Equipped

It was morning, and I still had time before Tuya showed me to the shops, so I decided to be productive. Yesterday had felt extraordinarily long, but the only real advancement to my power had been when I completed the quest. Even then, I didn't end up leveling a single time.

—

Name: Aster Tempest

Level: 7

Class: Mage Lv.7

Titles: N/A

Health: 100%

Mana: 49/49

—

Strength: 13

Dexterity: 20

Constitution: 13

Intelligence: 21

Willpower: 15

—

Traits: [Gamer's Body] [Gamer's Mind] [Disengage E]

Skills: [Martial Arts Lv.2] [Enter Dungeon Lv.1] [Observe Lv.4] [Stealth Lv.2] [Sword Arts Lv.1] [Meditation Lv.2] [Knife Arts Lv.1] [Freerunning Lv.1]

Magic: [Mana Bolt Lv.3] [Mana Control Lv.3] [Wind Magic Lv.2] [Whirlwind Sprint Lv.1]

—

<Inventory>

<Quests>

<Gatcha>

—

While I would love to focus on gaining skill and hands-on experience to complement my power, I realized I didn't have the time to take it slow. So the first thing I decided to do was try and take better advantage of quests.

I had taken the drawback that only allowed me 10 at a time, but still, I wasn't currently using any of the slots.

They shouldn't be difficult to create. I had already done it multiple times by accident. From what I could tell, I just needed to feel the need to do something and relate it to a goal that I could pursue. There was one easy thing that came to mind almost immediately.

—

Quest Created!

[Defeat Salem: Stop Salem from obtaining the 4 relics of creation and destroying the world.]

Success: +100,000xp, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???

Failure: Death, ???

—

Wow, I wonder what level my system would classify Salem as? I don't even think I could begin to guess for the quest to be worth that much. But it would need to happen eventually. Sure, I could try and avoid the main plot, run away to some backwater town, and hide away. But would that even help?

I don't believe Team RWBY will fail in their quest to stop Salem. However, I don't have confidence in the state of the world after they do. Sure, after Volume 9, the world seems to be working together, but that doesn't negate the massive amount of damage Salem and her forces did to civilization.

Vale and Mistral are left with very little protection and on the brink of collapse, Atlas becoming this world's Atlantis, and Vacuo on the chopping block next. I would need to help this world because, to borrow a loose quote from Guardians of the Galaxy, I'm one of the idiots who lives in it.

Unfortunately, that quest wouldn't help me get stronger at the moment. So maybe I should try something easier and more immediate. I had to sit there for a couple minutes trying to get in the right mindset for it to work, but eventually, it did.

—

Quest Created!

[Gather Supplies: Go shopping and gather the supplies you will need for the future.]

Success: +5xp, +Supplies

Failure: None

—

Might have gone a bit too easy for that one. Sure, I wouldn't mind the xp, but it was a pretty pitiful amount. Maybe I needed to give a bit more thought to these? I sat down on the bed, confirmed I still had plenty of time, and started brainstorming.

—

Quest Created!

[Stop Cinder: Stop Cinder from obtaining the relics of knowledge at Haven Academy.]

Success: +1,000xp, ???, ???

Failure: ???

—

I considered this one a relative failure. I guess that in my head, I already knew she wouldn't get the relic. This must have affected the quest's difficulty and, therefore, reward.

—

Daily Quest Created!

[Daily Training: Seriously push your body in training for at least an hour a day.]

Success: +10xp, +1 Random Physical Attribute Point

Failure: Random Attribute Debuff -1 for 1 day

—

Success! Sure, I wouldn't get much xp, but the attribute point would be handy. I also learned I could make more variable quests, so I would consider that as I made more.

—

Tiered Quest Created!

[Weaken Spider: The gang Spider has gotten on your bad side. Weaken their hold on the city and fight back. For now, just stop them from expanding into this territory.]

Success: +1,500xp, ???, ???

Failure: ???

—

Another success! This quest would update with better rewards for completing stages of weakening Spider. Starting from just kicking them out of the territory around the orphanage and ending with completely destroying them. I probably should have made the Salem quest like that, but I found I couldn't change it.

This realization made me decide to keep the rest of my quest slots for later. I didn't know when I would need them, and with me being unable to remove them, I decided to err on the side of caution.

This left me with 15 more minutes to get ready to leave and one more thing to do. I wasn't expecting much from my gacha roll for the day. Maybe it was its failure to help me earlier, but I wouldn't be expecting much from now on.

'Roll x1'

—

Summoning Complete!

Gained: [1x - Eversmoking Bottle - Uncommon - A one-pound brass bottle filled with thick smoke that pours out endlessly when opened. The smoke almost immediately covers an area of 60 feet and can eventually grow to 120 feet.]

—

Not bad. Sure, it wasn't a powerful magic item, but I was sure I could find a use for it. I pulled it out of my inventory and admired the intricate craftsmanship and swirling smoke I could see in the bottle. I was almost tempted to test it out here but decided to wait until I was outside and alone.

But that would have to wait. Right now I have to go shopping.

&&&&&&&&&&&

"So, I'm guessing you want to hit up a clothing store before going anywhere else?" Tuya asked as she led me away from the orphanage.

"Sure." I looked down at the clothes I borrowed from Scarlett. "Having more than one thing to wear is probably good." But this would be a lot of pressure. It seemed like everyone important had a cool outfit that mostly matched or complimented their color scheme. I guess it was some sort of cultural thing on Remnant?

"So what are you looking for exactly?"

Good question. "Definitely something I can fight in." It was also temperate at the moment, and I didn't see any signs of fall, so it was either spring or summer. "I'd prefer shorts, but I don't really have much else, as you could probably tell I'm not the most fashion-focused."

"Well, lucky for you, I am." Tuya studied me carefully. "And I know the perfect place to go."

We spent the time it took for us to make it to the store talking about colors. Tuya preferred white to go with her hair, amber to match her eyes, and, apparently, Aura color. But, since we didn't know my Aura color yet, she recommended I choose light blue, and whatever I felt spoke to me. Whatever that means.

"Here we are." Tuya led me through the shop's door, "Evolution Clothes, they have a good selection and even better activewear." I then learned that activewear was much more durable on Remnant than I was used to. I suppose it was just the differences between human limits here and how far people would push clothes.

We spent the next hour shopping for clothes, I only got a couple outfits, but Tuya kept trying to get me to try on more things. Apparently, my insistence on black as my secondary color was boring, but I thought it looked cool. Eventually, I decided to add some white after some convincing.

After getting a pair of light blue running shoes, I felt like I was almost done. I just needed some extra things, like a pair of black fingerless gloves to hide my Mark of the Gamer and dim the light it gave off. Though the topic of hiding my powers did make me think of something. If I wanted to keep my inventory discreet, I would need a plausible way to access items and weapons.

I asked Tuya, and her answer helped.

"Well, I mostly use knives." She pulled what looked like a high-tech kunai knife out of her top. "I keep a couple on me at all times, but when I go out, I have a pouch to store the more volatile ones." She returned it, and I couldn't tell it was there. "For you, I would recommend lots of pockets or loose clothing. The things you pull out don't have to all fit in them, but it at least gives you some plausible deniability."

I looked down at my blue shorts and black T-shirt. "So, some sort of jacket or cloak?" I looked around for a while before I found something I would wear. It was a white jacket with some black accents that I got a couple sizes too big. Even better, it had a light blue lining on the inside that I felt really made it come together.

I grabbed a couple other things just in case and then checked out. I mourned as a good chunk of my lien was spent in one place. After that, I hopped into an alley and dumped everything in my inventory so I wouldn't have to carry it. This also allowed me to use the equip function to change into my outfit.

"How do I look?" I liked how the jacket looked, but I would probably keep it open and roll up the sleeves most of the time. Though the outfit did make me feel chuuni as fuck, especially with the gloves.

"Not sure about the black t-shirt, but everything else looks good." She complimented me and grabbed my arm. "Now it's time for some real shopping!"

My eyes widened as I realized her evil plan. She only decided to go shopping with me so she could use me to carry an unlimited amount of stuff. I had only planned to be here for a bit longer than an hour!

&&&&&&&

Over the next two hours, we walked from shop to shop, and Tuya collected more and more items that I now had in my inventory. From clothes to books and even some toys for the children, she apparently decided to make the most out of having me here.

I bought a couple more essentials, like a toothbrush and the like, but most of the time was spent following her around. It was times like these when I lamented the loss of my phone. I would seriously have to get a scroll once I saved up enough money.

I was so bored that I eventually resorted to people-watching. It was then that I realized something weird. We were getting a decent amount of people just glaring at us. Most of the clerks would observe us as we made our way through the stores, and I was pretty sure a private security guard was following us for a bit.

'Oh,' I'm an idiot. The glares weren't at us. They were at Tuya specifically. I remember hearing Mistral was pretty bad with the Faunus stuff but was this normal? I knew she was a thief, but I didn't think that was the reason. I doubt Scarlett would let her steal so close to home and draw attention. Also, with her semblance, I doubt she would get caught.

"Just ignore them," Tuya muttered as she handed me what I hoped was the final bag of the day.

"Is it normally like this?" I asked, though a second later, I realized she probably wouldn't want to discuss this. Especially with who her mom was and from what I could gather about her situation.

"Let me guess, it wasn't this bad in your village?" I nodded. It was a close enough analog to my situation. "Eh, it's always been pretty shit, but it's definitely been getting worse recently. With all those stories about the White Fang being involved in the Fall of Beacon," She scowled, "Of course, it doesn't help that humans like to lump us all together as terrorists." She looked over at me. "No offense, you seem fine."

Thanks, I guess? "None taken." Now that I looked for it, I even saw a weapons/dust shop with a no Faunus sign on the door. "I just don't get it." Like, intellectually, I knew stuff like this happened fairly recently on Earth. But still, It's unsettling seeing it in person.

It was a few seconds of quiet walking before Tuya broke it. "Well, enough of this depressing shit. You said you wanted something to fight in, so I assume you can fight."

I registered the change of topic quickly and decided to go along with it. "Yeah, I guess," How do I put this? "I don't have my Aura unlocked yet, but I can pull off some tricks with my semblance."

"Ah yeah, Scar told me about that earlier, a semblance working without Aura," she shook her head, "It's weird, but I was actually asking about your weapon."

"Huh, ok, I have some experience using a sword and dagger, but that was mostly just about availability and only against monsters." I would let her make the assumption I meant Grimm. "I have trained in fighting people hand to hand, but I wouldn't say I'm amazing at it."

"Fine then, how about a weapon you want to use? Gunmetal can hook you up for some cash. I'm pretty sure we even get a discount, but you'd have to ask Scar about that."

I thought about it. "Nothing specific comes to mind." But then, I thought back to the weapons shop we had just passed, and to a specific weapon I had seen in the shop's window. "Actually, I have always wanted to try a bow." Maybe if I could level up my Mana Bolt, I could shoot magic arrows or something? That sounds cool.

But I had to remember I was trying to find ways to get stronger quickly. There was another way I could use to shoot magic arrows and even boost my elemental magic. I could learn how to use Dust. Unfortunately, I saw the prices while shopping today, and Dust was fairly expensive.

The prices will probably get even worse when Ironwood closes the border. I wasn't exactly sure when that would happen, but it was sometime before the main team arrived.

"Are you too busy fantasizing about your weapon to listen?" Tuya asked.

I had done it again! And this time, I couldn't even blame it on the system. "Sorry about that. I was thinking about what Dust I could add to a bow."

"Probably nothing for now. Most reputable stores are Schnee Company affiliated and are being hit pretty hard by the embargo. You can also probably guess most of the bastard's feelings about people like me."

"Yeah, bastards," I mumbled. Looks like I would have to wait for a new weapon and Dust. It's not like I could just take some.

…

…

Wait, no, I definitely could just take some.

—

Quest Created!

[Steal From Champer's Shop: Successfully steal Dust and a Weapon without being caught ]

Success: +50xp, +5,000 Lien

Failure: ???

—

"One second, I have something I have to do." I pulled us both into an alley and looked around to ensure nobody could see us. Then, I summoned my system book in a much less attention-grabbing flash now that I had gloves.

I unequipped my more attention-grabbing clothes and switched them to my black shorts and a cheap black hoodie I had bought in case it was needed. Finally, I didn't know the extent of Remnants' security systems, so I put on a pair of sunglasses.

I turned back to see Tuya looking at me with her eyebrows raised. "You're gonna try it?"

I shrugged. "Sure, should I not?"

"I should probably tell you not to do it, but I kinda want to see how this plays out, so all I'll tell you is that Scar's probably gonna be mad." She smirked. "Also, I can't go in with you for obvious reasons, but I might be able to snag some things from the outside."

Ok, so she switches some objects and probably goes for high-value targets. "Can you still switch things without having to see them?"

"Sure, as long as I know where it is."

"Then I have a plan."

&&&&&&&&&&

Unlike the food, I didn't really need the Dust I was about to steal. Usually, this would mean I would avoid doing it, but something else was influencing me this time. Generally, I just thought it was fine to steal from racist pricks.

That's it. Now to the actual plan.

I knew I looked pretty suspicious like this. So I only had a few minutes to get everything in order when I entered the store. First, I found where there were security cameras. I probably didn't have to do this part, but it was a precaution. I only found two on the main floor and memorized their positions.

Next, I made sure to locate the Dust I would be taking. I wanted to focus on Wind dust because I already had some familiarity with the element. Still, I would try and grab some different kinds on the way.

Finally, I made my way to the front to admire the weapon I would be taking. It looked almost basic compared to the other weapons I had seen, but it was mecha shift, and I thought it would do me good until I could get something better. It was also pretty much pure gray, but that could be fixed.

[Observation: Mecha-Shift Bow-Sword - Uncommon - A weapon that can shift from a straight double-bladed sword into a recurve bow, it has slots in it to accommodate Dust.]

The thought of blasting magic arrows from the sky reminded me of Terraria. Coincidentally, ranger was always my secondary class in Terraria. Now that I think about it, mage was my primary… I definitely wasn't choosing my powers based on a 12-year-old 2D sandbox game, no matter how good it was.

"Kid." I looked over to see a larger man standing behind me. "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." I quickly observed him, and he was apparently a security guard and only level 12. He had Aura, but I doubted he knew how to use it well.

Well, time for plan B.

"Yeah, sure, but I just have one question." I reached into my hoodie pocket and pulled out the Eversmoking Bottle. "What do you think I could sell this dust for?"

The man stared at the bottle in confusion for a few seconds before asking. "What is that?"

"Here, why don't you get a closer look?" I held the bottle out to him and opened the lead stopper.

"Wha-"

Thick smoke poured from the bottle and almost immediately filled the area around us with a blinding gray smoke. I dropped it to the ground so it could continue doing its thing.

'Mana Bolt'

I used a relatively weak one to launch the guard back as he tried to regain his composure. This also had the benefit of clearing the area directly before me. Then, I fired two more normal Mana Bolts, where I was fairly sure the security cameras were, and began my heist.

I wanted to get out quickly, so I immediately pulled my knife out and smashed the case around the Sword-Bow. Immediately I inventoried the weapon and started to make my way to where the Dust was.

*Cough* Ugh, maybe because it is magical, the smoke isn't as bad as if it were from a fire. But it still didn't feel great to breathe in. So I channeled some Mana into my throat before blowing out and converting it to wind magic. This successfully allowed me to keep a small protective area around my head.

I actually bumped into a customer in the smoke but eventually got to where I was going.

I grabbed as much Dust as possible from the shelves and shoved it into my inventory. Though I tried to get wind, I couldn't exactly see what I was doing. After doing that for around 30 seconds, I decided it was time to leave. Sure, I probably could get more, but I was playing it safe for now.

I slowly returned to the Eversmoking Bottle and felt around the ground for a few seconds before I found it. I quickly stoppered and inventoried it. Now the smoke would gradually fade after a few minutes.

Finally, I summoned my system book and unequipped my hoodie and shorts. Replacing them with the clothes I borrowed from Scarlett for that added innocence factor. I finished off my disguise with a pair of light blue reading glasses I bought for a disguise earlier and started out of the store.

But before that.

'Mana Bolt' 'Mana Bolt'

I stored a double charge and converted it to wind as I slammed it against the floor. Because the wind was more potent than before and the smoke wasn't being constantly replenished, this move cleared out a decent-sized area around me.

"If anyone can hear me, come to the sound of my voice!" I yelled out, disguising my voice like I did the previous night.

Over the next 30 seconds, I kept calling out, and multiple people stumbled into my little clearing. Ironically one was the security guard I talked to just a few minutes ago. With my hair down and out of my hood and a completely different outfit, the man didn't even recognize me.

I launched another Mana Bolt converted to wind to start clearing the path to the exit.

"Ah, thank you very much, miss." The guard thanked me as the group I led started walking to the exit. "I couldn't identify the perpetrator, but I know he had some sort of weapon, be careful."

"Perpetrator?" I asked like I was confused. "Is this not just a dust fire?"

The guard looked at me in surprise for a second before answering. "It couldn't be. No dust in here produces this much smoke without a secondary effect. I saw the bandit myself. He used some sort of smoke bomb before shooting me with something."

"Oh my, are you ok?"

"Of course, I managed to get my Aura up in time, so all it did was push me around." He said proudly before he seemed to realize something. "Sorry to ask because I had just assumed, but are you a Huntress?"

"You flatter me, but I'm afraid I'm not. My semblance just offers me limited control over wind, so I thought to offer some help." But, shoot, was this illegal? Using your semblance in the city without a license or something like in MHA. That would be annoying.

"Well, now I'm even more impressed." I almost sighed in relief as we made it to the exit and out of the smoke. "Before you go, did you see anything about a kid in a black hoodie before the smoke appeared?"

I faked considering it for a couple seconds. Then, "I'm sorry, I don't remember someone like that."

"No problem. Thank you again!" He called out as he made his way to talk with someone I assumed was the place's manager.

Dang… Well, that was easier than I thought.

—

Quest Completed!

[Gather Supplies: Go shopping and gather the supplies you will need for the future.]

Gained: +5xp

—

—

Quest Completed!

[Steal From Champer's Shop: Successfully steal Dust and a Weapon without being caught ]

Gained: +50xp, +5000 Lien

—