(Ruby)
"Here, carry this." The potion guy said, handing her a heavy bag of artistic materials. She tried to protest but he ignored her and dropped the bag, and she barely caught the thing before it fell on the ground.
She winced slightly before sighing in relief. That was close...
"Why don't you use your semblance to store them away?" Ruby whined. "They're so heavy..."
Really, he has one of the most useful semblances in the world, even though it's not very applicable in combat. At first, she thought his semblance was pyromancy, but he said that was a simple fire dust trick he learned on his travels.
"Come now, aren't you a huntress in training? I have a limit to how much I can store, and you look capable enough. Besides, I still need to buy metal." He told her, making her groan. "Nah, just kidding. We're done here."
"Oh thank goodness..." She sighed."Why are you buying all this clay anyway? Why would you need to much?"
"Hm, I need them for stuff." He replied. "It's complicated. You really don't want me talking your ears off, do you?"
"Not... really."
"That's what I thought." He chuckled. "Let's just go back to my store-"
Before he finished the sentence, Ruby's stomach growled loudly, causing her to blush profusely. He turned to look at her, a surprised look on his face as he slowly processed what had happened.
"Was that you, or is there a Beowulf near us? Jesus Christ..."
Just kill me now... She hid under her hood in embarrassment, her face redder than a tomato. I knew I should've eaten something before coming here...
"Right, well, I don't blame you. I'm hungry too." He said. "You know a good place? I've only recently arrived here, and from the looks of it, you know your way around the city."
"I-I'm fine-"
"Okay great, but I'm hungry." He cut her off, making her wince. "You know a place, or do we walk around aimlessly until we find one?"
"T-that way." She pointed in front of them. "There's a fast food place over there."
"Great." He smiled, causing her to look away in embarrassment.
As he walked away, she followed after him a step behind. Why... was she even helping him with his stuff? He's basically a stranger, she doesn't even know his name! He just dragged her with him for menial stuff, and every time she tried to protest, he ignored her completely. Maybe she should be sterner? But she forgot who he was earlier, and that's just very rude.
He looked like another person though. The first time she saw him, he looked like a somewhat cute boy her age or a little older, but now? He looked like he's in his early twenties, more mature, wiser, and way, way better looking. She knew Yang would be all over him if she saw him. He's taller and his muscles are bigger.
Honestly, if someone said that those two were brothers, she would've believed it. They look so different yet so similar it unnerved her.
As they arrived, the guy hummed. "Do they have fish here?"
"Fish?" she parroted before frowning. "It's a burger joint. Why would they have fish?"
"There's something called fish burger thank you very much." He said, scratching the back of his head. "Oh well, food is food. You want anything?"
"Um, no-"
Growl!
No! shut up!
"That's a yes." He smirked in amusement. "Right, how about you go and find a place to sit in?"
"I-it's fine, I have my own-"
Aaaaand I forgot my wallet. Wow, you're on a roll today Ruby.
"It's fine, consider it a thank you for helping me out." He waved it off, thankfully not noticing her panic. "So, what do you want?"
She reluctantly told him what she wanted, then went looking for seats. Thankfully the place was empty, so finding one was easy.
"So, while we wait for the order to arrive," He said, sitting opposite of her. "Why don't we get to know each other better?"
"Uh, sure..." She then paused. "You never told me your name..."
"I didn't?" He frowned, then his eyes widened. "Oh shit, I didn't. Well, I'm Reid Astera, the... heh, Potion Seller."
He had a strange grin when he said 'Potion Seller' but she ignored it and introduced herself with a small smile. "Ruby Rose."
"Cute name." He praised, making her blush. "So, Ruby, tell me about yourself."
"U-um, what do you want to know?"
She has no idea why she's complying, but a part of her felt... strange when looking at him. As if she wanted to know him more for whatever reason.
"Hmmm... Let's start with your hobbies."
Ruby pushed her feelings away and started to talk.
(A few hours later...)
"So wait, you're telling me this," He pointed at a weapon in the magazine as they walked through the city. "Is a chainsaw that can turn into a flamethrower?"
"Not a flamethrower, a dustthrower!" Ruby said excitedly. "Instead of just using fire dust, this can use other elements!"
"That's so cool!" His eyes sparkled in childish excitement. "What about this one? It looks like a normal flail."
"Oh no, this isn't like any other flail." She shook her head. "This is a flail that explodes whenever it hits something!"
"...Explain please."
"With tiny crystals of fire dust!" She answered. "You know how sudden movement makes certain qualities of dust explode, right? A skilled user will be able to slowly build up momentum as to not blow up the dust, then when they strike, the abrupt stop of the movement will make the dust explode!"
"Yeah, okay, I got that part." He nodded. "But wouldn't that damage the flail from the inside? And what about the weight? It's empty on in the inside, barring the fire dust, right? So it wouldn't be as strong as a normal flail."
"Well, the answer to your first question is these holes here." She pointed at the small holes in the spiky metal ball. "When the dust explodes, these holes will make way for the fire, or any kind of element really, to escape, so it doesn't build-up and destroy the weapon from the inside."
"O...kay, makes sense. Go on."
"Right, but that's not all. You see, this here is the most heat-resistant metal in the world, only found in the volcanos near the dark continent, so fire and lightning won't exactly damage it. Which brings us to your next question." Ruby said. "It's not only the most heat-resistant, capable of withstanding over 4,500 Celsius, but it's also the heaviest. So not filling the insides is still not a problem."
"That's... genius," Reid mumbled in awe.
"I know, right?!" Ruby agreed, closing the magazine and hugging it close to her chest. "There's no way I could've thought of something like this, at all! I mean, I'm proud of my weapon, but I wish I had ideas like these back then. Crescent Rose would've been so much better."
"Damn, you even think you could make something like this?" He asked with a raised brow. "Impressive."
Ruby blushed slightly, scratching the back of her head with a small chuckle. "It's not that difficult really. The hard part is getting Ignisium, that's the metal's name by the way, since it's extremely expensive. Heck, a single bar would cost around ten million Lien."
"Expensive is putting it mildly, geez..."
"It's either buying it or getting it for yourself, which is impossible."
"Yeah, inside a volcano on the Dark Continent, or Grimmlands." He nodded. "I wouldn't say impossible though. Just really not worth it."
As she was about to retort, he suddenly stopped moving. With a snap of his finger, a key appeared in his hand, and he used it to open the door to his store. Wait, they arrived already?
"What do you mean already?" He looked at her, causing her to realize that she spoke her thoughts out loud. "We spent a little over three hours just talking about weapons and crap. All that did was make me jealous I don't have my own weapon."
...ah, crap.
"O-oh my god, I am SO sorry for taking too much of your time!" Ruby apologized, the horrific realization finally dawning on her. "I-I didn't realize I- oh, I'm very annoying aren't I? I know I am, I get told that often because of my annoying and squeaky voic- I'll just shut up now."
"God's sake girl, have some confidence." Reid sighed in exasperation. "No, you aren't annoying, because I liked our conversation, and your enthusiasm was infectious. Also, you oughta stop apologizing for every little thing. It's bad for your health."
"O-oh... okay..."
Great, now she made it awkward.
"You know, we can continue what we were talking about if you want to." He said, pointing at the door. "I have a day off if you couldn't tell, and I won't mind spending it with you."
Ruby felt heat rise to her cheeks as he winked at her, but took a breath through her nose and shook her head.
"N-no thanks. I think I took enough of your time." She declined. "Thanks for the offer though."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. My dad is gonna be worried if I turn back too late."
"Hm, suit yourself." He relented. "You still need to visit though. That promise still applies."
"Um, okay." She nodded. "I promise I won't forget who you are next time."
"I hope you don't." He smirked, then snapped his finger again. "Here. It's your payment."
As he handed her a small, transparent bag holding five cookies, her eyes widened.
"F-for me?"
He rolled his eyes. "No, it's for my dog- yes, it's yours. I'm paying you back for helping."
"N-no, I can't accept-"
"Just take it." He said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Trust me, I ate so much I got sick of them."
Sick?! Of cookies?!
This time, she felt annoyed. "Fine! I humbly accept your reward."
She snatched the bag out of his hand and turned around with a huff, then began walking the other way and away from him and his stupid shop. Getting sick of cookies... only a heathen would say that.
"By the way!" He shouted after her. "I think your voice is pretty cute!"
That statement vaporized any annoyance she felt towards him as her entire face turned crimson. She quickened her pace, almost jogging just to get out of his sight. Why must he say these things that make her feel weird? Stupid butterflies in her stomach...
(Reid)
40 Reputation with Ruby Rose
She's way too easy to please, fortunately for me. Might've helped that I knew what buttons to push to get her going, but I'll take the credit of being a very fun guy to be around.
I spent a little too much time with her while I was planning to just start working on Golemancy more, but I think it's worth it with the huge REP increase. I can work on golems any time I want, and while I need to get my shit together and start working, I still believe that connections are gonna be a key factor to my goals.
Also, she's cute, and my eyes might've wandered. I see all those cookies did something down there...
The Sharingan is far more useful than I first thought.
But enough about Ruby's ass-
15 Reputation with Ruby Rose
Huh? What? Why?
The cookies.
Oh... Okay, yeah, that makes sense.
As I was saying, I have magic circles to draw and golems to make. Hopefully, I don't fuck up again and accidentally summon Cthulhu or some shit.
...I feel like I've forgotten something, but if I did, then it's probably not important, right?
(Officer)
..."Wasn't the one beating Roman coming today?" The officer spoke, a frown on his face.
"I don't know, maybe?" His partner shrugged.
The other officer sighed. "No, I'm sure I heard him say he was coming."
"Maybe he forgot?" His partner oh so helpfully supplied.
"Of course he did. We're just police officers, not Hunters."
"...Speaking of Roman, what are we gonna do with him?"
(Roman)
As he shifted in his prison bed, Roman flinched and grimaced at the burning sensation in his stomach. This would've been healed already if they didn't cuff him with aura blockers. And now he has to deal with the pain every single time he moved. Fucking assholes. Is this how they treat another human being? No medical help, just throw him in the cell like a sack of shit.
Well, yes, he is a sack of shit in their eyes, but he's still a human for goodness' sake! He should at least get his wounds treated. No Bob, only wrapping them in bandages isn't gonna help!
He let out a deep sigh as his thoughts went back to that monster. He knew he had a very bad feeling about him, with his screaming instincts and all, but now he really regrets pissing him off. He got his ass handed to him, all his men arrested, and Neo is nowhere to be seen if she's even still alive.
How did that guy find him anyway? Since his base is continuously changing places, he's sure no one could know where he is. Police and Hunters spent years trying to catch him but to no avail. Yet this guy just waltz into his base, beats the fuck out of his partner, and then knocks him out in a few hits.
Only a few people knew about his base. Him, Neo, some of his men, and-
...
...It was junior, wasn't it?
"Fucking snitch..." Roman growled. "I should've let Neo at him that time..."
Of course, Roman could understand why Junior betrayed him, especially to a monster like that one. After all, they're not exactly friends, just accomplices, nothing more and nothing less. And being a criminal, there's a rule. One that must be followed, or you'll find a dagger in your back.
Every man for himself.
Being too arrogant gets you killed, being reckless gets you arrested, and being too trusting gets you betrayed.
Roman fell into the latter category as if he was an inexperienced mook.
It's humiliating.
"Well played, Hei," Roman muttered. "Well played..."
The only one he should trust is Neo... but now he has no idea where she is or if she's even fine or not.
Roman raised a brow as he felt something tapping on his shoulder, and he turned around to see the mismatched eyes of his partner staring back at him. It took him a few seconds, but his eyes widened as Neo grinned at him.
"What are you doing here?" He whispered. "How did you even get here?"
Neo put a finger near her mouth as to shush him, and he nodded in understanding. Right, no time to ask.
His partner then took a small vial with an almost transparent liquid out of her pocket, handing it to him. Before he could ask, Neo signed for him after breaking the cuffs binding his hands.
'Take this and escape. It'll let you phase through walls. Meet me near Junior's place, I'll catch up to you soon.'
Roman sighed in relief as his aura began healing his wounds and glanced at the potion. "Got it."
Neo nodded and used her semblance to disappear, then broke the cell door with a powerful kick. As the sirens went off, Roman immediately drank the vial, then stared in awe as his body turned ethereal. He grinned and touched the wall, his hand going through it. Knowing that the potion is the real deal, he sprinted forward, going through walls and walls of the building and finally outside the police station in seconds.
"Useful..." He muttered, gazing at his hands.
Without wasting any time, Roman dashed through multiple other buildings, getting a headstart over the police and whatever hunter on his tail. As the ethereal glow began fading, Roman knew the effects are about to wear off. He ran to the streets, stopping in front of a taxi car, causing the driver to hit the brakes.
Roman immediately ran to the passenger seat, opened the door, and closed it behind him. The driver gasped, but Roman glared with promises of pain if he tried anything funny.
"If you value your life more than your job, you'll do what I say," Roman said quietly.
The driver nodded frantically.
"Take me to Junior's club. Now."
He obeyed, stepping on the gas pedal in fear, for one of the most dangerous criminals is right next to him, so what can he do?
Roman opened the window and gazed back, chuckling as the police are nowhere to be seen, and no sirens can be heard... well, he can hear explosions in the distance, but it's just Neo playing around probably.
The ride went very smoothly with nothing chasing them, prompting Roman to almost forget what happened to get him in jail in the first place.
Almost.
The car slowed down as it arrived at the destination, the criminal getting out of it with an easy smile on his face. Looking at the building made him lose his smile and frown. The building wasn't in top-shape condition it seems, considering the cracks showing.
So Hei was targeted too?
Roman smirked.
Good.
He can go and confront him, but he doesn't have his weapon. It's still in the station, and while he knows how to fight unarmed, he's nowhere near as skilled as he needs to be. The sisters are gonna kick his ass if he pisses them off as he is now.
He'll settle with waiting for Neo. He hopes she's getting here soon-
His instincts screamed at him to move, and move he did. He whipped his head around and growled in annoyance at Neo's silent laughter. How did she even get here so fast?
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." He clicked his tongue. "You broke me out, so you must have a plan, right?"
Instantly, Neo's demeanor changed. Her usual smug smirk was replaced with fear, and that got Roman wary.
'We... might've fucked up.' she signed.
"I get that. I was in a cell fifteen minutes ago." He said.
'No, I mean we really fucked up.' She pursed her lips. 'We messed with the wrong guy, Roman.'
"...You mean that monster?"
'Monster doesn't come close to what he really is.' she shook her head. 'we... we can't run. If we try, then he'll probably kill us.'
Roman rolled his eyes. "Neo, enough with the jokes. We can just hijack a bullhead and head to Vacuo, or hide with the Caliban if we needed to. Aurelius still owes me a favor."
'Roman, I'm not joking.' She grimaced. 'We're fucked if we try to against him. I don't think the Caliban can stop him either.'
"Neo, are you listening to yourself?" Roman scowled. "You're saying we should, what, give up? After all that?"
'I'm saying we listen to what he says, and go back to him.' She replied. 'If... if you don't want to, then fine. But no way in hell am I losing my life because of your dumbass. Go ahead and run, I'll return to him and save my own fucking life.'
Roman gritted his teeth in frustration. He can't just go back with her, not to that fucking bastard! Just when he thought he's free from the consequences, she comes and tells him to live in another cell under a different jailor? What's the fucking point of escaping then? So he can serve another?
But... he can't exactly leave her alone. He saw the monster with his own eyes, and letting Neo alone with him? That doesn't sit right with Roman at all. He considers Neo a close person to him, and who knows what kind of shit he'd pull on her?
This is a fucking mess...
"Fine." He reluctantly complied. "I'll go with you."
Neo smiled and nodded in gratitude, then turned around and led the way to their new "Employer"
Should've robbed that dust store instead...
(Reid)
[Golemancy] (LV 24/100)
Your skill in golemacy is that of an Apprentice
Increases golemancy effectiveness by 24%
Skills gained
[Create Magic Circle] (LV 11/25)
Draw a magical circle for magical experiments. No requirements, but the lower the level, the weaker it is and the higher the risk.
Every 5 levels will unlock a new magic circle that is stronger and more stable.
Looking over the new iron golems, I smile in pride. They're not exactly powerful, barely above an Ursa Major, but damn is it satisfying to see your army growing. One soldier at a time. I spent a lot of credits getting different materials, like iron, steel, and some tungsten too. "Some" means a very little amount.
Right now, I have 50 Clay Golems, 30 Iron Golems, 3 Low-Quality Fire Dust Golem, 1 Low-Quality Lightning Dust Golem, and I can't be any happier to say this, 1 Tier-one Health Potion Golem. All I needed to do was throw five vials in the magic circle along with clay, then do the same process.
Finally... I'm gonna have a factory.
Though, the potion golem is shaped weirdly. Unlike how normal clay look like unarmored humanoids, or how iron golems are shaped to look like walking knight armor, this one is like... I have no idea what it looks like. It's like a fountain, but much smaller, and it slowly makes liquid. Actually, now that I think about it, it kinda reminds me of a soft drinks machine. There are red and slithery marks all over it, and I'm guessing that this is something to do with the potion I put in. So if I put an aura potion or a mana one, it should have the same or at least similar markings, but with different colors.
I expanded the Magic Research room, previously called the Golem room, and made a new golem room. A huge one that can most likely hold one thousand Golems... that's if they're the same size. They're all as large as an average-sized human male, so it should be enough for a while. Also made a room specifically for Potion Golems, which is slightly smaller than the normal golem room.
The Magic Research room has magic circles, an enchanting table, alchemy tables, normal tables, and soon enough a library filled with every book about magic. I know there isn't any here on Remnant, but I might be able to find something in Salem's fortress, maybe buy some from the store, and hell, maybe make my own books!
Magic is so fun to learn about... The possibilities are endless!
I might actually get into summoning too. I asked The Game about summoning, and it said that you can only summon through magic circles. The process is similar to creating golems, just that it needs a different circle and a catalyst to summon what I want. So a pyromancer, Golemancer, and a summoner at the same time.
I wonder what I can summon? Maybe elemental spirits? Mythical creatures? Or hell, I might be able to summon Fate servents! If I can, then I'm definitely gunning for Mordred.
Tomboys are great~
Quest added
[Fated Servant]
Objective: Complete a legendary dungeon, or defeat one Titan Grimm
Rewards: +1 Mastery Skill slot, 20K Credits, 1 Skill Orb, 5-Star Servant Catalyst (Random)
Seriously? Another quest? I'm not against it, but is everything I think of gonna turn into a quest?
Oh well, thanks anyway.
...I really hope I get Mordred.
But damn, do I really need to go out and kill a titan? Oh sorry, another titan? Isn't Fenrir enough? Really, killed it while I was half as strong as I am now- no, even weaker. I'm probably gonna wipe out the other ones just as easily.
I don't recall you defeating Fenrir easily.
Oh please. My base stats excluding STR are 500 and with every single boost I can get? They're 2296. Two. Fucking. Thousand. And with Haki? Sharingan? Enchanted armor, weapons, and accessories? I'm un-fucking-stoppable.
...You are quite arrogant.
I'm not. I'm just stating a fact. The only people who can really put up a fight right now are Salem, Abaddon, -even though I don't know much about it- and the gods. RWBY is low-level to be completely frank. Really, no one is even mountain level aside from the ones I mentioned, and all hunters/criminals have for them is Aura. Once broken, they're completely fucked. Me? I have magic, Haki, Sharingan, a god slaying weapon, and a growing army.
Really, I can probably solo the entirety of Beacon if I want to. Without using a single muscle.
That line of thought will get you killed. You have no idea how many powerful beings exist within this "low-level' world.
Oh yeah? Really now? And who are those "beings" that can withstand a full-power Conqueror's presence? Aside from Salem? Honestly Game, you're too paranoid. Besides, I have metaknowledge. I know how strong people are.
And that is exactly your problem.
Hm?
Because of your so-called Metaknowledge, you believe yourself to be untouchable? Unstoppable? You have no idea how dangerous this world really is.
This is not RWBY, this is Remnant, but in your delusions, you think you know exactly how this world works.
What a fool you are.
"Pfftt hahahaha!" I throw my head back in laughter. "Delusional? Game, are you listening to yourself? This is RWBY! R-W-B-Y! Not fucking DBZ or some shit. Besides. we both know what the Sharingan can do, right? Hell, once I unlock Full Susanoo, I won't even need Haki anymore! I can speed-blitz every single thing there, Titan or Otherwise!
"The only thing I'm worried about is boredom! Because I'm pretty sure I'm gonna die from it before anything even lands a hit."
-5 Reputation with The Game
...I warned you, yet you refuse to listen. But once you realize truly how difficult this world truly is... know that it'll be too late.
I'll be fiiine! I'm level 182 and still growing! And if I need a power boost? I have the Ultra Divine Water! Instant triple stats. Not to mention Godslayer.
All I need to do is get political power. As strong as I am, I really don't want the good guys to turn on me. Ruby is fun to be around. I'd be sad to be her enemy...
...Very well. Do as you wish.
"Heh," I smirk. "Thanks for understanding. I promise I'll be okay."
...
...
...
I just raised a red flag, didn't I.
Not red.
Crimson.
"Ahh crap." I grimace, then shrug with a sigh. "Oh well. I still think I'll be fine."
I think I'll go back to golem making now. I'm still, what, 10% done? I need to get Golemancy to Adept level. I think that's when I can make tier 2 and 3 potion makers. Also, need to level up enchanting. It's currently the lowest Mastery skill.
Which reminds me, my sword mastery and fire magic mastery are only a few levels from maxing out, and maxing them out will give me two new possible mastery skills. First will obviously be water magic, but what about the other? I'm tempted to get Gun Mastery... but Martial Artist for Armament Haki though...
I can think about this later.
After all, I shouldn't concern myself with needless crap when the time limit is looming over me.
(Ozpin)
"You sure about this, Oz?" Qrow asked, looking at him with a raised brow. "I showed you how dangerous the kid is, and you want to meet him soon?"
"I am." Ozpin nodded stoically. "He showed us many signs, and with you confirming his identity, it is without a doubt a message that he wants to meet us."
Qrow looked at him silently for a second before shrugging. "Sure. Just know I'll be watching from a distance, yeah?"
Ozpin smiled. "Of course. Thank you, my friend."
"Yeah, yeah, just make sure he's on our side." He smirked. "Jimmy is getting real angsty about him."
"You know he means well." The older huntsman shook his head. "He's simply paranoid, rightfully so."
"True, but we both know he's being way too excessive about this." Qrow shook his head. "Seriously, sending five specialists with small battalions of Atlesien Knights with them just to catch him?"
"James doesn't want to let the mage fall into Salem's hand," Ozpin replied. "None of us do, and he did all of that to protect the mage, not hunt him down.
"James wants to know how to replicate the magic within the young mage to use it against the Grimm." Ozpin sighed. "It's... a commendable goal, but nigh-impossible."
Qrow tilted his head. "Why not?"
"Magic is like Aura. It is linked to the soul." The headmaster said. "You can't make a soul out of nothing, and you certainly cannot manipulate a new source of energy whilst not having a single idea on its inner workings."
"If that's the case, then can't you do it?" Qrow replied. "You know how magic works, right?"
"Perhaps, but it's far more complicated than you'd think." Ozpin shook his head. "It matters not. I'll explain how mana works once everyone is here, and I'll try to get the mage to cooperate with us."
"Got it." Qrow took out his flask from his belt. "So you're visiting him tomorrow then?"
"Indeed," Ozpin confirmed, looking at the shattered moon from his office's window. "It is quite late, after all."
In all honesty, Ozpin felt somewhat anxious about meeting him. Someone who knows his story, the true history of the world, still coming over to his doorstep to help. A being with magic, real, honest-to-god magic, finally showing up after thousands of years. Perhaps he's like him? Reincarnated? A hero of a long-forgotten past? Another champion of the gods? There were so many possibilities, and while he's nervous, he's also excited to finally meet someone like him.
If he still came over to him to help, and not to start his own crusade against Salem, then it could mean that he understands.
He just hoped that this is a sign to finally end this thrice-damned shadow war. A chance to rest while letting someone else take the reins.
Oh, how he wished for such a thing...
Semi-canon(?) Omake - Gluttony IF: Decsent, Part 2
Six months after part 1
Gods... I'm so hungry.
I'm so fucking hungry...
No matter what I eat, how much I eat... I can never feel satisfied. I tried killing animals, stronger Grimm, fucking robots... But I just can't. The pain is unbearable, especially with my sense of smell. I can fucking smell skills! Stats! EVERYTHING!
And they all smell so FUCKING GOOD!
My legs are shaking uncontrollably as my stomach growled. I... need to eat something. I can't keep doing this...
The memory of a small puppy ripped in shreds by the teeth of a monster resurfaces, and I lose all the strength in my legs as I fall down, swallowing the bile building up in my throat.
Oh god... what did I do? How can I do something so wretched?
I shake my head as I force my legs to move again, slowly walking further from the city. I... can't stay there. If I stay any longer I might attack something, someone, and... I'm not a monster.
I'm not a monster.
I'm not a monster.
I won't eat another human being.
I won't eat another human being.
I'm... not a monster.
But I'm so hungry...
No...
Just a small bite? A small, mouth-watering chomp? It won't hurt anybody.
S-stop.
I can smell them from here. No matter how far I go, they'll plague my mind.
Shut up.
The divine taste of skills... surely one more one hurt?
"SHUT UP!" I scream, falling to my knee as I grab my head in pain. "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!"
...
...
Slowly getting up to my feet, I freeze as the smell of stats and skill hit my nose. Slowly turning around, I see Hazel looking at me blankly.
No... nonononononono!
"Are you..." He shakes his head. "No matter. Please, young man, come with me quietly. I do not want to hurt you."
"Go away." I whisper. "Please, just go away."
So much stats... You can smell it, can't you? 827 in total.
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Hazel shook his head. "Don't make this difficult for me. Surrender quietly."
The most you've smelled was less than 300... You'll finally get the taste of a true meal!
"I'm not- I'm not a monster..." I whisper to myself.
You're not! Don't worry, he's the evil guy here, not you! Even if you eat him, you won't turn into a monster, I promise. After all, you're the good guy, and what kind of good guy lets bad guys run around?
"What?"
Besides, you've never tasted a mastery skill before, and he probably has one! And a semblance! You remember what it is, right? Pain nullification! You won't have to deal with the pain of hunger anymore!
I freeze.
"No... no more pain? No more hunger?"
Yes! No more pain! Ever!
My gaze sharpened as I lower my stance, an animalistic snarl on my face as I tighten my grip over my sword. Yeah, he's the bad guy, not me. And killing him is better than letting him around, and-and who cares about his corpse? No one, so I can have it, right? I can finally have something to eat... Right?
Name: Hazel Rainart
Title: The Tired Servent
Age: 46
Race: Human
Level: 105
HP: 2100
MP: 100
AP: 31,500
STR: 221
VIT: 210
DEX: 144
INT: 86
WIS: 63
CHA: 53
LUK: 50
Haha... This is gonna be so easy...
Name: Reid Astera
Title: Devourer
Age: 17
Race: Human/Royal Sea Serpent Hybrid
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Level: 242 (72%)
HP: 215,000
MP: 122,000 (6100)
AP: 60,500
STR: 2700
VIT: 2150
DEX: 2566
INT: 1220 (95% Reduction = 61)
WIS: 1105 (95% Reduction = 55)
CHA: 120
LUK: 865
In an instant, I vanish, appearing right in front of my meal as I aim my sword at his heart. He couldn't react and the sword pierces his aura completely, landing a critical hit as it impales his heart. I let go of my grip on the sword and rip off his arm, immediately sinking my teeth in it.
Hehe... finally.
Food.
Stats eaten: +65 STR, +55 VIT, +32 DEX, +21 INT, +11 WIS
Unique skill eaten: [Semblance: Numbing Agent]
Mastery skill eaten: [Martial Arts Mastery]
"Hahaha..." I chuckle. "It's so good..."
I just needed to eat the stats and skills, and I won't have to... feel hungry...
I stare at the half-eaten body in disgust, fear, guilt, and a multitude of negative emotions. Since when did I... oh...
oh...oh god.
I... didn't...
What have I done? Oh god, what the fuck did I just do?
I take a step back, falling on my butt as my entire body shakes uncontrollably. I... just ate someone.
I...
A monster.
N-no, I didn't mean-
You're a monster.
"I'm not-"
Monster
Monster
Monster
"Hah..."
Monster
Relax.
I take a deep breath as my mind calms itself down. No, I'm not a monster. Hazel is a bad guy, and I just killed him. What happened after doesn't matter... at all.
I'm not a monster.
I'm just... sacrificing his body so I can be stronger. So I can protect people... right? Yes, I don't need to worry about eating villains, I'm only doing the right thing after all.
I'm not a monster.
Really, who would even care about Hazel? Salem? Fuck her and her circle. I'll kill them all one day... and no one would care if I ate them too. I need to be strong to kill the gods, and sacrificing evil people isn't a bad thing.
I'm not a monster, they are.
No one would get hurt once I get strong enough. Ever, and now that I have a pain nullification skill... I won't have to worry about hunger anymore.
Yes, I'm not a monster, I'm a hero.
One that saves people.
I can't eat innocent people... but Villains are fair game, right? Yeah, they don't deserve living.
I'm making the world a better place by getting rid of them.
I'm a hero.
Not a monster.
Ahem.
...
...
Inhales.
E D G E
Yes, I know, the omake is edgy, but isn't that the point? I mean, I don't exactly know how to write someone slowly losing their minds- No, Gamer's mind won't help because it doesn't see it as a bad thing... or at least, his kind of insanity.
Anywayyyy, I can probably try to convince you, but I have more important things to say.
First, this is getting a... re-write? and improved version is better said, but not here. You see, I uploaded two chapters of this on Questionable Questing, and I plan on changing a lot of stuff. For example, remember the fight with Tyrian and Hazel? Yeah, it's gonna be very different, because Reid will be struggling against them... and even unlock his semblance.
I recommend reading the improved version since this will become a first draft of sorts. So if I see people complaining about shitty ideas and I agree with them, I change them in the improved version. Also, I'll probably start writing smut in QQ since there's no threat of getting Thanos snapped out of existence there.
Hope I see you there!
So I've made a Pat reon not too long ago. Don't feel obligated that you have to donate because you don't have to, but the fifth tier gets you one Omake of your choice... As long as it's not smut for private reasons. You'll be credited for the idea of course. Thank you very much if you do donate. The link [ Pat reon dot com slash Mirlnir