Chapter 139 - My SI Stash #39 - New Game, New Life by Adudefromthesea (Ranma&AnimeXovers) (2/2)

It was hurting me. It was killing me. It was freaking eating me!

”NO NO F_U_C_K GET ME AWAY FROM IT HELP HELP GET ME AWAY!”

Skill created: Illusion barrier escape lvl 01.

Allow you to escape from Illusion Barriers that are empty or only have low-level monsters.

And suddenly, it was no more. I lay there, on Furikan high's grass field, catching my breaths and looking at the blue sky with a single eye, my ears blasting with the wonderful noise of the world in full movement.

It felt like an eternity before I moved again, slowly raising my arm towards my mangled face and over my eye.

… I didn't cry, I just… gather my bearing for a while…

Skill created: Meditation lvl 01.

Raises your mental focus and increase your Hp and Mp regeneration as long as you don't move.

-0-0-0-

Turn out I did have the f_u_c_k_i_n_g Gamer Body. I mean, I knew that as I had read it before, but only now it decided to appear.

In all seriousness, it seems I have a more 'realistic' version of the Gamer body; my health is regulated by my HP, but my 'apparent damage' is also tied to it, meaning I would really experience every wound as it dipped by HP down, and feel every pain that it entails.

It was not all glom and doom; it was still The Gamer Body, so it was still bullshit: All my fatigue utterly vanished after a short rest, and my HP regenerated from red to full health in about twenty minutes. And because my 'apparent damage' is tied to my HP, I was now good as new, complete with a brand new eye and everything.

So, slightly less bullshit than the usual Gamer, but still Bullshit.

I used my baseball bat to prompt me up, how I managed to keep a hold of the thing only god knew. I had dropped the nailgun though, but it was bulky and heavy and practically useless when your target is a tiny monkey that could move like a pinball.

My uniform was bloody and in tatters, even if the body beneath was clean and pristine. I looked over the gaps in the fabric and the bloody scratch holes and trembled.

Something tried to eat me. There was a sort of primordial fear in that.

It's time to… retreat.

No way I'm fighting that thing again. No, I shouldn't have been fighting it in the first place. I mean, I just got into a fight a genuine monster with a baseball bat and no training, just… what the f_u_c_k was I thinking!? The difference in levels alone should have been enough to tell me how much of a bad idea it was… Yeah, No, just no, I'll search for something to kill that is more around my level, get stronger first before throwing myself into crazy shit like that again.

With this resolve in mind, I start walking, no use going back to class with my uniform in this state, I'll just have to bear with the teachers' disappointment for now.

As I walked, I started to… recall the 'fight', I was doing good really, just with one or two fearful shudders, nothing to write home about, but yeah, not putting myself in a situation like that ever again.

But then I remember… the text about the consequences of failure… and what the monkey was doing with the girl.

I stopped — the wind rustling like a dramatic scene from an overacted Japanese soap opera.

F_u_c_k… I… I don't really have a choice, do I?

”CHE! 'Go find water on your own!' Why!? All I did was give her some pointers! Tsk, that… uncute tomboy!”

And just like that, a raspy but not at all unpleasant to hear female voice echoed in the distance, getting closer.

I sighed, surrendering to this destiny with the corner of my mouth curling just a tiny bit. I should have known…

I looked up and saw the very attractive red-hair walking and grumbling on the path opposite to mine. Her red Chinese shirt was damp and molding over an impressive bust that looked even bigger due to her short stature. She had her pants dr_a_p_ed over her shoulder for some reason, leaving her gleaming, sculptured legs free to all leering eyes. Bits of male u_n_d_e_r_w_e_a_r showed itself from under the hem of her shirt in each step.

Saotome Ranma

Cursed martial artist

Level: 25

She, He?... f_u_c_k it, she paused when our ways inevitably crossed, her eyebrows raising at the state of my uniform. ”The hell happened to you?” Were her first words to me.

”I'm having a really, really shitty day.” I explained slowly, and that earned me a sympathetic snort; ”You're Saotome Ranma, right?”

”Yeah-I mean!” The martial artist suddenly twisted her body into an innocent stance, her big blue eyes blinking in adorable confusion. ”Saotome Ranma? I don't know who that is, mister~.”

I shook my head. ”I'm familiar with magic, kinda. And I saw what happened after you fell in that pool earlier.” Well, not personally, but I had seen this very event on my tv about seventeen years ago.

She held on to the façade for a few more seconds before she clicked her tongue annoyingly. ”Agh! If I'd know I was already busted to the whole school I'd have kicked that damn samurai way harder.”

”To be fair, I don't think people made the connection yet.” I shifted my weight between my feet, resting my baseball bat on my shoulder. ”Say… are you up to hunting a yokai that's haunting the school?”

Because if siccing the highest-level person in the region on the monkey's a_s_s didn't work, I don't know what would.

”Eh? Yokai?” She blinked.

”You know, like the legends-”

”Yeah, yeah, I know what a Yokai is. Just never fought one before.” Then she smiled and whoa, I could see why so many characters became smitten by this form. ”Tell you what! You get me some warm water, and I'll help you out.”

-0-0-0-

”This is fun!” Saotome Ranma, now a handsome teenage boy wearing pants, punched the thick wall of concrete, drilling his entire arm into it. Then, with an additional effort, he purposefully yanked his arm to the side, increasing the gap of destruction even more before pulling out.

I couldn't do anything but gawk at the martial artist's propensity for destruction, in a way it was a fascinating thing to see; the way a solid, unmoving object just crumbled away under the power of pure human strength, and how deep and fast the cracks could spread out across a construction. In another, it was really worrying that Ranma's first instinct after realizing he was in a pocket dimension was to 'test it out' by trying to bring down the school.

”Hey, Hiroshi!” The Japanese part of my brain frowned by the free use of first names. The rest didn't give a f_u_c_k. ”You're sure nothing that happens to this school is going to happen to the real one, right!?” He asked for the third time.

”Pretty sure, I broke a few chairs and windows last time I was here, nothing was translated to the order side.”

All and all, Ranma was taking this whole 'whisk away to a pocket dimension' remarkably well… maybe a little too much to be honest.

I sighed.

”Hey Ranma, I don't want like a stick in the mud here, but we really need to get going, the yokai monster still around!”

”Right! Sorry sorry.” He twisted and delivered one last kick at some of the still-standing debris, completing the structural damage he has caused on the main school building. It looked like what would happen if a truck invaded the school and isekai'ed an entire classroom, or if a wrecking ball decided to visit, or both.

”So, how we're gonna do this.” He says, loosening his shoulders.

I closed my eyes, focusing on activating my new senses to discern between-

OH SHIT!

”ABOVE!” I shouted suddenly, fear gripping my heart as I threw myself to the side and out of the trajectory of that damn Satori.

”KIKIKIIIIIII!!!”

Not gonna lie, that sound almost made me lose control of my bowels.

But suddenly, the monkey noise from hell ended in a gurgling gasp and a meaty smack. I snapped my head from my new position on the ground, watching the tiny yokai bounce on the concrete floor in the distance and crash against the school's front gate.

”Is that the thing that was giving you so much trouble?” Ranma had his right leg casually raised in a 180-degree angle. ”Man, you're kind of a wimp, you know that?”

I don't want to hear this from you, mister level 25.

”K…i…Ki…KIKI!” The tiny monkey yokai jumped back to its feet with a cry, spat a gobble of blood to the side, and entered in an honest-to-god kung fu stance. ”Kiki.” It declared with a deep resolute-sounding tone.

”Ooh, it still wants to fight,” Ranma answered by entering a stance of his own.

For the second time today, I bore witness to a scene right out of a kung-fu movie, only this time it was closer, faster, and a whole lot more impressive.

Seriously, I had always thought that those Chinese wuxia flicks where the actors hang by a rope to 'fly' around and fight looked silly as hell. But Ranma and the monkey yokai taught me what true areal combat looked like; I had no other word to describe it other than awesome.

”HYAHH!!”

”KIKIIII!!”

Still, even for me, it was clear who was winning; the Satori has received a direct hit from Ranma early and has apparently decided it wants nothing to do with that again; it was weaving and dodging his attacks while desperately trying to land one of its own. To its credit, it was doing an impressive job at that, especially against someone 20 levels above it. But it was clear it couldn't handle another hit.

”Stay still you freaking chimp!”

”KIKIIII!”

However, I could see how it was using Ranma's impatience against him.

The battle moved close to the school building, now the combatants weren't even touching the ground, preferring to meet in the air and somehow hop on the side of the building to keep altitude, concrete was cracking and glass was shattering everywhere.

I continued to watch all of that and progressively felt more and more useless.

I mean, is that what I wanted to do with myself? Watch by the sideline? It was a silly thought I know, and part of me wanted to blame on my new teenage brain but I knew better. I was doing the logical thing, hell the right thing even, but… F_u_c_k, I didn't think my gamer adventure would start by me cheering on the sideline while the hero saved the day.

It… pissed me off a little.

So much so that I didn't even realize when my legs started to move and only came back to myself when I crossed the last steps of the school stairs, getting closer to the fight form inside the building.

What was I doing!? F_u_c_k, I don't know, I don't know but…

”Ranma!” I stick my head out of the window and shouted. The really close, really dangerous fight continued, of course- no it changed slightly, I don't know how but I can kinda follow…

Skill created: Battle eye lvl:01.

Lets you seen the pattern of a fight and increase your field awareness.

I see it! Ranma was leading it here!

My bat rose horizontally, I kept it in a 90-degree angle, both of my hands tightened around the handle and my back muscles tensed in preparation. My eyes never left the fighters; their movements were a blur, but the direction they were moving…

Battle eye leveled up!

Five seconds!

Four.

Three.

My bat trembled by the tension.

Two.

ONE!

”ARGHHH!” I shouted as I swung the bat with all my strength. It's aluminum length flew past the window frame in the apex of its arch, perfectly meeting the back of the furry form that happened to be leaping back on that exact moment. The yokai let out a yelp of pain that was so damn satisfying to hear and was launched forwards like a furry ball, only to have its ugly mutt squashed by Ranma's knee.

That brought it down.

I stood that breathing hard as Ranma finally stop edging gravity and let it do its work. Now alone in the corridor, I couldn't help but grin at the trembling waves that were assaulting my arms and the drops of blood that now painted my baseball bat.

Hot damn, that was a rush!

Remembering where I was, I wiped down some sweat over my brow and proceeded to rush back down the stairs.

Ranma was gopnik squatting in the middle of the courtyard when I emerged from the school building.

”Did you finish it?” I asked, rushing over… and finding the thing.

The Satori was… thrashing on the ground screeching and screaming madly, like it was having an epileptic attack. I could see droplets of blood spilling from the wound of its head, and for a moment I wondered if I knocked something important there.

”What's happening?” I asked out loud, Ranma shrugged on the side.

Then the noise it was making started to quiet down, and I don't mean it was stopping, I meant the volume of the screams was literally lowering. And then its body started fading away until it was gone.

It… left something behind.

”The hell?” Ranma comment as I walked closer to see what it was.

A sharp little fang with a cord tied to it, mean to be used as a collar, and 2.500 yen.

Heh, my monsters leave loot.

”Is that cash!?” Exclaimed the martial artist, seeing the notes in my hand, ”Do yokais leave cash!?”

”Don't know, this was the first yokai I've seen.”

”Wait, seriously?”

I looked at the loot, easily reaching a decision.

I pocked the collar and handed Ranma the money. Wasn't really scrapping for money right now and knowing the bullshit that Ranma goes through, or will go through, he needs it more than me.

”Here.”

”Sweeeet.”

He didn't even question… I guess his father raised him well?

”Thanks for the help,” I say.

”Hum?” He looked up from money and blinked. It took a few seconds for him to process what I had said. ”Oh! Sure man, you're welcome.” He beamed. ”It was fun!”

Chuckling at the guy's simple joy, I directed my attention to the pop-ups that were clogging my vision.

Quest completed: +500 exp.

Level up!

You damn right I did.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I pulled up another mental command and thanked the gods my version of the Gamer could be interacted mentally; otherwise, I would look like a crazy person.

Ōe Hiroshi

The Gamer

Level 02

Hp: 110/110.

Mp: 360/360

Str: 07

End: 09

Dex: 13

Agi: 09

Int: 05 (+30)

Wis: 05 (+30)

Cha: 19 (+20)

Points available: 10

Core Trait: Reincarnated soul.

Hum, ok, so leveling up work on base 10. I get 10 new points to spend and 10 more points on HP and MP, that's… actually sounds pretty good escalation-wise. I could, for example, suddenly increase a particular stat 10 points if I'm in a pinch. But I'd prefer if I had a point of reference for the stats before I declare anything.

”Hey, Hiroshi.”

”Hum?” I looked at the martial artist.

”Do you know how we get out of this place?” He grinned and waved the money he earned. ”I'm up for some Takoyaki, what do you say?”

Was he inviting me? I smiled. ”We still have classes, you know?”

”Ugh! Then let's stay here. Hey, wanna bet how quickly I can bring this building down?”

I chuckled, fumbling around with the felling of my Illusion barrier escape skill.

Skill created: Illusion Barrier Erase.

Lets you erase Illusion Barriers that are empty or have monsters that have lower levels than you.

-0-0-0-

Thankfully, the rest of my fragmented school day went pretty normally. I even managed to d_i_c_k around with some game system like Inventory and Equipment, and managed to figure out that I could mentally use the two to change clothes in a flash. Now I was walking back across the darkening streets of Nerima on the way to my new apartment.

The apartment I've woke up in and had the biggest freak out of my life. At the start of the day, I was dreading doing just about anything, but now I only wanted to go back there, marinate in the small tub for a while, and go to f_u_c_k_i_n_g sleep. Funny how things change in a single day.

It was nothing to write home about, definitely not a big ten plus stores building with large apartments or anything, just a well put together two stores building with exposed metal staircases, run by a kind, near deaf old woman who lived in the number one. Not at all where people would imagine the direct heir of a wealthy family would live.

Well, the Ōes, which I still know nothing about, apparently had a 'rite of passage' of short: An Ōe child is to spend their high school years fending for themselves, with only tangential support from the family wealth and connections. It's supposed to be a rite of manhood or something I wasn't paying attention to the call I got from the head of the family lawyer team. I got to admit this is not a bad custom to have, putting a kid against the world young to make him grow up faster and tougher, but still, I would like some more parent involvement rather than a mother shopping in Paris and an eccentric father doing god know what in god knows where.

It works for me. In fact, it's ingenious; I get a place to stay, some support but not too much, parents too rich to bother with their child, and a family tradition that put some distance between me and the Japanese elites' social tango for a couple of years. Perfect place to be inserted into, eh ROB?

I sighed, climbing the metal stair to the second floor.

Gamer powers, Ranma 1/2, freaking Nerima, it still feels unreal, and not without reason. But what I've experienced today was terrible… and awesome.

I'm… kinda glad this is happening, I wanna see how far can I go with this, and this is a fun universe to live in, even if I don't remember much about the show.

But all that rumination wouldn't fill my stomach or take care of my tired bones, so warm bath and food here I goooo…

Of course Nerima wouldn't let my day end peacefully.

There was something- no, someone lying on the ground right in front of the door to my apartment. They were a tangle of limbs awkwardly sprawling out in uncomfortable directions hidden under layers of thick, puffy clothes that made them look like a homeless person. Their extremely long, straight black hair was tangled all over their prone body like a horror movie, and their face was lying in a puddle of vomit.

To complete the picture there was a discarded bottle of hard sake close by, because the universe thought I've never seen a drunk person before and wanted to make sure.

I sighed, getting close… and deciding that the figure was either a woman or a trap because her h_i_p_s were comically stuck high in the air and the thick fabric of the long skirt was molding over an a_s_s so magnificent I refuse to believe it was attached to a man.

Now, the gamer power gives me another form of identification…

…

…What?

Uehara Rin

The Sparkling Taimanin

Level: ??

Tai… Taimanin!?

What!?

New quest: Taking care of the depressed Taimanin.

A smoking hot woman is at your door, drunk, miserable, unconscious, and all-around vulnerable; you know what to do.... Be a captain save a hoe a gentleman and take care of her for the night.

Rewards:

200 exp.

Vastly increase closeness with Uehara Rin

????????????????

????????????????

Failure:

Uehara Rin becomes suicidal

??????????????

?????????????

Accept/Refuse.

WHAT!?