Chapter 25: Rewards and new skills

Opening his eyes, Leo found himself in his own room. Unlike the OPM world, he spent three months in the Fairy Tail world, so he felt a bit out of place returning to his own world.

"Phew, I still have my farmlands of hair," Leo sighed with relief after checking his scalp for any baldness. If anything scared him more than Outer Gods or world-destroying enemies, it was his fear of baldness.

After removing his clothes, he got into bed and removed his old and worn artificial left hand.

"Come to think of it, this pal didn't break when I used my OPM ability…" Leo muttered while examining his left artificial arm. While punching Deliora, Leo had used his left hand for the punches. Theoretically, his left hand should have been shattered by the sheer law-defying force of the OPM ability, but it didn't get a scratch on it.

[This is because the ability considers your left arm the same as an actual limb while rejecting your hair.]

"Well, I get it." Leo rolled his eyes as he tossed his left arm to the side before focusing on the rewards he had received from the mission. "So, let's see the rewards."

[Well, the Fairy Tail world was very happy with the outcome of your deeds, like restoring Erza Scarlet's mental health and saving Ultear from unnecessary drama. By balancing the evil, it now considers itself stable.]

Hearing the compliment, Leo almost rejoiced until he noticed something. "Was happy? What do you mean?"

[Yes, but then you buried one of the strongest mages into the ground. Including the fact that Irene Belserion is alive, you have also altered her fate to the unknown. Now she is actively searching for your traces, thus altering her original goal.]

"Oh, come on! She came for me in the first place. I couldn't just leave her be knowing she was keeping an eye on Erza and me."

Leo wasn't someone to leave matters unresolved. If he had left like this, Irene might have captured Erza and forced her to reveal Leo's whereabouts. In that case, she would probably have destroyed the Fairy Tail guild in the process.

"You didn't compromise for the rewards, right?"

[Who do you take me for? Hmph.]

Wow, Leo had no idea a computerized AI could snort like this.

[It didn't want to pay the required price, but then I explained your service and that we would be solving other crises for the world if another Parasite were to show up or to kill Acnologia directly. But if any compromise was made by the world, I would terminate the contract.]

"Well played," Leo grinned. As long as he got his cut, he wasn't complaining. "Let's see what goodies I scored."

[Very well. Here are your rewards from the mission:

Pocket Dimension – 4 meters squared (Extended) Ability: Self-Teaching (Basic) 10x Random Gacha Summon Ability: Power of Friendship Lv. 1 (Gift from Fairy Tail world) 30,000 DPs]

The breakdown continued with explanations for the new abilities:

[Self-Teaching (Basic): You can put any skill in the panel and instructions on how to improve it will be downloaded into your mind, up to Level 5.]

[Power of Friendship Lv. 1 (Gift from Fairy Tail world): Your powers and odds of victory increase when fighting alongside friends who trust you.]

"Whoa, these are some sweet rewards, except..." Leo trailed off, a mix of emotions swirling within him. The Self-Teaching and upgraded Pocket Dimension were fantastic, but the Power of Friendship ability felt...off.

It just sounded so cheesy! "We won with the power of friendship!" Ugh, the thought made him cringe. Leo could already feel the embarrassment radiating off him.

Pushing the awkwardness aside, he declared, "Let's do this gacha!" Without further ado, he spun the digital wheel.

[You have gained the following:

Item: Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu (Fate Series) Item: Coin Item: Uchiha Fan (Fake) (Naruto) Item: Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu (Duplicate) Ability: The Fish-Singing Translator (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Item: The Spoon of Destiny (Monty Python and the Holy Grail) Item: Extremely Spicy Mapo Tofu (Triple Threat!) Item: Basic Sword Item: Shield Device (Dune movies) Ability: Voice (Rare) (Dune movies)]

"Holy moly!" Leo exclaimed, flabbergasted by his gacha haul. With his usual luck, he expected a pile of junk, but against all odds, he'd snagged two incredible items from the same Dune movie series.

The shield, featured in Dune movies 1 and 2, was a belt-mounted generator that deflected projectiles at high speeds. However, slow-moving objects like knives in close combat could bypass the barrier.

The other prize, the Voice ability, belonged to the Bene Gesserit of the Dune universe. Unlike telepathy, the Voice didn't directly project thoughts. Instead, users modulated their vocal tones to exploit subconscious triggers in the listener. By targeting the emotional centers of the brain, the Voice bypassed conscious reasoning and compelled obedience.

It did have limitations, though. The Voice worked best with short, clear instructions. Complex orders or long-term manipulation were difficult to achieve, and strong-willed individuals, especially those suspecting its use, could resist it.

The system chimed in, "[Actually, based on your actions in the Fairy Tail world, your Luck stat seems to have stabilized.]"

"Really?" Leo chuckled, remembering how he'd saved countless lives from the Tower of Heaven and helped Ultear reunite with her mother. Maybe those good deeds boosted his Luck.

Regardless, Leo was thrilled with the results. The Voice was a valuable skill he'd definitely utilize in the future. He instructed the system to convert the remaining items into DPs and then requested his updated status.

---

[Status]

Name: Leonidas (Ryu) Stellafarius

Race: Human (General)

Energies: -

DPs: 32,300

Skills & Abilities:

Passive: (Power of Friendship Lv. 1)

Active: (Self-Teaching - Basic), (Simulation Lv. 4), (One-Punch Man Lv. 1), (Voice Lv. 1)

Items:

(Desert Eagle), (Straight Sword), (Shield – Device)

---

Unlike before, he now had points for three more pulls, but he decided to save them for later. For the time being, he had enough prowess to fight some advanced enemies.

The hunger pangs gnawing at his stomach sent Leo shuffling towards the kitchen. There, he found Roberta, his ever-stoic terminator maid, diligently cleaning the countertops.

"R-Roberta, shouldn't you be outside patrolling?" Leo stammered, offering a sheepish smile.

He'd tasked Roberta with outdoor chores to give himself time to complete the mission, but seeing her indoors threw him off guard.

Roberta's response was devoid of surprise. "I returned to collect some documents. However, I believe I understand your motivation for requesting my absence." Her gaze swept over him, a silent scan that sent shivers down most spines. Unlike most girls, Roberta wouldn't be fawning over his physique. Leo knew she was looking for something more.

"Your physique seems denser," she noted, "and those pants are worse for wear."

A wave of realization dawned on Leo. He hadn't changed his clothes! He was still sporting the same pair he'd worn for a week in the Fairy Tail world. Roberta's keen eyes had undoubtedly picked up on the inconsistency.

She removed her glasses, her touch surprisingly gentle as she brushed her fingers across his cheek. The gesture felt more like a predator sizing up its prey than a show of affection.

"A maid shouldn't pry into matters beyond her duties," Roberta began, her voice barely a whisper, "but..." her eyes flickered with a flicker of vulnerability, "will my master share these secrets with me?"

Leo sighed, a smile tugging at his lips. He reached up and patted her head affectionately. "Sure, Roberta," he chuckled, "but on the condition that you're available when I need you again."

With dimensional hopping on the horizon, Leo knew he'd need to recruit allies. And in this world, Roberta was his most trusted confidante.

Roberta's lips curved into a rare, genuine smile before she donned her glasses, her stoic mask returning. "Very well. I'll iron your clothes. Please go wash up first."

Leo nodded with a smile, and after Roberta left, Leo thought about other Black Lagoon characters, "I wonder what Revy's up to these days," he mused aloud. "Speaking of which, doesn't she owe me a sex?"

He shook his head with a laugh, dismissing the thought before heading for the shower.

===

I was originally going to grant MC some OP abilities like Devil Fruit but I wanted to write some strategic fights. Instant OP would just bland the story.

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