10.The Anime Trope System: Stone vs. Viper, #10 a LitRPG (ATS)

by Alvin Atwater

  -challenge: win 5 cultural festival events. (completed. See Noona on Friday for reward.)

  His stare died for a moment. Just what the fuck… This list was huge. System, do you think you can hint me the location of Hideo’s secret lab, Clyde thought. The system didn’t respond at first.

  [To get this spot marked on your map, you must complete the following quests: kill 10 enemies using Ki skills during the day. Visit the dojo. Afterwards, unlock Ki skill, Area sense (this is optional). It is highly recommended to complete these quests before departing Lot City.]

  Clyde wasted no time, texting Kitome for a dojo date. Spending time with the angry magical girl at an ass-kicking place like that was fucking awesome.

  Clyde: Hey Kitome, are you free?

  Kitome: no. I’m stuck helping my mom out for a few hours. I wish you could steal me away, but she’d probably kill you in your sleep.

  Clyde: Ah. Well, good luck. *Laughing emoji*

  Kitome: *sad face emoji* *middle finger emoji*

  Clyde laughed, drawing the attention of the other women.

  “What’s so funny?” Alice said.

  “Nothing important, just a random text,” Clyde said, then changed the subject. “Toru’s got business with his dad. Can I count on you guys to train the new recruits?”

  Alice looked excited, until Tear shut her down.

  “Up-up-up, you’ve got House Hades work to do, Alice,” Tear said. The half-demoness groaned.

  “What now?” she said, already defeated.

  “Requests, pay system, the incoming money the businesses are pulling in to say the least,” Tear said. Alice seemed to wilt.

  “Can’t those wait?” she said.

  “Nope,” Tear said. “We’re getting ready to leave, remember? So off you go. Natalia will be there to help out in a few.”

  As if on cue, Natalia’s voice rang through the air.

  “Did somebody call me?”

  She blinked into existence then anime-dove into the half-demoness. Natalia took a deep whiff. Ruri sighed.

  “Highness, you still have my request to grant,” Natalia said. “But don’t worry, I’ll help you get to it faster. Oh and Ruri’s pack continue to guard the palace well. One of them got pregnant, however. She’ll need maternity leave.”

  Alice’s blank stare seemed to glow as Natalia pulled her outside. Clyde almost felt bad for her.

  “Make sure you’re back by six,” Clyde said. “We’re going to have a meeting at Liru’s.”

  “Hai,” Natalia said, perfectly mimicking the anime girls from the show. Clyde facepalmed, unsure of how to feel since…well, this was an anime world. Tear shook her head. Misaka giggled. Ming, who emerged from the hall, joined in on the laugh.

  “She’s the perfect mix of evil and adorable,” Ming said. “Well, more evil than adorable.”

  “I’ll leave the training to you ladies,” Clyde said then turned to Melody, who seemed to be fascinated by her current romance novel. “Melody, you’ll be coming with me.”

  He felt the jealousy aura of the other women, especially Harumi and Tear’s. Melody’s face lit up.

  “I’ll get dressed.”

  She hurried to her room before Clyde could open his mouth. At that moment, the smart man decided to make it a date and have the dojo be the last stop.

  He put on some casual clothes, which Yuki had waiting for him—wardrobe that was meant for the Liru meeting. The demoness was currently out with both Maki and Sophia. Clyde hoped she didn’t have them on leashes. So much for getting the Ki list from the maso-yandere.

  He thought about inviting the others, but the evil system squashed that thought.

  [You can only have Kitome or Melody on this quest.]

  He didn’t understand the logic behind it, but took Melody on the date anyway, enjoying the time with her. What surprised him the most was her interest in the dojo at the end. He had more fun watching the redhead’s reactions than the match itself.

  [Quest completed! Visit the dojo with Melody or Kitome. Reward: Double increase to combat and mystic combat levels. Increase to combat style. You have learned Stagger Punch. Class: moderate rare. Does physical damage. Has a great chance to stun enemies and if you punch in the right place and at the right time, well…you could instantly KO an opponent. ]

  [Challenge: kill 1 enemy using a throwing knife without being detected.]

  Clyde saw that he had plenty of time, but Melody was in a mood that assured him that she’d go where he went. Figures. He had sex with every girl after the dates. By the look in her eyes, she mentally debated if she should start the kiss or him. Yet…he had to do this Ki quest or Hideo’s secret lab would remain that. A secret What kind of things could the young man find in there? What about the loot? He still needed an award for defeating Hideo, right? Clyde needed to bring Airi with him for the exploration of it. The Super Druid may discover something that would reveal whatever fuckery of a plot the crusader researchers conjured up.

  Not much time had passed since the crusader champion left, so the full story would remain on hold. Dark’s hatred of them stood as another factor the young man took into account. The chuuni could become a problem.

  Clyde forgot he was in public, so kissing his fiancée drew a few stares. The nice view of Melody blushing made the act worth it. He saw in her eyes that the young woman prepared to do something bold and any other time, Clyde would let it happen, but there were quests that needed to get finished. Else, they’d never get done. He could mess around with the young woman at home.

  “I know this is going to sound like a horrible kick to what was an awesome date,” Clyde said, “but do you want to join me in some monster-slaying? I have to take out about ten of them using my Ki abilities.”

  Melody blinked.

  “Why would I be opposed to that? Your date is more original than many I’ve read…” she paused, blushing, then grabbed his hand. “Le—let’s go.”

  When the duo arrived to Libado Grasslands, a plethora of hornets awaited them. Well, most of the monster girls were on their way to the forest. Many of them knew better by now not to attack Clyde, so upon sight, they ran. Some even cried.

  The young man didn’t give two shits, they weren’t his targets. Team Stone didn’t attack non-threatening monster girls anymore, especially with the knowledge of the Supreme’s influence. A quick journey into the forest provoked goblins, imps, and other creatures that lived in the area. Clyde exclusively used his Ki skill, Dragon breath. Soon, he got to the point of needing just one more and the quest would finally be over. A deep goblin voice caught their attention.

  It was huge with dark green skin, wild orange eyes, and muscles straight out of a bodybuilding magazine. A soft orange aura outlined it. Clyde analyzed the creature.

  “You will pay for your treacheries, puny human!”

  Hobgoblin mage

  Level: 124

  Type: Monster

  Work under: N/A.

  Special: Mage fire (has a chance to burn.)

  Weakness: water, ice.

  Resistances: fire

  Secret: he wants to see what it’s like to do an imp woman, but know all of his goblin and hobgoblin friends would make fun of him.

  The mini-boss charged after them.

  [Your party has entered combat!]

  [Enemy activated Mage Fire]

  Clyde put up a Cosmic shield, blocking the pathetic attack. Melody waved a magic-filled finger.

  [Melody activated Tier 3 skill: Devi-wave.]

  [Enemy activated Tier 1 skill: Persistent Mage shield.]

  It cackled as a translucent-blue bubble surrounded it.

  “You can’t touch me, you can’t touch me, ha! I can hold this shield for as long as I need it and magic won’t be able to easily penetrate it.”

  He threw a heavy, magic-infused fist toward Clyde. The young man side-stepped the attack, but his counter-kick was blocked by the shield.

  Clyde nodded.

  “Well, let’s see how well
this goes.”

  Clyde inhaled and he felt the ki traveling from his center to his lungs like ghostly water. When he forcefully exhaled, a burst orange-red fire erupted from his throat. The young man of course felt nor tasted nothing.

 

  [Dragon Breath level 1. Unleash Ki-based dragon flames from your mouth or combine it with your fist for a dragon-fist. Dragon breath does Ki and fire damage which cannot be blocked by magic. ]

  The Ki-breath washed through the shield as if it didn’t exist. Melody, despite seeing it numerous times, still looked amazed. Clyde figured she wanted to showcase some of her full power, but allowed him to be selfish. Not that she needed to impress him—he already knew how OP she was. And to think someone amazing like that, loved him. Life and death , constant battles and blood, and a little bit of anime logic aided in skipping indecision. She was still a tough one to woo.

  He got extremely lucky with the others too from being in the right place and taking specific actions that eventually led to bonding and romance. And Satovia’s favorite saying: the heart knows what it wants.

  [HYPER-CRITICAL! Enemy HP has dropped to 0%]

  [Battle completed. Victory! Reward: 205,000 EXP. Goblin dust.]

  [Quest completed! Reward: access to Hideo’s secret laboratory. The location has been marked on your map. It is not recommended to go there with just a party of two. Hideo has something terrible down there…]

  Clyde was not surprised. He injected Sophia with something that caused her to go Shehulk on them. Holding creatures hostage? Pfft, just another day. To think Toru’s bastard uncle would cause the team trouble from beyond the grave.

  Two quests knocked off the list. Fuck yeah!

  “Ready to head back?”

  “I could use a bath,” Melody said. The young man grinned.

  “You and me both,” he said. Thank goodness for the purple flames of despawning, instead of gore , he thought. Not that this place went gore-free. He’d seen plenty of blood. The purple flames prevented him from having to buy new clothes on a daily basis.

  Clyde Jumped them back to his house. Kanako anime-dove into him, her arms wrapping around his waist.

  “I missed you Master,” she said.

  “I told you not to call me that,” Clyde said. The young man smiled at her. He silently dared his hand to pet the genie. He wasn’t some cheesy generic main character that fucking…

  [Talent, main character stuff. Head pat.]

  The genie giggled at the patting. Goddammit, System , he thought.

  [Hahahaaha ]

  [Your relationship with Kanako has increased to Friend-closer level 4.]

  “I’m going to hit the shower before the meeting,” Clyde said. He met Harumi in the hall.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice full of compassion. Harumi pulled him into a random room and locked the door.

  “Like this,” she said then kissed him. Someone cleared their throat right as Clyde was about to pull up Harumi’s shirt to reveal perfect breasts.

  Airi’s blank stare had a no-nonsense glint to it. Maybe a hint of jealousy.

  “Harumi, I love you to death, but no love-making in here. I’d like to hear the show I’m watching.”

  She pointed at the TV.

  “Sorry,” Harumi said, “I don’t know what came over me. I—I’ll go get ready for the team meeting.”

  The pink-haired girl winked at Clyde before hurrying out. He sighed.

  “Sorry,” Clyde said.

  “It’s no big deal,” Airi said. “That girl can spark the other side of her out of nowhere. It’s cute, but she refuses to acknowledge…” The purple-haired woman’s voice trailed off. “I don’t want to start ranting like my grandmother.”

  Airi walked over to him.

  “You’ve got something to tell me.” Her arms wrapped around Clyde, stars shining in her eyes. “Spill it.”

  Episode 51 (Part 7)

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Clyde said, failing to pull the woman off. She pinned him to the wall, eyes starry. “You know there’s a saying, curiosity killed the cat.”

  “I’ve never heard of such a saying,” Airi said, “what planet are you from? Now don’t play dumb. What’s going on between you and Harumi? She’s acting too giddy. Did you poke her that good? If so, I’ll need you to spread the love because I want to be that happy too.”

  Clyde wiped away the nosebleed, his boner pushing against Airi’s yoga pants-covered crotch. She let out a gasp and brown skin didn’t stop the anime girl blushing.

  “You’ll find out at the team meeting,” Clyde said as he untangled himself from the girl. There really wasn’t enough time left for messing around—he gave Alice until six. The rest of the time could be used toward packing and organizing. Airi still made out with him for a few minutes, but he prevented her from taking it a step further.

  “Oh right, the damn meeting,” she said softly. “Can’t it wait an hour?”

  He considered shrugging, but sensed the presence before the doorknob of Airi’s closed door turned. The duo repositioned themselves and continued a bullshit conversation about the meeting at Liru’s. Harumi, Ruri, and Kanako walked in.

  “Ah, Harumi, that reminds me,” Clyde said. “I’ve got a new wand for you.”

  He checked his inventory. The young man pat himself on the back for printing the map of Ring City. Maybe he should consider buying one of the printer’s upgrades.

  Inventory:

  $ 991,445,400

  -Map of Lot City, Satovia.

  -Map of Libado Grasslands, Satovia.

  -Map of Ashen City, Satovia.

  -Map of Niyoto, Satovia.

  -Map of Ring City, Satovia.

  -Smartphone.

  -Key.

  -Reminder for practice- note.

  - Zelt’s printer. Level 1/25.

  - Deed to the Ashfall estates, treasures, etc.

  -Wind blade. (very rare) +16 to attack. Wind element.

  - Place of Power Core (item class: Relic) (item value: priceless)- establish a place of power.

  - Forger’s hammer. Item class: very rare

  - Exploding blowup doll. Item class: *One of a kind * Unsuspecting enemies will experience a nice surprise. Does dark deity damage.

  - Root Tree seed. Item class: epic .

  - Mysterious Harp. Item class: *One of a kind * this special harp is loved dearly by a special type of harpy called the Gandharva. Handing this to her will get you a *World Star Fragment* and another reward.

  -Breast enhancement potion x 2. Item class: bizarre.

  -World Map . item class: *legendary*

  - Universal dungeon key. Item value: well-above standard

  - Holstaur breast milk.

  - Wand of Wonder. Item class: epic .

  - Potion of Sharpness. Item class: very rare.

  -Goblin dust. Item class: meh. Item value: worthless. Maybe a crafting ingredient, maybe trash.

  He handed the pink-haired girl the Wand of Wonder. A wand that looked as if it was made of gold and mahogany, with multi-colored jewels embedded on the edge. A work of art that impressed the young man to no end. As an epic item class, it would surely pack a devastating punch in battle.

  Harumi’s face lit up.

  [Your relationship with Harumi has increased to Absolute Cherished, level 7.]

  Harumi hugged Clyde.

  “Thank you,” she said softly. “It’s so beautiful.”

  The perverted young man took an involuntary whiff of Harumi’s perfume. He wondered if his lack of control was a problem. Then again, as a man with a harem, he’d have to be easily excitable, else satisfying anyone would just be impossible.

  Still, now wasn’t the time to dwell on perverted thoughts. Ruri and Kanako ooh and aah’d the wand.

  “I want to be pampered,” Ruri said, anime-diving into Clyde. “I’m the princess of a well-known clan. You should be pampering me. Oh!” She melted into his head caressing. Tail waggin
g, she took two whiffs of Clyde, “kun, kun.” In a low voice, she said, “you smell excited. Let’s go to a room and comfort each other.”

  Clyde sighed.

  “I’m going to get ready,” he said.

  “What’s wrong with what you got on?” Ruri said.

  “Sweat from a dojo and training,” Clyde said.

  Sensing the humor in her voice, Clyde left to his room before the hellhound could pounce him with more questions.

  Ming was sitting on his bed, reading.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hi,” she replied.

  “I’m going to start packing a few things before I shower,” he said. He warped his clothing to the inventory, which seemed to fascinate Ming because she was at his backside in awe. Then she tripped over something. Clyde caught her in time.

  [Your relationship with Ming has increased to Friend, closer level 9.]

  Having Ming move in with him had really helped with the friendship level increases. The interactions with the other women too. Now that he reached level nine, he had one more thing to do. Somehow, he knew this wasn’t the right moment. He wanted Ming to know he was there for her. She was his friend, not someone he’d take advantage of.

  Fortunately, she wasn’t as fragile as Misaka.

  He talked with her while packing. The inventory made things easier. It helped that uniforms and casual clothing stacked, as well as shoes.

  “I’d like to test my skills against your deck,” Ming said. Clyde gave her a skeptical look. She held up a more confident finger. “If you win, I’ll let you do whatever you want to me.”