-William Brooks-
"Soooo, what are your powers?"
Brian's shoulders sag at my question.
I already know, of course, but if I have to ask to get out of this silence, then I'll do so.
As an introvert, I like silence. But the awkward ones can fuck off; those do double damage.
Looking at me with tired eyes, he explains in a resigned tone.
"I can create smoke from my body that interferes with sound and light. I don't see the smoke, so I can look around just fine. It... has helped me in a pinch before."
Reacting suitably impressed, he apparently doesn't know yet it interferes with a lot more than just those two, even able to interfere with some breaker states like Shadow Stalker's.
Or maybe he doesn't want to reveal all his cards. Which, to be fair, is a sensible thing to do.
"What's yours?" he asks.
Now how to answer that?
"It's kind of difficult to explain. But the closest I could explain it is that I'm a Trump/Brute with a really advanced support power."
Eyes widening, he looks at me surprised.
"A Trump?! That's really good!" But then his brow furrows, "But what do you mean with 'a support power'?"
Am I really about to explain game mechanics to a martial arts jock?
"Have you ever played an RPG game, Brian?"
Leaning back and one brow lifted, Brian looks a bit weird at me, but answers anyway.
"Once, Matt tried to get me into it but it never stuck. I know Spencer plays with him online sometimes though. Why?"
Thank you, Matt, for doing all the hard work for me. I will buy you a book the next time we hang out.
"Well, my support power is basically a grab bag that makes certain aspects of my power like an RPG character, for example."
I take a pen, show it to him, and put it into my Spatial Ring.
"I have an inventory of 5 cubic meters where I can put stuff in."
Taking the pen back out, I lay it back on the desk.
"I also have a separate world where I defeat monsters and gain resources and money from."
Slack-jawed, Brian just mutters, "You know how insane that sounds?"
"Oh, I'm very aware."
Processing what my power is, I see his eyes widening at remembering what I said.
"You said your power gives you money?"
Knowing where this is going, I just nod.
He's still undecided, like he isn't sure how or even if he should ask.
Like the good friend I am, I just ask for him.
"You wondering if you could get a piece of the pie by helping me defeat the monsters?"
Shocked, like it wasn't showing on his face, he just nods, a little embarrassed.
Dude, if I didn't know that you had a mask that showed nothing of your face in your cape identity, then I would question how you survived being a villain.
"Well, that shouldn't be a problem. I'd probably need to give the money in cash later though; my power just drops the money in my bank account."
Looking skeptical, he can't help but exclaim,
"You're bullshitting."
My immediate reply was, "Dead serious."
An awkward silence follows.
Dammit, silence again, and this time I feel like it's my fault.
"Anyway, I know it's weird. But I haven't gotten any questions yet for the months I've been using it, so it should be legal. I also don't think my power would fuck me over on that front."
Heck, for the same reason, I could probably find a way towards a party system or something.
*[Received a quest]
No fucking way.
Quest: Create your sect!
Find a way for others to cultivate.
Reward: [Sect Update]
Accept quest: Yes/No
Well, that is handy.
"There's maybe even a way my support power can affect you, so you could gain loot and money too."
Brian's eyes, that were looking away from me, snap back, his complete focus.
"What? Really? How?!"
Okay, calm the fuck down please.
"My power could affect you too apparently. Yes, really. And I don't know yet."
Confused, he questions, thankfully quieter this time.
"How do you know it's possible but not how to do it?"
Then, with the most serious voice I could muster, I told him,
"Because I got a Quest for it."
...
...
"You... got a quest for it?"
"Yep."
"Like actually?"
"Again, dead serious."
...
...
Brian sighs, "I need a break."
...
That's fair.
"We can discuss this more on the weekend if you want. I'd need to figure out a way to complete this quest anyway."
Looking just done with today, Brian just nods and we both get out of the office.
Mr. Laborn is on the other side of the gym, looking at us the moment we come out of his office.
I just smile and nod at him, which he returns. Then I leave the gym, training completely forgotten.
I and Brian decide to meet at my apartment Sunday morning; that should give me some time to get at least a few ideas to test then.
The most likely way is somehow activating his Soul Force and teaching him cultivation.
After all, the quest is called 'Create your sect!' and a sect is about teaching.
While the chance is small he could use the Heavenly God Technique, and honestly even smaller if I want to give people it,
I could still teach him the basics.
Maybe feed him a Cultivation Pill to gather Soul Energy in himself?
So that's what I did for the 2 days. I cultivated and wrote some ideas that got scratched almost immediately.
Inscribing an inscription in a person to activate their Soul Sea? Could work. Not skilled enough for it, so scratched.
Let them meditate until they feel it? Could take weeks or even months, and I don't know if they even could feel it without help.
So Sunday morning, I was still scribbling until I heard my doorbell ring.
Opening the door, I saw Brian standing there nervously with a bag hanging from his shoulder, body language what I could only describe as fidgeting.
"Come in."
Doing so, he starts to look around.
My apartment still looked mostly the same, with some books or small trinkets around the place.
When he enters the kitchen, his eyes immediately zero in on my costume lying on the table.
I follow him and answer his unspoken question.
"I haven't gone out yet in it, if that's what you're asking. Don't even have a name yet."
I go around the table and put the costume into my inventory. Where it will stay until I'll wear it.
Brian looks confused at that, which he voices, "You have that good a costume, but no name yet? Normally one comes after the other, Liam."
Shrugging, I say back, "Well, I needed it so I could enchant it. I wasn't planning to go be a cape for a while yet."
Looking at me like I just said something insane, he says, "Enchanting, like the games? That enchanting?"
Shrugging again, "Well, technically it's called Inscription: Enchanting, but yeah, like the games."
And now Brian is staring at me again.
"What are you looking at me like that for? I'm pretty sure I told you my support power is very RPG-y. If you want me to enchant your costume, you just have to ask, dude."
"That's not... Whatever. If you can, then yes please."
I just nod, "Sure man, it will take an hour or so though. So if you don't mind waiting that long? You could also leave it with me today and pick it up later."
Rubbing his chin and thinking it over, Brian decides to leave me his costume and immediately go into trying to finish the 'Quest'.
"Well, I have 3 options right now. Well, 4. But I don't think the fourth will work."
"What's the 4th?"
Well, here goes nothing.
"System, invite Brian Laborn."
...
...
"So I have 3 options."
Deadpanned, Brian just said 'uh huh' in that 'are you stupid' voice.
Rude.
"The options require some explanation."
Seeing Brian concentrated on me and gesturing for me to continue, I take a deep breath and explain.
"My Power works with an energy I call Soul Force, and my System power facilitates its growth. The plan is to find a way for you to use the energy and my power also supporting it,"
I explain.
"So how are we going to do that?" he asks.
"I'm going to push my energy into your body and circulate it, hoping it will activate your Soul Force and allow you to cultivate. Which would complete the quest and allow me to add others to my system."
Looking nervous, Brian says, "And this isn't dangerous?"
"Soul Force hasn't shown any dangerous effects in the months I've been using it," I state.
Not fully on board, but the chance to not do illegal things for money is a chance too big to ignore.
So we get ready. He sits on the couch, trying to find a comfortable position, while I stand behind it with my hands on his back.
"Now, take deep and slow breaths. Try to let your thoughts pass by and not hold onto them."
Waiting for him to follow my instructions, I see him slowly relax and his shoulders sag a bit, previously stuck solid from stressing.
Slowly, I start pushing my Soul Force into him and not doing anything further for now.
Seeing no reaction, I take my energy inside him and start circulating it inside his body.
This I do for 10 minutes, Brian showing no sign of the Soul Energy but even more relaxed than the beginning.
Pulling my hands back, the energy disappears inside his body.
Brian was startled awake and says, "Huh, that was relaxing. But I don't feel anything different besides that."
That's a bust then.
But that nagging feeling in the back of my head is telling me we were so close.
That gives me an idea though.
Taking a pill out of my inventory, I look at it.
Cultivation Pill
Speeds up the cultivation speed by 2.5x
Heavenly God Bonus: cultivation speed is 5x
Duration: 12h
While the screen just says it increases cultivation speed, using it I noticed that taking the pill makes my body automatically absorb Soul Energy. Like the body is a gravity well and the Soul Energy gets sucked in.
Combine that with cultivating the normal way and the speed increases.
...
The second option was just giving him the pill anyway. Combining the 2 options isn't going to negatively impact him anyway.
I'm like 80% sure.
"Take this pill," I say to him.
Taking it, Brian looks at it warily. "And this is?" he asks.
"It's called a Cultivation Pill, it helps gather Soul Energy," I answer.
"And it's safe?" he questions.
"Of course it is," I say with zero hesitation.
I'm like 75% sure.
"Okay then," and he pops it in his mouth.
Going back to our positions, I put my hands on his back again. Instead of pushing my own Soul Force in him, there is already some gathered, so I circulate that.
It is a lot more difficult to do, but I just manage it.
[Soul Manipulation leveled up!]
Not now system.
Keeping this up for 5 minutes, suddenly Brian says,
"I felt something, something... I can't explain it."
"Good, next time you feel it, try and follow it. Don't reach for it, just let it flow through you."
That's what we did for the next hour.
I circulated the Soul Force inside his body while he tried to sense it, trying to be aware of where it is.
Every time he felt the Soul Energy, Brian called out, and the time between the callouts was becoming shorter and shorter.
Meanwhile, I'm slowly starting to get a headache concentrating on moving foreign energy.
It felt like the longer I did this, the harder it became, but the level-ups were a nice reward.
I could live without the notifications though.
Until finally—
"I grabbed it!" Brian yelled joyously.
[Brian Laborn felt his Soul Force for the first time!]
[Brian Laborn became your first disciple!]
[As you gained a disciple, you are awarded a compatible 'Cultivation Technique']
[Gained the 'Void Demon Technique']
[Quest: 'Create your Sect!' Completed!]
Quest: Create your sect!
Find a way for others to cultivate.
Reward: [Sect Update]
Accept reward: Yes/No
Voicing 'Yes,' another screen popped up.
The Sect System Update!
You can now create and add people to your sect!
You will be able to see their information and help guide them on the path of cultivation!
They enjoy partial benefits from the Tales of Demons and Gods System.
Information on the system change and how I need to use the Sect feature fills my mind.
Looking into my inventory, I see a new book has appeared. Taking it out, I see the title is called
Void Demon Cultivation Technique.
[Do you wish to learn the 'Void Demon Cultivation Technique'? Yes/No]
Choosing 'No' for now, I turn back towards Brian, who is clearly still in his own world.
Spreading my arms out in a grand gesture, I say,
"Congratulations are in order. Welcome to the ranks of cultivators—those who defy the heavens."
Brian just stares at me like an idiot.
Which... fair, I guess.
Slowly letting my arms down, I cough into one hand out of embarrassment.
"Okay, so disregarding that. I can now invite you into my sect, which is basically my party. Then you should be able to use my system."
He doesn't even question anything at the mention of a 'sect,' despite the bad history America has with them, that out of it is he.
"Oh, yeah. Let's do that first," Brian says somewhat halfheartedly, probably wanting to explore this new energy he has now—which I fully understand.
But we started this with some goals in mind, so let's get to those first. Playing with a reality-altering energy later.
"Create sect."
[Creating Sect...]
[...]
[Sect created!]
[What will your Sect name be?]
What should the name be?
I'm creating it to help a friend, but that's just its first goal.
In the end, the end goal should be the same as mine, which is saving the world from the entities.
And rather sooner than later, preferably.
At that, an idea comes to mind that makes me want to laugh.
"The Sect name will be 'Early Bird.'"
[You have created the Early Bird Sect]
[You are now the Sect Master of the Early Bird Sect!]
[You can now invite cultivators to your sect!]
"Invite Brian Laborn to the Early Bird Sect."
[Invitation sent!]
Brian almost falls out of my couch, probably from the screens that popped up in front of him.
I get it, man. The first week was rough for me too.
Reading what's on the screen, he looks back at me weirdly.
"Early Bird Sect? Really?" he says.
"It's an inside joke for me, don't worry about it," I answer, trying not to smirk.
Brian shakes his head but still clicks yes.
[Brian has officially joined your Sect!]
[You can now see his Stats, Soul Type and Attribute]
Oh, let's take a look.
[Status]
Name: Brian Laborn
Soul Realm: Red
Soul Form: Black Hole
Soul Attribute: Void
Soul Force: 6
Body Force: 197
Already almost a 2-Star Bronze Fighter, but what should I have expected from a martial arts nut.
His Soul Realm and Form are pretty basic, but his Attribute being Void is interesting.
Was this influenced by his power, or was it the other way around?
I guess the only way to know is if I make somebody a cultivator before they trigger. But I doubt that chance will come, as I wouldn't want somebody I know ever needing to experience a trigger event.
Pushing the cultivation technique in my hand towards Brian, I say,
"Here, learn this technique. It should be compatible with you."
He takes the book…
And opens it…
"What are you doing?" I ask.
Brian looks at me. "Reading the book you want me to learn?" he says, like I'm the stupid one.
"You didn't get a screen wanting you to learn it?"
"Uh, no? Should I have?" looking at me confused.
"I guess you didn't get full system access," I mutter, thinking what to do now.
In the end, I leave the decision to Brian. It's, after all, his choice.
"Well, that makes that a bit more difficult. But what do you want to do today then? Cultivate or earn some money?"
AN: I completely rewrote this chapter because I wasn't happy with it. It's a significant improvement story and logic-wise, trust me.
Anyway, how is your guys' day going? Mine, when I was writing this, was uneventful but still pretty busy.
I do feel I improved a bit since I started writing this story—not anything to brag about, but noticeable, I think.
Let me know what you guys think.
).
