[Rolling Silver Gacha Ticket]
[Cat's Feet]
|Uncommon Trait|
You almost always land on your feet when falling. In addition, you are immune to all fall damage. Even falling from space to Earth will not harm your legs.
I barely spared the trait a glance.
Walls of sand surged and flowed ahead of me, rolling through the street like a tsunami.
Panic and incoherent yelling echoed out as two ABB gangsters emptied their magazines blindly. Muzzle flashes stuttered, bullets vanishing uselessly into the moving dunes.
I felt the impacts anyway, sharp and dull taps against the sand's surface, as I pushed forward without slowing. I slipped into rose form, flowing with the dunes as they carried me straight through the crowd of ABB thugs.
My bat came around in a clean arc and smacked the pistol out of one shooter's grip. I drove it into his gut, and he folded, swept away into the tide of sand.
The second goon tried to bring his pistol up.
The Fool rushed past me, hands of sand sweeping upward. Dozens of grasping hands snapped closed around the second gangster, binding him mid-stumble before slamming him into the ever-growing pile of captured bodies behind us.
Unlike the Empire, the ABB got the message fast.
Most of them were already running.
The sand chased after them regardless, the Fool clearly enjoying himself. I chuckled as it eagerly shaped ropes, hands, and blunt mounds to trip and snare the escaping gangsters.
Still, I couldn't let him have all the fun. Besides, I had a new trait to test.
My cloak lifted me clean off the ground, hauling me skyward in a smooth ascent. Wind screamed past my ears as I angled myself toward the fleeing gangsters and dove.
The ground rushed up fast.
Until concrete filled my vision.
I felt the force hit—but the impossibility of it registered just as quickly. No pain. No shock. Just a small oomph, like hopping down a step.
I hit the pavement in a perfect three-point landing, physics be damned.
The three gangsters skidded to a stop, staring at me like I'd crawled out of a nightmare.
The biggest one, tattoos crawling up his arms and neck, snapped out of it first and swung.
I flowed aside in petal form without thinking.
"Is that a katana?" I said, eyeing the blade.
"Fucking freak!" he shouted, bringing it down in an overhead slash. "You think Lung won't gut you—"
A wave of sand slammed into their backs, sweeping all three off their feet and dumping them onto the pile with the others. I looked down at the big guy, the only one not yet fully manhandled by the sand.
"Yoink."
I plucked the katana neatly out of his grip before the sand locked him down. It was a nice sword—flower-etched hilt, sharp enough to be a real weapon.
I bent down to look at him as he was dragged into the growing pile of sand.
"I'm betting on it," I said, grinning.
I straightened and looked around.
Every remaining thug had been rounded up, bound in massive clumps of sand pressed tight around their heads and shoulders. They had barely enough room to breathe. Frankly, without the Fool actively maintaining it, they'd probably manage to get free—but that was a problem for later.
[Feat Achieved! Sand Jailor!]
[+1 Silver Gacha Ticket]
I grinned and ripped it.
[Deeds' Bell]
|Uncommon Item|
SCP-662 - A silver ornate bell that, when rung, summons a supernatural butler named Mr. Deeds that can fulfill any one task that can be done by a butler of varying levels of skill such as doing laundry, killing someone, making a sandwich(Does not need ingredients), do your taxes or give you a bar of gold(Does not need access to gold to do so). If Deeds cannot accomplish a task, he will inform you so and ask you to pick an alternative. Cooldown: 12 Hours
Neat.
The bell settled into my inventory, and ideas immediately started lining up. If it were even half as versatile as the original article, I would have had lots of uses for it.
I'd test it out later. I should—
A primal roar split the sky.
I turned and shaded my eyes as the sky ignited, the air glowing incandescent white. For a few brief seconds, it was like a second sun had filled the sky.
When the light faded, Ridley hung there, wings spread wide, an almost feral grin stretching across his face. His scales were blackened in places, smoke curling off him, but he looked more annoyed than injured.
Purity, on the other hand…
The blinding aura around her had dimmed enough that I could finally make out her outline beneath the fading light. Too far to see her face, but the way she wobbled in the air told me enough.
Ridley laughed, rough and croaking, the kind of sound that would be absolutely terrifying if you were his enemy.
He crooked one clawed finger in a mocking come-hither gesture. God, was he always such a cheeky bastard? I felt myself grin a little at the dragon's antics.
Unfortunately, it seems Purity didn't share my amusement.
The flying cape broke away hard, turning into a full retreat, but it didn't matter. Ridley surged after her, massive wings beating as he maneuvered with terrifying precision. He toyed with her, herding her through the sky like a hunter corralling prey.
She zigzagged across the skyline with little success. Despite his massive stature, Ridley could move and turn on a dime, easily outpacing her.
Panic was obvious now in her movements, every turn sharper and more desperate than the last.
But in the end, it didn't matter.
Ridley snatched her out of the air like a bug.
Moments later, he landed near me and dropped her at my feet like a prize. Purity struggled violently against his grip, accomplishing nothing.
Like a kid showing off candy.
"The Empire won't stand for this, you disgusting lesser—" she screeched.
"Shut her up, please."
Ridley's tail whipped up and wrapped around her mouth.
[Feat Achieved! Capture and Silence the Bitch!]
[+1 Silver Gacha Ticket]
I snorted. Seemed even a cosmic corporation had a sense of humor.
Explosions still rumbled faintly in the distance. I glanced that way. Igris was still fighting it seemed. He probably didn't need help, but speeding things up never hurt.
[Minor Blessing]
|Uncommon Ability|
Allows you or a target to receive a minor blessing that augments a chosen physical attribute for one hour. The stronger you are, the stronger your blessing.
Nice.
At this rate, I was starting to feel like the party's support. I glanced at Ridley, then at the Fool. Ridley was the tank. The Fool DPS. Igris was the warrior.
Being the tactician or support wasn't too bad.
Maybe future rolls would turn me into a bona fide white mage.
An engine roared nearby, loud and fast, cutting through the air.
I frowned.
Gang reinforcements?
Down the street, a motorcycle tore through the night.
It came into view, speeding down the road with surgical precision. Midnight-blue power armor wrapped the rider from head to toe, hard angles catching the streetlights. A halberd was locked across his back, unmistakable even at a distance.
Beneath the visor, I caught a glimpse of a dark brown beard.
Armsmaster.
Ridley bristled beside me, wings twitching. I followed his line of sight upward.
Floating above the rooftops, framed by the city skyline, Dauntless hovered in armor that looked ripped straight out of a Greek epic. Light shimmered faintly around him, and I could almost see the flow of power holding him aloft.
Closer to the buildings, something red dropped fast.
Assault hit the street in a controlled impact and straightened immediately, red armor and visor already turned my way.
Ah. The Protectorate had finally shown up.
Armsmaster cut the engine and dismounted in one smooth motion. His visor swept over me, Ridley, the Fool, and the neatly bound piles of gang members pressed into the sand.
"Stand down and identify yourself," he said, voice clipped and mechanical. "You are being detained for public disturbance—"
I eyed the three capes with something close to hunger. How did I want to play this?
I didn't really care about the hero or villain label. I was well aware of the scale the gacha could reach. Locking myself into any of Worm's factions would just be reductive. My only real goal right now was to meet Dinah, get information on high-tier targets, and maybe pilfer a few tickets from gangs along the way.
The PRT wasn't especially useful for that. Being tied to Cauldron meant I didn't want to step on too many of their toes. Antagonizing government-backed heroes came with escalating consequences, and I wasn't looking for that kind of attention… yet.
So… play it by ear.
"What makes you think I'm a cape?"
There was a surprised pause from Armsmaster.
"I'm not wearing a mask," I added, spreading my hands. "Kind of a big requirement, right?"
Assault pointed straight at me. "You're literally wearing a cape, dude."
"It's a cloak," I said flatly. "Different thing entirely. It's cold out these days."
I jerked a thumb over my shoulder without looking. "Also, how are you ignoring the giant flying dragon guy who just bagged Purity? What, Case-53s can't be heroes? I'm disappointed. Discrimination? Racism in 2011 by the Protectorate?"
Ridley leaned in helpfully, his mouth twisting into what should have been a sad frown. On a semi-giant dragon, it looked… off.
I had to hold in a snort.
Dauntless and Assault both looked visibly baffled, even through their visors. Armsmaster, on the other hand, just seemed irritated.
"Enough," Armsmaster snapped.
He stepped forward, hand flexing near his halberd. "You have engaged in multiple high-level cape conflicts, incapacitated gang members, and suspected vigilante actions. We have you on record as appearing at the Simurgh battle. Hand over the gang members and Purity—"
"Oh, sure!" I cut in brightly.
That stopped him again, confusion flickering through his posture.
I gestured to the street. To the sand-bound ABB thugs. To the immobilized Empire gangsters. To Purity, still struggling uselessly as Ridley calmly set her down between us.
"All prisoners," I said. "Bound and ready to go!"
Silence stretched for a beat as I very deliberately ignored the process complaint entirely.
Assault glanced between Armsmaster and the piles of criminals. "Do we…?"
Armsmaster grimaced, then stepped forward and pressed his halberd to Purity's side. A quiet hiss followed as a tranq dart fired, and she went limp.
I met his visor and clapped my hands. "Hooray!"
Dauntless drifted lower, eyes fixed on the scene as the sand sloughed away from the captured gangsters. I couldn't read his expression, but he moved almost hesitantly to stand watch over them.
"All nice and dandy," Assault muttered, glancing sideways at Armsmaster.
Armsmaster was almost visibly vibrating as he went through the motions of restraining Purity. He turned toward me, and I could practically feel his anger winding up.
I prepared my next line of bullshit when—
One of the warehouses to my left exploded outward in a storm of splintered wood and flame. All three Protectorate capes tensed instantly.
"It's fine," I said quickly. "It's just… a friend. Everything's fine!"
Igris walked out of the burning warehouse unscathed, black shadow armor gleaming, posture calm and knightly. Deep, wordless satisfaction rolled off him.
A job well done, it seemed.
The timing, though, was a bit… unfortunate.
Oni Lee's head dangled casually from his grip.
Igris gave me a thumbs up.
[Feat Achieved! Oni Slayer!]
[+1 Golden Gacha Ticket]
"Is that…" Assault started.
Armsmaster's halberd snapped up, leveled straight at me. "Unidentified cape. You are under arrest for the illegal use of lethal force in vigilante activity."
"There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for all this," I yelled, raising one hand.
A long, pregnant pause followed. The trio of capes waited, almost expectantly, for my next words.
So I did what any responsible adult would do.
I turned and ran.
Flowing into petals, I took off into the sky, cackling like a madman with my posse of familiars right behind me.
[Feat Achieved! Terrible First Impressions!]
[+1 Bronze Gacha Ticket]
***
Damn it all, work is really gonna be beating my ass this month. Sorry for the delay, folks. I'd say I'd try not to be late again, but it looks like my manager is gonna be grilling my ass this month fml.
Comments and Thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Likes are like a drug to me and boost my creative juices.
I have advanced chapters on my if you wanna read ahead.