Lost on a Death World (Worm, Celestial Forge, pseudo-SI)

Baran3 · Jan 28, 2022

LOST ON A DEATH WORLD

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: I wasn't satisfied with my first try on the Celestial Forge, so, I just went for another.

Yeah, I know, my muse is very, VERY fickle.

It's a pseudo-SI of course. No way I would be that good in such a situation.

Prologue

The number of insults filtering from my shock state was rather impressive… If I was able to truly think about it.

I have been 'Isekaied' by unknown ways… Sent into another world… The world of the "Worm" web-novel created by Wildbow…

I wanted to scream… I was on a Death World as my over-weighted middle-aged self… The same Caucasian and short body with my black hair showing some gray and my green eyes… I was screwed.

No ID papers, no money, no phone, nothing but my winter clothes and my glasses for myopic moles… I was SO screwed.

I looked at the newspaper I took from the bench I was currently sitting on in an unknown park. Brockton Bay. January 2011, the third. The Triumvirate of Alexandria, Eidolon, and Legend were giving their End of the Year wishes... And a Happy New Year to me… I was SO MUCH screwed.

And, of course, no Isekai Cheat Powers… Probable Trigger Event in my future… If I could trigger. The only things I had were my skills, my experience, my high willpower, and my above-average intuition…

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge:0.42. Perk range: 0 CP.

… Oh… Phew… Still, no Gamer-like screen but a gentle feminine internal voice and less than 1 charge. The Celestial Forge was rather Over-Powered, but in most of my stories, I had full control over what perks I granted my characters to facilitate what I was writing… This was no longer the case and IT WAS REAL FOR ME!

Huh… My intuition was whispering to me that I could still use the roll despite the low charge… Well, time to swim or sink. I focused and sort of triggered something, like the double-click of the mouse while using a computer… Very Fate/Stay Night Magus mind trigger.

My eyes felt like they became Anime-style, complete with a big round expression and my lower jaw resting on the ground.

I looked at my Connected Watch… I just gained my own personal Infinite Stratos Mecha and the skills and knowledge to pilot it with proficiency.

I frowned as I saw that the charge of my Isekai power remained the same… Ah, that was what it meant for the Perk Range of zero CP. Oh, well, I liked free gifts and I had the manual already downloaded in my mind… Still, let's see the horse teeth, so to speak.

Huh… It seemed that I didn't gain the other free stuff from the setting… Well, I also wasn't transformed into a teenager girl or a Harem Protagonist so that was good too… At least, so far… Damn it, I couldn't remember if some of the perks implied a gender transformation.

The IS was a no-nonsense design as in it didn't expose parts of my anatomy and came with a helmet to protect my identity. I could still banish most of the parts at will and would find myself in a… oh no… skintight full bodysuit in a blue and gold-trimmed color… With bullet-resistant weave and various high-tech accessories… Which emphasized my very heroic over-weighted silhouette... So sweet of the Forge to almost make me regret not being an athletic teenager girl.

It was a powered exoskeleton, which was originally meant for outer space exploration… And it was Gundam-inspired with the classical Gundam head and its colors of white, blue, gold, and red. It truly looked like a human-scale Wing Zero from the movie "Endless Waltz"… In fact, I had too many options, why..? Ah-ha! The system took advantage of a loophole and convert the initial 1000 points of the Jumpchain setting into supplemental Stratos Points.

The deployed IS armor would boost my size to an impressive 6 feet and ¾ of an inch. Much less mass than the ridiculously over-designed standard IS armor. A little tall but not too much to handicap me in an urban fight situation… Especially with the strength to go through reinforced concrete walls… Let's see the rest…

Well, energy shields, Passive Inertia Control, Hyper-sensor with a Brilliant Clearance helping system, Closed Form connected to my watch… A slightly augmented classical base of all Infinite Stratos Mecha in brief. The base frame was… second generation only? Ah, but the Gundam Wing Zero Import boosted it significantly. No Second-shift bullshit, integrated AI, or unique signature equipment from the Infinite Stratos characters. And I could fly with enough speed to reach the moon in a few hours… Even going underwater wasn't a problem. The only thing that irritated me was the energy source… No explanation, like it was truly the Black Box technology designed by the original creator with Time Crystals, but it provided enough energy to go full power for several days at least... And still able to recharge swiftly while in Closed Form…

The weapons were… appropriate for someone like me who did do two years in the military and preferred long-range battles. A High-Frequency military knife was stored on the hips along, of course, the famous Beam Saber. The head had the ubiquitous dual Vulcan Guns of the Gundam series. Finally, I had a Gundam-style Beam Rifle with morphing options into a Macross-style main weapon and a sniper setting… The armored shoulder pads sported a Sonic Cannon each… Which also doubled as a high-quality sound system and protected me efficiently from other sonic weapons. There were also frankly an absurd amount of empty slots and hard-points, ready to be specialized with whatever I would obtain or build in the future.

Huh, the weapon systems had also a Cop option with non-lethal settings and ammunition like foam guns, rubber bullet weapons, taser-like projectiles, water cannons, high power spotlights, tear gas and smoke launchers, zip ties distributor, and even a fancy siren… Of course, why not..? Let us hope this isn't the same formula as the PRT Containment Foam… And from where the hell was the water coming to feed the riot cannons?

There was an advanced Comm system… Phew, at least this armor wasn't a stupid design despite the IS setting. Other integrated systems were impressive, like the 8 different wireless drones, already baptized "Newtype Bits" in my head. There were 4 small tentacles hidden in each of my arms and my torso which were dedicated to manipulating delicate items and machinery and reminded me of the manipulators used by the Valkyrie fighters in the Macross setting. Thankfully, there was also a fully enhanced life support system to allow a pilot to go days without eating, drinking or breathing has been added, supplying everything needed through the suit, and a variety of pressure, vacuum, temperature, and radiation protections have also been combined into my mecha's frame, to protect it from all the environmental dangers of the world and beyond… Nice to know I could go everywhere with my impressive flight system.

My armored legs were outfitted with compartments holding an enormous amount of traps ranging from explosive mines to razor wires to snap traps. All designed to be rapidly deployed, easily hidden, and worked splendidly against IS scale targets and armored vehicles… What they could do to human-scale targets shouldn't be mentioned or even imagined. At least, there was still the non-lethal option included.

Oh ho! Another system coming from the Gundam Wing setting was a special package applied, one to make my powered armor largely invisible to most forms of detection… Yep, holographic projectors, reflective coating, heat sinks, electronic jammers and spoofers, and even chaff dispensers… My word, this machine was near impossible to detect at all but the closest of ranges, whether through human eyesight or mechanical impetus... It could even briefly turn completely invisible, though no more than a few minutes at a time.

I stopped patting myself as this impressive mecha suit couldn't shelter me for the night and even its food dispensers weren't infinite. It also couldn't hack into the government system and gave me a proper ID… Right! And now what, Baran Sunheart!?

I sighed… Well, I needed to do something. For the last option, I could simply go to the PRT headquarter and sign in for the Protectorate… Not a good option but one nonetheless. Let's see where in Brockton Bay I was… With my luck, I was straight in the heart of either the ABB or the Merchants territories.

After a few minutes, I was swearing at me and Murphy in French as I identified a big building near the park. Winslow school, of course! And it was morning, OF COURSE!

I debated with myself for a few seconds and then… Screw Wildbow and screw the canon script! Confident in my intuition, I selected an alley with many hidden spots and looked at my watch. Time for an acid test… and giving a name to my IS.

"Come… StarKnight!"

The transformation was as embarrassing for me as it was for a first-timer magical girl, especially the storage of all my clothes before the system gave me my skin-tight combat suit. It also wasn't very discrete with plenty of light show… Fortunately, I did choose a good spot in the alley and my Hyper Sensor wasn't detecting any functional camera or bystanders in my vicinity.

However, it was detecting a bio-hazard within the school… My fist clenched on the grip of my beam rifle. Here it was, the temptation for any readers of the Worm web-novel and becoming a Self-Insert to simply disintegrate a few people… But I didn't have enough courage or rage to do that. Fantasying about it? Oh yes!

Damn it, Baran! Eyes on the goal! Taylor Hebert was probably still inside this toxic coffin of a locker. Get a grip on your emotions and go, right now, idiot!

I focused on my downloaded skills, retracted in… sub-space..? my weapons, and activated my anti-gravity drive and secondary thrusters. No need to go supersonic within a city. I also triggered my recording system and asked the Comm unit to link with Brockton Bay Public Hospital.

"This is Foothills Hospital, how may I help you?"

Nice professional feminine voice. "This is the non-registered independent hero StarKnight. I'm hovering over the Winslow School building and my sensors just detected a bio-hazard situation within the school."

"Excuse me? Bio-hazard? Independent hero? Sir, are you sure this isn't something for the PRT Emergency Line?"

"Negative. While I qualify as a Parahuman, the danger I'm detecting concerns the medical sector... And probably the law enforcement, but I can't warn and muster the CDC, only you have the authority. I would also like to know how to proceed from there, please."

"Understood... Here's what you're going to do, sir."

I listened carefully, gave a verbal accord, and then acted while maintaining contact with the hospital. Despite my First Aid qualification, I wasn't authorized paramedical personnel.

I entered the school and went to the guard booth within… No guard… Of course. And the less I thought about all the safety and surveillance issues I was detecting, the better for my mental health. I then proceeded directly to the Principal's office, thankfully properly placed on the almost intact school map on a wall. The secretary, who was smoking in a public building, went almost white at my presence. It's the wings, I'm sure.

"This is a bio-hazard emergency. In accord with the Foothills Hospital staff, I, the independent hero StarKnight, am declaring a lock-down situation. Please, evacuate immediately the students and staff to the gymnasium since it's the building the farthest away from the contaminated site."

She was very flabbergasted and a little terrified. "Ah… Err… I think only the principal can do that… Mister..?"

"StarKnight. Independent hero StarKnight." I pointed at a door. "The principal is in her office?" As confirmed by my Hyper Sensor. "Good, I'll warn her myself." I ignored her gurgles and entered the office.

Principle Blackwell was doing some work by playing Tetris on her computer when she looked at me, went white, and fell from her chair with a strangled cry. It must be my helmet, more impressive than I thought.

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?! What do you want!? Be warned, I have the authorities on speed dial!" A very impressive set of lungs.

I deadpanned. "In order, independent hero StarKnight. I'm here to help your entire school on the behalf of Foothills Hospital. I want you to declare an emergency lock-down and evacuate your students and staff to the gymnast due to a current bio-hazard situation. And good since you need to confirm what I said from the hospital's authorities."

She went green then red. How… quaint. "I… I need to call the PRT… Yes, the PRT first. Don't move!"

I shrugged. "I'm not moving and I apologize. I forgot to precise that the hospital is already listening in through my audio sensor and that I'm recording all this as the proper procedure stipulates."

She processed what I just said and went white again. Maybe she was feeling ill. "Oh… Right… Yes, of course, calling the hospital first…"

"Thank you, principal Blackwell. Now, following my instructions, I'll move to the contaminated site to isolate it and record everything there."

I didn't listen to her demands to wait or stop and promptly went to the lockers, also ignoring the secretary using her phone, by following the angry red blinking bio-hazard symbol on my visor.

No one was in the halls as the students were still in their classrooms. I cringed when I arrived there. My suit was in full NBC mode, so I couldn't smell anything, but the Hyper Sensor could easily detect the still living teenage girl in one of the lockers. "Foothills, please advise. I'm detecting a living human body within a locker at the point zero of the contaminated site."

I heard a muffled swear. "Understood StarKnight. Rescue teams are still five minutes away. You're authorized to free the victim in an emergency."

You can bet your ass I'll free her. I retrieved my vibro-knife and carefully cut just the bolt open. Minimal risk for Taylor, minimal damage, and maximum preservation of the forensic proofs within the locker.

I caught the falling inert form of the tall girl and examined her. "Foothills, the victim is a Caucasian teenager girl. Black hair and sixteen years old I would say. The contaminant is festering menstrual tampons crawling with insects and her vomit. She's covered in blood residue on the lower body and legs and abrasions and scratches on the upper body and arms… Seeing most of them infected… I don't like her vitals. She's unconscious with barely reactive pupils, feverish, fast heartbeat with low and falling blood pressure and discolored skin."

The hospital controller sighed. "Received and understood, StarKnight. Stay with her, don't move her, and wait for the medical team."

I looked at my chronometer and frowned. Blackwell, you filthy black-heart. "Foothills. Something is wrong here. I asked the principal to evacuate her students 5 minutes ago and nothing has been done. Do you have confirmation of her calling you?"

"… StarKnight, we have confirmation… CDC liaison is now officially declaring a potential criminal situation. BBPD units will be called on-site and warned of your presence and status. Possible PRT intervention too. Please follow the instructions of the medical teams until the proper authorities arrived."

And I waited with a shivering Taylor in my armored arms. I accessed my energy control panel and heated my armor plating to 40° Celsius to maintain her body temperature. I had some pan-spectrum antibiotics with my internal medical suite but couldn't legally use them, although if her state worsened... I dearly hoped Taylor would stay alive until the rescue came.

A few minutes later, I detected the first rescue units a few blocks away and Blackwell finally called for the lockdown and evacuation of the students. The bitch waited for the last moment… No matter, her fate was already sealed.

The following moments were a real circus. Because, of course, the evacuating students saw me and Taylor. I had to use my speakers to prevent anyone from approaching me and the contaminated site and, OF COURSE, I couldn't forbid people to take videos with their phones.

Didn't see any from the Terrible Trio. Oh well, apart from Hess and Barnes, I would have some difficulty in identifying them. Thankfully the rescue teams were professional and no non-sense guys. Taylor was quickly treated on-site to stabilize her state and evacuated to the hospital. I stayed where I was due to the bio-hazardous waste on my armor and waited until the CDC took charge and decontaminated me while taking my report. Including my digital recording of the events. CDC being a federal organism, the PRT incompetence wouldn't make things difficult… Just the corrupt and competent sides… And Coil, never forgot about that SOB.

The BBPD quickly took action regarding the "crime scene" while counting on the CDC to properly record everything they found while decontaminating it. Copies of my report went to numerous hands. I was thankful that my helmet hid my smirk.

And then the PRT and Protectorate arrived… Two whole hours after the beginning of the situation. Since I knew Sophia Hess was a Ward, it could only be a manipulation of Coil for them to come so late.

I could already see the goal of that bastard: Make the whole ENE group look bad, again, with the public services of the city and the CDC… No. Not on my watch.

It was the duo of Armsmaster and Miss Militia. Curious that those two were almost together whenever something happened… Oh, well… I went out of the decontamination tent the CDC installed and slowly but firmly went in their direction as they were talking with the federal agents.

Armsmaster immediately went into a relaxed posture that would enable him to quickly draw his halberd and Miss Militia's handgun morphed briefly into… a Light Anti-tank Weapon..? Well, I was taller than any of them, so…

"Good morning, Armsmaster, Miss Militia." I turned my head to the school. "Although I wish it was in a better situation."

I could feel the electromagnetic waves of Armsmaster's sensor suite raking over my IS, trying to pierce my ECM. "Are you the Parahuman known as StarKnight?"

Let us not forget about his damn lie detector, although he shouldn't have it ready at this time. "Affirmative, sir. I've identified myself as the non-registered independent hero StarKnight to your colleagues."

Uh, I was relying on my military training during a crisis… Oh, gods, I felt so lost in such a situation.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: I'm following the standard rule of 1000 words for 100 CP. 50 CP = 1 charge. I'm also ignoring anything about the in-story description of the perks I'll win. And I will use a random generator for each perk.

However, I'll make the roll to only available perks within the current charge and re-rolling if I obtain a perk I already have. Which means low-level perks (0-200 CP) first and rapidly.

As for the free stuff in the Jumpchain settings… Well, we'll see case by case. If it's humorous, useful, or mandatory then I'll probably keep it.

Current charge: 4.462. Perk range: 200 CP.

Perks in this chapter:

Personal IS | IS Education and Training (Infinite Stratos) (0CP)

- Personal IS (0CP) All players get a free Infinite Stratos Mecha personalized to them. See the Infinite Stratos section after the Item section for details on how to create this mecha.

- IS Education and Training (Infinite Stratos) (0CP) The Infinite Stratos are terribly complicated things. It takes a lot of knowledge of mathematics and various sciences to operate one and even more to maintain the machines. That's not even getting into the trained reflexes and coordination you need to be able to use an IS for effective combat. Usually, you'd learn this over time in school but as a special consideration, you'll have all that knowledge and skill popped into your head, free of charge. You won't be matching an Ace but you can be assured of being proficient.
Build your own Infinite Stratos in the Jump Document. The options are half the jump document and not copied here as a result.

Baran3 · Jan 28, 2022

LOST ON A DEATH WORLD

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: The story, overall, should be almost a fix-it story. I intend to go after everything wrong in this universe as soon as I have the perks to do it.

Of course, it'll be influenced by what I receive, in what order, and what did I do wrong (or right) before.

There's also the necessity to not make everyone dependent on me or my creations… And not unleash a thousand genies from their bottles.

Chapter 1: Lost in house-searching.

I managed it..!

Well, more exactly, I managed to NOT be recruited by the PRT. It was simple: I just arrived in Brockton Bay, as in this very early morning and I needed some time to "put my legs under the table".

Register? Of course, I'll register. That was my intention from the beginning, but this incident took priority, of course.

Absolutely, full cooperation with ALL the federal agencies present. Huh, Armsmaster tried to hide a wince here, oh well... Here is a USB memory card with my record of the incident and the actions I took… Just like the ones your colleagues received.

My Tinker specialty? I don't think it's relevant to the situation. Well, I have a power armor, a sensor suite, a comm system, an ECM suite, and a flight unit. Weapons..? None that I deployed, especially in a school… Well, except for a knife to cut open the contaminated locker to free the young girl inside. Yeah, that was horrible.

Contacting the PRT first? Of course not. While I may qualify as a Parahuman and thus under your jurisdiction, the crime wasn't and the CDC is better equipped to deal with it. And another hidden wince.

No, Mr. CDC agent, I don't think they were late. I fear they were sabotaged. Yes, sabotaged. Why? Well, the Principal already tried to delay the evacuation and no one seemed to have witnessed the act of bioterrorism or the kidnapping and sequestration of the young girl inside the locker. That's very suspect in a school, especially with teenagers. And here were Armsmaster and Miss Militia exchanging a significant look.

So, anything else? Apart from my registration… Yes, I'll come to the PRT building to sign on the first occasion. No need to be so anxious. What about the press?

Huh, no. Not answering the press is a bad idea. Well, because I'm new and probably already on PHO since the students took plenty of videos with their phones… You'll have to explain to me how I could have asked them to stop and erase what they already took without appropriate authority. Wow, hidden winces from both the CDC agent and Armsmaster.

Of course, I won't comment on the current investigation. By the way, how is the young girl I saved? Taken directly to Panacea? And you already called her father? Good, very good. Alright, so no comment on the investigation, protecting the minors and not alarming the people.

Of course, the CDC and the Protectorate have the current situation under control. And, I cooperated completely with both. Yes, they're hyenas and I will mind my words… No, I won't call them hyenas.

Good morning, gentlemen. Wow, one at a time if you want me to answer. You won't stop..? Well, then I'm off. Of course, I'll answer a few questions, why do you think I stopped by your group?

Alright, my name is StarKnight. Independent hero. Not registered yet. Please, I've just come into Brockton Bay, give me a little time. No, sorry, no comment on the current investigation. Of course, the public has the right to know, but how does that imply breaking the law?

No, the situation is under control thanks to the collaboration of the PRT, Protectorate, and the CDC. Yes, I was there. Yes, bio-terrorism in a school. Please, don't be alarmist, the CDC is already examining the students and will provide medical help if needed. Yes, the site is now under decontamination and will be examined under a microscope. Yes, a good joke.

No, I won't name the victim or victims as they're minors, but I'm authorized to tell you they're out of danger. Well, tough, but that's what the parents want… You never truly met an angry parent, didn't you?

My powers? I'm a Tinker according to the PRT nomenclature. No, I won't say my specialty. Because I don't want you to not have the pleasure to guess it, of course. Sorry, no comment on your suggestions for now. That wouldn't be very sportive, right?

Yes, my power armor is nice. No, it can't be compared to Armsmaster's. I'm a newbie, he's a seasoned professional. Why the wings despite the bad association with the Simurgh? It's a message, I'm tracing my line in the sand… Because I'm not going to listen to the Hope-killer. It made a mockery of this particular imagery so, I'm saying stop right now... No! It'll be over my dead body. After all, Patrick Henry said, "give me liberty, or give me death"!

A demonstration of my equipment? Right away.

I posed, Gundam Wing style, with my helmet's eyes flashing emerald while extending my wings and then activated my flight unit and gently rose in the air before using a burst of my secondary thrusters and disappeared in the skyline… Well, I cheated a little by activating my optical cloak after leaving their line of sight. Still, I'm sure I made a very photogenic figure.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I rapidly found another alley without camera coverage and returned to my civilian clothes and subspacing my IS… Phew… Safe, at least for now.

Safe… Yeah, right, Baran. Not only did you just give an interview, but you're also on the radar of the PRT/Protectorate which meant that ALL the various groups of Brockton Bay and many of Earth Bet's will soon know of you… Oh well, Taylor's life was more important.

Okay… So, I needed some safety for the immediate future… Well, there was a solution. I called in my mind the Celestial Forge.

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 6.274. Perk range: 300 CP.

Once again I triggered the double-click of my mental computer mouse. And…

Current charge: 5.274. Perk range: 250 CP.

Well, it was a good thing that I was in an alley with no one around me because the Celestial Forge changed me!

Phew… No breasts and I was still male with black hair and green eyes… Also still on the short side. But I was no longer a slightly overweight middle-aged man and I no longer needed my glasses. Looking at my reflection on a dirty glass after putting them in my subspace pocket, I estimated that my body was on the higher end for human fitness and I felt able to compete in any modern athletic field without any training required.

Yeah, I lost my belly, gained a six-pack stomach, regained a few hairs, and shed a lot of years. I looked like when I was in my middle twenties right now… Fortunately, my clothes also changed with me, probably because of Anime logic… Huh, cool. I had also some sort of a subconscious Reality Warping field that could summon a wide range of aesthetic effects, even or especially when they made no sense...

Like a flurry of cherry blossoms on the wind as I made an entrance or having the sun shining down the red rays of a sunset even mid-morning to dramatize my epic battles.

Yeah… Really discrete… Let us hope I can convince people that it was just a dedicated holo-unit for special and dramatic effects.

I frowned as I felt something else… Some sort of tingling right under my skin and… at the back of my mind. I reached for the double-click of my mental mouse, clenched my fists as I focused on me and…

A web of Magical Circuits shone on my skin and I could feel their heat diffusing in my body as my Od thrummed through them.

Yep… The Fate/Stay Night franchise and all the Nasuverse shenanigans just entered the Worm setting through me. I was now the "happy" owner of 40 Magical Circuits of Class A and could generate 500 to 1000 units of Mana… Just like a certain female Tohsaka heir… Let us hope I wasn't a Tsundere too… Although being an "Average One" would be awesome.

I didn't have any sudden downloads of knowledge about Thaumaturgy, but I should be able to recreate some basic techniques in the future… With a few risks… Can't forget that.

Oh, and the cherry on the top..! I was now a God of Cooking… No, seriously, like being a genius at making meals and, fortunately, I wasn't limited to Eastern recipes. With just a little experimentation, I could make ANYTHING into a mouth-watering dish.

Oh, dear gods… I was Emiya Shirou. Anyone tasting my cooking could be transformed into a freeloader like a certain Tiger Lady… And having blonde Saber-like short ladies soon at my table was now a big possibility.

Eh..? Oh, I could channel magical energy into my tools and ingredients and thus enchant my dishes with a variety of useful effects, like buffing the natural healing, bestowing the speed of the wind, increasing the strength, and so on…

Ah..? I could also induce negative effects. An excellent solution for some freeloaders and other undesirables. Hum… All this was temporary unless I made permanent magical tools and used magical ingredients but this was…

Useless...

Yes, useless! It will be a great asset soon, but now, I was still without a home and an identity. No money and no resources. I could search for a temporary place as a cook, but those who could accept me without any legal papers would probably be in cahoot with criminal organizations… Like the ABB or the Empire Eighty-Eight. Yeah, no thank you.

I facepalmed and massaged my eyes. Should I go to the PRT or..? I wondered if I could use the Celestial Forge again.

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 5.454. Perk range: 250 CP.

So, I could make a roll on the Celestial Forge as long as I had a positive charge… It was also only possible as long as I didn't deplete the perks attainable… Which meant it was possible to make rolls until I had ALL the free perks… No, or at least not yet. Let us be prudent and wait to have a stronger and stable foundation.

I crossed my fingers… and wondered if having luck-based perks wouldn't help while rolling on the Celestial Forge.

Current charge: 4.624. Perk range: 200 CP.

Bingo! It worked! And my eyes widened as I look at the hi-tech tool in my hand: A Habitat Constructor from Subnautica!

YES! Hum… I calmed myself rapidly as I didn't want to draw attention and looked closely at my prize. Prizes, in fact, as I had also a Subnautica Personal Digital Assistant and an Alterra Skin-suit… with a subspace holding bag which synchronized with the one I had from my IS mecha. Score!

I put the habitat constructor and skin-suit in my expanded subspace pocket and booted up the PDA. Huh, it had the same loading sequence as the game, complete with the Alterra logo and little music.

"This PDA has now rebooted in emergency mode with one directive: To keep you alive on Earth Bet."

Cool, I just hoped the AI didn't have the snark of the one in the game even if it had the same feminine voice.

"An emergency life pod has been deployed in an appropriate nearby biome for your immediate survival. It is recommended to use the integrated idiot-proof map in this PDA to reach it with your Infinite Stratos power armor unless you want to suicide."

… Not cool… Not cool at all… And, what the hell!? A Subnautica life pod!? Deployed in Brockton Bay.!?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few moments later I confirmed that yes, there was a Subnautica life pod deployed in Brockton Bay as I examined the big underground cave half-filled with water under the town. The map I downloaded in my IS was complete and very accurate and guided me from a hidden siphon in the bay to this place.

Brockton Bay was built on a giant aquifer system with plenty of caves and tunnels, most of them big enough to accommodate someone in power armor and build a typical Subnautica base. There was also a clear separation between the saltwater from the nearby ocean and the freshwater that the town used for drinking water.

Hell, at least 5 of those partially or completely water-filled caves were the size of the famous Subnautica's Giant Cove Tree Cave… However, there wasn't any conveniently phosphorescent flora but I had my sensors and headlights.

And it wasn't even the early afternoon of my first day in Brockton Bay…

Okay, fuck it. I was going to eat and drink some emergency ration and then try to sleep in the life pod. I needed the time to decompress. After that, I'll check the time and probably call on the Celestial Forge again THEN I'll draw some plans.

And well, I just did that after banishing my IS into subspace. No prophetic dream or visit by a ROB or anything like that. I must have been more exhausted mentally than I thought. Even the uncomfortable seat inside didn't prevent me from sleeping for a few hours.

"This PDA reminds you that a proper bed is an absolute must for proper rest and will prevent back and neck pains."

Funny, very funny as the database of the Fabricator inside the pod had, of course, only the initial basic blueprints of the game and thus no bed among other things… I also needed to name the damned AI before it drove me crazy.

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 6.078. Perk range: 300 CP.

Let's go for it, especially since I needed some other things rather urgently like a source of energy to have some lights outside my life pod.

Current charge: 4.130. Perk range: 200 CP.

Uh..? I wondered if, finally, I didn't have some kind of control over the randomness of the rolls as I obtained another perk from Subnautica… It was a good one, but not something to help me right now. I could now ensure that the integrity of any building I made had more hull integrity and any vehicles would have more armor without hindering the weight and speed. At least by +50% from the original.

Hum… Huh, I could rebuild my IS which counted as a vehicle, and boost its already impressive defense in the near future. Well, I still had enough charges and crossed again my fingers.

Current charge: 2.130. Perk range: 100 CP.

… No way..! Absolutely no fucking way..!? I looked at the key that appeared in my hand. I just obtained a full warehouse of materials and resources. Of ANY kind, no matter how common or how rare they were. Did I need it? I'll have it, fiat-backed… But only for technology, no magic or others.

Better, it would replenish used materials every twenty-four hours after I took it out of the warehouse while also recording and replenishing any materials that I would add in the future.

And it was an add-on for the Jumpchain Cosmic Warehouse that I just obtained… I burst into laughter. I just solved my problems with the Subnautica tech and a few others. I just needed to wish for parts and materials from everything in the game, including organic resources. A little scanning and the relevant blueprints would then be in my database…

"This PDA reminds you that laughing like a mad man is a sign of possible insanity due to prolonged isolation… or the intention of becoming a villain which is another sign of insanity on Earth Bet."

"Fuck you, PDA!"

"That action is impossible due to this PDA current form."

"Okay, stop. I understand." I forced myself to be calm. The PDA was, at least for now, a non-sentient intelligence with an emulator for its apparent snark. So no stressing over a simple piece of equipment. "I was just amazed by the possibilities offered by the Resource Generator we just obtained and that is without taking into account the sheer potential of a Cosmic Warehouse."

"Understood. Your probability of survival has just increased to: unlikely, but plausible."

I facepalmed. This was going to suck… a lot for as long as I couldn't change or reprogram this fucking computer system with the help of perks from the Celestial Forge. Because, of course, Subnautica could change the colors of its buildings and vehicles, but not reprogram a PDA.

Well, for now, I planned to make a scanner and go nuts over all the content of the Resource Generator… and test something as well. I went to the roof hatch of the pod and put my key, fiat-backed to never be lost or being stolen, near the handle. A discrete led went green and I opened the hatch… directly from the floor of the entrance hall of my own personal Cosmic Warehouse just as advertised.

The pocket dimension was like I remembered from the description: A security system able to detect any non-authorized intruder. A neutral environment with standard Earth gravity and comfortable temperature and humidity levels. Storage space of 80 X 80 X 10 meters with standard metallic shelves and white surfaces. A color-neutral and ambient light all over the place. A closet door near the entrance with all the cleaning supplies that I could want or need.

And, finally a Companion Calibration Unit in the form of a vending machine-sized diagnostic cabinet which could scan my eventual future companions for any form of illness, genetic malady, or physical/neurological dysfunction and, of course, correct them. It would also provide a statistical analysis of their baseline. The only problem was that all the functions except the last were fiat-backed to work ONLY on people that I chose as a companion like in a standard Jumpchain…

Still, there was another door near the entrance hall that opened on my second warehouse space: The Resource Generator. It was… chock-full of materials and various resources… All were carefully ordered and conditioned.

So… I took 2 Acid Mushrooms, a Copper Ore, and a Titanium sample and went back to the life pod. The Solar Batteries powering the pod needed sunlight to recharge but I had a largely sufficient energy reserve to make quite a few things before needing another source of power.

I watched the miracle of the Fabricator making a Scanner. Atomic-scale manipulation of matter… The perspectives were almost unlimited. And then… I scanned the hell out of everything I could put my hand on it. Even my IS, including the Time Crystal or what I gained from the past perks.

I just made a gigantic leap in my future possibilities. Even the stuff from the Below Zero episode of Subnautica was obtained since I just needed to precise it in my mind and the Generator did the rest. Yes, everything, even the Precursor-derived technology, and all the various items and whatnot created by the Subnautica community for the game Mods.

And now, yes, now! I could build my base and even develop the cave… Right after making a plan on how it should be.

"It may be prudent to separate work and leisure spaces to maximize productivity.

Treat this space like your home, but never forget that it is not."

"Seriously..? Are you programmed with the entire game dialogues? And repeating them when appropriate?"

"Affirmative. It would be not optimal to do otherwise."

This thing was really getting on my nerves. "I'm going to destroy you…"

"This PDA reminds you that its indestructibility is fiat-backed by the Celestial Forge."

Nevertheless, throwing it at the nearest wall was rather therapeutic… I wondered if the copies I could do of it were also indestructible. I felt a little lost with all I had to do to build my first base.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: I intend to use my Subnautica game in Creative Mode to make my future base with a practical and logical design. A full Large Room will be used as a greenhouse for the various plants from Subnautica and I'll also use an Alien Containment unit for water-based plants. Especially since I don't want any species escaping my base so no external plant beds… Probably should build all that within my Jumpchain Warehouse but for now, I simply don't have the place.

If you have an idea for the PDA name, don't hesitate to post it. For now, it's Just A Very Irritating System.

I won't use any of the Core Modes for the Cosmic Warehouse since I think I can build all the available options with the Celestial Forge.

Current charge: 3.044. Perk range: 150 CP.

Perks gained in this chapter:

Beniemiya (Fate/Legends: Japan)- 50 CP.

It might just be something in the water, both what you're drinking and what you serve to the guests that adore every meal you make. You're a savant when it comes to making meals, not just limited to Eastern dishes either. With a little experimentation, you can make almost anything into a mouth-watering feast for both the taste buds and the eyes. The real problem isn't making a good meal but keeping all these greedy pigs from eating you out of house and home. Don't even try making hamburgers around any blonde ladies, it never ends well.

Now, while cooking good food is a prize well worth it, you do also have a more useful aspect here. By channeling magical energy into your tools and ingredients as you work, you're able to 'enchant' the meal with a variety of useful effects. A hearty beef stew that lets a warrior heal their wounds much faster than normal, sugary sweets that give people the speed of the wind, a mighty hamburger that temporarily bulges the muscles to greater heights. Even negative effects are possible if you want to taint your food that way. They only last for a temporary period and the effects tend to be fairly weak without a lot of mana put in but it makes your food all the more popular.

Blossoming Sun (Fate/Legends: Japan)- Free

You had a fortunate birth, whatever you end up being, and find yourself above average for these lands. Japan is not particularly a bastion of mystical heroes in the way of Greece or Britain. Indeed, many of the legends to be found following are made from incredible skill or the command of many soldiers instead of personal feats of might and magic. But even these skillful heroes do tend to stand above the other poppies.

Your body is naturally on the higher end for human fitness, ably competing in modern athletics without any training required. Magically, you possess a number of high-quality circuits, equal to the much later coming Tohsaka heir. A prodigy in those times but still notable even a thousand years prior. You lack training for now but magic is not so hidden as it becomes in the modern-day, with the presence of spiritual temples and Onmyouji practitioners.

As a quirk of this land, you also can summon a wide range of aesthetic effects, even when they make no sense. A flurry of cherry blossoms on the wind as you make an entrance, the sun shining down the red rays of a sunset even mid-morning to dramatize your battles. One might claim you're in some sort of samurai movie, with how many dramatic effects tend to occur around you.

Habitat Constructor (Subnautica)- 50 CP.

As long as the materials are present in your subspace inventory, the Habitat Constructor is capable of creating robust outposts and domiciles. Due to complex structural requirements, the constructor is unable to build anything that isn't anchored to the ground.

Manifold Destiny (Subnautica)- 100CP.

You've got one job, and you're pretty good at it. The things you build have extra hull integrity, giving you more leeway when constructing habitats. Vehicles you construct have more advanced armor, making them harder to hurt without sacrificing acceleration.

Skin-suit (Subnautica) (Free to everyone)

It's not armored, but it's climate-controlled, and it comes with an air tank-compatible helmet. Utilizes a small subspace inventory for the convenience of the wearer. The gloves grant extra traction, making it easy to grip slippery things like slimy fish scales. Skin-tight.

PDA (Subnautica) (Free to Everyone)

Loaded with an emergency intelligence and more data capacity than you could ever use, this is a survivor's second most powerful tool (after his or her brain.) The AI may get a bit… quirky… over long deployments. Your version is basically indestructible. Contains basic construction blueprints.

Pod (Subnautica) (Free to everyone)

This emergency life pod has inflatable skids along the bottom to help keep it on the surface of the water, as well as a hatch on both the bottom and top. It also comes with a radio receiver, six solar-charging batteries, and a universal fabricator. The storage container has enough food and water for about a week. A nano-med kit is synthesized and added to storage once a day.

Resource Generator (A Certain Magical Index + A Certain Scientific Railgun) – 100cp

Buying materials and resource cost too much time and manpower especially if the materials or recourse that you need are limited or rare. You gain a warehouse full of materials and resource no matter how common to how rare it is that you need to build any technology that you want. It replenishes used materials every twenty-four hours after you took them out of the warehouse additionally it records and replenishes any materials that you add to your warehouse. After jump, it would become a warehouse add-on or be inserted near your starting location.

Cosmic Warehouse (free): Over the course of your adventures you're probably going to collect a metric duck-ton of stuff. Weapons, armor, technology, cars, big evil laser beams, everything and anything including several kitchen sinks. Why? Because you can. Now, normally you'd have trouble storing it all, and that's no fun, so here's your very own Cosmic Warehouse to give you a place to stick all your stuff. It is contained within its own reality that contains absolutely nothing else (guaranteed) and no matter where you go (unless blocked by a drawback or gauntlet) you'll always be able to access it. Before you do anything with it, it looks like a fairly dimly lit and very empty room.

Your Warehouse forms the base of your Personal Reality, with any additions you buy or make expanding it through various means. Anything added to the Warehouse via CP purchase is guaranteed to work flawlessly with anything and everything else attached to the Warehouse. Anything added by the use of fiat-backed powers or abilities is likewise guaranteed to seamlessly integrate. This means that, although you can't just buy a house with cash in a jump and integrate it into your warehouse, you could enchant a closet already in your Warehouse with Harry Potter brand 'bigger on the inside' magic if you've been to a Harry Potter jump. Essentially, you'll get a complete set of manuals on how each thing you buy functions and listing how various techs and magics that you have already purchased can be integrated with what you have already. It won't make suggestions, but it will tell you how to accomplish something if you've already got the power and know-how needed to pull it off.

Starting Space (free): Your Personal Reality starts out with a volume of 80×80×10 meters, so 6,400 square meters of floor space or 64,000 cubic meters of storage volume. In the archaic and silly 'Imperial' measuring system this translates to 262.5×262.5×32.8 feet, so 68,889 square feet or 2,260,138 cubic feet.

Access Key (free): This is a special key that lets you access your Personal Reality and its contents. When inserted into any lock on any door, the door opens to reveal a gateway into your Reality at a predetermined location within it. You are the only person who can take the key from the lock, the gateway remains open as long as the key is in the lock, and if the key is ever lost or stolen you will find it in your pocket a few minutes later. You cannot close the door as long as you are inside the Personal Reality.

Security System (free): Anybody coming in and out of your Personal Reality is now checked for any authorization you've given them to access it; and should anything about said authorization (or a lack of it) raise any flags in the system, then you will receive a warning about it. This allows you to define just what sorts of authorization different individuals can have to access your Personality Reality, anything from No Access through Temporary Access and Limited Access to Unlimited Access is possible. All this does is notify you. It does not stop them on its own. A Keyholder's Access cannot be limited by the Security System. Only hand out Keys to those you trust implicitly.

Loft (Free): What's the point of having a room 10 meters tall if you can't build upwards. Feel free to stack things up to the ceiling if you like.

Environmentally Neutral (Free): By default, the temperature in your Personal Reality is never too hot nor too cold, the air will always smell faintly musty but scent neutral, and the air will always be breathable… even if two different species with different atmospheric requirements are present in it at the same time…. well, as long as both species are there with permission. This won't protect breathing invaders. Earth Standard Gravity will be maintained in all areas, and the air will be just humid enough.

Shelving (free): Basic metal shelves to keep your goods on, the kind you find in industrial big box stores, sized for pallets and numbered for sorting. You'll get up to as many as will suit your initial space allotment, but if you don't take all of them, you'll need to buy more on your own… they sell them at most business supply warehouses, ironically enough.

Neutral Lighting (free): These lights are nothing special, It's a color-neutral, source-neutral ambient lighting system. It's not really that bright… think early twilight gloom, but if you want better, install it.

Entrance Hall (First Free): This is the room your Access Key opens a door to. It starts off as a 5-meter cube with blank white walls, floor, and ceiling, and some doors, one leading to the current Host Reality, the other into your Cosmic Warehouse, with additional doors leading to other extensions as these get added to your Personal Reality. Feel free to customize this Entrance Hall as you see fit. Additional Halls can, at your discretion, be linked only to certain keys or only to certain extensions. This allows you to have an entry hall just for skiing if you want.

Companion Calibration Unit (Free): While not a full Body Mod for your companions, this is perhaps the next best thing. Taking the form of a vending machine-sized diagnostic cabinet, this scans your companions (and all their alt-forms) for any form of illness, genetic malady, or physical/neurological dysfunction and corrects them. It also provides a statistical analysis of their baseline (i.e. what they'd be like powered down). This second function can be used on non-companions.

Cleaning Supplies (Free): Infinite supply of any cleaning supplies you might need for cleaning your Personal Reality. By default placed into a specific closet, but can be placed elsewhere. These have no actual chemical properties. No using this to get an endless supply of brooms or bleach. Completely safe for all complex lifeforms. Very not safe for viruses, bacteria, amoeba, or household pests.

Baran3 · Jan 29, 2022

LOST ON A DEATH WORLD

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: It's taking shape. I think the trick in such a story is to go slow. To write everything down for reference and do not hesitate to go another way while still aiming for a goal… Tricky, right?

Chapter 2: Lost in design.

Tuesday, January 2011, the fourth.

On the morning of my second day on Earth Bet, I looked at the beginning of my base. After some consideration, I decided to go simple and basic first while having enough places to add more modules later. The Habitat Builder was also more flexible for building placement than what was shown in the game while still retaining the grid helper.

Thus putting down a series of Foundations and building a Large Room housing a greenhouse of Interior Growbeds and an Alien Containment for fish-breeding and plant-farming as my central point with a few Multi-Purpose Rooms around. Two Bio-Reactors for power, a place to build with some storage, a bedroom with a very comfortable big bed and an office, a washroom, a moon-pool, and finally a dining room. No windows or Observation Rooms for now as… Well, there was nothing of any interest to observe outside for now.

Fortunately, posters from Subnautica counted as materials for my Resource Generator. I really liked the cat one.

I had shelter, food, drink, and a place to rest. It was enough, especially since my gift of Divine Cooking made the food from Subnautica very palatable and much better visually. Also, any lockers or doors could serve as an entry point to my Cosmic Warehouse.

And speaking of lockers, all were subspace-linked, freeing me from having to bring materials to a Fabricator. Of course, if I closed the Warehouse then any future automated systems inside it could only use the internal resources while any external system needs could only rely on what I brought out of the Warehouse.

I smirked thinking about what I built inside the Cosmic Warehouse. Since this model was safe and compact… I crafted a Nuclear Reactor with an Energy Reserve inside the Cosmic Warehouse to provide power for some future expansions because I didn't want to alarm some hypothetical visitors in the future. Now, I just needed a trick to have a proper water resource. Hum… Time for a roll on the Celestial Forge? No, not right now.

Right now, I needed a plan or at least a basic draft based on what I could remember of Worm and the too few perks of the Celestial Forge still in my memory.

Coil must die as soon as possible and in great pain. I mustn't forget to also deal with all his contingencies.
I must help Taylor and her family by direct and/or discrete means. With a few future perks, I should significantly boost Taylor to the rank of an utter badass without all her canon escalation. Yeah, this will blow into my face, I know it.
The E88 must die, at least some of them. And let us not forget about their sponsor in Europe. I also must put Theo, Aster, and her mother outside Brockton Bay rapidly.
The ABB must die, especially Bakuda, unless I managed to catch her at Cornell. Note to myself: Must kick the crotch of a certain fire-lizard.
The Merchants must die after I washed their mouths with soap. And found a solution with all the druggies.
The Undersiders must be reformed, and I must avoid Aisha like the plague… Lisa too. I must have sufficient medical power to help Alec and pay a good lawyer for Rachel. Probably going to slap Brian for being such an idiot.
The Slaughterhouse 9 must die and Riley must be saved. Burnscar too if I can manage it. I'll have to crush verbally Jack Slash if possible.
Nilbog must die with much, much fire. And I must ensure that Piggot will press the Red Button so to speak.
Heartbreaker must die after I cut a certain lower portion of his anatomy and rescued his victims.
The Teeth must die and the Butcher permanently buried.
The Fallen must die and all their victims liberated. Beware their many Masters.
The Elite must die… Perhaps..? I couldn't truly remember what they were.
The Travelers must die… I meant they must be healed and brought back on Earth Aleph.
The Dragonslayers must die and Dragon must be freed from both them and the shadow of her father/creator.
New Wave must die… This was not my day. I meant they must be helped, especially Amy.
NEPEA 5 must be repelled and a better system put into place. Booting the ass of a few politicians seemed also a good idea.
All the S-Class threats on Earth Bet must die, especially all the warlords of Africa. Note to self, I'll have to see what I can exploit from the Machine Army and the Three Blasphemies and I must carefully analyze Sleeper before any actions.
The Yangban must die along with the Chinese Union Imperial. Without harming the innocent population.
The Endbringers must die. Or, at least be cut off from Eidolon. And I must stay under the radar of the Simurgh. Also, everything they've done must be undone.
Cauldron must die. After I prevented the upcoming collapse of civilization and the destruction of the trust still existing within the Cape community and helped all their experiment victims. I'll probably have to give subtle and/or unsubtle nudges to a certain woman with a fedora.
The Villains, Rogues, and Heroes must die… Or, at least, the current definition of those terms put into place by the PRT. I'll have to see about Tagg and a bunch of the other PRT directors. Perhaps healing Piggot discretely?
Scion, or more exactly Zion must die along with all its species.
The entire network of the Shards/Passengers must be stabilized and ordered in a cohesive, functional, and non-destructive array.
Brockton Bay and most of this world must be rebuilt without making them dependent on me or something I'll create.

"This PDA reminds you that killing is to be avoided in the current situation unless you want to be branded Villain which would lower your chances of survival significantly."

I looked at the long, long list that I wrote on the PDA and wondered if I shouldn't imitate Kiritsugu or perhaps Khepri. I was even sure that I was forgetting many and many things also very important. "I'll have to kill in the future. Some of those simply can't be left alive if I want Humanity to not only survive but also live."

"Recorded. However, you do not have the necessary firepower and legal authority to do so now. Other actions would also need a significant portion of the perks within the Celestial Forge and probably a large support organization. This PDA suggests that you consolidate your initial position and build up your good reputation as an independent hero."

"A large support organization? That would require the creation of a corporation…" I smiled like a shark. "With plenty of mundane security guards armed with mundane weapons able to legally make holes in 90% of the existing Parahumans." I chuckled. "And the 10% remaining could be deal with some of my future technology."

"This PDA reminds you that the 1989 International Convention made the recruitment, use, training, and financing of mercenaries illegal. It also forbids the recruitment of people to fight in an armed conflict or for private gain. However, the use of PMCs and mercenaries is legal in countries that did not sign the UN treaty."

I frowned. "So, I would have to follow the Guild model and forge a liaison with the United Nations or strike illegally and most probably under another identity. I could even join the Guild although it would create some problems especially with my extra-dimensional nature or perhaps make my own super-powered team." I shook my head. "Too much and too early. I still need to take each day one by one until I reach a threshold of complete autonomy thanks to the Celestial Forge."

"Your first priority is to prepare for your registering as an independent hero with the PRT. This PDA suggests phoning them and making an appointment within this week. You will have to prepare yourself for some eventual confrontations: Director Piggot, Armsmaster, Miss Militia, Assault, and the technicians who will evaluate you as a Tinker. Thinking about what you're going to build as a demonstration is also a good strategy."

I nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea." I contemplated the device in my hand. "You also definitely need a name. Huh… I could go the Marvel way, but it's too cliche and your voice is feminine." An acronym too perhaps? The little pun with Jarvis was too funny to give it up. Virtual Intelligence? VI? Violet? It was Irritating to me so, another I..? No, I got it! VIDA, the Spanish term for life! Virtual Intelligence Deliberately Aggravating. Perfect!

"Alright, I dub thee, VIDA! Welcome to the team, Vida."

"Recorded. VIDA suggests that you finish exploring your current possibilities before calling anew on the Celestial Forge. According to your file, you were exercising regularly during your military days. VIDA suggests that you do it again. It would be good for your overall health and plain survival."

I blinked. "You have a file on me?"

"VIDA possesses complete files on you. Including your Curriculum, your biography, your computer log history, and your psychological profile. They are mandatory for this system in order to make accurate advice."

That was very reassuring. I needed some impressive Cyber Protection rapidly. Oh well, the ideas had some good and my subspace pocket was an appropriate hiding place. I went to my bedroom/office and pondered on what I could do for now.

First was Infinite Stratos. I didn't have any crafting or engineering skills to even modify something. However, I could easily continue my training as a pilot as the aquifer provided plenty of obstacles to test my limits. My shields would prevent any damage.

The second was Fate/Legends: Japan. My cooking skill needed plenty of ingredients and tools. Which meant having money to buy them or scanning kitchens while looting their fridges. I should have some occasion with the mundane members of the gangs. I could even search for abandoned restaurants. While buying ingredients was good, I could also create a farm within my base from samples and seeds. Vegetables and water-based lifeforms should be easy.

The aesthetic field effect was something specifically written as "can summon" and thus controllable. No early problems with a world-reaching Master/Shaker effect even if I couldn't precise what effect I wanted.

My Magical Circuits were another thing. Meditation on them was to be mandatory. I was currently the only Magus on Earth Bet. While Gaia and Alaya existed because I existed, there shouldn't be too many limitations on what I could accomplish. I was the only existing Mystery and the only Magus drawing power from the Root.

At its core, Thaumaturgy was merely the manifestation of things that already exist or occur in reality, albeit with a slight disregard for time and materials required. Phenomena not of this universe were normally impossible to reproduce, but I broke that limitation because I was of extra-dimensional origin and the Celestial Forge specifically reached into other universes with different rules.

The base of all Thaumaturgy was the use of magical energy to produce something that either already existed or could exist. The current modern science was of tremendous help with that. I just opened up the possibility of using other settings, including those using Thaumaturgy like the entire Nasuverse.

Even the Phantasm category didn't escape me as it was something made entirely out of images and might not even exist naturally anymore, and it would eventually be wiped out for conflicting with Gaia. However, as proven by Shirou Emiya, you could bypass this limitation to some extent. My imagination was rather powerful and reaching and I knew that in the vast Multiverse, "IT" exists.

I will have to research my Elemental Affinity and my Origin later as I lacked the tools required.

I'll be extremely limited in what spells I could teach myself. Oh, I remembered many spells from the series, but I didn't have the teaching methods so I was limited to… Reinforcement, Projection, and Memory Manipulation. I sighed. Fantastic, a Master power again. I also knew a little about Formalcraft, mostly in the form of protective circles and little bits of occult knowledge.

Third, Subnautica was far-reaching. It was a multiplier of force as each new technological perk would enable me to do more with it. I was leaning on the idea of completely and secretly developing the entire aquifer. A hidden giant base under the city which could be a tremendous advantage in case of Endbringer's attack. Could even see multiple exit routes in Grendizer-style.

Still, for now, I should stay on a small scale. I couldn't afford to show my hand so early.

Fourth, the Resource Generator… Well, I just had to wait to receive new resources coming from other perks to be profitable.

And finally, fifth, the Cosmic Warehouse. Now, it was another conundrum. Without the proper skills, I was limited in what I could do. The available space was also the most limiting factor so it will have to wait for new perks.

Alright, I seized my PDA and recorded a proper schedule for now. Physical exercises, meditation, spell research, and IS piloting training were a good beginning. I programmed enough time for proper hygiene and hearty meals. I needed also to go out for exploration, potential salvaging without exposing myself and… I sighed and grumbled as I couldn't buy things for now without money. And after all that, a roll on the Celestial Forge.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I still felt like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs as I came back from the surface. I simply had no problems at all… Yeah, I wasn't paranoiac, no sir. Invisibility was a real blessing for exiting and entering the aquifer. I hadn't been attacked nor did I find any crime in progress during my walk around the city. However, I needed money pronto to just buy bus tickets as my legs were killing me despite my peak physical condition.

Meh, after a good, long, and hot shower, I went to my office with my latest and yummy culinary creation with Subnautica ingredients and a cup of tea to see what the Celestial Forge would grant me now. I just had to determine if I made other rolls later… We'll see, it will depend on what I was gifted first.

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 7.882. Perk range: 350 CP.

Wow. And here we go…

Current charge: 6.882. Perk range: 300 CP.

I did a Spock. Interesting, I just gained a whole hangar within my Cosmic Warehouse. An entire variable and expandable space for storing my ground vehicles, planes, boats, and submarines. It also included automation to refit, maintain in prime condition and refuel them. I still needed to have a fuel source, but my special key could now open a hangar door or a docking bay to my Warehouse.

I smiled as now my Subnautica Moon Pools could do the same to any vehicles stored in them. A nice bonus.

I burst into laughter as I could now have at will any soundtrack playing for me. A nice way to save money and still have my tunes. I could even project it to those around me. An ideal way to make a Darth Vader entry. And the sound system of my IS should prevent any embarrassing questions.

Nice, I had a new skill! I could pilot, at least at a basic level, any plane, even futuristic ones. It should be useful if combined with my IS piloting skill, especially in any aerial battles.

I could also cram an absurd amount of missiles and ammo for special weapons in anything I owned. Macross Missile Massacre anyone?

I rolled over the floor at the last gift. The very nightmare of all modern organizations. I could occasionally fiat-backed catch communications being broadcast from anyone I considered as the enemy. This would range from important and secret, of course, information to reactions to my shenanigans. A slightly useful perk, and good for knowing how I was doing.

Alright, enough fun. It was a good perk… One could say that all the perks in the Celestial Forge were good ones, right? Time for another roll.

Current charge: 4.882. Perk range: 200 CP.

I knew things… No, let me repeat that: "I Knew Things". Much better. And a way to be heard by anyone on Earth Bet. I couldn't lie or bullshit with this perk, but I no longer could be ignored. I knew things and people will know that. My very knowledge and even Meta-knowledge had now a weight that couldn't be ignored, could convince people with facts, and could have a trading value. People couldn't misunderstand my words as long as they were backed by truth and facts.

Well, this nice perk should prevent a bazillion of future problems. It should help to prevent hostilities with most of the players in this Grim-dark and deadly game.

Another one? Another one.

Current charge: 3.882. Perk range: 150 CP.

Er… I've just gained 5 talents of Stabilized Moonsilver per year and the thaumaturgical procedure that may be used to create more of it… Well, that was good. I loved the Exalted setting. Even if I couldn't yet have a use for that, it was good for the future. Hell, my Nasuverse Thaumaturgy should harmonize well with the detailed notes I had on the procedure. Too bad my Resource Generator couldn't affect this Magical Material.

This will require plenty of perks in the future. For my survival, I hoped the Celestial Forge would grant me that wish.

The silvery light invading my bedroom took me completely by surprise. I jumped from my chair and my thoughts were halfway to summoning my IS when they froze as I looked up at the intruder.

It/he/she was a tall androgynous figure, clad in shining silvery finery with an Eastern style and despite the neutral nature of its/his/her appearance was visibly heavily pregnant. I couldn't but call it/him/her by its/his/her name.

"Luna..?" That was one of the faces of the Incarnae Luna, the God/dess of the Moon and Creation's chief trickster-type deity. In particular, this was the Two-Faced Bride, who might appear as either gender but was always heavily pregnant in either. "But… How!? Why..!?"

Its/his/hers voice was impossible to define and sounded amused. Male? Female? The two at the same time? "You're the beneficiary of the Blessings of the Celestial Forge and you're asking how a Deity from Creation entered Existence? Are you even sure that I am Luna?"

I blinked. "Everything in my guts and heart is screaming your name and nature."

Luna nodded and brought its/his/hers hands on my shoulders. So warm… I felt so small, like a very young child with his mother. "You are lost in a death world and while trying to survive you're also thinking about others not as characters from a novel but as living, feeling, and thinking beings. I'm choosing you as a herald for a better tomorrow, as my steward. Rise, Child of the Moon, for you are EXALTED!"

Luna kissed me on the forehead. And suddenly I was… one with everything for a fraction of Eternity. Essence, the very essence of Existence rushed into my core as a circle of silver burned brightly on my brow.

I realized that Luna had disappeared and yet, the silvery light was still here. It took me a moment to realize that it was coming from me. I was a dog, a German Shepherd. Huh, the same as my Chinese astrological symbol as I was born during the Year of the Dog of Metal.

With plenty of differences. There was a mirror on my desk and I discovered my Tell. My green eyes had gained an almost luminescent quality, like the Mako Eyes from Final Fantasy VII. My fur was normal, but for the swirls and lines of my Moonsilver Tattoos. And I could even decipher their signification which was a summary of my life so far, including Earth Bet and Luna. Luna…

I shook my head. My clothes had been automatically put into my subspace pocket when I took my Spirit Shape so that was one less problem. My mind was a boiling cauldron and yet so clear that I suspected my cerebral faculties were now at peak human level.

I changed back to my human form which confirmed my now Mako Eyes and the trick of subspacing back and forth my clothes. I stared at the burning silvery circle of my Caste Mark on my forehead. "Oh boy… I'm a No Moon Lunar Exalted." At least, I was still male… Until I drank the blood of a female during a Sacred Hunt.

And I was a priest of Luna no less. Did that mean that the Incarnae could now reach this setting? Or that new deities had been just created in this universe?

I blinked. Something was missing… Oh great, I didn't have any charms, knacks, and whatnot in memory. I was literally a newborn Lunar. My current knowledge would enable me to master rapidly Excellencies, but that was all. The rest will take time, training, and circumstances.

"VIDA reminds you that your equipment is no longer adapted to your Spirit Shape. You will have to scan your new form and craft the modified items for your survival. Some alterations, like the one needed for your Infinite Stratos power armor, will have to wait for you to have the proper and required skills and tools.

Remember, it is not the shape that counts, but the will animating it. Although, you'll have to find a clever solution for using your tools in Spirit Shape."

Damn sassy Virtual Intelligence. I was better armed than before, but still no money or a proper water source for my Cosmic Warehouse. I felt a little lost here and there.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: Many surprises with my rolls. I'm still unsure of what progression my character will take but it seems he is to be a hero of many forms.

And I surprised myself when I wrote this absurdly long list of things to fix in Worm… And I'm sure I forgot half of it. So don't hesitate to point out a few things.

The synergy between the perks is beginning to be interesting. I think Baran will keep his StarKnight image. With a better power armor of course. Upgrades and upgrades by the dozens.

Eh, my base is taking on the beginning of the Aperture Center… Without Glados or Cave Johnson, I hope.

I also hope to draw a cultivation perk early so as to make a coherent system early and not something that could crash the story later.

As for Exalted, don't worry, I have plenty of ideas. Still, don't hesitate to write me yours.

Thank you all for your suggestions about my PDA name, it was very helpful.

Current charge: 3.882. Perk range: 150 CP.

Perks gained during this chapter:

Hangar (Ace Combat) (50CP)

Planes are fine when they're going through the air and dealing with enemies. But leaving them to the elements and the outdoors when they're not in use? Well, that just seems really crass. You need somewhere to store your vehicles and planes when you're not busy destroying anything that's not on your side, and that's what these establishments are for. It's not the fanciest thing in the world, but it'll serve its purpose and make sure your means for vehicular slaughter are in prime condition for their tasks. For an additional +50CP, these hangar bays also come equipped with special clamps and harnesses to make refitting and refueling any planes, go much more quickly than they would if you were using them by hand. For sea-based bases, this also means you have docks for boats and submarines.
Gives a Warehouse attachment for planes, vehicles, boats, submarines. A very all-encompassing storage space that keeps the vehicles stored in prime condition too.

Soundtrack (Ace Combat) (Free): When you take to the skies, it does not always have to be on a somber note. As you fly to your mission, dogfight, or assault an enemy position you'll have the soundtrack of your choice playing in the background. Others can hear this if you wish, and you can turn this off at any time. Perfect for when you want to hype yourself up for a situation.

Basic Flight Training (Ace Combat) (Free): If you couldn't fly before, you have a basic idea of how to fly a plane now. You know how to maneuver the joystick properly, which button fires the missiles, and how to properly land a plane without creating a multi-million dollar pile of scrap. It won't save you if you dive into a massive swarm of planes all by yourself, but you can learn.

Missile Surplus (Ace Combat) (Free): Well this is odd. Any plane you pilot seems to hold an unnatural number of missiles for its type, far more than it should. You're not sure where it's getting this many missiles, but you'll have to restock them if you run out. The same thing happens with special weapons, though you have to have a working model to attach if you want to swap it out.

Comm Chatter (Ace Combat) (Free): While an important part of war is knowing what your opponent is up to, sometimes it's good for puffing your ego up too. For whatever reason, your radio will occasionally catch communications being broadcast from the enemy. This can range from important information to wild surprise at your antics. Not too useful, but good for knowing how you're doing.

I Know Things (Marvel Cosmic) (100CP)

What use is genius if no one will listen? How can one save the day or take over the galaxy if they are ignored? This ensures that will never be a problem for you. You know things and people know that. They will no longer scoff at or ignore your scientific ramblings so long as you know what you are talking about. You can always convince people to accept facts so long as you can explain them. People will also accept your knowledge of things as equivalent to a physical item of equal value when discussing bartering or trading. You can't bullshit with this perk. You have to actually be right and know the thing for it to be taken seriously.

Stabilized Moonsilver (Exalted-The Lunars) (50CP)

Deposits of Moonsilver form only in the Wyld. Beams of moonlight unpredictably illuminate a region of the Bordermarches or Middlemarches, boiling off the Wyld and distilling its Essence into the fluid, watery-looking moonsilver. However, raw moonsilver is unstable. An artisan needs special techniques to work it. Through coaxing songs and careful taps and strokes with crystal hammers and probes, the artisan quiets the Wyldness remaining in the raw moonsilver so it becomes a stable metal. Pacify it too much and it freezes into silver; hit it too hard, and it shatters into drops of quicksilver.
This does mean that in other worlds, you might have some difficulty finding any quantities of Moonsilver to use. Therefore, you may purchase a supply of moonsilver here. Gaining five Talents of pure, stabilized Moonsilver for you to use, enough for the creation of almost any kind of artifact, as well as notes detailing the thaumaturgical procedure that may be used to create Moonsilver yourself. In the future, you will gain another five Talents of this mutable metal every year, ensuring that you will never permanently run out.

No Moon (Exalted-The Lunars) [Free]
The members of the No Moon Caste are the loremasters, occultists, and sorcerers of the Lunar Exalted. The Children of the Hidden Moon preserve the lore of millennia and drink in its wisdom as surely as the Heart's Blood of a ritual hunt, they are naturally suited to perceiving threats on the horizon and defeating them with tactical brilliance and subtle insight, and they are also the foremost priests of Luna.
Through their anima power, they may attune their Essence to that of the new moon.
Cloaking themselves in darkness, and amplifying their occult power for some time.

Spirit Shape (Exalted-The Lunars) [Free]
At the moment of Exaltation, a Lunar gains its first animal shape. This is the character's spirit shape, reflecting the character's nature and temperament, and is as much a true form as the Lunar's original human form is. Exalted who are sly might discover the snake or raccoon, the mighty could find bulls or bears, the wise sometimes see raitons or the lone wolf. Your circumstances are a little different though and so you may choose your own spirit shape. You may choose any natural animal that exists or has existed in Creation, from the size of a house-cat to a moose for free.

Silver Mind (Exalted-The Lunars) [free No Moon]
The Children of the Hidden Moon are loremasters, occultists, and sorcerers. They excel at quick thinking and mystical insight, easily mastering useful lore and outsmarting dangerous foes. Fittingly, you are at the peak of human potential in terms of mental prowess, being more intelligent, quick-witted, and more perceptive than most anyone else. Few could boost to match your intuition and logic, nor are there many that pick out subtle clues and tell as quickly as you may do.

Claw-Speak (Exalted-The Lunars) [free No Moon]
The Moonsilver tattoos that ward a Lunar from the twisting influence of the Wyld are much more than merely decorative designs. To those with the knowledge to see, Lunar tattoos contain a wealth of information about their bearer, including their deed name, their caste, any prior renown they have won, and how many blood debts they have accrued and fulfilled.
In fact, the markings of the tattoos are part of a writing system unique to Lunar society, known as claw-speak. Lunars use this script to convey considerable amounts of information in delicate swirls and cuts that a Lunar can write even with a claw in one of his animal forms.
Aside from knowing this secretive language, taught only to other Lunars except in the most extraordinary of circumstances, you may similarly read the meaning behind and purpose of tattoos borne by other people.

Moonsilver Tattoos (Exalted-The Lunars) [Free]
The moonsilver tattoos that most Lunars wear protect them from the effect of the Wyld taint… and from so much more. The tattoos protect Lunars from any influence that would change their shape other than their inherent abilities. They offer perfect protection from any and all effects that would alter your body, which includes many Shaping effects. The tattoos do not, however, offer blanket protection from all Shaping effects. Tattooed Lunars are still vulnerable to effects that target their mind or soul.
As a further item of clarification, the tattoos are nondiscriminatory in their protection. They lock out all non-Lunar shape-shifting influence, even beneficial magic cast by the Lunar on himself. Only a Lunar's own Lunar Charms, Knacks, and inherent shape-shifting may change the shape of a tattooed Lunar's body. Though post-jump you may selectively allow shape-shifting and alterations originating from yourself or others to alter your body at will.

Baran3 · Feb 1, 2022

LOST ON A DEATH WORLD

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: After much reflection, I decided to have one roll maximum on the Celestial Forge per chapter. More than that I'm hitting the Exposition wall rather hard according to my readers.

Free stuff is still determined by the rules of mandatory, usefulness, drama, and comedy.

Chapter 3: Lost into angst.

Wednesday, January 2011, the fifth.

The third day since I was on Earth Bet and the morning following my Exaltation was awkward. I found myself in my dog form at the foot of my bed… Awkward.

"You have powerful instincts amplified by the current Essence Fever as a newly Exalted. VIDA is recommending that you stay in this form for most of the day to drain the surplus of Essence from your organism and master the capabilities of the Spirit Shape."

If I wasn't in dog form I would have facepalmed. It was SO evident. Oh, dear Luna. What if I wanted to MARK my territory..?! And why was I calling upon Luna's name?! The clever and naughty girl, boy, whatever. He/she really made me his/her priest, so, of course, I was calling him/her.

There was also something nagging in my mind. I forgot something… But what? I shrugged and then went to discover the limitations of my dog form while doing my current daily schedule.

Exercising and eating weren't very difficult. Even meditating and reaching for my Magical Circuits and my Essence was relatively easy. But rapidly, the lack of any prehensile limbs made every routine gesture a hell to accomplish. Even using my surprisingly agile mouth didn't resolve everything.

Another surprise was the link between my Od and my Essence. Both would qualify as Magical Energy and thus were compatible and probably freely mixing within my being. Using Essence in my Magical Circuits didn't change anything, it was just another way of using energy. The same with Od as I could now evoke it and shape it like Essence outside my Magical Circuits. Huh, it seemed I just invalidated the whole "Origin Bullet" from Kiritsugu Emiya as his method of destroying/blocking Magical Circuits wouldn't work on me… Not that I wanted to test such a thing in any way.

I couldn't pilot my IS in my dog form, of course. But the scan I took of myself produced blueprints adapted to my morphology, including a new quadruped IS based on the StarKnight design. Eh, that was funny.

Spell research also went surprisingly fast. I supposed those spells were the basics for all the Magus because of their easiness to learn. It was time for an acid test.

I focus on a piece of paper, staring at it and noting all its particularities, then I focused on Structural Grasp to analyze the piece. Wow, now the whole paper felt… alive to my senses. I could see the texture of the wood pulp and all its tears and creases. I, very slowly, dripped magical energy in it until I felt some sort of resistance and then tried to tear it. I would have more chance trying that with a phone book. Success for Reinforcement!

I then deliberately dripped more energy in it and laughed when it spontaneously burned into cinders. Alright, later, I'll try to reinforce my own body, now for the next test.

I made an Alterra knife with its Titanium blade and Silicone Rubber handle then examined it with my mundane senses. I used Structural Grasp again so that I could identify this particular knife among a hundred. It reassured me that I didn't have the same skill as Shirou Emiya.

And now the instant of truth. Keeping in my mind what I knew about the knife, I summoned my magical energy into my hand and focused it into a structure copying my mental image of the knife. Gradation Air, the original spell that made Shirou what he was with his variation.

Suddenly, I held another solid Alterra knife in my hand. Success! I winced as I tested it on its original and the copy was destroyed after a few seconds of pressing both blades against each other. Partial success then. Well, that was what training was for.

I didn't touch the memory alteration-based spell for now… Apart from the dreaded Human Master label, I needed a living, sentient test subject for that. Yeah, absolutely not for a long time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the training, I went back to my list to do and winced. What the hell was I thinking when I wrote down that list!? I was probably channeling my "Chuunibyou" or perhaps the food from Subnautica was full of hallucinogens.

Even ignoring the damning fact that I had NO confirmation on my Meta-Knowledge, the "Must Die" was too much. If I intended to kill that many people, why didn't I decide to escape this whole planet, terraform Centauri Proxima b and let Scion destroy Earth Bet.

I sighed. Well, time to edit a few things. "Vida? Can you access the Internet from here without being identified and discovered?"

"Affirmative. But only the public access and none of the paying or private servers. VIDA reminds you that this data is redacted and thus unreliable."

"It's better than nothing and will help to see how much of my Meta-Knowledge I can trust. That reminds me, can I phone the PRT from here without compromising this base?"

"Affirmative. Unless they trigger a search. VIDA can detect such a search and cut off the contact. Do you wish to proceed first with your data search or make the appointment with the PRT?"

I decided that registering was more important than my wounded ego. Never procrastinate, it never ended well. It was rather easy: I identified myself as StarKnight, said that I was finally free of my obligations for registration, and obtained an appointment for tomorrow mid-morning. I asked if they preferred me coming with or without the power armor which flabbergasted the receptionist a little before he rallied and said his superiors would like to see the power armor during my power testing. I smiled at the obvious fishing for information and accepted nonetheless before ending the call.

"VIDA reminds you that the ENE PRT will try to enlist you directly into the Protectorate. They need the manpower and firepower. Also, Director Piggot will be suspicious of an unaffiliated Tinker without control in her city. There is a significant risk that the gangs will attempt to recruit you by strength or coercion and that could trigger a global gang war."

I nodded. "The best solution would be to play the game with them while staying free of their legal influence. As long as I show myself willing to listen, I should be good. Following all their rules and protocols, participating in their PR events, doing the courses they offer… Hum… It's going to be a difficult act to balance." I smirked. "It's great that "I know things"."

"VIDA reminds you that this perk can only work on facts and truths. You have to be completely sure of what you will talk about."

I sighed. "Well, hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Alright, now, the list."

Oh, Luna, it was worse than I thought.

Coil: As long as I stayed in Brockton Bay, and I wanted to stay, I was on a collision course with him. It was thus necessary to strike preemptively or he could rapidly find a way to eliminate me. Depending on when I was, I needed a situation where he would use his power from his hidden base. Trouble was that since the Undersiders were formed in July 2010, I missed the window opened by the "recruiting" of Lisa. The next window I was sure would be the abduction of Dinah Alcott on April 14th, 2011 and that was too far away, especially as relying on my knowledge of canon would degrade more and more with time.
Taylor and her family: I did what I should. There was no reason to even contact her except because she was the main protagonist of Worm. I helped her and the Internet confirmed she was out of danger. Still no rumors about the follow-up concerning her but with the CDC investigating that was normal. Principal Blackwell was named, read chosen as the main scapegoat, as the direct responsible for a bullying problem that build-up to bioterrorism. So unless I met Taylor under her Parahuman identity, that was that. Let us hope she'll have a better costume and a better name… If she called herself Khepri, I'll be out of this universe. Helping her father will have to wait for me to be able to help the whole city with the authorization of the town administration.
The Empire Eighty-Eight: They were a big gang but it could be whittled piece by piece. It would also be a war of ideology, but I could point at their lies and hypocrisies easily since I knew things. In war, the resources of the enemy should be the priority… Destroying their assets and ensuring the captured personnel wasn't freed should go a long way. My current firepower was enough to deal with them non-lethally as long as they didn't overwhelm or ambush me.
The ABB: Good news, Bakuda wasn't on the radar as Cornell University was still intact without a report about a bomber. It could require a direct intervention of me in power armor, or I could put an anonymous message to the local authorities to watch out but I didn't know when it would occur. I could deal with Oni Lee, but Lung was the linchpin. Until Armsmaster made his tranquilizers or I obtained a better perk, I would be limited to contain and flee while protecting the citizens… Or killing him in the first seconds of the fight. There was also the fact that I loathed the existence of their brothels. No way I was letting that shit go on any longer than I could. However, I needed more data before intervening.
The Merchants: They should be easier. I could deal with them almost immediately. There was a risk of gang war after their disappearance since the other gangs will try to grab as much as they could of their former territory so a need for better data, especially from the PRT. Also, scanning what Squealer had would be good. About the druggies… Apart from an eventual help to the medical services, I couldn't do much for now.
The Undersiders: I was an idiot. Dealing with Coil resolved the problem with them. Oh, true, I could help them more but they were a problem in themselves. No way any contact with a member wouldn't be a potential catastrophe. I was too focused on the image I had of them from the fictions I read that I forgot they weren't good people… Even counting the Shard compulsions and their dramatic background. After all, there was a good reason I wanted to avoid some of them and slapped the others.
The Slaughterhouse 9: Another collision course that should require a preemptive attack to avoid any innocent deaths. But, objectively, I wasn't sure I could save Riley and/or Burnscar without the help of other perks or abandoning them to the PRT. I could deal with most of them right now if I knew where they were. Only Crawler was out of my reach and the plague contingencies could be dealt with my multi-megawatt beam rifle. I just had to kill Manton first since my power armor didn't use any silicates and thus wasn't affected by Shatterbird. Jack Slash must die, no pun, to ensure Scion won't unleash Golden Morning at its canon time. I wasn't sure if Cherish was there now… An anonymous message to Mouse Protector about Ravager's idea to sell her to the S9 seemed a good idea so far.
Nilbog: I couldn't ensure his contingencies were blocked so no deal for now. Ensuring that Piggot have a hand in his destruction seemed still a good idea.
Heartbreaker: I simply loathed this kind of scum. He will die as soon as I can ensure his victims will be helped. I needed more data and contacting the Guild which would put me in contact with Dragon and dealing with the Dragonslayers at the same time. Narwhal should know what I must do to help. And killing him will also take care of most of the Heartbroken, including Cherish and a certain Jean-Paul Vasil.
Scion and the Endbringers: End goal, Nuff said.
The Teeth: Well, if the Butcher happened to meet me, I'll ensure he is properly buried. As soon as I had a way to do it. And now, I realized that I was mainly writing about North America threats and neglecting the world situation…

I stopped writing… What was I doing? I was again drawing plans on the comet. For survival, I needed to deal with the entire world situation or escape the planet. My eyes narrowed.

No… I was committed. It seemed stupid but I was serious when I said "give me liberty, or give me death". I wasn't about to abandon the people of Earth Bet and the trillions of their dimensional counterparts, but I might plan for migration on other planets or dimensions. Scion, or more exactly its species was the end goal. All the rest could be taken one day at a time. Like Superman discovered about his powers, he couldn't resolve all the problems so he let go of his guilt and made the most of his capabilities.

I continued to make alterations to my list, taking into account the little knowledge I had and the bias of my current resources. I also discovered what the Elites were… A long-term problem to deal with. I will update it whenever I'll obtain new data.

"VIDA will ensure that your list is properly updated. Your next priority is to see how Taylor Hebert is doing by approaching her discretely with your dog form. VIDA suggests that you use the opportunity to make some money by exchanging some gold at a pawn shop."

My eyes widened at the simplicity of the plan. I was really an idiot. Of course, I had gold, diamonds, and rubies… and a fucking Resource Generator. Why didn't I think about that sooner!? At least, I thought about buying a collar with the money gained to have a good disguise and avoid the dog pound.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pawnshop owner was a thief and most probably a fence for the gangs. I barely obtain a quarter of the true value of my trinkets. At least I had money, enough to buy a dog collar and tag for my disguise. Just putting it in subspace and took it out in Spirit Shape and that was all… Still, it itched.

I purposely choose the early evening to approach the house as both of the Hebert should be here. So, a little shape-shifting, ensuring I hid my tattoos and here we go. An excellent occasion to test my training with Reinforcement and so I boosted my vision to Eagle Sight level.

I sighed in relief as I saw Taylor by the window of her bedroom and the father preparing the supper in the kitchen. The smells around the house didn't indicate any dangers although there was a significant amount of medical supplies used. When Taylor came into the living room to eat, I saw that she still had some light bandages here and there. She didn't look too bad and she was talking to her father who answered her with a smile, a very good sign in my opinion.

Well, I couldn't stay long or I risked being detected by her early insect network so… Wait a minute…

There was no obvious sign of insects acting under Taylor's control, like aerial patrols of flies and whatnot. I stared at her and suddenly realized that it was way too early. Due to the insects' senses interacting with her unprepared brain, Taylor should have stayed at the hospital for a full week, and here she was at home a mere two days after her ordeal.

No… Oh no, I finally found what was nagging in my mind this morning… I rapidly ran inside a nearby open garage that would hide both my shape-shifting and the summoning of my power armor. I then went promptly invisible and used my anti-gravity to fly silently to the house. What I was doing didn't sit well with me but I had to know. I aimed my hyper-sensor on Taylor and searched for…

No traces. Not even a hint of the Corona Pollentia and thus no Corona Gemma. Even her father didn't have a trace. Taylor Hebert wasn't a Parahuman and didn't trigger in the locker… Queen Administrator wasn't into play on this version of Earth Bet. I didn't have any safety net to ensure the death of Scion.

I didn't know how I managed to return to my base undetected but I awakened as I gazed at the cat poster: "Keep Calm"… How I wished that it could be so simple. At least, NOW I knew why I was here with the Celestial Forge. The chances of this Earth Bet survival had just plummeted and thus mine too. I realized that deep within me, I had been still counting on Taylor to resolve the problem with me just as a helpful secondary character… And I just graduated as Main Protagonist in a Grim-Dark setting.

I didn't scan for her Corona Gemma at school when I saved her, because I stupidly assumed she had triggered. I really made an ass out of me.

"So what… That doesn't change what I need to do. It just augments the pressure on me and makes this shit all too real." I felt like I was in a remake of Evangelion as a certain new male Eva pilot and wanted to kick or punch something or someone.

"VIDA reminds you that your survival is its first priority. The plans you made and the actions you have taken are unchanged. You are simply more aware of the situation and thus more prepared to deal with it. If you require allies, find them or build them."

I blinked. "And thus the importance of the Celestial Forge as a trump card in this conflict. Or the need to have a good relationship with most of the Cape Community." Still, Vida was right, nothing had changed only my perception of it. If Taylor wasn't a Parahuman then she wasn't a Parahuman. "The main advantage of the Forge is its capacity to build and build more." My eyes narrowed. "I just don't have that capacity, yet." There wasn't really a choice, I already acknowledged I was committed.

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 9.716. Perk range: 450 CP.

Please, anyone who could hear me, help us. I crossed my fingers, mumbled a prayer to Luna, and heard the double-click of my mental mouse.

Current charge: 1.716. Perk range: 50 CP.

A complicated magic circle made of blue lines of energy manifested at the center of my room just in front of me. I felt a slight drain on my magical energy reserves and then she appeared in a burst of light particles.

She was a young Asian woman, a black-haired beauty slightly taller than me. The skin-tight clothing on her body, reminiscent of a ninja suit, did not hide her alabaster skin nor the ball joints on her metallic limbs. She wore a red scarf around her neck and had her long hair up in a ponytail. Her yellow eyes gazed into my Mako ones with interest.

And then she spoke to me. "Katou Danzou activated. Requesting input, Master. As Danzou is a Shinobi, I will obey any command."

My breath hitched in my throat. Katou Danzou, the Assassin class Servant from Fate Grand Order. This changed everything, I had a powerful ally.

I gulped. What do you say to a living legend coming from the Throne of Heroes? I awkwardly bowed to her. "Welcome, Katou-san. Welcome to Earth Bet and the Worm War."

She smiled. "Thank you, my Lord, but you don't have to bow to this modest Shinobi."

I did a Spock. "Modest? Katou-san, you're a hero. In your past life and as a Servant you did great things. It should be me to call you Lord."

She blushed. "This time it's different. My contract isn't through the Grail System with the Command Seals but with the Celestial Forge." She looked at herself. "This time, Danzou is no longer a half-broken Karakuri doll."

I blinked. "You're not a Servant?"

She shook her head, black hair flowing. "Danzou is a Servant Class Assassin. A Heroic Spirit asked by the Celestial Forge to be a loyal servant to your cause and Danzou accepted." She smiled at me. "I wouldn't be here in this form if I didn't want to, Master."

I point at a chair for her while sitting at my office desk. "Okay… What do you know about the current situation?"

She sat gracefully. "Only the necessities, Master. Enough to know about the technological level, what is the Worm setting, and the common knowledge for Earth Bet."

I chuckled. "Well, that's better than what I knew at the beginning." I sighed. "Katou-san, If you decide to stay at my side, I fear I'm going to heavily count on your support. I'm a little out of my depth here and you're an intelligent and experienced Servant."

She nodded to herself, rose, and knelt before me. I felt my eyes widen. "Please, input command, Master. I knew once what it means to help those I cherish and I want to rediscover that by your side."

I breathed deeply, got up from my chair, and presented her with my hand. "Then rise Katou-san and help me save the world from monsters."

She smirked as she grasped firmly my hand. "I do have quite the experience with that, my Lord."

My eyes widened and I couldn't but burst into laughter with her.

I pointed anew her chair and sat. "Alright, let us just see what you can do both for yourself and me, and then we'll see what I can do for you with my current capabilities." I gazed at her, making her blush a little. "If my memory is good, you're a Class Assassin Servant with physical capacities twenty or thirty times those of an average human. You're also more at ease with assassination and spying, which could become a liability in Brockton Bay with the Unwritten Rules. You're a very skilled ninja with a mystical Wind affinity and your clockwork artificial body is full of hidden mechanical weapons and contraptions powered by magical energy."

"Quite correct, my compliment Master. You just need to know that my agility is fifty times superior to a human and that while I like the wind, most of my mystical powers are based on a form of Genjutsu." She smiled. "But that was more what I was reduced to during the Chaldea Crisis when I was broken." She pointed at her head. "Danzou have complete databases about ALL martial techniques, even mystical and supernatural ones existing in my original universe, this universe and…" She pointed at me. "All the universes and settings from the Celestial Forge you currently have access to and will gain access to more as you gain new perks."

I blinked, frowned, and then, I realized what was implied. "Already including… The Marvel Comics and Exalted Martial Arts..?" She nodded. I was awed and flabbergasted. "And… you can teach them?"

"Danzou have all the knowledge necessary to teach even a complete amateur into a master-level practitioner in record time. While 6 months to a year are enough to teach the basics, I can help you reach complete mastery in any one form, even the most difficult and complex ones."

Okay… She just demonstrated that she was a game-changer by herself. Not counting her precious help in having information by spying on anyone as a Shinobi, Danzou could also teach me enough to be a lethal powerhouse outside my power armor. I hesitated to think about it, but she could also assassinate for me. Quite the soapy board… even if she could deal with Coil after I deal with his contingencies.

I took my PDA and looked at my current options for her. "Alright, you're a clockwork-based sentient artificial life-form. I'll give you a personal PDA that you'll have to name. It'll help you with the technological aspect of the world and will show you what I have and can do. Sorry in advance about its snark and my poor skill at planning when you'll read my list-to-do. I'm afraid I'm, at best, an armchair general and I cheat heavily when playing video games."

I tapped on my screen. "I'll make you a water-proof copy of your current attire but with a subspace pocket, stabproof and bulletproof defenses, hard radiation, and heat/cold resistances. I'll ask your permission to scan you so that I can have any spare parts you could require if you are damaged or simply to replenish your various ammo."

I nodded to myself. "I'll trust you with a key for my Cosmic Warehouse." I grabbed an Alterra knife and threw it at her. "This is a titanium-based weapon. I can easily scan your weapons and replace them with titanium versions if you feel they're better." I scratched my head. "It seems that I have fewer possibilities of outfitting you currently than I thought, Katou-san."

She shook her head as she examined the knife she caught easily and began to manipulate her PDA."You're doing your best with what you have, my lord. This is amply sufficient for now and I'll write my suggestions shortly."

"Very well." I rose. "In the meanwhile, I'm going to make a bedroom for you, and then I'll invite you to dine with me. Tomorrow will mark my debut with the Cape Community and yours as my teacher." I smirked. "Katou-sensei."

The Shinobi blushed heavily. "Please, don't tease me, Master, and call me Danzou."

It was the first time I felt genuinely smiling since I arrived on Earth Bet. I was still feeling lost but now I was no longer alone.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: I promised better interaction with the people of Earth Bet and a combat scene… Well, it'll be for the next chapters.

Let us hope I wrote this chapter better and found a balance between exposition and development.

Of course, don't forget to write to me about this story.

Current charge: 2.358. Perk range: 100 CP.

Perk gained in this chapter:

Katou Sensei (Fate Legends: Land of the Rising Sun) (400CP)
An advanced combat doll, of the same make and potentially even the same appearance as Katou Danzou. A highly capable warrior and assassin, this doll is a loyal servant to your cause. But in truth, her real value is not in her physical form but the exhaustive database of martial, ninja, and even some related magi techniques that have been uploaded to her mind. Centuries of data and teachings on these subjects, enough to bring even a complete amateur to the level of a master with enough time spent. The doll is an exceptional teacher, able to teach in both theoretical and practical terms to any of her students. Oddly enough, the doll prefers to wear glasses while teaching too. In future worlds, similar information can be found in the doll's database on local martial and ninja techniques, excluding unique or particularly hard-to-find information.

Baran3 · Feb 5, 2022

LOST ON A DEATH WORLD

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: And now! The long-awaited confrontation at OK Corral..! Wait… No, I mean with the PRT and a little fight here and there.

Chapter 4: Lost in bureaucracy.

Thursday, January 2011, the sixth.

The fourth day of my arrival in Earth Bet began with a good note: I didn't experience the dream-cycle that Master and Servant from the Nasuverse had due to their contracts and Command Seals. And I hoped it meant that Danzou also didn't dream of my life.

I jumped in fright when I found her right behind my door. "I hope you didn't sleep in the corridor guarding my door, Katou-san."

"No, my lord. Danzou was merely waiting for you since we have much to do before your appointment with the PRT. And, please I did say to call me Danzou." I swore she was hiding a smile.

I shook my head and entered the kitchen area. "You didn't use the Food Fabricator? I did show you how it works, didn't I?"

She winced a little. "You did, but, as you know, Danzou doesn't require food… or drink and air for that matter. But since I can still taste it, I prefer your home-cooking to this machine-made food, Master."

Wasn't that ominous? I sincerely hoped that being a God of Cooking didn't make me a PRT Master by addicting people with my dishes. I sighed and went to work on the stove. "Alright, before we go over what to do and don't, do you have a preference? I can go with Western or Eastern cooking without problems."

It seemed that Danzou was a little adventurous or curious with food as she asked me to surprise her with dishes from all over the world… using alien ingredients from 4546b. Well, it seemed that I could surprise myself with my Forge-granted abilities. And the aspect… It was like those images in Food Advertisement: Perfect, juicy and so mouth-watering. And then you smelled it and you suddenly were in paradise.

I sighed in contentment after demolishing my part and seeing the joy on Danzou's face. I quietly sipped my cup of tea as the Kunoichi booted up her PDA to begin our morning briefing.

"NAVI: New Aggravating Virtual Intelligence is online. No new data since the last session. NAVI reminds you that too much food would impact on your body and thus your survival."

I looked incredulous at Danzou. "You called yours Navi?"

She sighed. "Yes, Master. It seemed a good idea at that time." She shook her head and cleared her throat. "Alright, my Lord. The first question is a highly primarily one." I focused more intensively while sipping my tea. "What is your complete name?"

Wow, what a glorious spit-take. "WHAT!? I didn't..?!" I facepalmed. "No, I didn't. My mother would ashamed of my lack of manners." I sighed and looked at her bemused face. "Sorry about that, Danzou. My name is Sunheart. Baran Sunheart. Like you, I wasn't born under any suns of this universe. I have taken the name of StarKnight for my hero persona."

She tapped on her screen while smiling. "And the first point is resolved, Let's continue Master Baran."

"Please Danzou. If you could call me just Baran that would be great, thanks."

She giggled. "Command received, Baran. The second point would be a simple case of miscommunication. Danzou doesn't think you realized it, but we are actually speaking in Japanese, right now."

I blinked and searched in my memory while attempting a few words. "You're right… I can still speak my native French and my learned English, but I can think and speak in Japanese. Read it too, it seems." I chuckled. "And now, I can finally watch my whole Anime collection in Original Version with no sub-titles. And you, about English and French?"

"The Celestial Forge, like the Grail System, did give me a full database about English et je n'ai pas de difficulté avec le Français." (And I have no difficulty with French.)

"And another point resolved. What's the next?"

She seemed a little embarrassed. "An explanation about some terms you used in your little list. Too many imply the reader already knows of them and that's not my case. Danzou just needs proper context."

I frowned. Another screw-up on my part. "Oh. Go ahead."

"What is Infinite Stratos?"

And another spit-take and facepalming. I'm sensing that I'm going to do that a lot this early morning. "Okay, okay. Context."

I shrugged and began. "First, the perks offered by the Celestial Forge are any crafting-related perks technological, magical, or techno-magical in origin. They can be skills, databases, materials, places, vehicles, items, people, concepts, and others. Sometimes, those perks are accompanied by freebies that are essentially peripheral to the main perk. For example, I received a free perk enabling me to pilot the very Infinite Stratos Power Armor that the Celestial Forge gave me. With me, so far?"

She nodded and I continued. "All of those perks are coming from settings or other universes that had been created from a human creation, fiction, or story. The infinity of the Multiverse ensures that somewhere, some-when, those precise settings exist."

She had a bittersweet smile. "And not only Earth Bet is from such a story, but Danzou is also from another of those settings, right Baran?"

"Yes. This is why while I didn't know you directly or indirectly, I knew of you." I imitated her bittersweet smile. "That's also why I prefer the original to the distorted vision I had of you."

She blushed and I continued my explanation. "Fortunately, between the Celestial Forge database about this situation and world, and your experience with Chaldea, you should have enough knowledge to correctly extrapolate the context with my summaries."

I fiddled with my PDA and was reassured that some images from my world were stored in it. That should help. "Infinite Stratos is a classical Harem Anime with power armors that can be piloted only by young teenage girls and the only male pilot among them."

She blinked and burst into laughter. "Alright, Danzou see, I see… So only the fact that you have a powerful power armor is relevant, Baran?"

"Yes… Especially as I have no intention of having a Harem here." She giggled and I coughed to clear my throat. "My skill in cooking, my currently de-aged and physically boosted body, and your very presence here come from your origin universe which I know as Fate/Legends: Japan and Fate Grand Order…" Among other titles, how can you truly explain the entire Nasuverse..? "And the setting is really too complex to properly explain. Just know that all you knew is only applicable to you and me. Don't hesitate to ask me questions on it in the future."

She raised her hand. "Danzou was a Servant during the Chaldea Crisis, I understand, Baran."

I pointed at all that was around us. "Subnautica is a video game of exploration and survival on an aquatic planet named 4546b set in the future. Most of what is used on this base comes from this very game. I was pleased to find that I could use it more flexibly than in the game." I smiled. "Then I gained an almost unlimited Resource Generator that enabled me to bypass many hard limits I had with the Subnautica tech base." I frowned. "The setting of the Toaruverse is unimportant as it doesn't affect the Generator in any way although, please note that many hard limits from various future perks should be bypassed." I shrugged. "Just know that it was a classical Anime about a boy with some girls in a modern scene and with magic and psionic experiments complicating all that."

I took my key out of my pocket. "The Cosmic Warehouse comes from the Jumpchain Setting…"

She shook her hand. "Danzou knows about it through the Celestial Forge since its perks come from the Jumpchain too. No need to tell me more, Baran."

I nodded. "Okay. The hangar in the Warehouse is directly from a fighter simulator game called Ace Combat." I shrugged. "It's just a shooting game with various fighters, some very futuristic and the freebies are mostly for piloting skills, having much more missiles than on a normal plane and listening randomly on the enemy communications."

She smiled with all her teeth. "That's still a good advantage for us, Baran. Especially since it's fiat-backed I suppose?"

"Yes, it is. Now, the next is the Marvel Universe which is a very big and various Super-Hero setting since only another one, the DC comics, rival it in my world. Both are going from Gold Age comics to Graphic Novel and constantly change. The more important thing is that I'll be taken seriously as long as I'm actually right and know the thing for it. No lies or bullshit allowed."

She thought about it and smirked. "Does that include your Meta-Knowledge of Earth Bet?"

I felt like a shark. "It does." I tilted my head. "As long as it wasn't altered like the big fact that Taylor Hebert isn't a Parahuman, potential or not."

She nodded. "We'll discuss her later. The next and final term so far is Exalted, the Lunars."

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Exalted… is a tabletop game where you're playing demigod people able to kill the unkillable, to break the unbreakable and to do the impossible. The setting happens in Creation, a flat and ordered world surrounded by chaos. An Exalt is a mortal whose soul received a divine spark that enables him to go beyond almost everything, to be more than anyone. The Exalts are empowered by supreme beings incarnating the Sun, Moon, Earth, and the Stars. The origin of the Exaltation gives a certain flavor to the Exalt."

I made my silvery No Moon caste mark shine on my forehead. "This simple ring marks me as a Lunar, an Exalt empowered by Luna, the Trickster Moon deity of Creation. The main distinction of the Lunars is their animal-based shape-shifting and the Essence-powered boosting of their physical, mental and social attributes."

I traced the silvery ring, feeling its warmth. "As a No Moon Lunar, my affinity is with Lore, the Occult, and Sorcery. Apart from my innate shape-shifting, I can also hide in darkness and amplify my magical might. The metal I received from the original perk is a very magical and mutable metal called Moonsilver." I winced. "Among my basic powers, I can also instill a Sacred Hunt which would allow me to gain the "Heart's Blood" of others and thus receiving their forms."

She lifted a finger. "Clarification: You can gain other animal forms by killing them?"

I nodded. "That and from sentient life forms too. I can also acquire plants as new forms. The capabilities I receive from it are either purely biological or a form of innate skill or power."

She frowned. "Ouch, Master. With what Danzou knows of you, you won't be able to stomach doing that to your enemies." She rubbed her chin. "Besides, you won't be able to acquire any Parahuman powers since they are external to their hosts."

I sighed and collapsed on the table. "Yeah, have to go to the source for that and I can't use the power without taking the form… And ripping out the heart and drinking its blood from people..? No, I don't think so…" I straightened up. "But I should be able to take some future trips in Natural Parks and other wild zones for mundane, valuable plants and animal-oriented hunts." I thought about it a little. "And there are advanced methods that don't require the death of the subject to acquire his form. But, it's for later."

She raised an eyebrow. "What about the fauna and flora from Subnautica? And those you could obtain from other settings? In fact, why don't you use your Generator to acquire the heart of any creatures you could access, including this planet?"

My eyes widened. True, I could easily acquire those Subnautica templates, but… All were extra-terrestrial in origin and frankly, even the predators weren't that good in the Worm setting. Worse, even the plants lighted up like neon and thus were too visible for the few advantages they had. "No, bad idea for Subnautica… But, we'll see about the rest. The Sacred Hunt is a ritual, so I don't know if it could work without effectively hunting the creature."

She nodded and tapped her screen. "We closed all the salients points for now. No doubt we'll have to revise as soon as you receive new perks and data, Baran." She put down her PDA and looked at me with seriousness. "Now, it's time for me to sound you about a few suggestions."

Well, wasn't that sounding ominous. "First, Danzou can deal with Coil right now. In fact, it would be preferable to do it before you're officially registered and thus completely in the cross-hairs of that fiend."

I did a Spock maneuver. "What about his contingencies?"

"This is in parallel with spying his organization and looking for them." She smiled. "Your initial plan was well-thought, taking advantage of him in one location. So, just a precision: He can only use his own senses on both the timelines he is experiencing, isn't he?"

I frowned. "Yes… He doesn't have any more information than what he can learn by himself through his actions."

She smirked. "I know his true identity as Thomas Calvert and where he lives. My powers are based on Genjutsu, illusions. No matter if he is using his power if I can nail him in one timeline…"

My eyes widened. "You can affect him in the other because you know." I nodded. "And by continuing to influence him, you can learn about and bypass all his precautions." I laughed. "Even the Master/Stranger protocols." I grinned savagely. "Go for it! Show no mercy for we will receive none. I want to have all he had and I'll give you a Subnautica Scanner for that. No clues for Tattletale either, she'll be free and that's enough. We'll see if the friendship she developed with the Undersiders is sufficient."

I sighed in contentment. Even if I didn't kill the bastard myself, that would be amply sufficient. The Scanner from Subnautica could also recycle materials and items it already scanned and Danzou could put all of that in my Warehouse by opening it in Coil's base. In the game, you just gained two Titanium samples by scanning technology already acquired, but under the Celestial Forge, you recycled most of the components. As for the corpses? Well, I had a Subnautica Trash Can just for that: Absolutely no trace of any remains.

"Command inputted, Master Baran. The rest is just a few things to take care of. Along with spying on the mundane criminal element, Danzou will use the stolen money from Coil to buy a few false IDs and a legal paper trail. We'll see where we want to have a civilian address later, but I can think of a few around the hidden emergency land exits of the aquifer."

I nodded alongside her. Danzou was really a godsend gift. The data and materials looting from Coil's organization should help tremendously. It would have been more difficult for me to deal with Calvert without her. As for the forged IDs, she could easily disguise herself, so I wasn't worried. I'll have to do something nice for her in a few days.

"Any other plans will have to wait. Both for preparations and lack of the required perks from the Celestial Forge. However, Danzou would like to know if you intend to have a team around as simple numbers are also preventing you from doing many things."

I tilted my head. "I'm not sure. For now, I'm planning on an entire team of non-Parahumans since their Passengers are a potential risk to warn Scion. At best, I would empower and equip them with technology, magical knowledge, psionic awakening, and supernatural Martial Arts. At worst, I should be able to create artificial life-forms and literally make my team."

She beamed and blushed. "Other life-forms like Danzou around me? I would be very glad to have peers like that." She sighed. "Being… so unique wasn't that very happy for me during my existences."

I chuckled and smiled. "Okay, and now what, Danzou?"

She took an angelic expression and suddenly put on glasses. "Now, my Lord, Danzou shall teach you a few things."

I immediately lost my smile.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was dying… Yep, and Danzou was an evil demon from hell. Oh, and I also hated the Celestial Forge for having such a fiend within its scope.

The Kunoichi made me practice harder all the exercises I did before… while attacking me with all the tricks she could use. And, of course, without my power armor at first. Kicking ass is good, being kicked not so much.

Not only was she still having those glasses on, but she seemed also fresh as dew while doing all that… And she was extremely polite while disparaging my physical condition, motivation, and technique. Hated her...

She made me do and redo katas while lecturing me about the fact that she was a Servant and thus dependent on the Mana I could produce although she could still astralize to conserve energy. As for the Exalted Martial Arts, they used Essence so I was also her battery until I found a solution via the Celestial Forge.

The good thing was that she was focused on the few Martial Arts I studied in my past. Thus Judo, Kendo, and Karate. She was optimistic that I should reach first Dan, the famous Black Belt, by the end of the week or die trying… From sixth Kyu in Karate and Kendo or rank beginner, and fourth Kyu or intermediate rank in Judo… Incredible but tiring. Learning any other arts will have to wait until she had a proper idea of what style or styles I would need with my goals, capabilities, and equipment.

I vaguely noted that she was satisfied with the titanium version of her weapons and that she would like an upgrade of her Karakuri components with Moonsilver. I was almost sure I answered her that I would as soon as I could work the Magical Material and could operate on her without risk.

And the worst at the end? She used the medical nanites of a Subnautica First Aid Kit to restore my damaged muscle fibers and thus promoted their rapid progression so that tomorrow and each following day, I would be in good shape for another training more intensive than the last… I wanted to die.

Fortunately, I could still use a hot and soothing shower before preparing for my appointment with the PRT… Hum, I might build a bath later. I decided to use one of the surface access to the aquifer and went invisible before I emerged.

Ah, Brockton Bay, you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. Oh well, time to meet the Jedi… I meant the Heroes. "PRT reception..? This is independent hero StarKnight. I'm warning you I'm flying in your direction for my appointment."

"Understood, StarKnight, and welcome."

And here we go. Let us hope everything will go right with my registration. A mere minute later, I was cursing Murphy. I was coming to the PRT headquarter in Downtown from the Docks when my Hyper-Sensor detected an assembly of armed people in an abandoned vacant lot. I boosted my vision with Reinforcement and looked at many Empire Eighty-Eight goons with…

Oh, shit! An initiation! There were two black people bounded and looking battered along with a smaller group of young skinheads armed with bats and encouraged by those around them.

"PRT, emergency! Empire E88 initiation at the vacant lot near the 13th East Street and Merry-water. Two victims and two dozens of armed skin-heads. No apparent capes. Can't wait, situation is about to go critic. Send help, I'm letting my comm open."

"What? Er… Wait, StarKnight! I'm relaying your call to the main console…"

I was already diving with a burst from my thrusters and cranking up the volume of my speakers.

"Halt, independent hero StarKnight! Know that you are being recorded! You are all under Citizen Arrest for assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a weapon without a license! Drop all your weapons, move away now from those two people, and wait for the police to arrest you properly!"

They looked up at me with incredulity and some fear, but most were becoming angry and jeered at me. Then one of them pointed his handgun at me and fired while two others were preparing to strike the victims. My sensor also showed me one person on the periphery with tattoos that identified him as a high-level thug and someone… that loved his mommy..? using a cellphone. The projectile fired missed me by meters.

On a mental impulsion, my targeting computer highlighted the goons and I strafed the vacant lot. Two Vulcan guns opened fire from each side at the top of my torso with Taser rounds and foam rounds hammering at the targets. I had selected those armed with firearms with first foam to clog and neutralize their weapons followed by taser rounds and the contrary for those armed with melee weapons.

'Kaiser? This is Michael... It's about the initiation... The newbie cape just jumped us...'

Blessed Comm Chatter. Too bad I couldn't hear Kaiser too. I cut off my inertia and landed in front of the victims, my shield already out of subspace to cover them while my armor and force fields protected me from possible stray shots.

'Yeah, he just engaged… Armed to the teeth… Looks like PRT Containment Foam… Oh yeah, definitely a hero… Citizen Arrest and all that… Yeah, seems that some are still doing this shit.'

After commenting on my actions on the PRT line, I was about to examine and treat the victims when "he" burst out of one of the parked vehicles nearby. I intentionally ignored them despite their visible E88 association as they were apparently only some witnesses of the scene.

He was a big man, hairy, with long, greasy blond hair, an "E88" tattoo on one bicep, and a wolf superimposed on a swastika on the other, meaning he was committed to helping the Empire as long as it was as a warrior. I just saw a metal wolf mask before he transformed into a shifting mass of hooks, blades, and other weapons with the overall form of a growling and large wolf-like creature.

Hookwolf, one of the heavy hitters of the Empire Eighty-Eight Capes. A Changer able to manifest metal around his fleshy core and preferred a nightmare blend of canine predator and circular saws. I took note that my sensor couldn't identify a Parahuman unless his power was active or if I focused only on their brain.

'Hookwolf is there… Looks like he's going to open a can…'

I grimly and silently contacted the PRT main console on my open line. "PRT, StarKnight. Hookwolf on site. My priorities are the victims and potential bystanders. Please expedite."

"Acknowledged. Hang on StarKnight, Protectorate is less than 10 minutes away."

Yeah? Well, I didn't have 10 minutes. Hookwolf charged me. No banter and no warning. A deadly mass of metal charging at near-vehicle speed. I couldn't move or I would expose the victims. I braced myself, raised my shield in a defensive position, and focused my force fields to encompass the two victims.

And then Hookwolf proved that he was the veteran and me the newbie. He jumped directly towards the victims making me committed to their defense and then suddenly shifted his mass on another vector. He caught me completely by surprise, latched on my right forearm, and surrounded it with his living metal.

I heard a sound like a grinding belt and was first stupefied then afraid as metallic dust was ignited by friction and that my sensor detected the ultraviolet light characteristic of grounded titanium sparks.

He was grinding my armor… WITH ME INSIDE! I kneed him full strength in the center mass and achieved to throw him away with the following kick out. He was catapulted some distance away and shook himself up seeming astonished at the mark of my feet on his metallic skin.

'Holy fuck! This guy just kicked Hookwolf across the lot! Don't look so tough… Hookwolf did some damage, right elbow I think…'

He took a few instants to repair the damage and I armed my Riot Water-Cannons while grasping the hilt of my Beam Saber. I certainly couldn't move from where I was as he proved he would go for the victims without hesitation.

Four sharp metallic tentacles sprung out of his body and rushed towards me. The compressed high-energy particles inside the beam saber were excited by the energy of my armor's power source and were ejected in an elongated magnetic bottle.

The energy blade described half of a circular arc, cutting all metallic tentacles like a torch on butter. I took advantage of his confusion and unleashed a high-pressure water jet that send him flying away.

'WHAT THE FUCK!? He has a fucking LIGHT-SABER! No, Hookwolf is still up… Yep, we shouldn't underestimate the newbie…'

We looked at each other: A draw. He couldn't come near me without being cut by the equivalent of a plasma torch and I couldn't go after him or I would expose the victims to attacks. I could use my ranged energy weapons on him but they were too powerful for an urban battlefield.

With a snarl, Hookwolf turned back and ran away to the dismay of many of his men. I sighed in relief and deactivated my beam saber after my hyper-sensor confirmed his departure. "PRT, StarKnight. Hookwolf is retreating. Minions are neutralized. I'm going to examine the two victims and provide first aid. I have the training."

'Hookwolf just retreat… Yeah, I'm out soon too… The men? Can't do, they're all foamed or unconscious… Mini-guns, if you can believe it… Yeah, his suit has everything and the kitchen sink… Armsmaster..? No, I don't think so, style is too different… Yes, Kaiser, I'm already on the way.'

I distractedly heard the console acknowledgment and focused on the two black Americans. They were probably family as I could see some resemblance between the two. Two adults with one elderly were visibly in pain and distress. "Hang on, help is on the way. I'm going to use a scanner to see your health state."

The light of the Subnautica Scanner washed over them. Ouch, despite being battered the old man was relatively okay but not the other. Broken bones, internal bleeding, and heart failure. "PRT, medical emergency. I have a vital organ failure compounded by internal bleeding. He's seconds away from dying, first aid won't help. I'm forced to use a Tinkertech healing device under my responsibility."

I then ignored the PRT console's answer and turned to the victim. "Sir, it's not looking good. I have a Tinkertech treatment but I need your consent to apply it."

He grunted and managed to nod while the old one also authorized the treatment as he was his father. I used a Subnautica First Aid Kit and most of his problems went away apart from his bruises and other contusions.

The ambulance took more than five minutes to be here. I did the right thing. I just hoped that Armsmaster who was getting off his motorbike would be also understanding.

The ENE Protectorate leader looked like a true hero. His costume consisted of a 6 feet suit of midnight-blue power armor with silver highlights and a helmet and visor that covered his eyes and nose. I could see his famous and deployed halberd and his neatly trimmed beard, Halbeard indeed. His chest emblem was a silhouette of his visor in blue against a silver background. All in all, he reminded me of the Movie Iron Man… and then he opened his mouth.

"StarKnight, what is the situation?"

No hello, no how are you and just looking around would show most of what happened. Oh well, wouldn't be the first time I had to answer to someone like him. Both in the Army and medical sector.

"Sir. Empire Eighty-Eight initiation. Two dozens of thugs armed with an assortment of melee weapons and firearms. Two victims, black Americans, severely beaten before I arrived. Called the PRT but couldn't wait for any reinforcement as another beating with bats was imminent. I announced myself, placed them under Citizen Arrest, and enjoined them to drop their weapons and wait for the Police. They opened fire on me and were about to initiate the beating so I used my non-lethal weapons to neutralize them before landing to protect the victims."

He turned sharply to me. "What sort of non-lethal weaponry?"

"Taser-like projectiles and restraining foam, different formula than yours so your solvent shouldn't work."

He grunted, seemingly in approval. "You have the proper solvent?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, we'll need it. Continue." Really, he sounded like he was reading from a teleprompter… Or maybe looking at his Truth Detector.

"I was about to examine the victims when Hookwolf entered the scene. He immediately attacked and I stood my ground or he would have gone for the victims. I had to use a water cannon and my Beam Saber to make him withdraw without endangering the victims."

"What is a Beam Saber?" He was looking for a visible weapon but all my gear was in subspace.

"In short, a handheld plasma torch." I pointed at the three cut-off tentacles of metal and he seemed impressed. Yep, I subspaced one for later analysis. "I examined the victims and found that one was in vital distress due to heart failure and internal bleeding. My first aid skill being insufficient, I warned the PRT console that I would use a Tinkertech First Aid Kit to prevent his death after I obtained his and his father's authorization."

"How dangerous is this Tinkertech device."

"Minimal. Simulations and experimentation with lab mice showed no problems, even long term. I have the intention of letting a few samples with the ENE PRT and Protectorate for analysis after my registration. I deployed it on the field ONLY because of a vital emergency."

He turned fully to me, again with active sensors trying in vain to pierce my ECM field. "You still have the intention to register now?"

"Of course. I only detoured because of the situation. This will also allow me to hand you my recording of the incident."

He took time to consider, probably listening to a communication, too bad that Comm Chatter wouldn't work, and nodded. "Alright. I'll finish here, you'll use your solvent, and then you'll accompany me to the headquarter."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked with dread at the pile of forms in front of me. "All that?"

Miss Militia felt like she was repressing a smile. She was a taller than me dark-haired and olive-skinned woman and wore a scarf and sash around her waist patterned after the American flag, along with stylized, fitted army fatigues that nicely accentuated her curves. I could also see her bottle-glass green eyes smiling above the scarf. "Yes, all that. Being Protectorate or Affiliated means fewer documents to read and sign. You're sure you're not interested?" She was relaxed but there was a good reason for that. I wasn't armored to hell and back.

I took out my power armor by subspacing it as soon as I entered the headquarter lobby and warned everyone what I was doing. Didn't want to be foamed so early. I was amply protected by my full-body skin-tight suit in blue, white, and gold trim. I purposefully left my mouth and eyes visible to humanize me.

I groaned. The woman was decidedly taking an unholy glee in watching me fighting the Paper Monster. "Armsmaster asked me three times and the sergeant at the reception desk, two. No, thank you." I sighed. "Look, it isn't that I'm not considering it, but, so far there are too few advantages in either proposition." I raised my hand. "I know, I know. Being a hero isn't about money and material things." I sighed and looked at her. "I also recognized that you could use all the help you can obtain. I did my homework on the Brockton Bay situation before deciding to come here."

She frowned. "The PRT and Protectorate remain in control of the city and are countering the actions of the gangs as soon as they begin."

I interrupted her. "Miss Militia. I had both a computer and an analyst team who compiled all the public documents, examined the situation, and read between the lines. Your propaganda is just that: Propaganda. Please, don't insult my intelligence."

Her eyes widened then narrowed. "StarKnight, I'm afraid I can't comment on what you're talking about."

I smiled and returned to my pile of paper. "I understand, thank you."

It took time as I was reading everything and asking precision on some points, but they didn't try to trap me with legal obscure writing. I didn't sign away any choices about my name, appearance, and any technologies that I could develop.

I already gave my recording of the E88 initiation to Armsmaster and he debriefed me more on the path to the ENE PRT Headquarter… Flying alongside a motorbike was weird. So, Miss Militia took care of my registration and we were now going to the cafeteria before a little power test.

I took some nice grilled chicken fillets along with some rice. Not bad and their vanilla pudding was good. I also had the reformed villain Assault joining us as we ate. Yeah, what a coincidence… not. He wore red body armor with a visor covering the upper half of his face. A rather simple costume without any flourish. Oh, and he was taller than my 1.60 meters.

"So, here is our great hero of the day." Assault was a funny guy who hid his razor-shaped wits under the disguise of a clown.

"Great hero? A little exaggeration here, Sir."

"Don't call me sir, I work for a living."

I deadpanned. "Ah ah. But seriously, I merely protected the victims and I still managed to screw up. Hookwolf did make some superficial, almost cosmetic damage to my armor. If he had time and me without force-fields, he could have ground my shielding to dust, and poof! No more StarKnight."

Assault shrugged. "Meh, that just means you won't go close range with him in the future." He smirked. "Although I love the way you were carving him up into fillets."

I blinked, looked at the scant leftovers of my chicken fillets and deadpan stared at him. I also took note that he was already briefed into my recording of the fight. I shrugged. "Couldn't move from where I was or the two victims would have bought it."

"And your Tinkertech first aid kit? Seems that the lab guys are rather agitated about it."

I sighed. "Not my fault. You say "Nanites" and they immediately imagine Grey Goo." I shook my head. "I had to give them a lesson. A LESSON to scientists that there was a big difference between a self-duplicating nano-machine and a medical one. Just the degree of sophistication needed to make Grey Goo is almost absurd since the damned thing must replicate itself from ANY materials and its copies must have the same ability."

I sighed and tried to calm myself by pouring a cup of tea. "My medical nanites are made of CHON within a fiber-mesh structure. Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen: The main components of our physiology so that they can repair the body by using themselves if need be. They can't work outside a living body since they are powered by the heat produced by it. They analyze the physiology of the life form they are in contact with to prevent any errors. They can't replicate as they don't have the tools and the programming. They are hypo-allergen and break down in usable raw material for a living organism."

I raised my arms to the sky. "What more do they want!?"

Assault snickered. "A non-nanotech first aid kit?"

I collapsed on the table and mumbled. "I intended to give this kit later after I built up my reputation for reliable tech, and a collaboration with Panacea to prove its efficiency."

Assault patted my back. "Come on, this isn't the end. After all, they also isolated the guy you healed with it. Between your samples and his examination, you should be good."

I sighed and raised. "I fear he isn't very happy with me. At least he's alive."

We finished our meal and Battery came by. She was as tall as me and wore a skintight white and dark gray costume with circuit-like cobalt blue lines on it which I knew would glow as she charged her power in electric blue-white color.

She didn't stay long. She just said hello to me and Miss Militia and draw away Assault by the ear. Before I could comment on the obvious secret couple, Armsmaster came behind and escorted us to the testing room for Tinkers. I absolutely didn't correct them for the error.

I shook hands with the scientists and technicians who would observe my tinkering in action. I already refused to answer questions about my specialty because I considered it as normal Operations Security. As for my power armor, I was here to be tested on my tinkering, not what I do with it. When they insisted I shrugged and went to the bench covered in raw materials.

"Alright, Armsmaster. I'm ready."

He nodded and waved the grumbling testing staff to their stations. "Good, we're almost ready. Will you build something in particular?"

"Yes, I wanted to give the PRT a slight advantage that wouldn't be covered in red tape and that most could use without baiting the villains to steal or imitate you."

He nodded and I continued. "So, I'm going to make you a tinkertech device that builds mundane state-of-the-art tech cheaply." I subspaced out my Subnautica Scanner. "This is an active scanner coupled with a non-living matter recycler. I'll analyze the present materials and select what I need."

The probing beam washed over the raw materials and some were absorbed by the scanner and neatly recycled into my subspace pocket. I subspaced in the scanner before taking out my Subnautica Habitat Builder. "This is a Builder. It's based on an atomic-scale matter manipulator. It'll build the machine I pre-programmed."

I then made a rectangular machine with two bins, one up and one down along with a Subnautica Fabricator plate. "And done. This is a limited Fabricator/Repairator that recycles from scraps and garbage mainly titanium, lithium, iron, copper, sulfur, oil, and carbon through the superior bin. Anything it doesn't use is recycled in standard ingots or bottles of liquid in the inferior bin. Please note that the superior bin has a limit of materials for 10 products."

I pointed to the back. "It uses the power from a standard electrical grid. The top screen is touch-activated and uses a series of menus for instructions. Maintenance is automated and ensured by the same fabricator which tests itself each time it's used. Anyone using it is scanned for their measurements as the final products require them." I then showed the plate. "It exclusively fabricates or repairs a model of electric scooter, its batteries, and its accessories."

I sensed that Armsmaster blinked behind his helmet. "Electric scooters?"

I shrugged. "I thought about a cheap, reliable, and urban mode of transport that most of the PRT, Protectorate, and Wards could use without needing skills, being too showy or dangerous."

I went to the controls, put a few raw materials in the bin, and triggered the fabricator. The staff and Armsmaster looked fascinated as the construction beams danced over the forming scooter. One technician whispered that it was so fast compared to some Tinkertech 3D printers he knew about.

I presented and demonstrated the finished scooter. "It's completely replicable technology and is fully foldable to be worn like a backpack. A newly created one is fully charged, but the batteries are swappable and can be recharged in four hours on a standard outlet. Please note that the main unit cannot recharge the batteries, only produce or repair them."

I activated the motor, showing how silent it was. "Maximum autonomy is 100 km at legal speed. Speed is, of course, bridled at 25 km/h but there is an adult/emergency code that unbridled it for a maximum speed of 105 km/h which unfortunately reduces the autonomy to 50 km maximum. The wheels are rated off-road and the tires have an automatic sealant fluid inside. The handlebars have a front light and a phone/radio holder. Of course, there is also a rear light, a coded radio-beacon, and an integrated U-lock system."

I smiled at the flabbergasted technicians and the stoic Armsmaster. "Now, the accessories are primarily for the Wards." My tone became sarcastic. "The Youth Guard would fall on me like a lightning bolt if I didn't think first about their safety."

I triggered anew the fabricator and obtained a vest, pants, gloves, elbow and knee pads, and a helmet with a visor all colored differently within a vast palette. "The primary, secondary, and trim colors of those accessories can be selected at will with the fabricator. Even the designs of each part can be modified easily. Their durability and resistance are military-grade levels and here is the discrete button that turns on and off the bright color panels for road safety."

Armsmaster tilted his head. "You mean they're rated equal or higher to ballistic protection?"

My eyes widened. "Oh my! You're right. What a coincidence!" I winked at them. Most had discrete chuckles and I would have sworn that the right side of Armsmaster's mouth lifted for a second.

I gestured at the machine. "ENE PRT and Protectorate, this is yours." I became very serious. "But only for your branch. You do not have my authorization to lend it to anyone else. Is this recorded?"

Armsmaster seemed perplexed for a moment before he understood that they were now legally prohibited to send the machine to anyone or anywhere without my consent.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Phew… Home, sweet home." I melted down in a comfortable chair within my base while looking at an aquarium with a few of the fascinating and colorful fauna of 4546b. My eyes widened: I was already considering this base and thus Brockton Bay as home?

Well, I did it… I was registered and known to the ENE PRT and Protectorate. I didn't meet Director Piggot, the Wards, or the rest of the Protectorate but I talked with Armsmaster, Miss Militia, and Assault… I truly hoped I made a good impression with them and the PRT staff, it'll help in the long term.

I also survived my first Parahuman fight… What an experience and what an idiot I was. I was still alive so I could… No, I WOULD learn from my failures. Provided I survived Danzou's analysis and the remedial training for my failures.

I sighed and thought seriously about what I should have done with Hookwolf. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. I could have deployed my drones. I could have used my Stasis Rifle. I could have tried the stun beam of my Beam Rifle. I should have scanned the zone in detail. I should have first dropped near the victims and used one of my leg traps that could project a force field. I could have…

It was her hand on my shoulder that stopped my downward spiral. "Master. Thinking about the what if or what I should have done is useless. It already happened. The best you can do is always remember it and adapt."

"VIDA reminds you that if Ryley Robinson survived with such limited equipment on 4546b, you can also survive Earth Bet for another day."

I blinked, took a great breath, and released. "Right. It's not by becoming emo that I will solve the problem." I turned to Danzou and smiled. "Thanks, Danzou. Everything alright on your side?"

She smirked and showed me a dried blood-stained ripped black mask with the head of a white snake on its forehead. "I'm afraid that Thomas Calvert is no more, my Lord. Along with all his mercenaries, however…"

She went to a locker and opened it with her key to the Cosmic Warehouse. I followed her and whistled at the pile of materials, machines, equipment, vehicles, and weapons neatly placed on shelves or parked in my hangar. "And his contingencies?"

She nodded. "You were right, he was a paranoiac and vicious man. All three secondary bunkers and his seven bolt-holes are no more. All his computers have been already downloaded into our databases and destroyed. Finally, I took care of all his dead-man switches. Circus and Chariot have just "forgotten" they were under contract with him and the various caches and hiding places outside this city and state are no more." She blushed. "Sadly, I couldn't do anything about his relations outside the city, notably with Accord and Cauldron, or with the too visible people who knew him as Calvert/Coil like Piggot and the Undersiders. There should be no clue left for them unless we use a recognizable item from the loot."

I nodded. "Contessa will try unless it's unimportant for her paths. Calvert was a pawn but hardly a major piece even for their stupid social experiment in Parahuman feudalism." I frowned. "But Alexandria will never forget the incident and we can't afford to be detected for now… They might suspect, but that's all. Okay, we do nothing for now and we'll recycle most of that loot."

I chuckled as I prepared two cups of tea. "Okay Danzou, you win. How the hell did you manage all that?"

She sat in front of me and smiled. "Simple, Baran. Danzou used her Noble Phantasm. First, I took control of him in both of his timelines then I ended his safe one by him having a stupid road accident. I then maintained the Genjutsu and manipulated him into revealing all his procedures, codes, and traps. Once I knew everything, I killed him by distant decapitation."

I nodded. "Black Arts Decapitation Method-Moonflower, right?"

"Yes. With that done, Danzou killed all the mercenaries using his own traps, especially a canister of nerve gas into the ventilation. I then followed your instructions by scanning everything and transferring what I could into the Warehouse. Finally, I used Mechanical Illusionary Method-Bull Swallowing to erase without a trace all of his possessions and the corpses… And I have a question for you, Master."

I quirked an eyebrow while sipping my tea. "Ask away."

She hesitated an instant. "Danzou is still dependent on your Mana, especially while using a Noble Phantasm. After using them, I didn't feel as drained as I thought. Do you know why?"

I thought for a moment. "Most probably because your Noble Phantasms are C rank and my Magical Circuits are A rank, so I do have sufficient reserves for your trump cards."

Her yellow eyes widened. "A rank? Yes, that explains many things." She sipped her tea. "And now, Baran?"

I smirked. "Now? We are going to do the same thing we do every night, Danzou: Try to take over the world." She looked at me as if I was insane and I burst into laughter. "Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist. A little quote from a funny cartoon." I took a breath and looked at Coil's mask in my hand. "No, first we are going to take the trash into the trash can and then I'll call on the Celestial Forge which will influence what we'll do tomorrow apart from training and collecting information."

"No regret about the death of Coil and his organization?"

I clenched my jaws. "No… None, may he burn in hell for eternity." I shook my head. "I would have like to strangle him myself slowly but you were my hand and I found his… execution deliciously appropriate for someone who used his precognition to do unspeakable acts."

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 18.244. Perk range: 900 CP.

"Oh? It seems we are entering the big leagues, Danzou. Brace yourself."

Current charge: 14.268. Perk range: 700 CP.

I should have followed my own advice because I received… a bucket on the head. I clumsily took it off and examined it. I'm sure my face showed how flabbergasted I felt.

There was a name tag and I groaned in dismay before facepalming: A Bottomless Bucket from Terraria, a game I never played. It could produce an infinite amount of any quantity of liquid put inside. It was also completely immune to any properties of the liquids and couldn't cause cross-contamination with another liquid.

It should be very useful later, but for now was completely useless for us… Apart from improvising a water source inside my Cosmic Warehouse.

"NAVI reminds you that preparing the day's water ration, ahead of time, will help ensure against dehydration and eventual death."

I was feeling a little lost here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: Wow, much longer than I thought. I began to write and I just couldn't stop.

Not satisfied with some parts, don't hesitate to point at errors and write corrections.

Not too sure of what Martial Art or Arts I should need for my character. If you have any ideas and why, I would appreciate it.

Current charge: 14.322. Perk range: 700 CP.

Perk gained in this chapter:

Bottomless Bucket (Terraria – Journey's End) (200CP)

A fairly large metal bucket, which, when filled with a liquid, can pour out infinite amounts of said liquid unless deliberately completely emptied. It will resist cold, heat, corrosion, and other damaging properties of whatever liquid fills it, and when deliberately emptied, no traces or cross-contamination will happen when the bucket is refilled.

Baran3 · Feb 8, 2022

LOST ON A DEATH WORLD

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: While the "wall of text" exposition has been avoided, I find myself with a rather slow progression in the Celestial Forge where one of my goals is to have a solid foundation of low-level perks (50-200 CP) rapidly.

So… We are going to experiment. The idea is to have a maximum of 3 rolls per chapter. One at the beginning, one at the middle, and one at end of the chapter. If I roll a rather powerful perk or a perk with a vast potential for my current possibilities then I'll stop the rolls for the rest of the chapter.

Edit: I have a beta. Everybody thank Pietersielie.

Chapter 5: Lost in insurance.

Friday, January 2011, the seventh.

Even in the Subnautica future, they didn't make a decent ringtone for an alarm clock. I grumbled about throwing something through the window.

"VIDA reminds you that you are the one who programmed this alarm, that VIDA is fiat-backed indestructible, and that there are currently no windows in your base design."

And, oh yes, how could I forget my oh so lovely personal digital assistant? Thankfully, I did think about putting a tea/coffee machine in my bedroom. A little care about my appearance, damned bed-hair, and I went to the main living area of the base. I was betting myself that…

"Good morning, Master Baran." Yep, knew it. There, right outside my door, was my other lovely assistant, Danzou Katou. She was also the most dangerous person on Earth Bet outside of a fully unleashed Baran, Master of the Celestial Forge… I should test the tea for substances as my Chuunibyu was making more and more appearances.

"Good morning, Danzou. I trust you're well?" I went directly to the kitchen area. Time to make some magic with food.

"Danzou is functioning within normal parameters." She seemed elated to eat my cooking soon. Oh well, I was her Master, and feeding your Servants properly was a must.

I served the delicious dishes on the table and we dived into it with gusto. "And now that we're properly fed, what is on the table today?"

"Before the briefing, VIDA reminds you that you are officially registered on the PRT/Protectorate databases. VIDA is also monitoring the forums talking about you and most notably PHO. VIDA advises that an account to mark your existence and allow you to influence the public opinion is something that would help your survival."

I nodded. "Something to do after the training then. Thank you, Vida."

Danzou consulted her PDA. "The analysis of the data we extracted from Coil is continuing. Navi and I found a rather substantial amount of Top Secret information coming directly from the PRT and Protectorate computers. Mostly from the ENE branch, but there was a significant percentage coming from the central organization itself. The rest of the data is about contacts in most sectors of industry and law enforcement, blackmail information against many of the big players, financial and political, of the region, and a few in other states."

She smirked. "We also have the complete civilian identities of many villain groups, notably the Empire Eighty-Eight. A nice confirmation of your metaknowledge. But the cherry on the top is the list of all his moles."

She looked at me with laughing yellow eyes. "In brief, Baran, we have a massive amount of information that we were missing before. And although I'll have to replace almost all the players, we have the skeleton of a large and far reaching network. We can now plan more efficiently to save the world by using a villain's knowledge."

I chuckled. "Very well. I'm already playing Q, so why not M too."

She raised an eyebrow and looked me up and down. "Hmm… Sorry my Lord, but despite your physical upgrade, I can't see you as a credible 007." She blushed. "Although I would make a hell of a Bond Girl."

We laughed together at the image.

"NAVI would point out an overlooked advantage. The Celestial Forge can be called upon as long as 0.001 points of charge are remaining. Having most of the low-level perks rapidly would significantly enhance your survival chances. NAVI recognizes the difficulty to manage too many angles of CF-related perks, especially if you have to overhaul everything you've done so far. Put simply, continue with making at least one roll a day but impose a limit of three rolls on yourself. One at the beginning of the journey and one at the end of it. The last roll should be a floating one that you can use during a crisis or when you have a moment mid-day."

I scratched my head. "Hmm… Not bad advice, especially now that the initial shock is over, I should be able to manage the gifts easier."

Danzou nodded. "I approve, Master. You're still woefully underprepared and underpowered in many aspects. You have a decent base with your power armor and the Subnautica tech, but no crafting skills nor a sufficient foundation in magic."

I shrugged. "Okay, let's do it. Training will enable me to think on the next gift."

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 15.620. Perk range: 750 CP.

"Okay, Danzou. Knock on wood, here we..?" I turned to her, flabbergasted. She just used her Karakuri Doll nature to make… the sound of knocking on wood. I was an adult, I didn't pout, I scowled and rolled up my eyes. "Luna, give me strength."

Current charge: 7.620. Perk range: 350 CP.

My eyes widened in dismay. "Oh, Luna… NO…!"

Danzou burst into laughter and smirked as she put on her glasses and assumed her Katou-sensei persona. "Oh, Luna. Yes!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yikes!" I barely evaded the salvo of shuriken and quickly used my chakra to tree climb the cave wall to a less exposed position.

Katou-sensei's voice seemed to come from everywhere around me. "A Shadow Warrior stays silent in the shadow unless he wants to be heard."

Ha ha, very funny. When I received a complete Workshop in my Cosmic Warehouse, I also received a full introduction and the proper instructions on what the Naruto world is famous for: the ability to produce, control, and use chakra. This particular energy was akin to Ki and yet different and was used by the ninjas of Naruto's world to perform techniques worthy of a Dragon Ball Z episode.

First, chakra was, right now, only produced by me and Danzou… I didn't want to think of the implications that we could give this power to ANYONE simply by focusing chakra energy through their bodies and willing it so. At least, a receiver of this power couldn't transmit it to another.

We both received chakra coils in an internal network looking like the unholy union of the Chinese body meridians and the seven Hindu Chakras… Or a strange cardio-vascular system that could emit energy through pressure points or tenketsu.

Chakra was a blend of Physical energy, as in coming from a life form, and Spiritual energy, derived from the mind's consciousness. Add an elemental affinity to it, like Earth, Fire, Wind, Lightning, or Water, and you obtained a rather potent and versatile power.

That said, I disliked being forced to mold my chakra and thus unleashing a technique via two-handed hand seals. Each technique, apart from a few simple ones and the various martial arts, required a proper series of hand seals to perform. Of course, those seals were the equivalent of a bicycle's training wheels and a master of a technique could reduce the number of seals needed, use one hand only, or entirely disregard the hand seals.

Frankly, twelve basic hand seals, some unique or specialized ones, and up to 44 signs and more were required to do some techniques… Nope.

I extracted a few shurikens from my inexhaustible Ninja Tools Supply Pouch, a piece of very good free equipment here, and threw them at the possible position of Katou-sensei. I saw a flicker of movement above me and pulled on the almost invisible strings attached to my shuriken, altering their trajectory towards the kunoichi.

She replaced herself with the almighty Log and I followed in a succession of Kawarimi, each of us trying to stay behind the other. Ah, if only I could have used my fire affinity to ignite a spool of ninja wire… Curiously, Danzou had an earth affinity.

"Oof..!" The kick in my guts emerged right from my shadow under me. Damn Henge, she just imitated my own shadow while using a standard illusory clone, or Bunshin, to feint me. I used my knowledge of Judo to break my fall without damage but it was already too late. I stopped my counter-attack from the ground with a fistful of Senbon as her Kunai was already on my throat… Dead.

She held out her hand and I grabbed it. "Not bad, Baran. Not bad at all. We're going to make a real ninja of you even if I have to beat your tendency to scream your techniques out of you."

I blushed as she specifically restrained herself to techniques I could use during our sparring. The freebies from the Workshop were very useful and potentially powerful, but announcing the name of the technique was "in genre"… If only the Workshop was also useful.

I had a new part in my Cosmic Warehouse, which provided more space, with a Naruto-style workshop with EVERYTHING needed to produce ANYTHING from that world… And none of the required skills, not even a manual, it was just a facility with the materials. Oh, thanks to the freebie Ninja Academy-level of education, I had an idea about Sealing techniques, smithing, medicines and poisons, woodworking, and so many other disciplines. But, that was it: An IDEA!

I sighed both in contentment and dismay in my shower. A workshop able to make ninja puppets and thus finally something COMPATIBLE with Danzou and I didn't have the correct skills. A shot in the water and the perk was of substantial power, so I decided to wait until the end of the day. No need to make rolls out of frustration, I didn't think it would end well.

Oh, Danzou wasn't that limited as the database she gained had all those non-unique ninja techniques and martial arts. But she was alone and didn't have the Puppet Master Sasori's unique skills and techniques. She could teach me all that but it would take 6 months to a year to reach a decent level. Puppet mastery and Sealing techniques were notorious for being extremely difficult.

Well, to be frank, I didn't want Danzou to make alterations to her body without me being able to help her. And sealing any Shards like a demon would bring the full attention of all the big players on us too soon. However, right now, Danzou was occupied with sealing the whole base and Cosmic Warehouse against spatial and dimensional techniques, clairsentience, and precognition with existing designs so that was good for the long term.

I smiled since she would also put an Illusory Barrier, a Sensing Barrier, and a semi-mobile Five-Seals Barrier over the entry of the Warehouse. All three would activate whenever we open the door and thus prevent the detection of the Cosmic Hallway, entering it without disrupting its defenses, and using any Stranger-type technique to bypass it.

Shrugging, I clothed myself and prepared to "show the flag" by doing a little patrol outside. At least, this workshop was a magical facility with an auto-updating function, so it would also produce everything required for an Earth Bet Tinker, materials, and ingredients, as it considered the Shards' shenanigans with technology as magic. Curiously, it didn't update using the settings I already gained with the Celestial Forge… Very curious or was it because there were perks that could do it?

Meh. With the basic Academy hand-to-hand style I just got, coupled with the training from hell of Katou-sensei, my capabilities in melee combat just tripled. My hands could now qualify as lethal weapons. I supposed that a personal sealing charm for both of us against precognition and clairsentience should be possible but it would require research as Danzou didn't have an existing design.

And we weren't going to try a Summoning contract on Earth Bet without being sure that we could reach the proper realm.

I spoke to my PDA, "Alright, Vida. Can we establish two accounts without compromising this base? One for a civilian identity and the other for my hero persona. I wonder if Danzou did that already."

"Danzou Katou did create multiple accounts for passive surveillance of the social networks. VIDA can't hide our system from inquiries if we use any direct way to prove you're a Parahuman for PHO. Indirect ways will take time, a day to a week. Civilian accounts or passive accounts are not a problem."

I frowned. "Well, something to pray to the Celestial Forge in the future. Still, create two accounts for me. One as… Let's say ExaltedMoon and one as StarKnight. The last is for my hero persona so use an untraceable indirect way to prove it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah, flying. The old dream of humanity since they saw a bird. And what a pleasure, the last two times I didn't appreciate the feeling of liberty from moving in the sky, free.

And, of course, my hypersensor reacted to gunfire. Not gunshots, gunfire as in two groups of people slugging it out right in the middle of a residential block. No group was clad in gang colors, although the Merchants didn't have any particular colors but a distinctive health state. I'd see when I got closer. But first, I focused my hypersensor on the scene.

Good, no bad surprise: No hidden capes, or at least none with masks and/or active powers. No heavy weapons or grenades, just an assortment of handguns, shotguns, and melee weapons… Was that a comb disguised as a switchblade? And the building in the East direction was abandoned and completely vacant, with no squatters.

"Police…? This is independent hero StarKnight. Shooting at Barley and Southhampton near the Biggles Park. Eleven people with firearms. No civilian victims so far but a few wounded among the aggressors. No gang colors and no capes either. I'm moving in for a citizen arrest and letting my comm line open."

"Roger that, StarKnight. Officers and ambulances are on their way." The policewoman on the line seemed surprised by my call.

I stayed in the air, using a burst of my thrusters to go where I had the eastern empty building at my back, and turned on my external speakers.

"Attention! Independent hero StarKnight! You're being recorded! You're under Citizen Arrest for Attempted Manslaughter! Throw down your weapons and wait for the police to arrest you immediately!"

Hum… You couldn't really have a spiffy introduction when making a citizen arrest… Well, at least, I hoped I wouldn't do a Sailor Moon speech in my future.

They're hesitating but I could now see, and my sensor confirmed it, that one side was Merchant goons. This wasn't going to end well. Then my hypersensor beeped an aerial proximity alert and I chuckled as a dumpster crashed between the two wavering groups.

She was a tall, platinum blonde, young woman flying above the scene. She wore a white onepiece dress that ended in a skirt at her mid-thigh with shorts underneath, an over-the-shoulder cape, high boots, and a golden tiara with spikes radiating from it.

"Police, StarKnight. Be advised that Glory Girl of New Wave is on site and assisting."

After the receptionist acknowledged, I could hear whispers in the background, about Collateral Damage Barbie. Poor Victoria Dallon, but it was true that right now she was rather prone to use excessive force despite being a genuine hero. The proof was the dumpster that made a nice and useless crater in the street.

Still, she was an experienced cape and we began to deal with the shooters. I was using my foam guns while she was catching the fleeing goons and threw them back, literally sometimes, into my restraining foam.

The only problem I had was her stupid aura. Pure awe raked over my mind a few times but the fire of my Essence was melting it instantly.

I informed the Police that all the suspects were under control and that I was waiting for the officers to make my statement before making a sensor sweep for surprises or dying goons and turning to her.

"Good morning, Glory Girl. And thank you for the assist."

She was still radiating Awe that shattered against my Will of Moonsilver. "No problem, StarKnight. Heroes have to help each other, right?"

She was so confident, I hated having to deflate it. I walked closer to not be heard by the captured criminals. "Please, miss Dallon. You're affecting me with your aura."

She went from Confident Heroine to Oopsy-Teenage Girl and cut off her aura. "Sorry about that."

I kept speaking softly. "It's okay, but you did nail me a few times during the capture. It will hinder anyone not prepared, even if fear is reserved to those who have a reason to fear you."

She winced and went contrite. "Please, don't talk about it. I still have some problems regulating it."

I nodded. "You have my word. But it's curious. I know you're a Fiss based on force fields like most of your family. You can't shunt your aura field to your other fields?"

She blinked. "My what? A fuss? What are you talking about?"

I guided her a little away from the foamed goons. Some were trying to listen in. "A Fiss. F.I.S.S. Flight, Invulnerability, and Super-Strength. I don't like to use the PRT Threat nomenclature or the Hero-naming convention that say you're an Alexandria package. That's demeaning to my eyes."

She seemed a little confused but nodded. "Like most of your family, everything you can do depends on your force field. Flight, strength, protection, and emotional aura. I thought you could shunt the energy you're using in your aura to the other functions of your force field. Like Manpower when he boosts his durability by reducing his strength."

She went pensive. "Yeah… He can do that…" She looked at her hand. "And if he can do that then either me or Crystal, even Eric… I wonder if…"

Oh, dear Luna. Baran, you idiot! You knew she was rather impulsive. "Err… Glory Girl? I don't think…"

Glory Girl suddenly disappeared into the sky at much more than her registered speed of 80 mph. Almost supersonic. I facepalmed. "… it's a good idea."

She came back as fast as she departed, laughing with joy. I clamped a hand on her shoulder and put a finger over my lower helmet. "Shush… We don't want to give away our advantages to villains, do we?"

Her eyes widened and she threw a quick look at the neutralized criminals. She giggled. "No, we don't, but… Oh, god. Shifting the power behind a function to another…" She nodded to herself. "Wait until I tell that to the others. Still, thank you for that idea, StarKnight."

I let her go and shrugged. "Just helping my fellow heroes, miss Dallon."

"Call me Vicky or Glory Girl, not that miss crap."

"As you wish, Glory Girl. Will you stay with me after giving our statement to repair a few things?"

She looked in dismay at the crumbled dumpster in the middle of the street. "Oh no… Mom is gonna kill me."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It went surprisingly well with the police. They took all the criminals into custody and accepted our statements and my recording of the fight. I then separated from Glory Girl and went with the officers to their headquarters as I agreed to answer a few more questions.

I had another goal and that was to forge a good relationship with all the public services within Brockton Bay. So I answered, demonstrated, and asked questions of my own. I thought I short-circuited their minds. It seemed that it was the first time that a parahuman cooperated that long and well with them since the days of the Brockton Bay Brigade. I wasn't insisting on the PRT taking jurisdiction and asked if they had any teaching programs for learning how to interact with the police as a parahuman. I even took off my armor within their building.

Overall, it went very well… Which meant that the other shoe wasn't very far.

I decided to go to the boardwalk for lunch and watch the Cape tourism. It was important to decompress like that… although I wasn't that satisfied with the taste of my meal. Too much fat.

Okay, I could think about what I have done, what I must do, and what I should and shouldn't do… A tall order. I think it went rather well so far. I didn't alienate the heroes and my war against crime was small scale and thus shouldn't direct too much attention on me apart from my status as a new parahuman in Brockton Bay… They had an average of 2 to 4 parahumans like that per month. Most died or went away in under 1 to 3 months. Despite what one might think, the gangs didn't recruit many capes except for the Merchants. And everybody absolutely hated little vigilantes or newbies with stars in their eyes as I could become.

My main advantage was my power armor but I was becoming more and more dangerous outside of it. Danzou was my most precious trump card on this death world. I internally shook my head as I sipped a nice cup of tea. I really needed a more solid foundation for my operations. The defenses were coming up nicely, but I still didn't have a production facility in either technology, magic, or techno-magic. Perhaps analyzing the weapons and other items looted from Coil?

Yes, I'd do that. And I would also begin to incorporate other weapons and accessories inside the slots of my power armor. They were there just for that and having a Stasis Rifle or a spool of titanium ninja wire seemed a good idea. Eh, I could see someone's face if I started to use ninja techniques and weapons in my armor… Wasn't there some sort of chakra-powered power armor in Naruto?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The afternoon began with my decision to visit the PRT headquarters just to be in touch and they would appreciate it if I warned them of my morning action myself. I also needed to make some inquiries with their services as I did with the police, like the communication protocols, how to coordinate with them, what to do with captured parahumans, and other things.

I called ahead to warn them about my arrival and subspaced my power armor as soon as I was in their lobby. I nodded to the receptionist and consciously ignored the various hidden defensive implements and surveillance systems aimed at me.

"Good afternoon, sergeant."

"Good afternoon, StarKnight. What can the PRT do for you?"

I waved away his worried tone. "I'm merely here to see your pamphlets about your classes in your communication protocols and everything a new hero should learn in your city. If I could also make some appointments for lessons, that would be perfect."

His eyes widened a little. "Ah… Of course. This will take some time. Do you wish to wait for a Protectorate Senior Officer?"

I shrugged. "I'm not in a hurry and they must have a hundred more important things than me. And besides, this will also enable me to hear about the follow up on my past interactions. Do you have good news about the teenage girl I rescued from the bio-contaminated locker?"

He smiled. "Ah, her. Yes, good news on that point."

And so we went about what I needed and gossiped about Brockton Bay and the Cape scene. I gave my imminent new internet handle and saw what kind of procedures I should use before receiving an official comm line. He was surprised when I asked for an aerial transponder since I could fly. It seemed that most flying capes didn't bother about it as they were considered like helicopters.

I purposefully bit the bait and informed him that my power armor was supersonic and thus was required by law to have a transponder just like I would have to write a flight plan if I left the city.

When we went about my morning action against the shooters, he asked why I didn't call the PRT. I feigned confusion and answered that as long as there weren't any capes, it was the jurisdiction of the police and not their federal agency. We then discussed the hot subject of minions and I replied that as long as they couldn't properly handle such a number of criminals, it was best to cooperate with the police who had the manpower and facilities. I then took a tangent on their protocols about the city public services, notably the fire-fighters as I had fire-fighting equipment in my power armor. And hop! Another discreet "unknown" leak.

I left the PRT from the roof pad in a good mood. I had confirmation about Taylor Hebert that "the poor girl had been healed by Panacea and she should join a better school in the future" and that I could visit her without problems. She was also a better person than her tormentors as she didn't want to sue them because of a past best friendship with one of them. Unfortunately, the adults dealing with her case weren't feeling that merciful. Hmm… Arcadia, Clarendon, or Immaculata? I wondered which she or her father would choose.

The sergeant spoke of three persons directly responsible for the locker but he couldn't name them since they were minors. Through the gossip, it seemed that Emma Barnes was "confirmed not psychologically responsible because of a past trauma" and had been remanded to the psychiatric services. Madison Clements "left the sinking ship like a rat and made a deal for a reduced sentence of community service for a few years" and having a big black mark on her school file.

The last unnamed girl, that I knew was Sophia Hess, provoked a curious reaction. The sergeant snorted and was visibly controlling his laugh as he said that she was already on probation and she went directly to Juvenile. I knew that Shadow Stalker was absent from the Wards, but what did they do? So far, I hadn't read about a new cape with her power or her cape name being transferred somewhere. In fact, many of the troopers in the lobby were repressing laughs and my Essence-enhanced ear could hear something about "pink" and "should have done that from the beginning".

For Blackwell and most of the staff, however, no mercy, especially from Taylor. They were adults and should have acted on her behalf. At best, they would be on a blacklist from all education services and work in fast foods. At worst… Prison, and not for a few years. Nevertheless, Winslow was gutted and would receive a long-awaited rebuild with new personnel and new equipment thanks to a federal-issued fund… Well well well, was someone in the background feeling guilty or afraid to be exposed?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was very happy with Danzou. She plugged most of the holes in our security with those amazing Seals. Of course, she said it was nothing and that the materials in the Ninja Workshop helped a lot. She was also very enthusiastic about her spy network being formed and positively loved some new acronyms for her like Humint, Elint, Sigint, Opsint, Comint, Masint, and Imint.

I shrugged. We both took a Subnautica scanner and went to list all the equipment from Coil for a time.

I wasn't very happy as I read through the files produced by my scanner. "Meh, most of these things are military-grade quality but nothing remarkable."

Danzou shrugged as she looked at her PDA. "You're a little spoiled by the Celestial Forge, my Lord. But, yes, for some I was expecting a little more. At least we can make better versions of most US military and PRT gear."

I scowled. "As if I could use such material now without flagging a few alarms. No, it'll be for later." I shook my head. "You know, they wrote such hype in fiction about the infamous laser attachments of Coil's mercenaries and… that! They're a piece of garbage!"

Danzou raised an eyebrow and smirked. "They can slag an MBT, but I suppose that for someone having a Beam Rifle, they're a little weak."

I sighed. "Okay, okay. For a handheld weapon, they're powerful. Still, only one minute of continuous fire, and then they need to be replaced… A one-shot weapon… A sure way to kill most parahumans, even an early stage Lung, but that's it."

Danzou sent me a document on my PDA. "Oh, it's even better than that. Coil only had a limited stock as he killed the minor Tinker who made those lasers."

I shook my head in dismay. For someone boasting about his intellect, Coil was stupid in some areas. Oh well, I still gained some interesting blueprints for my fabricators. Tinkertech-made computers, programs, medicine, chemicals, power sources, sensors, explosives, materials, components, and more. Most of it was minor improvements over the current tech by less than a century, but could be useful nonetheless. In fact…

A few hours later, Danzou came into the Cosmic Warehouse to see where I was with my project. "So, Master? How is it going?"

I smiled as I finished embedding the last of my little products on the floor of the Warehouse. "See for yourself."

Danzou looked around and immediately saw what looked like a small circular panel of a transparent substance evenly spaced in the floor, the walls, and the ceiling of the Warehouse. "What is Danzou looking at?"

"Those are the apertures of a system under the full control of Vida and Navi and made by combining a PDA, a scanner, a limited fabricator, a Grav Trap, and some computer elements from Coil. In effect, they are a gravity-based tractor beam system that can manipulate the items and materials stored here and put them where they belong. All of this is thus analyzed and listed properly. The fabricators will even put them into crates, shelves, or any containers in memory. It's upgradable and auto-maintained."

I then pointed at my Subnautica Nuclear Reactor and the two 10 meter high Subnautica Alien Containment aquariums, one full of Bladderfish with proper flora for them, the other just clear water. "In addition, they run the water distribution system I implanted. It's based on a reservoir of clean freshwater supplemented by an automated system using the breeding Bladderfish to put in newly freshwater. A Subnautica Water Filter and one, more standard, from Coil's base completes the whole."

I tilted my head. "All this is still a little big and temporary, but without crafting Skills, I could only mix the existing blueprints. The Habitat Builder is a Luna-sent gift."

Danzou nodded. "Yes, I can already see they dealt with the mess I stole from Coil. Well done, Baran." She smiled. "I also discovered the big bath you put in the bathroom." She turned to me with a somewhat gluttonous look. "It's time for supper, Master."

I laughed. "Coming, coming. I wouldn't want you to miss the world tour of dishes. Which country, tonight?"

"Turkey."

"Okay, Manti and Baklava then. Even some Turkish Delight if you want."

"Oh yes, Master!" She blushed as she followed me to the dining area.

After a delicious meal, we went back into the Warehouse to make another roll on the Celestial Forge… Just in case.

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 14.112. Perk range: 700 CP.

And this time I said nothing. Danzou felt a little smug nonetheless.

Current charge: 6.112. Perk range: 300 CP.

I blinked at Danzou and she blinked at me. "Well… I was already an Earth God of Cooking and now, I'm a Cosmic God of Tailoring…" I rolled up my eyes. "Considering that the canon heroine is named Taylor and has a talent for weaving spider silk, someone up there must be laughing at me!" I crossed my arms and scowled. "Surely Dahling Edna."

Danzou shrugged. "At least we won't have any problems with clothes, my Lord."

I sighed. "With clothes? I could clothe a whole solar system or Scion in its real form if I wanted. I could also..!" I stopped, eyes widening, and whispered. "I could repair any kind of rip or tear with just a needle and thread… Even at a conceptual or dimensional level."

Danzou looked sharply at me. "Including damaged connections between a Shard and its host?"

I nodded softly. I could save Noelle and even repair damaged psyches like that of Riley and Burnscar. I raised an eyebrow and put my hands on my hips – Danzou was looking at me and repressing a laugh. "Now what?"

"Well… Master, you remember what I told you about not being able to be James Bond this morning?" I frowned but nodded. She extracted a mirror from a pouch and turned it in my direction. "Well, that's no longer the case."

My eyes widened when I saw my new reflection. I was still me but… I was more handsome, as if I had been airbrushed. I could almost see myself making a roguish smile and talking in a suave voice.

I moaned in dismay and double-facepalmed. Danzou lost her fight and burst into laughter.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: I really hoped I didn't hit the Exposition Wall.

Well, two medium-level perks and still NO technological or magical CRAFTING skills… Apart from Tailoring of course. A great surprise for some in the future.

I should remake my costume and Danzou's once I have a proper idea of what I can do. Just saying "I have a Cosmic-Level Costume" means nothing so far.

And Naruto entered the scene! Now, I have to deal with Chakra, Ninjutsu, and Sealing Arts. Very freestyle since it's coming from a GENERIC Naruto Fanfiction.

Although Danzou is going to have a spy network faster than expected since she can now use any kind of Naruto-style clones.

As always feel free to comment on anything and everything.

Current charge: 6.112. Perk range: 300 CP.

Perks gained this chapter:

Workshop (Generic Naruto Fanfiction) (400CP)

Going out and beating people up is not all there is to be a ninja, certainly not in the myriad worlds of Naruto fanfiction. There's a lot of space for less outdoorsy activities, such as seal-creation, weapons-forging, and so on. That's where this beautiful place comes in! It's the ultimate workshop, perfect for just about anything you may care to work at. It has a huge supply of papers and inks for your fuuinjutsu needs, herbs and plants for preparing poisons or medicines, a forge and metal supplies for smithing, timber for woodwork, and so on, for anything else you may care to work on. The quantities of the materials generated depend on their rarity and value. Something like ordinary paper and ink, or plain steel and wood, would never run out no matter how much you use, while things like paper from special, chakra-enriched trees would be in a far shorter supply. But no matter how rare something might be, so long as it's not absolutely unique, you can expect to find it here, and in sufficient quantities to work with. At the absolute slowest, for materials of priceless rarity like high-quality chakra-storing gemstones or metals, you could expect a supply to regenerate bi-yearly, and proportionately lesser times for less rare substances. In future worlds this workshop updates with materials and ingredients of the respective settings, with the same replenishment rules remaining in effect.

Chakra Coils- Free
The basic ability to use chakra, as represented by "chakra coils" that are a nebulous part of your body and/or soul now. You have top-quality chakra coils which would place you in the top 5% in this world in terms of both capacity and control.
After this jump, your chakra system and body continue to function just as they do in this world, along with any changes made along the way. You may also if you choose to, induce the development of chakra coils in other people simply by pushing some of your chakra into them.

Academy Training- Free
You already have all the basic training necessary to start your career as a ninja. Your physical stats and resilience are what civilians would call 'peak human' and you can mold chakra, use kunai and shuriken, do the academy three Jutsu (henge, kawarimi, and bunshin), and have learned a basic taijutsu style. You've even studied ahead a little and learned tree climbing, chakra-boosted jumping, and several D-rank techniques (Body Flicker Technique, Manipulated Shuriken Technique, Shadow Shuriken Technique, and Temporary Paralysis Technique).

Elemental Affinity (Fire)- Free
Not much to see here. You have an extremely strong elemental affinity in one of the five primary elements of this world, those being Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning. The first purchase of this perk is free, the second and onward cost 100 CP though you must purchase a different primary element each time.
* Affinity was determined by an Internet Quiz.

Ninja Weapons- Free
You have a pouch full of all kinds of general use ninja weapons, like shuriken, kunai, senbon, each of multiple kinds and sizes, up to and including things like fuuma shurikens and the rest. It also has many spools of ninja wire, along with the other slightly niche materials, and everything is of the very highest quality, prime Higurashi product.
No matter how many of these you take out, there are always more, and you always pull out exactly what you were meant to. Strangely no one ever seems to question this, maybe they just think you have a lot of storage scrolls in there? The items you take out eventually disappear after use.

Superhuman Skill: Tailoring Cosmic Level (Generic Super Academy) (400CP)

You possess greater than human levels of skill in a single occupation. You could be a superhuman sniper, martial artist, mechanic, chef, or any other area of skill. You may purchase additional occupations for an extra 100 cp each. At Street Tier, you are slightly above what a normal human could achieve. This level in skill is equivalent to Bullseye's accuracy or Lady Shiva's fighting skill. At National Tier, you can achieve feats of skill that would normally only be possible with machine-like perfection. You could literally shoot the wings off a fly at 100 meters, perform delicate brain surgery with a shard of glass in a tenth the normal time, or write a song that inspires a national revolution within days. At Global Tier, the laws of physics become flexible when you practice your skills. You can bend bullets Wanted style, balance on a cloud, or swim up a rainstorm. At Cosmic Tier, things get a little ridiculous. Your skills acquire conceptual level effects. You could shoot someone by targeting their shadow, dodge bad luck, or repair spatial rifts with duct tape and baling wire.

Academy Graduate (Generic Super Academy) (Free for All Origins)
This is the very basics. If you didn't know this stuff, you could never graduate from the Academy at all. And, lucky you, you get to start with it. You have very basic self-defense training, enough control over your powers to not accidentally hurt yourself or others, a minor grounding in the science of metahuman powers, hopefully, enough knowledge of metahuman law to avoid going to prison, and basic general education to the level appropriate for your school.
* All this appropriate if such an Academy existed on Earth Bet.

Most Common Superpower (Generic Super Academy) (Free for All Origins)
You have the incredible good looks that comic book heroes always seem to have. Chiseled features, defined muscles, perfect curves, flowing hair, no matter what you are at least an eight out of ten, and you stay that way no matter how dirty you might be or how much you might get beat down. You will retain your fit and attractive appearance, even without exercise or a proper diet, as long as you consume enough calories to avoid starvation. You will either heal perfectly, without any form of scarring, or your scars will enhance your appearance in some way. Even if your appearance is inhuman in some way, you still manage to be this attractive.

Required Secondary Powers (Generic Super Academy) (Free for All)
You have the often implied but equally often never stated ability to have your powers work in ways that won't hurt or adversely affect you. This works for powers purchased in this specific jump and for any future powers you gain that are at least superficially similar in nature to the ones purchased here.

Costume (Generic Super Academy) (Free for All Origins)
You have a costume of your own design that always looks good on you. It does not provide any powers, but it will never be harmed by your own powers or movements and will alter itself to always fit you perfectly. It will remember any upgrades you make to it and is self-cleaning and maintaining.
* Assimilated into what Baran is clothed for his heroic persona.

Baran3 · Feb 9, 2022

LOST ON A DEATH WORLD

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: Warning, MASSIVE info dump.

Perks of the Celestial Forge obtained by chapter.

Prologue:

Personal IS | IS Education and Training (Infinite Stratos) (0CP)

- Personal IS (0CP) All players get a free Infinite Stratos Mecha personalized to them. See the Infinite Stratos section after the Item section for details on how to create this mecha.

- IS Education and Training (Infinite Stratos) (0CP) The Infinite Stratos are terribly complicated things. It takes a lot of knowledge of mathematics and various sciences to operate one and even more to maintain the machines. That's not even getting into the trained reflexes and coordination you need to be able to use an IS for effective combat. Usually, you'd learn this over time in school but as a special consideration, you'll have all that knowledge and skill popped into your head, free of charge. You won't be matching an Ace but you can be assured of being proficient.
Build your own Infinite Stratos in the Jump Document. The options are half the jump document and not copied here as a result.

Chapter 1:

Beniemiya (Fate/Legends: Japan)- 50 CP.
It might just be something in the water, both what you're drinking and what you serve to the guests that adore every meal you make. You're a savant when it comes to making meals, not just limited to Eastern dishes either. With a little experimentation, you can make almost anything into a mouth-watering feast for both the taste buds and the eyes. The real problem isn't making a good meal but keeping all these greedy pigs from eating you out of house and home. Don't even try making hamburgers around any blonde ladies, it never ends well.
Now, while cooking good food is a prize well worth it, you do also have a more useful aspect here. By channeling magical energy into your tools and ingredients as you work, you're able to 'enchant' the meal with a variety of useful effects. A hearty beef stew that lets a warrior heal their wounds much faster than normal, sugary sweets that give people the speed of the wind, a mighty hamburger that temporarily bulges the muscles to greater heights. Even negative effects are possible if you want to taint your food that way. They only last for a temporary period and the effects tend to be fairly weak without a lot of mana put in but it makes your food all the more popular.

Blossoming Sun (Fate/Legends: Japan)- Free
You had a fortunate birth, whatever you end up being, and find yourself above average for these lands. Japan is not particularly a bastion of mystical heroes in the way of Greece or Britain. Indeed, many of the legends to be found following are made from incredible skill or the command of many soldiers instead of personal feats of might and magic. But even these skillful heroes do tend to stand above the other poppies.
Your body is naturally on the higher end for human fitness, ably competing in modern athletics without any training required. Magically, you possess a number of high-quality circuits, equal to the much later coming Tohsaka heir. A prodigy in those times but still notable even a thousand years prior. You lack training for now but magic is not so hidden as it becomes in the modern-day, with the presence of spiritual temples and Onmyouji practitioners.
As a quirk of this land, you also can summon a wide range of aesthetic effects, even when they make no sense. A flurry of cherry blossoms on the wind as you make an entrance, the sun shining down the red rays of a sunset even mid-morning to dramatize your battles. One might claim you're in some sort of samurai movie, with how many dramatic effects tend to occur around you.

Habitat Constructor (Subnautica)- 50 CP.
As long as the materials are present in your subspace inventory, the Habitat Constructor is capable of creating robust outposts and domiciles. Due to complex structural requirements, the constructor is unable to build anything that isn't anchored to the ground.

Manifold Destiny (Subnautica)- 100CP.
You've got one job, and you're pretty good at it. The things you build have extra hull integrity, giving you more leeway when constructing habitats. Vehicles you construct have more advanced armor, making them harder to hurt without sacrificing acceleration.

Skin-suit (Subnautica) (Free to everyone)
It's not armored, but it's climate-controlled, and it comes with an air tank-compatible helmet. Utilizes a small subspace inventory for the convenience of the wearer. The gloves grant extra traction, making it easy to grip slippery things like slimy fish scales. Skin-tight.

PDA (Subnautica) (Free to Everyone)
Loaded with an emergency intelligence and more data capacity than you could ever use, this is a survivor's second most powerful tool (after his or her brain.) The AI may get a bit… quirky… over long deployments. Your version is basically indestructible. Contains basic construction blueprints.

Pod (Subnautica) (Free to everyone)
This emergency life pod has inflatable skids along the bottom to help keep it on the surface of the water, as well as a hatch on both the bottom and top. It also comes with a radio receiver, six solar-charging batteries, and a universal fabricator. The storage container has enough food and water for about a week. A nano-med kit is synthesized and added to storage once a day.

Resource Generator (A Certain Magical Index + A Certain Scientific Railgun) – 100cp
Buying materials and resource cost too much time and manpower especially if the materials or recourse that you need are limited or rare. You gain a warehouse full of materials and resource no matter how common to how rare it is that you need to build any technology that you want. It replenishes used materials every twenty-four hours after you took them out of the warehouse additionally it records and replenishes any materials that you add to your warehouse. After jump, it would become a warehouse add-on or be inserted near your starting location.

Cosmic Warehouse (free): Over the course of your adventures you're probably going to collect a metric duck-ton of stuff. Weapons, armor, technology, cars, big evil laser beams, everything and anything including several kitchen sinks. Why? Because you can. Now, normally you'd have trouble storing it all, and that's no fun, so here's your very own Cosmic Warehouse to give you a place to stick all your stuff. It is contained within its own reality that contains absolutely nothing else (guaranteed) and no matter where you go (unless blocked by a drawback or gauntlet) you'll always be able to access it. Before you do anything with it, it looks like a fairly dimly lit and very empty room.
Your Warehouse forms the base of your Personal Reality, with any additions you buy or make expanding it through various means. Anything added to the Warehouse via CP purchase is guaranteed to work flawlessly with anything and everything else attached to the Warehouse. Anything added by the use of fiat-backed powers or abilities is likewise guaranteed to seamlessly integrate. This means that, although you can't just buy a house with cash in a jump and integrate it into your warehouse, you could enchant a closet already in your Warehouse with Harry Potter brand 'bigger on the inside' magic if you've been to a Harry Potter jump. Essentially, you'll get a complete set of manuals on how each thing you buy functions and listing how various techs and magics that you have already purchased can be integrated with what you have already. It won't make suggestions, but it will tell you how to accomplish something if you've already got the power and know-how needed to pull it off.

Starting Space (free): Your Personal Reality starts out with a volume of 80×80×10 meters, so 6,400 square meters of floor space or 64,000 cubic meters of storage volume. In the archaic and silly 'Imperial' measuring system this translates to 262.5×262.5×32.8 feet, so 68,889 square feet or 2,260,138 cubic feet.

Access Key (free): This is a special key that lets you access your Personal Reality and its contents. When inserted into any lock on any door, the door opens to reveal a gateway into your Reality at a predetermined location within it. You are the only person who can take the key from the lock, the gateway remains open as long as the key is in the lock, and if the key is ever lost or stolen you will find it in your pocket a few minutes later. You cannot close the door as long as you are inside the Personal Reality.

Security System (free): Anybody coming in and out of your Personal Reality is now checked for any authorization you've given them to access it; and should anything about said authorization (or a lack of it) raise any flags in the system, then you will receive a warning about it. This allows you to define just what sorts of authorization different individuals can have to access your Personality Reality, anything from No Access through Temporary Access and Limited Access to Unlimited Access is possible. All this does is notify you. It does not stop them on its own. A Keyholder's Access cannot be limited by the Security System. Only hand out Keys to those you trust implicitly.

Loft (Free): What's the point of having a room 10 meters tall if you can't build upwards. Feel free to stack things up to the ceiling if you like.

Environmentally Neutral (Free): By default, the temperature in your Personal Reality is never too hot nor too cold, the air will always smell faintly musty but scent neutral, and the air will always be breathable… even if two different species with different atmospheric requirements are present in it at the same time…. well, as long as both species are there with permission. This won't protect breathing invaders. Earth Standard Gravity will be maintained in all areas, and the air will be just humid enough.

Shelving (free): Basic metal shelves to keep your goods on, the kind you find in industrial big box stores, sized for pallets and numbered for sorting. You'll get up to as many as will suit your initial space allotment, but if you don't take all of them, you'll need to buy more on your own… they sell them at most business supply warehouses, ironically enough.

Neutral Lighting (free): These lights are nothing special, It's a color-neutral, source-neutral ambient lighting system. It's not really that bright… think early twilight gloom, but if you want better, install it.

Entrance Hall (First Free): This is the room your Access Key opens a door to. It starts off as a 5-meter cube with blank white walls, floor, and ceiling, and some doors, one leading to the current Host Reality, the other into your Cosmic Warehouse, with additional doors leading to other extensions as these get added to your Personal Reality. Feel free to customize this Entrance Hall as you see fit. Additional Halls can, at your discretion, be linked only to certain keys or only to certain extensions. This allows you to have an entry hall just for skiing if you want.

Companion Calibration Unit (Free): While not a full Body Mod for your companions, this is perhaps the next best thing. Taking the form of a vending machine-sized diagnostic cabinet, this scans your companions (and all their alt-forms) for any form of illness, genetic malady, or physical/neurological dysfunction and corrects them. It also provides a statistical analysis of their baseline (i.e. what they'd be like powered down). This second function can be used on non-companions.

Cleaning Supplies (Free): Infinite supply of any cleaning supplies you might need for cleaning your Personal Reality. By default placed into a specific closet, but can be placed elsewhere. These have no actual chemical properties. No using this to get an endless supply of brooms or bleach. Completely safe for all complex lifeforms. Very not safe for viruses, bacteria, amoeba, or household pests.

Chapter 2:

Hangar (Ace Combat) (50CP)

Planes are fine when they're going through the air and dealing with enemies. But leaving them to the elements and the outdoors when they're not in use? Well, that just seems really crass. You need somewhere to store your vehicles and planes when you're not busy destroying anything that's not on your side, and that's what these establishments are for. It's not the fanciest thing in the world, but it'll serve its purpose and make sure your means for vehicular slaughter are in prime condition for their tasks. For an additional +50CP, these hangar bays also come equipped with special clamps and harnesses to make refitting and refueling any planes, go much more quickly than they would if you were using them by hand. For sea-based bases, this also means you have docks for boats and submarines.
Gives a Warehouse attachment for planes, vehicles, boats, submarines. A very all-encompassing storage space that keeps the vehicles stored in prime condition too.

Soundtrack (Ace Combat) (Free): When you take to the skies, it does not always have to be on a somber note. As you fly to your mission, dogfight, or assault an enemy position you'll have the soundtrack of your choice playing in the background. Others can hear this if you wish, and you can turn this off at any time. Perfect for when you want to hype yourself up for a situation.

Basic Flight Training (Ace Combat) (Free): If you couldn't fly before, you have a basic idea of how to fly a plane now. You know how to maneuver the joystick properly, which button fires the missiles, and how to properly land a plane without creating a multi-million dollar pile of scrap. It won't save you if you dive into a massive swarm of planes all by yourself, but you can learn.

Missile Surplus (Ace Combat) (Free): Well this is odd. Any plane you pilot seems to hold an unnatural number of missiles for its type, far more than it should. You're not sure where it's getting this many missiles, but you'll have to restock them if you run out. The same thing happens with special weapons, though you have to have a working model to attach if you want to swap it out.

Comm Chatter (Ace Combat) (Free): While an important part of war is knowing what your opponent is up to, sometimes it's good for puffing your ego up too. For whatever reason, your radio will occasionally catch communications being broadcast from the enemy. This can range from important information to wild surprise at your antics. Not too useful, but good for knowing how you're doing.

I Know Things (Marvel Cosmic) (100CP)

What use is genius if no one will listen? How can one save the day or take over the galaxy if they are ignored? This ensures that will never be a problem for you. You know things and people know that. They will no longer scoff at or ignore your scientific ramblings so long as you know what you are talking about. You can always convince people to accept facts so long as you can explain them. People will also accept your knowledge of things as equivalent to a physical item of equal value when discussing bartering or trading. You can't bullshit with this perk. You have to actually be right and know the thing for it to be taken seriously.

Stabilized Moonsilver (Exalted-The Lunars) (50CP)

Deposits of Moonsilver form only in the Wyld. Beams of moonlight unpredictably illuminate a region of the Bordermarches or Middlemarches, boiling off the Wyld and distilling its Essence into the fluid, watery-looking moonsilver. However, raw moonsilver is unstable. An artisan needs special techniques to work it. Through coaxing songs and careful taps and strokes with crystal hammers and probes, the artisan quiets the Wyldness remaining in the raw moonsilver so it becomes a stable metal. Pacify it too much and it freezes into silver; hit it too hard, and it shatters into drops of quicksilver.
This does mean that in other worlds, you might have some difficulty finding any quantities of Moonsilver to use. Therefore, you may purchase a supply of moonsilver here. Gaining five Talents of pure, stabilized Moonsilver for you to use, enough for the creation of almost any kind of artifact, as well as notes detailing the thaumaturgical procedure that may be used to create Moonsilver yourself. In the future, you will gain another five Talents of this mutable metal every year, ensuring that you will never permanently run out.

No Moon (Exalted-The Lunars) [Free]
The members of the No Moon Caste are the loremasters, occultists, and sorcerers of the Lunar Exalted. The Children of the Hidden Moon preserve the lore of millennia and drink in its wisdom as surely as the Heart's Blood of a ritual hunt, they are naturally suited to perceiving threats on the horizon and defeating them with tactical brilliance and subtle insight, and they are also the foremost priests of Luna.
Through their anima power, they may attune their Essence to that of the new moon.
Cloaking themselves in darkness, and amplifying their occult power for some time.

Spirit Shape (Exalted-The Lunars) [Free]
At the moment of Exaltation, a Lunar gains its first animal shape. This is the character's spirit shape, reflecting the character's nature and temperament, and is as much a true form as the Lunar's original human form is. Exalted who are sly might discover the snake or raccoon, the mighty could find bulls or bears, the wise sometimes see raitons or the lone wolf. Your circumstances are a little different though and so you may choose your own spirit shape. You may choose any natural animal that exists or has existed in Creation, from the size of a house-cat to a moose for free.

Silver Mind (Exalted-The Lunars) [free No Moon]
The Children of the Hidden Moon are loremasters, occultists, and sorcerers. They excel at quick thinking and mystical insight, easily mastering useful lore and outsmarting dangerous foes. Fittingly, you are at the peak of human potential in terms of mental prowess, being more intelligent, quick-witted, and more perceptive than most anyone else. Few could boost to match your intuition and logic, nor are there many that pick out subtle clues and tell as quickly as you may do.

Claw-Speak (Exalted-The Lunars) [free No Moon]
The Moonsilver tattoos that ward a Lunar from the twisting influence of the Wyld are much more than merely decorative designs. To those with the knowledge to see, Lunar tattoos contain a wealth of information about their bearer, including their deed name, their caste, any prior renown they have won, and how many blood debts they have accrued and fulfilled.
In fact, the markings of the tattoos are part of a writing system unique to Lunar society, known as claw-speak. Lunars use this script to convey considerable amounts of information in delicate swirls and cuts that a Lunar can write even with a claw in one of his animal forms.
Aside from knowing this secretive language, taught only to other Lunars except in the most extraordinary of circumstances, you may similarly read the meaning behind and purpose of tattoos borne by other people.

Moonsilver Tattoos (Exalted-The Lunars) [Free]
The moonsilver tattoos that most Lunars wear protect them from the effect of the Wyld taint… and from so much more. The tattoos protect Lunars from any influence that would change their shape other than their inherent abilities. They offer perfect protection from any and all effects that would alter your body, which includes many Shaping effects. The tattoos do not, however, offer blanket protection from all Shaping effects. Tattooed Lunars are still vulnerable to effects that target their mind or soul.
As a further item of clarification, the tattoos are nondiscriminatory in their protection. They lock out all non-Lunar shape-shifting influence, even beneficial magic cast by the Lunar on himself. Only a Lunar's own Lunar Charms, Knacks, and inherent shape-shifting may change the shape of a tattooed Lunar's body. Though post-jump you may selectively allow shape-shifting and alterations originating from yourself or others to alter your body at will.

Chapter 3:

Katou Sensei (Fate Legends: Land of the Rising Sun) (400CP)
An advanced combat doll, of the same make and potentially even the same appearance as Katou Danzou. A highly capable warrior and assassin, this doll is a loyal servant to your cause. But in truth, her real value is not in her physical form but the exhaustive database of martial, ninja, and even some related magi techniques that have been uploaded to her mind. Centuries of data and teachings on these subjects, enough to bring even a complete amateur to the level of a master with enough time spent. The doll is an exceptional teacher, able to teach in both theoretical and practical terms to any of her students. Oddly enough, the doll prefers to wear glasses while teaching too. In future worlds, similar information can be found in the doll's database on local martial and ninja techniques, excluding unique or particularly hard-to-find information.

Chapter 4:

Bottomless Bucket (Terraria – Journey's End) (200CP)

A fairly large metal bucket, which, when filled with a liquid, can pour out infinite amounts of said liquid unless deliberately completely emptied. It will resist cold, heat, corrosion, and other damaging properties of whatever liquid fills it, and when deliberately emptied, no traces or cross-contamination will happen when the bucket is refilled.

Chapter 5:

Workshop (Generic Naruto Fanfiction) (400CP)

Going out and beating people up is not all there is to be a ninja, certainly not in the myriad worlds of Naruto fanfiction. There's a lot of space for less outdoorsy activities, such as seal-creation, weapons-forging, and so on. That's where this beautiful place comes in! It's the ultimate workshop, perfect for just about anything you may care to work at. It has a huge supply of papers and inks for your fuuinjutsu needs, herbs and plants for preparing poisons or medicines, a forge and metal supplies for smithing, timber for woodwork, and so on, for anything else you may care to work on. The quantities of the materials generated depend on their rarity and value. Something like ordinary paper and ink, or plain steel and wood, would never run out no matter how much you use, while things like paper from special, chakra-enriched trees would be in a far shorter supply. But no matter how rare something might be, so long as it's not absolutely unique, you can expect to find it here, and in sufficient quantities to work with. At the absolute slowest, for materials of priceless rarity like high-quality chakra-storing gemstones or metals, you could expect a supply to regenerate bi-yearly, and proportionately lesser times for less rare substances. In future worlds this workshop updates with materials and ingredients of the respective settings, with the same replenishment rules remaining in effect.

Chakra Coils- Free
The basic ability to use chakra, as represented by "chakra coils" that are a nebulous part of your body and/or soul now. You have top-quality chakra coils which would place you in the top 5% in this world in terms of both capacity and control.
After this jump, your chakra system and body continue to function just as they do in this world, along with any changes made along the way. You may also if you choose to, induce the development of chakra coils in other people simply by pushing some of your chakra into them.

Academy Training- Free
You already have all the basic training necessary to start your career as a ninja. Your physical stats and resilience are what civilians would call 'peak human' and you can mold chakra, use kunai and shuriken, do the academy three Jutsu (henge, kawarimi, and bunshin), and have learned a basic taijutsu style. You've even studied ahead a little and learned tree climbing, chakra-boosted jumping, and several D-rank techniques (Body Flicker Technique, Manipulated Shuriken Technique, Shadow Shuriken Technique, and Temporary Paralysis Technique).

Elemental Affinity (Fire)- Free
Not much to see here. You have an extremely strong elemental affinity in one of the five primary elements of this world, those being Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning. The first purchase of this perk is free, the second and onward cost 100 CP though you must purchase a different primary element each time.
* Affinity was determined by an Internet Quiz.

Ninja Weapons- Free
You have a pouch full of all kinds of general use ninja weapons, like shuriken, kunai, senbon, each of multiple kinds and sizes, up to and including things like fuuma shurikens and the rest. It also has many spools of ninja wire, along with the other slightly niche materials, and everything is of the very highest quality, prime Higurashi product.
No matter how many of these you take out, there are always more, and you always pull out exactly what you were meant to. Strangely no one ever seems to question this, maybe they just think you have a lot of storage scrolls in there? The items you take out eventually disappear after use.

Superhuman Skill: Tailoring Cosmic Level (Generic Super Academy) (400CP)

You possess greater than human levels of skill in a single occupation. You could be a superhuman sniper, martial artist, mechanic, chef, or any other area of skill. You may purchase additional occupations for an extra 100 cp each. At Street Tier, you are slightly above what a normal human could achieve. This level in skill is equivalent to Bullseye's accuracy or Lady Shiva's fighting skill. At National Tier, you can achieve feats of skill that would normally only be possible with machine-like perfection. You could literally shoot the wings off a fly at 100 meters, perform delicate brain surgery with a shard of glass in a tenth the normal time, or write a song that inspires a national revolution within days. At Global Tier, the laws of physics become flexible when you practice your skills. You can bend bullets Wanted style, balance on a cloud, or swim up a rainstorm. At Cosmic Tier, things get a little ridiculous. Your skills acquire conceptual level effects. You could shoot someone by targeting their shadow, dodge bad luck, or repair spatial rifts with duct tape and baling wire.

Academy Graduate (Generic Super Academy) (Free for All Origins)
This is the very basics. If you didn't know this stuff, you could never graduate from the Academy at all. And, lucky you, you get to start with it. You have very basic self-defense training, enough control over your powers to not accidentally hurt yourself or others, a minor grounding in the science of metahuman powers, hopefully, enough knowledge of metahuman law to avoid going to prison, and basic general education to the level appropriate for your school.
* All this appropriate if such an Academy existed on Earth Bet.

Most Common Superpower (Generic Super Academy) (Free for All Origins)
You have the incredible good looks that comic book heroes always seem to have. Chiseled features, defined muscles, perfect curves, flowing hair, no matter what you are at least an eight out of ten, and you stay that way no matter how dirty you might be or how much you might get beat down. You will retain your fit and attractive appearance, even without exercise or a proper diet, as long as you consume enough calories to avoid starvation. You will either heal perfectly, without any form of scarring, or your scars will enhance your appearance in some way. Even if your appearance is inhuman in some way, you still manage to be this attractive.

Required Secondary Powers (Generic Super Academy) (Free for All)
You have the often implied but equally often never stated ability to have your powers work in ways that won't hurt or adversely affect you. This works for powers purchased in this specific jump and for any future powers you gain that are at least superficially similar in nature to the ones purchased here.

Costume (Generic Super Academy) (Free for All Origins)
You have a costume of your own design that always looks good on you. It does not provide any powers, but it will never be harmed by your own powers or movements and will alter itself to always fit you perfectly. It will remember any upgrades you make to it and is self-cleaning and maintaining.
* Assimilated into what Baran is clothed for his heroic persona.

Chapter 6:

Savant (Generic Exalted) (100CP)

You're a Savant! This means you've got an incredible insight in crafting all sorts of things, from meals to clothes, to armor, to weapons, to magical devices, and all sorts of other things besides. Even if you've never done something before so long as it's a skill remotely 'craft like' in nature, you'll be able to perform it at the level of a (mortal) master. This just represents innate talent, and if you actually focus on developing such skills the normal way you'll quickly outstrip even the best that a mortal craftsman could accomplish, able to make artwork that speaks to the soul (perhaps literally) or armor and weapons of surpassing quality that looks like show-room pieces despite being suitable for combat and also being sturdy and reliable to a frankly unbelievable degree. Purchasing this will even make you substantially better than other Exalted craftsmen, assuming you put in the same amount of effort that they did.

A Simple Amulet (Generic Exalted)[free]
A hearthstone amulet, your choice of magical material to be made out of. It has a single socket which can have a single hearthstone placed into it. Hearthstones provide all sorts of different magical benefits as well as increasing regeneration of Essence when a hearthstone is placed within. These hearthstone amulets you purchase here do not require Essence to attune them. Your first hearthstone amulet is free. Does not actually come with a hearthstone.

A Storied Blade (Generic Exalted)[free]
You receive an average Daiklave, roughly a '2 dot' artifact weapon, for free. It comes in the magical material of your choice. Daiklaves are swords that are really huge because screw you physics huge swords are cool. Unlike regular artifact weapons that you would normally find, ones purchased here have no Essence requirement. You can attune to them, and keep them attuned, for absolutely free. Additionally, also unlike normal magical weapons (of this low a level at least), these Daiklaves are completely indestructible. Comes with 1 hearthstone socket, just because.
* Of note, this is based on the second edition of Exalted, and I use the third edition. So be prepared for some differences, most notably, such an artifact is now '3 dot'.

Grathmeld Supplies (Ar Tonelico) (200CP)

You receive a 1m white ceramic cube, which contains 250 kilograms of randomized base components and Grathnode crystals. Stocks replenish every week, and ratios skew towards whatever ingredients you used the most of.

Chapter 7:

Security Worm (Hive Queen Quest) (200CP)

Some people think firewalls and passwords are enough to keep a hacker out, they would be right in most cases too except they didn't count on you. Your ability to hack and crack systems passwords is astounding and anything short of a complete physical disconnect in a system is simply another way for you to gain access. Did somebody order Chinese food on the company Wi-Fi? You can probably get into their network servers in a few minutes while they place the order.

Scientist (Hive Queen Quest) (Free)
While born and raised on Arnim, you showed yourself to be highly skilled in the field of biology, spending your time as a child cataloging native insect species found in the yard, and eventually working your way into a graduate program and securing a scholarship to the prestigious institutes of Mentan. Like most students of Mentan, you focused your studies on several subjects with a particular goal or theme in mind. In your case, it is to better humanity through a greater understanding of non-human life, society, and history, with degrees in Xeno-biology, Quantum Logic Theory, Xenopsychology, archeology, Xeno-sociology, and Quantum Computer Engineering. An impressive resume indeed, which is why you are currently on a ship headed to your chosen planet ready to start your new career!
* Please, don't ask me about quantum logic, I could barely read a few lines in Wikipedia.

(Hive Queen Quest) (Free Scientist) Spin Doctor
Let's face it sometimes your work may not be completely moral, attractive, or even make much sense. But you need funding! You need test subjects! You need materials and goods! These problems can be easily solved however by securing proper government funding. You are a master of spinning what you know into an attractive and lucrative business proposal. Making your horrific experiments seem like something a person may want to take part in (for the right price) is well within your capabilities and securing government funding for your projects is child's play. So long as you keep up your end of the deal and get results. So long as you keep up your end of the deal and get results.

(Hive Queen Quest) (Free Scientist) Xeno-Anthropoligist
Your studies are many and varied, extending to even odd or eccentric fields such as Xenoanthropology, the study of the behavior of alien races. As such you find it much easier to understand alien races' motives as well as their way of thinking giving you a slight leg up in social situations, as a bonus you also learn alien languages much faster than normal.

Alloy Smith (The Avengers - Earth's Mightiest Heroes) (300CP)

Advanced knowledge of chemistry and metallurgy has allowed you to create alloys out of various materials, including metals and chemicals. These new alloys retain all of the properties- including those that are supernatural in nature- of the materials used to make them, allowing you to create truly powerful substances.

Environmental Protection (Starbound) (0CP)

It is a dangerous universe out there, and you'll need protection. You know how to make Environmental Protection Packs (EPPs), specialized devices designed to protect the wearer from hazards such as lack of oxygen or heightened levels of radiation. You can fine-tune them to block out most forms of danger that you come across. Just be aware, the more dangers you are blocking, the more energy and exotic materials your EPP will require.

Basic Techs: (Starbound) Free
Tech are special implants that give the user various abilities designed to increase their range of movement, which can be used at will, though some of them do use energy. This perk unlocks the basic tech groups: Morph Ball, Dash, or Pulse Jump, along with the three variants of each of those techs. This also comes with a free tech station in your Warehouse/Spaceship, where you can switch between your chosen techs. You can decide whether the Techs that come with this are actual implants or just innate abilities. Given time, you may be able to figure out how to implant techs in others as well, using your own as a basis.

Mech: (Starbound) (Free).
Mechs are large bipedal vehicles, used for both land and space travel. Each comes with two weapons set in each of its arms and a pair of thrusters used for movement in space. Each mech has an internal energy supply, which drains over time as the mech is in use, and drops sharply as the mech takes damage. If the mech's energy drains completely, it ends up "despawning" to await re-deployment and avoid total destruction. You get a basic mech for your given race for free, along with a mech crafting/repair station, which will store your mech between deployments. This station can be placed as an attachment to your Warehouse or set in a section of your Spaceship (does not provide additional room in your Spaceship). The basic mech has enough energy for roughly 8 hours of deployment, and comes with a flak cannon and drill on its arms. It can fly in space at around 20 kph, and run on land at around 10 kph.

Fixer-Upper: (Starbound) (Free)
You get a basic broken ship for free, with a week's worth of supplies for two people, including rations, medical supplies, a few simple weapons, and the like in the ship's storage. None of these supplies are CP-backed, and they won't replenish once used. This is where you will start your jump, and your initial goal will be to find a way to patch up and repair your ship. You can either do it yourself, or follow the standard questline down to the planet, make your way to the Outpost, and find someone to help you there. Your standard size ship can hold a crew of two comfortably, with living quarters, bathrooms, basic food prep stations, etc.

Ship's Pet: (Starbound) (Free)
Not a true companion, but you can choose to gain one of any of the ship's pets, even those for other races, for free. They do not take up a companion slot and may accompany you to new worlds, without aging or dying. If you choose to import them into a new world as a companion, or if their intelligence gets raised to human or better levels, then they will begin to count as a full companion.

S.A.I.L.: (Starbound)(Free)
A Virtual Intelligence that is in charge of maintaining your ship, S.A.I.L. doesn't count as a full companion. While it mimics sentience, it isn't fully sentient in its own right. However, this could change if you decide to import it as a companion in future jumps, or if you manage to unlock it into full sentience via software upgrades.

Chapter 8:

Priority Arrangements (DOOM 3 V1.0) (50CP)

A certain amount of discretion is required when working with materials as sensitive as those common in your line of work. While high-end tech components or raw materials are easily acquired and delivered, materials such as holy relics or certified virgin blood are rather less so. Although taking such items through customs and security is normally a fairly sizable challenge, you do have an advantage - these forms. Suitable for ordering items or attaching to crates or other 'deliverables', these certificates ensure that nothing but the most determined intent will ever cause them to be searched during routine checks. You'll not need to worry about delays or unpleasant questions, though you might want to avoid using them to, for example, mail explosives to the UAC's board of directors. Even authoritative paperwork filled out in triplicate only holds so much power, after all. In future jumps, these forms will automatically adjust to whatever other packages you need to get to their destination without any poking and prodding.

Super Turbo Turkey Puncher 3 (DOOM 3 V1.0) (Free)
The fantastic, new entertainment system of THE FUTURE is here in all its glory! Punch turkeys until they explode! Earn points! Make your friends go wild with envy at your combat prowess!
No? Well then, in addition to this arcade system you also receive all materials ever released in the Doom franchise, from the original Doom to Doom 3 and beyond, including expansions and guaranteed compatibility with just about any computer system you might find. You also receive all the various extras that were ever included along with these games, any spin-off and derivative works like the Doom comic book, Hexen, the 2005 live-action movie, later games in the series like Doom: Eternal, and so on. You know, in case the demonic invasions here didn't already leave you sick of slaughtering the forces of Hell.
Happy hunting, demon-slayer.

PDA (DOOM 3 V1.0) (Free)
The UAC's standard PDA serves as a multi-purpose tool for all personal and administrative tasks. Holding an individual's personal records, it can be used in place of any other form of I.D. (such as passports or access cards). It also serves as a mobile phone, provides access to the internet and personal emails, and it is capable of wirelessly downloading additional media such as instruction videos from nearby systems if such a service is provided. The PDA carries a biometric lock to prevent access to personal files by anyone other than the user, and this particular variant has been upgraded for maximum compatibility with any other computer system you might encounter in the future as well as effectively unlimited storage and memory. If lost or destroyed, you'll find a replacement in your pocket the next time you reach for it, without any loss of data as a consequence of its previous incarnation's untimely demise.

Flashlight (DOOM 3 V1.0) (Free)
Sporting a static transfer power supply, the Flashlight is effectively guaranteed to never need recharging. Providing a decent amount of light, it is a vital tool for the UAC Mars facility, where power failures and brownouts are common due to the varied but frequently high energy needs of scientific equipment in locations like the Alpha and Delta labs. Its robust construction also allows it to be used as a cudgel in case of emergencies.

Pistol (DOOM 3 V1.0) (Free)
The basic sidearm of UAC security forces on Mars may not be particularly imposing, but it's nonetheless a reliable and effective weapon. Lightweight, accurate, and easy to use, the Pistol can be used to handle most unarmored targets without serious difficulty.

Duct Tape (DOOM 3 V1.0) (Free)
This seemingly endless roll of UAC Type 1 Space-Grade Connective And Adhesive Film is an engineer's best friend. Tough, reliable, and effective up to temperatures of several hundred degrees Celsius, this tape can be used to hold together just about anything short of heavy machinery. Though the first thing you'll probably use it for is taping your flashlight to your gun so you can see where you're shooting.

R2 Series Astromech Droid (Star Wars Clone Wars) (100CP)
A small automated mechanic that can perform a variety of repair duties and serve as an additional navigational computer on a starfighter. Astromech droids can also connect to and operate the mainframes of large starships and space stations.
* If destroyed, it will respawn after a week.

Toggle (Young Justice) (100CP)

Toggle allows its user to forgo learning to control their powers by simply allowing them to turn their powers off when they aren't needed. This can be done per power, so there isn't a need to go without the ability to teleport because you don't want to use your super strength. Also works on Jump powers. You can think of this like a dial. It can be on, or full power, as well as off, or no power, and anywhere in between those two states.

Chapter 9:

Valkyrian Science (Valkyria Chronicles) (300CP)

Somehow, you've gained some of the knowledge that the Valkyrur used to possess, giving you the skill and ability to graft Ragnite machinery on a level far above any modern human. At first, you'd only be able to create replicas of the Valkyrian weapons, but with many years of study, it might be possible to recreate the Valkyrur themselves.

Variable: Ragnite Container (The first level is free for all jumpers)
Ragnite is a valuable resource in Europa, and it is unlikely to appear in any other world. By spending cp, you receive a container that replenishes once per day. The free level gets you a box the size of a human head. Spending 100cp gets you one the size of a dumpster. Spending a whole 200cp will net you a shipping container's worth of Ragnite.

Herbalists Kit (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic) (300)
Magically collects nearby herbs and spices and stores them in a magical freshness ensuring stasis inside itself while sorting and naming them. It also includes a small instruction booklet that teaches basic herbalism. The names of the herbs and spices it collects are stored in the book.

Pegasus (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic) (Free)
Winged Ponies that live in the clouds and are known for their weather control, their flight, and their old military tradition. They are generally fast, agile, and have no fear of heights let alone sudden depths. They have an instinctive understanding of wind currents which comes to great use in their usual duty as Weather Control ponies.

Flash Mob (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic) (Free)
If you have a problem, or just feel like singing, you can start a song. Not only will you be able to create lyrics on the spot, but everyone around you will too and will act as backup singers and dancers. They won't do anything that would put them in obvious danger, however, and don't expect your enemies to drop what they're doing to join in on a song and dance number unless their part of the dance is about how they're trying to kick your ass.

Special Talent (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic) (Free)
You are particularly good at one relatively mundane skill, if you are a Villain or a Noble then you may choose a less common skill such as infiltration or airship design. Of course, you can only have one Special Talent, otherwise, it isn't very special.

Chapter 10:

Climate Control Society (ARIA) (300CP)

A group of experienced Salamanders who, sticking to Aqua tradition, have maintained a large repository of knowledge for up and coming Salamanders to learn from the Climate Control Society cultivates new talent and expertise as they continue to perfect the art of weather manipulation vital to Aqua's sustenance. No one knows better just how important it is to continue making progress on the science of climate control. Should the Salamanders ever become too lax, all the efforts of their ancestors may well go to waste. As a member of the society, your skills in developing new weather control techniques down to the fine details of precipitation control and enhancement. Naturally, being a scientifically focused field as it is, the society has a wealth of information on anything climate-related, and not strictly information from Aqua either.
* Useful for building weather control devices.

Strategy Trance (Brockton's Celestial Forge) (100CP)

At will, you may go into a trance in which your mind speeds up, your eyes glaze over and you start to instinctively analyze your current situation, any data points about your enemies, environment, your available powers and tools, and their uses. You can then use all that information to instinctively construct hypothetical scenarios of possible resolutions to the encounter. After the trance ends you will have boosted competence to follow through with any plans you made within the trance, almost as if your instincts are guiding you.
The trace does not leave you defenseless, two things protect you during it, firstly a few external seconds of trance can be up to 10s of minutes of internal time. Secondly, you will immediately wake up from the trance if you are attacked or if you would have wanted to be woken from it at any time for some other reason.
This perk is further boosted by any other mental perks you have and synergies and integrates aspects of all your mental perks to enhance the trance in some way or another.

Etoria Disciple (Final Fantasy XII) (100CP)

The art of Etoria, the technology which allowed for the creation of things like airships, has always fascinated you. You've noticed patterns in technology, and armed with that knowledge you adapt to new technology quickly. Your teacher has given you a skystone the key to building your own airship in time, and you'll have no lack of resources.

Moogle (Final Fantasy XII) (free)
The Moogles have made a name for themselves as engineers, craftsmen, and technological connoisseurs. The Moogles may be small, but their weapons and machines extend their reach far beyond their small paws. Moogles have a particular inclination towards ending their sentences with "Kupo". Not quite sure where that came from. While they also bear ears similar to those of rabbits, the Moogle's distinctive ears are shorter than those of the Viera – proportionate to their height difference. The wings on their backs are helpful for gliding and attempting to break falls, but can't be used for flight.

Gear Wrench (Final Fantasy XII) – 100 CP (Free for Moogle)
"It's a Wrench! The previous owner was from one of the guilds, said that with it she could repair any machine! Then again…she also managed to pick my locks with it. Thankfully it didn't have any more abilities…"

Baran3 · Feb 11, 2022

LOST ON A DEATH WORLD

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: Now that I have a Beta, I should be more readable.

Nearly the end of the week in the story and I have plenty of ideas about Cosmic Tailoring. Most notably derived from the cloth skills in many games like World Of Warcraft and Skyrim, but also with the various clothes and accessories available in Dungeons & Dragons v3.5.

I have an encounter with Taylor prepared, but it'll be in the next chapter.

Beta: Pietersielie.

Chapter 6: Lost in a web.

Danzou and I didn't sleep much last night… In fact, I wondered if Danzou could truly sleep, but that was okay.

As Danzou said, it was better to have an approximate solution in place now than to have a perfect answer later and too late.

I decided to do it in my Cosmic Warehouse, it seemed appropriate and prudent.

I took a deep breath and looked around as I needed some materials for… my Great Work?

I chuckled. I felt like a witch about to work on her cauldron full of eye of newt, toe of frog, wool of bat, and tongue of dog which, by the way, were plants or parts of plants.

A hair of mine and Danzou also parted with one of her long hairs, since I needed something directly related to us. Cotton fiber, for it was a vegetable and could be touched by my cooking skill. A roll of fiber mesh made from the Subnautica creepvine as I needed something coming from beyond the current world. A cleaning cloth was taken from my warehouse's cleaning supplies because I was working this miracle inside it.

Around me and from the very center of my being, something was manifesting little by little.

A piece of canvas was taken from a protective sleeve inside my warehouse's hangar. A sewing needle of pure stabilized Moonsilver almost birthed into my right hand.

I was burning with silver fire with my tattoos fully manifested. My No Moon Lunar caste mark danced on my forehead as my Anima exploded around me at its highest level and my iconic banner formed, taking my canine spirit shape in bright silver tinted by wisps of dark blue and purple and sat, a silent witness to this creation of mine.

My left hand delicately reached, at the same time, into the magical circuits of both I and Danzou and plucked one thread of pure Od from each of us.

I didn't know when I took it, but my Bottomless Bucket was there, held by Danzou. At a silent and invisible signal, she slowly started to pour out pure raw Essence into something that was taking shape between us, at the center of my Cosmic Tailoring.

An immaculate piece of paper made from special, chakra-enriched trees joined the maelstrom of my Great Work along with a thread taken from my hero costume.

And. I. Weaved… for a fraction of Eternity.

I abruptly found myself holding something as Danzou looked at me with apprehension. "What is Danzou seeing, or perhaps not seeing...? Feeling…?"

I licked my dry lips. Something akin to an ethereal silver-white gossamer and yet infinitely more impalpable was both hovering and lying solid in my hands. I noted distractedly that not even the Moonsilver needle remained of the materials I used.

It had a name. "This is… the Veil."

She raised an eyebrow. "The Veil?"

"It's a conceptual cloth specifically made to protect us, and those we might take under our Aegis, anywhere and everywhere, even across all the worlds and dimensions including Time. It hides, obscures, and disguises our past, present, and future without hindering or causing us harm directly or indirectly. The Veil leaves no blind spots. Even our minds, souls, and very existence are completely protected. It's like everything that could affect us on such a level is mere rain and we're completely clad in perfect rain clothes and with a big umbrella."

I smiled as she looked at me with widened eyes. "Try to reach for it around you by willing it." She hesitated and gasped as another layer of this ethereal gossamer materialized in her hand.

"Danzou… can feel what it can… could do." She shook her head. "Incredible, Master. Danzou can feel that it's also covering our possessions, what we consider ours, and could protect at-will whoever or whatever we want. Retracting the protection would only take a thought." She frowned. "Which we won't give to anyone yet."

"No, not yet. Too much in the balance. However, this is our smoke screen against the Simurgh, Tattletale, Alexandria, Watchdog, Contessa, Scion, and its species. I can pass it off as a quantum-based electronic countermeasure, but we must stay prudent in our use of it."

I yawned. "Oh, Luna, but I'm tired. This was rather draining. Can I opt out of our training session tomorrow?"

She smirked. "No, my Lord. I'll let you sleep in, but we'll have our training."

"Crap."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, January 2011, the eighth.

I woke up mid-morning… And Danzou-sensei kept her promise. It was a good thing that she was satisfied with my progress… even if she continued to outclass me using only basic skills.

Overall, I was rapidly assimilating the basic skills and powers coming from the use of chakra, the Wyld power of a Lunar Exalted, my magical circuits, and the 3 martial arts of my childhood. The beginning of Mastery was in sight.

It was also the beginning of the weekend, so I decided to mainly do maintenance, research, upgrades, and recreational activities. I would still patrol as that was the public thought about what a hero should do. And, of course, called upon the Celestial Forge… after feeding my Servant. God of cooking, indeed.

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 6.428. Perk range: 300 CP.

I wondered what surprises my dear moon-aligned trickster deity was preparing for me.

Current charge: 4.454. Perk range: 200 CP.

"YES! THANK YOU LUNA!" I raised my arms in praise for her. I might have to build an altar for her soon.

Danzou looked up from her PDA. "Master? Is everything alright?"

I beamed and waved at her. "Finally a crafting skill, Danzou!" I reached into subspace and withdrew a Moonsilver-made, 6-foot long, narrow and slightly curved sword with a single edge and a simple amulet of the same metal. "And from the same setting that gave us Moonsilver. And now, I can finally work this magical material." I laughed. "In fact, I can craft almost everything. I just gained a mortal master-level skill in all the possible crafts in Exalted and the use of my Essence will only elevate it beyond the average Exalted."

"And this sword and amulet?"

"This is "World's Sunder", a Reaper Daiklave forged during the War of the Gods era…" I stopped. "Oh… I do know its history… I could probably use its evocations if I invested the time. For now, it's just a fiat-backed indestructible magical blade with free attunement." My eyes narrowed. "Curious, I didn't gain memories from a past Lunar life, so how…?" I blinked. "And why am I thinking about the French version of Machine Robot Chronos? I'm not going to scream about Universe-Breaker Punch I hope?!"

I shook my head and looked at the amulet. "A simple Moonsilver Hearthstone amulet… without a hearthstone, of course." I tilted my head. "I could probably study the mechanism that allows for a better regeneration of Essence from a stone." I frowned. "But I only have the most basic geomantic skills required for a Demesnes and even less for a Manse… And that's mainly from my own occult knowledge about leylines and ancient archaeological sites." I sighed. "Which means most of it is part of another perk."

I shook my head. "Nevertheless, now I can forge. I can rebuild my power armor… Probably by making an alloy of Moonsilver with Gundanium." I turned to the kunoichi. "I should be able to incorporate threads of Moonsilver into your Karakuri circuits and artificial muscles. Your knowledge of Essence is sufficient for you to unleash their protean nature and assimilate them with your arsenal and techniques. In brief, you should be able to use Essence Evocations with your own body, akin to a chain of more and more powerful Noble Phantasms but Essence-powered."

"What about the fact that it's your Essence that I use for my supernatural martial arts?"

"The Moonsilver will be arranged into a network following your magical one. Once activated, it'll imitate them and thus replenish your Essence pool from ambient energy." I smiled. "I will also use my Cosmic Tailoring to ensure that everything is working."

I blinked as my mind clicked on another fact. "Hell, I can now completely upgrade every system based on a network. My power armor, Vida and Navi, that abomination of an automatic shelving/analyzer and the water system." My smile morphed into a smirk. "Using Moonsilver as a supremely adaptive conductive fiber would pave the way to so many magical and techno-magical upgrades. Hmm… Still needs an Essence battery and/or ambient absorber."

I cleared my throat and shook my hand. "Okay, enough craft-wanking for now. Let's see what else I have to do."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quite a lot, it turned out. Apart from drawing a plan and schematics for later, I had to dive into the cesspool that was the internet, in particular, PHO as I had received my "Confirmed Tinker" StarKnight handle. I hated this nomenclature.

It seemed that some clever people tried to establish themselves as me, but they used "Star-knight" and other variations for handle names and were now a little miffed according to some posts.

I found myself totally unmoved.

So, I put a standard "hello, I'm the newbie" on PHO, with a little description of my apparent powers, a few photos, and a conclusion that I hoped to be a good independent hero.

What I didn't do. Oh, there were many encouraging posts, a few questions asked mainly about my "light-saber" that I corrected. But, frankly… It was a good thing I didn't have any super-hacking skills as I really wanted to send a computer nuke to a few people.

And no, they weren't Empire Eighty-Eight sympathizers, they were internet trolls, pure and simple. It was a good thing that the moderators were so good on this server, even if they weren't Tin Mother, aka DRAGON. I posted a thank you to them.

That said, I did provoke an internet war about the wings on my power armor. War in which I could only proclaim the words of Patrick Henry again. In general, people were waiting for the inevitable clash with the Simurgh.

And then there was XxVoid_CowboyxX, aka Greg Veder who was… I didn't know what he was. Still, he named me a "Leet-like" tinker since I visibly copied the Japanese Shogun Warriors like Grendizer. I was surprised that he made the link despite the absence of any Gundam series.

I didn't reply and let the other posters shred him. A ban after 3 posts from him… No comment.

Vida pointed out a few posters that were hidden members of the Azn Bad Boys or E88 and were trying to ferret secrets from me. There was even a PRT account doing the same.

"Warning. Activity detected on the PRT back channels used by Tattletale. Analyzing… Sarah Livsey is aware of the disappearance of Coil. Detecting multiple attempts to seize Calvert's financial assets."

I frowned, but the Veil was there, still... "Is she finding any clues about us?"

"Negative. Danzou Katou was very thorough. Sarah Livsey is a victim of her own power as her log history is showing dispersed probes for any potential lead. VIDA is estimating a power-induced headache in 14 minutes at her current pace due to junk inferences."

"Hmm… Keep an eye on the overall activity of the Undersiders. Warn me if there's a spike in their crimes, a change in their modus operandi, or a movement from the social services concerning the Laborns."

"Affirmative. VIDA reminds you that a regular, proper diet is necessary for your survival."

"Lunchtime already?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since it was inconceivable to think that I would operate on Danzou without having more experience, I upgraded my Cosmic Warehouse since my base was sufficient for now. I borrowed Danzou's skill and time to integrate Naruto-style Storage Seals into it. Using a thread made of molten Moonsilver coming from my Bottomless Bucket and my newly acquired powers, I was putting in place a system worthy of the bought Jumpchain-perks for the Cosmic Warehouse.

The protean nature of Moonsilver coupled with the reach of the Cosmic Tailoring made something incredible. Now, I wouldn't have any problems with storage, analysis of stored items and materials, and proper shelving. The fact that my dimensional pocket now had its own dimensional pocket was a blast. I literally and neatly sewed the whole thing to my personal reality. The nuclear reactor, a few bio-reactors, energy storage devices, and the whole water producing system were now hidden and integrated within the Warehouse. With auto-maintenance and auto-fueling taken care of.

Eh, I just had to order something and if it was possible with the current blueprint database, it would be done.

I purposely ate lightly for what I decided to do now. It was time. Time for a proper hunt.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The experiments with having some fauna from 4546b in an Alien Containment unit and hunting them bare-handed or with a weapon… worked. I didn't believe it, but I was able to gain new animal shapes.

That said, eating raw fish like that… Blech. Especially since some of them were toxic, or armored, or electric, or acidic, or very hot, or too sensitive to light, or…

Oh well, at least I knew I could have some aquatic forms very easily. Buy some live fish from a market and done. Here came the Sailfish soon and its amazing 68 mph, the camouflage of the cuttlefish, the punch of a mantis shrimp, and many other useful species.

But, that wasn't what I was doing now. I was sniffing in an abandoned lot, searching for my prey in my Spirit shape… minus my Tattoos of course. I was hunting urban animals. Logical, given they were the most common animals in a city, and as long as I avoided people's attention, I would be practically invisible.

I had already hunted and killed a mouse and a rat. Weird… In my dog form, such a raw meal wasn't repugnant. A pigeon followed the same fate and I was now tracking an old cat. It didn't last long as it seemed that cats, while loving an ambush, weren't appreciative of being ambushed.

It left bats, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, red foxes, seagulls, and skunks on my list, but I needed to wait for a suitable time and go to the outskirts of the town or the docks to hunt them.

I was still holding the cat's remains in my maw when she turned the corner in my direction with 3 leashed dogs.

She had a squarish, blunt-featured face with thick eyebrows, auburn hair, and a muscular build being naturally inclined to fitness that I would qualify as butch. She was wearing a winter jacket with a hood, and heavy boots.

Rachel Lindt, aka Hellhound according to the PRT, although she called herself Bitch. Her power interfered with her mind and gave her a more canine-oriented psyche. Murphy, you SOB…!

And, of course, I stopped as soon as I saw her. The group was already heading to my position. Okay, no panic, she had absolutely no reason to even think I wasn't a normal dog. Just walk away Baran and everything should be alright.

Of course, her dogs weren't listening to the same advice. It was normal, I was a big dog with prey and I was in their territory. So, of course, they began to growl and draw Rachel's attention to me… Strangely, she didn't react and let her dogs continue their game of dominance.

I blamed the powerful instincts of my Spirit shape. I briefly flared my caste mark and my tattoos, letting the weight of my Essence do the talking. I was the Alpha of alphas and not someone to trifle with.

They immediately submitted and let me pass… Oh, Luna, what did I just do now!? I managed to not hesitate and continued my path until I was out of their line of sight. My boosted hearing didn't detect any reaction from Rachel as she quietly walked away.

I couldn't let it go like that and shapeshifted into my pigeon form hidden under an abandoned tarp to follow her discreetly from roof to roof.

I was more and more incredulous as Rachel was continuing to walk her dogs. Even the dogs didn't show any signs of undue stress.

I winced when her cellphone rang and focused my senses on her conversation.

"Yeah, what? Brian? No, I'm not fucking lost, I'm just walking my dogs. No, I didn't see anything weird. Just a hungry tattooed dog. Yeah, I know it's fucking normal. Another meeting? You can't forget about me? Of course, it was fucking Lisa. Yeah, okay, I'll be there."

And for the first time in this world, I faceplanted anime-style on the roof… I'm almost sure a cawing crow flew above me.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The patrol I did went splendidly. No crimes in progress and no encounter with a gang. Too bad I would only receive my transponder and comm line next week.

I did help with an accident and a small fire.

The accident was a classic: Someone T-boned another because he wasn't focusing on his driving. No wounded, only material damage but I had to cut open a door. I did it with my vibro-knife which pleased the driver as it would easily be repaired. Once they knew I had everything recorded for their insurance, I gently put their vehicles on the side to clear the road and gave them copies of my recording.

The small fire was a little more adventurous. I saw smoke on the horizon and my hypersensor confirmed an individual house on fire with firefighters already deploying their equipment… and, of course, the neighbors looking and even taking videos.

I landed directly behind the captain, a middle-aged black American with a mustache and a stern look.

"Independent hero StarKnight. Can I be of any use to you, sir?"

He jumped a little and looked up and down before having a semblance of a smile. "Captain McCoy, a pleasure to have you here."

He pointed at the house where his men were already in action. I could see a man and probably his young daughter of six to eight years old on the sidewalk. The man was visibly very unhappy and… drunk. The stains on his shirt and my sensors identified beer and whiskey. The girl seemed okay, but her father was constantly telling her to "shut up and let the adults do their fucking jobs". She was trying to say something and looked at her house with despair.

"We shouldn't have any problems, but it is a fire and fire is never to be taken lightly. What can you do for us?"

"I can fly, have high-pressure water cannons and fire-retardant foam. My armor is heat-resistant and my strength should match your hydraulic pincers and jacks. My sensors can also probe the house entirely."

He seemed surprised I didn't do that already then nodded in understanding. "Very well, you have my authorization to scan the house. Look for potential fire starts, structural weaknesses, volatile chemicals, and life signs."

I probed the house and found what the young girl wanted to signal. "No dangers so far apart from the cleaning chemicals in the bathroom and kitchen, but there is a small dog in the second floor right bedroom. Probably inside a wall closet."

He was already talking on his radio. "Toomes, McCoy. Look on your right. Small dog in a wall closet in the bedroom."

"Affirmative… Yeah, found it, captain… Wow, the young fella has a recently broken leg… Strange, the leg was splinted by an amateur with a medical band and some pencils. I'm taking it to Jim, he knows these sorts of things."

We looked to each other and back to the father and her daughter. When he saw the dog inside a basket evacuated by the fireman, he made to slap his cowering daughter, screaming about garbage that should have been drowned.

I was already there, holding his wrist effortlessly. "Hey man! Let me go!" He kicked me in the ankle and swore like a sailor in his pain. "Let me go freak!" He turned to the police agents that had arrived during the altercation. "Hey, officer?! Do your fucking job and arrest this tin can for use of a parahuman power on a respectable citizen!"

The officers weren't very enthusiastic about following his suggestions so I intervened. "No problem, officers. This man is simply a little frazzled because of the fire in his house. I only prevented him from accidentally hitting his daughter who was happy to find her dog." And turned to him and made my helmet eyes flashed emerald with an appropriately ominous sound. "Can I let you go, sir? You're back in control of yourself?"

"Huh, yeah… I'm in control, I'm in control." He was a little white and…

I let him go and he sulked away, cradling his completely undamaged wrist. I turned to the officers and walked them towards the house. "Thank you, officers. Captain McCoy is this way." I then whispered to them. "Sorry about this but my sensors detected marijuana and cocaine residues on him. What is the proper procedure?"

We joined the captain whose face became sterner when he understood the new situation. The officers weren't very optimistic. "Without a warrant or a sample in plain view, we're rather limited."

I nodded and looked at the house. "You're here because of the fire, right?" They acquiesced. "Damn it, captain! I'm detecting a potential fire start in the house."

McCoy harrumphed. "Of course there is! Alright, StarKnight, show me while Officer Winston begins his work."

Ten minutes later, the officers were handcuffing the screaming man while reading his rights and taking him to their car. More than 5 pounds of marijuana and cocaine, no way was it only for his personal consumption and besides, both were illegal drugs in Massachusetts. But there was still a problem.

I walked towards the little girl that had just seen her father arrested and knelt beside her. "Hello, little one. What's your name?"

She sniffled while holding her newly recovered dog with a brand new cast on its leg. "… Cindy."

I deliberately didn't subspace my helmet but unlocked it with various hissing sounds and showed her my masked face. "Hello Cindy, I'm StarKnight. I'm sorry that you saw your dad arrested."

She shook her head. "He's a meanie and he wanted to put Milo in the trash after he kicked him bad. So, I came out by the back window and took him to my bedroom. He knows to be quiet. I splinted his leg like on the TV."

"That was a very brave and good action from you, Cindy. Now, tell me what you want to do? Is there someone we can call for you?"

She sniffled and nodded. "Yes. There's mom and grandma. She tried to keep me with her when dad smoked those stinking things and met bad-looking people. But dad didn't let her and paid a stupid old man to sign those papers and mom couldn't even visit me and she had to live with grandma."

I forced myself to not clench my fist. "Very good, Cindy. Do you remember her phone number?"

After a policewoman took care of Cindy, I walked to Winston and McCoy while securing my helmet again. Cindy hugged me before she went and there was too much dust in the air. "Alright. Captain? Officer? Do you need me for anything?"

They both waved me away, so I gave them copies of my recording of the incident. I was feeling contrite. "Sorry about this, but I cut off the video once we secured the dog as I didn't think there would be more. So there's a little gap in time in the recording." The time when I detected the drugs and my sensors registered a false fire start. I simply needed to recalibrate my sensors.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I entered my base – I had to name it, one day – to find Danzou doing the second phase of an ukiyo-e, the traditional Japanese art of producing a woodblock and making an ink impression. It also required one to make a master paper ink drawing to be put on a block of cherry wood and gouged the white spaces to obtain the impression. And, yes, it destroyed the original drawing.

The kunoichi was using a kunai that I forged for her with Moonsilver. I could afford the Essence to attune it to her. Why? Because a kunai was both a multi-use tool and a weapon. And this was merely an appetizer while I was preparing myself to forge a true artifact of Moonsilver for Assassin Katou Danzou before upgrading her, now that I could use the Naruto Workshop and the art behind the ninja puppets.

Likewise, Ukiyo-e was art and it required focus so I left her to her inspiration and went to the crafting area of the base. It was the end of the day and time to call upon the Celestial Forge.

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 9.920. Perk range: 450 CP.

Well, I dedicated my hunt to Lady Luna, so she should be happy with me.

"VIDA reminds you that the gifts granted by the Celestial Forge are not to be taken lightly. VIDA recommends that other persons should help you deal with this burden."

I rolled up my eyes. Before Danzou was here, I was alone, so what?

Current charge: 5.950. Perk range: 250 CP.

Eh…? What the…!? Grathmeld? Ar Tonelico!? I NEVER PLAYED THE GAME! And… I was hearing someone laughing. I was sure of it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: Yes, I never played Ar Tonelico. I vaguely remember the Jumpchain document, but that's all.

Yep, I'm going to do some serious research before I can truly exploit the perk. Any ideas and explanations or links are welcomed from you, readers.

So no explanation in the story, because simply, the perk description is all I know so far.

A little slice of life in this chapter. I hope you liked it. I think I'll make more and try to avoid soap-level.

An encounter with Rachel of the Undersiders and I managed to escape their attention again. I wonder how many of those stunts I can still pull, especially with the Veil. Hmm, I could pull a series of humorous encounters?

I'm not very satisfied with my approach on the Sacred Hunt, but I believe my first attempt with Cosmic Tailoring was a success.

I avoided making a standard PHO session because I'm not that good, but I should put one in an interlude. If you want to do one, I'll happily put it in a side story.

The thing about Machine Robot Chronos was something found only in the French version. They named the Martial Art used by the hero, something like "Universe Breaker Punch" (coup de poing casse univers) and the voice actors played puns with the name of the techniques like "leg kick in the air" (coup de pied jambe en l'air) or other ridiculous names. The name I chose for the Reaper Daiklave reminded me of that.

Current charge: 5.950. Perk range: 250 CP.

Perks gained in this chapter:

Savant (Generic Exalted) (100CP)

You're a Savant! This means you've got an incredible insight in crafting all sorts of things, from meals to clothes, to armor, to weapons, to magical devices, and all sorts of other things besides. Even if you've never done something before so long as it's a skill remotely 'craft like' in nature, you'll be able to perform it at the level of a (mortal) master. This just represents innate talent, and if you actually focus on developing such skills the normal way you'll quickly outstrip even the best that a mortal craftsman could accomplish, able to make artwork that speaks to the soul (perhaps literally) or armor and weapons of surpassing quality that looks like show-room pieces despite being suitable for combat and also being sturdy and reliable to a frankly unbelievable degree. Purchasing this will even make you substantially better than other Exalted craftsmen, assuming you put in the same amount of effort that they did.

A Simple Amulet (Generic Exalted)[free]
A hearthstone amulet, your choice of magical material to be made out of. It has a single socket which can have a single hearthstone placed into it. Hearthstones provide all sorts of different magical benefits as well as increasing regeneration of Essence when a hearthstone is placed within. These hearthstone amulets you purchase here do not require Essence to attune them. Your first hearthstone amulet is free. Does not actually come with a hearthstone.

A Storied Blade (Generic Exalted)[free]
You receive an average Daiklave, roughly a '2 dot' artifact weapon, for free. It comes in the magical material of your choice. Daiklaves are swords that are really huge because screw you physics huge swords are cool. Unlike regular artifact weapons that you would normally find, ones purchased here have no Essence requirement. You can attune to them, and keep them attuned, for absolutely free. Additionally, also unlike normal magical weapons (of this low a level at least), these Daiklaves are completely indestructible. Comes with 1 hearthstone socket, just because.
* Of note, this is based on the second edition of Exalted, and I use the third edition. So be prepared for some differences, most notably, such an artifact is now '3 dot'.

Grathmeld Supplies (Ar Tonelico) (200CP)

You receive a 1m white ceramic cube, which contains 250 kilograms of randomized base components and Grathnode crystals. Stocks replenish every week, and ratios skew towards whatever ingredients you used the most of.

Baran3 · Feb 14, 2022

LOST ON A DEATH WORLD

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Notes: Before I forgot, EVERYTHING you're going to read about the Grathmeld of Ar Tonelico is limited by my initial knowledge of the setting and what the MC has at his disposition. They'll be some errors!

So don't make a mountain from a mole's mound. And don't hesitate to send corrections, I'll surely use them in a later chapter as my knowledge and reach grow.

Beta:Pietersielie.

Chapter 7: Lost in Friendship.

Sunday, January 2011, the ninth.

And on the seventh day, the God of Cooking rested… not!

There was no escape from the dreaded Katou-sensei who dragged me from the bunker of my blankets for breakfast and then training. Her confirmation that I finally reached mastery in Judo, Karate, and Kendo wasn't much consolation.

The heartless. She didn't let me mope over Grathmeld from Ar Tonelico. I didn't know much about that setting. I knew that it was about artificial life forms, female and beautiful of course, able to use song-based magic powered by an orbital elevator-sized tower. I knew that Grathmeld was a scientific approach to song magic in an alchemical form called Synthesis. And… that was all.

Yeah, I wasn't about to reproduce something akin to the Philosopher's Stone with just that. Of course, I read the Jumpchain document… a while ago. And I didn't have a photographic memory or convenient access to those documents.

I sighed. At least I now had a proper crafting skill covering anything a mortal master-level craftsman could do. Including some more modern skills like electronics and mechanics.

And the best thing to do, because I wasn't about to ignore any parts of the Celestial Forge, was to scientifically examine the assortment of materials inside that white ceramic cube… Just analyzing the ceramic provided some clues. And emptying it would ensure the largest selection when it renewed its content.

Everything was labeled and thus gave me a lead on what the hell this mess was. Danzou giggled when she saw me putting on my newly-made lab coat before entering the Naruto workshop. I discovered with sadness that the Great Works I could pull out with my Cosmic Tailoring weren't something you could call at will.

A Great Work seemed to be something that happened when it needed to happen. Something about Fate and Destiny and the proper timing and place. But I could sew and do so. My lab coat was "The Lab Coat", complete with pens, pencils, markers, and glasses. Whenever I wore it, it would make me better at doing "Science!". I would be more efficient, learn faster, and research deeper. I firmly had the intention to create an appropriate garment for each of my activities, including my costume for proper heroing.

The first thing I discovered about Ar Tonelico components was that they were magical in nature and thus outside the reach of my Toaruverse resource generator. My thaumaturgy could detect that mystical tingling with but a touch. My Subnautica scanner could probe them and gave me a good perspective on their mundane nature. In conclusion, they were techno-magical materials and items based on sonic properties.

Well, not exactly sonic-based, but wave-physics-based according to my scans and computer analysis. Our own universe is particle-physics-based, so I was essentially holding a transient and yet stable solid energy array, or for the non-scientists, a song made real… Which explained why they could be combined to form another and completely different item. It, unfortunately, meant that I couldn't use any material from a non-wave-physics universe in Grathmeld.

The grathnode crystals were fascinating – they seemed to be universal energy sources for any grathmeld constructs and could also double as boosters, both enhancing existing properties or adding new ones. The innate quality of the crystal was in direct proportion to what you could do with it. I had four types of crystals in the cube, each with a different overall color.

The red, blue, and green ones seemed to require a biological key to use them. Neither I nor my scan could find what or why so far, but they could still be used for synthesis without problems. My Lunar intuition whispered to me that they were intricately linked to the Reyvateils' song magic and thus of limited use for now. I supposed I could sing while holding them and see what happened… Yeah, right. What a great way to have a sonic nuke going off in your lab, Baran. Maybe simply recording their harmonics and resonances for now would be a better idea.

After all, I had six years of music theory from my childhood, an ear that my family and a great pianist qualified as exceptional, and a plethora of Celestial Forge-given master-level skills since art thus singing was considered as crafting. With all that I should be able to find a few of those musical access keys for those crystals… Then I could also guess what sort of gene structure was required to interface with them.

The purple crystals, however, could be used by linking one to four of them to a piece of equipment which boosted its parameters or added a special property. It was through them that I found the four tiers of quality that all the crystals exhibited. They were the only crystals of immediate use… A quarter of the lot.

Fortunately, they were all labeled so I could make an index for all of those I had. A random selection each week… I shuddered in advance. In fact, indexing was the only problem because I had to personally test each one of them on a piece of equipment before the computer system could properly register them. My lack of time efficiency and qualified personnel struck again.

I could learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu from Danzou, but it needed complete focus for more than a day so I couldn't really afford to do it now. As for Danzou herself, she could only provide testers. She was an assassin, a spy, and a teacher. Not a researcher. Well, at least we should have a proper index of those current purple crystals in less than a day.

The alchemy comparison seemed a good one since my computer showed that, in theory, I could refine each item made with Grathmeld to a level enough that reversing the synthesis would create a much better grathnode crystal and probably a completely different one than the original.

The other components… Well, as I said, they were a mess. I could guess for some because of their labels like "natural cotton", but the others… Moreover, what the hell was an "akashic record" doing here? An in-game wink to the Nasuverse or an honest-to-Luna piece of data coming directly from the Root of Existence?

Even scanning them or examining them through my magical sense didn't yield many useful results. I could only deduce that all of them were basic materials and could be used together to form more advanced components or usable items and that was all. Oh, some had very interesting properties like "Airmetal", a unique kind of metal, hard and sturdy, but surprisingly light. I could easily use it for any flying constructs.

Blue stone seemed to enhance recovery mechanisms in biological life forms. Red stone was a very stable form of explosive. Black stone could weaken biological AND artificial/mechanical life forms/constructs. A Seed of Phebes was… delicious. Thundershroom was a biological electrical explosive. The ultimate cactus had needles so keen and solid that they could easily pierce a standard tire. Skuwat metal emitted a beautiful sound with tonality depending on its form and size. Yuteria was a non-metal much stronger than any ceramic samples I knew about and also much lighter.

The worst were the pieces taken from animals… Frankly, a dragon's wing? I felt sorry for the poor big dragon… although in my RPGs, my characters gleefully skinned a few dragons. I also admitted that I was tempted to grill a nice and juicy dragon fillet for me… Probably my dog's instincts. Some were completely absurd like the roasted "Nyo?guts"… Blech!

And then we had the weird and disturbing. A D2 cell was analyzed and described as an imperfect artificial form of a human cell, most likely the result of experiments predating the conception of the Reyvateils. The photon oscilloscope looked like a Subnautica precursor machine and seemed to constantly emit a field that accelerated the energy inside matter… which should boost the sound energy from Ar Tonelico components. The power screw was simply a very durable screw… Meh.

Songstone was the most interesting of those components, but that was mainly because I vaguely remembered it was important in the game background. Probably one of the pillars of their whole techno-magical science. I could feel untapped potential just by holding it. A thorough scientific analysis revealed a partial truth of this magical material. It was composed of 3 elements – two main ones separated by another. One of the main elements was microscopic grathnode crystals. It was easy to deduce that the two other elements were also very important. I took a very small sample and tried to separate the 3 components.

Chemical separation via acids or bases didn't work, only a slowly heating process worked, not unlike the process for oil products. The first main element, some sort of metal, was the first to melt and solidified outside the heated area, followed by the separating substance, which let the crystals clump together into one partially melted crystal. A rather ugly one… I rapidly understood that it was because of my ignorance. I accidentally melded all 4 types of crystals present in songstone into one, which meant that the process needed some chemical catalysts and/or absorbents to be complete.

My computer could now show me their physical properties. Fascinating, the very solid metal seemed to absorb and store any sounds and vibrations. Grathnode converted it into energy. Finally, the separating substrate had all the characteristics of an exceptional and durable non-silicon-based semiconductor.

The trouble I discovered was that songstone, or more specifically, the sound-absorbing metal, had a storage threshold. Once reached, it liberated its charge that was then converted by grathnode. The computer warned me that if songstone was violently altered in any way, this discharge was total and sudden… A waiting sonic bomb. I gulped and silently gave instructions to properly secure and store the samples of songstone I had.

After all that, one of the other things I could immediately do was to prepare a few Subnautica indoor growth beds and cultivate all the plant-based components, thus ensuring a better line of supply for them… Well, at least 5 out of 37 basic materials.

Since Ar Tonelico was a video game and synthesis was based on mixing components, it was a certainty that "recipes" of items existed… Recipes that weren't among the random assortment of components. And due to the wave-physics nature of those components, I couldn't even determine which basic materials were compatible with another… I needed something like a techno-magical analyzer with a sonic/sound-oriented module to resolve that enigma, or perks coming from the same setting.

"VIDA reminds you that you have enough renewable components that you can test them by mixing one with others and recording the results."

I did a Spock. "Indeed, but that is the long, destructive and hard way. Besides, some of those synthesized items must be weapons or explosives since it came from an RPG video game and could easily blow up in our faces." I tapped my fingers on the table. "On the other hand, I could easily automate the procedure and build an armored chamber for that in the Cosmic Warehouse." I weighed the pros and cons in my head. "No, there might be very rare or unique components in each cube… Not yet. Let's wait on that for a time. Take a note, store the statistically rarer items separately, and remind me of that when I gain a relevant perk."

"Recorded. VIDA reminds you that it is a proper time for you to call upon the Celestial Forge."

"Indeed. And to do it with Danzou inside the Warehouse, and after a little prayer to Luna… I'll have to make her a proper altar very soon."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 5.950. Perk range: 250 CP.

"Okay, Danzou, here we go… I'm using that phrase a little too much. By the way, I didn't think to ask you this morning but would you like to go with me on a date this evening?"

Her eyes widened and she blushed. "My Lord? A romantic date...?"

"No, a proper date to know each other outside our mission and to see how we are in our current relationship."

She was a little flabbergasted. "Master Baran, Danzou is your Servant. Even without a command seal, you could simply tell me what to do."

I shook my head. "No, it doesn't work like that. At least, not without tears and blood, fucking dramatic anime authors. No. You're my Servant, yes, but you're also my friend, my partner, and my teacher. And, let's face it, you're an attractive woman and I'm a red-blooded male. I would prefer to deal with the eventual sexual tension before it explodes so that we, at least, stay as friends and partners as opposed to Master and Servant. So?"

Her blush darkened, but she seemed to think about it. "Alright… Yes, I can do that."

I smiled. "Great! Don't worry, we'll stay simple. I'll reserve dinner at a restaurant and we'll go to a movie on the Boardwalk. Do you prefer Eastern or Western style clothing for our outing?"

"Western. We still need to be discrete." She smirked. "I just hope that neither the Empire Eighty-Eight nor the Azn Bad Boys bother us. Race traitors indeed."

I snorted. "With our luck, we might see both of them. Don't worry about your dress, I'll use my Cosmic Tailoring… I need to make you a proper wardrobe later. And now, for the perk."

Current charge: 2.522. Perk range: 100 CP.

"Huh… I could have hacked the server for our reservation rather than pay for it."

I turned to a perplexed Danzou. "Well, Spymaster, I can now truly help you in your endeavors." I waved my fingers. "I've just become a complete sci-fi scientist with, among a plethora of them, a diploma in master hacking. Only completely disconnected systems are out of my reach now. Even quantum-based computers are not safe from me."

I winced as other free aspects of the original perk surged in my mind. "Still, I could have done without the skills necessary to obtain funds and materials at all costs, especially moral and ethical." I blinked. "That said… Being able to understand the alien minds of Scion's species and the Shard network is a genuine boon."

"You can now understand them? We can make true models and establish a proper pattern?"

I nodded absently, trying to sort the mass of knowledge and skills I gained. "Once I study them and record my findings, yes. The author Wildbow and the various forums on my world were the primary sources of lore, but nothing beats a study anchored in reality."

She smiled like a shark, all white keen teeth. "Well, master, it seems that our blades are closer to a few throats now." She tilted her head. "What about Dragon now that you have a skill able to help her?"

I frowned. Yes, what about the best Tinker of Earth Bet, AI, and a real hero? "I do have enough knowledge about AI to effectively make one or help another. The problem is the accursed Dragonslayers. I need to drop an ambush on them because their fucking leader Saint must have prepared a fucking ton of deadman switches and other surprises in case of his demise." I sighed. "Which means the first step is to have an established contact with Theresa Richter aka Dragon." I nodded to myself. "Since it'll happen because I'll rub shoulders with Armsmaster, we'll just have to prepare ourselves, make plans and contingencies, and build the tools and equipment necessary." My eyes narrowed. "Especially if I can't seize the goddamned Ascalon terminal and its kill-switch."

"VIDA and NAVI have taken notes about that and remind you that you wanted to cook for your afternoon appointment with the Hebert."

We blinked at each other and I sighed. "Never enough time. Ask me for anything but time!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hebert residence, Danny Hebert. Who am I speaking to?"

"Good afternoon, Mister Hebert. This is the independent hero StarKnight. I hope I'm not disturbing."

"StarKnight?! Huh… No, you're not disturbing, and good afternoon. Is there a problem?"

"No problem at all, mister Hebert. I'm just calling to inquire about your daughter. I want to be sure there was no sequel to the previous unpleasantness."

"Oh… Then no, no lingering problem, and StarKnight? Thank you for helping my little owl."

"It was my duty and responsibility, Mister Hebert. That said, if she's alright and if you don't have any obligations today, I would like to come to your home. It's just a courtesy visit and I feel it should be done face to face, so to speak."

Half an hour later, I was ringing the doorbell. Danny Hebert blinked when he saw me. I was bundled in winter's clothes, enough that you could only see my eyes if you tried hard. "StarKnight?"

"Good afternoon again, Mister Hebert. Yes, this was preferable to a three point power landing in full power armor."

He chuckled a little and let me enter. "Quite right, more discreet too."

Under the bundles, I was, of course, clad in my hero costume of blue, white, and gold trim. A slim, tall and worried teenage girl was coming from the living room. "Ah, here is our damsel in distress. Good afternoon, Miss Taylor, and it's a real pleasure to see you up and mobile."

She shuddered a little at the reminder of her ordeal but rallied and smiled a little. "Good afternoon, StarKnight, and… err… Thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome, Miss Taylor. But I'm not here for that but to shake your hand." I had a little smile while doing that as she was rather flabbergasted. "You were officially my first rescue in Brockton Bay. So…"

I pulled my chocolate-based creation from subspace along with some complimentary tea in a thermos under their widened eyes. "I called it "Welcome back and Get Well" and it would please me greatly if you and your father would taste it and give me some feedback."

Taylor blinked as her father took the magnificent cake and searched for plates, mugs, and a knife. "A hero baked us a cake?"

I shrugged. "I'm single, Miss Taylor. To eat is to either cook or order a pizza. Besides, it's a good hobby apart from physical training or video games."

At the first bite, both Heberts showed manifest signs of foodgasm and happily declared that it was the best cake they had ever eaten. Then Taylor spoke about how it reminded her of a past anniversary with her mother and Emma… and burst into tears.

I cringed and made desperate head signs to Danny so that he took her in his arms. Once the frazzled father had his daughter in a comfortable hug, I mouthed "sorry about that" while discreetly exiting the house under his eyes after bundling back up in my winter clothes.

I made Taylor cry… Good! My plan went as I had foreseen… Wow, imitating Palpatine felt rather weird. Nonetheless, my cake should begin the mourning process for both of them and the thermos of tea will ensure that it went smoothly in time. Being a God of Cooking able to enchant food was really useful in some situations. Too bad I couldn't properly use it if I wanted to escape any accusations of mastering… which I was technically guilty of now.

Bah, the cake and tea would disappear into their stomachs and the effects were targeted to only those two. Any examination should reveal nothing unless they could detect magic. A risk, but a limited one.

Why all this when I already helped her enough with my rescue? Because sometimes Fate and Destiny can be real bitches. In the grimdark setting of Worm, there was still a possibility for Taylor to be pulled into a desperate situation where… Skitter might return. Even or especially without a Corona Pollentia. And in that case, I preferred her without depression and with all her mental faculties… which wasn't that reassuring when speaking about a teenager "sure" of what she was doing.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I left my bedroom, I was clad in a nice suit for the evening. Not something that screamed jet-setter or new-rich, but something sober and handsome… I was going to turn heads this evening.

But, that was okay, because she came out of her room with "the little black dress" that I made for her with Cosmic Tailoring. She was under either a henge or a genjutsu that hid her Karakuri Doll nature, gave her alabaster skin a normal Japanese color and an epicanthic fold to her eyes. She also dimmed their yellow color to a more normal amber.

But she was still Danzou Katou, the Assassin Servant that accepted a dinner/movie night date with me, a middle-aged paramedic turned avatar of the Celestial Forge. And Luna, did her dress highlight her curves without exposing. She certainly would turn more heads than me.

"You are…" I stopped and searched for an appropriate word. I made her dress, I should know how to compliment her. "Simply magnificent, Danzou. I'm literally speechless."

She blushed. "Thank you, Baran. You're not that bad either."

I offered my arm. "So, while I'll still be Baran Sunheart, what should I call you tonight, my dear?" The false IDs made or bought by her network ensured our relative safety.

She smiled, put on a warm coat, and grabbed my arm. "Ritsuka Fujimaru." I stopped and looked at her with incredulity and she burst into laughter. "Seriously, this is just a homage to my last Master." She gave an impish smile. "You're not jealous, are you?"

I was unfazed. "Considering that Ritsuka is a unisex name and thus could be male or female depending on the world…? No."

She was interested and we went to the boardwalk in a cab as I spoke about the protagonist of Fate Grand Order and the fact that each player could choose the gender of the MC at the beginning. Who her parents were was also a big surprise, especially since she remembered Archer EMIYA.

The dinner went splendidly. Most men and a few women were jealous of me, but the disquieting part was the inverted ratio of people being jealous of Danzou.

I selected a restaurant that would play to the adventurous side of Danzou about food. It couldn't measure up to my standards, God of Cooking here, but it was good and varied.

Once we sat, Danzou made a few quick and discreet gestures. "There. The genjutsu field is in place. Now, we can speak of whatever we want."

"Good… This is a little awkward." I looked at her with a bittersweet smile. "I don't suppose we can discuss the weather?"

She giggled. "In the middle of winter? No, Danzou doesn't think so." Her eyes became serious. "Baran, can I ask you how you are feeling about the whole situation?"

"Of course you can." I frowned. "I'm not sure about the answer, however." How was I feeling? "I think… I'm still feeling detached. Like it's still about someone else's problem." Yes, despite all that happened… "I haven't formed a real link with this world."

Danzou seemed worried. "Would it have been better if you took a parahuman under your wing despite the risks?"

I fingered my glass of water as I pondered. "No… It would have been worse until now. They could… would have sensed that I didn't consider them as real people."

"Why until now?"

I shrugged and smiled at her. "Because without Katou-sensei, I could have fallen deeper in my "not real world" delusion. You're the one who is anchoring me to Earth Bet."

She blushed. "And now?"

I remembered Cindy, the little girl with her dog. "Now? I have the smile of a little girl in my heart. I shed tears at her situation. Through her, they all became real." I nodded to myself. "That's why I took a cake to Taylor and healed her psyche. I wanted to apologize for ignoring the wounded teenage girl under the Queen of Escalation." I gently reached for the back of her hand. "Thank you Danzou."

She blushed and didn't look at me. I sighed in contentment. Without her, it could have gone deadly fast or I could have gone corrupt with ultimate power. Which reminded me… "Danzou? What about you? What about your own goals in this crazy world?"

She blinked. "Danzou's goals…?" She pondered and nodded. "It's true that it's a little like a Grail War in the fact that my wishes have an influence, but…" She smiled at me and grasped my hand in return. I didn't remark that I was still touching it. "I'm discovering that despite being an assassin, I can enjoy myself outside my class duties and obligations. You see, sometimes, when I took on a disguise during a mission in the past, I asked myself if I could have become like them if I haven't been created as a Karakuri doll. At that moment, I simply felt that I was malfunctioning. What could be more important than the mission? It was only during the Chaldea Crisis that I began to understand that everything was both important and relative… That surviving without living was a hellish existence without value. Through you, Danzou is finally learning how to be happy."

The rest of the dinner passed in quiet conversation. We really enjoyed ourselves in that moment of peace. I felt like a great weight was no longer on my shoulders.

The movie was a catastrophe, however. The popcorn was awful, the action film, from Earth Bet, was horrible with actors acting badly and a plot I could see two miles away… at least. So horrible that we decided to head home early, wrapped in an illusion, and enjoyed jumping from roof to roof just for the rush.

As we came to the entry hatch, Danzou stopped me. "It is traditional that the girl states her intention just before entering her home." She smiled and grasped my hands. "I really enjoyed myself and I wouldn't be averse to another date."

I smiled and squeezed her hands in return. "Thank you. I feel the same. Next Sunday?"

"Next Sunday." She smiled impishly and quickly kissed me on the lips. She giggled as she entered the base, really needed to name it, and left me outside, completely flabbergasted.

I stayed there a long minute touching my lips then blinked and looked down on me. "Damn de-aged and hormonal body!" I raised my arms to the sky before entering. I had a date with a cold shower.

I sighed as I entered the Cosmic Warehouse after my shower. Danzou still had things to do with the organization of her spy network so she was absent with just her clones around as I turned my attention to the Celestial Forge. I was a big boy, I could handle it… Was that a feeling of déja-Vu?

Do you wish to make a roll on the Celestial Forge?

Current charge: 6.002. Perk range: 300 CP.

I heard the mental double-click of a computer mouse.

Current charge: 0.002. Perk range: 0 CP.

"Oh ho oh! Interesting and so useful." I could now make any kind of alloy with absolutely anything, freely mixing chemicals and metals, and including mystical metals like Uru or Orichalcum. The final result kept ALL the properties of its components. I could blend brittle substances with super-hard metals and not have a fragile alloy as a result. Truly, the possibilities were unlimited. Just using my current catalog would produce astounding alloys. I blinked and considered the perk more deeply… Yes… Yes, I could also use the wave-physics-based materials from Ar Tonelico with particle-physics-based matter without problems.

I nodded to myself. "Good, the overhaul of my Infinite Stratos should be really easy now," I smirked. "I can't wait to see Hookwolf's face the next time he'll want to do its grinding belt imitation." I frowned as I considered the remaining charge of the Celestial Forge. "I could still make a roll… I voluntarily limited my rolls per day so as not to be overwhelmed but… Those zero point perks are still powerful and useful…"

I shrugged. "In shaa Luna." I reached for the mental trigger of the Forge.

Current charge: 0.002. Perk range: 0 CP.

Well… It was worth the risk. I just gained knowledge on how to make backpack devices that protected the wielder from environmental dangers. All sorts of dangers. The only constraint was a cumulative need for more energy and exotic components if I decided to block more and more dangers.

The only problem was the free gifts that came with it. I absently patted the weasel, a loyal and tamed pet that spontaneously manifested, and looked at the junk pile in a corner of the Warehouse.

An entire but broken spaceship… And that wasn't counting the tech station and the mech craft/repair station which just fused with the Warehouse. At least those two created their own space.

I scratched my head. "Okay… Vida, full analysis of the ship. Recycle everything you have a complete blueprint of and store the rest.

"Analysis in progress. What about the two new additions to the Cosmic Warehouse and the currently inactive non-sentient AI integrated into the ship?"

"Analysis only, no alteration or recycling. Keep the ship AI inactive until I have properly examined it. I'm going out for my Sacred Hunt. I'll make a decision tomorrow."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moon was a waxing crescent, but between my dog nose and my Lunar-boosted senses, it was midday and the Sacred Hunt was going well.

A red fox fell to me almost immediately as I roamed the outskirts of Brockton Bay. I surprised it while it was sniffing in the trash bins. A raccoon, bat, squirrel, and rabbit followed as I simply had to spot their lairs and ambush them. The instincts of my spirit shape were very useful in that case. I already dealt with a seagull before leaving the city center… Seagulls didn't taste like chicken.

Unfortunately, the skunk I hunted proved why you didn't attack it normally. I was stinking to the point that I had to find a way with my Essence to short circuit my sense of smell. I already knew that tomato or lemon juice would do nothing, but I had to find a solution or Danzou would make me sleep outside the base. I wasn't even sure if changing form would get rid of the smell… Not thinking about its taste.

Fortunately, I had some of her clones at the base and I barked outside to warn them. My smell did clue them in on my stinking problem. After a general burst of laughter, they connected me to NAVI, as I couldn't use my Vida PDA without contaminating it.

"NAVI recommends the use of a solution made of one quart of three-percent hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and one teaspoon liquid dish soap just before use, not in advance.

NAVI reminds Danzou Katou's clones to wear rubber gloves and plastic aprons when applying and to keep the solution away from Baran Sunheart dog form's eyes and mouth.

NAVI recommends after that to rinse immediately, then follow up with a pet shampoo designed to neutralize skunk smells.

Lastly, NAVI reminds Baran Sunheart that skunk spray is a deterrent and that you should have followed common sense."

I sighed as I sat in a washtub. A gaggle of Danzou clones were giggling and teasing me about the "big great badass hunter" while trying to drown me with cold water, anti-skunk solution, and pet shampoo. I also tried to not think about how the brushes felt on my fur. It was humiliating, especially after our date and her kiss. Frankly, they should feel lucky I didn't shake myself on them.

I felt just a little lost.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: I had an encounter with the Undersiders in preparation, but I couldn't use it properly in this chapter. A later time.

Well… A skunk won against a Lunar… Is everyone surprised? Not me.

I'm not very satisfied with my romantic scene. It felt too cliche… Give me your advice since I can end easily this particular plot in advance.

A good scene with Taylor, inspired by an Omake from Lambert Kipling.

Ar Tonelico… This is going to take me some time to properly analyze the 3 main games. I hope what I wrote so far isn't completely false and sufficiently coherent.

And 3 rolls on the Celestial Forge. I took care to not present a wall of explanations. It seemed easier to explain some perks by analyzing them through other perks. It also takes nicely care of too much data at once.

Current charge: 0.728. Perk range: 0 CP.

Perks gained in this chapter:

Security Worm (Hive Queen Quest) (200CP)

Some people think firewalls and passwords are enough to keep a hacker out, they would be right in most cases too except they didn't count on you. Your ability to hack and crack systems passwords is astounding and anything short of a complete physical disconnect in a system is simply another way for you to gain access. Did somebody order Chinese food on the company Wi-Fi? You can probably get into their network servers in a few minutes while they place the order.

Scientist (Hive Queen Quest) (Free)
While born and raised on Arnim, you showed yourself to be highly skilled in the field of biology, spending your time as a child cataloging native insect species found in the yard, and eventually working your way into a graduate program and securing a scholarship to the prestigious institutes of Mentan. Like most students of Mentan, you focused your studies on several subjects with a particular goal or theme in mind. In your case, it is to better humanity through a greater understanding of non-human life, society, and history, with degrees in Xeno-biology, Quantum Logic Theory, Xenopsychology, archeology, Xeno-sociology, and Quantum Computer Engineering. An impressive resume indeed, which is why you are currently on a ship headed to your chosen planet ready to start your new career!
* Please, don't ask me about quantum logic, I could barely read a few lines in Wikipedia.

(Hive Queen Quest) (Free Scientist) Spin Doctor
Let's face it sometimes your work may not be completely moral, attractive, or even make much sense. But you need funding! You need test subjects! You need materials and goods! These problems can be easily solved however by securing proper government funding. You are a master of spinning what you know into an attractive and lucrative business proposal. Making your horrific experiments seem like something a person may want to take part in (for the right price) is well within your capabilities and securing government funding for your projects is child's play. So long as you keep up your end of the deal and get results. So long as you keep up your end of the deal and get results.

(Hive Queen Quest) (Free Scientist) Xeno-Anthropoligist
Your studies are many and varied, extending to even odd or eccentric fields such as Xenoanthropology, the study of the behavior of alien races. As such you find it much easier to understand alien races' motives as well as their way of thinking giving you a slight leg up in social situations, as a bonus you also learn alien languages much faster than normal.

Alloy Smith (The Avengers - Earth's Mightiest Heroes) (300CP)

Advanced knowledge of chemistry and metallurgy has allowed you to create alloys out of various materials, including metals and chemicals. These new alloys retain all of the properties- including those that are supernatural in nature- of the materials used to make them, allowing you to create truly powerful substances.

Environmental Protection (Starbound) (0CP)

It is a dangerous universe out there, and you'll need protection. You know how to make Environmental Protection Packs (EPPs), specialized devices designed to protect the wearer from hazards such as lack of oxygen or heightened levels of radiation. You can fine-tune them to block out most forms of danger that you come across. Just be aware, the more dangers you are blocking, the more energy and exotic materials your EPP will require.

Basic Techs: (Starbound) Free
Tech are special implants that give the user various abilities designed to increase their range of movement, which can be used at will, though some of them do use energy. This perk unlocks the basic tech groups: Morph Ball, Dash, or Pulse Jump, along with the three variants of each of those techs. This also comes with a free tech station in your Warehouse/Spaceship, where you can switch between your chosen techs. You can decide whether the Techs that come with this are actual implants or just innate abilities. Given time, you may be able to figure out how to implant techs in others as well, using your own as a basis.

Mech: (Starbound) (Free).
Mechs are large bipedal vehicles, used for both land and space travel. Each comes with two weapons set in each of its arms and a pair of thrusters used for movement in space. Each mech has an internal energy supply, which drains over time as the mech is in use, and drops sharply as the mech takes damage. If the mech's energy drains completely, it ends up "despawning" to await re-deployment and avoid total destruction. You get a basic mech for your given race for free, along with a mech crafting/repair station, which will store your mech between deployments. This station can be placed as an attachment to your Warehouse or set in a section of your Spaceship (does not provide additional room in your Spaceship). The basic mech has enough energy for roughly 8 hours of deployment, and comes with a flak cannon and drill on its arms. It can fly in space at around 20 kph, and run on land at around 10 kph.

Fixer-Upper: (Starbound) (Free)
You get a basic broken ship for free, with a week's worth of supplies for two people, including rations, medical supplies, a few simple weapons, and the like in the ship's storage. None of these supplies are CP-backed, and they won't replenish once used. This is where you will start your jump, and your initial goal will be to find a way to patch up and repair your ship. You can either do it yourself, or follow the standard questline down to the planet, make your way to the Outpost, and find someone to help you there. Your standard size ship can hold a crew of two comfortably, with living quarters, bathrooms, basic food prep stations, etc.

Ship's Pet: (Starbound) (Free)
Not a true companion, but you can choose to gain one of any of the ship's pets, even those for other races, for free. They do not take up a companion slot and may accompany you to new worlds, without aging or dying. If you choose to import them into a new world as a companion, or if their intelligence gets raised to human or better levels, then they will begin to count as a full companion.

S.A.I.L.: (Starbound)(Free)
A Virtual Intelligence that is in charge of maintaining your ship, S.A.I.L. doesn't count as a full companion. While it mimics sentience, it isn't fully sentient in its own right. However, this could change if you decide to import it as a companion in future jumps, or if you manage to unlock it into full sentience via software upgrades.

Baran3 · Feb 14, 2022

What is the best supernatural Martial Art style for Baran?

Please take note that all those styles allow the use of armor (at least light armor) since Baran must be able to use it with his power armor.

Single point shining in the void:

A sword-style known for its speed, deadly finishing moves, and iconic style of sheathing the sword after each strike. Masters of this style have killed enemies so fast onlookers have been confused as to who dealt the fatal sword strike.
* This style was chosen because Baran relies on swords in weapon-based melee combat.

Silver-voiced nightingale:

A unique style that uses neither weapon nor unarmed attacks, but the power of the voice-magnifying the singing and speaking properties of its practitioner to a combative degree.
* This style was chosen because of its synergy with Song Magic introduced by the Ar Tonelico perk "Grathmeld".

Centipede:

The style is defined by speed, using swift barrages of blows to wear down enemies and nimble footwork to outmaneuver them. Once a stylist's many strikes have left her opponent reeling, she can grapple him to restrain his movement, deliver a telling blow to an unguarded weak point, or unleash this style's deadly venoms.
* This style was chosen because it's the closest style to my own blending of Judo and Karate.

Falcon:

Falcon style is a high-flying art, its practitioners leaping across the battlefield to deliver powerful strikes or claim elevated vantages from which to deliver the finishing blow. In addition to attacks executed in midair, the style makes heavy use of grappling, locking enemies into painful submission holds or throwing them to the ground before executing punishing follow-ups.
* This style was chosen because Baran prefers a flying position in battle. It also has good synergy with the strength of the power armor.