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Mario Nunez, Tassadorius

Multiversal

DNAjester

CH12

It was early. The T-rex was lounging next to the glass screen, and Viviane stopped him before he reached the counter. He wanted to open another location, but Viviane had other plans. The lady of the lake had blocked his path. Her pale blue skin and high cheekbones made her smile seem almost demonic.

"We're training today," Viviane said.

She held her hands behind her back. Red imagined she held a blacksmith's hammer. This was his chance to finally learn blacksmithing from a master.

The lady of the lake tossed him a sword. One of two she made the previous day.

Red would meet with the Noctvalen family about the ridiculous amount of crossbows he would make them at dusk.

"I thought you were going to train me in blacksmithing, not swordsmanship," Red said.

"I'm your teacher, and Vicky can handle the front desk. There is more to being a craftsman than making a weapon; it's also important to know how to use them." They entered the attribute gym. "I've had Vicky perform her stances here, and she received many gains. This proves that the equipment here is not the only means for growth. It's the room itself. But its tier is too low, and I need you to upgrade it for this next part of your training."

That at least confirmed that certain system functions were only accessible to him.

Red stared at the price tag.

Attribute Gym Upgrade (Common) 50,000SP

Wallet 350,000SP

He could afford it. Red would still have enough for the metal slime as well. He had made a lot by selling things through the outbox. His needle was coming along fine, and he sold the failures for profit.

The weapon was meant to become a close-quarters stabbing weapon, and it would do the job. Adding a light burst upon impact only improved things further.

Before they made the purchase, he had to ask. "Why the sword?"

"It is the enemy of the spear. The knight slays unarmored spearmen in the hundreds. It is a weapon that has proliferated in the psyche of humanity across time and space. If your foe wields a spear, then you should wield a sword and preferably a shield."

That sounded like she was making things up. Judging by the sinister smile on her face, she must have guessed his thoughts.

"Trust me, fairy's can't lie," Viviane said.

Red tried to rationalize things. Her reasons made sense if he didn't count things like range, but maybe even that could be overcome. Who was he kidding? Red wanted to wield a sword. Who didn't? There were better weapons, but the sword was iconic for a reason. Maybe it would be fun.

He made the purchase.

Attribute Gym (Common)

Time Dilation 2/1

That was a gift that would keep on giving.

Wallet 300,000SP

Could he increase it further?

Time Dilation 3/1 Upgrade 300,000SP

Anything could be bought. His system had few limits.

"How much to upgrade the time dilation to 4/1?" Red asked.

700,000SP

A linear cost for an exponential increase was well worth the money.

They were outside the gym. Viviane looked it over with her employee access. On the other hand, Red was starting to feel the heaviness of the wooden weapon in his hand. Viviane had made it extra heavy for training purposes and could get heavier.

Red felt like he was vibrating in anticipation for the awesome lesson he was about to learn.

Fairy Queen's Training Sword (Epic)

Damage 1

Durability 250 + 4D20

Enchantments

To A Thousand (Epic): Every swing of this weapon becomes heavier up to its thousandth consecutive swing.

Photosynthesis (Rare)

Safety (Uncommon)

Heavy (Common)

Value: 2,950,000SP

He was just a simple shopkeeper. That mantra played through his head to help lower his expectations. Red definitely didn't have awesome epic-tier loot in his hand or a powerful fairy queen to teach him.

What would Viviane teach him on his Shonen character's training arc? And the value he could sell it and buy a rare weapon gotcha or summon. Of course, he wasn't going to. This was his chance to become strong organically.

They entered the gym, which looked like it belonged to a high-dollar gym chain. Gone was the rust, the primitive tools, and the easy puzzles; a high-end laptop replaced the desk where the CYOA book had lain with the word quest on it. The ice baths were traded for entire isolation tanks dedicated to forcing the body to suffer, and the weights had an upgrade. Instead of free weights, he received an industrial-style Bowflex machine. Floating over a chair was a single puzzle folding around a tiny blue gem. His attribute gym had upgraded completely.

Red took a peak at the next purchase.

Attribute Gym Upgrade (Uncommon) 500,000SP

It was a 10x expense beyond the current price.

Achievement

Upgrade Attribute Gym

Rewards

Attribute Steroid (Common)

Description: A syringe containing an elixir designed to increase the gain rate of physical attributes after injection for 4 hours.

Side effect: Possible joint inflammation up to 48 hours after use.

Doses: 5/5

The syringe fell in his hand, and he stared at it numbly.

"Student, I have numerous analysis spells and the ability to analyze as an employee. I would advise you not to use it until I've shown you the forms."

"Nothing gets past you," Red said.

"It's called being a mother. If you think normal children are a handful, fairies can fly," Viviane said.

Red winced in sympathy. Vicky seemed like she was always in a sugar rush, too.

She showed him the stances, and he tried to copy her as best he could. "You must purchase a dojo to improve this skill after I show you. Humans aren't equipped to master fairy skills, but I hope this place compensates for anything you lack."

Viviane was practically handing him the keys to the kingdom.

The air vibrated between each slash, and he could taste muddy river water on his tongue. Every light in the room zoomed further away as wet, warm, muddy darkness crept up his vision. He sucked in a breath, and water filled his lungs, throwing him into a coughing fit.

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He felt a heavy hand smacking his back. "You saw too much before your mind was ready."

"I'm sorry for being human," Red said.

"It's to your benefit. Humans are very adaptable and lack the senses to view the kinds of creatures my skills will put you in contact with. Your humanity is to your benefit. My daughter won't learn these skills until she's much older."

"This is a sword technique." Viviane held his hands and danced with him. They were gentle initially, then seemingly more violent as she led him through a dance. His arm was already aching from the effort. "It doesn't seem that complicated?"

While it must have looked like they were trying to slash each other apart, it was a dance. Viviane was a great partner, and watching her move was a treat. He was having a blast, and it felt like he could keep dancing all day.

"This isn't the complete skill. You nearly have the foundation." After ten movements, she let him lead, and Red felt her training sword growing heavier with each swing. Viviane grinned at him while they moved and playfully parried his strikes. Sweat poured off of him, but all he could see were her eyes as his body went through the movements. "I hope you aren't tired of dancing with me already."

"Never," Red said.

Viviane giggled. "Good, but we can only dance for a few more hours. Then you must wash yourself for your interview."

He didn't want to stop, but the sword was getting heavier in his hands. "Can we do this again?" Red asked.

"Ask me again after you've finished popping the blisters on your hand. For a woodworker, you were quite the attentive partner. This will strengthen your hands so we can dance longer next time." Viviane said.

Red moved and felt her thigh brush up against him. Sparks flew from their blades as he blocked her swing high with the bottom edge of his blade. They pressed hard against each other with their weapons, and their movements' slow friction caused the wood to smoke where their weapons met. "Move your feet this way. Let me show you how you lead in this dance." It seemed Lady Viviane had already become comfortable in her role.

Red's eyes were wide open as he absorbed every lesson from her in their dance.

The shopkeeper swung, feeling his muscles flex, and stopped abruptly. Viviane slipped through his guard and pressed her butt against his crotch.

"What can this dance do?" Red asked.

Viviane leaned against his chest. "It will build your foundation for any bladed weapon, straight or curved. Once you master the basics, it will be even more fun. Maybe I won't be able to do this to you."

The fairy queen rubbed her butt up and down, driving him to thrust with another blade. "How unfortunate?"

At some point, she pulled away, and he fell into the rhythm of the dance. Every swing made the weapon heavier, and he had to stop and let it reset occasionally. He tried to go on as long as possible between resting as sparks flew from their weapons.

Why was he learning to fight?

It didn't feel like fighting. A fight never made Red feel so happy and focused.

What would he want in a fight? He slashed forward and took a thrust to his ribs, so he adjusted to dance better.

The weapon fell out of his hand and was too hard to grip.

A group of notifications appeared.

Strength 21 (Common)

Dexterity 24 (Common)

Constitution 22 (Common)

When he saw them and clicked accept, he ground its teeth as pain swept through his body. He realized then that he had forgotten to take the Attribute Steroid. So his gains weren't maximized, and he wouldn't have to deal with joint pain. It was just as well. Why should he inject himself with something to enjoy a dance?

…

The edges of reality rippled and stilled like the slow tide on a large lake. Viviane struggled to keep the smile on her face and the giggles in her heart from overflowing. His progress was beyond her wildest expectations and could be attributed to the room and shop. Skills between staff were easier to teach.

She closed out the screen in her employee handbook, something she had purchased from the shop after selling a few trinkets she had crafted.

It would break her decorum completely to fly around the room, cheering about having a dance partner.

Humans were, by their nature, incapable of learning the skills of the fairy. It was never supposed to happen, and in the outside world, it would be impossible. But here, her human student clumsily did it step by step, swinging a blade that grew heavier to get him used to the skill. He was growing stronger in real-time but lacked the other attributes to utilize it fully.

Attributes weren't limited to the ones he had unlocked. Still, the lady of the lake hoped to steer him away from any that could reveal the hidden layers of reality before he mastered the skill.

The simplified version of her skill was Water Dance, a set of sword techniques anyone could learn. She had memories of teaching it to Arthur the King of the Britains and Artus, a Germanic barbarian who declared himself king after the fall of Rome. Those memories clashed along with others in a myriad with no end.

She demonstrated Lake Bed Dance for Red, which is the true form of her style. She wanted him to learn it as his first style and let it become a foundation.

Learning it was like being born with a fairy queen's abilities. She didn't plan on telling him how broken it was.

She wasn't aware of the discrepancies until she entered the shop. Once inside, she realized that no human could learn her style. Upon that realization, she felt a loss like nothing else, and already, she was filling that void. Viviane smiled; the future looked bright.

…

Mary didn't stare like a slack-jawed peasant at the fairy manning the desk of Red's shop. She observed it and glanced at the sign where the shop's name should be. It was as blank as it was last time. How could such a successful craftsman not even name his shop? She shook her head and focused back on the fairy sitting on a cushion to push her little body over the counter line. The creature that was practically made of sunshine, her antithesis, gave the fakest smile Mary had ever seen. It was perfect for any courtier. She glanced to the side to see a door open and Red to walk through.

He looked sturdier than before, like if she grabbed his shoulder, he wouldn't break apart like wet paper. That didn't sound right. Maybe she needed to feed soon or risk an embarrassing incident. A quick mental review of criminals destined for the gallows allowed her to find a target. People died in their cells all the time. She would choose a less talked about killer and rapist.

"You're here early," Red said.

"You've bathed good; that will go a long way in helping your prospects. Oh, and who is your fairy friend?"

Red blinked at her, and she surmised that perhaps the creature had a different name and wasn't a fairy. That was possible. Red opened his mouth and closed it, obviously struggling to correct someone of her importance on the topic. That would be an excellent survival tactic for other courts, but not for her.

"You may correct me. What is the name of her race?" Mary asked.

"I'm a spring fairy. Are you a vampire? How much blood do you drink? Do you sleep in a coffin? Does sunlight burn you, or are you like a bat, and it makes you drowsy? Do you have fangs? Can I see them? Your dress is pretty. I love the blue. Red, can I have a blue dress?"

"Ask your mother?" Red said.

While she hadn't hidden it, she hadn't exactly gone out and said it either. While he had made his suspicions known, she planned to pretend that her nature was uncertain. It would have been so scandalous to declare herself outright a predator out for his blood. A Noctvalen making an up-and-coming craftsman anxious like a lost lamb surrounded by circling wolves wouldn't do. Her family had a reputation to uphold. They were the lords and ladies of Basin City, one of the wealthiest cities in their nation. Others ruled with fear. They ruled with the more eloquent carrot and stick. While their punishments were harsh, their rewards were just as sweet.

Still, she hesitated to answer the first and most damning question. To declare herself a vampire was to breech the polite fiction Basin City relied upon. The people suspected that they fed upon the worst prisoners, those destined for death. And with low taxes, plentiful food, and sound leadership, they had no uprisings. Her city was the jewel of the Crimson Kingdom.

From the red wastes to the east to the luscious jungles to the west, few could claim to hold the loyalty of their citizens.

Red was firmly in the reward camp for his willingness to work with her family; some fairy may have ruined it.

"Vicky, it's rude to ask clients so many questions. What are you trying to do?"

"I want to build rapport to make her feel more comfortable. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

Mary coughed before the fairy could deflect things further. "Well, you never made it a secret you knew, but please pretend obliviousness. It is a polite fiction our city lives under, and it helps keep the people happy."

With the fairy's distractions out of the way, she focused on him and his appearance. He wore a suit in a fashion she had never seen before, with stitches incredibly straight. Clothing had natural imperfections she could never look away from, which helped her recognize who fashioned it at a glance. Every vampire could do it with practice, and it helped distinguish those who had an eye for detail.

She continued scanning for any hint of a flaw in his clothing that could be a sign it was made from mortal hands. Even Red's crossbows had the subtle signs of true human craftsmanship. Magic alone didn't make something valuable. After all, purely magical weapons decayed quickly from their power.

What if Red had made the suit with his magic and planned to throw it away when he no longer needed it? She got it and raised her fan to cover her face. She laughed.

…

Red watched the vampire lady laugh behind her fan and had no idea what she was laughing about. Did something funny pop into her head? When someone's bored enough, that can happen. Well, he wasn't being a good host.

Wasn't she the girl who said she would let him watch her feed? It felt like a strange gesture. Was it a vulnerability thing? There was also the offer of friendship that Red wasn't sure about. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of her fangs. She hid them by closing her lips tight when she smiled. She seemed different compared to their last interaction.

He was sore from his earlier training. The gains didn't take away the strain from training in the first place. Maybe he needed a healing room. There was a whole second floor he could use. Red glanced at the stairs leading to the mostly empty second floor. There was so much left to do that he didn't want to meet with more vampires and take more time away from the shop.

He tried to smile and be friendly as they left his shop. It was night on the streets of Basin City, and 10 well-armored guards fell into step, leading him to a carriage that would take him deeper into the city. He nearly stumbled on a cracked cobblestone before one of the guards held him steady. By the ice cold, he could feel, even through the man's gloved hands, Red suspected that he, too, was a vampire.

…

Darien Hawke made his way through an ancient vampire tomb. There were plenty scattered throughout the Crimson Kingdom. Still, thanks to Lunethra's followers, the one he found housed a vial of an ancient vampire's blood. It was said to contain the power to merge familiars into larger, more powerful creations.

He dashed aside a spiked tail from a gargoyle towering over him. It howled and slashed with its claws, sending sparks everywhere as Darien blocked with his spear. He gave into the force and used its momentum to get to the side of the beast. It took a precious moment to change the alignment of its feet while Darien thrust. His spear sank in deep, puncturing the beast's heart.

Blood oozed from its wound as it fell, filling the scale that would reveal the treasure. He stabbed mutated bats and rats using skills honed from many battles.

To bring down the Lord of Basin City, the people had to turn against their Lord. The easiest way to do that was to create a chimera that he could ride and shoot the craftsman district of Basin City. Lunethra helped him with the plan. He would deal a devastating blow to the city with his remaining crossbow bolts. The people would lose confidence in their Cit Lord and rebel. Then, all Darien would need to do was challenge the City Lord to a duel for the Lordship.

It was the perfect plan. There were rumors that the shopkeeper Red was making repeating crossbows for the Lord's guards. Once that contract had neared completion, Darien would swoop over the city at night. Then, he would reveal the true face of the city's rulers to the people. No human would see him even if the vampires knew it was him.

Hey guys I hope you're enjoying the chapters I have more on my patreon. There are 5 up and I might get 4 up tomorrow. But 1 ahead is only $1, 3 ahead is $5, and 5 ahead is $10. Don't feel pressured I have a day job this just helps and its a little something for ya'll. Link