>>3850007
>A crater surrounding the escape pod your parents stuffed you into as their ship was attacked by the greatest enemies of your kind: Saiyans.
Fuck Saiyans and FUCK Goku

>>3850007
>The dojo your father built with his own two hands after every martial arts master on the continent rejected him as a student for being 'talentless'.

Let's become the strongest human.

>>3850007
>>The laboratory of a genius scientist, filled with both failed and successful experiments, all evidence of his uncanny ability to create technological marvels.

>>3850044
+1

>>3850007
>The dojo your father built with his own two hands after every martial arts master on the continent rejected him as a student for being 'talentless'.

>>3850007
>The dojo your father built with his own two hands after every martial arts master on the continent rejected him as a student for being 'talentless'.

>>3850044
>>3850158
>>3850166
Color me surprised. I was pretty confident everyone would wanna pick being an android or an alien over being a human.

>>3850007
>The dojo your father built with his own two hands after every martial arts master on the continent rejected him as a student for being 'talentless'.
You picked a good day for this I'm gonna tell you right now

>>3850007
>The dojo your father built with his own two hands after every martial arts master on the continent rejected him as a student for being 'talentless'.

Was our father a proponent of the 100 squats, 100 push ups, 100 sit-up, 100km run? Because we about to prove him proud it seems. We should become what Mr. Satan claims to be. Hell we should bro it up with him for shits.

>The dojo your father built with his own two hands after every martial arts master on the continent rejected him as a student for being 'talentless'.

File: Home.png (2.64 MB, 1440x1080)

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You put on a soft smile and hop out of your bed, prepared for a great new day! Swinging open your window and peeking your head outside, you take a deep breath of the aromatic forest air, watching as Silver, your cat, pounces after a hummingbird, missing it by at least a foot and landing in a bush. You can always tell when you're gonna have a good day just by looking outside, and today is gonna be an amazing one!

Once you leave your room, you find your dad cooking something that smells absolutely delicious in the kitchen. When you see your big sister's face, however, you scramble out of sight in an attempt to dodge a bullet. Judging by the look Mika was giving Dad, you're pretty sure he was going on and on and boring her with whatever dumb thing he's obsessed with now. Some eavesdropping lets you know that you're right, since Dad seems to be exclaiming all the virtues of the new Capsule Corp™ Automated Dish Cleaner. Apparently all the dishes are completely spotless now, and it only broke three of them in the process.

You very nearly manage to slink away when Mika calls out your name,

>Kamari
>Theo
>Shoji
>Other

>>3850171
I want to style some punk ass QM, i'm sorry

>>3850224
>Kamari

>>3850224
>Shoji
Is sis a martial artist too?

>>3850224
Shoji
I'm honestly pretty excited for this quest

>>3850224
Ready for Kenichi: The Strongest Disciple a DragonBall Story.

>>3850282
Yes.
>>3850224
>Shoji

>>3850224
>>Shoji

>>3850270
switching to
>Other
Li Guang

>>3850224
>Other
Tofoo

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>>3850312
Dude we can't be Chinese.
Look what happened to Tien.

>>3850316
I should restart this whole quest and make you all pick a different option just for suggesting that.

File: Z (21).jpg (37 KB, 640x480)

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>>3850316
Oh why don't we just give up the ghost and go full SOMNIUS.
Perfect Cell; The aspiring Human Martial Artist.

"Shoji, come here! Dad's telling me about this amazing new gadget he bought!"

You suppress a groan for fear of upsetting your Dad and sulk your way into the kitchen. You spare a moment to glare daggers at Mika and her smug grin before looking up at Dad. Begrudgingly, you ask the question you're forced to ask now, so Dad doesn't realize you were listening in. "Uh... what exactly is this toy you're talking about?"

Dad slaps you on the shoulder and gives you a grin, telling you, "I know you were eavesdropping, son. Did you forget that I have eyes in the back of my head?" Mika's grin only grows wider as your cheeks flush with shame. You're definitely going to have to clean out the-- "That's not important though!", Dad exclaims in his deep, perpetually loud voice.

"It's not?" You and your sister respond in unison, surprise obvious on your faces.

"Of course not! You both know very well that today is a special day. We're not going to start it with punishments or with bickering." He strides confidently toward the door, an eager grin on his face. "You two eat breakfast together. While you do, you can decide... do you want to spar with each other, or are you gonna work together and see if you can finally beat your old man?"

You don't need long to make your decision. Mika seems thoughtful about it, but you're already set. You'll...

>Fight Dad together. You're sure you can beat him this time!
>Fight Mika. You'd love to get back at her for the stunt she just pulled.
>Fight Dad alone! You don't need Mika's help!

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>>3850353
>Fight Dad alone! You don't need Mika's help!
I can't wait to roll a nat 100 and accidentally kill him.

>>3850353

>>3850353
If we employ Akiba Strip techniques
>fight mika
Otherwise
>work together to beat dad

>>3850353
>Fight Dad alone! You don't need Mika's help!

>>3850318
isn't Gohan part Chinese?

>>3850353
>Fight Dad alone! You don't need Mika's help!

>>3850353
>Fight Dad together. You're sure you can beat him this time!
I want a smart fighter

>>3850476
Yes, hence why he was demoted back down to second banana via fan backlash and executive decision during the Buu saga.

>>3850480
>fan backlash and executive decision
thats a myth, Toriyama just didn't like Gohan as the MC which was retarded

File: Z (16).jpg (52 KB, 499x365)

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>>3850482
>Didn't like Gohan
>despite spending the entirety of Z building up to the torch pass at the end of the Cell Saga
fucking what

>>3850485
Maybe he tried it out and didn't like it in the end.

>>3850489
But...but it worked. It was actually pretty fun seeing Gohan do things his own way, coming into the hero role in a way that was distinct from his father.

>>3850485
>>3850489
Toriyama wrote Dragon Ball like most QM write quests, on the edge of their seat

>>3850492
The Great Saiyaman is garbage

>>3850494
I respect your right to hold that opinion. I remember it fondly as the Gohan I remember was kind of a fucking nerd so doing the super sentai schtick seemed fitting.
But I can see how it would grate thematically given...everything else.

>>3850353
Switching to
>Fight Dad together. You're sure you can beat him this time!

>>3850353
>Fight Dad together. You're sure you can beat him this time!

While you and your sister grab plates and start piling food onto them, you hear her start to do the mumbling thing again. She always gets like this when there's some tough decision to make. Despite what she might claim, you're not dumber than her by very much, so it always confuses you that Mika ends up thinking so hard that she thinks out loud.

Once you're both sat down with your food, you solve the dilemma for her. Giving her a thumbs up and a grin, you confidently tell your sister, "We're gonna fight Dad and we're gonna win, sis!"

Predictably, she looks at you like she thinks you're the biggest idiot in the world. "Shoji, if we lose then we might not even get to--"

You don't let her finish the thought. "Then we won't lose. It's that simple." Mika looks frustrated before letting out an exasperated sigh. You've won her over, even if she isn't willing to admit it.

Soon enough you both finish your food and make your way into the training room, ready for a fight. You crack your knuckles and Mika checks her boots. Dad is seated comfortably underneath your family's kotatsu, surrounded by chairs, tables, and other furniture that'd be a hassle to move around. So basically, he's taunting you.

"The fight is decided with first blood. You kids can start whenever you'd like. I'm just going to get some reading done while I wait." With that, he looks away from you and down at a book, getting comfy. If he were any other man, you'd think he was entirely unguarded. It definitely looks like it. But your Dad is a man who's never unprepared.

You take a short glance to see how Dad's configured the room today. As per usual, it's furnished like a common, everyday living space, despite the fact that it's as big as any other dojo's training room. That tends to throw people off when they come to challenge your dad.

However, you need to decide on an approach. You share a quick look with Mika, and you silently choose the plan of attack.

>Direct. Step into the room and start throwing furniture around, create an open space so you can fight your Dad on even footing.
>Subtle. Mill around the room and relax while you watch Dad, looking for an opening to strike at.
>Deceptive. Pretend that you and Mika have chosen to fight each other, and attack him during your mock fight.

>>3850549
>>Subtle. Mill around the room and relax while you watch Dad, looking for an opening to strike at.
No doubt he knows we decided to tag-team him. He'd probably see right through the deception.

>>3850549
>Deceptive. Pretend that you and Mika have chosen to fight each other, and attack him during your mock fight

>>3850549
>Subtle. Mill around the room and relax while you watch Dad, looking for an opening to strike at.

It's bedtime for this quest. See you all in the morning! (Also I picked out a name so it's clearer who the QM is)

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>>3850640
As is tradition I have a carefully curated sketch of the MC. Perfectly generic and subject to change as all are at first. Night Zero.

>>3850574
Support

>>3850549
>>Subtle. Mill around the room and relax while you watch Dad, looking for an opening to strike at.
>>3850646
Nice

>>3850779
As I said, it's tradition that I do this for every DB quest I participate in. It's the law.

>>3850549
>Subtle. Mill around the room and relax while you watch Dad, looking for an opening to strike at.

Mika wanders off toward a table and pulls out her sketchbook, starting to draw in it while she waits. You drag one of the training dummies out of the back and start practicing on it. All the while, Dad keeps reading his book, looking like he's just asking you to attack.

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>3851133

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>3851133
No one ever picks the science route in dragonball. It's a tragedy really.

>>3851151
>>3851185
I have the next post written up, I just need a last roll to confirm there aren't any crits. If either of you wanna roll again, feel free.

>>3851208
Doing great

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>3851133

You and Mika spend around half an hour doing your own things, your eyes constantly flitting between the training dummy and Dad in the hope that he'll let his guard down. In truth, you know it's a futile exercise. You just hope that Dad thinks you're still an overconfident kid, convinced you can win without your sister's help. As long as he does, your idea should work.

Abruptly, in the middle of a punch, you twist your body around and start into a dead sprint towards Dad. The moment he turns his head to look at you, you freeze in place. You give him your best innocent face and stand straight up, slinking back to the training dummy with a nervous chuckle.

Fortunately, you manage to hide your surprise when you look up and see Mika. Instead of taking the opening you just tried to give her, she just shakes her head at you and shows you what she's been drawing while Dad's still looking at you. It takes you a few seconds to figure out what she's planning, but when you do your heart sinks slightly. Your sister is evil. Just evil enough that you might actually win.

Understanding the angle you'll use to win now, you go back to beating up the poor dummy. By now it's mostly just big piles of fluff glued to a pole. Dad will need to replace another one. Shortly after, Mika approaches Dad and sits down next to him, giving him the fakest innocent smile you've ever seen. She tells him, "Dad, I've been drawing something. You should see it." You don't know when she came up with this idea, but she's clearly been keeping it in her pocket for a moment like this.

Your Dad rolls his eyes and grabs Mika's sketchbook, looking at the page handed to him. He seems unimpressed. "Listen, sweetheart, you're not going to get me to drop my guard just by showing me some gruesome horror scene. I have a stronger stomach than--"

"Oh! Sorry Dad, not that page." Mika cheerfully flips over to the next page, the one she showed you. Dad looks confused until she explains just what it's depicting. "See Dad? It's our happy family! That's you, that's me, that's Shoji, and that's the Mom me and Shoji never got to know."

You don't have time to think about how despicable that trick is, because there'll only be a moment where your dad is perturbed enough by it for you to get him. In a flash, you sprint toward Dad. Mika grabs a chair from nearby, and you jump into the air. Your first kick is just barely too slow to hit your dad in the head where you aimed, but that doesn't matter. In his panic, he dodged it by laying flat against the ground, giving you an opportunity.

Mika tosses you the chair and you slam it down around his body, pinning him down with all your weight. While he's pinned, Mika deftly slips a blade out of her boot and aims for Dad's torso, trying to nick his skin when he goes to dodge.

What neither of you see coming is a trick he's never used on you before. You've seen him use it to take out other powerful martial artists, but never you or your sister.

All Dad has to do is let out a powerful roar, and the air around him pushes you, Mika, and all the furniture in the room away from him. You're thrown back against the wall, but you only need a moment to regain your composure. Dad, meanwhile, stands up and dusts himself off, with a huge grin on his face.

You share another look with Mika. You've lost the element of surprise, but you haven't lost the fight yet. You'll just have to...

>Take turns attacking Dad. With you and Mika swapping out, he's sure to get tired before you do!
>Focus entirely on defense! You're not sure how you'll do it, but now that Dad can go on the offensive he could win at any moment.
>Use the tag team move you convinced Mika to practice with you! It's the only way you're ever going to be able to draw first blood!

>>3851219
>Use the tag team move you convinced Mika to practice with you! It's the only way you're ever going to be able to draw first blood!

>>3851219
>Use the tag team move you convinced Mika to practice with you! It's the only way you're ever going to be able to draw first blood!

You give Mika a grin. She rolls her eyes at you and crouches down, preparing to move like you both practiced.

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>3851365

>>3851365

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>3851400
Shit

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>3851365

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>3851365
pls

You know very well that your odds aren't good now, and that you might even save yourself a beating if you just kneel down and concede. You could never live it down if you gave up though. You'd practically be insulting all the training Dad's put you through. The whole Viper School of martial arts is built on three pillars, and one of those pillars says that martial arts are made for real fights. The only reason to take part in fake fights like this is to prepare yourself for real ones, and in a real fight you can never count on your opponent being merciful. If you choose to concede, it had better be some kind of deception.

That's why you've never had the option of giving up while sparring. Not even when you were a little kid. If you agreed to spar until one of you couldn't move anymore, you and Mika would both push yourselves to that limit. So when Dad tells you the fight is to first blood, you're not stopping until you see a drop of blood spill.

Mika begins calmly sorting through her knives while you step forward, looking Dad in the eyes. You may not be as quick or dextrous as your sister is, but you've got something she doesn't. Raw strength. The moment your dad tries to take a step toward you, you grab a chair from beside you and throw it at him with all your strength, forcing him to knock it out of the way to avoid being hit in the face.

You don't give him time to breathe either, throwing a stool, then another chair, then an endtable, then a coffee pot. Mika joins in on your assault starting to throw knives from her belt in rapid succession. Unfortunately Dad deflects or dodges as many projectiles as you can hurl his way, approaching you all the while. You expected that though. You're hoping to catch him off guard with your next move.

Seemingly out of nowhere, instead of grabbing another piece of furniture, you grab Mika, throwing her through the air toward your dad. While she flies through the air, you swiftly lean forward and kick off of the ground, sending yourself flying up over his head. In the next moment you kick off the rafters, aiming a strike at the back of Dad's head!

For a moment, you're certain it's going to work. Mika has him distracted, and... he spins around, grabbing your incoming fist and holding you in place up in the air. You kick your feet against him and struggle to get your hand free of his grip. For some reason Mika is just standing there with a frustrated expression, staring at her feet while Dad laughs boistrously. You yell out, "What the heck are you doing Mika?!"

She grits her teeth and turns to her side, kicking a broken piece of furniture across the room. With some effort she mumbles, "Just stop it, Shoji. We already lost." Only then do you notice the blood leaking from a cut on her cheek, as well as the long cut drawn across your own leg. It looks like Dad nabbed one of Mika's knives and slashed you while you were flying over his head. He probably got her while she was flying face first toward him.

Once Dad lets you go, both of you hang your heads in shame. You mumble out the question on both of your minds. "Does this mean we don't get to graduate today?"

Dad's laughing turns into a soft chuckle as you ask the question, and he steps toward you with a grin, tousling your hair. "Of course not. Don't be silly. You two pushed me further today than I ever thought you could! I'm confident that you're both ready for it."

In mere moments, your looks of shame and disappointment turn into amazed excitement. That excitement is dampened as he continues, "...after you both do something for me. Mika, I'm going to need your help sorting through some paperwork related to your graduation. Shoji, I need you to head into town and ask after Mister Jang. He's the bald guy who comes over to talk with me occasionally, remember? Just bring him with you when you come back."

You would complain about having to do chores, but you did just lose the fight with Dad. Besides, it sounds like Mika's got the less interesting job. You get to go meet one of Dad's "contacts" or whatever else he likes to call them. With a grin on your face you tell him, "I've got it! Mister Jang!" and rush for the door before Mika can argue that you should swap jobs.

The town isn't too far away. You can make it there in around five minutes if you run. On your way there, you take a quick look at your coin purse. You have enough cash stashed away that you could make a quick detour to buy something for yourself...

>Treat yourself! You deserve it after that fight.
>Get the job done and get back home, like a professional!

>>3851658
>Get the job done and get back home, like a professional!
i wanna treat the bald man too

>>3851658
>Get the job done and get back home, like a professional!

>>3851658
>Get the job done and get back home, like a professional!

>>3851658
>Mister Jang
You didn't think "Master Roshi" was my real name, did you?

You make your way through the road leading from your Dad's dojo into the nearby town at breakneck speeds. Really, what you're running on is hardly even a road, more like a path. Last time Dad had to pull a cart through here to bring new furniture to the dojo, he had to knock over a few trees just to make room for it.

The sight of the town always brings a smile to your face though. You skid to a stop at the top of the cliff just above the winding road carved into the steep hill below. The village at the bottom of the hill is a small one, with nothing more than a meager market and a single inn for travelers. But what it has that home doesn't is other kids to play with! You briefly wonder if that boy Taguchi would want to play a game with you before you remember that you aren't here to mess around.

The rest of the trip is pretty brief, mostly since you save time by sliding down the hill's steep slope instead of following the road. You finish the trek with a single joyful leap, loudly crashing into the ground and startling a woman carrying a pail of water. After apologizing for nearly causing her to drop it, you run into the middle of town and make your way into the inn.

Stepping inside, you approach the man behind the counter, Hesk. You don't think that's his real name, but you're not sure, since you only know him as the father of a kid who's arm you accidentally broke once. Lucky for you, he turned out to be a friendly guy, so you didn't get in trouble with Dad that time. "Heya Hesk!"

The bearded man gives you a nod and asks, "Hello Shoji. What can I do for you today? Looking for a tall glass of milk?"

"Not today.", you tell him, shaking your head. "My dad sent me on an errand. I'm looking for a man named Mister Jang. Heard of him?"

He gives you a puzzled expression. "Mister Jang? Well, he's staying in the second room upstairs. But I have to wonder what kind of business an upstanding man like your father could have with that guy." You cock your head at him inquisitively and he explains. "Er... that man, Mister Jang. I've seen a lot of travelers over the years, so I have an eye for people. Jang looks to me like the kind of guy who gets involved in some nasty business. Whatever your dad sent you to see him for, I suggest you keep a close eye on him."

You think over what he told you for a moment and give him a nod, promising, "I'll be safe!" You then rush up the stairs toward where his room was. To be entirely honest, you don't remember the guy that well, and you can't quite put a face to the name. Your Dad told you he was bald though, so what you see isn't really what you're expecting. In your head, this Mister Jang guy is super old and probably wears sunglasses even inside, and you bet he has a fluffy beard and a bushy mustache. Or maybe he has a dumb, weird hat to hide the top of his head cause he's balding and wants to hide it.

When you reach the door to his room and prepare to knock, you're surprised for two reasons. The first is that the door opens before you even knock. The second is that Mister Jang looks nothing like you expected. Instead of being some old weirdo, he looks like he's in his thirties, and he's wearing a three-piece suit with a bowler hat. He immediately gives you a nasty look, and you realize you're gaping at him. Chuckling nervously and coughing, you ask him, "You're Mister Jang, aren't you? My dad sent me here to get you, he runs the dojo just outside of town."

His expression softens as he hears you, but you still get the impression that he's some kind of crook. You have to wonder if that's your own intuition or prejudice from what Hesk told you. Nevertheless, he silently gestures for you to come inside the room, and closes the door behind you when you enter. The moment he speaks up, you recognize his voice. "Well then, young one..." He's the guy Dad would invite over who always sounds like he drinks glasses of gravel and downs them with hard liquor. "Do you mean to tell me that your father is coming to me for aid? What does he think he can offer to get me to stick my neck out?"

"Huh?" Your confused expression draws a sigh from him, but a look of sudden realization falls across his face when you tell him, "My Dad just sent me to take you back home for some reason. I think he wants to talk to you."

His response after you explain that is worrying, to say the least. "Wait. You mean to tell me that your father was just arranging a meeting? Does that mean he's completely unaware of what's happened?" He doesn't give you a chance to ask him what he means. Instead, he stands up and grabs his things, heading straight for the door. You try to get a word in, but he just calls back, "I'm not getting myself involved in this anymore. Head back home, kid. If you're quick enough, maybe you'll make it in time to warn your father about his impending death."

You're surprised by what you hear, but this guy still seems shady as fuck. Dad told you to bring him home when you came back, and he's trying to leave. Then again, if he's not lying about your dad being in danger...

>Try to take the guy home with you, using force if you have to.
>Run home as quickly as you can. Even if it's just a chance, you don't want Dad to get hurt!

>>3852155
>Try to take the guy home with you, using force if you have to.

>>3852155
>Run home as quickly as you can. Even if it's just a chance, you don't want Dad to get hurt!

>>3852155
>Run home as quickly as you can. Even if it's just a chance, you don't want Dad to get hurt!

>>3852155
>Run home as quickly as you can. Even if it's just a chance, you don't want Dad to get hurt!

You're not sure if you trust this guy, but it sounded like he was someone Dad trusted, and he just said that your dad is about to die. That's a risk you just can't take.

https://youtu.be/9mqaZ7iqRtY

Mister Jang barely has time to get out of the way of the door before you slam it open so hard it flies off the hinges, vaulting over the railing and landing on the ground floor with a running start. You don't even spare the time to give Hesk an apology, flying out of the inn like a rocket.

You're not sure whether you're being driven more by panic at the idea that Dad is going to die or a sense of duty to make sure he's alright, but you move faster than you've ever moved before as you race toward home. You don't even bother with running up the switchback leading up the hill normally, kicking off the ground in massive leaps and landing on higher ledges like they're steps on a massive set of stairs.

The rest of the trek through the forest path leading up to the house only intensifies your worry as you make your way through it. You've always known that your dad took part in some dangerous business, but you never imagined it could ever come back. Rationally, you've always known that Dad isn't invincible, but you've never been able to imagine anyone actually beating him. He always has another trick up his sleeve. There's no way that anybody in the world could actually pose a threat to him... right? You're sure that guy was just tricking you, you're going to get home and be all embarrassed that he got you.

That fantasy is dispelled the moment your home, your dad's dojo, comes into view. The building is wreathed in flames, wood paneling burning to cinders and crumbling. You get closer and see Mika standing just outside the front door, rapidly shifting her gaze between whatever's going on inside and an object she's holding. She's mumbling to herself, thinking out loud.

The moment Mika spots you, the mumbling stops. It takes her a fraction of a second to make a decision, shouting out at you, "Shoji! Take this and run as far away as you can, as fast as you can! Don't look back!!" With that she hurls the object at you. You barely have a chance to catch it and find out that it's some kind of spherical object wrapped in a cloth before you see Mika starting to run back inside.

You only have a moment to decide what to do. The only hint you get about what's going on inside is a single word, shouted by a voice you don't recognize. "DODONPA!!!"

>Go after her! Whatever's going on, she'll need your help.
>Run for it! Whatever this thing is, it's probably what the bad guys are after!
>Look at the ball you're holding, maybe it'll give you a hint about what to do.

>>3852431
>Run for it! Whatever this thing is, it's probably what the bad guys are after!

Can our sister fucking die? Morality chains are the worst.

>>3852431
>Go after her! Whatever's going on, she'll need your help.

>>3852431
>Run for it! Whatever this thing is, it's probably what the bad guys are after!
Damn, is it tao pai pai ?

>>3852431
>Go after her! Whatever's going on, she'll need your help
Time to chew ass and kick gum

>>3852431
>Go after her! Whatever's going on, she'll need your help

File: inferno.jpg (28 KB, 687x489)

28 KB JPG

What the hell is Mika thinking? If there are bad dudes here to kill Dad, you need to stop them! You stuff the little sphere into your pocket and race after her, bursting through the rubble into the burning building.

From inside you can hear the sounds of a heated fight, and through the raging inferno you vaguely see the sight of the combatants. You only get to gawk for a few moments before you watch Mika being thrown against a wall nearby you, too dazed to move. Through the flames, you see the figure of a man who you're certain is your Dad. It looks like there are two men on either side of him, viciously attacking him. He's holding up a solid defense, but you don't know how long it'll last.

If you're going to act, it has to happen now. You've got the perfect cover. A room full of chaotic flames should make it impossible to see an unexpected combatant coming. You don't need to win the fight for Dad, all you have to do is get in there and injure one of them, that should give him all the advantage he needs. If you kick off at the right angle, you should be able to damage one of their legs too quickly for them to react.

You faintly hear Mika yelling something at you, but that doesn't matter. You're focused. You can do this. Get in and get out without being hurt, it's that easy.

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>3853117

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>3853117

>>3850192
It's 10km.
And the whole joke is that it's an incredibly mundane workout.

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>3853117
Please die, my sister

>>3853246
It was actually effective for few reasons
>Saitama had never done any physical training before that point
>he never actually took a day off
>NEVER TOOK A DAY OFF
Imagine you're some softbody office worker and you do all that shit. You'd ache for days, hell you might not even finish the whole routine the first couple.
Then imagine you just never took a day off. You might end up killing yourself depending on how out of shape you were beforehand.

>>3853397
also he barely ate, didn't use an AC or Heater and would fight any Monster he ran into. The dude was always close to dying

>>3853395
TIME TO CHEW ASS AND KICK GUM

>>3853528
Fucker had some super senkai boost for whatever its called

Your muscles are tensed up like tightly compressed springs, ready to let loose at any moment. You've got a laser focus on your goal. Dad always taught you that striking quickly and without hesitation is absolutely vital in mortal combat with a dangerous foe, and you're prepared to do just that. The moment you see what looks like an opening, you move in to strike.

It doesn't take long for you to realize your mistake as you fly in to attack. You aim for the leg of the man with the braided ponytail, and are stopped halfway. He spins away from your Dad and delivers a kick to your side before you even register that he's moving, causing you to cry out in pain and tumble across the floor, into the kitchen.

Frozen with pain, you remain limp and helpless as you watch the scene continue to unfold. The man who kicked you gives you a nasty glare and opens his mouth to speak, but is interrupted by a kick from your Dad which comes inches from hitting his face. Despite all of your Dad's best attempts, the other man is just as dangerous though, and ponytail guy has a chance to duck out of combat to look at you.

Seeming like he's in a hurry, he casually points a finger at you. The tip of his finger begins glowing and he shouts out, "DODON--" That's when the round object falls out of your pocket. Upon seeing it, his eyes widen and he shouts out, "Brother! The boy has it! Quickly!" With that, he tries to dash in your direction to grab the ball. However, Dad notices as well and reaches out, grabbing him by the leg and sending all three fighters tumbling to the floor in a pile.

You don't have the slightest clue why, but all three of them are apparently more concerned with whatever the little object is than they are with killing each other. While they all scramble in an attempt to get to it first, your Dad shouts out to you, "Just run Shoji! Go, before you get hurt!"

A small part of you wants to cower in fear, curl up into a ball and just hope everything will be alright. Just pray that you'll look up and Dad will have killed the bad guys. But you've been training to suppress that part of yourself since you were six years old. A student of the Viper School should never even think about trusting others to solve all their problems for them. You have to take action.

You take a deep breath in and reach out to grab the ball. Ponytail man yells at you, "I'll cut off your hands if you touch that thing, rat!!" The threat doesn't stop you from nabbing it, while your other hand surreptitiously snakes around to reach into a kitchen cabinet. Just as soon as he gets close enough to you, you pull your arm back and throw the orb past him, directly toward Mika.

He tries to reach up and grab it mid-flight, but you interrupt him with your other hand. Grabbing a handful of rat poison, you throw the powdery toxin in his face while his eyes are focused on the ball. He screams out in pain and rubs his eyes, giving you a chance to scramble to your feet and run away, heading for the door. It looks like Mika caught the ball and is back on her feet.

Unfortunately, she pulls out a spare belt of knives. You don't need to look for long to realize what she's doing. Mika plans on trying to hold them back so you can get away. You want to convince her to run away with you, but you don't have any time to talk. There must be some way to get her to come with! Of course, you could--

That's when a flash of pain shoots through your body, and you look down to see a golden beam passing through your chest. You collapse to the floor almost immediately, feeling all the energy drain from your body. The last thing you hear before passing out is the sound of Mika crying out your name, and Dad letting out a roar that sounds louder than anything you've ever heard before.

Then... there's nothing.

damn we already failed this quest

In the midst of the nothingness, a dream takes shape. You're still just a kid in the dream. Barely six years old. You've just woken up from a really scary nightmare, and you get up out of bed. You can't sleep anymore. You feel like something's out there to get you. It was chasing you in the nightmare, and now you see it behind every shadow, you can hear it creeping just outside your window.

You feel like you're about to cry, but you won't. The day you convinced Dad to let you train under him, you promised that you'd stop being a crybaby. So you won't start crying! But you can't stand being in this room anymore... the monster is somewhere in here, you're sure of it! And it's really scary!

You've gotta do something about it...

>Go get Dad. He's good at fighting monsters!
>Go into the dojo and train. If there's a monster in your room, you'll just avoid it until it goes away.
>Stay in your room. You can definitely handle it!

>>3853563
>Stay in your room. You can definitely handle it!
Fuck having a family, don't need one.

>>3853563
>Go get Dad. He's good at fighting monsters!

>>3853563
>Go get Dad. He's good at fighting monsters!
If that came from a 93, what would a low roll have done?

>>3853584
Remember how you managed to keep the mysterious round object away from the bad dudes?

File: Spoiler Image (61 KB, 400x174)

61 KB JPG

>>3853587

>>3853563
>Stay in your room. You can definitely handle it!
Break the leg of the bedpost and use it as a club.

>>3853563
>Go get Dad. He's good at fighting monsters!
inb4 we are turned into an android or we train with king kai

>>3853967
learning Kaioken sounds cooler than getting that absorbing shit

Dad can handle it! Dad can handle anything! He's the strongest guy in the world, nobody can beat him, not even a huge dinosaur! You nod self-assuredly and creep out of your room, carefully walking down the hall toward Dad's room. When you open the door and look inside, it's clear that Dad isn't in there. You very briefly wonder if the monster got Dad, but the concern doesn't stick. Nothing can beat Dad, not even the scariest monster! Maybe he's out doing some late night training?

You head toward the front door to check, but you stop before opening it when you hear voices from outside. Dad always taught you that you should always gather as much information as you can about an unusual situation before engaging with it, so you press your ear up against the door and listen in. You can just barely make out what the voices are saying.

"You're serious? This isn't a joke?" One of them sounds like a woman. You don't know why, but she sounds angry, like she's scolding Dad for something. "Eki, you've got to be kidding me." Is she even talking about Dad? You've never heard anyone call Dad 'Eki' before. "Mika was one thing, but now you're trying to turn Shoji into a walking killing machine too?"

"He asked me to train him, Lux! Begged me, even!" Your Dad sounds exasperated. You bet it's because this rude lady woke him up in the middle of the night.

'Lux' shoots back an irritated growl and asks, "How in the world is that an excuse? Would you teach him how to pick pockets if he begged you to?"

"That's beside the point!" Your dad groans, and you can practically hear the eyes rolling. "What else do you expect me to do? These are the only skills I know, should I just teach them nothing? Let them go into the world without any life skills? They need to know how to fend for themselves, especially if something happens to me!"

"Oh, don't give me that crappy excuse. Every time we argue you bring up some garbage about how you're in mortal danger, or how you might be dead next week."

"Well, it's true! You know what I do for a living, Lux!"

"No Eki, it's not. I've seen you get out of worse situations than anything your work puts you in. Aren't you the one who told me, 'No mortal man could beat me.' the day we met?"

"Damn it Lux, this isn't a matter that's up for discussion! If you want to try and take the boy away yourself to raise him right, be my guest. I won't stop you"

"Oh, you insufferable prick! If that was an option, I would've done it years ago!" You can hear her starting to move away after saying that. "I'm done with you. Don't expect me to help you with anything ever again."

Your dad starts shouting angrily in her direction, but you don't listen too closely. Mostly because you can tell he's coming closer to the door, and you're pretty sure you weren't supposed to be listening in on that conversation. Lucky for you, there's a training dummy nearby.

When Dad walks in, you're busy giving the dummy a bunch of punches and kicks. He seems surprised to see you, but doesn't seem to suspect you, just chuckling at the sight of your undisciplined attacks. "I know you're excited about being as strong as me, Shoji, but you should be sleeping right now. Come on, let's get you to bed." With that he lifts you up, and soon you're laid comfortably in your own bed. Your eyes flit closed, and you fall back into a deep sleep.

As you sleep, the dream fades back into the nothingness. Something feels wrong, but you don't quite know what it is..

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>3854195
>Something feels wrong, but you don't quite know what it is..
Our sister isn't dead yet?

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>3854195
i swear to god if either of them are dead then everyone in the Crane School is dying before we get the dragon balls

Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>3854192

You feel tired. Really tired. So tired you think you could sleep forever. You don't want that though. You want to be awake, alive. You wanna see Mika. You wanna see Dad.

The nothingness takes over again.

Then you realize, the nothing isn't taking over, you're inviting it in. With all of your being, you try to force it away. But it hurts. It hurts more than anything's ever hurt before. You almost give up. You almost let it consume you.

That's when a face appears in your mind. It's Dad. He's fighting too. After him, Mika appears. She's crying. That's not okay! You're her brother! You haven't seen her cry since you were little! Whoever made her cry, you've got to make them pay!

The moment that thought crosses your mind, you don't care about the pain anymore. You hardly even feel it. It's just background noise inside the storm of anger building up inside your heart.

Your eyes open, and you push yourself out of the bed you're laying in so hard it skids across the floor and slams into the wall behind you. You're not sure where you are. Some woman who's voice sounds vaguely familiar sighs at you and calmly asks, "Could you please at least not ruin the dressing? You have no idea how long it took me to apply it."

Looking down, you see that your chest is all bandaged up. You can feel nagging pain from some kind of chest wound. You ignore it. There are more important problems right now.

>Ask her where Mika is. If you have to, force her to tell you.
>Run! She could be out to kill you!
>Try to calm down and assess the situation. There's no point in making quick decisions if they're completely uninformed.

>>3854269
>Try to calm down and assess the situation. There's no point in making quick decisions if they're completely uninformed

>>3854269
>Try to calm down and assess the situation. There's no point in making quick decisions if they're completely uninformed.

>>3854269
>Try to calm down and assess the situation. There's no point in making quick decisions if they're completely uninformed.

>>3854269
>You wanna see Mika.
>>implying

>Mika appears. She's crying. That's not okay! You're her brother! You haven't seen her cry since you were little! Whoever made her cry, you've got to make them pay!
Haahahahhahaha.

>>3854269
>Run! She could be out to kill you!
I don't care about our family.

>>3854269
>Try to calm down and assess the situation. There's no point in making quick decisions if they're completely uninformed.
Dad don't teach viper school students to panic

You decide to take a page out of your sister's book, thinking things through no matter how panicked you are. You don't know if Mika is alright. You don't know what's happened to Dad. So it's time to figure out what you do know.

Your fists uncurl and you look around the room. You're inside of some kind of wooden building. Probably this lady's home. There's a desk behind her with what looks like bandages, ointment, and some other medical supplies. There are also some powders and herbs you don't recognize. Judging by that, and the comment about "the dressing", you figure that she probably gave you medical care. She's still suspicious, so you cautiously ask, "Who are you? And--"

She cuts you off with that weirdly reminiscent voice of hers. "Here, I'll answer the obvious questions for you. I'm the woman who saved your life, you're in my cabin, you've been asleep for four days, and your sister is just fine. Oh, and my name is Luxia."

That name gives you the same vague sense of familiarity as her voice, but you do relax slightly when she tells you Mika is alright. However, you still want to know, "Where is Mika? Why isn't she here?"

"Calm down, kid." She rolls her eyes, but for some reason she's smiling at you. "She's outside. I'll--" As soon as she tells you that, you start heading for the door. She frowns and barks, "Hey! Hold on! She'll come back inside when it's time for dinner, you can wait. You need rest! Besides, you're definitely not going outside dressed like that. Hold still."

You give her an irritated sigh, and she just shakes her head at you, reaching her hand onto the table and grabbing a handful of some powder. She then throws the powder at you, and it starts clinging to your skin. Before you have a chance to ask her what she's doing, she snaps her fingers, and the cloud of dust ignites into blue flames. You panic for a moment, but the flames don't hurt, and they dissipate in seconds. Once they're gone, in their place you find... a full set of clothes which fit perfectly.

>...wow. Okay, you're going to see Mika now.
>Uh... maybe you should lay back down.
>...was that magic? Did she just use magic on you?

>>3854453
>...was that magic? Ask her if she just used magic on you.

>>3854456
>...was that magic? Did she just use magic on you?
Mika's still alive? Boo!

>>3854456
>...was that magic? Did she just use magic on you?

>>3854456
Ask if she's our mom, because we vaguely recall her name in a memory? Or was it a dream? Ask her what happened to dad.
>...was that magic? Did she just use magic on you?

>>3854465
dude what's your damage?

>>3854456
>...was that magic? Did she just use magic on you?

"Was that magic? Did you just use magic on me?"

She answers your bewildered look with a soft chuckle and a smile. "I wouldn't exactly say I used it on you. More around you, really. So, you were leaving?"

As eager as you are to see Mika, your shock and curiosity overpower your desire to leave. "Hold on, you're a witch? A witch saved my life?"

"I'll excuse the insensitive slur for the moment. I'm something like that, yes." Despite the fact that Dad trained you in the art of hiding your emotions, you can't help but look dumbfounded. "Frankly, it shouldn't be surprising. In the state you were in, I suspect the only thing that could've saved your life other than a 'witch' is some kind of divine intervention, and I don't see any gods around."

Hearing that, and looking back down at your bandages, you suddenly remember what happened to you. Last you checked, there was a hole going all the way through the right side of your chest. You're pretty sure most people don't survive that sort of thing, especially when they live a full day away from the nearest hospital.

Ironically, just as you consider how severe the wound is, the adrenaline fueling you happens to run out. You stumble against the wall as the first muted wave of pain hits you. It's followed by another, and another, and you lose the ability to even stay on your feet. Luckily for you, a bed of those weird blue flames catches you, and you're carried through the air to the bed you were sleeping in.

As much as you might want to ask how fire can even do things like that, the pain hits you again, and you can't bring yourself to do anything besides lay back and suffer through it. Luxia gives you some reassuring words, but everything she says mixes up into a blur in your mind.

Later that night, you find that the sensation has mostly dulled. Not to a point where you can get up and move around, but it's not so intense that it's hard to think anymore. All things considered, even if you did feel like you could move, you don't think you would. You're pretty sure you only hurt as much as you did because you got up and started moving around.

Shortly after Luxia brings you a bowl of soup, you hear the door slam open, and look up to see Mika stomping toward you. You give her a friendly smile and a small wave, but she's upset. Her hands are curled into fists at her sides, and she's wearing a nasty frown. She shouts out in an upset, "You idiot! You dumb, brainless moron! I told you to run away, not try to help! What were you thinking?!"

Once she's done yelling, Mika kneels down and wraps her arms around you in a hug. It hurts, but it's also really nice. You pretend not to notice the tears falling from her face as she murmurs, "I thought you were dead... I thought I'd lost both of you..."

The happiness you felt at seeing your sister disappears as she mentions that. Your heart freezes over, and your eyes go vacant.

>Ask if Dad is dead.
>Don't say anything.

>>3854601
>Don't say anything
Just hug back

>>3854601
>Don't say anything.

>>3854601
>Ask if Dad is dead.
>Ugh, why did HE have to die?

>>3854601
>>Don't say anything.

Yay, dark and gritty is exactly what I look for in a DRAGON BALL quest.

>>3854601
>Don't say anything.

>>3854820
Thanks for your input. I'm writing what I want to write, but it's good to know how my readers feel about it.

>>3855177
You're doing fine. That's probably his only post in the thread. Fags love complaining about shit they don't care about

You stay silent. It's hard to tell whether it's because you don't want Mika to have to hear the question, or just because you can't bring yourself to ask it. You just hold your sister, for quite a while. Up until you're interrupted.

The hug doesn't get a chance to end naturally, as the moment is completely spoiled. Out of nowhere, Luxia lets out a soft laugh, fondly watching your embrace with a smile. You don't really know what to think. She's laughing and smiling as she watches you mourn your Dad.

Apparently it shows on your face, since she quickly takes note and apologizes. "Ah... sorry for interrupting. It's just... kind of cute to see this. I wonder if I looked this distraught the first time I thought that man was dead."

Your initial question and Mika's are different. You immediately ask, "You knew Dad?", and Mika follows you up with, "The first time?"

"Yes, I knew your father. Him and I were actually quite close when we were younger. I accompanied him for a lot of his travels. That's why I can say with confidence, I've watched that man walk out of situations much worse than this. Every time I thought for sure he had died and run away, he just came knocking at my door a week later. Either that or I'd find out that he'd been captured and have to save him."

"So..." "That means..." "Dad's not dead?", you and Mika ask in unison, wiping the tears away from your eyes.

"Nope. If this is what I suspect it is though, he could use our help. There's a good chance that a bunch of people who are pretty dangerous are interrogating him as we speak." She speaks as though she knows your dad better than you do, raising the question of who exactly she was to him. "So if you want to help, you two need to work with me. Shoji, rest up so your body can heal. Mika, eat your dinner. On the off chance that the people looking for that artifact do figure out where we are, I want you on watch so we aren't caught off guard."

You nod and give Mika one last hug before letting her go and laying back down with a pained groan.

>Do as you're told. Get some bedrest.
>Ask about exactly what that "artifact", the little orb, is.
>Ask about what magic is. You always knew it existed from Dad's stories, but how does it work?

>>3855201
>Ask about what magic is. You always knew it existed from Dad's stories, but how does it work?

>>3855201
>Ask about what magic is. You always knew it existed from Dad's stories, but how does it work?

>>3855201
>Ask about what magic is. You always knew it existed from Dad's stories, but how does it work?
Maybe we can sacrifice Mika for a ritual!

>>3855201
>Ask about what magic is. You always knew it existed from Dad's stories, but how does it work?
Teach me pleeeeaaase

Despite being told to rest, something nags at you. You've never met anyone who could cast spells or create clothes or anything. According to everything you know about the world, that should be impossible, but somehow it isn't. So, laying in your bed, you ask, "What exactly is magic, Luxia? How can you create fabric and buttons out of thin air?"

She gives you a surprised look. "I'll be completely honest, Shoji. I didn't think you were the type to be so curious about something like that. Especially at a time like this." You feel offended. Just because Mika is a little smarter than you doesn't mean you're some kind of thoughtless brute. "If you must know though, I'll give you a brief lesson on the basics. To start, you want to know how magical phenomena are possible. I think the best way to answer that question is to ask you this: How is it possible that you can screw a glass bulb into a socket in a lamp and produce light? The reason why you're inclined to believe magic shouldn't be possible is because, to you, the principles behind magic have been an unknown unknown. A bit of knowledge that you weren't even aware you could know until now, just like how ancient humans weren't aware that electromagnetism was a thing for them to know anything about. With regards to magic, you are a neanderthal gawking at a light bulb.

"Now, I've explained the how, but you also asked what magic is. There are two schools of thought when it comes to the question 'What is magic?'. One says that magic is an art; a set of techniques for manipulating the world which are developed through exploration of the self. The other says that magic is merely a misunderstood branch of scientific knowledge. That with enough study we can learn everything about magic and manipulate it like... well, electricity. In my experience, neither of the two answers is entirely consistent.

"According to the information I've gathered, Magic is a very scientific practice in application. In order to achieve certain effects, one can simply combine certain reagents or perform specific gestures to achieve a desired effect. However, none of the effects of magic are possible without the inclusion of a specific type of energy. This energy is what fundamentally separates magic and science. It goes by many names, but I prefer a term coined by the denizens of the Demon Realm: Ichor.

"The requirement of Ichor in all magical processes is why magic can't be considered entirely scientific, at least by humans. Ichor is an energy which can be drawn directly from the human soul, but it's not nearly as simple as creating electricity from a generator, or even manipulating your own body's Ki." She then pauses for a second and studies your face before letting out a soft sigh. "Your father never taught you what Ki is, did he? No matter, you'll learn eventually. The point is that drawing the Ichor from your soul is a process so personal that it truly is like an art."

"So, in conclusion, Magic is the process of drawing Ichor from your soul, the core of your being, and directing that ichor to complete your goals with a process colloquially referred to as Witchcraft. Witchcraft is what all the newt's eyes and fancy gesturing is, and it's the scientific component of magic. Any questions?"

>Just one. Does she know where you'd go to learn more? This magic stuff is exciting!
>Nah. Honestly this is all kinda boring. You're never gonna need magic anyways, you're a fighter.
>A few. You want to know... (Write in questions)

>>3856182
>>A few. You want to know... (Write in questions)
This Ki stuff... Is it usable for fighting? After all, one of the Viper tenets is to use everything at your disposal for a fight.

>>3856182
>A few. You want to know... (Write in questions)
Can you teach me how to do magic and ichor and ki stuff while I rest?

>>3856220
>>3856358
These. It's cultivating time boys

All the stuff she brings up has you excited. Ichor and Magic and... you think you remeber Dad saying something about Ki! You want all of it, any advantage would make you a much better fighter! With a great big grin on your face, you excitedly ask, "Could you teach me more? I'm gonna be stuck in this bed for a while, right? And I wanna be able to use everything! Ki and Ichor and Witchcraft and all of it!"

You watch as Luxia gives you a tired look, though it's quickly replaced with a big smile. She grabs a really big book and then comes over, patting you on the head. "Sure, I'd be happy to. Just start reading this book, Shoji."

She hands you the surprisingly heavy tome and you open it up, starting to read it. From the very start, it's like you're reading in a language you barely know. Half of the words make no sense to you at all. On top of that, you're interrupted by Luxia telling you, "Now, while you're reading, start meditating. Look deep into your own soul." You're slightly confused about why she wants you to try and do both at the same time, since you're practically guaranteed to fail. Nevertheless, you try, assuming that maybe if you meditate the words will start making sense. That's when she tells you, "Now tense up all the muscles in your body at the same time, while you do those other two tasks."

You're perplexed. When you look to her to see if that was some kind of joke, she returns with a frown, instructing you to, "Do as I say, or I won't bother trying to teach you anything." Hesitantly, you do as you're told. The process lasts about five minutes, throughout which you don't manage to get in touch with your inner self at all, nor do you get even a page into the book. At the end of it, you just collapse against the bed, groaning as you feel your whole body aching and cramping. At that point Luxia turns to you and folds her arms. "You're welcome for the lesson. Do you understand what you've been taught?"

"You look back and shake your head, completely confused about why she made you do that. Maybe... "Are you... trying to tell me to stop bothering you?"

She lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes her head. "No, Shoji. I wouldn't have had this conversation if I just didn't want to hear you blabbing. The point of this exercise was to show you that it's impossible for you to learn everything you want to know all at once. Each of those tasks individually would've been useful for teaching you, but they're entirely ineffective on their own."

"So you're saying I need to learn one thing at a time? Dad always told me that the best way to develop as a fighter is to train in ways that grow multiple skills at once."

"Well, your father is yet another member of this world's population who think that being able to throw a good punch is more important than being knowledgeable. If you try to overload yourself, you're destined for failure. I can teach you the basics of one skill while you're here, but that's it. Understood?"

"Understood...", you sigh. You were so excited too. Oh well. You wanna learn...

>How to draw Ichor and use it.
>Basic Witchcraft.
>What Ki is, and how it's useful to you.

>>3857123
>Basic Witchcraft.

>>3857123
>>What Ki is, and how it's useful to you.

>>3857123
>What Ki is, and how it's useful to you.

>>3857123
>How to draw Ichor and use it.

>>3857123
>what is ki? baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me

>>3857123
>What Ki is, and how it's useful to you.
Time to learn the makanko...makanpo... the special bean cannon

>>3857772
you mean the drillbeam?

>>3858042
Yup

File: Soul and Spirit.png (234 KB, 600x445)

234 KB PNG

"This stuff you mentioned... Ki, right? I want to know more about it." You think back on the few things that Dad said to you about it, and you're pretty sure it's what he was using whenever he showed you a technique that seemed to defy physics. "After all, I'm a fighter, not a scholar. Magic doesn't sound that useful to me."

Luxia clucks her tongue disapprovingly, but she doesn't scold you or anything, just uttering a soft, "As you wish..."

You bet she was hoping for an apprentice. Oh well. You're excited to learn about any new fighting techniques! "Awesome! Are we gonna start now, or tomorrow?"

She ponders the question for a moment before shrugging. "I'd love to say tomorrow, but that's just me being lazy. Are you familiar with the concept of anima? Or life energy?"

"As in like... the energy you get from eating food? How the stomach breaks down--"

"I'll take that as a no. Anima is a concept created by ancient philosophers trying to explain what separated life from non-life. They hypothesized that beyond the physical processes of a body, there's a sort of spark that makes life possible." She quickly digs into a drawer as she speaks and pulls out a leaf, setting it ablaze with a snap of her fingers. A moment later, a glistening point appears in the air in front of you. "Ahem. A spark that makes life possible. They were almost right. There are actually two." As she says that, the point of light splits into two. "One is the soul, the basic essence of the self. The other is the spirit, the core of the body." An outline of a body appears and one of the points floats to the center of its chest. The other floats to it's core, just above the waist.

"The soul is simple. For most people, souls are practically identical, at least for our purposes. The spirit, however, is malleable. For most people, the spirit is so minuscule that they can't even tell it's there." The bottom point of light shrinks to be so small you can hardly see it. "For some though..." She continues as the point grows in size until it's a burning, rippling orb almost as big as a head. "The spirit is so large that not only can they sense it, they can even manipulate it like any other part of their body. This is what we call Ki. A spirit developed enough that its owner can control it at will."

"Wow!!" You exclaim, beaming now. "Dad must've had a huge Ki! How big is mine, Miss Luxia?"

"Eh..." She shrugs, crossing her legs. "I'd rank your father's at maybe a C. So, something like this." The flaming ball continues to expand until it fills up the entirety of the body, conforming to it's shape. "At a guess, you're probably more like an E. So, this." The orb then shrinks down until it's barely the size of a fist compared to the body.

You aren't that surprised that you're so underdeveloped, but you scoff at the other claim. "There's no way Dad is a C! You're telling me there are two whole ranks above the strongest guy on earth?"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that strongest man claim, Shoji. But you're right, there are no humans who I'd give an A ranking." The orb begins growing again until it fills up the body. Then, it begins changing colors. It goes from a faint yellow to a dark orange, to red, to blue, and finally to a swirling, tumultuous black darkness. "This is what an A looks like. The only creature I've ever met who had this kind of energy was the Demon King himself, Shura."

You're not sure which claim is more unbelievable to you. That your Dad is so far from the top, or that Luxia has personally met the King of all demons. Clearly she can tell what you're thinking though, chuckling and answering it. "You don't have to believe me, but I swear I'm being honest." At that moment, the floating display disappears and Luxia swears under her breath. "This is unfortunate. Oh well, I'm going to need a minute to prepare a few things, Shoji. Ruminate over what I've told you."

You do as asked, thinking about all of it. Once Luxia is ready again, the night continues and you're given a lecture on how well-developed Ki is used. How it can be expelled from the body with explosive results. How the spirit will slowly regenerate used up Ki. How one can move their body with it, even flying through the air with prodigious skill. How those proficient in Magic can even use it in their spells. You're given a demonstration of the last example, thoroughly impressing you.

All of it raises an important question though. "Can I use it to do anything at my current level?" You get a feeling the answer is no, but it's worth asking.

"Traditionally... no. For one at your level, all your Spirit does is enable superhuman feats like lifting cars or withstanding normally lethal blows." She shakes her head, but a smile sneaks onto her face. "However, you just saw me use my Spirit externally, as Ki, and mine is just as small as yours is."

Your eyes widen. "So that means..."

"That's right, Shoji. I'm going to help you cheat the system. Consider it a gift for all the birthdays I missed. Now, lay back and close your eyes."

You do as you're told without a second thought. You can hardly think straight through the excitement now. Your smile has turned into a grin so wide that it's hurting your cheeks, and you just don't care.

She begins doing something around you, including placing a wet, gross smelling cloth over your eyes. "I'm going to put you into a forced meditative state, Shoji. It'll be a little bit like sleeping, but you won't have any dreams. While you're in it, you'll have to feel around for your spirit and develop an awareness of it. If you can manage that, you should be able to control it when you're awake."

"Got it!" You give her a slight nod and let her continue doing what she's doing. Though, you're not sure how you're going to fall asleep like this. You're all excited, and this cloth is really bothering you, and--

Everything disappears. You can't smell the cloth anymore. You can't feel the bed underneath you. You can't hear Luxia moving around, or any ambient noise. You even try to open your eyes, and you see nothing. This really isn't anything like sleeping. It's more like being stuck in some kind of empty black void. Or... like all of your senses have just been... turned off.

You sit around in this state for a while, confused about what you should be doing. Meditating, maybe? Dad never really taught you much about meditation though. He was always concerned with giving you more practical skills. So you just kind of... wait. It's really boring.

You're not sure how much time has passed, but it's sort of driving you mad. There's just... nothing. You can try to escape into your own mind, but it's not helping. Your own thoughts aren't providing insight or stimulation.

Maybe if you just try to calm yourself, something will come of this?

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>3858993
YEEEEART!

>>3858993
>>3859008
Uh, doesn't look like anyone else is rolling... Shall I roll any remaining attempts, Mister QM?

>>3859023
Don't worry about it. I can't write a follow-up for a while even if I did have all three rolls.

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>3858993

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>3858993

You take a slow, deep breath. Or at least... you think you do. It's really hard to tell when you aren't getting any physical feedback from your body. You're pretty sure meditation has something to do with emptying your mind of all its thoughts. You also probably shouldn't be struggling either.

...

You feel something. It disappears the moment you try to mentally reach out to it. So you relax again.

...

There it is. Something's here with you. You don't know what it is. It feels familiar. Now it's leaving...

...

...

It's back. You can tell where it is compared to you now. It's to your right. Standing over you. Now it's moving away. Now it's... shifting. It's hovering right where Luxia's chair was. You start to wonder if it's her, and lose focus. Dammit.

Another long while later, you feel it again. You're sure it's there. It's moving around the room like it's doing something. That's definitely Luxia. Then it hits you. She told you to find your own spirit and become aware of it. Right now you're looking outside, not inside!

It takes you a while to change your mindset, but you eventually manage to move your awareness in, trying to feel for yourself. Then you calm yourself and start meditating again. Eventually... you feel it. It's hard to tell it's there, because it's like trying to look at the back of your own head, but you can faintly sense it.

The longer you focus on it, the more clear it becomes. This little ball of condensed energy at the core of your being. Now it's the only thing you're aware of. It feels like... potential. In it's purest, most distilled form.

You will it to move, and...

You wake up with a gasp. You lay completely motionless until Luxia approaches and pulls the cloth off of your face. She gives you a smile and asks, "How did it go?"

>It went great! You felt her spirit and your own!
>You failed. You couldn't get it to move in time...
>She has to put you back under! You were so close!

>>3859425
>>You failed. You couldn't get it to move in time...

>>3859425
>You failed. You couldn't get it to move in time.

A sigh leaves your lips as you break eye contact, looking away from Luxia shamefully. "I ah... I'm sorry that I couldn't pull it off, despite all the effort you went to."

"Ah..." She seems bothered, but she rests a hand on your shoulder. "Well, it's no matter. I'm sure you'll figure it out in the future."

You give her a nod, and a sad smile. "Thank you, Miss Luxia. It just hurts because... well... because I was so close. I put everything into it, and all I could manage was being able to sense it there." You see her blink, and a thoughtful look appears on her face. You bet she's not sure how to comfort you, the same way Mika was whenever you lost to her and got upset. So you reassure her. "I'll work it out though. Even if all I can do is sense your spirit and my own when I'm meditating, I'll turn that into something useful!" You give her a smile, and she just gapes at you, seeming befuddled for some reason. Did you say something wrong?

She shakes her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Shoji. Are you telling me that you not only sensed your own spirit, but mine as well?" You nod, and she lets out a soft sigh and a quiet chuckle. "What in the world are you upset about then? The whole point of this exercise was for you to develop a mental awareness of your spirit, not move it around! More importantly though, the fact that you could sense mine goes to show that I severely underestimated you. You did an amazing job at that, Shoji."

"I did?" You cock your head at her. You definitely weren't expecting this. All throughout your childhood, you always felt like you were behind. Mika was such a prodigy, you always felt like you were clinging to her ankles and forcing her to drag you along. Dad would show you something new and Mika would have it mastered in a few tries, while you would fail time and time again until you got it. The idea that you'd be a natural at this is so surprising, you have to ask, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" She flicks your forehead as she stands up, walking over toward her desk. "Now get up out of bed. Your sister didn't carry you out of a burning building and run for miles through the forest with you just so you could nap all day."

"But don't I need to--" You look down and realize that not only are you not wearing any clothes, but you also don't have any bandages on. Your chest is completely bare, revealing a mass of scar tissue where your wound used to be. You climb out of bed with your eyes wide, looking up at Luxia and shouting, "How long was I out for?!"

She turns her head casually, still doing something on top of her desk. "Two weeks. That's hardly important though. It's time to get yourself dressed. I have important business to attend to, your sister is on the other side of the continent doing some recon for me, and you need to grow stronger as a fighter. We're going to need some muscle on our side if we want any hope of saving your father, after all."

You can hardly process everything she's told you. It's so much that you fail to notice her throwing a stack of clothes at you, and a pair of pants hit you in the face. In your confusion as you start pulling them on, your brain scrambles to figure out what question to ask first, and you end up with something stupid. "Why aren't you using that clothes magic on me?"

"I don't have an infinite supply of Ichor." is her curt answer. As soon as you're fully dressed, she turns around and gives you a serious look. "Important question now. What set of skills do you want to develop? If you want to learn some very rudimentary magic, South City has a wonderful transformation academy. If you're interested in some more serious stuff, I have an old friend who could give you some Witchcraft tutoring. And I suppose if you really aren't interested in either of those... I know a place where you could do some hard work to develop your spirit. What will it be? Decide quickly, please."

>Transformation academy? Sounds cool!
>Witchcraft tutoring, huh. Learning a few tricks might give you an edge in battles.
>You've been doing regular work to grow stronger your whole life. No point changing that now.

>>3859922
>>You've been doing regular work to grow stronger your whole life. No point changing that now.

>>3859922
>You've been doing regular work to grow stronger your whole life. No point changing that now.

>>3858991
>Consider it a gift for all the birthdays I missed
mom confirmed. or aunt.
>>3859922
>Transformation academy? Sounds cool!

>>3859922
>>You've been doing regular work to grow stronger your whole life. No point changing that now
Not sure if I actually voted yet, pretty much passed out last night

>>3860584
Oop, I did indeed. My badaroni.

"Ahm..." You don't have much of a chance to think, so you give her the immediate thought at the forefront of your mind. "I'll do the hard work, Luxia. If Dad thought I needed magic, he would've had me learn it. Now stand still."

This earns you a small sigh, but she nods, lifting a blue gem into the air. "It'll take a little while to get there, in the meantime, you should try and gain a conscious awareness of your spirit, it'll help." She performs a short chant and the gem begins glowing. Luxia holds it in front of you and starts gently blowing on one side of it. From the other side, a small bubble emerges and begins growing. It only takes a few seconds for it to press up against your skin and start wrapping around your body. Once it's fully enveloped you, Luxia smiles and tells you, "Don't poke at it too much, or it'll pop."

"Uh... okay. So, what's gonna-" Your question is answered before you can finish speaking as the bubble lifts you into the air. You aren't even given a chance to ask where you're supposed to be going as you're pulled toward the window in your bubble and dragged through it, the witch in front of you giving you a wave as her bubble takes you away.

Once it's outside, the bubble shoots up into the air and starts flying off toward the horizon at blinding speeds, taking you over the landscape you grew up in. You look down through the glossy sphere and watch the hills and forests fly by, taking you off to the north. Dad's only taken you this far north a few times, but you have a guess as to where the bubble is taking you now.

Realizing that you don't have anything better to do, you take Luxia's advice and close your eyes, feeling for the little ball in your abdomen. Several hours pass while you try, but eventually you make some progress. You can just barely tell where it is, but if you try to do anything at all, even just scratch an itch, you lose it completely. Eventually, you decide to take a break.

Your break has good timing as well, as you think you see your destination approaching. You've only been there once, but the sight was so unique that you could never forget it. As evening starts to fall, you see the shining lights of East City on the horizon.

File: East City.png (686 KB, 640x1176)

686 KB PNG

As the bubble takes you closer, you wonder where exactly you'll be dropped. Apparently subtlety must not have been Luxia's intent, because the bubble doesn't stop at the edge of town. It starts flying through the city streets, zooming between buildings as people down below point and stare at you. After a short while, the bubble stops in front of a small building.

Suddenly the bubble pops, dropping you on your ass. You let out a groan and rub your sore rear as you stand up, looking up at the sign above the building. Metal lettering reads, 'East City Career Center', and a white banner below has the words 'Job Fair' written in big, bold letters. So when Luxia said "Hard Work", she actually meant... a real job? That can't be right... can it?

You don't see anything else around you of note though. It seems like... this has to be it. Hesitantly, you approach the building, walking up the steps leading to the door. Inside, you find a big room full of people milling around and tables with employers sitting behind them. You have... absolutely no idea what to do here.

Feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second, you walk as quickly as you can over toward a board filled to the brim with job postings, pretending to look at them while you figure out what to do. While you're staring though, you actually notice one that sticks out from the rest. While all the others are clearly printed out, this one looks hand-written. And not very well, either. It's like it was written up by a child, packed with spelling errors. They even dotted one of the 'i's with a heart!

You wouldn't even be interested in the absurd thing if not for the fact that... you think it might be the reason you were sent here. Unlike all the normal postings, this one isn't asking for regular employees. It's asking for "Rough, Tough, Adventurey Types" to "Go on an exiting jerney to find the Mystical Fountain of Youthe!" As dumb as it sounds, if this is a real proposition, it could be just the thing you're looking for!

The posting ends by telling anyone interested to head to Bamboo park at noon tomorrow. Also, for some reason, there's a pawprint in the bottom corner.

>You've got to check this out! No matter how small the chance is, you've gotta join in if this is real. It's an adventure to find a mystical treasure!
>This is... pretty dumb. You're just going to leave now. Go and wander the city, see if you can find anything that'd help your training out there.

>>3861241
>>You've got to check this out! No matter how small the chance is, you've gotta join in if this is real. It's an adventure to find a mystical treasure!

>>3861241
>You've got to check this out! No matter how small the chance is, you've gotta join in if this is real. It's an adventure to find a mystical treasure!

In this case, curiosity and excitement manage to overpower skepticism. You make a mental note of the time and place and turn around, stepping out of the building with a grin. You've got your first real quest ever! So cool!

This has to have been orchestrated by Luxia somehow, right? It's such a wild coincidence, there's no other reasonable possibility. Confident about that, you step out of the building and start wandering down the street, admiring the scenery.

In the middle of your aimless wandering, you realize something vital. You're in an unfamiliar city, without a single friend to count on, not a single zeni to your name. That's a problem you need to fix. You'll need a place to stay tonight, and it seems unlikely that you'll run into anyone offering a free stay for a random twelve year old on the street.

>Just pick some pockets. You're deft enough that nobody would notice, and you definitely need the cash more than other people do right now.
>Swindle some people. You're sure some men around here would be willing to bet a few thousand zeni that they could beat you at arm wrestling.
>Go without the cash. You'll find a good place to rest, you're sure of it.

>>3861432
>Swindle some people. You're sure some men around here would be willing to bet a few thousand zeni that they could beat you at arm wrestling

>>3861432
>other
Find a job at that place we were at. We stink as fuck bois. We can do the work of ten men ezpz. We can even demonstrate that my lifting people or things.

>>3861432
>'East City Career Center', and a white banner below has the words 'Job Fair' written in big, bold letters. So when Luxia said "Hard Work", she actually meant... a real job?
So the job is tomorrow and we're effectively lost. Ask a stranger to point back the way to the Career Center and ask around for a labor intensive high paying job. Either people will provide some job or they'll pity us enough to give us a place to stay or cash.
Forgot to include this in my last post.

>>3861432
>>Swindle some people. You're sure some men around here would be willing to bet a few thousand zeni that they could beat you at arm wrestling.

You don't need much time to come up with a good way of securing some cash. Instead of blindly taking money from randos who may or may not need it, you'll get people to give you their money willingly. You start simply, just walking up to burly-looking men and saying in your best naive kid voice, "Hey Mister! I bet you can't beat me at arm wrestling!" Despite your best hopes, you quickly realize that isn't going to work. Maybe if this was a smaller town it would, but everyone just asks where your parents are.

Just when you think you're going to have to rethink the strategy, you see a tough guy wearing sunglasses standing next to a door. Figuring you'll give it one more shot, you walk up and ask, "Hey mister? Whatcha doing here?"

"Bouncing. That means keeping punks like you out of places they shouldn't be. Speaking of which, you should run home before I tan your hide, kid."

You let out a long sigh and whine, "But I'm boooored." He gives you a thoughtful look, and you tell him, "You look tough, Mister. Not as tough as me though. I bet I could beat you at arm wrestling!"

"Shit...", he mutters under his breath. "Did one of those worthless drunkards really leave their kid outside a bar all on his own?" With a cough, he pulls a phone out of his pocket and starts sending someone a message while he talks to you. "Fine, you can stay. You're definitely not right about that though, kid."

"Oh yeah?", you cock your head, suppressing a grin. "Wanna bet on it? How about half my allowance, 1000 zeni?"

"Kid, someone's gotta teach you a lesson about being careful with your money." He looks around for something before turning back to you. "Since it doesn't look like there's anyone else here to do it, I guess I'll have to."

Just a few moments later, you find yourself standing across from the kneeling Bouncer, your elbow on a stool he nabbed. With your hand clasped with his, you give him a grin. He tells you to, "Start anytime you like.", so you do. You test the waters by putting a few pounds of force into it, and once he seems ready, you slam his arm down into the stool in an instant. You let him go and extend your hand to accept your prize, but he's left completely stunned.

He's still sitting there stunned when a guy steps out of the door, turning to him. "The hell are you doing, Veli? I did what you asked, but everyone in the bar is swearin' up and down they didn't bring no kid."

'Veli' shakes his head and turns back, still wearing a shocked expression. "Boss boss boss. Hold on just a second, that's not important. I just got an amazing idea." Then he turns to you, grinning. "Kid, if you wanna make a dozen times your allowance tonight, come with me."

Considering that's what you came here to do, you give him a nod and follow behind as he leads you into the bar. It's definitely a seedy place, but it has plenty of patrons. After a brief conversation with his boss, Veli gets you set up with a table and a sign declaring you as the 'World's Strongest Kid!'

As the bouncer tells everyone that they can bet cash on beating you, most people in the room either seem amused or confused, but soon enough someone comes up with a ten-thousand zeni bill in his hand, and he slaps it on the table.

He seems very drunk. He barely kept his balance on the way to you, but he slurs out, "Ahm noot above beatin a kid for some quick cash! Gimme your arm!" You do as asked, and he immediately starts breaking the rules of arm-wrestling by lifting his elbow off the table and fruitlessly trying to force your arm down. You let out a sigh and slam his hand down into the table, sending him tumbling to the floor and earning laughter and applause from the whole room.

The rest of the night continues without much fanfare. Occasionally a drunk will approach you with cash, confidently claiming that the last guy was just too drunk to stand, and that he'll be the one to beat you. You gladly take their money all night long, until a different kind of contender approaches. A girl.

Or rather, a woman, to be more precise. A lady with short, blonde hair in a dress. Probably somewhere in her early to mid-twenties. She sits down in front of you with a determined expression and puts her hand on the table, along with five-thousand zeni. She's absolutely brimming with confidence, and it has you a little worried. Are you actually going to lose tonight?

As you clasp her hand in yours, you tense up, getting ready for her, and she... can't move your arm at all. Despite struggling so hard that she starts turning red in the face, this girl doesn't manage to make you budge an inch. You decide to be nice and slowly move her arm down, pinning it to the table.

She laughs as you release her arm, wearing a bright grin. All that seriousness is gone, replaced by bubbly charm. "Man, I can't believe how strong you are! I never knew a little kid could be so tough. Are you sure you're not some kind of alien?"

You snicker at the assertion and promise, "I'm home grown, through and through. My name's Shoji, sorry that you lost your money." You're not sure why she has you so talkative. With everyone else you just asked if they wanna try again for double-or-nothing. Maybe it's because she's not drunk and doesn't seem upset that she lost.

"Nice name, kid! I'm--" When she starts speaking, you see the first guy you beat behind her. He's holding a chair, and charging toward you like he plans to swing it at you.

>Hell yeah, a fight! The arm-wrestling thing was getting boring! You'll get the girl out of the way, then show him you mean business.
>Damn it all, you didn't come here for a fight. Grab the girl and get out of here before things get nasty.
>Stop the guy and try to calm him down. You were having a nice conversation with this lady, and you'd like to continue it.

>>3862030
>>Hell yeah, a fight! The arm-wrestling thing was getting boring! You'll get the girl out of the way, then show him you mean business.

>>3862030
>Hell yeah, a fight! The arm-wrestling thing was getting boring! You'll get the girl out of the way, then show him you mean business.
Viper School student go!
How much cash did we make so far btw?

As he moves to try and hit you with the chair, you jump up onto the table and shove the girl off to the side as gently as you can. When he swings the chair in your direction, you jump clear over the thing, watching him stumble back and look at the chair confusedly. He seems even more drunk than before though, because he pulls back to swing again, slurring out a shout. "You little shhit! You shheated! You shtole my mooney!"

You grin and crack your knuckles. This is gonna be fun. The next time he tries to slam the chair into you, you give it a solid kick, making it crash into his head and send him stumbling backward. You watch him groan in pain on the floor for a few seconds before the guy he was sitting with, another one of your customers, stands up and starts walking toward you. "You can't do that!" He seems less drunk than his friend, but still clearly not sober. "He was just... he was trying to get his money back, you cheat! I'm gonna teach you a lesson, punk!"

You prepare to knock down another stupid drunk when another bar patron stands up and gets in his way, shouting about how you just defended yourself, and how you're a kid. They argue for a few seconds before the first guy shoves the other one. Then, the first punch is thrown. Another person tries to intervene in their fight, and they end up getting dragged into it. Then, a lady who was with the guy who tried to intervene steps over and yells at them to stop. The lady ends up earning an accidental elbow in her face for her trouble, and yet another guy shouts, "That's my girlfriend, you bastard!!"

The action continues in a similar manner until eight separate people are beating the tar out of each other, with Veli trying to muscle his way in to stop it all, to no avail. Looks like he needs you to help out, so you happily waltz over and snake your way into the crowd of ornery drunks. As they throw their amateurish punches and try to wrestle each other to the ground, you systematically go one by one and hit them with attacks to disable them completely. An elbow in the jaw here, a jab to the neck there. You finish by simultaneously giving a pair of drunks matching blows against each of their chests, winding them and sending them toppling to the floor.

With a pile of grown men laying on the floor all around you, you give Veli a wave and sprint toward the table before he can react, snatching up all the money you made and rushing for the door. "Thanks for the cash, mister!", you shout back as you zoom out of the door. You're all the way down the block before anyone makes it out the door after you.

Fortunately, you're not naive enough to think that the police are always the good guys. In this case, they'd probably try to take you in for questioning, and you wouldn't be able to explain where your dad is, and it'd be a huge mess. So you avoid all of that by running away before the cops inevitably show up. You just feel sorry that Veli will have to explain all of that.

Despite your excitement, it's getting late enough that you're getting tired. You think it's probably time for bed, so you find a hotel and make your way inside. Pulling the cash out of your pocket, you place the price for a night's stay on the counter. Naturally the receptionist tries to tell you that you can't book a room as a minor, but you get around that by selling her a sob story about how you ran away from home because of your abusive mother, and don't have anywhere to go. All you have to do is show her a few of your scars and she's convinced to let you stay for a single night. She even swears that she won't tell anyone you're here, as long as you promise that you'll go to the police in the morning. You agree, naturally, giving her your most sincere fake promise.

Once you've finally made your way up to your room, you let out a sigh and flop into bed. One last thing before sleep though. You slip the rest of the cash out of your pocket and file through it. After paying for the hotel room, your efforts have earned you a cool nineteen thousand zeni. Today's definitely been a good day, even if it's definitely been a long one. You can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

You awaken in the morning to the sound of your own stomach grumbling. Looks like your body thinks its breakfast time, so you suppose it's breakfast time. You hop out of bed and collect your things, heading for the window. It's probably best that you don't head down into the lobby. The receptionist lady could've arranged for a police officer to meet you in the lobby, or neglected to tell the person running the morning shift about you, or something else unpleasant. Instead of leaving normally, you open up the window in your first floor room and hop out, waltzing onto the sidewalk and strutting along casually.

Even if you couldn't tell from the sun, there are enough clocks in the city that you can tell you slept in immediately. You should probably head for the park now, your job should be starting there in just a little while. You'll grab some food on the way and make it there by noon. It isn't your first choice, but you decide to head into a nearby convenience store.

Walking out with a slightly suspicious breakfast burrito in hand, you make your way to the park at a brisk pace. By the time you get there your burrito has been eaten, you're ready for the meeting, and... you're being followed.

You kick yourself for not realizing it sooner. Someone's been following behind you for a long while, and you're not sure who it is though. Or why they're following you. The only reason you can think of is that maybe that receptionist saw you leave and is chasing after you? That seems unlikely though. Maybe you're imagining it?

>Walk around the park a few times, try to lose them.
>Ignore them. If they even exist, they can follow you all they want.
>Turn around and try to find them. You'll know why they're tailing you soon enough.

>>3862469
>>Turn around and try to find them. You'll know why they're tailing you soon enough.
"I know you're there."

>>3862469
>Walk around the park a few times, try to lose them.

>>3862469
Walk around a corner?

File: girl.png (181 KB, 246x781)

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You don't really have any practical experience with it, but you've been taught a thing or two about how to keep someone from following you. So, with one last glance behind you, you pick up your pace. Fortunately, you're fast enough that you don't even need to run to zip between people, zooming down the block at the speed most people sprint at. You keep a steady pace for a while as you circle around the park, until you stop and look up at a clock.

Shit! It's noon already! You drop all pretense of being subtle and dash into the park, looking around for the meeting spot mentioned by the job ad. In your hurry, you slam into a girl who's doubled over and panting at nearly full speed, sending both of you tumbling into a bush. You both let out a groan in tandem as you get up, picking burrs from your clothes. You turn to apologize, but you stop in place when you see her face. It's the lady from last night!

She huffs at you and folds her arms as she gets up, giving you a pouty look. "Why'd you have to go and start running from me, kid? I was following after you all the way from the hotel, and I thought I lost you here." Her pout fades and she lets out a sigh, looking around the park. "It's really hard to keep up with you, why do you move so fast normally? You're like a powerwalker on steroids."

"Huh?" You cock your head at her. You know you move at a quicker pace than most people, but you're not that fast, right? Hold on. "Hey! That's not important! Why were you following me, lady?"

"Well, first off, it's because I wanna know more about you. Where'd you come from? You're the kid who showed up out of nowhere in a bubble, right? This picture definitely looks like you." She pulls a photograph out and looks at it, before showing it to you. It's definitely an image of you, sitting in that bubble. "Also, my name's not lady. I'm Tights!"

"Well uh... Tights, that picture is..." You glance over and realize it's almost five minutes past! You don't have time for this, you've gotta go! "Ah, sorry! I'm kind of in a rush! I'll tell you later!" With that, you race past her, rushing through the park.

Finally, you find the spot you were meant to meet at. Or at least, you think you do. Some people have apparently turned a park bench into a makeshift desk. The people running the show seems to be arguing about something, and you think one of them is smacking the other with a rolled up newspaper. He's yelling something about how it's all one dude's fault for screwing up the ads.

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You snicker as they look in surprise, seeing you approach the desk. Before you can even tell them that you're here for the job, one guy approaches the 'desk' with a smug smile on his face. The guy is even shorter than you, has blue skin, a weirdly garish outfit, and eyes that look perpetually crossed. You're about to ask if he's running the show when he shouts, "Finally! I've been waiting so very long for the next member of my... my... what was that word Mai?"

"Retinue, sir.", a tall woman in a teal trench coat responds.

"Right. For the next member of my royal retinue to arrive! I am Emperor Pilaf, and you have the honor of being my newest servant."

END OF EPISODE 1
https://youtu.be/BvyzX5Abqz0

That's the first thread finished! I hope you all liked it. If I continue this, the new thread will probably show up somewhere around Friday or Saturday.

If I do continue, does anybody want me to change anything? I understand that this first thread was sorta packed with exposition dumps, so I'm planning on reeling those back in the future. The next thread would also probably have more fights, and a lot more rolls. This thread was mostly about setting the stage, so I didn't want that much randomness.

>>3863305
Well, first threads are always filled with expo dumps. Interested in seeing next thread, I think this has potential! Just hoping it doesn't go the route of *every other DB quest* where it becomes 'hey, pal around with Goku and just go through the canon sagas'

>>3863305
Gib next thread and people punching and zenni

New thread!
>>3866927
>>3866927
>>3866927