C4
Rex decided to take a small break in his apartment. Moving to his new one, near Sixth Street, was almost finished.
'Just a few more days. I… had some nice memories of this place.' The past Rex memories surfaced, all the pain and struggle he endured while trying to live from work. And after one night, it all changed.
He sat on his bed, the frame creaking a bit before quieting down. Rex found solace in the room, and a brief moment of peace washed over him. Rex, having been transmigrated into this unique world only 3 weeks ago, has only scratched the surface of its mysteries.
Rex activated his [Focus], the familiar lights lit in his vision before pages from this world's internet surfaced.
The Inter-Knot is a more bare-bones idea of the social network of Rex's old world. People can post just about anything here, with their identities hidden, and others will rush in and comment just about anything.
It has a wide array of topics, Rex paid no attention to. However, what he's searching for within hasn't made waves yet. He is referring to the main character in this world.
Phaethon. Wise and Belle.
His searches for their code name came up with nothing. "It looks like I'm still early compared to the story of the game. If I remember right, based on the timeline and events going on right now…"
"Miss Miyabi hasn't gained the title of {Void Hunter}. The Oni Rebellion is at its climax. And Phaethon hasn't reached {Legendary Rank} proxies. That puts me at… 2-3 years before Fairy is introduced."
"The amount of time before and during the events of the game, I'll slowly be gaining strength. By that time, I'll be well known and powerful enough to become comparable to Miyabi in the future."
Given the circumstances, Rex is quite glad to be so early but also disappointed that he would have to wait until the story picks up from the last time he played it.
And considering the last time he played was only for 6 months since initial release, the information he has is next to useless.
Not exactly useless in terms of personal information, but general information and the world he has yet to fully explore and understand, he'd have to figure it out himself.
"That can wait. For now, it's time for the main event." With a thought, Rex brought up his gacha, and the screen came to life. "Oh? Some alerts?"
Rex opened the alerts page and was instantly moved by the sheer amount of messages that came flooding in. It was a bunch of texts Rex had no reason to read them but they all had a theme for him.
"These all look like achievements. [First Kill of an Ethereal], [Kill 10 Ethereals], [Complete Weekly Quest], [Talk to 1 Major Character]. And so on… And they all come bearing rewards too."
Rex easily accepted all of them and the amount of points he has can now easily handle 30 Gacha pulls for him.
"Alright, Gacha. Give me something good." A quick prayer to his Goddess of Luck, Rex pressed the wheel for a 10x pull as the wheel spun quickly.
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Gacha Results:
1. [Stealth - Beginner Proficiency]
2. [Banana Peel - Super Mario]
3. [Batarang - Batman]
4. [Frying Pan - PUBG]
5. [Big Daddy's Drill - Bioshock]
6. [Portal Gun - Portal 2]
7. [Philosopher's Stone - FMA]
8. [Shampoo's Shampoo - Ranma 1/2]
9. [Mugen's Katana - Samurai Champloo]
10. [Wysteria Flower - Demon Slayer]
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Rex winced at the results. An odd collection of items and a new proficiency have just been added to his [Inventory]. There are some odd ones there, but Rex believes that they can all have a time to shine, whenever that is.
[Stealth - Beginner Proficiency]
"Any kind of stealth is good. This just means that I'll be slightly harder to perceive to normal people."
[Banana Peel - Super Mario]
"Banana Peel is just that, a banana peel. Sure, it comes from the [Mario Universe], but it's a banana peel. It would be a funny gag against Raiders or Ethereals."
[Batarang - Batman]
"The Batarang seems alright. I mean, I don't know when I'll use it but maybe it's better as a trophy or emergency use. I'll keep it inside."
[Frying Pan - PUBG]
"The Frying Pan, though, is nigh unbreakable. Good for cooking breakfast and smashing enemies' faces in."
[Big Daddy's Drill - Bioshock]
"The drill is too big for me to wield on one arm. Maybe give it to Belobog for research? Guess we'll see."
[Portal Gun - Portal 2]
"But this one is an awesome tool to get. The Portal Gun works as seamlessly as the game portrays itself. An actual portable wormhole that connects one end to the next. I'm sure I'll find a use for you."
[Philosopher's Stone - FMA]
"Oh, this one is a bit unique. It will give me an immense boost to my power in exchange for its destruction. I'll keep you in my back pocket."
[Shampoo's Shampoo - Ranma 1/2]
"Better keep this inside for now. Changing into a random animal doesn't sound too appealing to me."
[Mugen's Katana - Samurai Champloo]
"This sword is odd. Dual edges and a Sai guard? Can this even be called a katana? Whatever, into the [Inventory] you go."
[Wysteria Flower - Demon Slayer]
"This serves no use to me. It's only effective against demons, not Ethereals or Humans. It does look pretty, though."
Rex placed them all in his [Inventory]. He prepared to go again, just praying for something good to come his way.
He spun the wheel once more.
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Gacha Results:
1. [One Piece - Observation Haki - Beginner Proficiency]
2. [Phase Walk - Beginner Proficiency]
3. [Boombox of Victory - Hotline Miami]
4. [Dirty Harry - Sunset Overdrive]
5. [Phantom Blade - AC: Unity]
6. [Jetpack - Just Cause 3]
7. [Neurolizer - Men in Black]
8. [PKE Meter - Ghostbusters]
9. [Kyber Crystal - Star Wars]
10. [Suit - Kingsman]
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"Let's go!" Rex jumped with joy as one of his favorite abilities manifested itself for him. Observation Haki was more important to him than any other in One Piece. "With this, no one can touch me unless I say so."
[Phase Walk - Beginner Proficiency]
"This complements my stealth ability. Like a discount Kamui. To phase through walls and attacks for a short while is good."
[Boombox of Victory - Hotline Miami]
"It's just a boombox with various songs already inside. I mean, at least I have songs to listen to."
[Dirty Harry - Sunset Overdrive]
"Another revolver, huh? I can dual wield them like Billy so there's that."
[Phantom Blade - AC: Unity]
"A bit impractical since I'm mainly focused on Ethereals, not people. But you never know."
[Jetpack - Just Cause 3]
"So many memories of flying around and fucking around with this thing. Bavarium does seem interesting to research, though."
[Neurolizer - Men in Black]
"It's good for me, especially to the ones who ask too many questions."
[PKE Meter - Ghostbusters]
"Next to useless. Though I wonder how it'll respond at the Ballet Towers."
[Kyber Crystal - Star Wars]
"If I gain a mecha ability like [Generator Rex], or a blacksmithing ability, then I can make every fanboy's weapon."
[Suit - Kingsman]
"Classy and perfect fit. Bullet-proof as well. Noice."
Down to his last 10 rolls, Rex knelt on his floor and prayed hard. "Please, all-mighty Lady Luck! Bless my rolls so that I can get another ability! I would also like it if I could get a cool weapon! I pray to be in your arms, Lady Luck!"
With his ritual completed, Rex gambled away his last 10 pulls on the gacha. The wheel spun rather fast as a myriad of colors went by him. First, it was purple, but it turned gold at the last second, and Rex widened his eyes with joy.
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Gacha Results:
1. [RWBY - Aura - Intermediate Proficiency]
2. [Player (Oh-Hyeon-Jun) - Libur - Intermediate Proficiency]
3. [Demon Slayer - Fire Breathing Technique - Beginning Proficiency]
4. [Tron - Light Cycle]
5. [One Piece - Griffin]
6. [Sakamoto Day's - Sakamoto's Gun]
7. [No Game No Life - Shiro's Chessboard]
8. [Gurenn Lagann - Kamina's Glasses]
9. [Marvel - Adamantium]
10. [Mad Max - The Black-On-Black]
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"Hell Yeah!" Rex exploded with joy and excitement. It was good that he decided to pull for the gacha when no one was nearby. Otherwise, they might have to get PubSec involved for disturbing the peace.
It was natural after all. Rex excitedly jumped with joy as his last 10 pull was effectively called a "God Pull". And Rex couldn't be happier.
[RWBY - Aura - Intermediate Proficiency]
"With [Nen],[Hamon], and [Aura], I am pretty much ensured to live a very long life and will always be at my peak. Look out, super models, I'm here to take your women!"
[Player (Oh-Hyeon-Jun) - Libur - Intermediate Proficiency]
"Libur? Is that short for Excalibur? I don't recognize this work, but if the system says it's good, then it is good for me."
[Demon Slayer - Fire Breathing Technique - Beginning Proficiency]
"A classic for novels. With this, I can control my flames to be more deadly and stronger. Can't wait to see the effects this has on my [Blades of Chaos]"
[Tron - Light Cycle]
"This is so sick! I loved that bike in the movies and now I can ride in one!"
[One Piece - Griffin]
"This is… Shank's Sword? How many weapons does that make now? 3 or 5?"
[Sakamoto Day's - Sakamoto's Gun]
"Hmm, a regular gun? No. This is a superior gun. I can feel the weight it once carried. Just who is Sakamoto, though?"
[No Game No Life - Shiro's Chessboard]
"It's… just a chessboard. There are some scratches and bumps, but that's it."
[Gurenn Lagann - Kamina's Glasses]
"Ultimate Gigachad. I'll make you proud by wearing these glasses."
[Marvel - Adamantium]
"This is the same stuff Wolverine is covered. Shit's durable and strong as well."
[Mad Max - The Black-On-Black]
"Well, at least I have a car now. Not sure how it will work here."
Rex felt satisfied and filled with glee. The system granted him a whole slew of abilities and items for him to play with. He glanced at his achievements and noticed that most of the ones he gained were the easy ones anyone can achieve, and the harder ones are those that require skill and precision.
Rex isn't too worried about it. One day, he'll complete them all, or maybe never unlock them. He has a lot of time before meeting with the famous Proxies and Fairy. For now, he'll improve his strength bit by bit, and he'll see the path ahead soon.
"Claim all of them." Rex tucked himself in and let the system integrate his rewards into his body. The lull of sleep did no work as Rex went out like a light, sleeping like a baby.
As the system complied with his requests, his body began to change. [Aura] merged alongside [Nen] and [Hamon], creating a wonderful blend of pure power that was entirely human. The combination had his very soul become more dense and purer, as though the limitations of a human were released.
His breathing had changed. A regular phenomenon that was improved with the knowledge his body received. His lungs became bigger, his breath was larger and there was a flicker of fire emerging from his mouth. Rex didn't know, but he felt his sleep had just become better as a whole.
As if it weren't enough, his 6th sense was unlocked. A unique sensation is only those who are trained. Although he had just awakened to his [Observation Haki], it quickly grew into a force Rex can use anytime he wants.
And finally, the most recent equipment Rex gained.
Although it is stored in his [Inventory], bright-red flames flickered beside him. It grew to an intense inferno as though it threatened to burn the entire building down on him, but instead, it settled. The flames died a bit, and a figure was formed instead.
It formed into a woman with an hourglass figure, with a black dress that covered her body, gold linings on her sleeves, and bandages running on her legs. Her ashen-white hair was neatly braided and fell behind her, held together with a large golden tie. She opened her golden-yellow eyes, looking blank before settling on Rex's sleeping figure.
The moment she saw him, the woman smiled as she knelt before his face and simply caressed his hair. She didn't say anything, just simply ran her hands across his hair.
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Morning came and Rex woke up at exactly 6. Although he was up quite late last night, on account of the gacha, he wasn't tired. He felt quite energetic.
"I feel… good." Rex breathed in deeply, his body using [Total Concentration Breathing], as oxygen flowed freely in his body. "Is this from [Flame Breathing]? Awesome."
*Grr…*
Rex felt empty as he woke up, and drool accumulated in his mouth. "Hungry… what do I have for breakfast?"
He rummaged through his drawers and closets, only to find them empty of any type of food. He checked his [Inventory] and the results were the same.
Rex thought back to yesterday, back when he finished [Shiyu Defense] and attained an S-Rank on his first try. He ate quite a lot during those breaks, practically emptying his rations of food just to finish the fight.
Continuous exposure inside a Hollow can mess with a person's metabolism, constantly burning through loss of energy and carbohydrates and fats to make up for lost strength.
The only reason Rex didn't stock up was that he was moving soon anyway.
"Damn, this hunger is killing me." Rex placed his stomach until an idea went off in his head. "And I know just where to get some delicious food."
Rex locked the doors to his former apartment and exited the building. The sun was just rising, so there weren't a lot of people, and the road was just getting ready.
He went to the parking spot near Lumina Square and checked his surroundings using [Nen]. With no one nearby, Rex pulled out the [Black-On-Black] from the gacha.
A sleek Interceptor with a V8 engine appeared before Rex. Although it said it came from [Mad Max], the vehicle doesn't look aged or dusty. It looked brand new to him.
Rex hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. The roar of the engine purred like a tiger in Rex's hands as he grinned.
He then grabbed [Kamina's Glasses], put them on as he sped off on the asphalt.