I’m The Problem!?
The only problem I have when coming up a plot for chapters is to keep it timeline friendly. For example it's week three of the first month for Cobalt and the plot of bleach is at it beginning stages, while Demon Slayer with Cyberpunk Edgerunners hasn't begin yet. Or has it?
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"So is it bad?" Rebecca asked Cobalt, who was rubbing his temples, wondering what's the hype behind it all. "Depends on her actual gain." Reaching under the counter he pulled out a watch stick and gave it to the women. "Use this to see what your power does. Since you got it they couldn't check what it was right?"
She nodded and put the watch on her left wrist. When tapping it a tab was open showing her a list of her powers, well the only one she had at least. He looked over and read the ability out loud.
Benimau's Blessing
Not to be mistaken for a actual blessing, those who receive a bit of his power can call upon his might 3 times a day in the form of fire wrapped matoi flags.
Effect: Minor Fire protection
Ability: Matoi Flag Flares(3)
Cooldown: 24 hours -> does not need to use all three to reset
Lucy smacked a fist into her palm. "So that's where that random mop came from. When we gave her that orb she summoned a mop on fire and shot it at Beccas brother." Rebecca burst laughed at that.
The lady reverted her eyes back to normal and rolled them. "He made one too many of his jokes and wanted to shut him up. He's such a gonk sometimes."
Rebecca did calming down a bit snorted. "You mean all the time. I swear I wouldn't be surprised if he ran his mouth to the wrong guy and end up dead in a hole." Cobalt winced and noticed how slightly unnerved Rukia and Tengen were getting. Time to change the subject.
"So what you got from the epic capsule? Should be better then…um I never catches your name." The lady smiled and held up a hand. "Gloria Martinez. I'm a EMT, emergency medical technician. I run into these girls and their group quite often." Cobalt shook her hand with his own smile.
"It's nice to meet you. I assume they told you about the shop right?" She nodded glancing around a bit. "Yes your shop of another world. It sounded so far fetched until Rebecca burped up flames without a implant. Then Lucy got those weird string gloves from the purple capsule. Honestly I thought monowire was deadly but those strings are something else." Cobalt raised a brow at Lucy.
She only gave a smirk and held up a hand showing off a fingerless red glove with a metal ring on the back of the hand. Thats odd, he feels like he seen that glove-
Strings. Red glove. More dangerous then those whips of Lucys?
His gears started picking up speed, a sweat went down his face. "Ah~. It seems you know what it is choom. My watch gave me the run down but why don't you share with the class." Lucy smirk was now a shit eating grin, the hand she held up had a thread of string spinning around her finger.
Tengen and Rukia turned to him with raised brows. "Those gloves…are the Imperial Arms,Teigu, Infinite Uses:Cross Tail. A weapon made out of a powerful beast and grants the user indestructible strings that they can manipulate them into anything they want. Armor, weapons, hell even can be used to re-attach limbs. The only limit is in turn of infinite possibilities, it has limited string."
Tengen whistled while Rukia gawked at the glove on Lucys hand. "She got that from the Gachapon? Thats amazing! It's like a shikai! Maybe close to a Bandai ability."
Cobalt shook his head. "By itself it's definitely around a Shikai. But when you use its Trump card it's power can possibly rival a Bankai. Realm Cutting Thread is a thread even stronger then it's regular string and from what I seen can restrain a incredibly powerful armor type teigu. If it has unlimited string I would definitely say it's stronger than most Bankais."
Lucy nodded and retracted the string. "Thats why I'll be using it only for emergencies. I'm hoping to pull a way to replenish them or upgrade them to make infinite string."
Tengen nodded. "Yes I can see why that came out a epic capsule. Quite the flashy weapon. Palutena Bow has so far been also incredibly flashy but the arrows can't kill demons but it can slow down their regeneration to nearly a stop. I have 35 credits and wish to supply my wife's with their own abilities and weapons. They'll soon be sent on a surveillance mission to keep a eye out for a possible demon that's been hiding amongst humans." Cobalt rolled his eyes at the mentioned wifes. As in plural.
He has three wife's that are all Kunoichis that he loves to tell others. While he may not be Issei and want to become a harem king of breasts, Tengen getting three women to agree to share him is quite the achievement to Cobalt. Rukia was use to it as nobels are usually seen with multiple concubines or mistresses, and Lucy's group are desensitized from it.
"I'll be upgrading Pocky soon and from what I seen the store credit increases. So instead of one per box it's 2. I can only upgrade a item twice before it caps out with a brand, which thankfully I can upgrade one type of item instead of each individually. Would of burn through all my money if I did it one by one."
After the Hashira meeting to the sixth made $2400, adding to his old total, he had about $3200. To upgrade Pocky too Tier 2 it would be $1500. All tier 1 sweets expect for the ice cream are the same prices. The ice cream needs $1700 for ice cream sandwich, $2000 for the tubs of ice cream, and $2500 for sea salt ice cream. The prices for them also increases thankfully so he can make a little bit more. Though he doesn't know why, but isn't this…inefficient?
"Wouldn't it be better to start selling new product? Your prices are supposed to be based off a American general store from the old ages. So it would stay around that range. You should start moving on to other stuff that gives you the big bucks." Rebecca said, jumping to sit on the counter, grabbing a bag of popcorn to eat. Better pay for that.
"I agree. Your sweets have great effects but with how cheap they are, you need to start selling more valuable products." Rukia added. The sweets were helpful in regaining some of her lost Reiryoku, enough to use more basic Kidō but not much after that. She too was storing store credit but having to save money for supplies from Urahara's shop, she only had 7 credits.
Tengen agreed as well. To them Cobalt was being to shy with his shop. His focus was too much on saving and penny pitching when he should be expanding. The Gachapon is a massive gain, they'll always be appreciative and grateful for letting them use it, but he doesn't gain much from it. More customers and more products sold but not much money flowing in. Though the difference in currency is being quite a issue when it's worth less then theirs.
Mitsuri pulled some of the Hashiras aside to tell them to push the idea for him to start selling other stuff. She was worried for Cobalt wasn't making enough profit to support his shop especially when upgrading what he already has leaves him with such little amount. It grants them more selections to buy as well!
Cobalt sighed. "I don't know. I don't have a lot and the cheapest option is accessories for $3000. I gotta stay with what I have." Rukia and Tengen sighed but Rebecca simply rolled back on his side of the counter and went to the computer. Cobalt doubted she had access to the comp-
She whistled as she opened the market with nothing stopping her. Seriously? He thought only he can use the computer! Should he invest in security? Over the few days of the Gachapon he gotta all common. Basic stuff you can find anywhere. The best thing he gotten was a deck holster you find in Yugioh. Yes his luck was terrible and wondered if he was cursed by a higher being. Who did he have to pray for better stuff!?
"Wow your not joking. Everything leaves you broke or you can't afford it. Tier 1 melee type weaponry is 30k. Holy shit Teir 1 guns are 80k! Are you sure you aren't being scammed?"
"That's ridiculous! You can get a unity for 200 eddies at the lowest. What does it bring?"
"Doesn't say and that's bullshit. You can't even preview what you get? You must love gambling huh?"
Cobalt groaned and put his head into his arms on the counter. "It hasn't been a month so im still new to all this. When I signed up for this gig I wasn't expecting to start with nothing but the building and clothes on my back. The manual said the shop is me and I'm the shop. Didn't think it meant literally."
Rebecca noticed the messages and checks out the manual. That's when she saw a fact from it. "Wait this computer is the heart? The shop is running off this outdated thing?" She leaned down and winced at the incredibly basic pc it's attached too. "This is just sad."
Cobalt groaned and put his head into his arms. "Don't remind me. It can only access the market, my finances, the encyclopedia for information and messages. I can also keep tract of customers but it only shows their name and store credit. I dont have much plans other then get more money."
Rebecca shook her head and was gonna leave when she thought of something. "Hey Luce. Try to connect to back into this thing will ya?"
Lucy raised a brow. "Why? Last time I did I got hit with a wall of codes ands text. Impossible to go through."
Rebecca only grinned and turned to Cobalt. "Well~. What if we get Col over here permission to do it?" He blinked at what she said and the nickname. "What difference does that make?"
"The manual said it's the heart of the shop so it gotta have more than this crap, and since your supposedly also the shop maybe it's like some psychic bond type thing."
He deadpanned. "Thats a reach but what do I get to lose. Lucy you have permission to check for whatever is in the computer." He said shrugging and they watched Lucy eyes flare up. What they didn't expect was her eyes to glow as bright as a searchlight.
Lucy was expecting the wall of vast numbers and code that rushed around her like a never ending river. Only to find it now a path leading into a digital version of the shop! Looking around she noticed she wasn't quick hacking anymore but actually deep in the computers server.
Walking down the path, all around her was a void with zeros and ones that appear and disappear everytime she would look around. Just as she reached the doors her vison blacken for a second. When it came back she realized she was in the shop. All around her was a digital replica of it, from the shelves to the freezer and counter. "What the hell? I never seen something like this before." She walked up the counter, each step left behind 1s and 0s, when she look to find the computer was now replaced by a big digital book. It looked to be based off a leather back encyclopedia that seem to contain more polygons then anything around her. She opened it to a random page and a holographic page appeared.
System Stability: Unstable
Market: 56% unlocked
Encyclopedia: 100% unlocked
Finances: 50% unlocked
Missions: ERROR -unable to unlock-
Training: ERROR -unable to unlock-
WorldLine: ERROR -unstable connection-
Donations: ERROR -unable to unlock-
Synthesis: ERROR -unable to unlock-
Security: ERROR -unstable connection-
World Progression: ERROR -unstable connection-
Would you like to troubleshoot?
Lucy accepted and the screen was replaced by a loading screen. About a minute past before a new message appeared.
(5) Problem found
-Shop intergration to the world is unstable. Shopkeeper Cobalt cannot connect to the world. All functions to the world are disabled. Half of system availability has been locked.
-System Stability cannot be increase. Parts cannot handle full access to system usage. Setting locked to bare minimum.
-Shop cannot integrate main currency. Shopkeeper Cobalt past currency is to be a place holder till intergration is fixed. Main currency to be used as reward for now.
-Item Synthesis cannot be integrated. No area to turn in products outside world. Cannot accept items to integrate into the shop from customers. Seek temporary location to accept items.
-Shopkeeper Cobalt abilities are sealed. Value Perception semi sealed. Analysis sealed. C1r(17$ seAleD. N0&3/ %h1/&:&"+* sEalEd. Shopkeeper C0&a/^ @/$:/&/@——————
Now now. Let's not give too much away Shooting Star~
WARINING! WARNING! WARNING!
CONNECTION UNSTABLE! FIREWALL BOOTING UP! IN 5…4….3…..
The entire world around Lucy began to shake and dispersed into binary code. The walls and floor cracking making her step back as a rush of code started to gush into the area A bang sounded out behind her, turning to find the front doors wide open. "Shit! Rebecca and Cobalt owe me one."
She ran to the doors, dodging knocked over shelves and cracks and rushed through in time for the wall of code and numbers to return where the digital shop was at. Her bison blacks out once again and a rush of heat fill her being.
Lucy jerked back and almost fell backwards when Tengen appeared behind her and caught her. Her body was slightly warm so he helped mover her over to the freezer. Leaning her against the cool metal he asked. "You were in some trance for a few minutes and your body started heating up. I don't know much about technology but does it usually risk you like this?"
Gloria went to check her over while Cobalt brought a water bottle to her. She thanked him and chugged it down."Usually it would be something small to effect me but I underestimated it." She finished the water bottle and sighed. "Your computer has a replica of the shop inside of it in digital form. The computer was replaced by a book though and when I opened it, a screen appeared. It was a system analysis I believe and when I troubleshooted turns out the biggest problem is you Cobalt."
"HUH!? ME!?" What the hell did he do? He followed the manual didn't he? He used what he got simple as that!
Lucy shook her head. "Not intentionally. The system can't be used fully without replacing the pc with better specs so you wouldn't be able to find the problem or even know there's a problem until you upgraded the pc. Second, your unable to connect to the world so the system can't access functions to the world. Don't know nothing about that, can't help you there."
"Connect to the world? I named the world! The world is suppose to become a concept…of what I make the shop." Cobalt remember a detail he was told. The world was a reflection got the shop. What he makes of the shop shapes the world. The shop is him and he's the shop. Yet he never felt anything from the world or shop. Dont tell him he's been set up?
"The world is a reflection of shop so also of me. Is that why it doesn't contain anything but land and grass?"
"Huh!?" Gloria and Rukia exclaimed befuddled. "Reflection of the world!? So the world is like this because it's suppose to be you like you?" Gloria asked looking out a window.
"That sounds like this world is a like a zanpakutō! Thats sounds amazing!" Rukia said in awe.
The world was a endless world of grass covered in morning dew and hills. Warm winds, stars in the sky even during the day. But that's it. No animals. No trees. No flowers or structures. Just a shop. That did trigger a memory of another anime, but he can't remember it clearly. That does raise some questions.
Has he ever explored the world? No he hasn't. Since day one he's been in and around the shop. Training but never exploring the world. He never went out further to see if anything else appeared. He doubt anything will.
The manual never mentioned he had to connect to the world. Was…was he intentionally given the bare minimum? Or was something holding him back?
Cobalt ran hand through his face and hair disheartened. "Anything else I fucked up in?"
*Whack*
"Gah! Why!?" Tengen shook his head slightly glaring at him. "How unflashy. You can't blame yourself when you didn't even know. So knock it off with your self pity." Rukia agreed with a smile. "He's right. Thats something you couldn't have known with it telling you. Besides exploring the world sounds like fun! If I'm ever free let know so I can join."
"Oh shit me too! I wanna see more of this place. Maybe set up a little camp like those nomads. Hey Luce you think we should see if Flaco can set that shit up?"
"Asking a nomad to live away from rules in another world not destroyed by human ingenuity? Come on now."
"Hell yeah!"
Rebecca cheered while Lucy giggled a little. Rukia and Tengen talked about how useful a world untouch is great for training thinking about what they can possibly find.
Lucy blinked. "Oh there's more. So you suppose to have something for us to turn in items. You can integrate them into the shop so I believe it's another way for us to pay and you to profit from."
"Wait what? That wasn't in the manual either?" Now Cobalt felt more suspicious. Was it because it's too early for him to learn…or on purpose to prevent form growing? Was it that narrating guy? No, he's the one who gave him this chance. So another force?
Lucy got up and reached into the freezer to get a ice cream sandwich. "Also you should get a box or something. You were suppose to have a area for customers to trade in items for credits. Also your prices aren't suppose to be based off USD either."
"Trade in items? Wait it's not suppose to be USD!? Was suppose to sell things in credits?" He asked even more confused. Then again it made sense. Not everyone had USD and it isn't fair when some world has to pay double or another pays for half.
What the hell was going on!?
Noticing he was getting frustrated Tengen slapped a hand onto his shoulder. "You need to relax a bit. It's unflashy to get upset and not think things through. Now is there anything else wrong?"
"Umm oh! He was supposed be get powers! Their sealed with only one being half sealed. Value Perception or something." Lucy said shrugging, not knowing what it is.
Cobalt nodded with a grim look. "So I was suppose to have abilities huh? If I were to guess it's my ability to touch a item and receive information on what it can do and the price I have to sell it in. Guess it's more to it then that."
Rebecca grinned and slapped his back hard. "Cheer up choom. It's not like you got to figure this out alone. We got to make a plan and tell the other gonks about it."
Gloria nodded and raised a hand, holding up one finger. "The first problem is your computer can't handle the full extend of the shop, locking you out of most of its functions."
Rukia raised a hand with two fingers. "Next is your world is a suppose to be reflecting off the shop but it's being cut off somehow. I think I can help you but I'll have to bring in someone with better knowledge then me. I think I know a guy."
Rebecca grinned and leaned over his should with a hand holding up three fingers. "Thirdly, is a place for us to turn in items for sweet rewards! I can ask my gonk of a brother to set up a vendor here probably. Though make sure to clean it, he's pretty fucking disgusting and doesn't wash after wanking it."
Gloria and Lucy shivered. There's no way he's that foul right? Tengen wrinkled his nose at that.
Cobalt ignored the awful fact and smiled. "Finally, find a way to unlock my powers and set the prices back to credits I believe. Though until I can figure how too, it'll stay as USD. Sorry Tengen, still gotta pay more."
Tengen rolled his eyes. "Don't worry I'll just beat my frustrations on you during training. I'll let the other Hashiras know what's up. Until then, continue learning total concentration and bulking up. You'll miss out this years final selection so you'll have to join the next."
Cobalt eyes narrowed at him. "I thought I was only learning to defend my self. When did I agree to be a demon slayer."
"It was always planned! Though I guess I was suppose to tell you later."
"You fucker! I thought our agreement was I supply you guys with stuff and I get training!?"
"Oh that's with our master. Us Hashira on the other hand…"
"You guys were gonna force me to be a demon slayer!?"
"Now you get it!"
"Damn you!" Cobalt leaped into the air to tackle Tengen, only to eat wood as his target sped away to the door. Tengen grinned and waved. "I'm off now! I'll inform Mitsuri and Obanai to increase your training! Could awaken your power! Take care!"
"You bastard! Your gonna get me killed!" Cobalt roared at him despite Tengen already back in his world. Rebecca laughed at the two while eveyone else shook their heads amused. Soon eveyone left as the day came to a close. He send out a message to all watches about potential future changes to the store, if he can figure out how to at least.
The sixth day was quite the eye opener for Cobalt and open him to many questions. Why was he being restrained? Who was targeting him? Will Iguro ever give him a break? Was it also related to why he can't seem to pull anything useful out the Gachapon? Can shit get any more complicated?
On the final day of the third week, is when he realized….
He really should stop asking questions.
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First month of the shop is getting closer to the end. Soon the 'tutorial' will come to a close and the plot will thicken. Now I never planned to use USD as the currency as not every world as the same currency and could have something more valuable or less.
As for the supposed abilities of the shopkeeper, wonder what force is preventing Cobalt full access to his shop and world. I'll give you a hint, it's not the narrator ;)
Have a good day~