>>42309768
>You had been sifting through your family’s ‘secret’ library, only to find something interesting…

>>42309768
>You had been sifting through your family’s ‘secret’ library, only to find something interesting…

>>42309834
>>42309868
Writing.

>>42309768
>You had been sifting through your family’s ‘secret’ library, only to find something interestinginteresting

I hope its related to the white incident or the emperor.

>>42309768
>six years old
Wtf. Why?

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>>42309768
To be honest, the ‘secret’ library wasn’t all that secret. All you had to do was use some of your Reiatsu on the definitely-not-conspicuous seal on the bookcase in the hall, and you were in. You’re not sure why no one’s told you about it yet- probably something to do with the fact that you still had a tendency to get yourself into danger when presented with spiritual things (it’s not your fault the silver capsule almost blew up! That was entirely on Ichigo!).

Well, you suppose if they really intended to hide the place from you, you wouldn’t have found it in the first place, so you suppose it’s okay since you found it on your own. Besides, your grandfather was probably planning on showing the place to you when your training started, so it doesn’t make much of a difference anyway.

Unfortunately, the entire place is chock-full of musty old scrolls with a few leather-bound books strewn about here and there. The entire place is full of dust, too- you feel like you’re about to sneeze just from walking in here. Still, something managed to catch your eye…

>It was a small tube stacked on top of a pile of other tubes, holding a scroll in it. The tube itself was a simple, bright white, contrasting the old yellow of just about everything else.
>It was a small scroll in the back; this one looked older, yellower, and mustier than any of the other ones.
>A dark green, leather-bound book, tucked away behind a large pile of scrolls that you had accidentally toppled over.

>>42310160
>A dark green, leather-bound book, tucked away behind a large pile of scrolls that you had accidentally toppled over.

>>42310160
>It was a small scroll in the back; this one looked older, yellower, and mustier than any of the other ones.

>>42310160
>A dark green, leather-bound book, tucked away behind a large pile of scrolls that you had accidentally toppled over.

>>42310215
>>42310251
Writing.

Can we emulate Usagi's power?
Teaching her how to use it would come easier if we worked out the kinks.

>>42310160
You glance at the green tome. It’s pretty old. Then again, everything in here looked pretty old, so you decided to take a look at the contents inside. You cough as you open it up to the first page, a cloud of dust floating into your face; it seems like no one’s opened it up for quite a while.

A small piece of parchment falls to the floor. Seems like it was folded into the pages of the book. You decide to read the piece of paper first:

“To whom it may concern;
If you are able to read this, then you have almost certainly been doomed.

(You blink at the text in surprise before gluing your attention back to the pages.)

“I do not speak this lightly. As far as I know, there have only been five others who have been able to read my ink when properly applied. Four of them are dead, and the last has been sealed away, hopefully for good- though considering the efforts of the Lords and Ladies of the Houses, I doubt that He will stay away forever.”

“But I digress. Simply keep in mind that you, Knight of the Spiral, will be the very first target should He learn of your existence. With this in mind, continue reading.”

…Well, if that wasn’t ominous, you don’t know what is. A thousand questions flutter past your mind, but you push them in favor of reading what is actually in the book. The first line says…

>”For as long as I could remember, I have dreamt of spirals.”
>”The madness in His eyes was palpable- his Reiatsu even more so.”
>”Should these weapons meet in combat, I fear what would happen to the realm.”
>”In the end, only one thing can be done.”

>>42310744
>For as long as I could remember, I have dreamt of spirals.”

>>42310744
>”In the end, only one thing can be done.”
Ominous.

>>42310744
>For as long as I could remember, I have dreamt of spirals

Come on, Uzumaki time!

>>42310744
>”For as long as I could remember, I have dreamt of spirals.”

>>42310779
>>42310825
>>42310841
Writing.

>>42310744

>”For as long as I could remember, I have dreamt of spirals.”

>>42310825
God help me, anything but those spirals. We outward growing spirals of Evolution here, not inward facing spirals of snail people and body horror.

>>42310744
”For as long as I could remember, I have dreamt of spirals.”

“I do not know where they come from. I do not why they are there in my dreams. Yet I see them, almost feel them, somewhere in the recesses of my soul.

“Yet whenever I reach out to touch them with my fingers, they suddenly shatter into endless piles of stardust, and I awaken, hearing the voices of long-dead spirals in my mind as I reach out towards nothing. According to my parents, that is how I’ve always been; even as a child, I had often reached out towards nothing in my sleep.

“Regardless, I suppose I should start with who, precisely, I am. My name is (The words are scratched out here) and I am writing this simply to celebrate the fact that I am the lucky few who can write. It is almost wondrous, this feeling of a brush in my fingers, crafting something few others can do.

“I suppose I am fortunate in that my mother took pride in her ability to write as well. She is a disgraced noble- I do not know her last name. If my mother was anyone else, I wouldn’t be here right now.

“Anyway, I am only a few years old, though I was recently impressed into working the mines for the glory of the Emperor and to help with the war effort. I spend my time digging holes, looking for fuel and metal to power the war machine built by the Quincy nation. I am nothing more, nothing less than another worker, another pawn in the grand scheme of things.

“I am perfectly content with that.”

You frown, already bored with the book. After flipping through the next few pages, you quickly learn that most of the book beyond this point is just this person describing his day, and occasionally his dreams. You are mildly disturbed when you learn that this person’s dreams are so much like your own-him reaching out towards the stars and walking through an endless desert.

Eventually, you reach the next significantly different section.

(1/?)

>>42311329
Day after day, digging a tunnel.

File: Drill.jpg (6 KB, 300x300)

6 KB JPG

>>42311329
“I found something strange in the mines today. It was a large, stone face. I was unsure what to make of it, and I doubted that anyone else would have believed me if I had told them, so I decided to keep it a secret, at least for now.

“It is the next day, and praise be to the true Spirit King- I found something else in the earth while I was digging today! It was this strange drill, much like my own hand-held one, except that it was made of gold and far, far smaller. I decided to pocket it instead of bringing it to the guardsman on hand. It will be my personal treasure.”

>…Keep reading?
>Head back outside. You can’t stay in this stuffy place any longer.

>>42311230
Hey, at least it's not any sort of holes calling out to us...

>>42311397

>…Keep reading?
Fuck yeah.

>>42311397
>…Keep reading?

>>42311397
>Keep reading

Is there going to be piercing the heavens with that drill?

>Keep reading

>>42311397
>…Keep reading?
So at what point does the giant face-shaped Hollow attack?

>>42311494
>>42311439
>>42311431
>>42311422
>>42311532
Writing.

>>42311532
Or when do we hijack the giant face-shaped Hollow, jam our drill into its back and pilot it?

>>42311557
Find enough hollows to transform and we can have a whole megazord.

>>42311397You flip through the next few pages; whoever had written this book- or journal, as the case was- only really described the strange ‘face’ they had seen in more detail as they drilled away at the bedrock surrounding it.

Finally, you arrive at something that looks far more interesting.

“Storm clouds have been gathering on the horizon for many days now. Alongside that, more and more fisherman has been announced missing. Villagers on the verge of panic seem to be everywhere I look, many of them muttering about the incompetence of the guards, some of the more foul-mouthed ones even blaming the Emperor.

“As for myself, I care little for the proceedings. I have my drill, my treasure, and my journal. There is little else I can ask for.”

The next few paragraphs look far less legible. Panicked, even, if you could describe them- the writing was shaky, and instead of ink, they were written in some kind of dark powder, probably coal or charcoal if you had to guess.

“I do not know what is happening up there. I have been digging for days now. The tunnel was collapsed on top of me, and probably the rest of the diggers out here as well. Every few minutes the ground itself seems to shake, and I am forced to freeze my digging, too frightened of a complete cave-in to continue. Thankfully, I always seem to find my way back to one particular place- the big stone face close to where I had found my treasure.

“I hope the tremors stop soon. Perhaps I will be able to dig my way out when they do.” There’s a large gap in pages, many of them seemingly ripped out. You turn towards the next available page.

“The tremors have stopped. I am thankful, for I have been forced to eating a few pages of the parchment I brought with me for sustenance, seeing as my food supply ran out almost two days ago. When I next write, it will be of what I have seen on the surface.”

You blink at the next line.

“…It’s almost too horrible to describe.”

>Keep Reading?

>>42311914
>Keep Reading!

TELL US OF THE SURFACE, YOUNG DWARF!

>>42311914


>Keep Reading?
My immersion is maximum. We should keep a journal!. Or spiral knight bible.

>>42311914
>Keep Reading?
Definitely. We can't stop at that line. That would just be wrong. My completion instinct demands it.

>>42311949
>>42311958
>>42311994
Writing.

>>42312062
Did Kyuu abandon us?

>>42311914
“There were bodies everywhere. Even as I write this, I can still smell the stench on my clothes. I waded through an ocean of them, blood soaking in to my garments, searching for what remained of my home.

“And I found it. My home. There was almost nothing left to find, however. My mother’s corpse had been eviscerated, meat and bone and blood and skin, almost all of it still only a few days fresh, were lying about the house. The only stench more intense than that of her body was that of a Hollow’s Reiatsu.

“I salvaged what little was in there and tried looking for survivors, but I found no one still alive. However, I am almost certain that before some kind of mass Hollow attack, there had been a massive battle between the few properly-trained soldiers and Shinigami. I saw the proof of the latter lying beside a pile of bodies, some of whom I had recognized as my fellow diggers.

“I am writing this from the safety of my little dug-out cave here, with what little supplies I scavenged from the wreckage. I do not know what to do. My entire life has collapsed around me, worse than any cave-in I ever experienced.”

The next few pages seem to cover this person’s descent into madness.

“It has been two weeks since I last saw the surface. I am beginning to forget what sunlight looked like. I am thankful that there is at least a small draft in here, bringing in fresh air.”

“I can still smell the bodies. I can still see the faces of my neighbors, my mother. They are everywhere, watching and judging me. I am a coward, they say. Avenge us, they say. I cannot do anything for them. I am only a digger. What else am I supposed to do?”

“Day after day, I drill and I drill. My body aches, but I continue. I cannot remember why I continue to dig. Is it for food? Water? I don’t know.”

(1/?)

>>42312528

At some point, you began skipping through continuously-more-deranged writing, watching as the strokes of carbon became harder and harder to read until they were almost completely illegible. You decide to skip to the next passage that you can read.

“I have decided what to do. I will find whoever had destroyed my home- and destroy them in turn. How, I do not know, but I will. My resolve will carry me through.

“Strangely enough, my treasure, the golden drill, seems to agree with me; it glows now. I can feel it leading me somewhere. Perhaps it has the answer I seek.”

“My drill led me back to the large stone face. Strangely enough, I almost knew instinctively what it wanted me to do. I was to free the stone face from it prison of rock.”

The next passage is noticeably steadier; the line strokes are straighter, and look far cleaner than they had been for the past few pages. It says, “It has been several days since my last entry. I am on my last morsel of food today, but that’s alright. I finally dug the face out- and luckily, there appears to be a small spot in it for me to sit. Hopefully, this will be my last day stuck in this stony hell.”

The next few pages are covered in scratched-out characters, many of them hastily scribbled over, as if the person was trying, and failing, to rewrite a letter. Finally, you see a single line that wasn’t scratched out or scribbled over:

“I don’t know of any word to describe the beauty of a clear sky. Neither can I express my gratitude for being allowed to see the stars again.”
***
You are shocked out of your reading binge by the sound of someone’s steps. It looks you’re going to have to read the rest later- for now, you should…

>Take the book with you. You need to find out what happens next!
>Leave it here. You’ll find yourself back in here soon enough.

>>42312543
>Take the book!

>>42312543
>Take the book with you. You need to find out what happens next!

>>42312543
>Take the book with you. You need to find out what happens next!

Oh what dreams we'll have.

>>42312543
>Take the book with you. You need to find out what happens next!

>>42312543
>Take the book with you. You need to find out what happens next!
They won't miss it. I mean, Grandpa doesn't even know about it, right?

>>42312673
>>42312593
>>42312576
>>42312575
>>42312568
Writing.

>>42312543
Thinking quickly, you decide to take the book with you. That letter, the one stowed away inside the book, had specifically called you a, what was it, Spiral Knight? Even the very thought of the title resonates with you, you think.

With a quick half-truth and some fancy finger work, you manage to smuggle away the journal under your grandfather’s nose, under the condition that you at least ask someone before heading into the library again. To be honest, you feel a little guilty about lying to your relative’s face and borrowing (not stealing) something for an indefinite amount of time without permission, but you think you can glance over that.

You’re going to finish this book eventually. From the letter, it seems like you’ll have to. That can come later, though. You’ve got a few things you’d like to do for the next few months before beginning Quincy training.
***

-TIMESKIP-
Pick one to focus on for the next few months:
>Anatomy
>Martial Arts
>The Green Tome
>Reishi Gathering
>Reiryoku Sensing

>Of the above, pick another two to spend time on.
>The ‘focused’ topic will get more training dice rolls than usual. Focusing on the tome will give you two snippets, rather than one.

>>42312937
>Focus: Reiryoku Sensing
>Secondary: Martial Arts, Green Tome

>>42312937
>focus: Reishi Gathering
Secondary: Martial Arts, Archery

>>42312937
>The Green Tome
Focus

>Reishi Gathering
>Reiryoku Sensing

>>42312937
Focus:
>Reishi Gathering

Spend time:
>Martial Arts
>The Green Tome

>>42312937
focus
>Reishi Gathering
secondary
>The Green Tome and Martial Arts

>>42312937
>Focus: Green Tome
>Secondary: Martial Arts, Reishi Gathering

>>42313024
>>42313021
>>42313015
>>42312992
>>42312990
>>42312975

Reishi Gathering locked as Focus, and Martial Arts locked as one of your Secondaries. Giving five min extension for next secondary.

>>42313095
Green Tome

>>42313095
Green Tome

>>42313095
Green Tome

>>42313095
Tome

>>42313095
>Green tome

>>42313125
>>42313137
>>42313140
>>42313146
>>42313174
Tome Locked. Writing!

Rolled 90, 22, 18, 9, 42 = 181 (5d100)

>>42313191
Almost forgot the training rolls. First two are Reishi, last three are Martial Arts.

File: 1440278724381.jpg (37 KB, 250x335)

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>>42313219

>>42313219
first roll is good
everything else is shit

>>42312937
“Are you really sure you should be doing this, nii-san?” Your sister asks.

“I’m not going to blow myself up or anything, Usagi. It’ll be fine!” You answer with a smile. “It’s just going to be some meditation with a little extra thrown in. Nothing harmful. Now, follow my lead, Ichigo,” you say, turning to Ichigo. You quickly begin explaining to him how to meditate while collecting and shaping the Reishi.

Ichigo nods, soaking in every word you say. Before long, the two of you are in the same position, breathing slowly as you try to scoop in the surrounding spiritual particles…
>Rolled (90+22)*1.1=123 XP gained!
>Reishi Gathering is now Rank 1! 63/200 to next Rank!
And the two of you slowly improve. Not bad, you think. You can definitely feel the difference in both your shaping and gathering abilities! Ichigo, on the other hand?

“Darn it! Why isn’t this working!” You snort in amusement, in spite of yourself. After explaining to him what you’re pretty sure he was doing wrong, the two of you return to meditating.
***
“Owww…” You groan, the world spinning.

“N-nii-san? Are you okay? I-I didn’t hit you too hard, did I? Oh no, what if-” Your sister blubbers out, standing over you in distress.

“Don’t worry about your brother, Usagi-chan. His head’s hard enough to take a couple hits, I’m sure,” snickers Arisawa. She manages to stop laughing long enough to get a once-over on you. “Although, maybe he should get out of the ring for a sec. I’ll be your opponent while Ishida’s out, alright?”

You sigh, watching as your sister and your friend soon come to blows. You watch, impressed, as both of them slip in and out of their forms easily. After her embarrassing defeat at the hands of a complete novice, Arisawa had been trying, and succeeding, to improve. You, on the other hand?

(1/?)

>>42314256

>Rolled (18+9+42)*1.1= 76 XP!
>Hand-to-hand is now Rank 2! 45/300 to next Rank!

Well, you were improving, but you wouldn’t say by ‘leaps and bounds.’ More like ‘baby steps and the occasional hop.’

Still, at least you’re a little better than you were before, and that’s what’s important!
***
After a few months of grueling self-improvement, you find some time to open up that tome a little while after your seventh birthday, curious to see what had happened after the author had finally reached the surface again.
~~~
(2/?)

>>42314294

“It’s almost magical, being up so high. The air is thin and cold, but I feel better up here than I ever had on or under the ground. It’s natural, feeling the wind whipping into my face, and watching as the ground passes by in blurs of green and brown and the occasional blue when I pass over a lake.” You note that the writing looks almost as perfect as it had been in the very beginning of the journal.

“I imagine that this sensation is much like that of a blind man seeing for the first time, or for those inland to travel the world and see the sea for the first time in their life. Of course, I would not know of these sensations myself, but I have heard of them, the former especially thanks to the many tales of our Emperor healing the sick and wounded.

“Being up here, I almost feel perfectly content, if it weren’t for my growling stomach and my still-burning resolve. I will have to find another village and some work soon. I can only hope that they will accept someone not even in their teens as help.”
~~~
“I found another village today. Or, rather, I found the remains of another village. After all, the smoking ruins I had run across in my face-ship could not rightly be called a ‘village’ or even a ‘camp.’

“It could, however, be called a slaughter. Like my own village, the stench of Hollow and Shinigami Reiatsu was rife in the air, alongside the smell of still-rotting bodies. The only good thing was that the smell was a little more fresh than they had been at my own town; I am getting closer.

“I scavenged what little the town had, giving a proper prayer to those who had died, thanking them for the supplies. Amongst what I found was a map. It was in good quality and had various landmarks printed on it, alongside the capital of the Empire, if I desire to go there when my mission is over.

“These people’s sacrifices will not be in vain. Even if it takes years for my face-ship to catch up to them, I will find them.”

(3/?)

>>42314341

~~~
Looking up from the book, you realize that it’s well past midnight. Well, that’s no good, you have something VERY important starting tomorrow: your Quincy training!

Settling into bed, you close your eyes and drift off to sleep.

Unlike before, you don’t dream of endless deserts and massive titans of metal. Instead, you dream of bodies and war and dark tunnels.
***
You are awoken when you feel someone shaking your arm. You groan, snuggling your face into your pillow.

Of course, that’s when the pillow is promptly swiped away and your face falls onto the significantly less soft mattress.

You grunt, sitting back up, glancing at your window. Why so early…? Oh, that’s right! You turn around, cringing in embarrassment at the sight of your grandfather, chortling.

“Well, Uryu, I can only hope that I won’t have to wake you up like this again. The ground is less forgiving than your mattress,” he says, smiling. “Now, come. You already have everything packed, yes?” You nod. “Then I’ll be waiting at the front door. Be there in fifteen minutes.”

Fifteen minutes later, you and your grandfather are just about ready to depart into the chilly autumn air when…

>Your sister suddenly barrels out of the front door, waving what looks like a bento box at you. She looks a little upset that you hadn't told her anything..
>Your mother stalks outside, handing you her birthday present to you: a simple sewing kit, with instructions on repairing your clothing attached.
>Your father steps out, handing you a small box. He tells you, very sternly, not to open it until you’ve at least managed to summon your Reishi bow without problems.

>>42314374
>Your mother stalks outside, handing you her birthday present to you: a simple sewing kit, with instructions on repairing your clothing attached.

>>42314374
>Your father steps out, handing you a small box. He tells you, very sternly, not to open it until you’ve at least managed to summon your Reishi bow without problems.

4 minute extension.

>>42314374
>Your sister suddenly barrels out of the front door, waving what looks like a bento box at you. She looks a little upset that you hadn't told her anything..

>>42314374
>>Your father steps out, handing you a small box. He tells you, very sternly, not to open it until you’ve at least managed to summon your Reishi bow without problems.

>>42314374
Tie breaker?! Well ok!

>Sister

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>42314427
>>42314629
vs.
>>42314568
>>42314631

coin-flipping. 1=sis, 2= dad.

>>42314374
>Your father steps out, handing you a small box. He tells you, very sternly, not to open it until you’ve at least managed to summon your Reishi bow without problems.

>>42314688
>>42314693
welp, double tie breaking. Writing.

>>42314374
Your father coolly holds the box in front of your face. You blink at it, then slowly take it from his hands. You go to open it, but his hand darts out, stopping you in your tracks. Then, in what seems entirely out of character for the calm, distant person you’ve pretty much known your entire life, he kneels down to the ground and pulls you into a very brief hug. So brief, in fact, that you’re not entirely sure if it even happened at all.

“Uryu,” he says, his stern tone immediately catching your attaention, “do NOT, under any circumstances, open that until your Reishi bow is completely stable.” Then, almost as an afterthought, he adds, “Please.”

Well, he did say please. “Don’t worry, I won’t.” You say in your best impression of his serious mode of talking. Your father nods once at your response, and getting back up to a standing position, he shoots your grandfather a glance before walking back into the house, his coat as pristine white as ever.

You turn back towards Grandfather, who was chewing his lip thoughtfully. “Ah,” he says, noticing that he had your full attention again, “Well, now that that’s over with, I suppose we should be going, yes?” You nod, and Grandfather ushers you into the forest.
***
You stare, bored, not even listening as Grandfather drones on about the Reishi gathering exercise he had planned for you. You’d already sto-er, ‘borrowed’ a scroll on this. You might not get the theory, but does the theory really matter…?

>Try to listen. Even if it’s boring, you might have missed something important.
>Nah. You’d be better off starting your meditation now, anyway. It takes you some time to get in the right state of mind.

>>42314968
>Try to listen. Even if it’s boring, you might have missed something important.

Respect ones elders

>>42314968
>Try to listen.

>Try to listen. Even if it’s boring, you might have missed something important.

>>42314968
>>Try to listen. Even if it’s boring, you might have missed something important.

>>42314968
>Try to listen. Even if it’s boring, you might have missed something important.

'Grandpa should be cherished while we still have him.

>>42315019
Someone was raised right, I see.

>>42315019
>>42315029
>>42315036
>>42315039
>>42315046
Writing.

>>42314968
Letting out a breath, you try to sit up straight, placing your full attention on Grandfather’s words. Respect your elders, and all that, right?

“And that is the reason most Quincies require a cross in order to form their bows.” He says, apparently having finished a thought. You raise your hand, somewhat embarrassed. “Yes, Uryu?”

“”Sorry, Grandfather. I didn’t quite catch what you were saying. Can you say that again?” Your grandfather lets out an amused smile, quickly realizing that you hadn’t been listening.
Thankfully, he takes it in stride, nodding. “First of all, you know how Quincies fight Hollows, correct?”

You nod and say, “Quincies absorb Reishi, or spiritual particles, from the surrounding environment, then combine it with their inner Reiryoku to form spiritual weapons, exhibit and counter spiritual pressure, and generally do combat.”

“The textbook answer. Now, do you know the reason why Quincies cannot primarily rely on their Reiryoku, unlike Shinigami?”

You rack your brains for an answer. Unfortunately, all that comes out is, “Er…”

In response, Grandfather flicks his hand into the air, summoning a baton of Reishi, which he promptly taps you on the head with playfully. You huff and scowl up at him. “To answer the question,” he continues blithely, “despite the fact that we have a great deal of potential indeed, Quincies are still human. Unlike Shinigami, whose spiritual bodies can ‘expand,’ for lack of a better word, to use and control greater and greater amounts of Reiryoku, we must make do with our comparatively fragile mortal bodies.

“As Spiritual matter and energy and physical matter and energy rarely mix without disastrous results, most Quincies have an upper limit they can advance to. Thus, we are forced to fight primarily using outside spiritual matter and energy.

(1/2)

File: Soken.jpg (11 KB, 250x188)

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>>42315503

"Even the most powerful of Quincies primarily used Reishi in an effort to conserve Reiryoku, which regenerates in a physical body at slower rates in comparison to the spiritual bodies of Shinigami. Any questions?”

>Questions on Reishi theory?
>Nope. Get to meditating.

>>42315514
>Questions on Reishi theory
How can I make my weak fleshy body better defended with reishi?

>>42315514
Why do we destroy souls?

>>42315514
>Nope. Get to meditating.

>>42315514
>Questions on Reishi theory
Is there any way to quicken the regeneration of Reiryoku in our physical bodies?

>>42315619
Do destroyed souls become spirit particles instead of sent to the after life?

>>42315601
>>42315619
>>42315643
>>42315672
Writing Explanations. In the meantime, roll me 1d100 for Reishi gathering training.

Next update may be delayed for dinner.

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>42315748
Rollin'

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>42315748

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>42315790
Nice.

>>42315790
Oh yes

takin a break for dinner.

>>42311557
>Ram the core drill into the Gillian's back
>It evolves to Vasto in seconds
That's one way to stop hollows from eating people, I guess.

>>42316005
wow im a faggot i didnt even check to see if i put my trip back on.

Back, and still writing.

>>42315514
You do have a few questions, of course…

>“Why do we destroy souls? I mean, Shinigami purify them, right? Why don’t we do that? Do destroyed souls become spirit particles instead of sent to the afterlife?” You ask, genuinely curious.

Grandfather’s eyebrows raise at your question. “You already know about that? Well, seeing as you were in the library a few months ago, I suppose I shouldn’t be very surprised at that…” Your grandfather sighs.

“In reverse order, yes. Their souls are completely destroyed, leaving only spiritual particles. There are some theories that the soul isn’t completely destroyed and that the few scraps that are left could be restored, but I wouldn’t put much stock in those.
“As for your second question, there have been many theories, most of which posit that due to the fact that Shinigami’s Zanpakuto are made of an entirely different material from our spiritual weapons, it is simply impossible for our weapons to purify instead of destroy. This may very well be true. However…” Grandfather seems to hesitate, before saying, “No, not yet. I’ll tell you about that theory when we’re to talk about Quincy history.” He looks at you sternly, daring you to question him. Deciding to back down, you nod and ask another question:

>“Can I make my body better defended with reishi?”

Your grandfather nods. “Oh yes, very much so. It’s a very advanced technique, however, and I wouldn’t expect you to be able to learn it so soon.”

You are surprised by the fact that he immediately shoots down as to whether or not you’d be learning it so quickly. Though now that you think about it…

“The technique you’re talking about is the one Auntie Masaki used to fight those Hollows, right?” You ask.

(1/?)

>>42317912

>“Can I make my body better defended with reishi?”

Your grandfather nods. “Oh yes, very much so. It’s a very advanced technique, however, and I wouldn’t expect you to be able to learn it so soon.”

You are surprised by the fact that he immediately shoots down as to whether or not you’d be learning it so quickly. Though now that you think about it…

“The technique you’re talking about is the one Auntie Masaki used to fight those Hollows, right?” You ask.

Grandfather’s eyes widen in surprise before a look of realization crosses his face. “Yes, you would notice that, wouldn’t you? Though considering the fact that the two of you were in extremely close proximity while fighting those Hollows… Yes, that makes complete sense. Souken, you really should think things through before you ask if there are any questions,” he mumbles the last part more to himself than anyone else. He looks back at you. “At any rate, yes. The technique used to boost a Quincy’s physical and spiritual capabilities far higher than they would be otherwise is what Masaki had used. It is known as ‘Blut,’ and as I said, it is unlikely that you will learn it very early in your training. Is there anything else?”

>“Is there any way to quicken the regeneration of Reiryoku in our physical bodies?”

“That too, has been a question often asked by many a Quincy. And yes, it is theoretically possible to do so, but most of the artificial ways that have been attempted have resulted in wastes of life, and the only known sure-way of increasing Reiryoku regeneration is the acquisition and mastery of Blut- though that’s more because having a greater amount of Reiryoku in our bodies means we regenerate more over time.”

“So I should think of Reiryoku regeneration as percentage, rather than a flat number regenerated per second?” Grandfather nods, pleased at your deduction.

(2/?)

>>42317942

“Now,” he says, “if there are no more questions, we will begin our Reishi gathering exercise.” For the next hour or so, your grandfather teaches you about the fine art of meditation and gathering and shaping Reishi. You find that it’s far more effective than teaching it to yourself ever was.

>Rolled: 93*1.1*1.4(Teacher Bonus)= 143 XP gained!
>Reishi Gathering is now Rank 2! 6/300 to next Rank!
***
“Now then, I’m sure you must be tired from that, yes?” Your grandfather says, chortling. You grunt in response, holding your stomach hungrily. Sure, you feel like you’ve improved a ton, but training always makes you hungry as sin. Especially spiritual training. “Don’t worry, I have just the thing. Come with me.”

The two of you walk for another short while, your famished stomach growling every step of the way. Just when you feel like you’re about to faint (from the hunger, not the melodrama) you smell something cooking, and tilting your head, you clearly see smoke rising in the forest. You quickly run the rest of the way, your grandfather following you at a sedate pace.
***
After finishing up your meal of smoked fish and rice, you and Grandfather simply sit in the clearing, sharing a pot of tea he had made earlier as the food digested. Grandfather had said that attempting to train on a bloated stomach simply wasn’t in good health, and you’d agreed.

You think about asking Grandfather something, perhaps about the Quincies as a whole or even just about himself, but you’re not too sure what to ask…

>Strike up a conversation yourself. (Write In)
>Allow grandfather to say something.

>>42317964
>Allow grandfather to say something.

>>42317964
>Strike up a conversation yourself. (Write In)
Ask him what being a Quincy means to him.

>>42317964
I second this guy. >>42318041

>>42318041
>>42318182
Writing.

>>42317964
>Strike up a conversation yourself. (Write In)
Yeah, this looks good. >>42318041

>>42317964
“Grandfather?” you begin.

He hums in response, sipping at his tea, before dumping three packets of processed sugar into it. He takes another sip. “Yes, Uryu?” He asks pleasantly.

“I wanted to ask- what does being a Quincy mean to you? I mean, I know there has to be a good reason you always pushed me so hard to train early,” you say, sipping at your own tea. You purse your lips at the taste, before pouring on packet of sugar inside.

Your grandfather stops sipping at your question. “Mmm. That’s quite a heavy question to ask, isn’t it? I’m not upset that you asked, Uryu, don’t worry,” he says as you close your mouth. “To be a Quincy…” he says softly, taking one last sip of tea before placing it and the saucer on the mat on the ground.

“For myself, to be a Quincy means respecting your ancestors, and taking pride in our ability to fight what normal humans cannot defend themselves from.” At your confusion, he elaborates. “Our abilities are passed down from parent to child through our blood, so mastering the Art is a simple way of keeping the past alive, and honoring those whom have sacrificed themselves so that we may live in peace.”

Grandfather sips at his tea again before continuing, “And as for the latter, as arrogant as it is, feeling superior in our ability to fight what few others can is only natural, and by the same token, we have a duty to the rest of the humanity: we protect them from what they cannot see, so that they too, may live in peace.

“Those two things are the cornerstone of what I believe is the Pride of the Quincy: Pride in our Family, and Pride in our Duty. Of course, the Pride does not exclude flexibility- I, and a few others before they perished, have often asked the Shinigami to allow us to continue doing our Duty, not just to preserve our culture and honor our ancestors, but so that we may do so in a way that is not dangerous to the rest of the world.”

(1/2)

>>42318595
Draining the last bit of tea from his cup, Grandfather looks at you in the eyes. “That’s enough about me, however. What about you, Uryu? What does being a Quincy mean to you? I won’t be offended if you reject my way of thinking, so do not worry about that. Just speak your mind.”

>Write In?

>>42318621
>Write in
"I think I agree with you... But I think protecting others is more important than the past."

>>42318621
>Write In?
"I don't know. It seems like every time I try to be a Quincy it goes weird. Not wrong, it's always turned out well. But I don't understand it and sometimes I worry I never will. Did you ever feel that way?"

5 minute extension.

jesus it feels like this quest dies at the same exact time every time I run

>>42318621
>I feel like I have been given the ability to help people and that I should use it to do so.

>>42318774
This

>>42318774
>>42318910
And there's our tie-breaker.
Next post will probably be the last one, seeing as most of the interest's died off by now.

>>42318934
I think it's just because it's a write in only option that you are getting less votes.

>>42318934
I'm still interested, I just couldn't think of a good write-in.

>>42319001
possibly. at the same time, though, i'd prefer not to run too latetonight- i have some stuff early in the morning to do tomorrow.

Still Writing.

Why do you guys hate your mom so much?

>>42318621
“Well, to be honest, I don’t really know what it means to be a Quincy. For one thing, I haven’t lived long enough to figure it out yet, and for another thing, every time I try to be a Quincy, Something happens, capital ‘S.’” You answer with a shrug, sipping at your own tea before it gets cold.

Grandfather rubs at his moustache thoughtfully. “I suppose it is a tad too early to be asking you such things, in all fairness. And you are certainly the least Quincy I have ever known, Uryu.”

You shrug again. “I mean, I can see where you’re coming from with the Pride of the Quincy thing. Maybe I’ll take that part up myself. At the same time, though…” You hesitate, sipping at your tea. Grandfather raises an eyebrow, urging you on. “My situation’s always been… different. I don’t know how many Quincies were still alive back when you were my age, but, there are a lot less now. And my own soul has always been different, too.” You shrug again.

Your grandfather smiles. “Don’t worry Uryu, I’m sure you’ll be the best Quincy you can possibly be, no matter what path you follow.”

You perk up at his words. “…yeah. Thank you, Grandfather.” You say, politely.
***
>For the rest of the day, your grandfather decides to teach you about (Pick One):
>Reiryoku sensing
>Archery
>German
>Something else?

>Roll 1d100 for training.

>>42319176
Why do you touch yourself at night?

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>42319192
>Archery

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>42319192
>Archery

>>42319192
>German
German phonemes are pretty different from Japanese ones. We need to get skilled at speaking the language now if we're going to pronounce our spells right.

Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>42319192
>Archery

>>42319212
>>42319222
>>42319266
Writing for Archery. Next post will be the last one for the night.

>>42319192
Twang. Thunk!
Twang. Thunk!
Twang. Thwunk!

You simultaneously scowl at your lack of upper body strength and your mistake. Thankfully, your Grandfather is here to give you a hand. Brandishing his Reishi-baton, he taps various places on your body, telling you where precisely your posture had gone wrong.

“Don’t look so dejected, Uryu,” he says gently, “No one is perfect. Believe me, firing a bow was just as difficult for me at your age. It’s perfectly normal for you to be having some trouble.”

>Rolled: 89*1.1*1.4(Teacher Bonus) =137 XP gained!
>137/200 to next Rank!

You’re still a little disappointed in yourself, to be honest. You’d improved by quite a bit, but to know that you’ve let your archery skills go rusty was a punch in a face harder than any Arisawa could throw.

…Your sister’s punches were debatable on that front, though. You’re still not certain exactly how much she’s holding back in your spars.

“Don’t lose concentration now, Uryu,” says Grandfather, quickly rerailing your train of thought on the task at hand. You straighten back up into your stance, going through the movements again and again…
***
You sigh, tired. Taking in a grateful breath of the cool autumn air, you can acutely feel the sense of tiredness that seems to consume your body. Nonetheless, you managed to set up the tent you had brought with you, placing your small sleeping bag inside.

Training as a Quincy was harder than you’d thought it would be. Still, if it was for the sake of your family, you’d at least give it a good try.
You take one last look at the stars above. They aren’t very bright this close to the city, but you can still make out a fair number of the pinpricks of light. There are still too many to count, though.

Absentmindedly, you pull out your Core Drill. This harmless-looking little trinket has caused you so much trouble already, you think.

(1/2)

File: CoreDrill.jpg (7 KB, 481x270)

7 KB JPG

>>42319913

And judging by what you’d read from the journal, it was certainly going to cause you far more.

But looking at it, you already know for a fact that you would never be able to abandon it, for good or ill. That was the path you’d chosen, so that’s the path you’ll take.

Sparing a glance at Grandfather’s tent, you wonder what he’d do in your situation. Would he still try to throw the little thing away, because it was a threat to tradition? Would he simply try to ignore it? Would he do something else?

…That’s enough thinking for today, you decide. Tucking the little drill in your pocket, you step inside your tent, seal it up, and huddle inside your sleeping bag. Thinking about the what-ifs and could-have-beens are useless anyway.

You’ll walk whatever path you choose, by your own will and power.
***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyFlycSVonU

>End: IshidaQuest Drill Six!

>>42319937
Cool. Thanks for running, Kyuu.

>>42319937
thanks for running

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=IshidaQuest

Thread Archived! G'night, everyone, and see you next week!