On The Seventh Day

“Jenny, wake up!” John pulled his girlfriend into a sitting-up position, only for her to immediately lay back down.

“Five more minutes,” she mumbled, and he hit her in the face with a bout of Clean which accomplished nothing, save for getting her hair out of her eyes.

“You have to go talk to your dad, and I have to talk to Keith,” he continued, dragging her out of bed.

“But moving without my bass is so slow…” she pouted, getting out of her pajamas and taking a clean outfit out of her bass case.

“It’s only for a week, after that it’ll be better than ever!” he encouraged, which made her give him a dirty look.

“That’s still too long!” Despite her complaining, she stepped into the bathroom to shower. Meanwhile, John had already showered and equipped a clean set of dry clothes. Before he left for Keith’s apartment, he wanted to try to fix the gunbelt.

He opened up Craft’s interface to see his options.

Magnum Belt
Epic item. Lightweight. A stylish looking gun belt, crafted from kangaroo leather, designed to have two holsters. Bullets drawn from this belt have a ⅓ chance of dealing extra explosive or bleeding damage.
Repair with (T-Shirt), 50 MP? [Accept]

Robo-Magnum Belt
Epic item. Light armor, -1 Agi, +1 DR, +3 DT. A stylish looking gun belt inlaid with scrap metal and electronics from a future that never was. Hopelessly complicated to reprogram. Bullets drawn from this belt have a ⅓ chance of dealing extra explosive or bleeding damage. Automatically reloads holstered guns when supplied with ammo type of the equipped gun. Only powered as long as you have Mana.
Repair with (2x Scrap Steel, 5x Advanced Scrap Electronics, Simple AI Core), 120 MP? [Accept]

That’s right! I never went over all the loot I got from that weird city barrier. John thought, opening his inventory, I’ll take stock now… and read that decoding book. That Diamond Cipher makes me wonder…

Scrap Steel
Common item. Jagged pieces of steel that were once part of a larger machine. Can be melted down or otherwise reshaped to be useful.

I’ve got ten of those, and they seem like pretty useful fodder. I’d only be using two to craft that advanced belt. Let’s see about the other stuff. The steel was obviously the least interesting drop. The description of the next one was fascinating.

Advanced Scrap Electronics
Uncommon item. Salvageable electronics from a futuristic dystopia that is mere decades ahead of Earth.

I’ve got five of those, so crafting that would use all of them up… and it’d take away an Agility point, but… are the benefits worth it? Better look at the other items and the other options, John thought, noticing Jenny had turned the shower on. Joining her would be fun but… no. I’ve got stuff to do.

Simple AI Core
Rare item. A simple AI core with no distinct personality, capable of being programmed to automate small or menial tasks.

I’ve only got one of those, though I guess that makes sense. It’s not like I took out the bosses. At this point, David took the opportunity to appear in his incorporeal form on John’s shoulder. He looked at John curiously before squawking, which prompted John to take a lump of his food out of his inventory. “Here ya go, little buddy!” John said, throwing his food up into the air. Taking on a physical form, David shot toward his food, grabbing it with his talons.

I’ll go with the robo belt; a single point of Agility for all those benefits is totally worth it. I don’t even know what I’d do with the AI otherwise. I’m no mechanist. With that, he hit accept on the robo-belt. Immediately, steel pieces sowed themselves into the leather, the AI core, which was apparently a small black cube with a red light in the center, replaced the original belt buckle.

Craft level 3!

Sweet! Alright, belt repaired. David’s food… he looked to the spot where his contented bird had just eaten and cast a quick Clean on it, cleaned up. What am I missing?

To sever our connection and end the party hopefully. You’re great and all, but… I’d prefer not to share thoughts when I’m with my Dad, Jenny chimed in, and John had had no idea that she had been hearing any of that.

You should mind your own business! John thought back in mock hurt but ended the connection nonetheless. Alright, told him I’d be there in ten minutes, that’s enough time to get across town with the fast-travel barriers.

Giving Jenny who had just emerged from the bathroom a quick kiss, he took off down the stairs. “Love you Mom, bye!” he spoke quickly as he burst out the door, remembering to unequip his belt as he ran down his block. _I should get some other form of transportation. With all that money I have, I could get pretty much anything. That’s a thought for later, to Keith’s first.

“You sold a pair of socks for six million dollars?” Keith asked incredulously. Kimberly was out doing who knew what, so they had the apartment to themselves. John sat in an overstuffed, leather easy-chair, while Keith lazily reclined on the couch, bottle of whiskey in hand.

“A pair of **** socks, yes,” John replied, while Keith idly wondered about the practical applications of the threads of such socks or if they could even be recreated.

“You know, you might’ve just started a whole **** war if the thread can be recreated. Wouldn't surprise me.” Keith said, sipping from the bottle.

“It came from my powers, so I doubt they can.” John thought he sounded nonchalant, but worry gnawed at him, and he hoped he was right. Or that some junkie put them on and never took them off.

“Maybe. So, you want a bulk order of potions?” Keith asked, sitting up straight and leaning across the table. In an instant his sly grin had disappeared, and his face was all business. “You know, if you were anyone else, I would never believe that story.”

“That’s right. Fifteen health potions, twice as many mana potions, five of those high-quality regeneration potions…” John began listing off, before realizing he didn’t know the limit to what Keith could make. “What would you recommend?”

“As a businessman?” Keith replied; he could easily nickel and dime John if he really wanted to, but… he had grown to care for the boy. Just a little.

“As my friend I’d hope,” John replied, taking a sip of the previously untouched whiskey Keith had offered him. The burn when it flowed down his throat was nothing compared to the first time.

“Well, you covered the basics, though if you have any more than three of those in a day you’re likely to get sick.” Keith thought aloud. “I’d take twenty mana potions instead of thirty and take ten mana regen potions in their place. How much can your inventory even carry lad?”

“I’ve got sixty-eight slots; my equipment takes up about seventeen. Maybe a little less,” John replied, fiddling around with his inventory. “By the time the tryouts start, I want to be at least level twenty, so I’ll probably have more by then.”

“So those fifty potions. Right now your order is looking like about six-hundred thousand dollars. After that… your biggest strength is your speed and reflexes. They’d probably put you in the lowest class during the actual competition… What’s your biggest weakness?” Keith took a long swig of the whiskey while John pulled up his stat sheet.

“By the time the tryouts happen? My stats will be good… probably my lack of defenses. Maybe I'll get some equipment to help with that.” John replied, closing his stat sheet.

“That won’t matter as much if you don’t get hit. How confident are you?” Keith had gotten up, his bottle apparently empty.

“In not getting hit? With my equipment set-up, pretty confident,” John answered, thinking about the earring he wore. He hadn’t been able to test it yet, but just knowing that it distorted his image was reassuring.

“Alright, so aside from what you have already, I’d go with five essence of winds, two all-purpose antidotes, and three charm-breakers. Those alone will put you up to a million, but trust me when I tell you it’ll be worth it. Especially with the unpredictableness of the last test,” Keith explained, writing the order down on a slip of paper.

“You know about the tryout process?” John asked, glad to hear that somebody would have more information.

“That’s right. First comes the personality test. A standard thing, you could probably even find it online. Next comes the personal test. One of the upper-ranking members will test you one-on-one. You’ll be given time to explain your powers and level of ability to whoever it is. Winning the fight isn’t as important as showing off; it’s how non-combat mages get by,” Keith explained, returning to the couch with another bottle, more whiskey.

“So the first test determines your personality type? And the second one your skill level?” John asked, listening attentively.

“Right. Usually they’re a setup for the third and final test. That one is random. One year it’s a tournament, the next it’s basically the Hunger Games. Nobody outside the Major Arcana know what that’s going to be. Those are the rulers of the organization, if you didn’t know,” Keith explained, taking another long swig of his drink.

“It’s modeled after Tarot cards… or Tarot cards are modeled after them. One leader for each of the Major Arcana, and then the Minor Arcana are the grunts. The swords are the bounty hunters, the cups are the healers and the Apothecary affiliates, the pentacles are the merchants and the Auction affiliates, and the wands are the researchers and Fateweaver affiliates.” He finished writing down John’s order and stuffed it into one of his pockets. He refilled John’s glass before continuing.

“There’s some bleedover: the wands develop the tools for the others, the cups heal the others, the pentacles supply the others. Generally though, that’s the structure,” he finished explaining, getting up off the couch. “That’s the extent of what I know. You’ll have your order before the end of the week. Unless you want to train, get out.”

“Hold on, I also wanted to talk to you about the Necromancer!” John said, and Keith sat back down quickly, eyeing him eagerly.

“You’ve got information?” Keith asked incredulously, not quite believing that someone so weak could learn anything when nobody else had been able to so far.

“She spies on people through puppets, as if they were cameras. There’s a deaf, mute homeless guy who she uses to spy on you. Every time I’ve left your apartment, he’s been there. Goes by Nick Andros. About 5’10, black hair, brown eyes?” John’s explanation turned into a question; if Keith had seen the man in question, then it’d dash John’s suspicions that Andros was really only spying on him.

“I knew him when he wasn’t a puppet, only for a week or so. I gave him change once. Didn’t really think much when he disappeared… though I guess that’s the point. I’ll let the group chat, or what’s left of it, know. I’ll add you to that now.” Keith fiddled with his phone, which was comically small compared to his big hands.

You have been invited to: The Best Abyssal Group Chat in the History of the World (Moderated by “The Best Bass Player In The World” and “Potion Seller”)
[Accept]/[Reject]

John hit the accept button and was asked to put in a name. Well, it’s not going to be super obvious. I guess I’ll go by “The Gamer”, John thought, entering in just that.

The Gamer has joined the group chat.
Iron Man: Another one joins the fold
NeonLights: Don’t be creepy maaaan
TheBestBas: Oh right I forgot to add him
The Gamer: Hey everyone
Potion Seller: The Gamer has just informed me that the Necromancer is spying on people through puppets. If you see something strange, make sure you tell us.
NeonLights: Weird? In Springfield?
IfYouSeeM: Nothing weird ever happens in Springfield

That’s… interesting. Won’t mute it, but for now I have other stuff to do. He looked up from his phone to see Keith put his away.

“I think we’re done here lad. Unless you want to train, get out.”

“Right, just want to order some stuff off the Auction. I’ll send you the money first though,” John replied, using the convenient function of the Abyss Auction to essentially paypal Keith the money. Better on the Auction than on a place it would get traced.

First off, a new pair of guns, John thought, looking back to Ebony and Ivory. I don’t need to get the cheapest version now though. With that he scrolled to the most expensive version, which had a crazy amount of modifications.

Ebony and Ivory
Current Price: $4,500,000
Material: Shaped from melted rune-infused piano keys into 98% melodinium. (2% junk I found lying around; medium largely unaffected)
This pistol duo has been modeled around the pistols from the “Devil May Cry” series, modified to use .45 ACP rounds! The power of the bullets beyond base is drawn from the wielder’s soul, effectively making the bullets as strong as you are! Use Ivory for a rapid fire, burning through ammo fighting style, peppering your enemies with attacks. Use Ebony for a comfortable, accuracy-friendly fighting style or for longer ranged attacks. This custom version of the firearm duo is made to order and as such may take up to three weeks to be made depending on customizations chosen.
Customizations: Spellshot, Holy Shot, Demonic Shot, Indestructible, Bullet Guidance, Spell Conduit, Mana Draw, Greater Soulbind, Bullet Hell

John had to tap on the features one by one to see what each did, and each one was as amazing as the last.

Spellshot: Store up to three spells on one bullet by casting them with a bullet in the chamber! Effect and application varies depending on the spell applied.

Holy Shot: By imbuing the firearms with holy energy during crafting, they can affect intangible undead enemies such as ghosts and deal extra damage to demonic or otherwise unholy enemies. Warning! If combined with Demonic Shot, the firearms will take much longer to make.

Demonic Shot: By imbuing the firearms with demonic energy during crafting, they deal extra damage to angels, cherubs, and other holy entities (though it is not recommended to make an enemy out of a God’s vassal). Warning! If combined with Holy Shot, the firearms will take much longer to make.

Indestructible: Through a blessing from a minor God, the firearms will be indestructible except by certain reality overwriting abilities or by the will of greater Gods.

Bullet Guidance: The user has limited control and can curve a shot after the bullet has left the firearm by exerting their will over it.

Spell Conduit: By unloading the chamber and focusing a spell through the guns, spells can be cast, aimed, and amplified, using the firearms as conduits.

Mana Draw: The user’s magic can be spent in order to increase speed, momentum, or even size of the bullets leaving the firearm.

Greater Soulbind: The first to touch the firearms with bare skin will have them bound to their soul, allowing them to call the firearms to their position at any time and take them to the afterlife!

Bullet Hell: By burning through a substantial amount of mana, ancient magic imbued within the firearms activates for a short time, giving the benefits of each gun to the other without the drawbacks. In addition, bullet speed and rate of fire increases.

Oh hell yes! With that and Keith’s potions, I’ll still have half a million bucks left. Without thinking about it more, John hit purchase. I’ll spend that on some good body equipment. Keeping with the cowboy motif, a duster would be nice…

After looking around for around half an hour, during which Keith gave him a weird look that he was still even there, he found something that looked perfect.

Midnight Duster
Current Price: $450,000
Material: Made from the leather of shadow snakes from the Zarkov Kingdom, this midnight blue duster makes you practically invisible during the night time! In addition to being lightweight, the skin of these animals repels fire, cold, and most forms of physical damage.
How did we kill them you ask? We don’t even know! We’re that good! Perfect for anyone riding a trail in K-66, guaranteed to protect against the dangers of the wastes. These coats are made to order, so please allow up to two weeks for delivery.
Enchantments: One-size-fits-most, Waterproof, Self-Cleaning

Even if it doesn’t have as many enchantments as the guns, that still looks badass as hell. I’ll go with that. He once again hit purchase, and his account was reduced to a mere fifty-thousand dollars. Right, so… wait a minute, I just spent most of my money. That’s enough shopping for today.

He stretched and leapt off Keith’s couch, deciding to see if Jenny was home from the Apothecary yet. Racing home, he found his mother gone, but Jenny practicing bass in her bedroom with a mundane instrument. It still carried her music, but not nearly as well. He didn’t even get the status effect.

“Everything’s set! All we have to do now is wait for tryouts. How’d things go with your dad?” John asked when Jenny noticed him and stopped playing.

“He was upset, but I think he was also proud of me. For deciding to get a job, not for breaking my bass. I think things are looking up. For both of us.”

Tutorial Ended. Tutorial Limiter Removal Initialized, Please Stand By...

Damage output cap removed. Damage intake cap removed. Experience cap per enemy placed. Experience dampener per enemy removed. Money dampener removed. Initializing Level Redux, please stand by...

True Level Gaining Initialized. Experience needed for the next level raised heavily. Max HP and MP will now be gained upon leveling up. Perk points will now be gained for every level and will be referred to as PP by the Game. Number of stat points awarded will raise proportionally with level, starting with level fifteen. Min stat points: 5. Retroactive HP, MP, or PP will not be given. Good luck, John.