[Congratulations! For learning and mastering the technique(s) for Aura Control (Aura Shielding, Sensing Aura, Channeling Aura, Body Augmentation, Accelerated Healing and Aura Recovery), you have earned one (six) New Unique Gacha Coin(s)!]
[Congratulations! For mastering the three combat applications of Aura, you have earned one Unique Set | 6,667 Gacha Coin!]
[Congratulations! For mastering the three auxiliary applications of Aura, you have earned one Unique Set | 8,879 Gacha Coin!]
[Congratulations! For mastering all standard applications of Aura, you have earned one New Epic Gacha Coin!]
I wasn’t sure how to feel about technically doing nothing and still getting loads of relatively high Rarity Gacha Coins. With my Shadow Clones running off to do whatever it was that they thought I’d find productive, every couple hours one would pop and I would get similar notifications after absorbing their experiences.
Whether it was building up Jaune as if he were my RPG character in need of constant grinding or concocting all the Potions I could hold in my apartment, anything my clones did gave me Gachas. Meanwhile, here I was with Velvet clutching at my side, having fallen asleep while the movie we were watching kept playing. It wasn’t even night outside, but the lights had been turned off and the windows shut to facilitate the perfect movie experience.
It was annoying having to ignore Fox and Coco occasionally tossing unwanted snickers and smirks my way, but that was fine because I had my beautiful girlfriend pressing her body against me in a most comfortable fashion. I wasn’t about to lodge any complaints and potentially wake her up. Instead, I focused on enjoying Velvet’s company and trying to make sense of the movie playing out before me.
It was some sort of medieval period drama with a bunch of politicking and layered backstabbing driving the narrative. Interspersed with maybe three minutes of action over the nearly two hours that had run of screen time so far, the story was mostly about talking and world-building. Kind of interesting, but mostly confusing since this was supposed to be the fourth installment in the series, so I was missing a ton of background context.
The movie reminded me of my situation from that meta-perspective. Dropped into Remnant in the middle of a bunch of other people’s lives while trying to make sense of my own… I should probably try to establish some sort of goal for myself beyond “getting more Gacha.”
But what kind of goal could I shoot for, when Gacha allowed me to cheat my way towards anything?
Outrageous Power? I already had that. Masterful skills? I had many and apparently could seemingly pick up ones that weren’t handed to me on the silver platter with remarkable ease. Money and fame? Done and, well, not done for the fame part, but only because I didn’t care for it; with my aforementioned wealth, power or skills I could easily become world-renowned in any field in a matter of days if not weeks.
Relationships? I already had a girlfriend and a couple of people who were friendly acquaintances — Roman, Neapolitan, Ozpin, Glyna, Amber, the Schnees and the rest of Velvet’s team came to mind. Jaune was also a fun little pet project to run and the memories of my clone talking to Ruby impressed upon me how worthwhile it could be to teach others.
So, maybe becoming a teacher was something I could look forward to? Eh… Maybe, maybe not. It was more fun than my passtime job as a cook, but also much less rewarding when it came to Gacha. Then again, where quantity was lacking, the quality of the Gacha I got for training Jaune and teaching Ruby was much better than what I got from pumping out hundreds of Michelin Star meals.
What else was there to look forward to in life? Or maybe once I localized my intentions to just Remnant?
Exploring new places was always a fun experience. Just getting to fly around the uppermost part of Sanus had been a good way to pass a couple hours. I wonder how long it would take to see all the corners of the world. How long would it take to visit every settlement, village, town and kingdom, and then clean out all their restaurants at least once?
…And that was it. All I could think about wanting to do besides getting more Gacha was to explore the world, maintain and improve my existing relationships and maybe look into becoming a proper instructor for anything just to pass the time.
It sounded pathetic when I boiled it down to just that, but I couldn’t really think of anything else I wanted that I couldn’t immediately just have with my powers and wealth. I genuinely couldn’t decide whether I was overthinking things or actually degenerating into a lazy ingrate.
I mean, isn’t a “simple life” something everyone should be looking for? A life where one didn’t have to worry about being vulnerable to the ails of the world. Where everything would just work out because you had everything you could want for. No money problems to stress over, no risk of physical harm and disease when I could eliminate both.
Hell, the only thing I was missing to achieve “The Dream” was a wife and two kids; the white picket fence I could buy at any time. Of course, I was only eighteen and had been with Velvet for less than a week at this point, so there was no way I was going to make any of that a reality anytime soon.
Still, even if after a couple more years I found myself settling down, then what? Would I have experienced everything I could hope on Remnant and beyond with my Gacha powers by then?
Weeks ago when I had first awakened and discovered my cheat, I would have firmly denied any possibility of that ever happening. But, given what I’d been through in just a couple of weeks… Where with a single Scenario I had spent eight months off in an alternate reality. Where over the course of a handful of Scenarios I had ramped up in power to such an extent that I could level entire cities with the wave of a hand…
Maybe, just maybe, I might just reach the ceiling of power hierarchies amidst the most volatile parts of the multiverse in just a couple years time. With my luck, things would only escalate the moment I started actively clearing Scenarios again.
Would being able to warp reality with godlike powers be enough to not feel like I was squandering my second chance? Or should I quit now, while I was ahead and save myself the trouble of finding out there was no way to win with Gacha?
“Maybe you should set aside your internal monologue for another time,” Katayoki sounded annoyed, “You’re girlfriend has been staring at you for the past minute and I’m sure she’ll keep doing that until the movie ends unless you acknowledge her.”
I found my eyes snapping down and to the side to meet with Velvet’s. When I made eye contact, I watched as she brought a finger up to her mouth and gestured her head to the door that was open with Yatsuhashi waving from outside the room. Turning from that to see that Coco and Fox were still engrossed in the movie, I figured they didn’t want to come along for whatever Velvet and Yatsuhashi wanted to do. I looked back at Velvet and nodded before we quietly got up and left the blacked-out room.
“Not a fan of the movie either?” Yatsuhashi asked as the three of us began to walk away from his team’s room. He and Velvet must have noticed by the way I wasn’t really paying attention to it after getting caught up in my thoughts.
“It’s alright. Though, I guess it would be a better experience if I’d seen the first couple movies in the series,” I said. “I’m not sure I’d still cry about it or feel something like the others did when Lord Balto died even if I knew his backstory, but you never know.”
“It is definitely not for everyone. Personally, I really liked the first movie, but the second one lost me since it just felt like a repeat of the first and these last two we’ve watched have only hammered that point in more and more,” Yatsuhashi said.
“Fox and Coco really love them,” Velvet added. “Millions of other people like the movies too and I can admit that the way the writers manage to set up so many schemes and situations is cool from a technical level, but… At this point, I don’t even know why some of the characters are allies, enemies, lovers, or even if they should or shouldn’t know each other with how big the cast is.”
“So, we’re ditching them to escape from that convoluted mess of a movie?” I asked.
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Yatsuhashi smiled at me in amusement while Velvet refused to even acknowledge the question.
“It’s about dinner time, so I was thinking of heading over to the cafeteria,” Yatsuhashi said.
“I’m not really all that hungry since we haven’t really done any training today, but you’re right in that is time generally around the time we eat dinner. Also, it beats sitting through the remaining forty-ish minutes for the movie to end,” Velvet said.
“To the cafeteria it is,” I agreed. You could never go wrong with passing the time by eating food when you were built with a black hole for a stomach.
Thus, the three of us went to the cafeteria. Yatsuhashi and Velvet ordered their food and I asked for my usual — one of everything.
Of course, since the food at the cafeteria came in plates like at a restaurant and there were no waiters, I had a Shadow Clone act as my server to not get up and sit down twenty-odd times. Because I knew the Transformation Technique, the cheeky clone even made a show of acting like a posh server by putting on the uniform and hitting me with the harshest posh accent we could manage.
“Bo'oh'o'wa'er for yas, mah good sirs?” My damned clone asked.
“Why do you even ask?” I snatched the water from his hands. “You were made already knowing that I was fine with anything,” I grumbled.
“Quolity’oh ser’ish fo’me’masht’ah.”
I really wanted to tell him to fuck off, but that would be like cursing at myself. So, I just ignored him and put up with his antics as they made Velvet chuckle even when she made an effort to stop.
“Tell me, is this how the great and powerful slayer of Salem passes the time?” The white-haired woman who accompanied Ironwood earlier this morning — and was still accompanying him now — asked as she set her tray down on the same table where Velvet, Yatsuhashi and I were sitting at. “Does gorging yourself on so much food fuel your abilities or something?”
“Specialist Schnee, there’s no need to be so combative. We’re not here to apprehend or detain Mr. Lain,” Ironwood sternly said.
“Ah! So you are related to Weiss and Willow,” I said as I felt validated for my guess having merit and it not being a coincidence for this lady to just look like a Schnee because she had white hair.
“That reminds me,” I turned to Velvet, “it slipped my mind earlier with all that’s happened today but, I managed to get tickets to see Weiss Schnee perform… sometime this weekend and I was meaning to ask if you want to go with me. I don’t know when it’s going to be since it was still only beginning to get organized when I got my spots, but last I heard it was for sure going to be set for the weekend.”
“Um, sure,” Velvet looked a little uncomfortable as she added, “If they’ll allow someone like me in for the event.”
“Someone like— Velvet,” I chuckled, “The event is being set for the weekend because I asked for it to accommodate your school schedule. I’m the one inviting you and they’re the ones inviting me as a special guest, so there’s not a shot in hell that they’ll turn you away at the entrance.”
“If they did, I’d cut ties with them,” I simply said, though there was an underlying edge to my tone I wasn’t able to suppress. “But,” I quickly cheered right back up, “that probably won’t happen. I mean, I was there for the charity gala. I saw there being a couple of Faunus for that, so it’s not like their events are Human only.”
“If you’re sure about it,” Velvet smiled. “I’m not a dedicated fan, but I do like her songs when they play on the radio or when they come up in TV or movies.”
“You have connections to my family?” The “Specialist” asked once there was a break in my conversation with Velvet.
“Yeah, I mean, they’re loose connections based off three very distinct interactions, but I’ve talked to pretty much all the Schnees. First, I met Weiss when she got mad at me for eating too much in front of her favorite restaurant in Vale. Then I met her parents and brother when I went to go taunt her for being a snob about the way I ate my food,” I gave her a pointed look.
When she flagrantly ignored the way I was openly judging her, I continued, “Because my taunts worked, Jacques made a scene at the time and invited me over to the charity Gala. Then, at the event, I talked to Whitley and Winter before those idiots at the White Fang attacked, which is the whole reason for why this concert thing is going to happen in the first place.”
“Wait a minute…” the white-haired woman brought out her Scroll and quickly looked something up before looking at me with wide eyes, “You’re the mysterious benefactor that resolved the attack at the gala yesterday?”
I snorted in amusement, “If you think that’s crazy, you won’t believe me when I tell you it was the second day in a row that I had to smack some sense into Adam Taurus. On Monday, that idiot ruined my after-work dinner date with Velvet!”
“By the gods, you’re more unlucky than Qrow and Misfortune is literally the man’s Semblance,” the woman grimaced as she recounted, “If I have my timeline right, that would mean you were first introduced to Salem’s influence only a week or so ago. Then three days ago you captured Cinder’s group. Two days ago you ran into the leader of Vale’s branch of the White Fang. Yesterday you got him arrested and just this morning you dealt with Salem and everyone else that was of dire importance to her schemes?! That’s insane!”
“Welcome to my world,” I humorlessly said. “Hopefully with all these malignant elements now out of the picture, things can go back to being relatively normal. At least, until I get bored and decide it's high time to start hunting down the Titans.”
“Yes…” Ironwood spoke up, drawing all eyes on him, “Ozpin mentioned your plans of vanquishing all the Titans across the world whether it was due to them naturally becoming active or through the side effect of your Semblance. Before you go through with the second option, I’m going to ask you to first set up a strategy with Ozpin on how best to bring down the Titans.”
“Why? What more planning could I possibly need beyond going to the most remote corner that I can find via an airship and getting people to spam their Semblances while under the effect of mine to lure the Titans? The moment I spot the Titan, I go off and fight it while everyone else flies away from the chaos.”
“That’s the extent of your plan?” Ironwood gave me a dry look, “And what if you fail and die? Don’t say you won’t when you haven’t fought a Titan yet. Even if you don’t die and even if it turns out you are strong enough to kill them all, what if they decide to run away from you and manage it?”
“Besides that, what about all the places that may or may not be overrun with Grimm getting lured by your Semblance which might just include the Titans? What if you underestimate the reach of your luring aura and bring out more than one Titan at a time? What if all the Titans attack you at once? Have you thought of any of that?”
“Uh… No,” I admitted. “I like my odds even if I have to fight all the Titans at the same time, but… You raise a lot of good points that could probably mitigate a lot of collateral damage I didn’t even think of.”
“Are you being serious? All the Titans at once?” The Schnee asked as she scanned me intently for any signs of posturing.
“Yeah,” I rolled my eyes at her, “even without having Salem’s bullshit absolute regeneration and immortality, I’d give myself ninety-ten odds of winning and virtually no chance of not being able to run away if I needed to. With her curse, I literally can’t lose.”
“In any case, it would be best if a meeting was held to plan out any potential attacks on the Titans,” Ironwood said. “If it were up to me we’d have you undergo the strictest of stress testings with regards to all your abilities, but Ozpin has already impressed upon me how impossible that is, so I’m not even going to ask.”
“Just, keep in mind that it’s not just your life you’ll be risking if a fight with a Titan goes south,” Ironwood solemnly said. “A Titan has never fallen in battle, but there have been a few of times in the past where we’ve managed to critically injure one. It never ends well for anyone when a fleeing Titan seeks to escape. They’re smart enough to know that if they cause enough damage along the way, our Huntsman forces will be too busy containing the damage to pursue them.”
“I get it,” I said. “I’ll call for a meeting before trying to hunt a Titan.”
“Thank you,” Ironwood said, and honestly? I felt good about the way he wasn’t trying to lord his position over me, unlike some people. “That is all I ask of you.”
Speaking of, I saw Amber, Qrow and Glynda making their way over to our table. There was just enough space to hold the eight of us.
“Amber, professor Goodwich,” I said, being the epitome of pettiness at the moment as I completely ignored Qrow. “How nice of you to join us.”
“That bad, huh?” Amber said as she stifled a giggle while giving Qrow a look and sat down.
“Whatever could you possibly mean?” I asked.
“Ugh, it’s been a long day. Can’t we do this tomorrow morning?” Qrow groaned as he reached for his flask and managed to bring it out of his chest pocket before thinking better of it and putting it back.
“Wasn’t this your idea?” Glynda asked, looking extremely annoyed.
“Fine,” Qrow took out a Scroll and placed it down in front of the plate of food I was currently working on. “Here’s the information you wanted and… I’m sorry, ok? I know I’ve been an asshole to you, kid, but you just make it so easy with all the nonsense that goes around you and… Look, we don’t have to make amends or whatever, but I at least owe you this.”
‘So he can be nice,’ I thought as I took the Scroll and turned it on to see there were no security measures in place. The moment I bypassed the home screen, I found a couple pages worth of details on the most likely area in which the Branwen Tribe — the group Raven was the leader of and constantly managed — could be located.
With their nomadic lifestyle, it was always a guess where they might end up even if you tried to keep tabs on them on a weekly basis, but Qrow’s notes were pretty extensive. Add to that my ability to survey hundreds of square miles in minutes while flying and I could probably find Raven in less than an hour if I tried to right this very second.
“Thanks,” I said. “I still think you’re an asshole, but I can be on speaking terms with a mindful asshole.”
“Whatever,” Qrow said.
I didn’t talk to him for the rest of the time we sat together and ate. But I didn’t let the odd tension between us make it awkward for everyone else. It didn’t take much to do that, considering Yatsuhashi and Velvet were done eating soon after Ironwood and his Specialist subordinate who eventually introduced herself to me formally as Winter Schnee. With them done, I quickly worked through what little remained of the food on my plates before we took our leave.
Yatsuhashi left back for the dorm and Velvet decided to follow me over to the exit of the building as I’d decided to head home for the day. She gave me a goodbye hug, a deeper kiss than I’d been expecting and even stayed out while waving at me until she was out of my line of sight.
Flying at a modest 200 miles and hour to get back to my apartment in fifteen minutes, I returned to my previously set-aside introspection. Today… had not been a great day. I wouldn’t even count it as a good day despite spending most of it by Velvet’s side and finally getting rid of the weight Salem’s threat had cast on my metaphorical shoulders. At best, I felt that it could be considered “alright” and that’s only because literally everyone in the know who understood my misgivings had told me I should stop focusing so much on the deaths I couldn’t prevent.
I don’t even think that deep down I even cared all that much about the people who had been killed; not really. I mean, yeah, it was sad and I felt responsible. But the fact that I didn’t actually care as much as I thought I should have about real people dying because of me led me to doubt myself.
Like, I wasn’t a goody-two-shoes, hero wannabe with a savior complex. But, I also thought I was a little more compassionate than an ice-cold psychopath. Did not giving a shit about deaths I inadvertently caused mean I was more unhinged than I thought? Should I be repenting to make up for the fact? I didn’t want to, but by feeling that way it only made me question myself further, and on, and on the cycle fed into itself.
The worst part was that I was self-aware enough to realize all of this and feel annoyed by the way this stupid negative feedback look was ruining what was supposed to be my break after finally having some time to myself. It was times like these where I wished I had some sort of Psychology Skill or something to figure out if I was just being an irrational, but still a functional person, or if I was just demented beyond salvation.
“Maybe instead of just praying to the Gacha Gods that may or may not exist for a Skill with its own dubious existence, you just make a Shadow Clone or five to go master Remants current understanding of human psychology?” Katayoki proposed.
“You’re a genius!”
“Don’t praise me and just get over this mental break. It’s not easy having to listen to you drone on and on. It’s only been a day and I want to die. I don’t want this to go on for the rest of my life!”
“I take back everything nice I’ve ever said about you. You’re nothing but a Self-Serving! Churlish! Wench!”
He did not respond back, so I was left with only his advice to consider on top of my other annoying self-doubting thoughts. I really didn’t want to go on as I was, though, so I may or may not have made a couple dozen Shadow Clones to expedite the research and study process.
Who knows, picking up on the way the mind works could turn out to be useful for more than just regulating my own emotions.