Power Scythe as well. Thank goodness this was all instantaneous. To dismantle and rebuild the Power Scythe would have taken days. It would take weeks to put all of my stuff back together. I tried to see if a screw could be Item Worlded only to pause as the prompt appeared.
"Oh no…" I couldn't help moaning in dismay. If I could upgrade a screw then that meant I could do other components. My gear could be taken to new heights if I properly munchkined everything. Of course that meant even more grinding. What if I put my stuff back together and could use the Item World on the finished product too?
To know for certain would require experimenting. I mentally apologized to Evoria. She was going to be pissed off at me for what I was about to do. The simplest way to find out if my hypothesis was correct was to test with a simple item. That's how I wound up dismantling a cheap Prinny dagger and upgrading the components to level 10. Not too hard since all the enemies were ridiculously weak. Putting it back together left me with a Level 1 Prinny Dagger. What I saw made me want to curse. A lot. The Level said 1, but it was stronger than the rest of the Prinny Daggers. Much stronger. All of the parameters increased. My head hit the desk. The pain helped to clear my thoughts. Just because I could grind every single component to awesomeness didn't mean I had to. In fact I could just forget all about it right now. There might be some who would cry foul. This is a good chance to massively cheese the system and create completely broken gear. The problem is that it would be an even more massive time sink.
"Unless I only upgraded the major parts. Leave the screws, nuts, bolts and tiny stuff alone…" If I left the smaller parts alone it would be faster. The other thing to remember is that my scythe was a completely original weapon. Rosenqueen didn't carry scythes. To get a better scythe would require making one myself or upgrading my current one. For now I was just going to improve the Power Scythe. Upgrading piece by piece could come later.
The shaft of the Power Scythe was equivalent to a Rank 2 Magic Staff. Not too impressive considering some of the stuff that shows up later. The best staff we had right now was a Rank 28 Sorcerer Rod. Thanks to Dismantling the Scythe I knew what parts were needed where. Switching the shaft out for an actual Magic Staff was surprisingly simple. In fact the shaft didn't look all that different, but the Stats said otherwise. Tossing on the head of a Rank 30 Blue Stinger added more attack power and the Spear quality. By the time I was finished the Power Scythe looked similar, but it was definitely a higher quality weapon. I tossed together a Nanoha-ish Spear for Flonne. Used another decent quality Staff with a good quality Spear head. Just for fun I tossed an Orb on the other end. Just for decoration I added a gold ring like Raising Heart. To cap it off I affixed a Feather Token to the Spearhead angled back aerodynamically. Good for stabbing and bludgeoning in close. Mostly it was just a really good magic foci. I called it Raging Heart for fun. Since I made a totally custom weapon for Flonne then Evoria and Pleinair deserved something unique too.
Gunblades were something of an obsession of mine really. It would be easier to make the same kind for both my Companion and Pleinair, but I wasn't that insensitive. Evoria definitely deserved something that was totally hers alone. She didn't use a single sword but dual daggers. For her I was going to make paired weapons. First I started with a pair of Wing Blasters. Those were easy to get with our current Customer Rank. Then I used Chaos Knives, which were as long as shortswords with a nice curved edge. From there I adjusted the grips to make it more comfortable to switch between using them as blades and guns. Wings of Change was solely for Evoria. Pleinair didn't actually want a Gunblade. In fact she didn't ask me for anything. All the more reason to give her something really nice. To that end I took another Staff and dismantled a gun. Using a boring tool I planned on hollowing out the shaft to make a really long rifle. Toss another Spearhead on the end to conceal the barrel. The resulting weapon looked like something out of Nanoha. I liked the aesthetic. I then widened a Royal Ring and put it just beneath the spear. The last thing I added was a small plush Usagi on a string. Usagi Exceed was just for her!
With all the shit he was forced to go through? Al deserved something really nice too. He was equally talented in sword and axe. I felt bad for not thinking of something more original, but really it was just a Sword Axe. Except then I remembered Berserker from Fate Stay/Night. Grabbing some stone I combined the profiles of the sword and axe into one weapon. I used a Bravery Belt to wrap the handle. The resulting combination had sky high attack power. Somewhere along the way the hit penalty from axes was neutralized. Berserker's Fury was a very nice weapon indeed.
The reactions to my gifts were more funny than heartwarming. Al took the huge weapon in his comparatively tiny flippers and held it aloft with tears streaming from his beady eyes.
"I HAVE THE POWER DOOD!" Al cried to the sky. When a totally unnecessary bolt of lightning failed to strike him I relaxed. Not sure how the Netherworld would have reacted to He-Prinny. He commenced cuddling with his new stabby slashy smashy thing until the whole scene was pixelated.
Moving right along!
Pleinair stared at her new weapon blankly. The Usagi plush was seen and properly appreciated. It was the rest of it that confused her. She turned it over a few times. I felt like some poor dumb chef waiting on Chef Ramsey. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Then she nodded once approvingly. Stabbing people could be just as satisfying as shooting them, her eyes seem to say.
"Whoooooa…! This is the coolest Magical Girl Staff I've ever seen!" Flonne held Raging Heart aloft. Light shone from behind her like the sun rising. Completely unnecessary sparkles drifted on an unseen wind. A couple went up my nose, triggering a sneezing fit. She didn't seem to notice. The Angel-in-Training started twirling her shiny new weapon around and practicing her Magical Girl slogans. Shine on you crazy Angel.
As for Evoria…
"Custom work for all of us, huh? I knew your crafting thing was insane, but this really takes the cake, Boss. Wings of Change…I really like them," Evoria smiled. Not her habitual smirk, but an honest-to-goodness smile. The blades were redesigned to look like a fusion of demonic and angel wings. There was less put into their actual construction, but definitely more thought.
"I cut up Stealing Hands and wrapped the grips. It really works too. Try not to question it too hard," I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.
"Thanks," she replied before making them disappear to wherever her weapons usually went.
We spent the rest of the day finishing up the Marl Kingdom RPGs. Cornet finally dropped her Horn on the last level in the last game. As a bonus the Discs actually could be equipped for a rather nice increase to all Stats. The less said about the middle game's Item World the better. Oh fine, I'll explain since my Muse is no doubt reading this. The Geo Panels were once more the most dangerous thing in Disgaea. Why do I say that? Clone, Enemy Boost and Enemy Level Up. The only good things were the two Exp +50% Geo Symbols, Mana +50% and Healing 20%. There was only one place safe from the carnage. A single square smack dab in the middle of the level. I tried to just skip the level since the monsters were our level already. The Enemy Boost and Enemy Level Up would just make things worse. I must have rolled low on Trouble Magnet. Just as I started running for the exit my foot caught on a rock. A damn rock. That was the signal apparently for my entire blasted team to run out to try and save me.
Evoria made things easier by stealing everyone's gear alongside our other Thief. She was just better at it while Miss Thief debilitated them. Flonne and our Cleric spent most of the fight keeping us healed and running away when their insane doppelgangers appeared. Pleinair found a safe perch right on top of the Base Panel to provide cover fire. The real MVP was Al. Channeling FSN's Berserker he waded right into the fray. Even his Clones were no match for him. Each blow was powerful enough to send them flying and exploding among their allies. They had things covered.
I. Hate. Clones.
My Clones apparently hated me too. It was a mutual hatefest. They came after me to the exclusion of everyone else. Their levels continued to climb higher and higher. I wasn't able to kill them at all. They were certainly able to hurt me! None of my special abilities worked. The only thing that could hurt them were my Star spells, but I focused on healing only. Otherwise I'd run out of SP and die for real. Yes, I was in Tutorial Mode and it would just take me back to the beginning. One problem with that. How the Hell was I supposed to get here again? Much of what I did was an accident or done in the heat of the moment! Now my ardent pursuers didn't mind spamming their big damage attacks. Just as I gave up hope one of the low SP Clones triggered my Counter Attack. Despite her sky high HP she died in one shot.
[Evility Revealed: Touch of Death - Slay enemies when their SP is below 25%]
I drank every last SP potion in my Inventory. My SP was not falling below 25%! Too bad for the girls they didn't have anything to restore their magic. That was the turning point. I just had to survive their attacks long enough to wear down their SP for my Instakill. After what felt like hours of hacking and slashing, Evoria tackled me to one side.
"Set if off Pleinair!" Evoria cried.
Pleinair fired her rifle at one of the Geo Symbols. They must have been working on it for some time. Despite its high level it was destroyed in one shot. The results were quite explosive. Now do you remember the part where cloned gear wasn't actually real? Yeah, that's not what happened here. All of the upgraded equipment, weapons, armor and all that, remained. We left the disc at the next Innocent Town. We kind of needed a break after that. I triggered my first Reincarnation after that. It really was the best time since my level was in the thousands. Thanks other me's for being such huge bitches. At least you were worth something!
Vyers came back the day after we finished the last Marl Kingdom Disc. I was trying to decide if we went to La Pucelle: Tactics or skip straight to Ragnarok. One of my Boons was to kill something and gain all their powers. There was a Dark World representative in the La Pucelle games. He could combine items for a fee. The fee was sending a monster to the Dark World to battle for his Master. Would I have to charge a similar fee if I had the power…?
"Mademoiselle Terra?" Vyers inquired. I damn near jumped out of my skin.
"V-Vyers!? Uh, hi?" I waved weakly at him.
"I was wondering if you would like to help me proctor a duel. Etna and Maderas are going to battle over her missing memories. Prince Laharl is still recovering at my castle. I thought it might be a good idea to wait for him to be fully recovered before announcing his return," Vyers said.
"Did you tell him you're his father yet?" I asked distractedly. Really. La Pucelle Tactics or Ragnarok? Ragnarok was an updated re-release of Tactics. Perhaps I could double up on the cool stuff. Like Staves that actually taught spells and elemental aligned equipment…
"W-w-what? M-Moi? His father? Oh non non non I am not King Krichevskoy…!" His eyes were freaked out pools of white.
"Yeah, you're his father. He doesn't even recognize you, does he? That's gotta burn. Anyway, your lack of fathering aside, he really should know. I mean seriously…You don't even know about Sicily! Huh. Lamington is kind of a dick for not telling you about her…" I realized. Vyers turned to stone beside me.
"D-daughter…I, er, King Krichevskoy had a daughter!?" He yelped in astonishment.
"Actually why didn't Big Sis Prinny tell anyone? I get feeling ashamed over abandoning your son and watching him from afar, but leaving Sicily to suffer discrimination in Celestia is just dickish…" Man this world was just full of assholes, wasn't it?
"Big Sis Prinny is my, er, Krichevskoy's wife? Discrimination? Daughter? Son!? Oh damn it all! Kids! Papa's coming! Forgive meeeee….!" Vyers lit out of there like his ass was on fire.
"An actual flame trail…Neat," I eyed the blazing trail left by his frantic run. He dropped an object marked 'Etna's Memories.' "Wait a second! Did he forget the duel!? Oh shit!"
Vyers was long gone and the climactic duel of Etna Mode was approaching. The prize was right here in my hands. The temptation was strong to just give them back to Etna. They did belong to her after all. Then I could kill Maderas free and clear. It was the moral thing to do. One thing puzzled me however. What would happen now that Vyers knew all the stuff that happened behind his back?
That's foreshadowing people.
AN: We're nearing the end of the Jump. Etna Mode didn't last much longer beyond the battle between Etna and Maderas. Feel free to guess what's going to happen next.
Chapter 5
- Location
- PA
Chapter 5
Turns out if I want the power to merge Items I need a different Jump. The Dark World Representative in the La Pucelle disc didn't have the ability. He was a pain in the ass to defeat, but we managed. Too bad really because we had all those copies of our unique weapons and gear. The copies were pretty good with a decent spread of Innocents. Not as good as the genuine articles in terms of Stats, but decent. Good for when we wanted to Item World our stuff. The idea I had was to use the Item World on the copies, harvest their Innocents and then upgrade our main gear. Now the weapons and stuff had some really cool items to farm. The Innocent Town even sold stuff from La Pucelle instead of Disgaea. I might have spent all our money to grab the elemental staves. Even the unique elements like Aid, Holy, Healing and Thunder. The trick would be in figuring out how to make weapons or accessories to teach the spells. While I ruminated on that, Flonne suggested something out of the blue.
"Um…What if we were to use the Item World on Etna's Memories?" Flonne asked.
"I'm not sure I follow," I remarked. Evoria and Pleinair shared an indecipherable look.
"W-Well the Item World lets us iron out the flaws in something. Make it better. Closer to its ideal self, right? Would that work for Etna?" Flonne pushed her fingers together cutely.
"Like magical lobotomy?" Evoria asked. Flonne started to sweat. No doubt she hadn't thought that far. Even as she waved her hands in panic, the petite Demoness turned to me. "Even if it doesn't work like that I can see it working well for us. Maybe then her plans wouldn't suck so hard."
"Isn't that a feature in the Netherworld University dimension dood?" Al rubbed under his beak with a fin.
Pleinair nodded once and gave us a thumbs up. She was ready for action! Flonne in the background was flailing even harder while making squeaking noises. Evoria and Al were up to trying it out. Was it possible to give Etna the emotional help she needed? What even was her ideal self? Despite my desire to keep Flonne happy, I had to make the rest of my friends happy too.
"Only one thing before we proceed. If you run into a fragment of Etna's personality keep it safe. Don't kill it, subdue it or anything harmful whatsoever. We're not going in to make Etna who we want her to be, but to help her become her best self. Whatever that is," I said. Inwardly I let out a sigh of relief. Looks like I made the right decision after all. Flonne visibly relaxed while the others grew even more excited.
Going through Etna's memories was more like running through an Ar Tonelico Cosmosphere mixed with Doom. Difficult emotional issues and horrible trauma? Torn apart by blades, spellfire and exploding Prinnies. Flonne made it her self appointed task to protect every single Etna we came across. She kept up a steady stream of cheerful babble with her protectee. Etna's Greed, Avarice, Sloth and Pride listened to her motivational talk. At least I think Sloth listened. She spent most of the level sleeping. Her Love, Humor, Joy and Generosity were avid disciples of Love Love Magical Flonne's inspirational speeches. I felt sorry for Generosity, being the smallest at most child-like. Flonne carried her around. She kind of kidnapped the child from her level. Then dropped her on a Clone tile.
"What part of this is non-harmful? She's a Demoness!" Evoria gasped as another Generous Etna appeared.
"Is it too late to take her back dood?" Al recoiled. That level's Etna, Troll Etna, got swarmed by adorable mini Etna's…
…right onto a merge square.
"I didn't hurt her! Exact words matter!" Flonne quickly reminded me about the rule. This didn't technically count as hurting. Technically.
[Run!] Pleinair held aloft a sign as she ran for the exit.
We fled the floor ahead of the tidal wave of cute little gremlins. The next floor was Apathy Etna surrounded by a group of Judgmental Etna. All of them blamed Apathy for the situation they were in now. Flonne waded in to Talk-no-Jutsu them into submission.
"Why is there only one Apathy and why is Judgment here?" Evoria tilted her head.
"Good question. The different levels contained multiples of the same Attribute depending on how strongly they figure into Etna's psyche. Flonne talking to the aspects either raised their Level or lowered it, but she wasn't destroying them. These Judgments seem to have beaten up Etna's Apathy…" I pointed at the unconscious and bleeding forms of Apathy Etna. Oops!
One frantic round of healing later and they were back to being…apathetic.
"The Judgments aren't listening to me!" Flonne squealed as she ran by. The gold tinted Etnas streamed past with spears at the ready. The Apathy Etna that Flonne tried to rescue was tossing half-hearted balls of purplish energy. Missing them by a mile, but it was the thought that counted right?
"Oraaaaa doooooood!" Al completely forgot my rule about killing Aspects (good for him really) and leapt into the fray.
We ended up throwing one of the Judgments on a smaller island. Then threw a couple more just to bump up its level to make up for the ones we had to kill off. No one threatens the Angel-in-Training and gets away with it! No one threatens any of my friends and lives. It was a glorious, if slightly messy, victory as we stepped on the portal to the next level. Just one problem. The whole level was full of Judgments! Her Tenderness was in danger! I swear this was a clear cut metaphor for Etna's future emotional breakdown. I just couldn't bring myself to care at the time. Each level had more and stronger Judgments. The worst sin, according to Evoria, is they were all wielding the basic bitch spear. The final boss of the Memories was Guilt Etna. Good thing we were all high level with good gear. Now she had some decent stuff like a max Rank Testament. Evoria even stole her Sexy Demon Outfit. Which was basically Etna's normal outfit with a bonus to all stats.
"Can only be worn by the truly FLAT!?" Evoria screeched.
"Who are you calling flat!? Have you no shame!?" Guilt Etna screeched back.
"Shame is for the WEAK!" Evoria Spartan-kicked her in the chest, off the pyramid and right off the island to long drawn out comical "Nooooo….!" from Guilt.
Satisfied with a job well done we turned to leave…
"Wait. She only has one Guilt!" I realized.
"EHHHHH!?"
Evoria refused to look at any of us when we got back to the castle. We managed to rescue Guilt and trap her on an island. Poor Flonne was getting a back massage by Pleinair. It was only thanks to her stubby trainee wings that we could rescue the Aspect. There was no time left before the exchange. I remembered that during the scenario Etna tried to ambush Maderas first. He planned to kill her ahead of the fated duel as well. Basically neither one of them could stick to the terms of the agreement. Typical Demon behavior. Luckily I knew where they would be. The coldest region in the Netherworld.
When I said it was cold I think I undersold it. It was worse than the coldest cold you could imagine. If not for my supernaturally boosted resilience it would probably kill me. Evoria didn't seem to mind despite the, er, stripperific nature of her outfit. Flonne and Pleinair wore simple outfits and it wasn't affecting them. Al was functionally naked and he didn't care! Only the poor widdle Humie had to worry about freezing!
Achoo!
"L-Let's hurry up…Ugh…Deathscythe Terry done in by a c-cold!" Yes, I was bitching. What of it? I had a right to be annoyed!
"Evoria! Quickly! We have to warm her up!" Flonne declared.
"How? Neither one of us is well endowed or dressed warmly. So we can't just hug the cold away," Evoria pointed out then deadpanned as I patted her head. "Uwaaa. Cut it out you jerk. Meanie."
"T-That never gets old…" I chuckled.
"Use your hotblooded Overlordness dood!" Al burst in without warning.
"Yeah! Show us your battle aura!" Flonne's eyes lit up excitedly.
Pleinair wandered off. The message was clear. She didn't want to be a part of this insanity anymore. Either that or she was heading off to scout. One of the two.
"Fine f-fine…If it c-can make me warmer than why not?" I cleared my throat. "Ah ha ha ha ha! That's right! The Terrifying Deathscythe Terry has arrived! Tremble in fear of my cataclysmic power!" Ooh. My burning battle aura actually was quite warm. The snow around us melted instantly. Sighs of relief and comfort came from all around. My friends and allies enjoyed the sudden balminess.
Mundane utility never felt so good…
"What are you doing here!?" Etna and an unfamiliar male voice cried. That's when they noticed each other. "You! How dare you try to ambush me! I should be saying that!" They were weirdly in sync too. Maderas looked just like the stereotypical Vampire. Slicked back black hair and a nice suit with blood red eyes. Demon and Demoness glared hard at one another across the distance.
"Hey Etna! Catch!" I tossed the vial of memories towards her. The startled Demoness caught it after some fumbling. She eyed the bottle with longing and more than a little distrust.
"What are you doing with that? That belongs to ME!" Maderas bellowed. Well endowed Succubi and Nekomata flounced onto the scene.
"Wait. These really are my memories?" Etna asked in disbelief.
"What? No, of course not! She's lying!" Maderas rolled a Nat 1 on his Bluff. Even his minions were shooting deadpan stares at his back.
"Whelp! Thanks for throwing away your only bargaining chip, 'Deathscythe,'" Etna chortled with glee as she downed the vial. It took very little time at all for the memories to take hold. The way her eyes widened and glistened, the tiny quiver of her lower lip, was satisfying. A job well done and all that. Flonne immediately left our side to try to comfort the suddenly remorseful Demoness. Now this is where she pushes her back because she's a tough Demon and they don't…
…completely break down in big soggy tears.
"Next time we explore someone's memories? Flonne is not allowed to talk to the Aspects," Evoria deadpanned. "Pretty sure she broke the rules on a technicality."
Aaand Etna was still bawling…
"Great. Now my Guilt Terry is kicking my butt," I muttered.
"Ahem, but are you going to continue sniveling? Just because you killed the Prince and violated the trust Krichevskoy had for you isn't a reason to blubber so…" Maderas sniffed a handkerchief dismissively. He stiffened as I appeared behind him with my scythe drawn.
"Wash your neck and repent," I informed him coldly.
"What…?" He started to turn as a neat cut formed across his neck. His head completely spun off from his shoulders. The minions of both Maderas and Etna froze in shock. They didn't even see me move!
"Maderas…!" Etna's scream of painful outrage echoed across the snowy wastes. Flonne giggled nervously while pointing at where Madera's headless corpse stood. It fell to the ground. The red haired Demoness stared. Her enraged battle aura sputtered out in shock.
"Might want to get over to Vyers' castle. Prince Laharl is alive and in his care. You definitely fucked up, but it's not too late to make amends," I gave her a thumbs up and a Nice Guy Smile. Even got the ridiculous tooth Ping.
Etna continued to stare straight ahead vacantly.
"You broke her, Boss," Evoria told me unnecessarily.
"Looks like we better take her with us. I want to check up on Vyers too." The way he ran off before was worrisome. Hopefully it was something comedic and over the top instead of 'tear down the gates of Celestia and start a war with the Angels.'
This was worse than I could have possibly imagined.
Vyers was well and truly cracked.
The proof was before me. It was a scene right out of a Hallmark photo with a psycho filter. Vyers stood before us with a bright beaming smile. Nothing too weird about that, he was a perpetual smiler after all, but the rest…
"Why am I doing this?" Laharl demanded petulantly.
"Now now son. Be polite to our guests," Vyers chided him.
"What am I even doing here?" Sicily asked in bewilderment.
"Can't a father get to know his daughter that certain jerk friends kept secret?" Vyers' left eyebrow twitched.
"The Red Moon is coming…uh…dood?" A certain Red Prinny mentioned. Vyers put his arm around her shoulders(?).
"All the more reason to spend time with our kids! That's what a family does, isn't it? We spend time together!" Vyers enthused.
"This is King Krichevskoy?" Etna deadpanned.
"Ah ha ha…yes? Y-you, uh, should get to know one another better!" I gushed while shoving a cellphone in her hand with a whispered "If you need an extraction just dial 666. I'll arrange something."
For obvious reasons that didn't seem to reassure Etna.
"She's my Mom!?" Laharl and Sicily exclaimed with varying levels of freak out.
"You're not making this better!" Big Sis Prinny walloped Vyers with her flipper. He let out a cry that sounded suspiciously like Goofy while blasting off in the distance. "Okay…Looks like I have to explain all this…"
"Is there a way to explain this that doesn't make them sound like shitty parents?" Evoria asked.
"No," Flonne, Al and even Pleinair said. Made even more damning by the fact it was Flonne who said that! Pleinair using her very limited VA budget was another surprise.
"Do I have to find Mid Boss?" Etna rubbed her eyes wearily.
"Yes," Big Sis Prinny, Laharl and Sicily told her.
"Is it too late to retcon my redemption arc? Being an unrepentant villain is so much easier…" Etna wandered off muttering.
"You were still a villain with an F in Evil," I called after her. She flipped me off without looking back.
"You're worse!" She retorted.
"That only works if I was a villain at all!" I reminded her gleefully. Etna's shoulders shook with repressed anger. She couldn't really deny that.
"I will be the Overlord someday!" Laharl pointed in my face.
"No, I will!" Sicily also pointed in my face.
"Children, children please…" I smiled kindly at them. "Even if you trained for a hundred years you could never defeat me." Their blank eyed stares and gaping mouths were just so adorable!
"Please don't taunt them," Big Sis Prinny pleaded.
"Hey, it's good for them! I'm just giving the tykes a little motivation!" I laughed good naturedly. A weird feeling of DOOM trickled down my spine. The Prinny before me didn't seem to change yet I still felt inexplicably terrified. "...I'll be good."
"Thank you," she managed to bow, somehow.
"Teach me your ways Master dood!" Al fell all over himself, and the floor, to beg her to teach him.
"Oh dear…" She sweatdropped.
The explosion was quite colorful, loud and profane. Mainly profane from all the cursing.
I couldn't even predict events anymore. Fine by me. Knowing everything could get boring after a while. The rest of our time was spent in powerleveling, grinding and finding new ways to exploit my bizarre crafting talent. I finally got a chance to use my Conqueror Boon by slaying Tyrant Baal. My full title became Deathscythe Tyrant Terry. My RTS crafting let me dismantle the Robo Suit. The best part? I could replicate them with the right materials. Al finally bought his freedom and Reincarnated as a Majin! He still had trouble with the Prinny verbal tic. When the time came to leave the Gate lit up with a purplish light. Muse stepped out in all her Catsaber Cosplay glory.
"Time to go kids! The bus is leaving in five minutes!" She called.
"Hopefully wherever we go next I get more screen time. Okay Boss?" Evoria asked.
"No problem. I'll try not to be a total hermit between capers," I promised.
"You're really leaving?" Flonne asked.
"But why dood?" Al twitched. It was a work in progress.
[Stay?] Pleinair's sign was suspiciously wet. Evoria and I both winced.
"Someday, when I've gained my Spark, I'll return. It probably won't be for a long time, but it'll happen. Unless anyone wants to come with us," I held out a hand with a smile.
"Two minutes!" Muse reminded us.
"Ooh…Sorry Seraph Lamington!" Flonne threw herself forward and grabbed my hand. Pleinair tossed her sign to the side and took hold of Evoria.
"I'll watch over the castle while you're gone. Take care of yourselves, alright?" Al dropped the tic. The way he smiled said that he could have stopped at any time. We smiled back at him and waved.
Muse grabbed me by my fancy jacket and started to drag us towards the Gate. We didn't stop waving until the Gate closed for the last time.
[Deathscythe Terry in Disgaea-land: End]
AN: Next chapter is picking Perks for a new world. I was thinking of Scooby Gamers. The Perks are nice and the cast is easy to work around. Especially with a party of blatantly overleveled Disgaea-esque people. Maybe somewhere with decent crafting perks? Perhaps even drop into La Pucelle and then Neptunia! Keep the NIS train rolling!
Turns out if I want the power to merge Items I need a different Jump. The Dark World Representative in the La Pucelle disc didn't have the ability. He was a pain in the ass to defeat, but we managed. Too bad really because we had all those copies of our unique weapons and gear. The copies were pretty good with a decent spread of Innocents. Not as good as the genuine articles in terms of Stats, but decent. Good for when we wanted to Item World our stuff. The idea I had was to use the Item World on the copies, harvest their Innocents and then upgrade our main gear. Now the weapons and stuff had some really cool items to farm. The Innocent Town even sold stuff from La Pucelle instead of Disgaea. I might have spent all our money to grab the elemental staves. Even the unique elements like Aid, Holy, Healing and Thunder. The trick would be in figuring out how to make weapons or accessories to teach the spells. While I ruminated on that, Flonne suggested something out of the blue.
"Um…What if we were to use the Item World on Etna's Memories?" Flonne asked.
"I'm not sure I follow," I remarked. Evoria and Pleinair shared an indecipherable look.
"W-Well the Item World lets us iron out the flaws in something. Make it better. Closer to its ideal self, right? Would that work for Etna?" Flonne pushed her fingers together cutely.
"Like magical lobotomy?" Evoria asked. Flonne started to sweat. No doubt she hadn't thought that far. Even as she waved her hands in panic, the petite Demoness turned to me. "Even if it doesn't work like that I can see it working well for us. Maybe then her plans wouldn't suck so hard."
"Isn't that a feature in the Netherworld University dimension dood?" Al rubbed under his beak with a fin.
Pleinair nodded once and gave us a thumbs up. She was ready for action! Flonne in the background was flailing even harder while making squeaking noises. Evoria and Al were up to trying it out. Was it possible to give Etna the emotional help she needed? What even was her ideal self? Despite my desire to keep Flonne happy, I had to make the rest of my friends happy too.
"Only one thing before we proceed. If you run into a fragment of Etna's personality keep it safe. Don't kill it, subdue it or anything harmful whatsoever. We're not going in to make Etna who we want her to be, but to help her become her best self. Whatever that is," I said. Inwardly I let out a sigh of relief. Looks like I made the right decision after all. Flonne visibly relaxed while the others grew even more excited.
Going through Etna's memories was more like running through an Ar Tonelico Cosmosphere mixed with Doom. Difficult emotional issues and horrible trauma? Torn apart by blades, spellfire and exploding Prinnies. Flonne made it her self appointed task to protect every single Etna we came across. She kept up a steady stream of cheerful babble with her protectee. Etna's Greed, Avarice, Sloth and Pride listened to her motivational talk. At least I think Sloth listened. She spent most of the level sleeping. Her Love, Humor, Joy and Generosity were avid disciples of Love Love Magical Flonne's inspirational speeches. I felt sorry for Generosity, being the smallest at most child-like. Flonne carried her around. She kind of kidnapped the child from her level. Then dropped her on a Clone tile.
"What part of this is non-harmful? She's a Demoness!" Evoria gasped as another Generous Etna appeared.
"Is it too late to take her back dood?" Al recoiled. That level's Etna, Troll Etna, got swarmed by adorable mini Etna's…
…right onto a merge square.
"I didn't hurt her! Exact words matter!" Flonne quickly reminded me about the rule. This didn't technically count as hurting. Technically.
[Run!] Pleinair held aloft a sign as she ran for the exit.
We fled the floor ahead of the tidal wave of cute little gremlins. The next floor was Apathy Etna surrounded by a group of Judgmental Etna. All of them blamed Apathy for the situation they were in now. Flonne waded in to Talk-no-Jutsu them into submission.
"Why is there only one Apathy and why is Judgment here?" Evoria tilted her head.
"Good question. The different levels contained multiples of the same Attribute depending on how strongly they figure into Etna's psyche. Flonne talking to the aspects either raised their Level or lowered it, but she wasn't destroying them. These Judgments seem to have beaten up Etna's Apathy…" I pointed at the unconscious and bleeding forms of Apathy Etna. Oops!
One frantic round of healing later and they were back to being…apathetic.
"The Judgments aren't listening to me!" Flonne squealed as she ran by. The gold tinted Etnas streamed past with spears at the ready. The Apathy Etna that Flonne tried to rescue was tossing half-hearted balls of purplish energy. Missing them by a mile, but it was the thought that counted right?
"Oraaaaa doooooood!" Al completely forgot my rule about killing Aspects (good for him really) and leapt into the fray.
We ended up throwing one of the Judgments on a smaller island. Then threw a couple more just to bump up its level to make up for the ones we had to kill off. No one threatens the Angel-in-Training and gets away with it! No one threatens any of my friends and lives. It was a glorious, if slightly messy, victory as we stepped on the portal to the next level. Just one problem. The whole level was full of Judgments! Her Tenderness was in danger! I swear this was a clear cut metaphor for Etna's future emotional breakdown. I just couldn't bring myself to care at the time. Each level had more and stronger Judgments. The worst sin, according to Evoria, is they were all wielding the basic bitch spear. The final boss of the Memories was Guilt Etna. Good thing we were all high level with good gear. Now she had some decent stuff like a max Rank Testament. Evoria even stole her Sexy Demon Outfit. Which was basically Etna's normal outfit with a bonus to all stats.
"Can only be worn by the truly FLAT!?" Evoria screeched.
"Who are you calling flat!? Have you no shame!?" Guilt Etna screeched back.
"Shame is for the WEAK!" Evoria Spartan-kicked her in the chest, off the pyramid and right off the island to long drawn out comical "Nooooo….!" from Guilt.
Satisfied with a job well done we turned to leave…
"Wait. She only has one Guilt!" I realized.
"EHHHHH!?"
Evoria refused to look at any of us when we got back to the castle. We managed to rescue Guilt and trap her on an island. Poor Flonne was getting a back massage by Pleinair. It was only thanks to her stubby trainee wings that we could rescue the Aspect. There was no time left before the exchange. I remembered that during the scenario Etna tried to ambush Maderas first. He planned to kill her ahead of the fated duel as well. Basically neither one of them could stick to the terms of the agreement. Typical Demon behavior. Luckily I knew where they would be. The coldest region in the Netherworld.
When I said it was cold I think I undersold it. It was worse than the coldest cold you could imagine. If not for my supernaturally boosted resilience it would probably kill me. Evoria didn't seem to mind despite the, er, stripperific nature of her outfit. Flonne and Pleinair wore simple outfits and it wasn't affecting them. Al was functionally naked and he didn't care! Only the poor widdle Humie had to worry about freezing!
Achoo!
"L-Let's hurry up…Ugh…Deathscythe Terry done in by a c-cold!" Yes, I was bitching. What of it? I had a right to be annoyed!
"Evoria! Quickly! We have to warm her up!" Flonne declared.
"How? Neither one of us is well endowed or dressed warmly. So we can't just hug the cold away," Evoria pointed out then deadpanned as I patted her head. "Uwaaa. Cut it out you jerk. Meanie."
"T-That never gets old…" I chuckled.
"Use your hotblooded Overlordness dood!" Al burst in without warning.
"Yeah! Show us your battle aura!" Flonne's eyes lit up excitedly.
Pleinair wandered off. The message was clear. She didn't want to be a part of this insanity anymore. Either that or she was heading off to scout. One of the two.
"Fine f-fine…If it c-can make me warmer than why not?" I cleared my throat. "Ah ha ha ha ha! That's right! The Terrifying Deathscythe Terry has arrived! Tremble in fear of my cataclysmic power!" Ooh. My burning battle aura actually was quite warm. The snow around us melted instantly. Sighs of relief and comfort came from all around. My friends and allies enjoyed the sudden balminess.
Mundane utility never felt so good…
"What are you doing here!?" Etna and an unfamiliar male voice cried. That's when they noticed each other. "You! How dare you try to ambush me! I should be saying that!" They were weirdly in sync too. Maderas looked just like the stereotypical Vampire. Slicked back black hair and a nice suit with blood red eyes. Demon and Demoness glared hard at one another across the distance.
"Hey Etna! Catch!" I tossed the vial of memories towards her. The startled Demoness caught it after some fumbling. She eyed the bottle with longing and more than a little distrust.
"What are you doing with that? That belongs to ME!" Maderas bellowed. Well endowed Succubi and Nekomata flounced onto the scene.
"Wait. These really are my memories?" Etna asked in disbelief.
"What? No, of course not! She's lying!" Maderas rolled a Nat 1 on his Bluff. Even his minions were shooting deadpan stares at his back.
"Whelp! Thanks for throwing away your only bargaining chip, 'Deathscythe,'" Etna chortled with glee as she downed the vial. It took very little time at all for the memories to take hold. The way her eyes widened and glistened, the tiny quiver of her lower lip, was satisfying. A job well done and all that. Flonne immediately left our side to try to comfort the suddenly remorseful Demoness. Now this is where she pushes her back because she's a tough Demon and they don't…
…completely break down in big soggy tears.
"Next time we explore someone's memories? Flonne is not allowed to talk to the Aspects," Evoria deadpanned. "Pretty sure she broke the rules on a technicality."
Aaand Etna was still bawling…
"Great. Now my Guilt Terry is kicking my butt," I muttered.
"Ahem, but are you going to continue sniveling? Just because you killed the Prince and violated the trust Krichevskoy had for you isn't a reason to blubber so…" Maderas sniffed a handkerchief dismissively. He stiffened as I appeared behind him with my scythe drawn.
"Wash your neck and repent," I informed him coldly.
"What…?" He started to turn as a neat cut formed across his neck. His head completely spun off from his shoulders. The minions of both Maderas and Etna froze in shock. They didn't even see me move!
"Maderas…!" Etna's scream of painful outrage echoed across the snowy wastes. Flonne giggled nervously while pointing at where Madera's headless corpse stood. It fell to the ground. The red haired Demoness stared. Her enraged battle aura sputtered out in shock.
"Might want to get over to Vyers' castle. Prince Laharl is alive and in his care. You definitely fucked up, but it's not too late to make amends," I gave her a thumbs up and a Nice Guy Smile. Even got the ridiculous tooth Ping.
Etna continued to stare straight ahead vacantly.
"You broke her, Boss," Evoria told me unnecessarily.
"Looks like we better take her with us. I want to check up on Vyers too." The way he ran off before was worrisome. Hopefully it was something comedic and over the top instead of 'tear down the gates of Celestia and start a war with the Angels.'
This was worse than I could have possibly imagined.
Vyers was well and truly cracked.
The proof was before me. It was a scene right out of a Hallmark photo with a psycho filter. Vyers stood before us with a bright beaming smile. Nothing too weird about that, he was a perpetual smiler after all, but the rest…
"Why am I doing this?" Laharl demanded petulantly.
"Now now son. Be polite to our guests," Vyers chided him.
"What am I even doing here?" Sicily asked in bewilderment.
"Can't a father get to know his daughter that certain jerk friends kept secret?" Vyers' left eyebrow twitched.
"The Red Moon is coming…uh…dood?" A certain Red Prinny mentioned. Vyers put his arm around her shoulders(?).
"All the more reason to spend time with our kids! That's what a family does, isn't it? We spend time together!" Vyers enthused.
"This is King Krichevskoy?" Etna deadpanned.
"Ah ha ha…yes? Y-you, uh, should get to know one another better!" I gushed while shoving a cellphone in her hand with a whispered "If you need an extraction just dial 666. I'll arrange something."
For obvious reasons that didn't seem to reassure Etna.
"She's my Mom!?" Laharl and Sicily exclaimed with varying levels of freak out.
"You're not making this better!" Big Sis Prinny walloped Vyers with her flipper. He let out a cry that sounded suspiciously like Goofy while blasting off in the distance. "Okay…Looks like I have to explain all this…"
"Is there a way to explain this that doesn't make them sound like shitty parents?" Evoria asked.
"No," Flonne, Al and even Pleinair said. Made even more damning by the fact it was Flonne who said that! Pleinair using her very limited VA budget was another surprise.
"Do I have to find Mid Boss?" Etna rubbed her eyes wearily.
"Yes," Big Sis Prinny, Laharl and Sicily told her.
"Is it too late to retcon my redemption arc? Being an unrepentant villain is so much easier…" Etna wandered off muttering.
"You were still a villain with an F in Evil," I called after her. She flipped me off without looking back.
"You're worse!" She retorted.
"That only works if I was a villain at all!" I reminded her gleefully. Etna's shoulders shook with repressed anger. She couldn't really deny that.
"I will be the Overlord someday!" Laharl pointed in my face.
"No, I will!" Sicily also pointed in my face.
"Children, children please…" I smiled kindly at them. "Even if you trained for a hundred years you could never defeat me." Their blank eyed stares and gaping mouths were just so adorable!
"Please don't taunt them," Big Sis Prinny pleaded.
"Hey, it's good for them! I'm just giving the tykes a little motivation!" I laughed good naturedly. A weird feeling of DOOM trickled down my spine. The Prinny before me didn't seem to change yet I still felt inexplicably terrified. "...I'll be good."
"Thank you," she managed to bow, somehow.
"Teach me your ways Master dood!" Al fell all over himself, and the floor, to beg her to teach him.
"Oh dear…" She sweatdropped.
The explosion was quite colorful, loud and profane. Mainly profane from all the cursing.
I couldn't even predict events anymore. Fine by me. Knowing everything could get boring after a while. The rest of our time was spent in powerleveling, grinding and finding new ways to exploit my bizarre crafting talent. I finally got a chance to use my Conqueror Boon by slaying Tyrant Baal. My full title became Deathscythe Tyrant Terry. My RTS crafting let me dismantle the Robo Suit. The best part? I could replicate them with the right materials. Al finally bought his freedom and Reincarnated as a Majin! He still had trouble with the Prinny verbal tic. When the time came to leave the Gate lit up with a purplish light. Muse stepped out in all her Catsaber Cosplay glory.
"Time to go kids! The bus is leaving in five minutes!" She called.
"Hopefully wherever we go next I get more screen time. Okay Boss?" Evoria asked.
"No problem. I'll try not to be a total hermit between capers," I promised.
"You're really leaving?" Flonne asked.
"But why dood?" Al twitched. It was a work in progress.
[Stay?] Pleinair's sign was suspiciously wet. Evoria and I both winced.
"Someday, when I've gained my Spark, I'll return. It probably won't be for a long time, but it'll happen. Unless anyone wants to come with us," I held out a hand with a smile.
"Two minutes!" Muse reminded us.
"Ooh…Sorry Seraph Lamington!" Flonne threw herself forward and grabbed my hand. Pleinair tossed her sign to the side and took hold of Evoria.
"I'll watch over the castle while you're gone. Take care of yourselves, alright?" Al dropped the tic. The way he smiled said that he could have stopped at any time. We smiled back at him and waved.
Muse grabbed me by my fancy jacket and started to drag us towards the Gate. We didn't stop waving until the Gate closed for the last time.
[Deathscythe Terry in Disgaea-land: End]
AN: Next chapter is picking Perks for a new world. I was thinking of Scooby Gamers. The Perks are nice and the cast is easy to work around. Especially with a party of blatantly overleveled Disgaea-esque people. Maybe somewhere with decent crafting perks? Perhaps even drop into La Pucelle and then Neptunia! Keep the NIS train rolling!
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Chapter 6
- Location
- PA
Chapter 6
The Gate opened into an exact replica of the castle's main hall.
"Love the decor. Very chic," I remarked.
"Yeah well it's easier on the psyche to have actual surroundings instead of a featureless void. Humans are funny like that," Muse commented sardonically.
"This isn't the castle? I guess it isn't…It's a lot emptier…" Evoria shivered involuntarily. I patted her head. Unlike the other times she didn't even make a pro forma objection.
"It doesn't feel natural," Flonne was walking so close to me I nearly stumbled into her. Pleinair had her hand in a death grip.
"We really shouldn't stay here too long. I can't feel it, but something is scaring them." Seeing my friends clustered around me like this was freaky. Evoria would rather suffer torture than admit to being scared. Flonne's aura of love and joy blunted fear effects. I didn't think it was even possible for Pleinair to freak out.
"Ick. Yeah, I don't know what's causing it either. Usually I'd just toss them in the Warehouse or something, but I talked you into giving it up," Muse looked as if she regretted her offer.
"It was still my choice. Anyway, can you guys focus long enough to decide on your Perks?" I asked.
"Flare your aura good and high. That should chase off the 'creepy vibes' for a while," Muse suggested. Releasing my Aura wasn't usually difficult. It still wasn't, but I could definitely feel some resistance. Like the area itself was fighting me. Pale grayish-lavender light erupted in a blaze, chasing away the metaphysical chill.
"Any excuse to show off, eh Boss?" Evoria smirked. Pleinair slumped briefly in relief.
"Oh you know me. Anything to get attention," I waved a hand airily.
"Is this hard for you?" Flonne asked worriedly.
"It's nothing…" I started to say only for Muse to whack me upside the head. "Okay, it's draining my energy at a decent clip but I can hold it for ten minutes."
"Right. Choose where you're going next," Muse stopped our shenanigans cold.
"Scooby Gamers. The Gamer System allows the creation of more general Skills beyond just combat. The gear is pretty good and I could make Skill Books anyone could use. I also know the plot well. Look over the doc while I make my choices," I suggested while opening the Scooby Gamers doc myself.
"Right ladies! Start choosing now. Ten minutes isn't much time and we're gonna have to save our SP restoring stuff," Evoria immediately took charge. Flonne and Pleinair saluted smartly before getting to work.
"Actually I could grab the Harem Supplement doc to get my Companions more CP…" I started to open the doc but Muse stopped me.
"I'd allow it if you were at least at the cuddlepile stage, but Evoria isn't your waifu, Flonne wouldn't get it and Pleinair…Actually. I can't even read Pleinair," Muse admitted. Pleinair gave a thumbs up.
"You're going to make me do this honestly?" I asked incredulously.
"I let you have a Disgaea Body Mod with your Title," she pointed out.
"Fair enough…" I went back to the doc.
I chose the Drop-In Background and opted to start in Sunnydale. The idea I had was to approach the Scoobies right at the start with an offer. I train them, but they have to do things my way. Nothing outrageous just have them follow a code of conduct. No contract either. That way there was nothing forcing them to behave. Any good work they did would be because of their own will. By that same token, any terrible thing they did would be their fault entirely. Of course nothing is free. I was going to have so much fun using them for my amusement.
The Drop-In Perks pretty much had most of what I needed. Going with the Flow basically kept me from freaking out no matter how stressful things got. Crafting and Repairing gave a nice booster for crafts Skills. I mean, I was already really good at crafting thanks to all the tricks I worked out over the years, but I could be better. Second Trigger was just broken. What it did was improve someone's powers. Not too bad as it is, but the second part made it disgustingly cheesable. The problem with new Companions is that they just didn't have the same stuff as the older ones. With this I could awaken newbies to new powers based on who was around. Only once per customer, but who really cares? It was just that damn good. Making this Jump worthwhile even if I wasn't here for the Gamer. Lucky Bastard was just supernatural Luck. If not for my Discount I would have passed it over. Yes, Luck can get some truly BS Skills and Loot Drops, but I could do the same thing with Item World.
I continued with my Crafting focus by taking 'Maker' under Specialization. My ability to kill and cast spells was already top tier. Master of Alchemy would allow me to combine rare, one-of-a-kind formulas into something even better. Maybe even replicate Worm powers with the right reagents. Critical Success paired well with the Lucky Bastard Perk. It extended the effects of critical successes to crafting. The resulting craft could rise in rank by a ton. Who wouldn't want that, right? Quest Maker & Quest Giver gave me so many fun ideas. Stuff I could make the Scoobies do for me. What kind of trainer would I be if I didn't give them jobs to do? Oh yes, it was all coming together. My laughter echoed throughout the empty castle. Evoria smacked me upside the head.
"Stop it. You're freaking me out," she scolded.
"Yes dear," I replied sardonically.
ID Create/Escape was free with the Gamer power. I was going to put some strict rules on its use. None of that 'stay in a Time Dilated Illusion Barrier until Doomsday' crap from Scooby Gamers. People. Needed. Sleep. They also needed social interactions and not just their friends. Okay, the one thing I would allow is sleeping in a time dilated barrier. Some rest and relaxation was fine to prevent stress. Scribe, Copy would let me copy out any Skill I knew for others to learn. Sharing is caring after all. It said absolutely nothing about Scribing a Skill Book for Scribe, Copy. That way I wouldn't be the only one with the cheese. Merit System was just another part of the Gamer power. Essentially granting rewards and Titles for specific feats. Evolving Skill Set was free with the Gamer power. Pretty self explanatory really. Any Skill had the chance to evolve into a better one with effort. The last Perk I snagged was Multitasking. It was the cheapest one of its kind. Perfect for me since I liked doing multiple things at the same time. This way I could multitask without suffering from a loss of focus.
Gamer was pretty much the only Power I came for, but I needed the Customized Stat System. Otherwise I'd probably get stuck with the same Stats as Xander and Willow. I went with Disgaea for the system since my Stat Sheet already ran off that. Local Magic wasn't really necessary, but it was free. The Mage Perk would make my already formidable Magic even greater than before. There was just no reason not to take it, right?
"Hey Muse? Quick question. Does Age affect my appearance?" Evoria asked.
"Like if you rolled 18, would you actually look 18? Yeah," Muse confirmed.
"Adult background…31!" Evoria cheered. There was a 'pop' and a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared a very different Evoria was revealed. She was still in her normal outfit, sized to go with her new body, but that just made it worse. Overlord Priere had nothing to fear from her curves, but she was definitely a threat to Succubi. The way everything just barely remained concealed was more fascinating than titillating. Evoria grabbed one of my jackets, put it on and partially zipped it up.
"M-Maybe I'll just go with Student…14? Huh?" Flonne vanished in a puff of smoke. The smoke cleared to reveal…no change. She let out a deep sigh of relief. Suddenly turning into a sexpot would've freaked her out I'm sure. Stealing another of my jackets didn't make sense, but I wasn't going to call her on it.
Pleinair rolled an 18 altogether. When the smoke cleared she was a little taller with mid back length hair and a slender build. She deadpanned at just how short her outfit was on her taller frame. I wasn't surprised when she took my jacket too.
"Well at least we can tell you're on the same team," Muse snarked.
"You do realize the biggest jacket thieves are the significant other, right?" I inquired with a smirk. When that failed to fluster them all it did was fluster me. Muse did say I couldn't take the Harem Supplement because we weren't together and they weren't curious. Except stealing my jacket in particular didn't make sense in that context.
"I'm trying to see if I can get your Majin Soul by using this with Magical Outfit," Evoria shrugged.
"Me too!" [Ditto!] Flonne and Pleinair quickly jumped on the bandwagon.
"I'm going as myself. Just add Magical Outfit to my Iconic Outfit. Oh yeah and I'll take the Magical Wardrobe. Good for a new outfit every year. I'll share," I promised.
That was the signal to start choosing our items. We tried not to overlap and grab the stuff that interested us the most. I kept them away from the things we could create in the Jump itself. Well, I nabbed the Spirit Gems just to see what would happen in the Item World.
"I took the Memory Potion. I-I don't want to run into another Etna situation…" Flonne bit her lip. I gave her a little hug for comfort.
"Yeah that was crap. Good thinking, Flonne," Evoria nodded approvingly. Pleinair patted her on the shoulder. The outpouring of support perked her right up again.
"Girls! You're out of time! Get through the Portal. I'll post the rest of your builds so Terry can look 'em over later. Good choices by the way!" Muse complimented them. She turned to me disapprovingly. "Be careful out there Miss Overspender. I saw those Drawbacks you snagged."
They weren't that bad…Not really.
My party dragged me towards the Gate. A frisson of fear ran down my spine. I suddenly remembered that Gates counted as Portals. The Jump hadn't started yet, but that didn't stop Trouble Magnet from dumping me in Etna Mode. I didn't have to worry about that now…
I didn't have to worry here either.
Wait till the world gets a load of us!
AN: Here we go! Who's ready for this? A whole new Jump and new people to troll. Expect everyone to lose SAN and come out sane on the other side. Somehow.
The Gate opened into an exact replica of the castle's main hall.
"Love the decor. Very chic," I remarked.
"Yeah well it's easier on the psyche to have actual surroundings instead of a featureless void. Humans are funny like that," Muse commented sardonically.
"This isn't the castle? I guess it isn't…It's a lot emptier…" Evoria shivered involuntarily. I patted her head. Unlike the other times she didn't even make a pro forma objection.
"It doesn't feel natural," Flonne was walking so close to me I nearly stumbled into her. Pleinair had her hand in a death grip.
"We really shouldn't stay here too long. I can't feel it, but something is scaring them." Seeing my friends clustered around me like this was freaky. Evoria would rather suffer torture than admit to being scared. Flonne's aura of love and joy blunted fear effects. I didn't think it was even possible for Pleinair to freak out.
"Ick. Yeah, I don't know what's causing it either. Usually I'd just toss them in the Warehouse or something, but I talked you into giving it up," Muse looked as if she regretted her offer.
"It was still my choice. Anyway, can you guys focus long enough to decide on your Perks?" I asked.
"Flare your aura good and high. That should chase off the 'creepy vibes' for a while," Muse suggested. Releasing my Aura wasn't usually difficult. It still wasn't, but I could definitely feel some resistance. Like the area itself was fighting me. Pale grayish-lavender light erupted in a blaze, chasing away the metaphysical chill.
"Any excuse to show off, eh Boss?" Evoria smirked. Pleinair slumped briefly in relief.
"Oh you know me. Anything to get attention," I waved a hand airily.
"Is this hard for you?" Flonne asked worriedly.
"It's nothing…" I started to say only for Muse to whack me upside the head. "Okay, it's draining my energy at a decent clip but I can hold it for ten minutes."
"Right. Choose where you're going next," Muse stopped our shenanigans cold.
"Scooby Gamers. The Gamer System allows the creation of more general Skills beyond just combat. The gear is pretty good and I could make Skill Books anyone could use. I also know the plot well. Look over the doc while I make my choices," I suggested while opening the Scooby Gamers doc myself.
"Right ladies! Start choosing now. Ten minutes isn't much time and we're gonna have to save our SP restoring stuff," Evoria immediately took charge. Flonne and Pleinair saluted smartly before getting to work.
"Actually I could grab the Harem Supplement doc to get my Companions more CP…" I started to open the doc but Muse stopped me.
"I'd allow it if you were at least at the cuddlepile stage, but Evoria isn't your waifu, Flonne wouldn't get it and Pleinair…Actually. I can't even read Pleinair," Muse admitted. Pleinair gave a thumbs up.
"You're going to make me do this honestly?" I asked incredulously.
"I let you have a Disgaea Body Mod with your Title," she pointed out.
"Fair enough…" I went back to the doc.
I chose the Drop-In Background and opted to start in Sunnydale. The idea I had was to approach the Scoobies right at the start with an offer. I train them, but they have to do things my way. Nothing outrageous just have them follow a code of conduct. No contract either. That way there was nothing forcing them to behave. Any good work they did would be because of their own will. By that same token, any terrible thing they did would be their fault entirely. Of course nothing is free. I was going to have so much fun using them for my amusement.
Perks:
Going With The Flow (-100/Free CP) - You gain perfect control over your emotions, never again getting shocked or surprised by something and being able to just go with the flow even in otherwise stressful or hectic situations.
Crafting & Repairing (-200/100 CP) - You are a rising star in crafting and hand-working. With some time and effort becoming an expert in any sort of crafting you set your mind to is entirely possible. You are also extremely talented at repairing damaged items and figuring out their functions - so long as you've got the time and the resources, you could put back together even devices and artifacts you've otherwise got no clue as to the function of or that would otherwise be irreparable. This works as a training booster for crafting, letting you learn crafting skills three times faster than before.
Second Trigger (-300/150 CP) - You gain the ability to give parahumans a second trigger without all the mental trauma that normally would be associated with that. This works even on non-parahumans, as long as they have some sort of superpowers. A Second Trigger doesn't give them any additional powers, but it does give their existing ones new capabilities or new avenues of use. If other people with superpowers are nearby, then it looks at their powers for 'inspiration'. Unfortunately, this works only once for each being.
Lucky Bastard (-600/300 CP) - Sometimes it feels like you've been blessed by Lady Fortune. That skill book you've been trying to find for days randomly falling on your head? Just barely surviving a magical attack that should have definitely killed you? Getting gamer quests to help somebody that can't call for help? This is now all possible, what with your luck getting boosted into the outright supernatural. Where it would matter, such as for those with the Gamer power, having this boosted luck as a result of this perk does not make "training" your luck any more difficult than it would normally be if you didn't have this perk.
Going With The Flow (-100/Free CP) - You gain perfect control over your emotions, never again getting shocked or surprised by something and being able to just go with the flow even in otherwise stressful or hectic situations.
Crafting & Repairing (-200/100 CP) - You are a rising star in crafting and hand-working. With some time and effort becoming an expert in any sort of crafting you set your mind to is entirely possible. You are also extremely talented at repairing damaged items and figuring out their functions - so long as you've got the time and the resources, you could put back together even devices and artifacts you've otherwise got no clue as to the function of or that would otherwise be irreparable. This works as a training booster for crafting, letting you learn crafting skills three times faster than before.
Second Trigger (-300/150 CP) - You gain the ability to give parahumans a second trigger without all the mental trauma that normally would be associated with that. This works even on non-parahumans, as long as they have some sort of superpowers. A Second Trigger doesn't give them any additional powers, but it does give their existing ones new capabilities or new avenues of use. If other people with superpowers are nearby, then it looks at their powers for 'inspiration'. Unfortunately, this works only once for each being.
Lucky Bastard (-600/300 CP) - Sometimes it feels like you've been blessed by Lady Fortune. That skill book you've been trying to find for days randomly falling on your head? Just barely surviving a magical attack that should have definitely killed you? Getting gamer quests to help somebody that can't call for help? This is now all possible, what with your luck getting boosted into the outright supernatural. Where it would matter, such as for those with the Gamer power, having this boosted luck as a result of this perk does not make "training" your luck any more difficult than it would normally be if you didn't have this perk.
The Drop-In Perks pretty much had most of what I needed. Going with the Flow basically kept me from freaking out no matter how stressful things got. Crafting and Repairing gave a nice booster for crafts Skills. I mean, I was already really good at crafting thanks to all the tricks I worked out over the years, but I could be better. Second Trigger was just broken. What it did was improve someone's powers. Not too bad as it is, but the second part made it disgustingly cheesable. The problem with new Companions is that they just didn't have the same stuff as the older ones. With this I could awaken newbies to new powers based on who was around. Only once per customer, but who really cares? It was just that damn good. Making this Jump worthwhile even if I wasn't here for the Gamer. Lucky Bastard was just supernatural Luck. If not for my Discount I would have passed it over. Yes, Luck can get some truly BS Skills and Loot Drops, but I could do the same thing with Item World.
Specialization Focus (Free) - You are particularly suited to an archetype found
in most RPGs, either that of the mage, rogue, fighter, or maker. The fighter learns direct combat skills more quickly and has a natural disposition towards the physical stats of Strength and Vitality. Rogues are more suited for varied skills commonly related to thievery and subterfuge, as well as gaining increased growth in Dexterity and Luck. Mages learn magic of all kinds more quickly and are adept at increasing their Intelligence and Wisdom. Makers are skilled crafters, increasing their rate of growth with any skill related to the creation of something else, their Luck tends to be surprisingly high and your rate of growth for this stat is increased as a result. You can take this up to four times, the first is free for all origins, each additional purchase costs 200cp. (Maker)
ID Creation/Escape (-100 CP, free with Gamer power) - You have the skill and knowledge required to create and escape from Instant Dungeons. Unfortunately, you'll have to train this skill up, as your IDs start out small and empty. You start capable of creating IDs with one ''low level'' monster (such as zombies) and one ''low level'' effect (such as boosted health regen). For an additional 100 CP you can pick one additional type of monster and one additional effect that you will know to include in your IDs right from the start.
Scribe, Copy (-100 CP) - You have this seemingly magical skill to scribe and/or copy skill books, either from your knowledge or from already existing physical copies. You'll just need to provide some sort of material, like paper, on which you'll scribe/copy it. Anyone can use these skill books regardless of whether or not they would normally be able to.
Multitasking (-100 CP) - You are now an expert at multitasking, perfectly capable of doing several things at once, like watching a movie and simultaneously working on enchanting an object, or training your physical abilities while holding a conversation, or practicing some skill while playing a board game.
Evolving Skill Set (-200 CP, free with Gamer power) - Once you have mastered the use of a skill or a power, you can cause it to evolve and either provide a new skill that builds off the old one, or remove previous restrictions or add new aspects to it. For example, this would cause Summon Lesser Elemental skill to turn into Summon Greater Elemental or cause Soul of the Sacred Forge to grant Fire in the Blood. This might also provide a title for mastering rarer skills, which could, in turn, offer you its own boosts and benefits.
Merit System (-100 CP, free with Gamer power) - You will occasionally find yourself with a quest-like notification that gives you a challenge of some sort, often shortly after finding something that could be turned into a decently difficult challenge (such as a Zoo themed Instant Dungeon with several exhibits to defeat). This notification will issue a challenge that will reward you with a Merit should you complete it. A Merit can be a unique skill, item, status, or title, the power of which is determined by the challenge issued. This can also provide long term achievements that will give smaller rewards for reaching them, such as the Apprentice Undead Slayer title for killing 50 undead.
Quest-Maker & Quest-Giver (-200 CP, requires Merit System) - You can now create your own
quests, either for yourself or for others by providing a baseline of challenge, although Merits given by them and possibly additional elements of the challenge will not be within your control.
Master of Alchemy (-400 CP) - Alchemy is another rare, almost extinct profession. You are now master at it, capable of feats like combining different ID-farmed power canisters into usable alchemical formulas or of creating artifacts like Philosopher's Stone. It even gives you knowledge how to create minor alchemical formulas with effects similar but considerably weaker to Power Canisters.
Critical Success (-400 CP) - Whenever you attempt something requiring extended or detailed use of a skill, you may find yourself struck by inspiration that allows you to achieve results beyond your normal level of skill, with the possibility of creating something entirely new, better than the original. From making a book on martial arts into a book on Ki Infused Martial Arts to turning an ordinary sword into a masterwork one. The chances of this occurring increases with both Luck and Skill.
in most RPGs, either that of the mage, rogue, fighter, or maker. The fighter learns direct combat skills more quickly and has a natural disposition towards the physical stats of Strength and Vitality. Rogues are more suited for varied skills commonly related to thievery and subterfuge, as well as gaining increased growth in Dexterity and Luck. Mages learn magic of all kinds more quickly and are adept at increasing their Intelligence and Wisdom. Makers are skilled crafters, increasing their rate of growth with any skill related to the creation of something else, their Luck tends to be surprisingly high and your rate of growth for this stat is increased as a result. You can take this up to four times, the first is free for all origins, each additional purchase costs 200cp. (Maker)
ID Creation/Escape (-100 CP, free with Gamer power) - You have the skill and knowledge required to create and escape from Instant Dungeons. Unfortunately, you'll have to train this skill up, as your IDs start out small and empty. You start capable of creating IDs with one ''low level'' monster (such as zombies) and one ''low level'' effect (such as boosted health regen). For an additional 100 CP you can pick one additional type of monster and one additional effect that you will know to include in your IDs right from the start.
Scribe, Copy (-100 CP) - You have this seemingly magical skill to scribe and/or copy skill books, either from your knowledge or from already existing physical copies. You'll just need to provide some sort of material, like paper, on which you'll scribe/copy it. Anyone can use these skill books regardless of whether or not they would normally be able to.
Multitasking (-100 CP) - You are now an expert at multitasking, perfectly capable of doing several things at once, like watching a movie and simultaneously working on enchanting an object, or training your physical abilities while holding a conversation, or practicing some skill while playing a board game.
Evolving Skill Set (-200 CP, free with Gamer power) - Once you have mastered the use of a skill or a power, you can cause it to evolve and either provide a new skill that builds off the old one, or remove previous restrictions or add new aspects to it. For example, this would cause Summon Lesser Elemental skill to turn into Summon Greater Elemental or cause Soul of the Sacred Forge to grant Fire in the Blood. This might also provide a title for mastering rarer skills, which could, in turn, offer you its own boosts and benefits.
Merit System (-100 CP, free with Gamer power) - You will occasionally find yourself with a quest-like notification that gives you a challenge of some sort, often shortly after finding something that could be turned into a decently difficult challenge (such as a Zoo themed Instant Dungeon with several exhibits to defeat). This notification will issue a challenge that will reward you with a Merit should you complete it. A Merit can be a unique skill, item, status, or title, the power of which is determined by the challenge issued. This can also provide long term achievements that will give smaller rewards for reaching them, such as the Apprentice Undead Slayer title for killing 50 undead.
Quest-Maker & Quest-Giver (-200 CP, requires Merit System) - You can now create your own
quests, either for yourself or for others by providing a baseline of challenge, although Merits given by them and possibly additional elements of the challenge will not be within your control.
Master of Alchemy (-400 CP) - Alchemy is another rare, almost extinct profession. You are now master at it, capable of feats like combining different ID-farmed power canisters into usable alchemical formulas or of creating artifacts like Philosopher's Stone. It even gives you knowledge how to create minor alchemical formulas with effects similar but considerably weaker to Power Canisters.
Critical Success (-400 CP) - Whenever you attempt something requiring extended or detailed use of a skill, you may find yourself struck by inspiration that allows you to achieve results beyond your normal level of skill, with the possibility of creating something entirely new, better than the original. From making a book on martial arts into a book on Ki Infused Martial Arts to turning an ordinary sword into a masterwork one. The chances of this occurring increases with both Luck and Skill.
I continued with my Crafting focus by taking 'Maker' under Specialization. My ability to kill and cast spells was already top tier. Master of Alchemy would allow me to combine rare, one-of-a-kind formulas into something even better. Maybe even replicate Worm powers with the right reagents. Critical Success paired well with the Lucky Bastard Perk. It extended the effects of critical successes to crafting. The resulting craft could rise in rank by a ton. Who wouldn't want that, right? Quest Maker & Quest Giver gave me so many fun ideas. Stuff I could make the Scoobies do for me. What kind of trainer would I be if I didn't give them jobs to do? Oh yes, it was all coming together. My laughter echoed throughout the empty castle. Evoria smacked me upside the head.
"Stop it. You're freaking me out," she scolded.
"Yes dear," I replied sardonically.
ID Create/Escape was free with the Gamer power. I was going to put some strict rules on its use. None of that 'stay in a Time Dilated Illusion Barrier until Doomsday' crap from Scooby Gamers. People. Needed. Sleep. They also needed social interactions and not just their friends. Okay, the one thing I would allow is sleeping in a time dilated barrier. Some rest and relaxation was fine to prevent stress. Scribe, Copy would let me copy out any Skill I knew for others to learn. Sharing is caring after all. It said absolutely nothing about Scribing a Skill Book for Scribe, Copy. That way I wouldn't be the only one with the cheese. Merit System was just another part of the Gamer power. Essentially granting rewards and Titles for specific feats. Evolving Skill Set was free with the Gamer power. Pretty self explanatory really. Any Skill had the chance to evolve into a better one with effort. The last Perk I snagged was Multitasking. It was the cheapest one of its kind. Perfect for me since I liked doing multiple things at the same time. This way I could multitask without suffering from a loss of focus.
Local Magic (free) - You can use the magic of this multiverse.
Gamer (-600 CP) - You have become a so-called Gamer, just like Han Jee-Han from that comic Xander and Willow got to read, and how they were transformed into being due to Halloween prank spell. Comes with all expected Gamer content, like Gamer interface system, stat sheet, skill learning and inventory.
Customized Stat System (-100 CP) - This upgrade to your Gamer power lets you create your
own stat system, instead of forcing you to use the same one as Xander and Willow have. So if you want to add Charisma stat, go ahead. Want to use a system of 15 stats instead? Go ahead. Want to use a system based on one from a specific game? Go ahead. (Disgaea system)
Mage (-200 CP) - You happen to be one of the top-tier magic users in terms of raw natural talent and stats. This gives you a dramatic bonus to your mana total and to your mana regeneration, or the equivalent thereof if you don't have some sort of Gamer power or similar such ability, and all of your magic is at least 30% more powerful than before in addition to being 50% easier to learn.
Gamer (-600 CP) - You have become a so-called Gamer, just like Han Jee-Han from that comic Xander and Willow got to read, and how they were transformed into being due to Halloween prank spell. Comes with all expected Gamer content, like Gamer interface system, stat sheet, skill learning and inventory.
Customized Stat System (-100 CP) - This upgrade to your Gamer power lets you create your
own stat system, instead of forcing you to use the same one as Xander and Willow have. So if you want to add Charisma stat, go ahead. Want to use a system of 15 stats instead? Go ahead. Want to use a system based on one from a specific game? Go ahead. (Disgaea system)
Mage (-200 CP) - You happen to be one of the top-tier magic users in terms of raw natural talent and stats. This gives you a dramatic bonus to your mana total and to your mana regeneration, or the equivalent thereof if you don't have some sort of Gamer power or similar such ability, and all of your magic is at least 30% more powerful than before in addition to being 50% easier to learn.
Gamer was pretty much the only Power I came for, but I needed the Customized Stat System. Otherwise I'd probably get stuck with the same Stats as Xander and Willow. I went with Disgaea for the system since my Stat Sheet already ran off that. Local Magic wasn't really necessary, but it was free. The Mage Perk would make my already formidable Magic even greater than before. There was just no reason not to take it, right?
"Hey Muse? Quick question. Does Age affect my appearance?" Evoria asked.
"Like if you rolled 18, would you actually look 18? Yeah," Muse confirmed.
"Adult background…31!" Evoria cheered. There was a 'pop' and a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared a very different Evoria was revealed. She was still in her normal outfit, sized to go with her new body, but that just made it worse. Overlord Priere had nothing to fear from her curves, but she was definitely a threat to Succubi. The way everything just barely remained concealed was more fascinating than titillating. Evoria grabbed one of my jackets, put it on and partially zipped it up.
"M-Maybe I'll just go with Student…14? Huh?" Flonne vanished in a puff of smoke. The smoke cleared to reveal…no change. She let out a deep sigh of relief. Suddenly turning into a sexpot would've freaked her out I'm sure. Stealing another of my jackets didn't make sense, but I wasn't going to call her on it.
Pleinair rolled an 18 altogether. When the smoke cleared she was a little taller with mid back length hair and a slender build. She deadpanned at just how short her outfit was on her taller frame. I wasn't surprised when she took my jacket too.
"Well at least we can tell you're on the same team," Muse snarked.
"You do realize the biggest jacket thieves are the significant other, right?" I inquired with a smirk. When that failed to fluster them all it did was fluster me. Muse did say I couldn't take the Harem Supplement because we weren't together and they weren't curious. Except stealing my jacket in particular didn't make sense in that context.
"I'm trying to see if I can get your Majin Soul by using this with Magical Outfit," Evoria shrugged.
"Me too!" [Ditto!] Flonne and Pleinair quickly jumped on the bandwagon.
"I'm going as myself. Just add Magical Outfit to my Iconic Outfit. Oh yeah and I'll take the Magical Wardrobe. Good for a new outfit every year. I'll share," I promised.
That was the signal to start choosing our items. We tried not to overlap and grab the stuff that interested us the most. I kept them away from the things we could create in the Jump itself. Well, I nabbed the Spirit Gems just to see what would happen in the Item World.
My Item List:
Basic Training Equipment (-100/Free CP) - You get a set of starting training equipment, anything you'd need to start you on a variety of training, from some training weapons, basic crafting tools and even some skill books for minor skills like dancing.
Collection of Skill Books (-200/100 CP) - A collection of ten skill books such as the Troll Regeneration spell, Giant Strength spell, Earth Elemental skill and the Blizzard spell. You'll get an additional ten skill books, randomly selected, every year though they will always be low-to-mid tier (at best) in terms of what they do. Anyone can use these skill books regardless of whether or not they would normally be able to.
Inventory Book (-400/200 CP) - You have a magical book, which will grant anyone that reads it an inventory, much like a video game character, which comes with a game interface that you can summon or dismiss at will. Since it is a skill book, it shall disappear after getting used, but worry not as a new one shall appear in your Warehouse immediately afterwards. Alternatively, if you already have a personal inventory (such as from using the book yourself) you may instead choose to have the copy appear there.
Student ID (-100 CP) - You have a student identification that lets everyone know you're a student of whichever school in your area is most appropriate for your age. It also works as a bus pass in cities with the appropriate system in place. It updates whenever you go to a new world or change the appearance. Strangely enough, your paperwork will be taken care of if you wish to continue your education, though tuition isn't covered by this.
Magical Phone (-100 CP) - A top of the line magical phone that comes with a battery enchanted to never run out of energy, enchants to be completely untraceable, enchants for unlimited call minutes and messages, and various protections against spying and eavesdropping on your calls.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Wardrobe of Magical Outfits (-200 CP) - Well, not exactly. This upgrade to Magical Outfit
provides you with Wardrobe, in which a new Magical Outfit appears once per year. You can determine the outfit's theme in advance, partially influencing what boosts they provide.
Secrets of the Sacred Forge (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the Secrets of the Sacred Forge skill, but is destroyed when used up. A new one appears in the Warehouse immediately afterwards, or if you have a personal inventory you may choose to have it appear there instead. Anyone can use this even if they normally couldn't.
Spirit Gems (-200 CP) - A supply of spirit gems, which are capable of holding primal animal spirits. Any time you kill or defeat an animal or animal-like magical creature (such as a wolf-man) you may choose to fill one of these gems with the spirit of that animal, equipping them through the Gamer interface (if you have access to it) or a simple ritual. These give stat increases based on the animal spirit within the gem. This purchase comes with books on primal spirits, including summoning them and using them, but beware, because equipping powerful spirits without adequate stats or skills can have terrible results. For an additional 200 CP (400 CP total), you gain knowledge on how to combine gems and spirits with them, the stronger gem/spirit subsuming weaker gem/spirit to increase its power. Those with the Gamer power
get an upgraded version of this item for free if they purchase the basic version.
Evoria's Item List:
Property/Business (-100/Free CP) - You have the deed for a piece of property or business that follows you to various worlds, and since it is magical, it updates with the current location so that you'll always be able to find it. All the paperwork is automatically taken care of, and you never need to worry about property taxes, utilities, or similar such incidental costs. The Property slides seamlessly into the area, with no locals finding its presence unusual and believing it was always there. If there were any tenants previously living or working there, then they get replaced with similar natives of the new world.
Enchanting Board (-200/100 CP) - You have a certified enchanting board. Not only does it allow multiple people to pool their mana in order to fuel the enchanting process, every person that donates mana to the project also gains the same amount of 'experience' as the person doing the enchanting. Enchantments made to things using this board are guaranteed to be more effective than they would be with a normal enchanting board.
Stack of Magical Contracts (-100 CP, discount for Demonic Law) - A stack of pre-made contracts and additional magical paper for you to practice writing contracts with demonic law, with each paper automatically wiping itself if you make a critical mistake or if you issue a verbal command for it. You can, of course, keep the ones that you want to keep. Comes with a book of Demonic Law, to help you start on all of that.
Magical Phone (-100 CP) - A top of the line magical phone that comes with a battery enchanted to never run out of energy, enchants to be completely untraceable, enchants for unlimited call minutes and messages, and various protections against spying and eavesdropping on your calls.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Orb of Iron Will (-200 CP) - You have an orb that grants anyone that touches it an Iron Will ability skill, which gives them a 50% chance to completely avoid any mental attacks on them. Even better, said skill can be trained.
Flonne's Item List:
Student ID (-100/Free CP) - You have a student identification that lets everyone know you're a student of whichever school in your area is most appropriate for your age. It also works as a bus pass in cities with the appropriate system in place. It updates whenever you go to a new world or change the appearance. Strangely enough, your paperwork will be taken care of if you wish to continue your education, though tuition isn't covered by this.
Hoverboard (-200/100 CP) - A new fad among youth, a hoverboard. Comes with a full set of enchantments to make it hover and move in a selected direction, along with protection against damage and theft. Comes in your preferred colour scheme. It'll always be nearby whenever you need it, regardless of how out of place that might be.
Memory Potion (-400/200 CP) - You've acquired a rather fabulous potion that restores memories no matter how they were lost. You merely concentrate on the subject you want to remember and drink the potion. You start with five doses of this potion, with more appearing in your Warehouse whenever they get used. You also get a recipe to make them on your own, using relatively easy to find ingredients. If you have a personal inventory of some kind, you may instead choose to have the replacement potions appear in it instead.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Chunbu Skill Compendium (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the Chunbu Martial Arts technique, Chunbu Outer Ki Technique, Chunbu Inner Ki Technique, Chunbu Spirit Breathing Technique, Chunbu Foot Technique and Chunbu Sword Technique. It's destroyed when used, but a new one appears in the Warehouse immediately afterwards, or if you have a personal inventory you may choose to have it appear there instead. Anyone can use this even if they normally couldn't.
Pleinair's Item List:
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Guide To Creating Pocket Dimension (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the user how to create pocket dimensions and how to add various effects to them, like making them surrounded in magical mists.
Pocket World (free with Guide To Creating Pocket Dimension for the first user) - A small, 10
square miles big pocket dimension that is completely empty aside from some rocky floor and some water. Can be expanded by feeding it mana, requiring 10,000 units of mana to expand it by one mile in each direction at starting skill levels.
Basic Training Equipment (-100/Free CP) - You get a set of starting training equipment, anything you'd need to start you on a variety of training, from some training weapons, basic crafting tools and even some skill books for minor skills like dancing.
Collection of Skill Books (-200/100 CP) - A collection of ten skill books such as the Troll Regeneration spell, Giant Strength spell, Earth Elemental skill and the Blizzard spell. You'll get an additional ten skill books, randomly selected, every year though they will always be low-to-mid tier (at best) in terms of what they do. Anyone can use these skill books regardless of whether or not they would normally be able to.
Inventory Book (-400/200 CP) - You have a magical book, which will grant anyone that reads it an inventory, much like a video game character, which comes with a game interface that you can summon or dismiss at will. Since it is a skill book, it shall disappear after getting used, but worry not as a new one shall appear in your Warehouse immediately afterwards. Alternatively, if you already have a personal inventory (such as from using the book yourself) you may instead choose to have the copy appear there.
Student ID (-100 CP) - You have a student identification that lets everyone know you're a student of whichever school in your area is most appropriate for your age. It also works as a bus pass in cities with the appropriate system in place. It updates whenever you go to a new world or change the appearance. Strangely enough, your paperwork will be taken care of if you wish to continue your education, though tuition isn't covered by this.
Magical Phone (-100 CP) - A top of the line magical phone that comes with a battery enchanted to never run out of energy, enchants to be completely untraceable, enchants for unlimited call minutes and messages, and various protections against spying and eavesdropping on your calls.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Wardrobe of Magical Outfits (-200 CP) - Well, not exactly. This upgrade to Magical Outfit
provides you with Wardrobe, in which a new Magical Outfit appears once per year. You can determine the outfit's theme in advance, partially influencing what boosts they provide.
Secrets of the Sacred Forge (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the Secrets of the Sacred Forge skill, but is destroyed when used up. A new one appears in the Warehouse immediately afterwards, or if you have a personal inventory you may choose to have it appear there instead. Anyone can use this even if they normally couldn't.
Spirit Gems (-200 CP) - A supply of spirit gems, which are capable of holding primal animal spirits. Any time you kill or defeat an animal or animal-like magical creature (such as a wolf-man) you may choose to fill one of these gems with the spirit of that animal, equipping them through the Gamer interface (if you have access to it) or a simple ritual. These give stat increases based on the animal spirit within the gem. This purchase comes with books on primal spirits, including summoning them and using them, but beware, because equipping powerful spirits without adequate stats or skills can have terrible results. For an additional 200 CP (400 CP total), you gain knowledge on how to combine gems and spirits with them, the stronger gem/spirit subsuming weaker gem/spirit to increase its power. Those with the Gamer power
get an upgraded version of this item for free if they purchase the basic version.
Evoria's Item List:
Property/Business (-100/Free CP) - You have the deed for a piece of property or business that follows you to various worlds, and since it is magical, it updates with the current location so that you'll always be able to find it. All the paperwork is automatically taken care of, and you never need to worry about property taxes, utilities, or similar such incidental costs. The Property slides seamlessly into the area, with no locals finding its presence unusual and believing it was always there. If there were any tenants previously living or working there, then they get replaced with similar natives of the new world.
Enchanting Board (-200/100 CP) - You have a certified enchanting board. Not only does it allow multiple people to pool their mana in order to fuel the enchanting process, every person that donates mana to the project also gains the same amount of 'experience' as the person doing the enchanting. Enchantments made to things using this board are guaranteed to be more effective than they would be with a normal enchanting board.
Stack of Magical Contracts (-100 CP, discount for Demonic Law) - A stack of pre-made contracts and additional magical paper for you to practice writing contracts with demonic law, with each paper automatically wiping itself if you make a critical mistake or if you issue a verbal command for it. You can, of course, keep the ones that you want to keep. Comes with a book of Demonic Law, to help you start on all of that.
Magical Phone (-100 CP) - A top of the line magical phone that comes with a battery enchanted to never run out of energy, enchants to be completely untraceable, enchants for unlimited call minutes and messages, and various protections against spying and eavesdropping on your calls.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Orb of Iron Will (-200 CP) - You have an orb that grants anyone that touches it an Iron Will ability skill, which gives them a 50% chance to completely avoid any mental attacks on them. Even better, said skill can be trained.
Flonne's Item List:
Student ID (-100/Free CP) - You have a student identification that lets everyone know you're a student of whichever school in your area is most appropriate for your age. It also works as a bus pass in cities with the appropriate system in place. It updates whenever you go to a new world or change the appearance. Strangely enough, your paperwork will be taken care of if you wish to continue your education, though tuition isn't covered by this.
Hoverboard (-200/100 CP) - A new fad among youth, a hoverboard. Comes with a full set of enchantments to make it hover and move in a selected direction, along with protection against damage and theft. Comes in your preferred colour scheme. It'll always be nearby whenever you need it, regardless of how out of place that might be.
Memory Potion (-400/200 CP) - You've acquired a rather fabulous potion that restores memories no matter how they were lost. You merely concentrate on the subject you want to remember and drink the potion. You start with five doses of this potion, with more appearing in your Warehouse whenever they get used. You also get a recipe to make them on your own, using relatively easy to find ingredients. If you have a personal inventory of some kind, you may instead choose to have the replacement potions appear in it instead.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Chunbu Skill Compendium (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the Chunbu Martial Arts technique, Chunbu Outer Ki Technique, Chunbu Inner Ki Technique, Chunbu Spirit Breathing Technique, Chunbu Foot Technique and Chunbu Sword Technique. It's destroyed when used, but a new one appears in the Warehouse immediately afterwards, or if you have a personal inventory you may choose to have it appear there instead. Anyone can use this even if they normally couldn't.
Pleinair's Item List:
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Guide To Creating Pocket Dimension (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the user how to create pocket dimensions and how to add various effects to them, like making them surrounded in magical mists.
Pocket World (free with Guide To Creating Pocket Dimension for the first user) - A small, 10
square miles big pocket dimension that is completely empty aside from some rocky floor and some water. Can be expanded by feeding it mana, requiring 10,000 units of mana to expand it by one mile in each direction at starting skill levels.
"I took the Memory Potion. I-I don't want to run into another Etna situation…" Flonne bit her lip. I gave her a little hug for comfort.
"Yeah that was crap. Good thinking, Flonne," Evoria nodded approvingly. Pleinair patted her on the shoulder. The outpouring of support perked her right up again.
"Girls! You're out of time! Get through the Portal. I'll post the rest of your builds so Terry can look 'em over later. Good choices by the way!" Muse complimented them. She turned to me disapprovingly. "Be careful out there Miss Overspender. I saw those Drawbacks you snagged."
Uncontrollable Portals (+400 CP) - Portals keep malfunctioning when you try to use them, sending you to random new realities that you haven't visited previously. It doesn't happen every time but one in three wouldn't be out of the question. Not even avoiding them helps, you'll just end up accidentally stumbling into such portals in that case.
Boss Fights(+400 CP) - You keep getting caught in boss fights. Despite all countermeasures you take you'll face off against one such boss at least once each year. Against life-threatening bosses at that, and even worse, their capabilities seem to scale with your capabilities. At least the loot they drop is also pretty powerful, but are you sure it's worth the risk? For 400 CP these boss fights are limited to IDs, but trying to avoid this by not going into any IDs will have it upping to higher tier without giving you additional CP. For 600 CP they can happen anywhere.
Boss Fights(+400 CP) - You keep getting caught in boss fights. Despite all countermeasures you take you'll face off against one such boss at least once each year. Against life-threatening bosses at that, and even worse, their capabilities seem to scale with your capabilities. At least the loot they drop is also pretty powerful, but are you sure it's worth the risk? For 400 CP these boss fights are limited to IDs, but trying to avoid this by not going into any IDs will have it upping to higher tier without giving you additional CP. For 600 CP they can happen anywhere.
They weren't that bad…Not really.
My party dragged me towards the Gate. A frisson of fear ran down my spine. I suddenly remembered that Gates counted as Portals. The Jump hadn't started yet, but that didn't stop Trouble Magnet from dumping me in Etna Mode. I didn't have to worry about that now…
I didn't have to worry here either.
Wait till the world gets a load of us!
AN: Here we go! Who's ready for this? A whole new Jump and new people to troll. Expect everyone to lose SAN and come out sane on the other side. Somehow.
Terra's Companions
Disgaea
Name: Evoria
Second Jump: Scooby Gamers
Location: Sunnydale
Origin: Adult
Age: 31
Gender: Female
CP: 600 + 400 (Alt Chain) = 1000 CP
Perks:
Profession (-100/Free CP) - You have the training, knowledge and skills required for a profession of your choice available in your starting world. While you're not the best that ever lived in that subject, you are comfortably within the top 100, with the credentials to match where it would matter. (Thief)
Demonic Law (-200/100 CP) - You are now expert at law and demonic law, knowing all the tricks of the trade and having the capability of writing magical contracts without accidentally making any mistakes. Even better, with each new world you visit your knowledge updates itself to include laws of that world, both society's laws and laws of magic.
Enchanting (-400/200 CP) - You're an expert at enchanting things, knowing a bunch of basic enchantments and having the skills to figure out most enchantments on various items from just examining them.
Hiding in Plain Sight (-600/300 CP) - You have an extremely valuable skill to make your magic and magical power undetectable, letting you hide in plain sight and avoid getting detected by enemies and headhunters trained to find magic practitioners and capture them for use as mana batteries. This works on other supernatural abilities you may possess as well. Unless they see you using them first hand it will be impossible for others to know you have supernatural or magical abilities. In cases where this would not be to your benefit, you may instead give the impression of having "normal" magical/supernatural abilities no greater than the average person within the setting.
Specialization Focus (Free) - You are particularly suited to an archetype found
in most RPGs, either that of the mage, rogue, fighter, or maker. The fighter learns direct combat skills more quickly and has a natural disposition towards the physical stats of Strength and Vitality. Rogues are more suited for varied skills commonly related to thievery and subterfuge, as well as gaining increased growth in Dexterity and Luck. Mages learn magic of all kinds more quickly and are adept at increasing their Intelligence and Wisdom. Makers are skilled crafters, increasing their rate of growth with any skill related to the creation of something else, their Luck tends to be surprisingly high and your rate of growth for this stat is increased as a result. You can take this up to four times, the first is free for all origins, each additional purchase costs 200cp. (Rogue)
Multitasking (-100 CP) - You are now an expert at multitasking, perfectly capable of doing several things at once, like watching a movie and simultaneously working on enchanting an object, or training your physical abilities while holding a conversation, or practicing some skill while playing a board game.
Power:
Local Magic (free) - You can use the magic of this multiverse.
Undetectable (-200 CP) - You have the power to become completely undetectable to any means of detection, from sight and hearing to other means like heat-detection. This can be toggled on and off, and you may selectively determine what you are and aren't detectable to. It works as a perception filter and doesn't work against esoteric forms of detections like the use of magic.
Items: 400
Property/Business (-100/Free CP) - You have the deed for a piece of property or business that follows you to various worlds, and since it is magical, it updates with the current location so that you'll always be able to find it. All the paperwork is automatically taken care of, and you never need to worry about property taxes, utilities, or similar such incidental costs. The Property slides seamlessly into the area, with no locals finding its presence unusual and believing it was always there. If there were any tenants previously living or working there, then they get replaced with similar natives of the new world.
Enchanting Board (-200/100 CP) - You have a certified enchanting board. Not only does it allow multiple people to pool their mana in order to fuel the enchanting process, every person that donates mana to the project also gains the same amount of 'experience' as the person doing the enchanting. Enchantments made to things using this board are guaranteed to be more effective than they would be with a normal enchanting board.
Stack of Magical Contracts (-100 CP, discount for Demonic Law) - A stack of pre-made contracts and additional magical paper for you to practice writing contracts with demonic law, with each paper automatically wiping itself if you make a critical mistake or if you issue a verbal command for it. You can, of course, keep the ones that you want to keep. Comes with a book of Demonic Law, to help you start on all of that.
Magical Phone (-100 CP) - A top of the line magical phone that comes with a battery enchanted to never run out of energy, enchants to be completely untraceable, enchants for unlimited call minutes and messages, and various protections against spying and eavesdropping on your calls.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Orb of Iron Will (-200 CP) - You have an orb that grants anyone that touches it an Iron Will ability skill, which gives them a 50% chance to completely avoid any mental attacks on them. Even better, said skill can be trained.
Name: Flonne
Second Jump: Scooby Gamers
Location: Sunnydale
Origin: Student
Age: 14
Gender: Female
CP: 600 + 400 (Alt Chain) = 1000 CP
Perks:
Keep Training (-100/Free CP) - Never ever again will you get bored with your training and you can keep doing it for hours and hours, pushing your stats and skills to absurdly high levels through nothing more than simple perseverance. You both enjoy studying and training but more importantly have the will to actually go through with it even if it is tedious. Perhaps most import, however, is that you can easily figure out ways to make your studying and training more efficient, allowing you to get more out of your time than you may otherwise have done.
Teamwork (-300/150 CP) - You're an expert at convincing people to work together and at coming up with strategies that play to the strengths of your teammates and eliminate weaknesses. With just a little bit of time you could have even a group of misfits that don't really like each other working together as a group of experienced professionals.
We Go Together (-600/300 CP) - You possess the uncanny ability to bring new allies into your group, often possessing skills that are useful to you and yours without any training necessary. You can also train these individuals exceptionally well, bringing them much closer to your level, if not always with the same skills, as this perk functions as training booster and boosts training of new members five times, while also boosting training of previous members twice as much, with these boosts lasting for two months.
Specialization Focus (Free) - You are particularly suited to an archetype found
in most RPGs, either that of the mage, rogue, fighter, or maker. The fighter learns direct combat skills more quickly and has a natural disposition towards the physical stats of Strength and Vitality. Rogues are more suited for varied skills commonly related to thievery and subterfuge, as well as gaining increased growth in Dexterity and Luck. Mages learn magic of all kinds more quickly and are adept at increasing their Intelligence and Wisdom. Makers are skilled crafters, increasing their rate of growth with any skill related to the creation of something else, their Luck tends to be surprisingly high and your rate of growth for this stat is increased as a result. You can take this up to four times, the first is free for all origins, each additional purchase costs 200cp. (Mage)
Multitasking (-100 CP) - You are now an expert at multitasking, perfectly capable of doing several things at once, like watching a movie and simultaneously working on enchanting an object, or training your physical abilities while holding a conversation, or practicing some skill while playing a board game.
Powers:
Mage (-200 CP) - You happen to be one of the top-tier magic users in terms of raw natural talent and stats. This gives you a dramatic bonus to your mana total and to your mana regeneration, or the equivalent thereof if you don't have some sort of Gamer power or similar such ability, and all of your magic is at least 30% more powerful than before in addition to being 50% easier to learn.
Items:
Student ID (-100/Free CP) - You have a student identification that lets everyone know you're a student of whichever school in your area is most appropriate for your age. It also works as a bus pass in cities with the appropriate system in place. It updates whenever you go to a new world or change the appearance. Strangely enough, your paperwork will be taken care of if you wish to continue your education, though tuition isn't covered by this.
Hoverboard (-200/100 CP) - A new fad among youth, a hoverboard. Comes with a full set of enchantments to make it hover and move in a selected direction, along with protection against damage and theft. Comes in your preferred colour scheme. It'll always be nearby whenever you need it, regardless of how out of place that might be.
Memory Potion (-400/200 CP) - You've acquired a rather fabulous potion that restores memories no matter how they were lost. You merely concentrate on the subject you want to remember and drink the potion. You start with five doses of this potion, with more appearing in your Warehouse whenever they get used. You also get a recipe to make them on your own, using relatively easy to find ingredients. If you have a personal inventory of some kind, you may instead choose to have the replacement potions appear in it instead.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Chunbu Skill Compendium (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the Chunbu Martial Arts technique, Chunbu Outer Ki Technique, Chunbu Inner Ki Technique, Chunbu Spirit Breathing Technique, Chunbu Foot Technique and Chunbu Sword Technique. It's destroyed when used, but a new one appears in the Warehouse immediately afterwards, or if you have a personal inventory you may choose to have it appear there instead. Anyone can use this even if they normally couldn't.
Name: Pleinair
Second Jump: Scooby Gamers
Location: Sunnydale
Origin: Student
Age: 18
Gender: Female
CP: 600 + 400 (Alt Chain) = 1000 CP
Perks:
Keep Training (-100/Free CP) - Never ever again will you get bored with your training and you can keep doing it for hours and hours, pushing your stats and skills to absurdly high levels through nothing more than simple perseverance. You both enjoy studying and training but more importantly have the will to actually go through with it even if it is tedious. Perhaps most important, however, is that you can easily figure out ways to make your studying and training more efficient, allowing you to get more out of your time than you may otherwise have done.
Instinctive Mastery (-400/200 CP) - You instinctively master using any of your abilities and powers, even if they're brand new. Does not make you an expert at using them, but stuff like knowing how to instinctively swap between different forms acquired via Beast Form is now effortless.
Specialization Focus (Free) - You are particularly suited to an archetype found
in most RPGs, either that of the mage, rogue, fighter, or maker. The fighter learns direct combat skills more quickly and has a natural disposition towards the physical stats of Strength and Vitality. Rogues are more suited for varied skills commonly related to thievery and subterfuge, as well as gaining increased growth in Dexterity and Luck. Mages learn magic of all kinds more quickly and are adept at increasing their Intelligence and Wisdom. Makers are skilled crafters, increasing their rate of growth with any skill related to the creation of something else, their Luck tends to be surprisingly high and your rate of growth for this stat is increased as a result. You can take this up to four times, the first is free for all origins, each additional purchase costs 200cp. (Rogue)
Multitasking (-100 CP) - You are now an expert at multitasking, perfectly capable of doing several things at once, like watching a movie and simultaneously working on enchanting an object, or training your physical abilities while holding a conversation, or practicing some skill while playing a board game.
Minor Skill (-50 CP x 2) (100 CP) - Each purchase of this gives you access to one of minor skills or abilities, like one of the specific resistance skills (Acid Resistance, Electricity Resistance), Magic Sight, Mana Arrow or Summon Elemental. Skills and abilities that you could develop on your own over time and with the right resources. Additional purchases of this for the same skill or ability provide you with additional mastery of it. (Sharpshooting)
Powers:
Local Magic (free) - You can use the magic of this multiverse.
Portals (-600 CP) - You have the power to open portals into different worlds, dimensions and realities. These can either be portals into locations familiar to you or into random ones, although in this case your current thoughts do influence it. These portals are big enough for humans to comfortably step through. Purchasing this power ensures there are always other dimensions, worlds, realities, and so forth in other jumps, allowing you to travel both to any existing multiverse within the setting and also access an expanded multiverse based on what this power allows.
Items:
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Guide To Creating Pocket Dimension (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the user how to create pocket dimensions and how to add various effects to them, like making them surrounded in magical mists.
Pocket World (free with Guide To Creating Pocket Dimension for the first user) - A small, 10
square miles big pocket dimension that is completely empty aside from some rocky floor and some water. Can be expanded by feeding it mana, requiring 10,000 units of mana to expand it by one mile in each direction at starting skill levels.
Disgaea
Name: Evoria
Second Jump: Scooby Gamers
Location: Sunnydale
Origin: Adult
Age: 31
Gender: Female
CP: 600 + 400 (Alt Chain) = 1000 CP
Perks:
Profession (-100/Free CP) - You have the training, knowledge and skills required for a profession of your choice available in your starting world. While you're not the best that ever lived in that subject, you are comfortably within the top 100, with the credentials to match where it would matter. (Thief)
Demonic Law (-200/100 CP) - You are now expert at law and demonic law, knowing all the tricks of the trade and having the capability of writing magical contracts without accidentally making any mistakes. Even better, with each new world you visit your knowledge updates itself to include laws of that world, both society's laws and laws of magic.
Enchanting (-400/200 CP) - You're an expert at enchanting things, knowing a bunch of basic enchantments and having the skills to figure out most enchantments on various items from just examining them.
Hiding in Plain Sight (-600/300 CP) - You have an extremely valuable skill to make your magic and magical power undetectable, letting you hide in plain sight and avoid getting detected by enemies and headhunters trained to find magic practitioners and capture them for use as mana batteries. This works on other supernatural abilities you may possess as well. Unless they see you using them first hand it will be impossible for others to know you have supernatural or magical abilities. In cases where this would not be to your benefit, you may instead give the impression of having "normal" magical/supernatural abilities no greater than the average person within the setting.
Specialization Focus (Free) - You are particularly suited to an archetype found
in most RPGs, either that of the mage, rogue, fighter, or maker. The fighter learns direct combat skills more quickly and has a natural disposition towards the physical stats of Strength and Vitality. Rogues are more suited for varied skills commonly related to thievery and subterfuge, as well as gaining increased growth in Dexterity and Luck. Mages learn magic of all kinds more quickly and are adept at increasing their Intelligence and Wisdom. Makers are skilled crafters, increasing their rate of growth with any skill related to the creation of something else, their Luck tends to be surprisingly high and your rate of growth for this stat is increased as a result. You can take this up to four times, the first is free for all origins, each additional purchase costs 200cp. (Rogue)
Multitasking (-100 CP) - You are now an expert at multitasking, perfectly capable of doing several things at once, like watching a movie and simultaneously working on enchanting an object, or training your physical abilities while holding a conversation, or practicing some skill while playing a board game.
Power:
Local Magic (free) - You can use the magic of this multiverse.
Undetectable (-200 CP) - You have the power to become completely undetectable to any means of detection, from sight and hearing to other means like heat-detection. This can be toggled on and off, and you may selectively determine what you are and aren't detectable to. It works as a perception filter and doesn't work against esoteric forms of detections like the use of magic.
Items: 400
Property/Business (-100/Free CP) - You have the deed for a piece of property or business that follows you to various worlds, and since it is magical, it updates with the current location so that you'll always be able to find it. All the paperwork is automatically taken care of, and you never need to worry about property taxes, utilities, or similar such incidental costs. The Property slides seamlessly into the area, with no locals finding its presence unusual and believing it was always there. If there were any tenants previously living or working there, then they get replaced with similar natives of the new world.
Enchanting Board (-200/100 CP) - You have a certified enchanting board. Not only does it allow multiple people to pool their mana in order to fuel the enchanting process, every person that donates mana to the project also gains the same amount of 'experience' as the person doing the enchanting. Enchantments made to things using this board are guaranteed to be more effective than they would be with a normal enchanting board.
Stack of Magical Contracts (-100 CP, discount for Demonic Law) - A stack of pre-made contracts and additional magical paper for you to practice writing contracts with demonic law, with each paper automatically wiping itself if you make a critical mistake or if you issue a verbal command for it. You can, of course, keep the ones that you want to keep. Comes with a book of Demonic Law, to help you start on all of that.
Magical Phone (-100 CP) - A top of the line magical phone that comes with a battery enchanted to never run out of energy, enchants to be completely untraceable, enchants for unlimited call minutes and messages, and various protections against spying and eavesdropping on your calls.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Orb of Iron Will (-200 CP) - You have an orb that grants anyone that touches it an Iron Will ability skill, which gives them a 50% chance to completely avoid any mental attacks on them. Even better, said skill can be trained.
Name: Flonne
Second Jump: Scooby Gamers
Location: Sunnydale
Origin: Student
Age: 14
Gender: Female
CP: 600 + 400 (Alt Chain) = 1000 CP
Perks:
Keep Training (-100/Free CP) - Never ever again will you get bored with your training and you can keep doing it for hours and hours, pushing your stats and skills to absurdly high levels through nothing more than simple perseverance. You both enjoy studying and training but more importantly have the will to actually go through with it even if it is tedious. Perhaps most import, however, is that you can easily figure out ways to make your studying and training more efficient, allowing you to get more out of your time than you may otherwise have done.
Teamwork (-300/150 CP) - You're an expert at convincing people to work together and at coming up with strategies that play to the strengths of your teammates and eliminate weaknesses. With just a little bit of time you could have even a group of misfits that don't really like each other working together as a group of experienced professionals.
We Go Together (-600/300 CP) - You possess the uncanny ability to bring new allies into your group, often possessing skills that are useful to you and yours without any training necessary. You can also train these individuals exceptionally well, bringing them much closer to your level, if not always with the same skills, as this perk functions as training booster and boosts training of new members five times, while also boosting training of previous members twice as much, with these boosts lasting for two months.
Specialization Focus (Free) - You are particularly suited to an archetype found
in most RPGs, either that of the mage, rogue, fighter, or maker. The fighter learns direct combat skills more quickly and has a natural disposition towards the physical stats of Strength and Vitality. Rogues are more suited for varied skills commonly related to thievery and subterfuge, as well as gaining increased growth in Dexterity and Luck. Mages learn magic of all kinds more quickly and are adept at increasing their Intelligence and Wisdom. Makers are skilled crafters, increasing their rate of growth with any skill related to the creation of something else, their Luck tends to be surprisingly high and your rate of growth for this stat is increased as a result. You can take this up to four times, the first is free for all origins, each additional purchase costs 200cp. (Mage)
Multitasking (-100 CP) - You are now an expert at multitasking, perfectly capable of doing several things at once, like watching a movie and simultaneously working on enchanting an object, or training your physical abilities while holding a conversation, or practicing some skill while playing a board game.
Powers:
Mage (-200 CP) - You happen to be one of the top-tier magic users in terms of raw natural talent and stats. This gives you a dramatic bonus to your mana total and to your mana regeneration, or the equivalent thereof if you don't have some sort of Gamer power or similar such ability, and all of your magic is at least 30% more powerful than before in addition to being 50% easier to learn.
Items:
Student ID (-100/Free CP) - You have a student identification that lets everyone know you're a student of whichever school in your area is most appropriate for your age. It also works as a bus pass in cities with the appropriate system in place. It updates whenever you go to a new world or change the appearance. Strangely enough, your paperwork will be taken care of if you wish to continue your education, though tuition isn't covered by this.
Hoverboard (-200/100 CP) - A new fad among youth, a hoverboard. Comes with a full set of enchantments to make it hover and move in a selected direction, along with protection against damage and theft. Comes in your preferred colour scheme. It'll always be nearby whenever you need it, regardless of how out of place that might be.
Memory Potion (-400/200 CP) - You've acquired a rather fabulous potion that restores memories no matter how they were lost. You merely concentrate on the subject you want to remember and drink the potion. You start with five doses of this potion, with more appearing in your Warehouse whenever they get used. You also get a recipe to make them on your own, using relatively easy to find ingredients. If you have a personal inventory of some kind, you may instead choose to have the replacement potions appear in it instead.
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Chunbu Skill Compendium (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the Chunbu Martial Arts technique, Chunbu Outer Ki Technique, Chunbu Inner Ki Technique, Chunbu Spirit Breathing Technique, Chunbu Foot Technique and Chunbu Sword Technique. It's destroyed when used, but a new one appears in the Warehouse immediately afterwards, or if you have a personal inventory you may choose to have it appear there instead. Anyone can use this even if they normally couldn't.
Name: Pleinair
Second Jump: Scooby Gamers
Location: Sunnydale
Origin: Student
Age: 18
Gender: Female
CP: 600 + 400 (Alt Chain) = 1000 CP
Perks:
Keep Training (-100/Free CP) - Never ever again will you get bored with your training and you can keep doing it for hours and hours, pushing your stats and skills to absurdly high levels through nothing more than simple perseverance. You both enjoy studying and training but more importantly have the will to actually go through with it even if it is tedious. Perhaps most important, however, is that you can easily figure out ways to make your studying and training more efficient, allowing you to get more out of your time than you may otherwise have done.
Instinctive Mastery (-400/200 CP) - You instinctively master using any of your abilities and powers, even if they're brand new. Does not make you an expert at using them, but stuff like knowing how to instinctively swap between different forms acquired via Beast Form is now effortless.
Specialization Focus (Free) - You are particularly suited to an archetype found
in most RPGs, either that of the mage, rogue, fighter, or maker. The fighter learns direct combat skills more quickly and has a natural disposition towards the physical stats of Strength and Vitality. Rogues are more suited for varied skills commonly related to thievery and subterfuge, as well as gaining increased growth in Dexterity and Luck. Mages learn magic of all kinds more quickly and are adept at increasing their Intelligence and Wisdom. Makers are skilled crafters, increasing their rate of growth with any skill related to the creation of something else, their Luck tends to be surprisingly high and your rate of growth for this stat is increased as a result. You can take this up to four times, the first is free for all origins, each additional purchase costs 200cp. (Rogue)
Multitasking (-100 CP) - You are now an expert at multitasking, perfectly capable of doing several things at once, like watching a movie and simultaneously working on enchanting an object, or training your physical abilities while holding a conversation, or practicing some skill while playing a board game.
Minor Skill (-50 CP x 2) (100 CP) - Each purchase of this gives you access to one of minor skills or abilities, like one of the specific resistance skills (Acid Resistance, Electricity Resistance), Magic Sight, Mana Arrow or Summon Elemental. Skills and abilities that you could develop on your own over time and with the right resources. Additional purchases of this for the same skill or ability provide you with additional mastery of it. (Sharpshooting)
Powers:
Local Magic (free) - You can use the magic of this multiverse.
Portals (-600 CP) - You have the power to open portals into different worlds, dimensions and realities. These can either be portals into locations familiar to you or into random ones, although in this case your current thoughts do influence it. These portals are big enough for humans to comfortably step through. Purchasing this power ensures there are always other dimensions, worlds, realities, and so forth in other jumps, allowing you to travel both to any existing multiverse within the setting and also access an expanded multiverse based on what this power allows.
Items:
Magical Outfit (-100 CP) - A themed magical outfit that provides a boost to your capabilities and grants additional title if worn while completing the specific requirement. As an additional bonus this outfit can be equipped like gamer's clothing without the need for Gamer's interface. By default, this is Naughty Witch Outfit, but you can make it whatever you want.
Guide To Creating Pocket Dimension (-200 CP) - A skill book that teaches the user how to create pocket dimensions and how to add various effects to them, like making them surrounded in magical mists.
Pocket World (free with Guide To Creating Pocket Dimension for the first user) - A small, 10
square miles big pocket dimension that is completely empty aside from some rocky floor and some water. Can be expanded by feeding it mana, requiring 10,000 units of mana to expand it by one mile in each direction at starting skill levels.
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Chapter 7
- Location
- PA
Chapter 7
Halloween in southern California shouldn't have been too different than elsewhere in the US. Unless, of course, you were on top of an active Hellmouth. Most of the problems in Sunnydale could be traced back to Boca del Inferno. A natural weak point in the dimensions that led to a wide variety of Hell dimensions. No angels, just demons. This particular Halloween was special and written about in hundreds of YAHF fics of dubious quality. Most of them took Xander and uplifted him into a paragon of badassery like he was the love child of Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzeneger with a smidge of Chuck Norris. I'll admit they're something of a guilty pleasure of mine. This particular fic had Xander and Willow gaining the powers of The Gamer through Poorly Elaborated Plot Device. Thing is, no matter how I deride the fic, Scooby Gamers is a lot of fun to read. Until they start becoming In Name Only representations of the characters. I knew the plot and had a pretty good idea of how to avert the worst.
We ended up on Main St Sunnydale. Chaos, havoc and mayhem were all around us. After being in the Netherworld it wasn't hard to sense the magic in the air. The spell felt particularly foul due to the Hellmouth's influence. The only 'race' option in this Jump was human. If Flonne was still an Angel she would've been sneezing her poor little head off. Evoria and Pleinair wouldn't have even noticed anything. A quick glance showed that their Magical Costume idea bore fruit. They were under the effects of 'Majin Soul-ish.' It didn't give them the full Majin package, but a sky high training bonus to combat skills. We were already in the same party. That was one less thing to worry about. Flonne was dithering with indecision. There were so many people who needed help it was almost painful for her to stand around. Pleinair even looked uneasy as actual evil demons joined the fun. My right hand gal Evoria folded her arms as if this didn't bother her.
"Okay. Flonne? Protect the children." Flonne nodded readily before leaping into action. "Evoria? Capture Ethan Rayne. I don't want that little asshat getting away." Evoria ran down the street so fast she was a blur. How many Speed Boosts did she even have? "You're with me Pleinair. I need your sniper skills." Pleinair flashed me a thumbs up.
City Hall didn't look all that imposing even at night. Part of that was the cunning wrought spellwork, but the rest was because of the Mayor himself. Richard Wilkins did a marvelous job on his PR. Even if anyone did run against him the people of Sunnydale would still vote him in again. He ran on a squeaky clean wholesome and American as Apple Pie platform. A family values man who, for the most part, walked the walk and talked the talk. Of course his being an immortal Black Sorcerer with aspirations of ascension kinda ruined things for me. If I was 100% a goody two-shoes I wouldn't even be considering my course of action. I would just cut him down and be done with it.
Of course I needed to set the stage a bit…
"Excuse me young lady, but I believe that is my chair," the ever affable Richard Wilkins the First, Second and Third remarked. He had one of those nice private bathrooms attached to his office. The lights were out with the only illumination coming through the main window.
"I must say this is a very nice chair. Oh, you can have it back. I just wanted to sit in the seat of power for a little while," I smiled warmly while standing up. The Mayor took his chair back without once turning his back on me. He made it look smooth and nonchalant, but I knew differently.
"Thank you very much for moving. I do so hate for there to be unpleasantness," he said while giving me a paternal smile. "Now then I thought I knew most of the prominent magic practitioners. Except there doesn't seem to be anything special about you. Which is quite strange. I don't usually have neophyte warlocks and witches just dropping in unannounced." His tone took on a vaguely menacing edge. I was using my Perk to appear mostly harmless. Otherwise he might have run when I showed up.
"Do pardon me for my intrusion. Mind if I have a seat?" I indicated the space before his desk.
"I suppose you may. Why don't you just get to the point?" Richard inquired. His patience with me was wearing thin. Too bad for him this is where I flipped the script. I wasn't quite an expert at warding magic, but I didn't need to be when my magic power was in the billions. Just like any proper showman I kept him watching my left hand to distract him from my right.
"Ah ha ha ha ha…! Well then Richard Wilkins of the Extraordinarily Prolonged Life, I am the Deathscythe Tyrant Terra! Thank you so much for your hospitality!" Instead of my scythe I brought out a richly appointed throne. It looked like it was constructed of bones cast in iron with skulls on the armrests and feet. The back of the throne had a more ornate 'Death's Head' with horns. I sprang for amethysts in the eye sockets that flickered with cold light. While he was distracted by that, I slammed down a ward against spatial travel. He stared at me in stunned amazement as I casually sat down in my sinfully comfortable chair. I crossed my legs with my feet at a perfect six and eight. The Power Scythe spun down from the sky and landed across the back on the cunningly hidden weapon rack.
"What is this…this power…?" He leaned back with apprehension.
"There's a few things I want to work out with you. I'm sure you'll appreciate the deal I'm offering. It's literally once in a lifetime. Refuse and you won't have a life," I smiled pleasantly. My eyes had just the right amount of Hellish glow.
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Richard inquired wryly.
"Stop that. I will never take a person's free will away. You can choose. You can decide to go along with my plan or refuse. Yes, there would be consequences, but that's true no matter what you do. Don't ever claim you haven't got a choice when you clearly do," I didn't have to pretend to be angry. Free will was all important to me. Blaming me for their sucky choices was a quick way to get ended. Richard didn't know that so I would let it slide. The terror running through his body was a small punishment.
"O-Of course. My apologies," Richard quickly backed down. Smart man. One doesn't get re-elected as often as he does by being stupid.
"I want you to leave innocent people out of your schemes. Children, infants, are completely off limits. Harm them and I'll make your last moments a truly agonizing Hell. Now, I'm not being unfair. If they happen to get hurt through no action of your own, direct or otherwise, that's not your fault. I won't even ask you to protect them," I said. That caught his attention. No doubt he was expecting me to turn into a White Knight or something. Ha! He was one of my favorite characters in Scooby Gamers for being such a magnificent bastard! I just would've felt bad if I didn't do something about his rampant evil. He was an incredible administrator.
"No innocent people? Is that all?" Richard couldn't believe his luck.
"Oh no. Not quite. Tomorrow night it's open season on those sadistic morons who constantly threaten the peace. A school newspaper's obituary section shouldn't be larger than the rest of the paper. That's sloppy. In the coming years surveillance technology will improve by leaps and bounds. It's already getting harder to keep this stuff a secret. No more covering for them. If they get caught and try running to you? Turn them away. I won't ask you to kill them for me," I told him.
"And what of my other plans? Since I assume you know of those as well," Richard said bitterly.
"The 'become a True Demon' plan? Yeah, I'll definitely kill you if you do that. Make your choice. Continue to live, enjoy your powers and immortality. I won't hurt you outside of the conditions I laid down." My smirk widened as his shoulders sagged. I knew he would see things my way.
"Do you have a contract ready?" Richard passed a weary hand in front of his face.
"No. I trust you to do as I say. It is entirely your choice to follow or not. Placing you under a magical contract would negate that," I spread my hands. My tone turned darker, "I'm not a Tyrant after all…Oh wait. Yes I am." Cackling filled the air as my throne levitated off the ground and flew straight through the window, passing just over his head as I went. Delighted laughter echoed through the night as I sailed over the skyline.
Pleinair hopped up in my lap from where she was hidden. She quickly wrote out a note "Rack's dead." The Magic Pushing Warlock deserved worse than a bullet. He got off lucky considering the harm he caused. His whole thing was to get people addicted to magic then drain them until they died. Flonne joined us soon afterward. The costume spell ended so she wasn't needed as a Guardian Angel anymore. We picked up Evoria outside of Ethan's store. The sneaky kunoichi absently wiped down one of her Chaos Wings. I told her to capture Ethan. Apparently she decided he needed shanking. I do trust her. I'm sure she had a good reason.
"Ah! I was hoping to run into those guys!" I spotted a trio familiar to any Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan.
"They look kinda weak," Evoria remarked. She took Pleinair's place in my lap.
The mascot nodded quickly in agreement. I offered to scoot over a bit so she'd have room, but she wanted to straddle the armrest. Whatever floats her boat.
"All the more reason we should help them!" Flonne clasped her hands.
"We will help them…" I assured her before turning to Evoria, "...for a price. Trust me on this. They start off with good intentions and very quickly veer into evil. I don't mean Evil as Demons understand it, but worse. Brainwashing, mind rape, enslavement…They don't start out that way, but it gets easier after the first mistake. We're going to keep 'em on the straight and narrow…"
"Yay!" Flonne cheered.
"...while mocking them like a snarky Greek Chorus!" I finished triumphantly.
"Whoo! Okay Boss!" Evoria applauded. Flonne gradually stopped cheering sheepishly.
"Is it wrong that I kinda find that stuff funny?" She asked hesitantly. Pleinair patted her on the head.
"We're not going to laugh at their pain. Just at their follies. I think you're safe," I assured her. Evoria and Pleinair both looked a bit disappointed. "Oh there will be follies…" That seemed to make them happier.
The best time to do this would be when they all get together at the school. Tonight they could rest and enjoy themselves. Let the kids enjoy their shiny new toys. Tomorrow would be the best time to drop in on them. I could even bust into their Instant Dungeon for added dramatic flair. We went to Evoria's home, a nice mansion on the outskirts of Sunnydale. Plenty of room for all of us. As the Mistress of the Mansion she took the master bedroom. None of the bedrooms were small and it was hers. Muse was right to stop me from taking the Harem Supplement. We weren't a cuddlepile. The fact we all had our own rooms said that quite clearly. I flopped down on the bed with a heavy sigh. There were still plans to make, but honestly I was just looking for a vacation. MSTKing the Scoobies promised to be highly amusing.
"Heh…The Gamer power's already paying dividends…" I chuckled. I had a list of new Skills. Most of them were things I was already doing before now. The System was just categorizing them. It called my theatrics "Maximum Bullshit." Even funnier it wasn't at max level yet. Maximum Bullshit warped reality and causality to make my insanity work. It couldn't be used to attack directly, but I had some ideas. Basically I was the Old Spice Guy when this thing was active.
The other reason I wanted the Gamer was to find a way to become Immortal. My best friends were all supernatural beings who could live for thousands of years. I wasn't self centered enough to believe they would mourn me forever. I was, however, self centered enough to want to stay by their side for as long as possible. The idea I had was to use Disgaea Reincarnation as a base. It didn't turn someone into a baby after all. What if I could, using my extraordinary magical power with the Reincarnation Perk, reset myself to the first time I used Reincarnation? That way when I Reincarnate to Level 1 I get my youth back without losing progress. The trick was visualization. All I had to do was keep in mind what I wanted. It didn't matter how much magic it took. I was glutted with SP. Good thing too as my SP got hit hard as the familiar change took place. The unfamiliar change was what I was looking for. My hand looked younger, smoother. The twenty-something figure I had was replaced by a teenage form.
[Rejuvenation Gained!]
Rejuvenation made my prior Reincarnation look poor in comparison. It started off at Max Level. Which is fair considering it let me keep 10% of my Stats each time I Rejuvenated. I was definitely going to teach it to my friends. Whether I taught it to the Scoobies was a different story. Perhaps I should wait until they're older first. At least once I'm sure they won't become a roving band of amoral murderhobos. There were more spells to create before I went to sleep. Prestidigitation headed the list as did loot collecting spells and auto crafting spells. Auto casters were another thing on my list. The auto casters could use any one spell repeatedly while giving me 10% of the XP. I set up two. One to cast ID Create and the other to use ID Escape. They were a constant drain on my SP, but I didn't care. I made another auto caster to cast Prestidigitation. Auto crafters dismantled everything in my pocket space and rebuilt them. My end game gear remained in my Inventory, safe from potential harm.
"Git gud scrubs…" I murmured sleepily. The Scoobies would have to up their game. I was literally powerleveling in my sleep.
Tomorrow promised to be magic.
AN: I couldn't see where to take this chapter next. Next chapter is some one-on-one chats with the Companions before meeting the Scoobs. I promise I won't stretch one day out over multiple chapters.
Halloween in southern California shouldn't have been too different than elsewhere in the US. Unless, of course, you were on top of an active Hellmouth. Most of the problems in Sunnydale could be traced back to Boca del Inferno. A natural weak point in the dimensions that led to a wide variety of Hell dimensions. No angels, just demons. This particular Halloween was special and written about in hundreds of YAHF fics of dubious quality. Most of them took Xander and uplifted him into a paragon of badassery like he was the love child of Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzeneger with a smidge of Chuck Norris. I'll admit they're something of a guilty pleasure of mine. This particular fic had Xander and Willow gaining the powers of The Gamer through Poorly Elaborated Plot Device. Thing is, no matter how I deride the fic, Scooby Gamers is a lot of fun to read. Until they start becoming In Name Only representations of the characters. I knew the plot and had a pretty good idea of how to avert the worst.
We ended up on Main St Sunnydale. Chaos, havoc and mayhem were all around us. After being in the Netherworld it wasn't hard to sense the magic in the air. The spell felt particularly foul due to the Hellmouth's influence. The only 'race' option in this Jump was human. If Flonne was still an Angel she would've been sneezing her poor little head off. Evoria and Pleinair wouldn't have even noticed anything. A quick glance showed that their Magical Costume idea bore fruit. They were under the effects of 'Majin Soul-ish.' It didn't give them the full Majin package, but a sky high training bonus to combat skills. We were already in the same party. That was one less thing to worry about. Flonne was dithering with indecision. There were so many people who needed help it was almost painful for her to stand around. Pleinair even looked uneasy as actual evil demons joined the fun. My right hand gal Evoria folded her arms as if this didn't bother her.
"Okay. Flonne? Protect the children." Flonne nodded readily before leaping into action. "Evoria? Capture Ethan Rayne. I don't want that little asshat getting away." Evoria ran down the street so fast she was a blur. How many Speed Boosts did she even have? "You're with me Pleinair. I need your sniper skills." Pleinair flashed me a thumbs up.
City Hall didn't look all that imposing even at night. Part of that was the cunning wrought spellwork, but the rest was because of the Mayor himself. Richard Wilkins did a marvelous job on his PR. Even if anyone did run against him the people of Sunnydale would still vote him in again. He ran on a squeaky clean wholesome and American as Apple Pie platform. A family values man who, for the most part, walked the walk and talked the talk. Of course his being an immortal Black Sorcerer with aspirations of ascension kinda ruined things for me. If I was 100% a goody two-shoes I wouldn't even be considering my course of action. I would just cut him down and be done with it.
Of course I needed to set the stage a bit…
"Excuse me young lady, but I believe that is my chair," the ever affable Richard Wilkins the First, Second and Third remarked. He had one of those nice private bathrooms attached to his office. The lights were out with the only illumination coming through the main window.
"I must say this is a very nice chair. Oh, you can have it back. I just wanted to sit in the seat of power for a little while," I smiled warmly while standing up. The Mayor took his chair back without once turning his back on me. He made it look smooth and nonchalant, but I knew differently.
"Thank you very much for moving. I do so hate for there to be unpleasantness," he said while giving me a paternal smile. "Now then I thought I knew most of the prominent magic practitioners. Except there doesn't seem to be anything special about you. Which is quite strange. I don't usually have neophyte warlocks and witches just dropping in unannounced." His tone took on a vaguely menacing edge. I was using my Perk to appear mostly harmless. Otherwise he might have run when I showed up.
"Do pardon me for my intrusion. Mind if I have a seat?" I indicated the space before his desk.
"I suppose you may. Why don't you just get to the point?" Richard inquired. His patience with me was wearing thin. Too bad for him this is where I flipped the script. I wasn't quite an expert at warding magic, but I didn't need to be when my magic power was in the billions. Just like any proper showman I kept him watching my left hand to distract him from my right.
"Ah ha ha ha ha…! Well then Richard Wilkins of the Extraordinarily Prolonged Life, I am the Deathscythe Tyrant Terra! Thank you so much for your hospitality!" Instead of my scythe I brought out a richly appointed throne. It looked like it was constructed of bones cast in iron with skulls on the armrests and feet. The back of the throne had a more ornate 'Death's Head' with horns. I sprang for amethysts in the eye sockets that flickered with cold light. While he was distracted by that, I slammed down a ward against spatial travel. He stared at me in stunned amazement as I casually sat down in my sinfully comfortable chair. I crossed my legs with my feet at a perfect six and eight. The Power Scythe spun down from the sky and landed across the back on the cunningly hidden weapon rack.
"What is this…this power…?" He leaned back with apprehension.
"There's a few things I want to work out with you. I'm sure you'll appreciate the deal I'm offering. It's literally once in a lifetime. Refuse and you won't have a life," I smiled pleasantly. My eyes had just the right amount of Hellish glow.
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Richard inquired wryly.
"Stop that. I will never take a person's free will away. You can choose. You can decide to go along with my plan or refuse. Yes, there would be consequences, but that's true no matter what you do. Don't ever claim you haven't got a choice when you clearly do," I didn't have to pretend to be angry. Free will was all important to me. Blaming me for their sucky choices was a quick way to get ended. Richard didn't know that so I would let it slide. The terror running through his body was a small punishment.
"O-Of course. My apologies," Richard quickly backed down. Smart man. One doesn't get re-elected as often as he does by being stupid.
"I want you to leave innocent people out of your schemes. Children, infants, are completely off limits. Harm them and I'll make your last moments a truly agonizing Hell. Now, I'm not being unfair. If they happen to get hurt through no action of your own, direct or otherwise, that's not your fault. I won't even ask you to protect them," I said. That caught his attention. No doubt he was expecting me to turn into a White Knight or something. Ha! He was one of my favorite characters in Scooby Gamers for being such a magnificent bastard! I just would've felt bad if I didn't do something about his rampant evil. He was an incredible administrator.
"No innocent people? Is that all?" Richard couldn't believe his luck.
"Oh no. Not quite. Tomorrow night it's open season on those sadistic morons who constantly threaten the peace. A school newspaper's obituary section shouldn't be larger than the rest of the paper. That's sloppy. In the coming years surveillance technology will improve by leaps and bounds. It's already getting harder to keep this stuff a secret. No more covering for them. If they get caught and try running to you? Turn them away. I won't ask you to kill them for me," I told him.
"And what of my other plans? Since I assume you know of those as well," Richard said bitterly.
"The 'become a True Demon' plan? Yeah, I'll definitely kill you if you do that. Make your choice. Continue to live, enjoy your powers and immortality. I won't hurt you outside of the conditions I laid down." My smirk widened as his shoulders sagged. I knew he would see things my way.
"Do you have a contract ready?" Richard passed a weary hand in front of his face.
"No. I trust you to do as I say. It is entirely your choice to follow or not. Placing you under a magical contract would negate that," I spread my hands. My tone turned darker, "I'm not a Tyrant after all…Oh wait. Yes I am." Cackling filled the air as my throne levitated off the ground and flew straight through the window, passing just over his head as I went. Delighted laughter echoed through the night as I sailed over the skyline.
Pleinair hopped up in my lap from where she was hidden. She quickly wrote out a note "Rack's dead." The Magic Pushing Warlock deserved worse than a bullet. He got off lucky considering the harm he caused. His whole thing was to get people addicted to magic then drain them until they died. Flonne joined us soon afterward. The costume spell ended so she wasn't needed as a Guardian Angel anymore. We picked up Evoria outside of Ethan's store. The sneaky kunoichi absently wiped down one of her Chaos Wings. I told her to capture Ethan. Apparently she decided he needed shanking. I do trust her. I'm sure she had a good reason.
"Ah! I was hoping to run into those guys!" I spotted a trio familiar to any Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan.
"They look kinda weak," Evoria remarked. She took Pleinair's place in my lap.
The mascot nodded quickly in agreement. I offered to scoot over a bit so she'd have room, but she wanted to straddle the armrest. Whatever floats her boat.
"All the more reason we should help them!" Flonne clasped her hands.
"We will help them…" I assured her before turning to Evoria, "...for a price. Trust me on this. They start off with good intentions and very quickly veer into evil. I don't mean Evil as Demons understand it, but worse. Brainwashing, mind rape, enslavement…They don't start out that way, but it gets easier after the first mistake. We're going to keep 'em on the straight and narrow…"
"Yay!" Flonne cheered.
"...while mocking them like a snarky Greek Chorus!" I finished triumphantly.
"Whoo! Okay Boss!" Evoria applauded. Flonne gradually stopped cheering sheepishly.
"Is it wrong that I kinda find that stuff funny?" She asked hesitantly. Pleinair patted her on the head.
"We're not going to laugh at their pain. Just at their follies. I think you're safe," I assured her. Evoria and Pleinair both looked a bit disappointed. "Oh there will be follies…" That seemed to make them happier.
The best time to do this would be when they all get together at the school. Tonight they could rest and enjoy themselves. Let the kids enjoy their shiny new toys. Tomorrow would be the best time to drop in on them. I could even bust into their Instant Dungeon for added dramatic flair. We went to Evoria's home, a nice mansion on the outskirts of Sunnydale. Plenty of room for all of us. As the Mistress of the Mansion she took the master bedroom. None of the bedrooms were small and it was hers. Muse was right to stop me from taking the Harem Supplement. We weren't a cuddlepile. The fact we all had our own rooms said that quite clearly. I flopped down on the bed with a heavy sigh. There were still plans to make, but honestly I was just looking for a vacation. MSTKing the Scoobies promised to be highly amusing.
"Heh…The Gamer power's already paying dividends…" I chuckled. I had a list of new Skills. Most of them were things I was already doing before now. The System was just categorizing them. It called my theatrics "Maximum Bullshit." Even funnier it wasn't at max level yet. Maximum Bullshit warped reality and causality to make my insanity work. It couldn't be used to attack directly, but I had some ideas. Basically I was the Old Spice Guy when this thing was active.
The other reason I wanted the Gamer was to find a way to become Immortal. My best friends were all supernatural beings who could live for thousands of years. I wasn't self centered enough to believe they would mourn me forever. I was, however, self centered enough to want to stay by their side for as long as possible. The idea I had was to use Disgaea Reincarnation as a base. It didn't turn someone into a baby after all. What if I could, using my extraordinary magical power with the Reincarnation Perk, reset myself to the first time I used Reincarnation? That way when I Reincarnate to Level 1 I get my youth back without losing progress. The trick was visualization. All I had to do was keep in mind what I wanted. It didn't matter how much magic it took. I was glutted with SP. Good thing too as my SP got hit hard as the familiar change took place. The unfamiliar change was what I was looking for. My hand looked younger, smoother. The twenty-something figure I had was replaced by a teenage form.
[Rejuvenation Gained!]
Rejuvenation made my prior Reincarnation look poor in comparison. It started off at Max Level. Which is fair considering it let me keep 10% of my Stats each time I Rejuvenated. I was definitely going to teach it to my friends. Whether I taught it to the Scoobies was a different story. Perhaps I should wait until they're older first. At least once I'm sure they won't become a roving band of amoral murderhobos. There were more spells to create before I went to sleep. Prestidigitation headed the list as did loot collecting spells and auto crafting spells. Auto casters were another thing on my list. The auto casters could use any one spell repeatedly while giving me 10% of the XP. I set up two. One to cast ID Create and the other to use ID Escape. They were a constant drain on my SP, but I didn't care. I made another auto caster to cast Prestidigitation. Auto crafters dismantled everything in my pocket space and rebuilt them. My end game gear remained in my Inventory, safe from potential harm.
"Git gud scrubs…" I murmured sleepily. The Scoobies would have to up their game. I was literally powerleveling in my sleep.
Tomorrow promised to be magic.
AN: I couldn't see where to take this chapter next. Next chapter is some one-on-one chats with the Companions before meeting the Scoobs. I promise I won't stretch one day out over multiple chapters.
Chapter 8
- Location
- PA
Chapter 8
The rest of my friends used Rejuvenation so I wasn't the only one brought back to Level 1. I wasn't trying to terrify the Scoobies as our sky high levels would've done. That didn't mean we weren't going to power level just a bit. My immediate plan was to stick with the group until we reached Earth Bet. In the fic Parahumans in Instant Dungeons dropped Power Canisters. From those Power Canisters they used Alchemy to make them more stable. Even experimented with different blends of powers. I wanted a copy of Uber's power badly. Forget the Triumvirate. Well, I wouldn't say no to their powers either. The best time to use my Second Trigger power was when every Cape was gathered in Brockton Bay to face the Endbringers. Now, I knew that in canon Worm there were 21 Endbringers with two of them being twins. In Scooby Gamers there was just the three. Then they killed Scion with pure Tinker bullshit. All I planned on doing was making sure they leveled up in a saner manner. I wasn't going to interfere otherwise. Really, their ideas weren't all bad. Just that they had a very laissez faire attitude when something went wrong.
"Okay so Flonne and Pleinair are soloing their Magical Phones. The average enemy level starts at 50 which is a joke for us. I mean, it was a real pain in the can to Item World every single piece of our gear Boss, but it was worthwhile. Those two decided to stock up on Stealing Hands and stuff. Lucky for me they're no match for my speed. I might lose my position," Evoria sashayed over to the table with a scrumptious breakfast. Now, it might surprise some people, but she was actually a very good cook. Something I actually got to enjoy this morning.
"They left already, huh? Did they even get to sleep last night? Well, maybe if they used their true forms they could stay awake…" I took a bite of the omelet contemplatively. "Yeah, okay. I guess it's fine for them to go alone. Our stuff is so ludicrously broken it isn't even funny. We should do the same with our phones. I want the Scooby Gang to have at least today, maybe tomorrow, before we drop in on them."
"Take it easy, Terry," Evoria dropped all pretense to use my given name. I found myself staring in her eyes. It wasn't that she couldn't be serious. She could. The thing is there was always some teasing even when she was scared. This was way different. "Stop trying to phrase things to make them sound self-serving. I learned long ago that you care about people. It's not a weakness to want to be nice. You remind me a lot of King Krichevskoy in that regard. Utterly ruthless to your enemies, but compassionate to those close to you. That's why I follow you. Not because you're a paragon of Overlord virtue."
"Am I really trying too hard?" I didn't even try to hide how her words affected me. Thank goodness Gamer's Mind didn't suppress emotions despite what fanon thinks. It was meant to grant the Gamer clarity so they could think rationally in spite of strong emotions. Though when I started crying I definitely wiped my eyes. Evoria's smirk lacked some of the bite. She gave my hand a comforting pat.
"Not yet Boss. I just wanted to warn you before it happened. You're still the one I swore to serve whether you became an Overlord or not. I sure as Hell wasn't going to serve Prince Laharl or Etna. You never lied to me or tried to cheat me. Even Demons can appreciate an honorable person," Evoria rubbed my forearm. The scene was kinda romantic and emotional. Here we were sitting down to eat a breakfast she cooked. I was feeling unsure while she was being a rock in the storm. If I didn't say anything I would be a damn idiot.
"I love you. I don't know yet if it's romantic or not, but I'd like to find out. Just thought I should say something instead of being a chicken," I managed to get out in a rush. Evoria stared straight ahead as if she just heard the most ridiculous thing. Okay, that was the remnants of my poor self esteem talking. Honestly, she was reacting just like someone who got blindsided. She turned back to me with a surprisingly bright blush staining her cheeks. Evoria took my hand and laid it on her head.
"You are the only one allowed to do this, baka. Anyone else who tries gets stabbed," she informed me in a deadpan tone. "...Unless it's Flonne or Pleinair. I'll just shortsheet their beds. Maybe a bag of ice in there too."
"Truly you are a wicked Demoness," I deadpanned back. "So I guess my clumsy proposal was accepted?" I ran my palm over her silky hair. The blush actually grew stronger. For a moment, just a moment, her eyes softened to an incredibly warm lavender. The breath caught in my chest. As quickly as it started the moment ended. She absently shook her head until I let go.
"Yes, your stupidly earnest proposal was barely acceptable. I only have one condition before we go forward," Evoria said.
"Name your price," I replied seriously.
"I will be your Queen. If you take anyone else they'll be consorts at best. They also have to go through as much stuff together as we did. Meaning Flonne and Pleinair. Oh yeah. Another thing. Don't try anything until I say it's okay," Evoria informed me as seriously as a heart attack. I could point out that she tossed in three conditions…Actually I should.
"That's three conditions, Evoria. You did say there was just one condition. What do I get in return?" I asked with a coy smile. Her smile warmed just a touch.
"Do you actually disagree? I would think those were things you would approve of," she answered breezily.
"Uh uh uh~!" I waved my finger back and forth playfully. "That's not how this game works. You gotta give me something to get something."
"Maybe this will be enough," Evoria smirked. I knew her different smirks so well I had them numbered. This one was a smirk I wasn't familiar with. It blew straight through my shields and attacked my imagination directly. Other parts too. When did she get beside me? Her speed was familiar, but there was a subtle difference. I opened my mouth stupidly only to feel her lips on mine.
I don't need to go any further. Suffice to say my brain was completely scrambled. It felt like my mind was fluffed and folded. When she pulled back it still took several minutes to recover. I must have done something right since she was in my lap. My arms loosely encircled her waist while hers were around my neck. She had a cat that ate the canary smile. Evoria winked.
"Is that enough?" She purred.
"I think it's a good start," I retorted. Evoria looked surprised that I wasn't totally putty in her hands. Oh if only she knew. The only reason I survived her delightful assault was Gamer's Mind. I cupped her cheek tenderly while leaning in to initiate a kiss myself.
We spent a pleasant time grinding some Skill Levels.
…No that was not a euphemism you dirty minded heathens.
The official agreement was pretty much the same as Evoria said. No one could join us unless they'd been through the same sort of stuff we were. She was the Queen regardless, but would accept Princess Consorts. Honestly, she was already my right hand woman. Why would I want to change that? Evoria seemed pretty sure there would be more and even more sure of who they would be. The part I sort of balked at was that she didn't want me doing anything relationship-related without her say-so. I wasn't planning on running out and inviting Flonne and Pleinair to join us. I wasn't even fully sure of my feelings for Evoria! It was just the fact she told me I couldn't. Really it wasn't worth getting upset over so I let it go. Flonne and Pleinair came back in time for lunch. Time flies when you're negotiating.
"Guess who's the Queen now~!" Evoria's grin threatened to split her face. Despite being in human form her demonic fangs were quite prominent. "Our wonderful, wise and powerful Tyrant finally got up the nerve to ask me out!"
"That's wonderful, Evoria!" Flonne gushed. "Truly the Power of Love is a miraculous thing!" She clasped her hands in prayer. Evoria's smile dimmed slightly as if disappointed with her reaction. Nope. I'm not wading in that morasse. Let them handle it.
Pleinair stared at Evoria with wide eyes. She turned to me clutching Usagi under her chin. I wanted to pat her head. Her head looked just so pattable it was considerable willpower to resist. The Mascot of the Netherworld started to wilt. Flonne and Evoria put my hand on Pleinair's head. "Pat her you fool!/Emergency headpats!"
"Phew! I thought I was a goner!" I clutched my chest in relief. Pleinair's eyes closed with satisfaction. Crisis averted!
"You can still give headpats. I'm not that cruel," Evoria said sardonically.
"Can I have headpats too?" Flonne perked up.
"I dunno, can you?" Evoria demanded in a challenging tone.
Flonne seized my free hand and put it on her head. Her face was a bright cherry red like she was doing something incredibly lewd. Like hand holding. I gave Evoria my driest deadpan look. The minx had the nerve to pull her lower eyelid down and stick her tongue out at me. This must be why she made those conditions. Me and my Muse were tricked, backstabbed and quite possibly bamboozled. She thought the girls weren't interested in me. I thought they weren't interested. Turns out we were both wrong. I think I was falling even harder for her already. That cunning mind working for me was such a major turn on!
The Netherworld infected me with its values. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
"Okay. I'm going to do an Item World dive through my phone. I know Evoria wants to as well. What will you two do while we're gone?" I asked. "If you want to come with us it's fine."
"I kinda wanna play Disgaea 1. Y'know. Just to see how the story would've gone," Flonne decided.
[Unlosing Ranger vs Darkdeath Evilman] Pleinair held up a sign.
"That reminds me. We should probably Item World that game sometime," Evoria mused.
"Not until our levels are a lot higher. I got a look at it and the enemies start at level 500," I cautioned her. Everyone sweated over that. What else can you expect from a game that expects you to die a lot? As in death is a gameplay mechanic. Like someone crossed Viewtiful Joe with Dark Souls.
Next on the agenda was finding a copy of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Great game even if it's considered Baby's First Final Fantasy. There were probably a lot of games and books we could Item World for useful stuff. Basically Libromancy but actually having to work for our prizes. I'll admit I was curious to see how the supply of Soul Gems would work. Would they absorb the essence of the enemies in the Item World? I knew they would take in the spirits of beasts from Instant Dungeons. If that was the case I might be able to access other Class abilities. Just because I was already powerful didn't mean I couldn't be even stronger. Another idea I had was to use the Item World on our Skill Books. Why go use a basic version when we can use a fully upgraded one?
Suddenly I understood the Scoobies a little better. The temptation to just keep grinding was overwhelming. I was already planning on finding some useful spirits to stuff into gems. What about spirits that weren't in the Item World or Instant Dungeons? I couldn't exactly blame it all on Hellmouth corruption. The Netherworld showed me just how flexible my values could be. I wasn't some paragon of virtue. Neither were the kids. Yes, kids. They were children whose best role models were adults who made their own share of mistakes. I still held some contempt for how quickly they tossed their values aside, but nowhere near as much as before. They really did need guidance from a moral, righteous person who would nurture their better natures.
Too bad for them they were stuck with us.
Well at least they had Flonne!
…Yeah those kids were screwed.
AN: I reread Scooby Gamers in preparation for this Jump and to see if I was being too judgmental. It really did start off good and they learned some moral lessons on the way. The rot didn't actually settle in deeply until the Wormverse. So I'm going to have my SI have a similar revelation. One of my rules is no bashing. I'm not perfect, sometimes I slip, but I try to keep characters in character. Enjoy!
The rest of my friends used Rejuvenation so I wasn't the only one brought back to Level 1. I wasn't trying to terrify the Scoobies as our sky high levels would've done. That didn't mean we weren't going to power level just a bit. My immediate plan was to stick with the group until we reached Earth Bet. In the fic Parahumans in Instant Dungeons dropped Power Canisters. From those Power Canisters they used Alchemy to make them more stable. Even experimented with different blends of powers. I wanted a copy of Uber's power badly. Forget the Triumvirate. Well, I wouldn't say no to their powers either. The best time to use my Second Trigger power was when every Cape was gathered in Brockton Bay to face the Endbringers. Now, I knew that in canon Worm there were 21 Endbringers with two of them being twins. In Scooby Gamers there was just the three. Then they killed Scion with pure Tinker bullshit. All I planned on doing was making sure they leveled up in a saner manner. I wasn't going to interfere otherwise. Really, their ideas weren't all bad. Just that they had a very laissez faire attitude when something went wrong.
"Okay so Flonne and Pleinair are soloing their Magical Phones. The average enemy level starts at 50 which is a joke for us. I mean, it was a real pain in the can to Item World every single piece of our gear Boss, but it was worthwhile. Those two decided to stock up on Stealing Hands and stuff. Lucky for me they're no match for my speed. I might lose my position," Evoria sashayed over to the table with a scrumptious breakfast. Now, it might surprise some people, but she was actually a very good cook. Something I actually got to enjoy this morning.
"They left already, huh? Did they even get to sleep last night? Well, maybe if they used their true forms they could stay awake…" I took a bite of the omelet contemplatively. "Yeah, okay. I guess it's fine for them to go alone. Our stuff is so ludicrously broken it isn't even funny. We should do the same with our phones. I want the Scooby Gang to have at least today, maybe tomorrow, before we drop in on them."
"Take it easy, Terry," Evoria dropped all pretense to use my given name. I found myself staring in her eyes. It wasn't that she couldn't be serious. She could. The thing is there was always some teasing even when she was scared. This was way different. "Stop trying to phrase things to make them sound self-serving. I learned long ago that you care about people. It's not a weakness to want to be nice. You remind me a lot of King Krichevskoy in that regard. Utterly ruthless to your enemies, but compassionate to those close to you. That's why I follow you. Not because you're a paragon of Overlord virtue."
"Am I really trying too hard?" I didn't even try to hide how her words affected me. Thank goodness Gamer's Mind didn't suppress emotions despite what fanon thinks. It was meant to grant the Gamer clarity so they could think rationally in spite of strong emotions. Though when I started crying I definitely wiped my eyes. Evoria's smirk lacked some of the bite. She gave my hand a comforting pat.
"Not yet Boss. I just wanted to warn you before it happened. You're still the one I swore to serve whether you became an Overlord or not. I sure as Hell wasn't going to serve Prince Laharl or Etna. You never lied to me or tried to cheat me. Even Demons can appreciate an honorable person," Evoria rubbed my forearm. The scene was kinda romantic and emotional. Here we were sitting down to eat a breakfast she cooked. I was feeling unsure while she was being a rock in the storm. If I didn't say anything I would be a damn idiot.
"I love you. I don't know yet if it's romantic or not, but I'd like to find out. Just thought I should say something instead of being a chicken," I managed to get out in a rush. Evoria stared straight ahead as if she just heard the most ridiculous thing. Okay, that was the remnants of my poor self esteem talking. Honestly, she was reacting just like someone who got blindsided. She turned back to me with a surprisingly bright blush staining her cheeks. Evoria took my hand and laid it on her head.
"You are the only one allowed to do this, baka. Anyone else who tries gets stabbed," she informed me in a deadpan tone. "...Unless it's Flonne or Pleinair. I'll just shortsheet their beds. Maybe a bag of ice in there too."
"Truly you are a wicked Demoness," I deadpanned back. "So I guess my clumsy proposal was accepted?" I ran my palm over her silky hair. The blush actually grew stronger. For a moment, just a moment, her eyes softened to an incredibly warm lavender. The breath caught in my chest. As quickly as it started the moment ended. She absently shook her head until I let go.
"Yes, your stupidly earnest proposal was barely acceptable. I only have one condition before we go forward," Evoria said.
"Name your price," I replied seriously.
"I will be your Queen. If you take anyone else they'll be consorts at best. They also have to go through as much stuff together as we did. Meaning Flonne and Pleinair. Oh yeah. Another thing. Don't try anything until I say it's okay," Evoria informed me as seriously as a heart attack. I could point out that she tossed in three conditions…Actually I should.
"That's three conditions, Evoria. You did say there was just one condition. What do I get in return?" I asked with a coy smile. Her smile warmed just a touch.
"Do you actually disagree? I would think those were things you would approve of," she answered breezily.
"Uh uh uh~!" I waved my finger back and forth playfully. "That's not how this game works. You gotta give me something to get something."
"Maybe this will be enough," Evoria smirked. I knew her different smirks so well I had them numbered. This one was a smirk I wasn't familiar with. It blew straight through my shields and attacked my imagination directly. Other parts too. When did she get beside me? Her speed was familiar, but there was a subtle difference. I opened my mouth stupidly only to feel her lips on mine.
I don't need to go any further. Suffice to say my brain was completely scrambled. It felt like my mind was fluffed and folded. When she pulled back it still took several minutes to recover. I must have done something right since she was in my lap. My arms loosely encircled her waist while hers were around my neck. She had a cat that ate the canary smile. Evoria winked.
"Is that enough?" She purred.
"I think it's a good start," I retorted. Evoria looked surprised that I wasn't totally putty in her hands. Oh if only she knew. The only reason I survived her delightful assault was Gamer's Mind. I cupped her cheek tenderly while leaning in to initiate a kiss myself.
We spent a pleasant time grinding some Skill Levels.
…No that was not a euphemism you dirty minded heathens.
The official agreement was pretty much the same as Evoria said. No one could join us unless they'd been through the same sort of stuff we were. She was the Queen regardless, but would accept Princess Consorts. Honestly, she was already my right hand woman. Why would I want to change that? Evoria seemed pretty sure there would be more and even more sure of who they would be. The part I sort of balked at was that she didn't want me doing anything relationship-related without her say-so. I wasn't planning on running out and inviting Flonne and Pleinair to join us. I wasn't even fully sure of my feelings for Evoria! It was just the fact she told me I couldn't. Really it wasn't worth getting upset over so I let it go. Flonne and Pleinair came back in time for lunch. Time flies when you're negotiating.
"Guess who's the Queen now~!" Evoria's grin threatened to split her face. Despite being in human form her demonic fangs were quite prominent. "Our wonderful, wise and powerful Tyrant finally got up the nerve to ask me out!"
"That's wonderful, Evoria!" Flonne gushed. "Truly the Power of Love is a miraculous thing!" She clasped her hands in prayer. Evoria's smile dimmed slightly as if disappointed with her reaction. Nope. I'm not wading in that morasse. Let them handle it.
Pleinair stared at Evoria with wide eyes. She turned to me clutching Usagi under her chin. I wanted to pat her head. Her head looked just so pattable it was considerable willpower to resist. The Mascot of the Netherworld started to wilt. Flonne and Evoria put my hand on Pleinair's head. "Pat her you fool!/Emergency headpats!"
"Phew! I thought I was a goner!" I clutched my chest in relief. Pleinair's eyes closed with satisfaction. Crisis averted!
"You can still give headpats. I'm not that cruel," Evoria said sardonically.
"Can I have headpats too?" Flonne perked up.
"I dunno, can you?" Evoria demanded in a challenging tone.
Flonne seized my free hand and put it on her head. Her face was a bright cherry red like she was doing something incredibly lewd. Like hand holding. I gave Evoria my driest deadpan look. The minx had the nerve to pull her lower eyelid down and stick her tongue out at me. This must be why she made those conditions. Me and my Muse were tricked, backstabbed and quite possibly bamboozled. She thought the girls weren't interested in me. I thought they weren't interested. Turns out we were both wrong. I think I was falling even harder for her already. That cunning mind working for me was such a major turn on!
The Netherworld infected me with its values. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
"Okay. I'm going to do an Item World dive through my phone. I know Evoria wants to as well. What will you two do while we're gone?" I asked. "If you want to come with us it's fine."
"I kinda wanna play Disgaea 1. Y'know. Just to see how the story would've gone," Flonne decided.
[Unlosing Ranger vs Darkdeath Evilman] Pleinair held up a sign.
"That reminds me. We should probably Item World that game sometime," Evoria mused.
"Not until our levels are a lot higher. I got a look at it and the enemies start at level 500," I cautioned her. Everyone sweated over that. What else can you expect from a game that expects you to die a lot? As in death is a gameplay mechanic. Like someone crossed Viewtiful Joe with Dark Souls.
Next on the agenda was finding a copy of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Great game even if it's considered Baby's First Final Fantasy. There were probably a lot of games and books we could Item World for useful stuff. Basically Libromancy but actually having to work for our prizes. I'll admit I was curious to see how the supply of Soul Gems would work. Would they absorb the essence of the enemies in the Item World? I knew they would take in the spirits of beasts from Instant Dungeons. If that was the case I might be able to access other Class abilities. Just because I was already powerful didn't mean I couldn't be even stronger. Another idea I had was to use the Item World on our Skill Books. Why go use a basic version when we can use a fully upgraded one?
Suddenly I understood the Scoobies a little better. The temptation to just keep grinding was overwhelming. I was already planning on finding some useful spirits to stuff into gems. What about spirits that weren't in the Item World or Instant Dungeons? I couldn't exactly blame it all on Hellmouth corruption. The Netherworld showed me just how flexible my values could be. I wasn't some paragon of virtue. Neither were the kids. Yes, kids. They were children whose best role models were adults who made their own share of mistakes. I still held some contempt for how quickly they tossed their values aside, but nowhere near as much as before. They really did need guidance from a moral, righteous person who would nurture their better natures.
Too bad for them they were stuck with us.
Well at least they had Flonne!
…Yeah those kids were screwed.
AN: I reread Scooby Gamers in preparation for this Jump and to see if I was being too judgmental. It really did start off good and they learned some moral lessons on the way. The rot didn't actually settle in deeply until the Wormverse. So I'm going to have my SI have a similar revelation. One of my rules is no bashing. I'm not perfect, sometimes I slip, but I try to keep characters in character. Enjoy!
Chapter 9
- Location
- PA
Chapter 9
Grinding levels is fine when you're in the Netherworld and need to be stronger than the MCs. We were already many times more powerful than the opposition. Well, I guess we could go kick the Senior Partners' asses in the future, but that was for later. Much later. For now we had a minor conundrum to deal with. Flonne and Pleinair were students at Sunnydale High. Evoria was a phys ed teacher and the club advisor for the cheerleading squad. She didn't pick it, but then again she didn't pick anything beyond being 'adult.' I was a Drop-In. My Travel Agent had the brilliant idea to set my background as a dimensional wanderer. Accurate and it neatly explained my lack of identification. The biggest issue was the matter of the family names. Flonne, Pleinair and Evoria were all listed as Dragon. Yes, that's my last name. No, we weren't randomly married to one another. As far as I could tell we had no relation but somehow we had the same name.
My Muse did stuff like this to me all the time. She could be weirdly specific about unimportant details and sparse with critical stuff.
"Ahhhhhh!" Flonne's scream echoed throughout the building. By the time we arrived, she was staring at the computer with tears in her eyes. She couldn't seem to look away from whatever was on the screen.
"What's wrong? What's on fire? If it isn't on fire, does it need to be?" I asked in a rush.
"She found the Abyss Auction, Terry," Evoria winced.
Pleinair stared at me as if to say "Fix this."
"Let me guess. You found the slave auction?" I asked quietly. I gathered the trembling girl to my chest comfortingly.
"How could anyone do this?" Flonne gazed at me in confusion. The sheer pain in her eyes made me want to break something. To absolutely and totally erase whatever hurt her.
This was a problem we could solve with extreme prejudice.
"Okay ladies. I still want to stick to the Scoobies, but we have a more important goal. We're going to wage war on the Abyss Auction. No second chances. No deals. They're going to stop enslaving people or risk total annihilation," I said with grim finality. The Ham stayed in the fridge. My anger was very cold indeed.
"Well we've got enough to buy out their current stock of slaves. I guess we can train 'em up before letting them go. Ooh! We could put 'em on a payment plan! Just a portion of whatever they earn, but they could pay us back for releasing them!" Evoria warmed up to the idea swiftly.
So that was how we ended up starting our own underground railroad. The Abyss Auction soon ran out of slaves. It pushed my plans back another couple days, but Flonne and Pleinair could work on the Scoobies. They did go to school together after all. This was much more important. You see, the reason I like the Scooby Gamers Gamer power was simple. There was no limit to the number of people you could have in your party. It was disheartening. The Abyss Auction employed so many hunting teams it sickened me. I was under no illusions that this would remain secret for long. Especially if I kept buying up their entire stock. We needed to buy up a much larger property to house our new guests. In fact there was a perfectly nice warehouse just next door. Rosenqueen's offered us a special service. Therapists, both physical and mental, for everyone. The Orb of Iron Will would help as well. Hopefully training them would help ease their troubles faster. One of the people freed was Winnifred Burkle just like in the canon fic. She wanted just enough training to keep the Abyss Auction from grabbing her again. I made enough Skill Books for everyone. Poor Fred was about to learn that 'enough training' held a different meaning to us.
I led our temporary troops on a mission through a can of soda. Their gear was as good as I could make it without Item Worlding each individual piece. If I wanted to protect them from the usual Sunnydale night life it wouldn't be too hard. The problem was that the Abyss Auction employed highly skilled and powerful collection agents. Most likely they also had some talented magical assistance. Well, my definition of talented was probably different than theirs. My definition of a lot of things was seriously skewed by the Netherworld.
It didn't even take a full week before another crisis developed.
"We need to talk to those idiots. Today!" Evoria snarled. Uh oh. I didn't need to ask what idiots.
"What happened?" I suddenly found my arms full of trembling girls. Flonne looked so downtrodden it cut me like a knife. Pleinair's antennae were almost flat.
"They got a look at our titles and started asking questions. Then demanded we come back to the library and explain ourselves to the whole class," Evoria said dryly.
"Uhhh…Weren't they afraid of getting atomized or something?" Confronting three unknowns with titles like "The Beautiful Assassin of the Netherworld, "Most Chuuni Angel Under the Heavens" and "History's Mightiest Demon Mascot" was just stupid!
"Th-they said it was because I'm an Angel. That it's my duty to protect humanity and not play around with Demons," Flonne said miserably. Pleinair just buried her face in my chest with a dejected sigh.
"Who made the demand?" 'So I know who to kill first' was left unspoken. Evoria ran her fingers through her hair.
"I don't know. Flonne and Pleinair came barreling into the gym like this…" She gestured at the shivering and weepy girls. "Then Xander showed up to inform me that we had to meet them in the library. No one explained why I shouldn't just kill them to shut 'em up. Well, Flonne would give me those eyes…but they didn't know that!"
"What happened, hun?" I stroked Flonne's hair soothingly.
"Well, uh, Dawn was talking to me and getting really close…In that way Evoria does with you…E-Even before you were together…" Flonne pressed her fingers together nervously.
[Personal space!] Pleinair almost stuck the sign up my nose by accident. She looked indignant. Yeah, I was right there with her.
"I'm not in Xander, Willow and Buffy's grade so I don't run into them often. They were coming around the corner when Willow saw my title. Then Pleinair came by and they really freaked out," Flonne explained.
"Willow blabbed," I deadpanned.
"Dawn said we were too cute to be evil and started touching me…" Flonne squirmed uncomfortably. Pleinair's eyes took on a truly hellish caste complete with the fires of damnation. Evoria was looking pretty pissed off too.
"Where did she touch you?" I didn't think any of the Scoobies, even Dawn, jumped straight to molesting this early in the timeline.
"My h-hair…and my shoulder…She was acting really creepy!" Flonne pouted. I refrained from facepalming. My mind went to dirty places, but thankfully it wasn't that. Murdering Dawn would have soured things beyond any hope of recovery.
Did I even care about them anymore? Crap. I wanted that stuff from Worm. If I could get them to acknowledge their fuck up then fine. If not? Well, I don't need Power Canisters at the cost of Flonne's happiness. Evoria pulled Flonne into a hug. She looked especially pissed off.
"Nobody harasses the Angel," she said firmly.
"Okay, so they wanted you to come back to the library? That was the demand?" I asked.
"There was a contract and stuff…They said it was because they didn't feel safe. S-So it was supposed to make them feel safer. I was supposed to keep Evoria and Pleinair from hurting them," Flonne explained.
Pleinair's hair antennae started to rise in an unseen wind. I patted her head until she calmed down again. Oooh. There was a lot of heat coming off the top of her head.
"Did you read the contract?" Evoria asked carefully.
"No?" Flonne tilted her head cutely.
"Fuck," Me, Evoria and Pleinair (through her signs) said.
I like going into a situation holding all the cards. It makes it easier to negotiate from a place of strength. Getting Flonne to sign a magical contract was a lucky break for them. The only thing keeping me from doing something drastic to defend her honor was that contract. I have no idea what the penalty clause was. Was it a loss of power? Enslavement? Death? Did they even set a penalty? I left Pleinair behind to watch over our guests. Evoria could at least pretend to be calm. Pleinair's shadow was acting out some very violent fantasies. If she found an opening she'd go for the throat. No, better to handle this with care.
Flonne entered the library ahead of us. I needed those extra few seconds to finish packing my anger away. Going in with a ten foot high battle aura was not the way to solve this. Evoria glanced at me before striding in just after her. There was dead silence on the other side of the doors.
"Here comes the shit show…" I muttered before entering.
The Sunnydale High Library looked like no other public school library. There were multiple levels, wide spacious floors and a book cage. All the amenities of a public library. The occupants were noteworthy for another reason. None of their levels exceeded thirty. Buffy, Xander, Willow, Dawn and Cordelia looked just like their real life actors just younger. Giles, Jenny Calendar and Joyce were there as well. There was a feeling of apprehension in the air. The teens looked especially upset while the adults appeared aggravated. Flonne wrung her hands nervously as the silence stretched on. Evoria leaned against the counter with her arms crossed. Her glare could have slain a basilisk. The tension ratcheted up significantly when I walked in the room. The teen Gamers blanched despite Gamer's Mind. Buffy stiffened with fright. The magic users reacted just a hair better than her. My friends and I usually made an effort to conceal our power levels. I was in no mood to be nice.
"Where is the contract you forced my friend to sign?" I asked mildly. The friendly smile on my face at odds with the devilish glow to my eyes.
"Wait a minute. You forced someone to sign a magically binding contract?" Giles demanded. His fear of me was overridden by his outrage. Good man. Now we had to keep it that way.
"She's an Angel in league with Demons. I just thought we could nip a problem in the bud! Have her keep her friends in line and stuff," Willow said.
"Why did you need to keep us in line?" Evoria demanded acidly.
"Well Dawn said that Pleinair was threatening her over talking to Flonne," Willow answered readily. Even Buffy was eyeing the youngest Summers girl dubiously.
"But…but…but…I was just confused! Dawn was talking to me in that sort-of flirty way Evoria talks to Terry sometimes…" Flonne protested. "It didn't feel right…" She poked her fingers together. Dawn grimaced with chagrin.
"How could you? I know I didn't raise you to act like that!" Joyce scolded her child. Ooh that was an impressive shade of angry red. I think Dawn was about to be grounded.
"She didn't say no!" Dawn complained. "How was I supposed to know she didn't like it?" Before another round of Dawn-blaming went on I decided to step in.
"She is right," the record scratch was priceless. Just when Dawn looked like salvation was at hand, I brought down the boom. "Except, you know, for the part where she tricked her friends into forcing an innocent girl to sign a magical contract."
"Uh oh," Evoria muttered. She half pulled Flonne to the side of the library and out of the blast range.
"Give me that contract right now or I swear you will experience wrath. You will learn to fear me. I will teach you terror as only an Overlord can! Do you truly wish to invite the fury of Deathscythe Tyrant Terra!?" I summoned my scythe, but there was nothing playful in the gesture. I let my aura bank higher while making sure not to focus on any one person in particular.
"Give her the contract!" Jenny pleaded.
"But it keeps us safe! They can't attack us without breaking the contract! As long as we have it…!" Dawn was quick to say, but stopped instantly. Her mother's and sister's disappointed stares finally did what no words could. They made her feel ashamed.
"Excuse me, but, uh…If the contract does protect us…doesn't that mean she can't do anything?" Xander suggested.
"Exactly! It sucks, but we're safer this way," Cordelia didn't see the problem. She shouldn't look in Evoria's direction. Right at that moment my girlfriend wanted to teach the girl a lesson. That there is a lot you can survive.
"No, this has gone on long enough. A-An entity such as herself could visit torments upon you. That is if she doesn't get creative. One does not get to her position by chance," Giles cautioned.
"Don't hurt them, please. Can't we just go back to our original plan? You know, help them grow and all that?" Flonne pleaded. Dawn very nearly combusted under the heated stares leveled by her friends and family.
"Wait. You wanted to help us?" Buffy asked in disbelief.
"Uh boy…" Xander complained in a terrible Sam Beckett voice. The facepalm was entirely warranted.
"You are incredibly lucky that I love Flonne so much. Otherwise I wouldn't be so nice…" I held up the contract. Evoria gave an evil smirk that fully revealed her fangs. "Thank you, dear. I had no doubt that you could get this for me."
"That was in my Inventory…" Xander's eyes widened.
"Greatest thief in all of the Netherworlds. You're lucky that all I wanted was this contract," I told him. I looked the contract over. The penalty clause would have cost Flonne her wings.
"He can't break it. Only we can," Willow assured them. The tearing of paper made them all freeze with terror.
"Oh you absolute idiots…You dare set conditions on a Celestial? You actually thought this pathetic mortal contract could steal an Angel's grace?" I couldn't help laughing hysterically at their absolute failure.
"W-well it didn't seem right to point that out…They were just so earnest…" Flonne said innocently. Damning them even further.
"Oh man…Boss? You have to take them under your wing. The other Demons will laugh at us for having these idiots in our territory," Evoria folded her arms.
"We really need to bring them up to a more acceptable level," I acknowledged. "This sort of thing is just embarrassing!"
"What's going on?" Xander whispered to Giles.
"You are now under the protection/oversight of a greater named Demon. Quite possibly one as powerful as the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart," Giles replied with lips pale from fear.
"Hushpuppy, Lambchop and Charlie Horse? Pffft. Those poseurs wish they were on her level," Evoria waved dismissively. "Read this contract boys and girls. Read it carefully. If you don't want to sign then we're gone. You don't get access to our stuff, no training and definitely no protection. Basically you're refusing our protection. Follow us and we'll keep most extradimensional entities from messing with you. Unless you do something stupid like deliberately antagonize them…"
Evoria went over the contracts in detail. Honestly, we were being incredibly lenient all things considered. Flonne wouldn't have been happy if we altered the agreement at this point. She didn't mind us making them think we did because of their behavior. A proper Angel wants to see Humanity succeed after all. The deal on our end was access to the Item World and some help with training. In exchange they had to follow our instructions to the letter, unless it would violate their morals. We wouldn't ask them to fight our battles for us, but they could ask for our assistance in theirs. The price was 70% of the Loot and first choice of any Rare or Higher rewards. If they didn't do as we wanted then we would let them out of the contract. With a penalty of course. The penalty to be decided depending on how egregiously they violated the contract.
"Hey! The Quest System is offering a job from the Abyss Auction…For the death of SexyDemonGoddess138…?" Willow trailed off in confusion.
"Whatever you give me I give it back twice as hard," Evoria smirked.
Their stares of sheer disbelief set off another round of laughs. Flonne looked at us before shrugging. She threw her head back and joined in on the manic laughter.
Some things are best when shared.
AN: I had to do it this way for one reason. This was to drag Dawn's issues out into the open and force them to confront them. Without anything else obscuring the problem. Now she'll get the proper help and support she needs.
Grinding levels is fine when you're in the Netherworld and need to be stronger than the MCs. We were already many times more powerful than the opposition. Well, I guess we could go kick the Senior Partners' asses in the future, but that was for later. Much later. For now we had a minor conundrum to deal with. Flonne and Pleinair were students at Sunnydale High. Evoria was a phys ed teacher and the club advisor for the cheerleading squad. She didn't pick it, but then again she didn't pick anything beyond being 'adult.' I was a Drop-In. My Travel Agent had the brilliant idea to set my background as a dimensional wanderer. Accurate and it neatly explained my lack of identification. The biggest issue was the matter of the family names. Flonne, Pleinair and Evoria were all listed as Dragon. Yes, that's my last name. No, we weren't randomly married to one another. As far as I could tell we had no relation but somehow we had the same name.
My Muse did stuff like this to me all the time. She could be weirdly specific about unimportant details and sparse with critical stuff.
"Ahhhhhh!" Flonne's scream echoed throughout the building. By the time we arrived, she was staring at the computer with tears in her eyes. She couldn't seem to look away from whatever was on the screen.
"What's wrong? What's on fire? If it isn't on fire, does it need to be?" I asked in a rush.
"She found the Abyss Auction, Terry," Evoria winced.
Pleinair stared at me as if to say "Fix this."
"Let me guess. You found the slave auction?" I asked quietly. I gathered the trembling girl to my chest comfortingly.
"How could anyone do this?" Flonne gazed at me in confusion. The sheer pain in her eyes made me want to break something. To absolutely and totally erase whatever hurt her.
This was a problem we could solve with extreme prejudice.
"Okay ladies. I still want to stick to the Scoobies, but we have a more important goal. We're going to wage war on the Abyss Auction. No second chances. No deals. They're going to stop enslaving people or risk total annihilation," I said with grim finality. The Ham stayed in the fridge. My anger was very cold indeed.
"Well we've got enough to buy out their current stock of slaves. I guess we can train 'em up before letting them go. Ooh! We could put 'em on a payment plan! Just a portion of whatever they earn, but they could pay us back for releasing them!" Evoria warmed up to the idea swiftly.
So that was how we ended up starting our own underground railroad. The Abyss Auction soon ran out of slaves. It pushed my plans back another couple days, but Flonne and Pleinair could work on the Scoobies. They did go to school together after all. This was much more important. You see, the reason I like the Scooby Gamers Gamer power was simple. There was no limit to the number of people you could have in your party. It was disheartening. The Abyss Auction employed so many hunting teams it sickened me. I was under no illusions that this would remain secret for long. Especially if I kept buying up their entire stock. We needed to buy up a much larger property to house our new guests. In fact there was a perfectly nice warehouse just next door. Rosenqueen's offered us a special service. Therapists, both physical and mental, for everyone. The Orb of Iron Will would help as well. Hopefully training them would help ease their troubles faster. One of the people freed was Winnifred Burkle just like in the canon fic. She wanted just enough training to keep the Abyss Auction from grabbing her again. I made enough Skill Books for everyone. Poor Fred was about to learn that 'enough training' held a different meaning to us.
I led our temporary troops on a mission through a can of soda. Their gear was as good as I could make it without Item Worlding each individual piece. If I wanted to protect them from the usual Sunnydale night life it wouldn't be too hard. The problem was that the Abyss Auction employed highly skilled and powerful collection agents. Most likely they also had some talented magical assistance. Well, my definition of talented was probably different than theirs. My definition of a lot of things was seriously skewed by the Netherworld.
It didn't even take a full week before another crisis developed.
"We need to talk to those idiots. Today!" Evoria snarled. Uh oh. I didn't need to ask what idiots.
"What happened?" I suddenly found my arms full of trembling girls. Flonne looked so downtrodden it cut me like a knife. Pleinair's antennae were almost flat.
"They got a look at our titles and started asking questions. Then demanded we come back to the library and explain ourselves to the whole class," Evoria said dryly.
"Uhhh…Weren't they afraid of getting atomized or something?" Confronting three unknowns with titles like "The Beautiful Assassin of the Netherworld, "Most Chuuni Angel Under the Heavens" and "History's Mightiest Demon Mascot" was just stupid!
"Th-they said it was because I'm an Angel. That it's my duty to protect humanity and not play around with Demons," Flonne said miserably. Pleinair just buried her face in my chest with a dejected sigh.
"Who made the demand?" 'So I know who to kill first' was left unspoken. Evoria ran her fingers through her hair.
"I don't know. Flonne and Pleinair came barreling into the gym like this…" She gestured at the shivering and weepy girls. "Then Xander showed up to inform me that we had to meet them in the library. No one explained why I shouldn't just kill them to shut 'em up. Well, Flonne would give me those eyes…but they didn't know that!"
"What happened, hun?" I stroked Flonne's hair soothingly.
"Well, uh, Dawn was talking to me and getting really close…In that way Evoria does with you…E-Even before you were together…" Flonne pressed her fingers together nervously.
[Personal space!] Pleinair almost stuck the sign up my nose by accident. She looked indignant. Yeah, I was right there with her.
"I'm not in Xander, Willow and Buffy's grade so I don't run into them often. They were coming around the corner when Willow saw my title. Then Pleinair came by and they really freaked out," Flonne explained.
"Willow blabbed," I deadpanned.
"Dawn said we were too cute to be evil and started touching me…" Flonne squirmed uncomfortably. Pleinair's eyes took on a truly hellish caste complete with the fires of damnation. Evoria was looking pretty pissed off too.
"Where did she touch you?" I didn't think any of the Scoobies, even Dawn, jumped straight to molesting this early in the timeline.
"My h-hair…and my shoulder…She was acting really creepy!" Flonne pouted. I refrained from facepalming. My mind went to dirty places, but thankfully it wasn't that. Murdering Dawn would have soured things beyond any hope of recovery.
Did I even care about them anymore? Crap. I wanted that stuff from Worm. If I could get them to acknowledge their fuck up then fine. If not? Well, I don't need Power Canisters at the cost of Flonne's happiness. Evoria pulled Flonne into a hug. She looked especially pissed off.
"Nobody harasses the Angel," she said firmly.
"Okay, so they wanted you to come back to the library? That was the demand?" I asked.
"There was a contract and stuff…They said it was because they didn't feel safe. S-So it was supposed to make them feel safer. I was supposed to keep Evoria and Pleinair from hurting them," Flonne explained.
Pleinair's hair antennae started to rise in an unseen wind. I patted her head until she calmed down again. Oooh. There was a lot of heat coming off the top of her head.
"Did you read the contract?" Evoria asked carefully.
"No?" Flonne tilted her head cutely.
"Fuck," Me, Evoria and Pleinair (through her signs) said.
I like going into a situation holding all the cards. It makes it easier to negotiate from a place of strength. Getting Flonne to sign a magical contract was a lucky break for them. The only thing keeping me from doing something drastic to defend her honor was that contract. I have no idea what the penalty clause was. Was it a loss of power? Enslavement? Death? Did they even set a penalty? I left Pleinair behind to watch over our guests. Evoria could at least pretend to be calm. Pleinair's shadow was acting out some very violent fantasies. If she found an opening she'd go for the throat. No, better to handle this with care.
Flonne entered the library ahead of us. I needed those extra few seconds to finish packing my anger away. Going in with a ten foot high battle aura was not the way to solve this. Evoria glanced at me before striding in just after her. There was dead silence on the other side of the doors.
"Here comes the shit show…" I muttered before entering.
The Sunnydale High Library looked like no other public school library. There were multiple levels, wide spacious floors and a book cage. All the amenities of a public library. The occupants were noteworthy for another reason. None of their levels exceeded thirty. Buffy, Xander, Willow, Dawn and Cordelia looked just like their real life actors just younger. Giles, Jenny Calendar and Joyce were there as well. There was a feeling of apprehension in the air. The teens looked especially upset while the adults appeared aggravated. Flonne wrung her hands nervously as the silence stretched on. Evoria leaned against the counter with her arms crossed. Her glare could have slain a basilisk. The tension ratcheted up significantly when I walked in the room. The teen Gamers blanched despite Gamer's Mind. Buffy stiffened with fright. The magic users reacted just a hair better than her. My friends and I usually made an effort to conceal our power levels. I was in no mood to be nice.
"Where is the contract you forced my friend to sign?" I asked mildly. The friendly smile on my face at odds with the devilish glow to my eyes.
"Wait a minute. You forced someone to sign a magically binding contract?" Giles demanded. His fear of me was overridden by his outrage. Good man. Now we had to keep it that way.
"She's an Angel in league with Demons. I just thought we could nip a problem in the bud! Have her keep her friends in line and stuff," Willow said.
"Why did you need to keep us in line?" Evoria demanded acidly.
"Well Dawn said that Pleinair was threatening her over talking to Flonne," Willow answered readily. Even Buffy was eyeing the youngest Summers girl dubiously.
"But…but…but…I was just confused! Dawn was talking to me in that sort-of flirty way Evoria talks to Terry sometimes…" Flonne protested. "It didn't feel right…" She poked her fingers together. Dawn grimaced with chagrin.
"How could you? I know I didn't raise you to act like that!" Joyce scolded her child. Ooh that was an impressive shade of angry red. I think Dawn was about to be grounded.
"She didn't say no!" Dawn complained. "How was I supposed to know she didn't like it?" Before another round of Dawn-blaming went on I decided to step in.
"She is right," the record scratch was priceless. Just when Dawn looked like salvation was at hand, I brought down the boom. "Except, you know, for the part where she tricked her friends into forcing an innocent girl to sign a magical contract."
"Uh oh," Evoria muttered. She half pulled Flonne to the side of the library and out of the blast range.
"Give me that contract right now or I swear you will experience wrath. You will learn to fear me. I will teach you terror as only an Overlord can! Do you truly wish to invite the fury of Deathscythe Tyrant Terra!?" I summoned my scythe, but there was nothing playful in the gesture. I let my aura bank higher while making sure not to focus on any one person in particular.
"Give her the contract!" Jenny pleaded.
"But it keeps us safe! They can't attack us without breaking the contract! As long as we have it…!" Dawn was quick to say, but stopped instantly. Her mother's and sister's disappointed stares finally did what no words could. They made her feel ashamed.
"Excuse me, but, uh…If the contract does protect us…doesn't that mean she can't do anything?" Xander suggested.
"Exactly! It sucks, but we're safer this way," Cordelia didn't see the problem. She shouldn't look in Evoria's direction. Right at that moment my girlfriend wanted to teach the girl a lesson. That there is a lot you can survive.
"No, this has gone on long enough. A-An entity such as herself could visit torments upon you. That is if she doesn't get creative. One does not get to her position by chance," Giles cautioned.
"Don't hurt them, please. Can't we just go back to our original plan? You know, help them grow and all that?" Flonne pleaded. Dawn very nearly combusted under the heated stares leveled by her friends and family.
"Wait. You wanted to help us?" Buffy asked in disbelief.
"Uh boy…" Xander complained in a terrible Sam Beckett voice. The facepalm was entirely warranted.
"You are incredibly lucky that I love Flonne so much. Otherwise I wouldn't be so nice…" I held up the contract. Evoria gave an evil smirk that fully revealed her fangs. "Thank you, dear. I had no doubt that you could get this for me."
"That was in my Inventory…" Xander's eyes widened.
"Greatest thief in all of the Netherworlds. You're lucky that all I wanted was this contract," I told him. I looked the contract over. The penalty clause would have cost Flonne her wings.
"He can't break it. Only we can," Willow assured them. The tearing of paper made them all freeze with terror.
"Oh you absolute idiots…You dare set conditions on a Celestial? You actually thought this pathetic mortal contract could steal an Angel's grace?" I couldn't help laughing hysterically at their absolute failure.
"W-well it didn't seem right to point that out…They were just so earnest…" Flonne said innocently. Damning them even further.
"Oh man…Boss? You have to take them under your wing. The other Demons will laugh at us for having these idiots in our territory," Evoria folded her arms.
"We really need to bring them up to a more acceptable level," I acknowledged. "This sort of thing is just embarrassing!"
"What's going on?" Xander whispered to Giles.
"You are now under the protection/oversight of a greater named Demon. Quite possibly one as powerful as the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart," Giles replied with lips pale from fear.
"Hushpuppy, Lambchop and Charlie Horse? Pffft. Those poseurs wish they were on her level," Evoria waved dismissively. "Read this contract boys and girls. Read it carefully. If you don't want to sign then we're gone. You don't get access to our stuff, no training and definitely no protection. Basically you're refusing our protection. Follow us and we'll keep most extradimensional entities from messing with you. Unless you do something stupid like deliberately antagonize them…"
Evoria went over the contracts in detail. Honestly, we were being incredibly lenient all things considered. Flonne wouldn't have been happy if we altered the agreement at this point. She didn't mind us making them think we did because of their behavior. A proper Angel wants to see Humanity succeed after all. The deal on our end was access to the Item World and some help with training. In exchange they had to follow our instructions to the letter, unless it would violate their morals. We wouldn't ask them to fight our battles for us, but they could ask for our assistance in theirs. The price was 70% of the Loot and first choice of any Rare or Higher rewards. If they didn't do as we wanted then we would let them out of the contract. With a penalty of course. The penalty to be decided depending on how egregiously they violated the contract.
"Hey! The Quest System is offering a job from the Abyss Auction…For the death of SexyDemonGoddess138…?" Willow trailed off in confusion.
"Whatever you give me I give it back twice as hard," Evoria smirked.
Their stares of sheer disbelief set off another round of laughs. Flonne looked at us before shrugging. She threw her head back and joined in on the manic laughter.
Some things are best when shared.
AN: I had to do it this way for one reason. This was to drag Dawn's issues out into the open and force them to confront them. Without anything else obscuring the problem. Now she'll get the proper help and support she needs.
Chapter 10
- Location
- PA
Chapter 10
Perhaps it wasn't the most tactically sound idea to just buy the Auction House's slaves. All it does is encourage them to go out and get more, right? Their customers would also be pissed off with us. Those same customers would be mad at the Abyss Auction for not having enough slaves in stock. That left the Demonic Brokers with only a few options. They could try to convince us to stop. Pay us whatever we ask to leave their stock alone and promise to leave us be. It wouldn't work of course. I wanted to destroy them. Making a nonaggression pact was counterproductive to that. Also they would use trickier contracts without exploitable loopholes. I had no doubt their Seers could tell the offer would go over as well as a wet fart in an elevator. Okay, so if peaceful options wouldn't work, then what? The Abyss Auction could put out a hit on us. They had a lot of talent working for them. Probably even had the Order of Taraka on speed dial. Just one problem with that. That would be admitting weakness. Weakness that could be exploited. We weren't actually violating the rules. Slaves are meant to be used however we want. On the other hand there was another option. Sell our information to whoever wanted it and let them try to kill us. Let their customers do the dirty work. Which might keep their hands clean. They were going to lose a lot of customers. A lot of very evil people were about to throw themselves into the meat grinder.
Thoughts of our shadow war took a backseat to more amusing concerns. Such as the highschool shenanigans playing out before us.
"Ladies, gentleman and teenagers." I strolled before the blackboard. There was an indignant 'Hey!' from somewhere. "I promised training, yes? Well, before we get to that, I figured we should go over the rules more thoroughly."
"Hold it! Didn't we already talk about this before signing the contracts?" Xander asked. There was a small chorus of agreement.
"Well sure, but I need to do something to appear useful," I shrugged. Ahhh…The sight of their deadpan stares soothes me.
Honestly, they signed a contract that stated they had to follow our rules. So long as it doesn't violate their morals. That is nowhere near enough. Giles and Jenny should've known better. Then again I think Rupert ole boy has a pretty good read on me. He seems to realize I won't hurt them. Then again the fact I've got an Angel vouching for me says it all.
"First off. We're going to provide you with training tools. They range in quality from Common, Rare and Legendary. That is not hyperbole. The Common ones increase the XP gains towards training your Stats. Not that great…" I enjoyed their looks of shock over my 'casual' dismissal of something awesome, "...but serviceable. Rare increases the XP gains even further and can overcome the soft Stat Cap easily. No doubt you've already found it. We can take you further." Xander and Willow were openly salivating. "The Legendary is even better than that. Almost as good as the stuff we use."
"A-and how much for the Rare and Legendary?" Giles asked.
"Pretty cheap all things considered. 500,000 dollars to rent the Rare and 2,000,000 dollars to rent the Legendary. We're willing to work with you of course. Perhaps a percentage of your cash loot from Dungeon runs? You pick the percentage," I offered with a cheery smile.
"Is that for all of us or per person?" Cordelia inquired shrewdly.
"Per person. I personally don't care if you pass them around. You're the ones renting the equipment. As long as I get it back in one piece," I shrugged.
"And what happens if they don't pay in a reasonable timeframe?" Joyce asked.
"Mrs. Summers. We're the next best thing to immortal. As long as they pay us back in this lifetime it's cool. If they don't then we just collect from their next of kin. As the contract states there will be no buying souls. If they don't have a next of kin then it falls to the next contractee on the list. If there is no one left? Then we go after them in the afterlife," I explained. "Of course the chance of that happening is tiny. I doubt anyone here is that lazy or stupid."
That seemed to reassure them. Good. I needed them to be calm for the next part.
"Now this is more for you than for us." I wacked the blackboard with my pointer. "See this? You will sleep at least eight hours in every twenty-four hour period. Also no more than 24 hours spent in a Time Dilated Instant Dungeon per three day period. You need to get real sunshine and real rest. We didn't get to be this powerful by constantly training and overwork. We took care of our bodies, minds and spirits. This is non negotiable."
"But what if we don't want to deal with the idiots at school?" Dawn folded her arms. There was a lot more to acting out than I thought. I wasn't a psychologist, but she was a bundle of unhappy feelings. It wasn't because of the Hellmouth either. She was just hurting from her parents' divorce, moving to Sunnydale and finding out they had a Sealed Apocalypse in a Can under the library. When all that was taken into consideration? No wonder she was a mess!
"Then don't deal with them. We're not going to ask you to socialize with people you don't like. These rules are meant to keep you safe and healthy. Not to take away your free will," Evoria remarked dryly.
"I should've asked…How much have you done with your contracts?" I asked. The teens suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable. That did not reassure me at all. "What did you do?"
"I'm sorry! I-I used a badly worded contract and erased Harmony's memories. We didn't want her to be here in case you were mean. She's helpless," Cordelia whimpered. Flonne immediately rushed to hug her. Remorse. Real remorse.
"Okay. This isn't totally irreversible. Do you have the contract?" I asked. Xander handed it to me.
"Just don't rip this one up. We don't know what it would do," he said.
"Oh no. I won't tear this up. The first assignment I have for you is to go inside the contract and retrieve her memories." The wording of the contract bound the memories in the paper itself. "You also have to take Harmony with you. These are her memories. She has every right to be there." I shot Flonne a look. The Angel had the power to restore memories. This was meant to be a punishment and absolution.
"Oh shit! I just got a quest to rescue Kendra! It says we only have 10 minutes!" Xander jumped up in alarm.
I made one call.
"Pleinair? Deal with Spike and rescue Kendra the Vampire Slayer. They're at the airport," I told her before ending the call. "Okay. You probably had plans to go pick her up and all that. Well, since it was my fault that you weren't there to get her…This one is on me. You also get a dead Master Vampire out of the bargain."
Their stares of disbelief felt good too.
"You're not charging for that?" Jenny inquired.
"Don't question it. My Boss isn't usually so generous," Evoria folded her arms.
"But Evoria…!" Flonne protested. "Oh, wait, we're supposed to act like she's a typical Overlord. Oops." Okay, that did get a smile out of me. Even if she was spoiling my act.
Explaining all this to Kendra wasn't quite so difficult. Her Watcher went over the concept of non hostile Demons so she knew what to expect. That didn't make it any easier for her to deal with Pleinair. They did seem to click on some level. Both girls were naturally quiet and preferred to be in the background. I foresaw an odd friendship starting. Harmony arrived soon after. She looked less than thrilled when they told her it might be possible to retrieve her memories. Apparently hearing about her old self second hand was upsetting. I had to reassure her that it was her decision. However, she should check the contract's Item World to see what, if anything, she wanted back. The Contract started out with lvl 20 monsters and had thirty levels. Nothing too horrible. Evoria, Flonne, Pleinair and I went with them of course. Just in case they ran into something too strong to defeat. Frankly, we needn't have worried. The team was just powerful enough to bull their way through. Picked up a dozen levels in the process. That, more than anything, proved our offer was sincere.
In canon Harmony was the stereotypical bitchy popular girl. She had her memories wiped in the fanfic, and after some justifiable angst, decided they did her a favor. Harmony herself decided it too after talking to her friends and family. So it came as no surprise that she didn't want to fully remember everything. The memories she wanted to keep had to be subdued in the Base Panel. The rest needed to be defeated. Flonne was a little disturbed when Harmony took a Chainsaw Sword to her unwanted memories. The slasher smile was enough to creep me out! Still, they got a lot of nice stuff for their level. Xander already had plans to break some of it down for parts. Willow was looking forward to looking through the spell books. Yeah, the monsters were dropping Skill Books and loads of bonus Loot. Pleinair did something with her dimension power to fill their Bonus Gauge faster. It made Flonne happy enough to kiss her cheek.
So cute!
Evoria got a dozen pictures. So did I.
Frankly, I didn't want to step in to interfere all that often. Most of the more egregious mistakes were already cleaned up nice and tidy. More sleep and less grinding without human contact worked wonders. In fact they devised several of their more broken Skill Books and Crafts earlier. Of course since they were practicing Safe Dungeoneering some things didn't happen. Without Kendra briefly dying, Faith wasn't called. So we hurried off to Boston to rescue her and her Watcher. Then, since we were grabbing up Potentials, we picked up Terra and her family. Well, her mother and brother. Momma MacClay turned Daddy into a rat after she caught him trying to "play" with his daughter.
Assassins came out of the woodwork over our Underground Railroad efforts. They didn't go after the library gang thanks to a Geass. Anyone trying to harm us had to face us directly. It didn't make them act in a suicidal manner. They could still plan and use strategy. It was just to keep them from attacking those under our protection. Too bad for them. Despite all their prep work, and even teaming up at times, they threw themselves into the meat grinder. That left the Auction House only one choice. To come after us themselves. They managed to yank us out of the dimension into a hellworld. One of the worlds managed by a foe of Glorificus. We got to fight a literal Hellgod. Turns out he was the Abyss Auction's primary benefactor. Sadly for him he just wasn't ready to face our level of bullshit. Absolutely owning a mountain sized Hell Dragon? I gave the Soul Gem to Evoria as an engagement gift.
Of course not everything went according to plan. I forgot that time ran differently in other dimensions. We were there for a day, but over a month passed in Sunnydale. In that time the gang managed to piss off the Watcher's Council and get banished. To be completely honest I wasn't too upset. The contract we signed was still in effect so it was clearly not our fault. That being said, Flonne and Pleinair gave me puppy dog eyes until we went after them.
The things I do for my family…
AN: Is this Jump too short? Ehhh…not really. This is already a curbstomp Jump. Next Jump will be a generic setting so I can stretch things out more. One more Chapter and we'll be finished. Thanks for sticking with me!
Perhaps it wasn't the most tactically sound idea to just buy the Auction House's slaves. All it does is encourage them to go out and get more, right? Their customers would also be pissed off with us. Those same customers would be mad at the Abyss Auction for not having enough slaves in stock. That left the Demonic Brokers with only a few options. They could try to convince us to stop. Pay us whatever we ask to leave their stock alone and promise to leave us be. It wouldn't work of course. I wanted to destroy them. Making a nonaggression pact was counterproductive to that. Also they would use trickier contracts without exploitable loopholes. I had no doubt their Seers could tell the offer would go over as well as a wet fart in an elevator. Okay, so if peaceful options wouldn't work, then what? The Abyss Auction could put out a hit on us. They had a lot of talent working for them. Probably even had the Order of Taraka on speed dial. Just one problem with that. That would be admitting weakness. Weakness that could be exploited. We weren't actually violating the rules. Slaves are meant to be used however we want. On the other hand there was another option. Sell our information to whoever wanted it and let them try to kill us. Let their customers do the dirty work. Which might keep their hands clean. They were going to lose a lot of customers. A lot of very evil people were about to throw themselves into the meat grinder.
Thoughts of our shadow war took a backseat to more amusing concerns. Such as the highschool shenanigans playing out before us.
"Ladies, gentleman and teenagers." I strolled before the blackboard. There was an indignant 'Hey!' from somewhere. "I promised training, yes? Well, before we get to that, I figured we should go over the rules more thoroughly."
"Hold it! Didn't we already talk about this before signing the contracts?" Xander asked. There was a small chorus of agreement.
"Well sure, but I need to do something to appear useful," I shrugged. Ahhh…The sight of their deadpan stares soothes me.
Honestly, they signed a contract that stated they had to follow our rules. So long as it doesn't violate their morals. That is nowhere near enough. Giles and Jenny should've known better. Then again I think Rupert ole boy has a pretty good read on me. He seems to realize I won't hurt them. Then again the fact I've got an Angel vouching for me says it all.
"First off. We're going to provide you with training tools. They range in quality from Common, Rare and Legendary. That is not hyperbole. The Common ones increase the XP gains towards training your Stats. Not that great…" I enjoyed their looks of shock over my 'casual' dismissal of something awesome, "...but serviceable. Rare increases the XP gains even further and can overcome the soft Stat Cap easily. No doubt you've already found it. We can take you further." Xander and Willow were openly salivating. "The Legendary is even better than that. Almost as good as the stuff we use."
"A-and how much for the Rare and Legendary?" Giles asked.
"Pretty cheap all things considered. 500,000 dollars to rent the Rare and 2,000,000 dollars to rent the Legendary. We're willing to work with you of course. Perhaps a percentage of your cash loot from Dungeon runs? You pick the percentage," I offered with a cheery smile.
"Is that for all of us or per person?" Cordelia inquired shrewdly.
"Per person. I personally don't care if you pass them around. You're the ones renting the equipment. As long as I get it back in one piece," I shrugged.
"And what happens if they don't pay in a reasonable timeframe?" Joyce asked.
"Mrs. Summers. We're the next best thing to immortal. As long as they pay us back in this lifetime it's cool. If they don't then we just collect from their next of kin. As the contract states there will be no buying souls. If they don't have a next of kin then it falls to the next contractee on the list. If there is no one left? Then we go after them in the afterlife," I explained. "Of course the chance of that happening is tiny. I doubt anyone here is that lazy or stupid."
That seemed to reassure them. Good. I needed them to be calm for the next part.
"Now this is more for you than for us." I wacked the blackboard with my pointer. "See this? You will sleep at least eight hours in every twenty-four hour period. Also no more than 24 hours spent in a Time Dilated Instant Dungeon per three day period. You need to get real sunshine and real rest. We didn't get to be this powerful by constantly training and overwork. We took care of our bodies, minds and spirits. This is non negotiable."
"But what if we don't want to deal with the idiots at school?" Dawn folded her arms. There was a lot more to acting out than I thought. I wasn't a psychologist, but she was a bundle of unhappy feelings. It wasn't because of the Hellmouth either. She was just hurting from her parents' divorce, moving to Sunnydale and finding out they had a Sealed Apocalypse in a Can under the library. When all that was taken into consideration? No wonder she was a mess!
"Then don't deal with them. We're not going to ask you to socialize with people you don't like. These rules are meant to keep you safe and healthy. Not to take away your free will," Evoria remarked dryly.
"I should've asked…How much have you done with your contracts?" I asked. The teens suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable. That did not reassure me at all. "What did you do?"
"I'm sorry! I-I used a badly worded contract and erased Harmony's memories. We didn't want her to be here in case you were mean. She's helpless," Cordelia whimpered. Flonne immediately rushed to hug her. Remorse. Real remorse.
"Okay. This isn't totally irreversible. Do you have the contract?" I asked. Xander handed it to me.
"Just don't rip this one up. We don't know what it would do," he said.
"Oh no. I won't tear this up. The first assignment I have for you is to go inside the contract and retrieve her memories." The wording of the contract bound the memories in the paper itself. "You also have to take Harmony with you. These are her memories. She has every right to be there." I shot Flonne a look. The Angel had the power to restore memories. This was meant to be a punishment and absolution.
"Oh shit! I just got a quest to rescue Kendra! It says we only have 10 minutes!" Xander jumped up in alarm.
I made one call.
"Pleinair? Deal with Spike and rescue Kendra the Vampire Slayer. They're at the airport," I told her before ending the call. "Okay. You probably had plans to go pick her up and all that. Well, since it was my fault that you weren't there to get her…This one is on me. You also get a dead Master Vampire out of the bargain."
Their stares of disbelief felt good too.
"You're not charging for that?" Jenny inquired.
"Don't question it. My Boss isn't usually so generous," Evoria folded her arms.
"But Evoria…!" Flonne protested. "Oh, wait, we're supposed to act like she's a typical Overlord. Oops." Okay, that did get a smile out of me. Even if she was spoiling my act.
Explaining all this to Kendra wasn't quite so difficult. Her Watcher went over the concept of non hostile Demons so she knew what to expect. That didn't make it any easier for her to deal with Pleinair. They did seem to click on some level. Both girls were naturally quiet and preferred to be in the background. I foresaw an odd friendship starting. Harmony arrived soon after. She looked less than thrilled when they told her it might be possible to retrieve her memories. Apparently hearing about her old self second hand was upsetting. I had to reassure her that it was her decision. However, she should check the contract's Item World to see what, if anything, she wanted back. The Contract started out with lvl 20 monsters and had thirty levels. Nothing too horrible. Evoria, Flonne, Pleinair and I went with them of course. Just in case they ran into something too strong to defeat. Frankly, we needn't have worried. The team was just powerful enough to bull their way through. Picked up a dozen levels in the process. That, more than anything, proved our offer was sincere.
In canon Harmony was the stereotypical bitchy popular girl. She had her memories wiped in the fanfic, and after some justifiable angst, decided they did her a favor. Harmony herself decided it too after talking to her friends and family. So it came as no surprise that she didn't want to fully remember everything. The memories she wanted to keep had to be subdued in the Base Panel. The rest needed to be defeated. Flonne was a little disturbed when Harmony took a Chainsaw Sword to her unwanted memories. The slasher smile was enough to creep me out! Still, they got a lot of nice stuff for their level. Xander already had plans to break some of it down for parts. Willow was looking forward to looking through the spell books. Yeah, the monsters were dropping Skill Books and loads of bonus Loot. Pleinair did something with her dimension power to fill their Bonus Gauge faster. It made Flonne happy enough to kiss her cheek.
So cute!
Evoria got a dozen pictures. So did I.
Frankly, I didn't want to step in to interfere all that often. Most of the more egregious mistakes were already cleaned up nice and tidy. More sleep and less grinding without human contact worked wonders. In fact they devised several of their more broken Skill Books and Crafts earlier. Of course since they were practicing Safe Dungeoneering some things didn't happen. Without Kendra briefly dying, Faith wasn't called. So we hurried off to Boston to rescue her and her Watcher. Then, since we were grabbing up Potentials, we picked up Terra and her family. Well, her mother and brother. Momma MacClay turned Daddy into a rat after she caught him trying to "play" with his daughter.
Assassins came out of the woodwork over our Underground Railroad efforts. They didn't go after the library gang thanks to a Geass. Anyone trying to harm us had to face us directly. It didn't make them act in a suicidal manner. They could still plan and use strategy. It was just to keep them from attacking those under our protection. Too bad for them. Despite all their prep work, and even teaming up at times, they threw themselves into the meat grinder. That left the Auction House only one choice. To come after us themselves. They managed to yank us out of the dimension into a hellworld. One of the worlds managed by a foe of Glorificus. We got to fight a literal Hellgod. Turns out he was the Abyss Auction's primary benefactor. Sadly for him he just wasn't ready to face our level of bullshit. Absolutely owning a mountain sized Hell Dragon? I gave the Soul Gem to Evoria as an engagement gift.
Of course not everything went according to plan. I forgot that time ran differently in other dimensions. We were there for a day, but over a month passed in Sunnydale. In that time the gang managed to piss off the Watcher's Council and get banished. To be completely honest I wasn't too upset. The contract we signed was still in effect so it was clearly not our fault. That being said, Flonne and Pleinair gave me puppy dog eyes until we went after them.
The things I do for my family…
AN: Is this Jump too short? Ehhh…not really. This is already a curbstomp Jump. Next Jump will be a generic setting so I can stretch things out more. One more Chapter and we'll be finished. Thanks for sticking with me!