Mistake

I sighed in relief as I slipped into another alley and changed back into my original clothes. It had not gone exactly as planned, but everything had worked out. I doubt I would have tried that without the Eversmoking bottle, so I guess I'll forgive the Gatcha function for now.

I took time to look through my inventory and sort some of the things I had gotten. Most of the dust I had taken was in the form of powder. They mostly kept the raw dust crystals inside cases. I had the most wind, but I had also grabbed a bit of fire and electricity in the confusion.

"Wow." Tuya dropped next to me, and I almost had a heart attack. "You were not kidding about that smoke bomb."

"Told ya," I smirked, then looked at the small pack she was wearing. "I'm assuming your part went off without a hitch."

"Yep." She reached into her bag and pulled out a decent-sized green dust crystal. "Here." She tossed it at me, "Not sure what you can do with it without Aura, but a deals a deal."

"Thanks." I deposited the crystal in my inventory. "We should probably head back for the day. I have a feeling everyone will be on edge after that little stunt."

"Yeah, maybe you should use this time to figure out how to not get killed by Scar for this."

Oh right. I doubt she would appreciate pulling something this big so close to our base of operations. Still, I don't think it will be that big of a deal. But this might be a good time to ask for something I had wanted all day.

"Ahhh… Maybe you could help with that?"

&&&&&&&&&&

"And here it is." Tuya opened the door to the basement and led me into a large room. "We do most of our training down here and away from the kids."

I looked around the training room and was actually pretty impressed. While the place wasn't Beacon, it still had a pretty good training arena. It even had a large screen complete with Aura monitors.

"Still, I don't think training with me an hour before she gets home will stop Scar from tearing into you." She set what I was definitely going to call her ninja pouch on a table in the corner and pulled out the same kunai knife from earlier. "And I don't think this will be much more than a warm-up for me."

"Yeesh." I summoned my new sword into my right hand and the spider dagger to my left. "I wouldn't count me out just yet."

"Well, I guess you're decent at hatching a heist." She shifted to a ready stance. "So I'll try and make this fair by not using my Aura." The girl smiled like this was some sort of inside joke.

"Fine, just know I'm probably not experienced enough to turn my attacks away at the last second if I'm about to cut you." I readied my weapons and started to walk forward.

She chuckled. "You're funny." She didn't move a muscle as I approached her. I didn't expect to beat her, but she was only a few levels over Brick. So I doubt the gap between us was really that large. Sure, I needed to be careful about what I used so as to not give my powers away, but I thought I could do a good bit with what I had already shown.

"Hah!" I lashed out with my sword in a right-handed slash. Before I had time to process what happened, Tuya deflected my attack, leaving me off balance. I desperately tried to defend myself with my dagger but was too slow, and the bout ended with her knife at my throat.

"I stand corrected." Yeesh, I definitely underestimated her. Was this the power of a level 31, even without Aura?

"You weren't lying when you said you had only fought Grimm." She removed the knife from my throat. "Ditch the dual wielding; you can't expect to use two weapons with sufficient speed and power at your level."

I hefted the Bow-Sword in my right hand. "It doesn't feel too heavy." My 13 STR and 20 DEX let me wield it much better than I would have a couple days ago.

"Against civies or slower Grimm, it's fine, but if your fighting someone faster than you being able to move and react quickly is key." She got back into her ready position. "Using your off-hand with a dedicated weapon is fine if you're proficient, but you'd need to train to be somewhat ambidextrous."

"Fine." I took her advice and put the dagger away. I was pretty bad with my left hand anyway. "Let's try this again."

This time I made sure to approach her more cautiously. I wasn't used to opponents who deflected my attacks, so I needed to pay special attention to my balance.

I stabbed forward, and she casually deflected it while stepping close. I quickly brought my sword back and could block her follow-through because I was using both hands this time. I threw out a wide slash that she ducked under, and I was swept off my feet with a sweep of her leg.

I tried to get back up, only to find her knife once again at my throat. "Now you're focusing too much on our weapons. Make sure to pay attention to your opponent's entire body." She reached down and helped me up. "If you don't do something soon, I might not even break a sweat before Scar arrives." She taunted.

Ok, I had used my Whirlwind sprint in front of Alex, so it definitely wasn't something I could hide. If I was going to get a hit in, I would need to take her by surprise. The best time to do that would probably be at the beginning, when she expected me to use a slow approach like last time.

'Whirlwind Sprint'

The air swirled around me, and I launched forward, aiming a blow at her off-hand. Her eyes widened, but she shifted slightly to the left and dodged the surprise attack. I was left stumbling and was barely able to defend against her counterattack.

I desperately managed to parry a few probing jabs and ducked out of the way when she tried to throw in a roundhouse to my left. I blocked a wide cut she made with her knife, but her left arm snuck through my guard and landed a solid punch to my stomach.

"Ugh" I fell to the ground and once more discovered her knife at my throat.

"Nice try." She smirked. "But I baited you pretty easily into doing that." Ah, I forgot that Alex had told her what happened, so she knew about the Whirlwind Sprint.

She leaned down and helped me off the ground while I tried to regain my breath from her punch. "But you also used that move very predictably. All you did was charge me in a straight line while leaving yourself off balance again. I'm guessing you store up air and then release it to propel yourself?" I nodded, sure that's as good an explanation as any. "Well, you need to use smaller and more controlled bursts. Try and be as unpredictable as possible because that opening move will only work once."

While she was wrong about the source, she was right about how I should use it. Using smaller, more controlled bursts would help with Mana usage as well as make me more unpredictable. I just needed to get better at controlling the skill to do so.

She slid back into her ready position. "Are you still good to keep on going?"

It was a pain (literally), but I needed to get stronger. "Yes!" I attacked once more.

For the next hour, we continued fighting. Tuya was a beast even without Aura, and she barely seemed winded in any of our fights. Of course, I'm also sure she was holding back more than just not using Aura. But I was grateful because practicing with someone who knew what they were doing was incredibly helpful. And it showed in my skills.

Even though Tuya didn't use a sword, she still seemed to know a decent bit about how to fight with one. So she taught me some tricks and things to avoid that helped shore up my attack and defense.

—

Sword Arts Lv. 1 → 3

—

I also worked on controlling my Whirlwind Sprint. Using it sparingly and in shorter and shorter bursts. Eventually, I got to the point where I could use it without wildly throwing off my balance. This actually helped me kill two birds with one stone.

—

Whirlwind Sprint Lv. 1 → 2

—

—

Mana Control Lv. 3 → 4

—

I pushed myself to physical and magical exhaustion. To the point where I actually started to gain some Attribute points for the trouble. Without Gamer's Mind and Body, I would have been forced to give up a while ago.

—

Attributes Gained: +1 Constitution, +Dexterity, +1 Willpower

—

Let's just say I learned that if I didn't dodge hits, Tuya would make me take them.

"O-one more." I insisted as I forced myself up to my feet. "I can go one more." I felt like I was maybe not growing but definitely learning more than ever.

"Geez, you look like you're about to die." I wasn't going to comment on what my HP was at the moment. "You sure?"

I nodded and began my approach. With careful mind to my footing, I advanced, thrusting my sword forward in a practiced motion. With trained familiarity, Tuya deflected my blow and tried to advance.

One of my few advantages against her was reach, so I retreated while sending out slashes to keep her from getting inside my guard. Unfortunately, I was forced to activate Whirlwind Sprint and push myself back from her neverending barrage when it was clear she wasn't letting up.

She expected me to keep retreating, so I dashed forward using a quick activation of Whirlwind Sprint to add power and speed to my attack. Our blades clashed, and I didn't let up, sending more and more cuts which she parried with her knife. Her left leg lashed out, and I managed to duck under it just in time.

"Hah!" I pushed forward with my attack, trying to land a blow. Unfortunately, Tuya had told me she had been trained in combat her entire life. So even if I had improved over the last hour, I still couldn't compare to her.

She eventually managed to slip into my guard, and this was where our last bout had ended in my defeat. This time I deposited my sword and replaced it with my dagger. The move actually caught her off guard, and I was able to deflect her knife with my own. Using this chance, I lashed out with a kick to her leg.

—

Knife Arts Lv. 1 → 2

—

It landed but only managed to barely stagger her. I guess that's just the inevitable difference in our STR stats showing through. My failed attack left me open, and I could barely dredge up the last of my Mana and boost myself back.

Now, she went on the offensive, and I managed to switch back to my sword to block her flurry of blows. Unfortunately, when she managed to slip inside my guard this time, I was too distracted blocking a punch to switch weapons. I tried to stop her follow-up, but she was faster, and inevitably I wound up with a knife to my throat again.

"Good shit," Tuya commented as she drew her knife back. "You get better stupidly quick." I collapsed to the ground, finally done with training for the day.

"Thanks." Now if only I could level up as well, it would be a perfect training session.

—

Daily Quest Completed!

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

Gained: +10xp, +1 CON

—

—

Level Up!

[Lv.7 → 8]

Gained: +4 Unassigned Attribute Points, Full Heal

[Mage Lv.7 → 8]

Gained: +1 INT

—

I smiled as the healing energy flowed through my body. Soothing the various aches and pains I had accumulated over the last hour. I probably shouldn't push myself this hard often because I don't know if I would have been able to function for the rest of the day if it weren't for the level-up.

I hopped to my feet and looked over at Tuya. I doubt she got too much actual training out of this. "Thanks again for doing this." I heard the basement door open.

"No problem, I got more than my fair share." Ah, she was referring to the dust crystals she stole. "By the way, what was that just no-"

"Do you imbeciles take any time to think through your actions!" Scarlett came stomping down the stairs looking livid. "Guess where I just came back from?"

Ahh, shit, I didn't think she'd find out immediately. "Gunmetals?"

She continued without acknowledging my response. "I decided to scope out the area for any signs of Spider, and I started hearing rumors about a robbery where millions of Lien worth of dust disappeared, seemingly from thin air." She glared at me. "Do you have any idea where you just stole from!?"

Uhhh, I usually have a pretty good memory, but that's for things I care about. "Not really? And I don't think it was really millions." I think the name started with a C or something?

"You stole from Chamber's. The largest dust and weapon shop on this level." Ok, I didn't really see where this was going. "The very same shop that Spider was scoping out yesterday." Oh.

…

…

"Shit." I realized what she was implying.

"Yeah, now that you take the time to think about it, you understand." She growled. "Chamber is already deciding to start negotiations with Spider to help protect his store. And when the largest weapons shop on a level decides to work with Spider, the rest of them usually aren't too far behind."

See, if I knew that, I probably wouldn't have robbed that store. Was I really going to already fail the quest I set this morning?

"And you." She turned to Tuya. "Don't think I didn't hear about the crystals missing from behind unbroken glass. How could you go along with this?"

"Fuck." said girl cursed in frustration. "Well, I didn't exactly think of all that beforehand. Plus, you know how I feel about that guy."

That seemed to take some wind out of Scarlett's sails. She walked to the corner of the room and almost collapsed on the table. "Dammit, we might have to get ready to move this place."

And it was mostly my fault. I had to get better at thinking my actions through. Sure, this wasn't easily foreseeable with what I knew, but I should have thought it out before I acted. Because of me, Spider would get the foothold they needed to keep expanding their operations. All because I made a shopkeeper paranoid and seek out negotiations.

Wait. "You said they were starting negotiations. Do you know where?"

The redhead tiredly looked back at me. "So what if I do?"

"Well, if Chamber is seeking out Spider because he needs protection, how bad would it look for them if they all got taken out at the negotiations?" Rough Spider up a bit in front of him, and Chamber probably wouldn't trust them to protect his product. Sure, he might hire some mercenaries, but that would be better for us in the long run.

"I already said last night we can't risk looking like we care about this place more than unusual." She shook her head. "Spider has a bit of a grudge against us; they wouldn't pass up the opportunity to take us out if they found out where we lived."

Dang, then coul- "Wait." Tuya interrupted. "They wouldn't necessarily know where we're based. Chamber owns a few places higher up the mountain, and Spider knows we work for Gunmetal. So maybe we could spin this as Gunmetal not wanting Spider interfering in his business?"

"That's a risk." Scarlett frowned as she considered what her friend said. "We don't even know if the two of us could take out whoever they send to negotiate."

"Come on, we could totally kick their asses."

"I could help too," I commented, and the two girls turned to look at me. "It's my fault this is happening, so I wouldn't mind." I would have to stop running eventually, and it could also get me some experience fighting whatever mooks they sent.

"No," Scarlett said, and I turned to argue. "No, for the same reason, we are not bringing Alex. You're just not strong enough."

I turned to look at Tuya. She'd seen how strong I was. I could at least help take out a few mooks. "Sorry, I'm with Scar on this one." Her eyes flashed to my weapon as she considered me. "You're decent in close combat, but one wrong move, and someone could blow your head off with a gun before you reach them."

Dammit! I know she's right, but this was my fault. If I didn't go, it would be the third time I had run from Spider, and the second time I had hurt someone who helped me in the process. Sure, Scarlett might not be the most friendly person, and Tuya might have used me as a personal shopping bag, but they were good people.

I couldn't just run away from it all.

"I might have a way to level the playing field a bit." It was a risk, but if the last hour taught me anything, it was the value of having someone on your side.

&&&&&&&&&&

I didn't tell them everything. I kept quiet about my origin and what exactly my power was. But I did end up telling them a lot.

"That's absurd," Scarlett said. "Sure, I can buy a premature awakening of a semblance, but this leveling and 'magic' of yours sounds ridiculous."

"Trust me, I know." The whole truth is even worse. I turned to where Tuya was still processing the information. "But Tuya saw it; she even said I grew stupidly fast. Not to mention the complete refresh she saw."

"But," The Faunus girl seemed hesitant. "That doesn't mean it's magic. Even at the end there, when you suddenly recovered, it could just be a very weird semblance and Aura."

"I suppose it could." I sighed. "But that doesn't change the fact that I have it. And that many people would be very, let's say, 'interested' if they figured out what powers I really have." I tried to reinforce the importance of keeping this a secret. "It also means it would be useful to take me with you."

"Still, you say you just started training a few days ago? I'm not sure what these powers of yours could do to outweigh that fact."

I said that to reinforce how quickly I could grow, but I guess it also demonstrates my inexperience. I guess I just need to demonstrate.

'Mana Bolt'

I charged up a double-strength Mana Bolt and launched it across the room to hit one of the targets. They weren't crazy strong, but they certainly looked impressive and should give me a better ranged option than a bow I didn't steal arrows for.

"These can also be used to activate dust." I brought out some of the wind dust I stole. "I'm not the best at it, but If you could give me some quick pointers, I'm sure I could fulfill a more ranged support role."

Scarlett looked to Tuya, who nodded slightly. "Fine," She stalked back to the stairs. "The meeting is tonight, so get everything ready by then. I'll give you some pointers after I'm ready to go." She turned and walked up the stairs.

"Well, shit," Tuya said. "This isn't how I thought this day would go." She turned to me. "Look, I get not wanting for this shit to get out, so you don't have to worry about that. I just have to process some things and get ready." She walked away.

Well, looks like I'm doing this.