"Ow! Fucking hell!"
I yelled, gripping tight to the rein in order not to fall off balance as the animal run at full speed
However, the rhythmic beat of the horse's bare back as it hit my backside again and again with each gallop is just equal torture
"My balls hurts damn it!"
This is what happen when your Riding Skill is shit
You....shut up, System. I just thought riding a horse would take me less time to get to the two kid's places. There's nothing funny about this
And why is it that you only make jokes when I'm suffering!?
Said System did the digital equivalence of a shrug
I can't believe this shit.
By the way, you forgot to choose the upgrade for [Mechanical Tracing]
Well, you already know what I would choose. When one is setting up his character build, it is crucial that he establish a strong base for that class first to gain additional buffs later down the game. After all, an archer wouldn't be an archer without his bows and arrows
My ideal build for a game character is "one who can pull shits out of his ass to turn the table to his side in any situation"
A bard, then
You have a great sense of humor. But no! One can not simply bullshit themselves through any situation, no matter how charismatic they may be!
I do wonder about that, player (Y/n)
Ugh. Listen, you are not a teenager in the middle of his puberty with social anxiety and the incapability to have a normal conversation with people. You have not seen how I utterly failed at talking with a girl in my past life, and you have not seen how I commit social suicide on a daily basis in highschool
BOOM
I looked toward the source of the explosion again, before rearing my horse toward it's direction
Regardless, I'm not taking the risk of being the diplomat in any situation. Words are useful, but what I need is real power. Since you already mentioned that I will eventually unlock all the possible upgrades for Tracing, the only thing that matters is the order to which I choose them
[Reinforcement] may look like a good choice, but compare to the two other choices it is lacking the necessary aspect for a good foundation. I reckon only those who are impatient will choose this in order to get the item boost to their items
I reckon in one of the Fate/Stay Night fiction I read, Shirou can apply the Reinforcement spell on his own body, enhancing the inner mechanism of his Od and greatly strengthen the body he has to almost supernatural level, despite him not being a Counter Guardian. Wonder if that is applicable here
[Alteration] is Overpowered. There's no way of saying it without fangirling over the possible uses for such a thing. Manipulating certain properties of an object will allow me a diverse range of offense and defense.
But once again, it will be lacking if I decided to choose it this early. After all, knowing the System there may be limits regarding cost and extension to which we can alter them
[Mystic Eyes of Projection] is the final choice to which I go with. It is the mean to which I can duplicate a great range of materials and greatly expand my arsenal, thus allowing me to empower them like the other two choices without actually choosing them
You have chosen to unlock [Mystic Eyes of Projection I]
"With swords that aren't yours. With skills that aren't yours. With dreams that aren't yours. Your existence is nothing more than that of a Faker!"
The moment I confirmed my upgrade, a dull pain spread across my eyes. I blinked, trying to ignore the fiery feeling that simmers at the edge of my vision in favor of controlling the horse beneath me
"Hey System" I grounded in pain through my teeth "Will there be any visual changes to my eyes if this upgrade is made? Kind of like changing eye color, mana drain, madness and other weird stuff like that?"
The only changes to the visuals can only be seen by you. On that front, you may find some extra...differences to the things you see compare to before
What do you mean- Oh hell no
My vision flared a hot white, making me slammed my eyes shut
When I opened them again, everything seem to have changed
'Okay. What the fuck'
Everything seemed to have changed. Yet I don't know what exactly it was. If I can describe the sensation I'm feeling right now, I'd say it's akin to a blind man seeing color for the first time
The "Color", in this case, is the properties of the objects surrounding me
You heard that right, I am suddenly granted the power to see an object's properties with barely a glance. Their durability, sharpness, history, essence, weaknesses. I took it all in as though such a thing was second nature to me
But that surprise was short-lived, as the silhouette of the two children enter my sight
"REN, NORA!"
"(Y/N)!"
And behind them, I saw a battalion of samurais wearing white cloak chasing after them with their blades drawn
'Okay, what did the two of them do to enrage this much people?'
'They blew up the drugs den inside the whorehouse on the opposite side of the district' Arashi's bemused voice echoed in my head 'Ended up killing 3 people and severely injured 4 of them'
But how the hell did they cause the explosion though?
'Dust explosion' Arashi helpfully provided
You mean the literal "Dust" explosion or the chemical phenomenon of combustible power lingering in the air?
'Dust explosion'
I sighed
'And you didn't think of stopping them from murdering people by setting fire to the place?'
'B-b-but they look so cute when they do that'
Note to self: Never let Arashi take care of the kids again
"You two run. I'll hold them off" I instructed. The two barely giving me a perceptible nod before bolting past me, leaving me with their pursuers
Now I'll admit I'm a peace-loving man and all, but judging from the look in their eyes I figured civilized diplomacy would be a no-no with these guys. Before I can voice my thought, the men all charged at me
My eyes snapped to the spear held in a nearby man's palm
Less than a tenth of a second later, the same spear materialized into my hand as I used it to impale the horse rider from the front and throw him to the ground with a flick of my spear
I jumped off my horse, letting the animal crashed into a screaming samurai. The impact instantly broke his neck and killed him
the moment I landed, the Tanegashima appeared in my hand as I shot another one in the head. Blood spattered on the ground as his body collapsed, while I spun around to slam the newly-created knife in another's skull
He managed to block it with his blade, but I pressed my gun against his dick and pulled the trigger, completely blowing off his load with a wet blast
Anyway, the guy began screaming in pain, allowing me to shove my blade down his throat and through to the back of his head, permanently silencing him
Before I could kick him off, the sounds of hooves clacking against the ground approaching near alerted me to their reinforcement's presence. My hypothesis was proven correct when out of the corner came a dozen or so armed horsemen
The pursuers temporarily stopped in their track, their gaze trailing down toward me as an expression of shock spread across them
i realized I was covered in blood and holding a dead body in my hand
In their eyes, it looks like I've just committed murder
"Okay" I said calmly, kicking the corpse of off me "Please calm down. I can explain"
"I didn't kill them"
They lowered their weapons, confusion on their faces
"Wait, you didn't?"
"Of course. See, I hardly have a blade stored on my body!" I exclaimed, spreading my arms to emphasize my harmless state "And you definitely heard the sound of a gun being fired, right? Does it look like I'm carrying a gun with me? I'm not a murderer, right?!"
I cried out desperately
The weapons are further lowered
"Huh, yeah. Now that you look at him, he's clearly unarmed" One of the guards remarked, before smiling apologetically at me "Sorry, kid. Clearly we've been mistaken"
"But still, why is Kazuhira's body leaning toward you when we first got here, then?"
Uh....
My lips trembled, tears of sadness rolled down my cheeks
Before long, I began crying uncontrollably
"K-Kazuhira-san took the hit for me" I rubbed my eyes, secretly adding to the redness of it to enhance the effect "Those two crazy children were about to kill me, but he jumped in front of them in order to shield me from the attack instead"
"I've always thought of that guy as an asshole. But to think he would sacrifice himself to save another person...clearly, we have misunderstood him" The swordsmen gravely stood there, mourning the brave death of their colleague
"He to-took the hit for me, a-and then there were blood...so much blood" I hiccuped while still keeping a wide-eyed look on my face, prompting one of them to pat me on the back in sympathy
"Shit, I know those symptoms. The kid is traumatized" One of them muttered, looking at me with concern "Probably the first time he'd seen someone dying....and in such a brutal way, too"
[Bluff] has leveled up!
I secretly checked my surrounding
Good, it seems this is enough time for Ren and Nora to get away unharmed
"Well, in that case..." The guard stopped, seeing the blade in my hand "What are you doing?"
I whipped him with the butt of the knife, knocking him out in one hit
The other hastily drew their sword, but my blade was faster. Fast as the wind, it soars high and strikes down from above, like a eagle blitzing down at it's prey
[Moon Breath third Form. Evening Palace of the Dark Moon]
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"Oww"
"Owww"
The two children groaned in pain as I had them by the ear. I don't know what my expression looks like, but it's probably one of rage and disappointment
We are currently standing far past the border of said town, barely a mile from the Schnee town. Lucky for us, the authority here had decided not to pursue our ass, or else we would have been a lost cause
"Oh you guys are in trouble" I whispered "I let you out of my sight for what? For three hours children. For three, goddamn, hours. And what did you do? Oh~ Let's do something stupid like stealing weed from a hooker and blow up her place of work on your way out. Because shits like that are hip and cool, hm?"
"Do you know how much a low-class prostitute makes in a week? Let me tell you" I loosened my grip on them "Depending on their age, appearance, location, and the type of "services" they provided to their client, assuming they're not employed in a sex agency and if said agency doesn't happen to be working with high-rate deb collector, the normal price for a client each night is a simple 2,000, all the way up to 5,000 Lien for a simple fucking session"
Ren and Nora looked away uncomfortably
"Of course, the landlady that owned said district will get 50% of the share as per agreement to provide jobs for those girl, thus reducing said payment to 1,000-2,500 per day without counting the interest, and that is assuming they have a steady daily amount of client. In actuality, statistics has shown that most of them barely get enough to scrape by and remain there"
"And guess what?" I drawled "You blew up their only means of living. Any particular reason for you to do that aside from getting some shits and giggles out of this?"
"I...it just wasn't right"
I frowned "And what wasn't right?"
"Those girls, every time they come out of their session, there would be bruises and dried blood on their bodies. Ren and I saw one of them being executed in front of the store because she talked back to her client" She bit her lips
"We just thought that...maybe she doesn't deserve that treatment from the men, and we intervene. One thing lead to another..."
It did not escape me how unfair women were treated during this period. But of course, such things are only normal in the past
"And how exactly do you intend to change it? Even if you were to liberate and free them, they'll just end up being chased out of the town and either become a beggar or food for demons"
"Th-then you'll just have to find a way!"
A raised eyebrow. Ren flinched, but he persists by staring at me
"Oh...I'll just have to find a way, huh?" I took a step forward, to which he took a step back in fear "Do you take me for a god, Ren? Do you think perhaps that I'm that kind of man who would risk himself to save others? Have you assumed I am an individual incapable of selfishness?"
Another step forward. Another step back.
"Do you take me for a hero?"
Ren gulped, staring at the shadow that covered (Y/n)'s face
"Personally, if you were to ask me, I would say your idea of saving them is, hmm..."
Hopeless. Idealistic. Naive. Stupid
The raven-haired boy shrank back, preparing for the worst. Yet, he still held his ground, refusing to give up and looked at the other boy straight in the eye
A small smile made it's way across my face
"...An absolutely wonderful one!" I exclaimed cheerfully
"E-eh?!"
"It would only be natural to help people who are in need, right?" I tilted my head with a knowing smile "Indeed, only through understanding and sympathy of other human being will you find yourself, to be selfless is a virtue that everyone should yearn for"
"So you mean, that back then is just a test for us? To see if we're strong in our conviction?"
"Of course it is. I would never get mad at you otherwise" I enveloped the children in a hug
"To that end, I'm proud of you" I said, lovingly patting both of their heads. Their anxious expressions soon turned to that of joy "I won't do anything yet, but I'll think about it carefully"
....you are a dangerous man, (Y/n)
'What do you mean?' I smiled demurely 'I merely add a little of my charisma in my words. it's nothing outrageous'
I don't exactly have a plan for situations like this
But...do I?
Indeed, the moment I saw what the children had caused, I had already anticipated this course of development. True to their words, I don't intend to remain idle and watch as the prostitute got mistreated. Regardless of the method, I'll find a way to help them
But not due to a sense of self-imposed justice, but rather for my own gain
After all, I still have to create my own legend according to the System's quest
I grinned. If System-chan really thought I'd play by her rules and actually involve myself with risky business in order to spread my fame, she is dead wrong. I'm a man of common sense, ain't nobody got time for playing hero and stuff
To start off, what is a legend?
A borderline-mythical anomaly that is considered to be in the fictional realm, carrying with it the essence of traditions from different cultures and history that had gained popularity through time. Such things may be subjective in nature, as different versions of the account may be biased from the perspective of the story-teller
Distortion of fact can, as a matter of fact, be the birth of an "alter" version of the story
A legend doesn't necessarily have to follow a hero, nor does it need to follow a villain
I smirked
"Just a random question, Nora"
"Yes, (Y/n)?"
"Back at Kuroyori village, you mentioned that people can be turned into demon by coming into contact with their blood, don't you?"
"Uh..yeah. I did say that"
While I could not say that I will free the prostitutes from their miserable social status, there's another way to..."liberate" them. Yes, let's state it like that
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Entry #000001 of the Chaldean record, transferred through main intelligence department of the Clock Tower
The Wandering One (1457, Sengoku)
Hardly had there been a more insignificant, yet more important discovery in the land of the Rising Sun to have changed history in the most profound of ways as this
1457, Sengoku. A period filled with dread and calamity, where the Warring States Period has reached it's climax
The land is in turmoil, civil war erupted across every border as feudal lords scrambled for the throne of the supreme emperor, whose position had been left without a heir after his early parting at the hand of a fox
A period where countless wars are waged. Where so much bloods are spilled even the Sanzu river were tainted with the dirty color of dark red. Ideologies clashed. Heroes fought. Despair reigned. An endless war raging on between factions that seemingly never ends
Along with internal strife, the Youkai uprising and Demon plague, two big events that serves to further weaken the world's magical Ley Lines though excess of dark magic rites, some of which are better left....unmentioned...lest undesirable consequences befallen the curious
However, if one were to look closer upon the displayed graph of historical records spanning from the early Muromachi era up to the end of the Edo period (unconfirmed sources) , some irregularities may be found hard to explain
Events not matching up to their supposed documentation
Dates that mysteriously disappeared without a trace
Historical facts changing constantly, affecting the present in ways unpredictable
Indeed, it all points out to one missing factor in this equation. The only logical conclusion indicate that something, or someone's presence has caused a twist in reality with their existence, creating a pseudo-singularity by distorting the timeline through magics of unknown origin
Some of our research team members have jestingly refer to it as the work of the Wizard Marshal himself
But such a hypothesis is impossible.
While this may sounds like a prank from our dear Zelretch, the scales of which spans across centuries and thousands of pages, the impression can not be farther to the truth
Researchers of the Magus association has recently discovered new clues that confirmed our theory of the inconsistency founded in history, that of an enigmatic identity that had eluded our grasp for many years
Unchecked records. Unknown abilities. Unspecified affiliation. A Ghost in the record of Alaya
This is the completed file of an anomaly, codenamed by the Clock Tower as "The Wandering One". Further evidence point out to the theory that our anomaly is suspected to be the unconfirmed wielder of the Sixth Magi--
The rest of the file were scrawled, unintelligible scribbling, as though whoever is writing that had had a stroke
Termination of document recommended. Nobody should get their hands on this knowledge
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Author's Note: CAN SOMEBODY GIVE ME THE COMPLETE TIMELINE OF THE NASUVERSE PLEASE!