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[Masochistic System]
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…
Taka walked back home, limping a little, and his face betraying any intent to hide the pain in his body, not that the bruises and dirt all over him helped with that. He looked totally wrecked.
As he walked, he let out a long sigh, one mixed with disappointment and disgust.
"I'm a fucking slave, to let myself get beaten up this much just for some aura and skills… what am I doing with my life?"
He stopped walking and glanced at the bruises on his arms with a scowl.
"I really should stop following blindly the system's missions."
But then, his eyes darted to the screen, his annoyed gaze flickering just slightly.
"But well, I did get beaten up a lot for this, so let's see if it was really worth it or not."
He tapped the air where the screen was and checked the three rewards he had gotten.
A hundred points of aura, making his total reach 1170.
Two new skills, which he planned to check out in a second.
And lastly, a mysterious reward that turned out to be something called "Vest of Perfection". An object-type reward, something he hadn't seen so far from the missions' rewards, and that he was especially thrilled to check out.
But since he preferred to leave the most important things for last, he checked the skills first.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[Pain is Just a Feeling] (Passive)
Description: Pain, like any other feeling, is essential to our own survival. Without it, we wouldn't even notice the damage to our bodies, nor the limits that we have. However, sometimes there are more important things than our body, and the need to transcend our suffering becomes essential.
Never again shall you become a slave of pain, for pain is an alert, not a wall.
▸Greatly enhances pain resistance.
Note: Pain resistance is not the same as pain negation. The pain you'll feel is the same, but how you respond to it is the key.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
"No comment on that one…" Taka deadpanned, another skill that didn't boost his combat power.
'Or maybe it does.' Taka mused, grabbing his chin with a pensive face.
If he ever was in too much danger, at least now he had the assurance he wouldn't get paralyzed from pain or something similar.
'Plus, now I can aura farm by being able to act like I can't feel pain—regardless of whether I might be crying my heart out inside.' Taka nodded with his eyes closed as that thought crossed his mind. 'Once again, another skill focused on aura farming… Maybe all skills will be like that?'
He blinked, then let out a wry laugh.
'Well, I suppose it's called Aura Farming System for a reason.'
His eyes turned to the next skill.
And sure enough…
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[Innamovible Object](active)
Description: The enemy launches their best attack, one that shatters earth and ignites the air… and yet, as it strikes their foe, he stays there, unmoving, his body unaffected, and his gaze unwavering. All that power, all that energy, they were nothing before a man who was like a mountain.
▸Grants your aura the ability to negate all knockback or recoil from an attack. Making you unaffected by it… at least on the outside.
▸Due to the energy behind attacks having to go somewhere, all the energy behind attacks will be redirected and distributed throughout your entire body.
Note: The energy distribution takes into account the energy that is lost on the air, ground, and anywhere else, so you're more likely to take more damage while using this ability.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
"Come on, man…" Taka deadpanned at the utterly useless skill, if not for the aura farming use.
Because that was all it was good for. It basically made him more vulnerable, in exchange for not being knocked back from attacks.
'I guess only the first skill had some real use, huh?' He rubbed his temples, already feeling like getting beaten up hadn't been worth it at all.
So, his attention went to the last reward on the list. Hopefully, it'd be what he needed for his mood to improve—
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[Vest of Perfection] (Item)
Description: What is perfection, but an unattainable goal—for anyone but the true aura farmer, that is.
Aura Farming is not only present in battle, but the very reality that surrounds us. The way we breathe, the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we act as a whole. They all shape the true Aura Farmer, and differentiate them from a fake one.
So, what path will you take?
One of deception?
Or one of perfection?
▽
Do you want to take the item out?
[Yes] [No]
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
"... And what the hell is this?" Taka eyed the item with a dumbfounded gaze.
Whoever wrote that description had a knack for saying a lot but not really saying anything. So, still confused as heck about what the hell the item really was, Taka clicked on the "yes", and soon after, a very simple vest dropped in front of him.
"...?"
Taka picked it up with a deadpan.
The thing looked… lame.
It was just a very plain vest made out of what looked like leather. But besides that, it had no design at all.
But just as Taka was beginning to think he had been scammed and beaten up for nothing—
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[So you've gotten a hold of the Vest of Perfection! Then better put it to good use and start right away with your evolution!]
Conditions for completion:
▸Put on the vest, and wear it for an entire week.
▸Do not take it off until the end of the mission.
▸Do not support your own body by using Aura Projection.
Reward: +50 Aura | Gain the skills [True Walking], [True Breathing], and [True Speaking].
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
Taka's eyes widened like plates the moment he saw the reward of three whole skills for completing a mere week-long mission.
Though his awestruck expression dissapeared pretty quickly once he gave the skills' names a look over.
"Talk about lame sounding names…"
He squinted his eyes at the reward's description and then turned to glance at the Vest in his hands hesitantly.
"Still, it's three skills for only a week. Compared to most missions so far, which have taken me a month each, a single week seems pretty simple…"
He inspected the vest from closer, looking at it with a suspicious gaze.
"But this system wouldn't just give me that many skills for such a simple job, so what's the catch with this thing then?"
Taka stood silent in the middle of the street, inspecting the seemingly normal-looking piece of leather for a few seconds, his eyes never losing the distrust in them.
But ultimately, he shrugged it all off.
"Well, whatever. How bad can it be?"
And so, without much worry, he began putting on the vest.
And then… nothing happened.
He gave himself a look, raising an eyebrow.
He looked ridiculous. Like some poorly made cowboy costume.
'Is that the challenge? To keep a straight face despite wearing this during an entire week? If that's it, then I think I can manag—Uooogh?!'
Taka almost let out a strange cry the next second, not because of pain, but rather because…
"W-w-wha-what i-is thi....sss?!!"
A huge pressure suddenly fell upon his throat… No, not only his throat, but on all the muscles that allowed him to speak. His mandible was heavy, and he barely felt able to let out air, even less able to control it to speak.
What had been a simple task he'd been doing since he was a brat now felt like torture!
But why?!
His eyes immediately shot to the vest.
'It's this thing's fault!' Taka scowled, his hand gripping tightly his throat. 'But how? It's not even touching my neck, how is it even—Hold on.'
Taka's eyes widened as a thought reached him.
And sure enough, soon he felt it.
The true culprit behind everything… had been his own aura.
And what was worse… the aura… was moving!
The pressure that had only been difficulting him to speak soon began affecting other areas as well. Taka's eyes widened in horror as his own aura betrayed him and acted on its own.
After the throat, the pressure fell on the lungs and all muscles responsible for allowing him to breathe.
Suddenly, breathing felt like the most excruciating exercise ever. Every intake felt for his lungs like trying to take in solid rock instead of smooth air.
Not only that, but muscles that helped with taking the air in, like his back and a bit of his abdomen, also felt incredibly tight.
Much like talking, breathing had become almost impossible.
But even then, the aura still wasn't done.
Lastly, the pressure extended to his lower zone.
No, not that lower zone, fortunately.
His waist, legs, knees, heel, and even toes began suffering from a jarring pressure, along with the muscles that supported them.
Eventually, his legs buckled, and he fell on his knees, unable to stand under the strain.
But even on the floor, living wasn't easy.
"Haah...….haah…"
His breathing was close to sounding like that of a dying person, both because he could barely let out a sound and because he barely had any air to produce a sound. It took most of his effort just to be able to intake enough air not to die, and yet, he still felt like he was asphyxiating.
'What the hell is with these missions?!' Taka's fist clenched as he glared at the floor like it was his worst enemy. 'First it was getting beat up without fighting back, now it's this shit…!'
He tried to stand up, but his knees were barely able to push him up for a moment before he lost control of himself and fell to the floor either way.
-Thud!-
As his face hit the pavement, he let out a pained groan… or at least something akin to that.
'Aura Farming System? Don't make me laugh, it's more like a Masochistic System… I refuse to do this shit!'
With his patience at its limit, Taka reached for the vest, planning to take it off.
A week?! He could barely hold it together a minute after putting it on!
But just as he was about to reach it—
"Hey, are you okay?"
Someone picked him up and lifted him, placing one of his arms over their shoulder for support.
When he turned to look—
"It's—you…?" Taka's eyebrows furrowed lightly, though the question that came out of his mouth sounded more like it came from a zombie than a person.
There, supporting him with a complicated gaze, was the same girl from before.
Taka gave her a confused look. Where had she even popped out from?
"I'd been worried you might have been acting tough and actually needed medical attention from the beating you got, so I came to check quickly on you… Turns out I was right, huh?" She gave him a funny look, though a faint worry was visible in her eyes.
Taka shook his head, cold sweat dropping from his forehead. Then, he pointed a finger at himself. "M-my Quirk's side effect."
The girl blinked, then let out a hiss, giving him a look over. "What kind of horrible side effect leaves you like that?"
"... This one."
She shot him a deadpan. "That's not very helpful."
Taka closed his eyes, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "... Don't—need help."
The girl stared at him in silence, then gave him a quick look from head to toe, only to raise an eyebrow, thoroughly unconvinced. "Are you sure about that?"
Taka nodded, not wanting to bother trying to speak.
The girl fell silent for a moment, seemingly in thought.
In the end, she sighed.
"Can you stand on your own then?"
Taka simply nodded. Though a faint uncertainty could be seen in his eyes.
She noticed it, but decided to continue regardless. "Then, I'm going to let you go—slowly."
Another nod from Taka.
"Okay." She said, before slowly beginning to take his arm off her shoulder.
As the weight of his body began falling on himself again, Taka's teeth gritted beyond measure.
'Brace for the pain, brace for the pain, brace for the pain—!'
And sure enough, as his body became forced to sustain itself, all of his weight fell upon his legs.
Taka's eyes widened, and he bit his lips.
'I'm a superior human being, a once in a trillion birth, even All Might sucks ass before me, he is my errand boy, and I'm a motherfucking GOOOOOOOOD!!!'
With strange thoughts giving him power, Taka pushed as much as he could, all to simply not buckle and fall.
Soon, pain followed. Not sharp pain like he had a broken bone or something similar, but the kind of pain that comes from being on your limits. The kind of pain that is your body telling you to stop, or soon there'll be consequences.
And sure enough, this wasn't an anime where willpower could do it all, so there would probably be consequences, alright.
A torn muscle, or something similar.
But as he felt himself between the decision of continuing and tearing something, or falling and losing Aura in front of the newly arrived girl, Taka realized what the true answer was.
Neither.
Somehow, in a moment of clarity born from desperation, he found strength.
Strength in muscles he hadn't noticed were there, or he hadn't noticed that they could be used for this.
So, he pushed.
And this time… he didn't fall.
Soon, he stood upright, his stance tall, and his face—though sweating like crazy—was victorious.
'I win.'
Fresh air met his visage, and for a moment, he almost laughed—except he couldn't. Though a small smirk did appear on his face.
Through relentless effort and a lot of pain, he had done it.
He had stood.
"..."
Meanwhile, the girl could only stare dumbfounded.
…
°
°
°
| Minutes later… |
…
Turns out, Taka still needed help walking.
With the girl's help, they walked to a nearby park and sat down on a bench to rest.
"Haah...haah....haah…" Taka's low, but rather noticeable, shallow breathing filled the silence between the two.
After a bit of hearing it, the girl gave him a dubious gaze.
"Seriously, are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?"
"... I'm sure."
Look at that, he managed to say that clearly, despite the tightness around his throat. Maybe he was finally getting the hang of this!
Taka felt triumphant at that small win.
As for the girl's question, well, he felt like shit, but controlled shit, not impending death shit. So he probably didn't need to go there.
Unless he tore a muscle or something.
But if he was ever really about to reach that point, he could just take the vest off.
—Although, now that he thought about it… Why hadn't he done so already?
He had been about to do it—but then this girl appeared.
Since then, he unconsciously forbade himself from taking it off. Like trying to prove something.
'Must be the aura farmer inside me… fucking hell, I already got brainwashed.'
As he cursed the system, sulking over his own weakness of mind, the girl gave him a curious look.
"Your Quirk was something like Telekinesis, right? You used it on those guys… but how the hell does it result in such a side effect?"
Taka didn't say anything. He couldn't come up with any excuse.
Thankfully, his difficulty when breathing and talking was enough excuse not to say anything.
"Well, you don't need to speak. That was just me mulling it over." The girl smiled wryly and turned to look at the front. "I just thought it had looked like a pretty powerful Quirk. It's a shame it has such consequences. You might have even been able to postulate to U.A."
Taka continued with his haggard breathing, but gave her a look.
'... Well, a little talk can't hurt.'
With his newfound mastery of forcing his voice out despite the struggle, Taka began talking.
"... I'm going to."
She gave him an incredulous look. "Eh? Seriously? But this side-effect—"
"It's a one-time thing."
She raised an eyebrow.
A Quirk that had a side effect—but it was something that happened only once?
That sounded weird.
Then, something clicked in her head.
"Ah, like a caterpillar?"
Taka turned to her slowly, giving her a dumbfounded gaze.
She quickly began explaining herself. "You know, uh, because of the evolving process when they get into a cocoon and become a butterfly… Is it something like that, or did I completely miss the mark?"
Taka raised an eyebrow at the clarification.
He glanced to the front in thought… Actually, that sounded fit.
The vest was the cocoon—a rather painful one... And the butterfly would be the skills.
"... Something like that."
"So I was right."
"Something like that."
"What's with that?"
The girl chuckled and soon held a hand in front of Taka, offering a handshake.
"Well, if you're going to U.A., then we might be classmates next year since I'm going there too. I'm Kyoka Jiro, by the way. I forgot to introduce myself earlier… but you left too fast, so it wasn't all my fault."
Taka took the hand, gathering some air and speaking.
"Takahashi Fukumoto… Nice to meet you."
And with that last introduction, another small silence settled between the two. This time, a little less awkward.
During it, Taka leaned forward and closed his eyes, resting after such a lengthy conversation.
He honestly felt like he had just run a marathon and couldn't even catch his breath since even doing that was hard.
So he spent quite a few minutes resting.
At least until his eyes suddenly snapped open.
'Hold on, Kyoka Jiro?!'
-Swish!-
"...?"
His head turned faster than a bullet to the girl, who was startled by the sudden look.
'Fuck, how did I even miss something like this when she has been next to me for over thirty minutes?!'
Taka felt the need to slap his forehead, but he was too tired to do so, so he didn't.
His eyes went directly to her earlobes, and sure enough, they looked like earphone jacks, the same ones the Kyoka Jiro from the anime had.
'Damn, I'm a dumbass!'
The girl—or rather, Jiro—picked up on his gaze rather quickly and furrowed her eyebrows faintly.
"What, haven't you seen a mutant type Quirk before?"
Realizing he might have come off as shocked by the long earlobes, Taka averted his gaze quickly.
"I just saw a cat."
She deadpanned. "On my ear?"
"... Something like that."
The girl just stared at him, dumbfounded.
But before she could say anything, Taka stood up with surprising speed.
"Anyway, I'm leaving."
And with that, he took off.
Somehow, he picked up on a similar trick to the one from when he tried to stand up, and did it. He walked.
Using muscles he didn't know he had, controlling his balance more thoroughly to not put too much pressure on one leg, using every single centimeter of his leg, from his toe to his ass. It was like he had gotten enlightenment on how to properly walk despite his disability… all just to avoid having to come up with more excuses.
And so, he began walking away—with difficulty, but he was walking.
Jiro could only look at his departing back with a strange look. "What a weird guy."
…
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-To be Continued…-
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(A/N IMPORTANT: Yo, there were a lot of people that didn't like the last chapter, and I don't blame you, I kinda predicted it'd be like that. So let me explain why I did it.
First of all, you may have noticed that Taka isn't exactly the most admirable or cool person around. The point I wanted for the missions to accomplish, besides obviously letting him farm aura in front of others, is to build his character so that what he is doing now, acting and putting on a front to act cool, becomes second nature for him without even noticing.
Hence, not all missions will be focused on showing off; some will be about developing abilities or his mentality. In the case of the last chapter's mission, it was all so Taka could grow in terms of grit. Have in mind his physique is mildly above average, as he began training not long ago, so the three punks' attacks weren't something he could just ignore. And yet, by the end of the mission, he began pushing against them, not backing up and even mocking them outright. While the process may have been unsightly, I personally think there was coolness in that.
But for those of you who are still dissatisfied, a moment like that where he's put down by others won't repeat. Even that mission was something I came up with since I wanted something fitting for a skill that let him tank attacks without moving or flinching.
There may be missions where he struggles or has to do something hard (Like this new mission), but from now on, he'll aura farm even in those moments of struggle.
He is becoming more and more of an aura farmer with each chapter, after all.
So you don't need to worry about losing aura either; it was just a gag from the earlier chapters. He'd have to screw up badly for me to consider lowering his aura.
Anyway, enough yapping, hope you liked the chapter.)