23 Chapter 23: Adventures with Hard Light!
[Tavish POV]
I got a bit side-tracked after defeating the Deep Sea King. I completely forgot to search for a collectible.
Thus, I was poking around the shelter as construction crews repaired the aftermath of the fight.
The amount of rubble kicked up by my entrance surprised me a bit, but let it not be said that I won't clean up after myself.
Debris sorted itself into designated piles as I cleared the room. It was a bit difficult because the material composition only bordered on earth manipulation. The steel was harder to manipulate but the longer I did it, the easier it got.
After a few hours, I finally uncovered the loot crate, it golden clasps gleaming as the light hit it.
[Deep Sea King Funko] (Epic)
[Skill Book: Psionic Combat Form] (Rare)
[Skill Book: Bagpipes Proficiency] (Common)
[Skrewball Whiskey] (Common)
[Can of Whoop Ass] (Legendary)
Examining the Sea King Funko, it looked like a fairly standard model of the monster. So why was it considered epic?
On a hunch, I summon a ball of water and douse the Funko, causing it to transform into his fish head form.
That's pretty neat actually.
Putting the bobble away, I pull out the new psionics skill.
[Skill book: Psionic Combat form]
Grants the ability to project your mind power or will onto the physical plane and the psychic plane. Enables you to project fear, engage in combat, and provide a tangible construct that interacts within the parameters of reality and fantasy. Grants "training wheels" to the user as they grow into psionic powers.
Is this like the freaking stand from JoJo? Or is this just how psionics engage in combat?
Absorbing the skill book, I open a portal to the nearest Cauldron so I can test it out.
Activating the skill, I sense a presence project out from around me.
It manifests in front of me and I observe it closer. Appearing similar to my ghost of the storm getup, it had a few major differences. The obscured face with the two glowing eyes peering out from under the ethereal hood. The metallic shark-like glint of teeth also was a significant difference.
Pulling a pistol out of my inventory, I toss it to the form, who catches it and flies over to the shooting range and empties the magazine into the target.
Now to really put it to the test.
Pulling a grenade from my inventory, I lob it to the projection who catches it. I needed to confirm with certainty that this didn't act like a stand from JoJo. If they received damage, that damage would be reflected on the user.
The projection holds the grenade in his hand until it exploded, revealing no damage to the projection.
"Quite puzzling." I muse, the projection adapting a thinking pose.
Does that mean the projection is a partial representation of my mental state? It kind of works similar to a nano clone in that aspect. Is it a representation of some of my psionics at work? If so, I didn't really need to hand him a gun, I just needed to flex my mind power a tad to achieve the desired result. A ping alerted me to a new perk.
Perk Activated!
[The Martian: Mark Watney Edition!]
New Perk Unlocked!
[Telekinesis] (1/100)
The art of manipulating physical objects with your mind.
Huh. . .
Neat.
Well, at least I have someone to play catch with.
On a different note, Iris insisted that I come up with a "useful" hard light device. I didn't see what the big deal was, but apparently, I should expand my repertoire beyond "cheap tricks" as Iris phrased it.
So I started experimenting with what hard light could actually do.
As far as fiction, it had a variety of uses, from bridges to shields, it was a sci-fi tech that was seen throughout multiple movies and games. Green Lantern, Halo, Portal, Destiny, were just a few that came to mind.
However, I was dealing with Halo-specific hard light tech so let's work from there.
The way it was weaponized was by turning it into a projectile, making any weapon that used it able to deal a mixture of projectile and energy damage.
In theory, I just needed to devise a weapon to fire the projectiles and I could have unlimited ammo.
But what to make? I'm fond of my two go-to guns at the moment. The Chimera takes care of anything at a distance, while Tempest is a good everyday carry for when I have the urge to shoot something.
My "Slayer" arsenal is always an option, but it feels almost sacrilegious to mess with their perfection.
Pulling out the Chimera, I give it a quick once over. The lever action was something I had created before I could create nano cores. Maybe it was time for it to receive the same treatment?
Pulling several other rifles out of my inventory to compare, my eyes finally alight on the Widowmaker.
Picking it up and observing the barrel fold open and shut a few times gave me an ingenious idea so I set to work.
[Time Skip]
Picking up the now nano core enhanced Chimera, its barrel opened up and a hard light spiked rod appeared down its length.
I kinda got the idea from "the skewer" in Halo Infinite.
The idea was that the "spike" would spin up and then rocket out like a railgun projectile. It was really good at punching through armor, but I was having a bit of trouble with heat dispersion.
While I couldn't fire them off back-to-back, it added a secret weapon to my ever-expanding toy box.
The addition of a "shotgun" mode finished out my modifications for the weapon. Never hurts to have a backup option after all.
I felt something wrap around my leg and glanced down to spot Ouro nosing at my pocket for a treat.
He had rapidly increased in size from his tiny beginnings to a serpent ten feet in length. His wings gently sparked with electricity as they expanded and contracted against his back.
I relented and pulled a mouse out of my inventory, watching his tail flick back and forth in excitement as he gets ready to chase.
Flicking the mouse out into the open room, it doesn't even hit the floor before its snapped up by Ouro, his wings beating furiously as he gulps down his treat.
After he finishes, he slithers towards one of the communal area's, and I feel a gentle tugging feeling to follow.
He leads me over to a table where Eleanor is collapsed over on the table asleep, a pile of papers scattered across the table.
Smiling, I go retrieve a blanket to drape around her. When I do so, I spot a flyer for Career Day at her school.
Scribbling a note on the flyer for her later, I chuckle to myself as I pick up Ouro. Out of all the things I imagined when becoming a gamer, Career Day certainly wasn't one of the things I imagined I would be volunteering for.
Maybe I should sign up for the PTA for shits and giggles.
It would make Eleanor chuckle if nothing else.
Now the question was . . .
Which Career should I choose?
[Time Skip]
[Eleanor POV]
"And that, is what I do as a dispatcher for the Hero's Association" The Lady at the classroom finished receiving a round of applause from the room.
A variety of different adults throughout the room were dressed in attire benefiting their jobs from electricians to businessmen and women.
Many of the parents were sitting in the back of the room or with their children as the presentations went on.
I was a little embarrassed when Tavish offered to show up, but after that faded my curiosity arose. What would he show up as? He wore several different hats, and he tended to switch between them arbitrarily.
My friends that I made were curious as well. Since the incident with the Youngs last week, people at my school had glimpsed him for the first time as he struggled through the short doorways of the school.
"Alright next up is Eleanor's father?" The teacher announced reading from the list.
Glancing around for him one more time, I stand up to inform my teacher that he isn't here when I hear a distinct grinding and whirring. Other people started looking around as an unseen wind started whipping around the classroom.
A blue police box started fading into existence at the front of the room as I start walking toward it.
It materializes fully as I reach out to knock.
The doors open revealing a sheepishly grinning Tavish.
"Sorry kiddo, lost track of time. Nova was gracious enough to grab me from my latest misadventure." He chuckled, stepping out into the classroom.
The TARDIS made an irritated sighing noise in response.
"Your incapable of doing anything normal, aren't you?" I state exasperatedly.
"Yup! Can't happen!" He replied cheerfully, scratching the back of his head.
Shaking my head, I turn to the rest of the room; "Everyone, this is my Father, Tavish Byrne."
[Tavish POV]
So, I'm "Father" now Eleanor?
Very well, I'll do my best not to disappoint.
"Hello everyone! A pleasure to meet you all. Eleanor asked me to come today to tell you a little bit about what I do." I greet cheerfully, clapping my hands together.
"Yes about that Mr. Byrne, I actually have a blank spot for what your occupation is. Would you care to enlighten us?" Eleanor's teacher interjected pushing her glasses further up onto her nose.
"Sure!" I respond to the teacher's question as armor formed up my legs and around my form.
"I do a bit of work for the hero association as one of its S-class heroes. My hero name is Atlas." I inform, causing the teacher to drop her pen in surprise."
[Time Skip]
"So how did I do kiddo?" I questioned after we collapsed on the couch back at home.
"Well my friend's were definitely star struck that you came to visit for Career day. Some wanted your autograph while others wanted to know if you were single." She listed off causing my head to snap to her in response.
"If I get any stalkers, I'm blaming you." I state with finality, causing her to chuckle in response.
My phone starts ringing and I flip it open to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Byrne, I don't know if we've ever met, but I was wanting to borrow a moment of your time?" A smooth voice answered over the phone.
"Who is this and how did you get this number?" I question lazily, as I recline back.
"My name is Sweet Mask, perhaps you've heard of me?" The now identified voice answered.
Sweet Mask was a fairly narcissistic hero who happened to be rather famous in the eyes of the public. Proclaiming himself to be the perfect hero, he maintained the number one A-class position in order to prevent "unworthy heroes" from advancing to S-class.
To be perfectly honest, he had the disposition that made me want to shoot him in the face, but never the less, he was a fairly powerful hero. I had planned on keeping him at arm's length, but here he was, messing with my chilling out time.
"Possibly, I'm having to learn a lot about this new universe, haven't quite memorized all the names and faces at the hero association." I state, as Eleanor switches on the TV and starts paging through the channels.
"Regardless, I thought it would be a good Idea to swing by and "welcome" you to the association properly." He continued, maintaining his smooth tone.
"Sorry, but I have other plans for the evening. Can I take a rain check?" I offer getting up and tossing a bag of popcorn into the microwave.
"I'm right outside and it will only be a moment." He continued to push, sparking my temper slightly.
"As I said before, I, am, busy. You can make an appointment at a later time if you wish." I state, keeping my temper in check as the popcorn starts heating up in the microwave.
The line was silent as the popcorn finished popping and I poured it into a bowl. It dragged on as I sat back down on the couch and passed the bowl to Eleanor.
"Look, imma hang up, call me back when you want to arrange a meeting. But right now, I'm spending time with my daughter, and you're wasting my minutes." I announce, before hanging up the phone.
I kept this phone as a disposable on the off chance I needed to swap numbers, so technically I wasn't lying.
But now onto more pressing things.
Like Jeopardy.
We relaxed as the familiar jingle for the show started playing before the doorbell went off.
Activating a camera across the street, I saw Sweet Mask standing there, his limo parked out front.
I'll give him credit, he's persistent at least.
After debating whether or not to set off the explosive charge in the door step, I elect to open a portal beneath him and put him elsewhere.
Specifically, I dropped him off the pier where the sea folk emerged from previously, dumping him in the ocean.
Settling back down onto the couch, I start trying to guess the next question.
[Time Skip]
Sweet Mask was rather irritated when I next sat down with him at a ramen joint two days later.
His glare as I enjoyed my bowl of noodles was well worth the attention we were receiving from the other patrons of the restaurant.
"Stop glaring at me like that. No means no after all, and my daughter takes precedence over a random guy demanding a "moment of my time". I state nonchalantly, setting down my chopsticks to take a drink.
"You ruined my favorite suit . . . ." He growled, his glare intensifying.
I could see his true self starting to peak out from under that mask of his. Might be entertaining to display his true personality to the world, but unfortunately I'm on a bit of a time crunch.
V wanted to visit an antique car museum with me so he'd better make his point before I make another executive decision on his behalf.
"Look, you've been glaring at me since we go here, the only reason I stayed is that the chef here makes some dang tasty ramen." I start passing a wink at the chef who grinned back.
"I'd much rather have spent my time discussing things of that nature with him. Plus, you're cutting dangerously close to my next appointment. So how about you cut to the chase and tell my what was so important that you had to interrupt my father/daughter time." I finish fixing him with a look.
I knew that he could fight an S-class hero with no issue, but if he continued to waste my time, I might have to wipe the floor with him.
He finally took a breath and began; "You need to clean up your act Atlas. You don't match anything about what a hero looks like." He stated, a bite seeping into his tone.
"And who the fuck are you to dictate that? I fight how I fight and I act as I act. People look at me and what they see is what they get. To quote a famous sailor, "I am what I am, and that's all that I am!" I reply, a melancholy grin creeping onto my features. Popeye was truly a cartoon that had left an impact on my youth.
His glare intensified at my response; "Hero's have to meet a certain standard of elegance and a model in how they act. This is a warning to step into line or you may get demoted."
I laughed in his face; "Look Mask, you may be able to pull that crap with other heroes but let me tell you something. The Hero Association approached me first, wanting to put my skills to use. If you think that I care for a second about the arbitrary system they use to rate heroes . . . ."
Perk Activated
[The Only Thing They Fear is You]
"Then you've got another thing coming. The system is so antiquated and broken, it allows an ass-wipe like you to control the system." My switch in demeanor caused him to fall backwards out of the chair and struggle to get away.
"So this is a warning from me to you; If you don't clean up your act, I will personally correct it in a way you definitely won't like. Your fame won't even save you from my wrath.
I bring my face close to the terrified pop star; "And if you even consider going after those I care for, or attempt to use said system against me, you will suffer beyond anything that your primitive brain could conceive."
Deactivating the perk, I paid my tab.
"Now if you will excuse me, I have a date." I dismiss the hero, walking out the door.
[Time Skip]
[Mithril Tree] (Epic)
A tree capable of producing Mithril.
I finally succeeded at creating the tree after much trial and error.
Now that I had a steady supply, it was just a matter of making my way through my existing infrastructure and improving it with my artificing skills.
Moving the tree over towards the production area, I sidestep and duck under Poison Ivy's more "interesting" plants.
Since the Ark wasn't going to be up and running for a while, she had taken over one of the Cauldrons where my botanical-based research was occurring. I only truly noticed her influence when an eye opened on a tree that I definitely don't remember growing.
I thought it was kinda silly considering that there was already existing surveillance, but whenever I was working in here, she was always watching me. It was slightly unnerving at first until I got used to it, though I wish that she would actually verbalize if she wants to be involved in an experiment.
Still, some good did come out of the visits.
Wolfe comes thundering through the room chasing a very excited Harley Quinn, Bear following behind them both at a more sedate pace.
Harley seems to have taken a shine to the two metal beasties, so every time I stopped by, Wolfe and Bear would join me so they could play with Harley.
Sometimes Ivy would make an appearance, but she did try to keep her distance.
Ah well, I'll give her time to warm up to me later.
She did tend to appear when I was performing any of my tree based experiments though.
Today I had transplanted a Desert Tree from the Gourmet World and was experimenting with how I could tinker with it. The tree produced a wide variety of deserts in these beautiful presentation bubbles, each one presented on a plate or wrapper. I wanted to see if I could increase the speed or possibly influence what sort of deserts it made. Ivy was hovering at my shoulder and taking notes.
"The sheer concept of this plant boarders on what you'd find in a children's storybook. It's processes defy any and all science that I know of plants!" She said in astonishment, gently plucking a Mont Blanc bubble from the tree.
"And to think this is hardly the strangest one I've found so far." I comment, causing her eyes to bug out.
"What do you mean?!" She questioned quickly, prompting me to pull up some pictures of some other plants discovered in the Gourmet World.
"There are several plants that grow condiments prepackaged for use, straight off the vine. It naturally creates a silica-based container that contains a variety of different sauces and condiments depending on the plant." I explain, watching her study the pictures.
One of the plants growing across the floor wraps around my leg affectionately while she continues studying the pictures. Ever since I showed her my plant manipulation skill, I've been receiving very passive hints from her on how to get better in tune with nature as it were. Plants in general didn't have very strong emotions since they weren't highly intelligent, but you could get a general feeling from them. One thing I noticed after realizing that fact is that Ivy's emotions project out onto the plants around her, giving the plants a much more "alive" feel to them.
"I see, and when will I be allowed to visit this realm?" She questioned breaking me out of my train of thought.
"You can visit whenever you feel like, I was just setting up the proper infrastructure so that study could be performed without disturbing the local ecosystem." I said with a shrug, causing her to blink in surprise.
"Really? Just like that? No hidden cost or requirement?" She asked her voice taking a seductive tone as she drew closer to me.
"My parents always told me not to take candy from strangers Ms. Isley. No its not going to cost you to visit the Gourmet World." I reply, a blush creeping onto my face.
"Really? Then I guess will have to get more familiar then. . . ." She stated grabbing the front of my shirt and slamming her lips onto mine.
[Toxin's Detected]
[Cataloging . . .]
[Poison resistance increasing.]
We were like that for a few minutes before she broke the lip lock.
"Strange, most men are turned into a dribbling wreak after a kiss like that . . ." She observed watching my face for any sort of reaction.
"I'm not most men." I reply, getting a hum of agreement from her.
+30 Rep from Poison Ivy for surpassing her expectations (and resisting her poisons). (83/100)
[Time Skip]
[Hero Association HQ]
I was sitting in their conference room as the rest of the S-class heroes were filtering in.
A very panicked Hero Association employee came knocking on my door today about this important meeting, reminding me how close the Sea King invasion was to Boros's assault.
This led to me being armed to the teeth while attending this meeting, checking my guns, ensuring 100% functionality of all my core systems.
I was brought out of my preparations by something trying to glance inside mind, causing my head to snap up and fix Tatsumaki with a glare.
Tatsumaki, or the Tornado of Terror, was a powerful Esper and rank two in the hero associations ranking system. She was a small petite woman with curly green hair, and a very moody impatient personality.
Quite frankly, it wasn't that far out there to imagine that her psychokinetic powers extended into reading minds. How powerful she was, stood as a question left unanswered for the moment.
"Keep your mind to yourself Tornado, if you want to know something, ask." I state firmly, causing her to scoff and look away.
"You can hardly blame her Tavish, I've never seen you prepared in such a manner. Has something occurred?" Silver fang asked as he made his way around the table.
"Something has felt off for the past week. Like something is hidden from my view, but I am unable to detect it." I share, as more heroes filter in.
"I was unaware you had such foresight abilities Atlas. Are you seeking a career as a fortune-teller next?" Atomic Samurai interjects as he takes his seat.
"Not in this lifetime Kamikaze. No, what I am referring to is an edge to everything that was not existing previously. The recent attack of the Deep Sea king just brought it to notice." I return, watching him bow his head in thought.
"That's . . . . fair. Now that you mention it, the city doesn't seem peaceful after that last attack, more like the calm before the storm." Atomic Samurai stated bowing his head in contemplation.
Heroes continued to file in. SuperAlloy Darkshine was non discreetly flexing his muscles, Metal Bat had his feet kicked up on the table, Puri Puri prisoner was making eyes at Genos, and Saitama . . . . was looking around with black curiosity.
The meeting finally started, with the hero association employee "Sitch" announcing the possibility of a world ending threat.
The only problem about these threats was the lack of evidence, and going off the word of a seer. This resulted in a mixed bag of belief from the assorted heroes ranging from skepticism to irritated at the lack of information.
Truthfully, I would be skeptical too regarding the information if I didn't know what would happen soon. Prophecies and fortune telling was never something I put much stock in anyway. I enjoyed Misty's Tarot readings in the cyberpunk world, but I never let her readings rule my life.
What I did believe in, was butterfly effect. Some worlds changed based on my various shenanigans that I put into effect. AOT was impacted, Bioshock, Cyberpunk, and Hell were basically upended on its collective head, the only world that was fairly minimally impacted was horizon zero dawn.
Honestly, I was fucking with worlds on a cosmic level wherever I landed and set up base. Maybe I would try for a more subtle approach next world. A monk perhaps? Maybe a traveling Zen master?
Oh! An archeologist might be fun! I was kinda doing that now, uncovering the history of this world. Discover treasures left behind by those who came before and whatnot. Might land in an Assassin's Creed world and uncover an artifact of Eden, or find an ancient Egyptian tomb. I love studying ancient folklore, maybe I can find if some of those legends were true!
But I can't do this Indiana Jones style, because then you deal with Nazi and I tend to get sidetracked.
My main weapon choice of a thunder hammer just exacerbated my desires when an opportunity presented itself to play Whack-A-Nazi.
Yup! A nice "normal" archeologist career sounded like a nice choice for the next world.
-I predict that will last all of five minutes before that changes.-
-You're way to restless to maintain a "normal" charade for long.-
Oh come on Iris. Have a little faith.
-I do.-
-I have faith that you'll balls up your "normal" archeologist career.-
Go suck a railroad spike Iris.
[Warning!]
[Large Mass detected in orbit!]
[Recommend seeking shelter!]
Oh for fucks sake!
One of the cores on my arm detaches and reassembles into a holographic screen in front of me, the heroes around the room continuing to argue. Drive Knight's optic suddenly spun over to me and started focusing on the sudden changes on the map being projected.
"Concerning . . ." He comments as I watch my satellites fall one by one, drawing the attention of other heroes.
"No kidding, I've never seen such power!" Puri-Puri comments, crossing his arms.
Interfacing with my internal network, I activate a perk as I jettison many of my assets still left towards earth.
Perk Activated
[Aspect of the Machine God]
The computer and machines around me glitch out with the exception of our cyborgs until they start projecting a cybernetic skull on a cog.
From there, I launch a command to every communication device I can reach.
Alarms blare out around me as the power of the machine god suffuses the area around me.
[Warning!]
[Orbital bombardment imminent!]
[Seek Shelter!]
[Calling all Heroes!]
[God level threat detected over City-A!]
[Let the world see your might as the darkness approaches,]
[And shine like a beacon when it envelopes us!]
[Met fury against this oncoming threat, AND STAND BY FOR TITANFALL!]
Perk Activated!
[Inspire!]
My mechanical voice broadcasts out over the city from every device as Titan's rain down from the sky. Skitarii run across the rooves of buildings carrying parts and pieces of defense structures. Hard light shields pop up over buildings and shelters like umbrella's as Thunderhawks roar overhead.
On a quick side note; the fuck?
I sound a bit off, is that a side effect of aspect of the machine god? I really need to sit down and talk with him about how he messes with my vocational patterns.
The alien ship appeared over the city, prompting me into action. A portal opening up next to me as Saitama jumps through the ceiling.
[Saitama's POV]
Landing next to my recently created "exit" I glace up at my next opponent.
I never found anyone on this planet I had to strain against, maybe this presented a unique solution by providing an opponent from another planet?
Glancing down at the mechanized forces zooming around the city, I had to respect Tavish's response time to such a crisis appearing overhead. He spoke a bit weird sometimes, but he was an overall good guy.
He stood as one of the few beings on this planet that could take a few of my serious punches without dying instantly.
Turning back to the ship overhead, I watch as some of its shots get intercepted by the hastily erected shields.
While he had potential to give me a challenge, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I over looked a powerful opponent that could be potentially on that ship.
With that thought in mind, I leaped up towards the ship, a sliver of excitement creeping into my step.
[Bang POV]
Tavish always made for one of my more interesting students.
During training sessions, he clearly held back on his strength when sparing with his fellow disciples. When I questioned him on it, he confessed that he was terrified of killing his sparing partner and using his full strength.
Thinking nothing of it I stepped onto the mat myself to break those notions of all powerful strength.
Only to feel a fist impact my ribs and instantly break a few.
After letting him fix me up I analyze the strength more thoroughly. It would serve as a boon to Tavish and elevate the attacks he can counter with the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, but it does pose a problem of not being able to spar with anyone in his weight class.
The sheer weight behind seemingly effortless blows puzzled me until he revealed some of his augments. The way that the functioned was both odd and confusing when he tried to explain it, but he was all the stronger because of it.
His technology base behind him was something that rivaled Bofoi, but in truth, surpassed the hero by leagues. It was unsurprising to see the extent of his satellite grid.
While I wish he had informed me before hand, their may have been no good in knowing. While we were caught unprepared, we kinda found out at the same time as him.
Leaping out the hole made by Saitama, the air whips by me as I head towards the ground. I can't be seen slacking while my student is wreaking havoc up above. Lets see what this old man can get up to on the ground.
[Child Emperor POV]
Tavish was an enigma.
Every time I see him it seems like he has a new power of some sort. I was a little concerned when he took over all the electronics, but he only sounded the alarm before withdrawing from the system.
I might need to take him into account when I upgrade the Hero HQ systems in the future.
My initial thought led me to believe that Tavish was expecting this attack, until I watched how many satellites he lost to the aliens initial assault. After analyzing the damage taken by the city afterwards, it appeared that his assets sustained 90% of the initial fallout from the attack.
Plus, their was no prep from his forces. While they moved quickly to respond to the crisis, it was definitely reactionary versus lying in wait for the attack.
In a way he was similar to Bofoi in that regard. The main difference was Tavish followed a gut instinct whereas Metal Knight liked to "wait and see" to gauge the enemy.
But the fact remained, if he was able to break into the Hero Association's network so easily, had he done so with other networks? Was my personal network in danger?
When this was all over, I'll have to perform a thorough system sweep to check for vulnerabilities.
[Tavish POV]
Staring up at the ship overhead I give it a quick glance over.
With such an odd construction method, it was hard to ascertain a specific weak point. But by golly I wouldn't let that stop me.
One of my remaining satellites launched its payload sending a metal pod hurtling towards the ship.
The metal case blows away, revealing the Magma class Titan and It lets out a battle cry in response.
[Magma Class Titan VU-134N reporting successful Titanfall.]
[I shall rend our enemies unto scrap code!]
VU-134N, or Vulcan, had developed impressive destruction capability since the Sea Folk fight. His ability didn't exactly stem from controlling the lava within the earths crust, but rather had the ability to control thick swaths of nanomachines burning at temperatures exceeding 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The swaths were so thick that it resembled a lava like consistency. The more metal and material consumed by the swarm, the more machines created, and the greater amount of "magma" controlled, creating quite the deadly playground that allowed Vulcan to thrive.
Glancing through his optics for a moment, I watch his massive hands touch the deck and start melting the surrounding metal into a thick glowing hot sludge, the nanomachines quickly forging more of their brethren to expand the mayhem they had planned.
An Alien was unlucky enough to poke his head out of a hatch within Vulcan's sightline, and was quickly consumed by the Titan's "magma", the little bots mapping out the interior as it ate it away, consuming any aliens it came across.
Certainly, a very pointed message to the brand-new invader.
"Welcome to Earth; Get Fucked"
"Dang, I need that as a bumper sticker for a satellite or something. Might need a little polishing, but carries a timeless message." I muse, taking flight myself and angling for the ship overhead,
Landing on the ship, the nano cores in my arm started shifting and modifying my arms.
[Pile Bunker augment Activated!]
[Pile Bunker Arms] (Epic)
Augments the arms with two magnetically accelerated spike rods designed for punching through the toughest of armors. Changing out the rods enables you to inject various materials to further punch through the armor.
The dwarf star alloy gleams dully as the arms charge up and I swing, causing the spike to punch open the hull of the space ship. This was just the plain variation of the spikes.
Very cool to use, but impractical for this situation.
Deactivating the augment, I slam a nano spike into the floor next to me, before heading off in search of Vulcan.
I finally found the Titan happily roasting a few aliens that attempted to stop his rampage.
"How goes it Vulcan?" I question on my approach.
-"Very amusing thus far, I was unsure of my evolution after the fight with The Deep Sea King, but I am acclimating to this new change quite nicely."- He rumbled, a wave of thermite splashing up behind him.
"Very good, I wanted to get a second opinion from someone before I went through with my next course of action." I began, watching the molten metal surge throughout the opening beneath us.
-"By all means ask."- He stated, an optic focusing on me.
"In the original timeline of this world, Metal Knight didn't show up until this fight had concluded, and he seized all the spoils. All of the technology, materials, and information was hoarded by him. He did rebuild the hero association and some of the surrounding infrastructure afterward, but overall, his work was minimal." I state, analyzing the ship underfoot.
"So hypothetically, how fucked would the timeline be if we superimposed a claim to the ship from out superior position?" I question, turning to Vulcan, a grin spreading across my face as he contemplated my question.
-"It may prompt a more impassioned response from Bofoi than the passive attacks we have experienced thus far, it's hard to tell how it would change things, but if you emulated his actions in reconstructing the hero HQ with the remains of the ship, I don't foresee any huge changes to the timeline. Are we trying to preserve its integrity?"- He questioned, shifting slightly.
"No, it just helps us predict the possibility of future events. Time, I've realized, is a concept that is ever-changing, always moving and adapting to events around us, sometimes in unnoticeable fashions, or in ways that shake the very foundations of the world as we know it." I muse aloud before clapping my hands together.
"Right then, lets prep for ship capture. Do you think I can set a bunch of Clawstriders loose to take care of the aliens?" I ask, my curiosity brimming to the surface.
[Iaian POV]
I stood in defiance against the multi-headed alien that landed outside the hero association, clutching the stump of my arm. I lost my sword somewhere along the way as I tried to dodge his strikes to take my head.
He reared back to strike me again when the ground shook as multiple objects hit the ground.
A Titan carrying a sword of its own charged out of the smoke and sliced the alien in half, before unloading a shotgun like weapon into its two halves.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see a little floating bot with two armatures and an underslung gun of some sort which it used to blast a beam of red energy at my stump.
My arm regenerates under the red beam until after a few minutes, it stops revealing my completely healed arm.
The little bot let out a little beep before zooming off.
"Every time I think I've seen the extent of his capabilities, Atlas manages to surprise me yet again." A new voice breaks into my thought causing me to turn.
"Master!" I greet.
Kamikaze tosses me my sword which I catch; "Be more mindful with your property in the future student. Your sword is your lifeline on the battlefield. You won't always have machines dropping from the sky to make up for mistakes on the battlefield." He gently scolds.
"Yes Master!" I reply, hefting the blade as I prepare to reenter the fray once more as more S-class heroes appear on the scene.
[Time Skip]
[Tavish POV]
Vulcan and I are forced to take shelter within the ship as another energy blast flew past us.
We were happily minding our own business when the fight between Saitama and Boros broke out.
I truly underestimated the level of destruction that the fight would cause. The sheer speed that both of them were using was daunting to observe, and it appeared that Saitama still wasn't putting any effort into the fight!
Their fight was expanding to the point where Vulcan and I were considering jumping ship. I had stabbed multiple nano spikes throughout the ship, but most of the progress that they make in converting the ship gets destroyed instantly.
I managed to create half a dozen redundant power sources to take over for power core failure so hopefully, I could have it maintain flight while I moved the ship to a location more suitable for study.
A few of my hastily assembled Clawstriders had already come back with various aliens in their teeth, but the biggest surprise was Wolfe and Bear.
Upon the discovery of the size of the interior hallways of the ship, I retrieved and released these two massive beasts within the interior of the ship for devastating results.
Between the roars, screams of terror, and the constant booming of Bear's cannons, the only evidence I found of their presence was the piles of alien gore, and the signs of battle that I occasionally came across, the scorched walls displaying a testament of the ferocity of the two Panzerhund.
Swarms of Bosco's flew throughout the ship, carrying genetic balls as they collected and analyzed the remains of the aliens.
Now I just had one objective left before Saitama killed Boros, sweet loot!
The Dark-matter thieves were said to have traveled all over the universe, pillaging and destroying any planets they came across, so it stands to reason they probably had some cool shit lying about.
In all honesty, this ship boarding and pillaging made me feel rather like a pirate.
Captain Byrne had a nice ring to it after all.
But the big question was what would the aliens consider as something of value? I would be very disappointed if the intergalactic currency was some sort of alien bird crap, or some other obscure object.
Finding this supposed "treasure" room, was slightly challenging because of the ongoing destruction happening around me, but I managed to find my way to a large sealed door.
After observing the keypad outside of the door and a generous application of sonic hand, The door creaks open.
Thank god this opportunity came along to loot, I was starting to get bored of playing a hero.
Saving people was all well and good, but righteous pillaging always put a smile on my face.
[And you were contemplating being a traveling Zen Master?!]
[Isn't that whole train of thought the anti-thesis of such a lifestyle?!]
Nah Iris, you're looking at it all wrong, think of it as me implementing my own version of galactic karma on some very bad people.
[That's not how karma works!]
Sure it does! I'm passively forgiving them by nicking their shit. It's the circle of life!
Perk Added!
[Kleptomania]
Huh.
I was expecting to get that perk a lot earlier.
[# $%!*#$%]
Did you just censor yourself?
[Just get on with your looting already!]
The interior of the vault contained many treasures that caused the vault to sparkle as light illuminated these treasures.
I recognized gold and silver amongst the valuables scattered throughout the vault, but it was the random obscure minerals, ores, and ingots that drew my eyes the most.
[Azbantium Ore] (Legendary)
A mineral approximately 400 times harder than diamond.
[Bavarium cube] (Epic)
A Super mineral of near-limitless potential.
[Celestial Bronze ingot] (Rare)
A magical form of bronze mined from Mount Olympus, tempered in Mount Etna, and cooled in the River Lethe. Cannot come into physical contact with non-magical creatures. Lethal to monsters.
[Bazoolium ingot] (Common)
A gold colored metal capable of predicting the weather.
My eyes got wider and wider as I took in the sheer inventory of the vault, many of its treasures concealed behind the many rows of shelves.
[Hold on a moment, somethings not right, some of this stuff shouldn't be here. . .]
"Well of course not, but I'm a gamer, so what's the big deal?" I question reaching down to pick up a gleaming crystal fruit that hit the side of my boot.
[Wait, FREEZE!]
When she said that my body froze just before picking up the item.
Watching it, it looked like it glitched in a pixilated manner before turning into a rubber duck, then a tennis ball, then a grenade.
[Back away slowly . . . .]
I slowly back out of the room before sealing the door shut and asking; "Iris what the hell is going on?"
[The power within your system is reaching critical mass and it's causing some features to go a bit wonky.]
How's that going to affect us?
[Truthfully, it means that your system has reached a point where its ready to evolve into something new. We probably have one or two worlds left before you have to take a break.]
Take a break? Why?!
[Haven't you ever heard that playing video games for too long isn't good for you?]
[Same goes for gamers.]
[You'll burn out from too much overload.]
So what does taking a break entail?
[We pick you a world and leave you there for a bit while we perform some system updates.]
[There are some updates we can't do in the background, so we power off the system and leave you with some skills to tide you over in the world your in.]
How will the system change?
[No one knows, it varies from gamer to gamer. Sometimes it puts a companion limit, sometimes it does away with stat points. I've seen one guy who's system turned into a match three format.]
"Uhg, I hope I never have to experience the horror of that." I comment with a shudder.
[You and me both.]
The conversation was interrupted as the ship shuddered, lurched, and started falling out of the sky.
[Shit, I didn't expect us to take that long, looks like Saitama finished his fight.]
Opening a portal, I glance through it to see the catastrophic damage to the engines, the nano machines working to repair the nonexistent portions of machinery.
End of the road, I guess.
Opening another portal, I leap through to come out above the crashing ship.
[Time Skip]
[2 Months Later]
I was slightly upset that I lost out on all that loot from Boros's ship. There was a lot of cool stuff in there that I was making plans for before they got dashed by Iris's little announcement.
I had to console myself with yanking the rug out from under Bofoi when he came to claim the wreckage.
[You're taking this surprisingly well.]
Don't have much of a choice, do I? Besides, kicking my feet up on a peaceful world is a ton better than being dumped into the void to float aimlessly.
[That's fair.]
Incidentally, what would happen if this update didn't occur?
[Items and perks, would start glitching, then skills, the world around you, then your body and anything linked to you, then finally, you would enter a state known as a crash.]
A Crash?
[Think of it as like putting too many mods on a game to the point where it crashes on startup and corrupts data, except more final, because it corrupts your soul to nothingness.]
So the updates are a very good thing.
[Very.]
[The update condenses and organizes all the data that makes up your "game" so you can continue playing.]
Jeez.
Never gave much thought to what happens behind the scene until now.
Anyway, now that the aliens are out of the picture, I can get back to more interesting projects.
Like Pablo Eskobear.
After much trial and error, I managed to sus out the artifacts abilities to discover that it was indeed a golem-type artifact.
The taxidermy bear transformed one day when I suffused, what I thought, might be his core. The combination of sentinel energy and mana caused it to explode in a burst of light.
When the light faded away, it revealed a much smaller bracelet with a depiction of a bear.
Pablo Eskobear? (Legendary)
This artifact has received enough power to reveal a new form. A Golem housing a furious bear spirt, it stands ready to express its rage against any who stand before it.
I have never used golems before. Do they work a bit like my machines?
Some poor sap may have to suffer for the sake of this scientific endeavor!
The poor sap in question? Hmm, who to pick. . . . . .
[Time Skip]
[Rabbit King's POV]
At last!
The time has come for us to take over the surface!
I agreed to give the subterranean people first chance to claim the surface, only to laugh as their king was instantly vaporized by a stupid looking human.
But what else could I expect? Someone as dimwitted as them taking over the surface!
Not like us rabbits!
Our speed and agility are second to none, while our deceiving appearance can switch between cute and demonic in an instant. Our legs so powerful that they shatter bone. The subterranean simply came up short when compared to the mighty rabbit kingdom.
My ever-increasing army expanded at such a rapid rate, making us a true nightmare for whatever forces may oppose us.
The earth gives way under my paws as I break through to the surface, asphalt flying everywhere.
Finally!
Earth will be made aware of its new ruler and my children shall flourish across the surface, frolicking in the mighty carrot patches of the promised land!
A shadow fell over me prompting me to look up, only to see a wall of metallic spiked fur.
Slowly looking higher and higher taking in the slight metallic appearance of the fur, the massive paws ending in bloody claws, and finally reaching the face, revealed a massive bear, his eyes glowing with a demonic red light, his jaws slavering white clouds that were billowing around the ground.
My eyes started watering as I breathed in the cloud of substance.
The Bear roared in my face before my vision started spinning out of control and faded out into dark.
[Time Skip]
[Tavish POV]
"Hello! And welcome to the Hero News Network."
"Can Bear's be heroes? It is a question that is on everyone's mind as a new species dubbed "The Rabbitfolk" attempted an invasion in City-Y earlier this afternoon."
"This new monster emerged from the ground only to meet a very angry bear, who upon encountering, started behaving erratically and twitching, emulating effects similar to a drug overdose."
This effect was short lived as the bear hunted the rabbitfolk down, digging them out of the earth, mauling them and leaving behind a bloody swath of death and decapitated monsters behind him."
"While experts are debating the moral quandary of letting a bear run loose in town, this terrifying bear has actually shot up to 15th most popular hero on the hero list acquiring the title of Nightmare Bear."
Turning off the TV, I glance down at the fluffy little bear nuzzled in my lap snoozing next to Ouro.
Apparently, he also had an adorable travel size feature.
Comparing the two forms was like comparing night and day, the towering, drug spewing, metal rage monster, versus the cute fuzzy bear cub that I now had laying on its back.
Little Pablo would make for probably one of my more interesting companions.
What our combined future would bear, would no doubt provide some form of amusement?
[Time Skip]
Glancing over the remains of the ancient colosseum I quickly head over to the floating Bosco.
My newest report of energy readings was coming from beneath this structure within the remains of Greece.
The scout Bosco that I sent out indicated that It had discovered a possible source.
Underneath the Bosco, a hole opened up revealing a hidden chamber of sorts that the excited little machine had excavated.
Dropping down into the room itself I glanced around at the many alters placed around the length of the cavernous room.
It appeared that this used to be a place where gladiators, olympians, poets, or what have you, would come to pray before their event.
Depictions of various Grecian gods were at each alter in the form of a symbol, a statue, or a bust. Each of these had a sacrificial brazier which surprisingly, all had a few embers burning in the bottom of them.
Many of the alters were run down or busted while others were in some-what decent shape, the most complete alter had a simple set of pipes sitting atop of it.
Pan Pipes
[Pan Pipes] (God-tier)
Once a symbol of worship for his many followers, these pipes have sat here for centuries before sensing a powerful presence nearby. An external force is observing you quietly through them.
Approaching the alter I take a quick glance around before observing them more closely. They definitely were a beautiful instrument. Depictions of wild animals and plants lined the exquisitely crafted instrument.
I vaguely remember receiving a skill to play bagpipes at some point, I wonder if its at all similar.
Honestly, It would be a damn shame if this instrument wasn't used to compose any sort of music in the future, the big question mark was if the god belonging to those pipes would let me use them.
I don't remember him being a particularly vengeful god, but that was also comparing him to other gods. I think the general consensus was that most gods were dicks on a general principle.
"Say Pan, would you mind if I borrowed these for a while? Awful shame just to leave this instrument down here in the dark." I offer feeling the presence watching me jolt in surprise.
A silent question is asked from the pipes that causes me to shrug once I sus out its intent.
"I don't mind that much truthfully, as long as both parties are aware of the observation and consent, why should it matter? Though I do draw the line at bathroom invasion. I already learned my lesson with a previous entity." I state jokingly.
After a few minutes, I get a sense of approval from the pipes so I gently pick them up.
Blowing some air through them till I got the desired sound, and experimenting slightly with a few notes, I got the desired notification.
New Skill Added!
[Pan Pipes] (1/100) (Common)
Denotes your ability to play the Pan Pipes
As the hollow sound of the pipes sounded out throughout the cavern, moss and greenery started coming to life around the alter as a gentle gust of wind blew through the room.
If this was its passive effect, what would happen if I channeled mana into it? Or better yet, my plant affinity?
Glancing around at the other alters for various gods, a few were slightly reassembling before my eyes. Was this the affect of someone acknowledging the existence of the Greek Parthenon? I'm almost positive that I'm not the sole believer of their existence, so why such a drastic reaction? Is it because this room had been hidden for so long and now that someone is here they are trying to make it more presentable?
Coming to a stop in front of a alter dedicated to Hestia, I watch the small flame dance across the brazier. Pulling out a dessert tree sapling, I place it in the flame.
"Good food, and a warm hearth is something I will always appreciate Hestia. This little tree is something I came across not too long ago, I hope it finds a place in your hearth." I comment to the seemingly empty chamber as the sapling vanishes into smoke.
Divine power starts coursing through the chamber as Hestia's alter starts cleaning itself up, the hearth underneath the alter lighting with a gentle glow. Seeing the power of belief as far as gods are concerned is definitely a wonder to watch. Is it just this powerful because I'm a gamer? Or is an external force at work?
Checking around I spot one of the largest alters still intact, its furnace merrily burning away, the broken and rusted weapons glinting in the light.
"To think I started as a simple blacksmith, or this body did anyway. Still, creating new devices and forging new paths is a mainstay in my adventures. It would be remised of me to forget you Hephaestus." I state, causing the smithy embers to flicker gently.
Glancing around at the surrounding materials and gauging what was available, I take of my jacket and shirt and hang it on a piece of rock jutting out from the wall.
Hefting a smithing hammer from my inventory I set about my self-appointed task.
Wood and charcoal is pulled from my inventory to provide fuel as I increase the blaze of the smithy.
Melting down the demolished weapons and mixing in the ingots remaining I let my mind wander as I debate on how to shape the metal.
Really, I was doing this on a whim, it had been forever since I had forged a weapon in this manner by hand, so what should I make?
Honestly, Hephaestus was the practical sort, and a smith was always in need of a hammer, but a hammer was fairly simplistic in nature, no this had to be worthy of the god of forges.
A War hammer just as capable on the fields of battle, as the heart of a forge.
I start shaping the metal with this vision in mind, my hands moving quickly over the casts for the hammer.
[Time Skip]
Sweat poured off my brow as with a final clang, I finished my offering.
[Omnissian hammer] (Incomplete) (Mythic)
An offering to the god of the forge, this multipurpose hammer stands as the highest tier item that Tavish Byrne has produced. Sentinel energy and mana make up two thirds of the weapons power, it awaits the touch of the god of the forge.
Although it breaks my heart, I set the mighty tool in the brazier and it vanishes almost instantly a wisp of smoke following it.
Alright Olympus, I made my opening move, lets see what you'll do . . . .
[Interlude: Thoughts of a God]
[Hephaestus POV]
I held an absolutely beautiful hammer within my hands as I sat in on one of our many meetings on Olympus.
Its craftsman was an odd individual but he truthfully represented the essences of my domain.
Tavish Byrne.
An anomaly a few dimensions over from this one.
Parts of his power felt similar to father, but his felt kinder, wilder, yet I could feel other aspects within him as he stood at my forge.
Aspects of water and fire, nature and metal, a walking contradiction if their ever was one.
Was he a child of another Parthenon?
No . . . .
He was something else entirely. . . .
Hidden beneath all that, I sensed the Machine God.
I've spent time with him on occasion, we both worked alike, and shared many thoughts and feelings about many of the Parthenon's, but what was that guy's involvement with this individual.
My first instinct was to call him a mortal until I looked closer. He had achieved immortality.
Granted it wasn't true immortality, but long lived was nothing to sneeze at.
The More interesting fact was he achieved it through a combination of technology and mysticism. I would have to consult Hecate if I wanted to get even a base understanding on how he did it.
"Quite the interesting tool you have their nephew." A kind voice broke into my thoughts causing me to look up.
The meeting seemed to have ended a while ago as the other gods were mingling around chatting before departing back towards their respective domains.
"It truly is Aunt Hestia, the smith who gifted this to me spent hours in one of my forges before turning around and gifting it to me." I respond to the gentle nature of my aunt.
"Oh? Tell me about them?" She requested, her eyes brightening slightly as she conjured a chair and sat next to me.
"He is a few dimensions over from ours, yet I feel as if he doesn't belong there. I've only caught a glimpse of some of his past actions, but he respects me even though he has already achieved a pseudo immortal status." I respond with a gruff rumble, Hestia watching intently.
"You wouldn't happen to be talking about Tavish Byrne, would you?" She questioned, taking me completely off guard.
"Yes! How did you know?!" I question. As she gently pushes her hair out of her face.
"Because I have been watching him too nephew." She replied a small smile appearing on her face.
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small sapling and holding it up for me to see. As I continued watching, small chocolates and sweets grew from its branches.
He gifted me with this little tree. I plan on planting it in one of my gardens." Hestia replied, warmth seeping into her tone.
I hum in contemplation before replying; "It seems he is a mortal who bears watching."
"If we get the chance we should see if he can cook for us, it should be a rare treat!" Hestia stated excitedly causing me to chuckle.
"Aunty, I thought you loved cooking." I question, causing her to huff.
"I do, but I always enjoy a break now and again!" She pouted, causing me to laugh drawing the attention of several other gods.
[Omake: Pokemon, I don't think he's doing it right.]
[Ash POV]
Ash thought he wouldn't see that weird red head again after the mountain pass.
What he didn't expect was to come to the rock gym and see him facing off against the gym leader.
"Onix! Use Rock Slide!" Brock roared causing the large rock creature to send a clump of boulders at his still tied up Pokémon.
"Boros! Use Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon!"Tavish said excitedly
"Go to hell!" his Pokémon screamed back at him.
"Alright them . . . ." Tavish growled at him before grabbing the Pokémon by the legs and using him as a bat against the Onyx.
"Boros, Use Body Slam!" Tavish cheered, the Onyx falling to pieces under his assault.
"The fuck you bastard!" Boros screamed, as Tavish wiped a bit of sweat off of his brow.
"Nice! Does that mean I get your gym badge?" He questioned the flustered gym leader.
I glance down at my Pikachu before shaking my head. It wasn't big enough to use as a bat. Tavish was so lucky. I know he said not to use him as an example, but dang, you can't say that his methods aren't effective.
Maybe he could give me some pointers? After all, the gym leader was giving him the badge, so obviously his method was working.
I wonder if he could tell me where I could catch a Boros of my own?
