Eyes Of A Stranger - Jumpchain (01-??)

1. Pokemon Trainer
Origin: Drop-In
Location: Johto
Age: 14
Starter: Eevee
Perks:
Combat Training [950]
Physical Fitness [850]
Survival Training [750]
Savant [450]

Items:
Free Stuff: Bag, Pokegear, Pokedex, 5x Pokeballs, 3x Potions, Hat
HM Collection [400]
50k Pokedollars [350]
Rebreather [300]
Echorecorder [200]
Medical Kit [150]
Collapsible Baton [100]
Thrust Pack [0]

>The first thing I become aware of is a feeling of being watched.
>My eyes shoot open and air hurries into my lungs as I breathe like it was my very first.
>My hand grips my chest before opening my palm and holding it against my ribs as I steady my breathing.
>The air is a lot warmer than I remember.
>And when did I get a long sleeve shirt?
>First instinct is to look around.
>Trees, trees, and more trees. Lots of tall grass, too. Is it me or is everything bigger too?
>Second instinct is to check my pockets for my phone or my wallet. Gone.
>Looking down, I can see I'm definitely not in my regular clothes. Looks like a new set of jeans, a green shirt with sleeves longer than my arms, and some tennis shoes.
>Next to me is a backpack. That spherical symbol on it looks familiar but I'm too dizzy to think about it. Did I just have a stroke or something? My ears are ringing and my head is hurting the more I become aware of everything.
>Open the backpack for anything useful.
>Reach inside, my entire arm fits with room to spare.
>What the fuck?
>Hold the backpack upside down and shake it.
>So much shit falls out
>I fumble through the junk and find a first aid pack, but it has nothing I recognize and some of the pills look like animal kibble.
>The one time I wanted some ibuprofen.
>That's when I notice the little balls rolling around. Red, white, little buttons...
>Are those fucking Pokeballs?
>They look really authentic, even having a metallic inside to what I remember from the anime.
>There's a Pokedex, a Pokegear, even a brand new hat.
>No way this is all just cosplay. More importantly, was it here waiting for me? Or did I take it?
>Put it all away, might come in handy later.
>Before I can waste more time navel gazing, I can hear something nearby
>Some birds are attacking a small and fuzzy creature
>This is just how nature operates but I'm a bleeding heart so I take out the baton from the backpack and proceed to commit a violence.
>The birds fly away from the crazy human swinging and hitting them like the wrath of a drunken hillbilly
>That's when I go down to their victim and see it's a bruised Eevee
>A real fucking Eevee.
>Before my mind can be blown, it jumps up and headbutts me in what I think was an attempt to lick my face.
>They're following me around so I guess that makes them my Pokemon?
>Sure enough, I pat them gently with the Pokeball and in they go without a fuss.
>I let them out again just to confirm what I was seeing was real and so they can get some exercise.
>Decide to name him Buddy.
>While we're walking and eventually find the beaten path, I'm trying to remember how the hell I got here.
>I can vividly remember things like every single birthday, every stupid thing I did in my entire life, and my old credit card numbers but everything before now was just a hole in my memory.
>To top it off, the laws of physics were not only apparently wrong by virtue of TARDIS backpack but Pokemon are real and I have one now
>I'm not sure if I should be elated or terrified but decide the answers to those questions belong to people who get paid to think about that stuff.
>Buddy is pretty cooperative and mostly responds to what I say. He understands simple commands like ‘jump’ or ‘sit’. Reads my body language pretty well too.
>We end up in Cherrygrove
>And now I can't help but notice how much taller most of the people are than me
>I make a break for the Pokemon Center and head right for the bathroom
>A check of the mirror confirms my suspicions. I'm shorter because I'm now a lot younger.
>At least I have healthy looking hair again. Actually, I don't look half bad. I worry I'm going to age poorly again though.
>I ask for an explanation to nobody in particular but nothing answers me.
>I don't really know how I got here, how I ended up like this, or what I should do.
>That's when I notice Buddy nibbling on my pant leg.
>Guess he's hungry.
>Figure I should take him to the front desk for a checkup then pick up some Pokemon food. I'm feeling pretty hungry myself, like I could eat a whole cow.
>...
>What do you mean ‘she’ looks healthy, Nurse?

>I decide if I'm in Pokemon, that means I need to become the very best like no one ever was
>Maybe if I became Champion I'd find the way home
>Or at least be set for life.
>Figure I can take pictures and record myself talking into a video journal to show off when I finally get back to my world.
>I'm not going to be humble about it, either.
>'Hey, what did you do during the quarantine? I became A POKEMON MASTER.'
>I learn the hard way being a trainer isn't as easy as the games make it look because wild Pokemon don't always fight 1v1 and don't stand still like a sack of potatos between moves
>A few times I just broke protocol and started batoning the fuck out of any Pokemon that caught Buddy in a grapple or something.
>We make quite a few runs back and forth to the Pokemon Center
>I start losing a bit of hope when I fail to catch a Pidgey and Buddy nearly fainted from an otherwise simple fight.
>When I setup camp that night, it starts sinking in that I can't reach any of my friends or family.
>I nearly drive myself crazy when I vividly imagine how worried sick a lot of them must be that I just up and vanished one day.
>I really need to figure out how to get home and soon.
>I contemplate asking a Pokemon professor, but I feel like saying ‘Hey, I’m from another universe and you're all just a video game there!' is a great way to be thrown into a ward. Or a laboratory test chamber.
>I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Buddy jumps next to my pillow and snuggles next to my face.
>Lazily pet her while drifting off to sleep.
>Pokemon make fantastic therapy animals, it turns out.
>Feeling a little better, I make another attempt at catching a Pidgey
>And FINALLY succeed!
>Every journey starts with a single step
>Also wow my throwing arm is fucking bananas now. I don't think I've missed a toss since I woke up here.
>The change in muscle strength and size is still weird, though.
>Today, everyday Pokemon. Tomorrow, Johto!

2. Yu-Gi-Oh
Origin: Drop-In
Location: Domino City [900]
Age: 15
Starter Deck: Warrior's Triumph
Existing Archetype Deck - Lightsworn [850]
Signature Monster - Judgment Dragon
Deck Support [750]
Hair: Black
Perks:
Card Tricks
Confrontational Soul [600]
Heart of the Cards [0]

Items:
Duel Disk
Vagabond Hat

>Wait what the fuck
>Where am I now
>My voice...did I just de-age again?
>Oh god oh god where's Buddy and the others oh god
>My backpack is still there and so is everything else.
>Six Pokeballs exactly and I let Buddy out immediately
>There's my Flareon like nothing happened. That's a huge relief.
>The clothes I had packed are now too big for me. Again.
>Great.
>Looking around, I see...two deck boxes and a Duel Disk?
>A fucking Duel Disk
>Am I in some kind of purgatory related to everything I liked when I was back in high school?
>...wait, what year did I start watching hentai again?
>Nevermind, let's get our bearings.
>The decks are Warrior's Triumph and Lightsworn, two types I know by the back of my hand.
>I check my backpack for anything new or useful.
>This weird metal key?
>I don't remember picking this up. Is it for some kind of lockbox?
>Hold onto it just in case.
>Oh this hat looks nice.
>Collapsible baton, crowbar, all the stuff I had before...yup, everything's here.
>Being a YuGiOh champion doesn't sound as cool as being a Pokemon Master, though...
>Maybe I can get some of the duels on camera. If these Disks are the real thing, I'd make a killing from that footage. Plus it'd be something to show the others.
>For a while, I was losing hope I'd ever go home and would have to be content with retiring in Johto BUT
>If I'm being launched around these worlds, that must mean I'll find my way back eventually!
>With a renewed spring in my step, I went off to duel some fools.
>I don't realize my mistake until a few kids ask me about my weird looking ‘poodle’
>First off, how dare you.
>Second, that's right, Pokemon aren't a thing here.
>Not wanting to answer too many questions, I return Buddy to her Pokeball.
>Hope nobody saw that.
>I make a wrong turn and some goons in black cloaks show up. These were Card...Collectors, right? Something to that effect?
>They tell me to hand over my deck if they beat me in a duel.
>I tell them to back the fuck off or I'm going to make them regret coming near me.
>They aren't intimidated until I take out the baton, which is easier to wield in my current state.
>They're soon running away and calling for help against this crazy fourteen year old
>Feel like I broke some kind of law here but who cares, I feel like a badass.
>Something weird happens later.
>One day, while I'm getting a job at a Kaiba Land (turns out they'll waive your paperwork if you win a duel), I notice something...odd.
>See, I never met Trainer Red or Gold or any familiar faces in the last world. The gym leaders were mostly new blood or older versions of people I'd seen in the games, but were different enough I didn't notice much. They were just people in intricate cosplay from my perspective.
>But I see that unmistakably insane hair on a short kid talking to his friends in a casual conversation
>That's Yugi Muto.
>That's Yugi and his friends.
>Sure enough, the Millennium Puzzle is dangling from his neck.
>It took me a while to swallow the implications of the last world, but this one just throws me completely out of whack.
>And when I see my boss is none other than Seto Kaiba broadcasting his weirdly narrowed chin for ‘workplace morale’, it all crashes together.
>This is real.
>This isn't just some world based on it.
>This is the actual world I had seen through fiction.
>The Battle City Tournament is coming up and sign-ups are for anyone with a deck.
>Kaiba unsubtly offers huge, unrealistic monetary bonuses for anyone who can defeat Yugi and get his God Card.
>I'm getting by on Japanese minimum wage so I'm not exactly able to ignore a big chance at cash
>But I know what kind of shit goes down if I get involved.
>I might actually fucking die depending on if the Shadow Realm is a thing out here or not
>I have my Pokemon, sure, but the weird-ass Egyptian spooky voodoo here REALLY, REALLY likes card games.
>I have a fire floof, but I also don't want to get arrested for setting one or several nerds on fire.
>I'm not at THAT level of delinquent.
>Or am I?
>Hmm...there has to be some way for me to make a living without getting involved in a death game, right?
>Decide to participate in some smaller tournaments that are being used as a warm-up for the upcoming Battle City one.
>Mostly means using plain old cards with occasional Kaibaland visits but hey, casual is casual
>At least until my boss calls me in to his office one day.
>Let me tell you what that conversation boiled down to:
>"Hi boss, you wanted to see me?"
>"Yes. I'm prepared to give you the equivalent of several million US dollars if you participate in the Battle City Tournament and I may or may not fire you if you refuse."
>"I like food so I have no choice but to agree. Also, damn you."
>"Damn me indeed and my incredibly deformed chin."
>Keep in mind I'm heavily paraphrasing this.
>I don't know exactly what my objective was but he said something about ‘weeding out the weaklings’
>He also made it abundantly clear that if I somehow won against Yugi I was fired
>Out of a cannon.
>So just like that I was in the Battle City Tournament
>Something they don't really show in the anime or manga is how fucking uncomfortable having that much extra weight on your wrist and arm is
>The duel disk is lighter than it looks but it's still heavy enough to be a pain to carry around all day.
>My primary deck is a pretty simple summon-and-equip fare that works pretty well
>Lightsworns are my ‘secret weapon’ but are also a little more risky to use since LP only goes up to 4000 here.
>For context, Judgment Dragon is summonable by having a certain number of unique Lightsworns in my graveyard. You spend 1000 points to wipe out all cards on the field itself, leaving a 3000 ATK boss monster to shred your opponent for free in that turn. It's not once per turn, either.
>I like saying shit like ‘The end has come! Judgment Dragon!’ when I summon it.
>What? I need to blend in with the locals. I'll act ike an anime jackass if I want to.
>I manage to stomp my way into getting a decent set of locator cards before I get ready to sleep for the evening
>I'm soon just staring at my ceiling trying to make sense of why this is happening or why I'm here
>The presence of all my stuff shows these aren't isolated trip and it's definitely deliberate.
>Why?
>Am I someone's performing monkey? Are the cards and free stuff a way of saying ‘Welcome! Here’s your shovel,'?
>More importantly, would I ever get home?
>Resolve to just make a token effort and then get myself out of this Tournament before I get myself killed
>But I have to do just well enough Kaiba doesn't realize I threw a match or two.
>So I need to succeed at failure.
>[Heart of the Cards]
>That turns out to be a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.
>Sure enough, I've won each duel, even the ones I made less-than-wise strategies for.
>Not once did I ever think I'd say, without any hint of irony: I have failed to succeed at failure.
>I end up in the finals and going to the blimp.
>Oh god I'm going to duel several thousand feet in the air
>I never completely got over my fear of heights
>Wait, let me do a head count, one, two, three...
>Where's Mai Valentine?
>...
>Oh.
>Oh no.
>OH NO
>I'm having an anxiety attack because I am literally the only normal person on this ship and I am going to probably be dueling a psychopath
>I might actually die because of a children's card game
>I nearly leap off the blimp only for it to take off before I can flee
>I'm sitting in the rest hall and very much trying to contain myself
>Yugi and co notice and greet me politely, asking if I'm alright
>We actually bond a bit over the game, though I have to bite my tongue and not let slip I had watched all this before.
>I don't want to take the chance I violate some kind of Prime Directive or fuck up things more than I have already.
>Also Tea has a fantastic rack.
>Things unfold mostly how they did on the show
>Part of me wanted to attack Actual!Marik and throw his Rod overboard, but I felt that would just find its way back to him and paint a bigger bullseye on me
>Sure enough, I'm dueling the newly insane and revealed Yami Marik.
>There's a popular saying in my world: ‘Never corner a rat.’
>There's a variation involving foxes and rattlesnakes, but the general principle is the same.
>Someone with no chance of escape and the choice to fight or die will fight harder than they would have otherwise.
>When Yami Marik was taunting me about how painful my demise would be as our duel turned into a Shadow Game with lethal stakes, I started laughing.
>Hard.
>I was terrified. My nerves were shot. I had already contemplated leaping overboard to get out of this.
>But I decided this spiky haired edgelord could take his victory only from my cold, dead, hands.
>My Lightsworn deck was loaded.
>It really felt like I was in the show, right down to Joey and company loudly voicing confusion about why I was milling my own deck.
>Yami Marik continued to psyche me out with his edge lording and weird ahegao face. I basically told him to shut the fuck up and I would wear his face around town.
>I didn't sound terribly convincing because I was very much losing it but I didn't fucking care.
>I get some early damage in but he's quick to start burning me and make me discard my hand
>I don't think he knows that helps me
>He taunts me that he'll soon summon his Egyptian God Card to wipe me out
>That's about when I finally fucking snap.
>I think I invented several new curse words and death threats in the span of about a minute.
>In between the bursts of foul language I basically gave him a fire-and-brimstone speech about the end of the world and how creatures like him would burn in holy fire
>Think I went a tiny bit mental there
>And then Judgment Dragon was on the field, wiping away all of Marik's traps, spells, and monsters like an oversized broom
>He had 1600 LP and no hand traps.
>Yami Marik's smugness had all but disappeared and he couldn't believe a ‘third-rate duelist’ had just cornered him
>I don't waste time.
>"The end has come! Judgment Dragon, attack him directly!"
>Yami Marik fucking died, to the shock of all witnessing it.
>The Winged Dragon of Ra is left behind.
>I don't bother picking it up and walk away, to the confusion of all the spectators.
>I don't need it.
>Well, I survived.
>But I'm still on a blimp and there's more trouble on the way.
>Think I'm just going to lock my door and not open it for fucking anything.
>Ignoring the unexpected stop and several hours of total silence.
>There's a knock on my door.
>I ignore it.
>Another knock.
>I grab my baton. “Who is it?”
>A soft female voice answers. It's Ishizu.
>Cautiously put away the baton and answer the door.
>She actually thanks me for ending her brother's dark side, even if it was at the cost of his body
>I awkwardly mumble an apology for that. I DID kind of mess up the order of events, but it was either that or die.
>The entire quarterfinals convinced her that destiny isn't quite set in stone, but also she has no idea about mine at all.
>Every time she tried to peer into my future she only saw a single thing: A tiny ember in the darkness that slowly grows into a roaring fire.
>She claims my eyes seemed to almost glow when I went full Old Testament on her brother
>I'm not sure if this is prophetic or some kind of colorful metaphor. I guess it's a compliment. Maybe a warning.
>I'm tempted to confide in her about what I've been going through, but never actually drop that I'm from another world. Just far away from home.
>As the conversation drifts away from the fate of the world and card games, it feels like we become friends.
>Maybe I could just hang out with her, Yugi, and company. Wasn't like they weren't big on friendship.
>But if I disappear all over again, would they just end up like the ones I had before?
>Would I just be by myself this entire time?
>Maybe someone would come with me like my Pokemon, but, with how dangerous something so simple got, was that right?
>But let's think about the opposite side of that coin. Sure, I can't go home or have no idea about what's going on...
>Yet now I have tangible proof other worlds exist.
>Tangible proof I can not only survive but thrive if I play my cards right. No pun intended.
>And I could kick some ass in the process.
>I have the freedom I've always wanted, like I had grown wings that soar across forever.
>And maybe I can come out of this better than I ever could have hoped
>I could become rich, right wrongs, collect all kinds of gadgets and souvenirs not just to show off but maybe help others out.
>I mean LOOK at me! I don't look half-bad now. Little by little, I can become miles ahead of what I started out as.
>This might be some kind of purgatory, but it's also an opportunity. I can't waste it by moping about!
>Ishizu called me an ember, a fire that would grow in the darkness of the unknown.
>And you know what?
>I think she's right.
>My resolve becomes firm just in time for the semifinals.
>The atmosphere isn't quite as tense as it was in canon now that Yami Marik is out of the picture, but Kaiba is notably a bit twitchy.
>The order of battle is Yugi vs Kaiba and Joey vs me.
>Having a friendly duel this time around is actually kinda nice. Joey and I get along great and there's a mutual respect going on after I trounced Marik.
>95/100
>I win handily, though.
>Which leaves...me versus Yugi.
>Yeah no matter how this fucking goes I feel like I'm fired.
>I have to admit the stakes must look anticlimactic to any nebulous audience watching this: The threat level dropped to nonexistence and the protagonist is up against a total dark horse
>I feel like this is the kind of thing that inspires arguments on the internet.
>46/100
>My luck finally runs out, though: Yugi is able to defeat my Lightsworns by making me deck out on our last legs of LP.
>Kaiba's gonna blow up the island still
>I let out Soarin, my Pidgeot, and opt to fly off instead of getting on the helicopter. Fuck it, why not? I'm sick of being stuck on flying metal anyways.
>Kaiba is true to his word and I get a huge sum of money for participating like he asked
>I even got to keep my job
>He says I'm fired if I ever speak of the finals again though.
>I decide I'm pretty much done with the card game forever after that and use my money to get myself a nice house in the middle of nowhere.
>And far away from the coast.
>That's enough excitement for me, I think.

3. Animal Crossing
Origin: New Arrival
Age: 20
Race: Human
Location: Town
Fruit: Pears
Perks:
At Peace
Friendly [900]
Collector [750]
For Services Rendered [550]
Pocket Full of Leaves [250]

Items:
Outfit Redesign - Import YGO outfit (picked up during jump)

House Upgrades:
Tier One House - Camper Vehicle
Tier Two House [150]
Tier Three House [0]
Altered Floor Plan
Cozy
Campground

>Oh, this looks nice. Finally, somewhere I can...
>Wait, hang on. Let me take out my crowbar. Hey, Mr. Nook, you wouldn't happen to be running a cult dedicated to Gyroids or anything here, would you?
>"I...what?! I was just coming over to greet you! I even got you a voucher for a free house!"
>...who are you and what have you done with Tom Nook?
>"If I give you the voucher and promise you don't need to pay back any loans, will you put the crowbar down and get as far away from me as possible?"
>...yyyyes.
>"Okay, great! Enjoy your time in town! Freakin' psycho."
>And that was that. I've spent several weeks waiting for the other shoe to drop, but aside from being a little boring and uneventful, things are peaceful out here.
>I take up fishing as a hobby and I can let most of my Pokemon out without any of the locals batting an eyelash.
>No death games, no treacherous terrain to travel through, no existential paranoia.
>I could almost get used to this if I hadn't picked up on the fact I tend to get whisked away at the turn of a decade.
>Such is life, I guess.
>Also I can turn stuff into leaves.
>It looks like some of the game mechanics rubbed off on me somehow because storing things via what I call the Leaf Beam is now a thing I can do.
>Again, no one finds this unusual or strange.
>Weird superpower but Jojo has taught me the dumbest abilities can be deadly or useful weapons with enough creativity.
>I hear a lot of owls hooting around my house at night but I can never catch sight of the little buggers.
>Weird, but that's what earplugs are for.
>I hope I can have more stops like this.

4. Battletech
Era: Clan Wars (3049) [950]
Background: Kerensky's Clans [900]
Location: In the shadow of war
Age: 21
Perks:
Elemental
Mechwarrior Training [850]
Nose for Lostech [800]
Hotshot Pilot [700]
Unaugmented Killer [600]
Trial of Possession [400]
My Other Battlemech is a...Summoner [0]

Items:
Clantech
Heavy Mech - Timber Wolf [300]
Omnitech [200]


>The promised hour is soon upon us.///That was a really comfy world.
>Soon we'll finally march upon the Inner Sphere//Hang on, this feels weird.
>It will bring much honor to Clan Ghost Bear to finally complete Kerensky's dream/What's going on?
>In the name of all who came before us, I OW. OOOOOOW.
>WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED
>I FEEL LIKE A BOOT WAS SHOVED INTO MY SKULL AND SCRAPED WHAT WAS LEFT OFF A SPIKY HEEL.
>I...
>I'm a Clanner? I'm a ‘trueborn’ member of Clan Ghost Bear.
>It all came to me at once. My training, my sibko, the bidding process for...for...
>Operation Revival. The invasion of the Inner Sphere.
>I'm of two minds right now.
>One is eager to participate for glory and honor.
>The other is absolutely terrified and trying to find a way to weasel my way out of this
>But a Clanner abandoning the battlefield is something they would likely exile me for AT BEST. I'm more likely to be cut down for my cowardice if I'm obvious.
>That's when one of my allies...one of my family puts a hand my shoulder.
>"This will be the most important operation of our lives, brother. Are you ready?"
>And suddenly, for just a moment, my doubts and fears evaporated as my new identity asserted itself. I smiled.
>"Yes. Yes it will."
>I could only hope it masked the terror in my heart.
>I feel I should explain something. It's important, so pay attention.
>Things like honor, integrity, keeping your word, never lying, even some of the more archaic ideas of chivalry...I don't think these are bad things.
>If anything, I wish the world was a little more like that. Everyone agreeing to the rules and sticking to their word, defending the weak, settling squabbles in a fair and just manner...in an ideal world, I could envision such a thing.
>But I don't and have never lived in an ideal world. Winning through ‘underhanded’ tactics isn't seen as a breach of a code of conduct, it's ‘you outsmarted them.’ Lying through your teeth to get an objective you were after is seen as a mark of cunning. And the more determined you are to be as brutal and ruthless as possible to get your way, the more you're seen as someone who is strong or worth fearing by that alone. Someone who plays by the rules, their own or someone else's, is always seen as weaker than the one who doesn't.
>I hate that. I always, always have.
>Honor isn't just a matter of who is holier than thou. It's proof you can be trusted and taken at your word. That you're reliable. That you can resist the base impulse to get ahead by any means necessary, even for a moment, to work towards a common goal or work according to a rule. That you can put something intangible above yourself for just a little while.
>Someone who can live by that and thrive has more respect from me than anyone else in the entire...I don't know, multiverse?
>But reality isn't kind to such flights of fancy, no matter how real I want them to be. I have to make compromises because I'm not in much of a position to do better. I'm not a paragon of goodness. I'm just a traveler who's in over his head.
>The Clans are a living example of that fancy being taken to its logical extreme. A martial society born of the dreams of a sociopathic madman taking what was once the finest fighting force in the galaxy and turning them into a eugenics-bound caste culture of what was, at the time, necessity and insane dreams built around a romantic idea of honor.
>An idea that will get millions killed for no good reason. To add to the pile of senseless wars in the Inner Sphere.
>The fact my body feels the urge to vomit at the idea of thinking of Nicholas Kerensky as the scumbag I know him to be is both proof of how deep the roots of that culture and my new memories go.
>And despite my disgust, I'm on the frontlines for the opening days of Operation Revival.
>From the Periphery to the outskirts of the Great Houses, our forces blow away our opposition like dust in the wind.
>Despite being just a simple man in a rural village last time, the instincts and training of a warrior flow from me like water.
>At first, there's some hesitation. I try to leg mechs instead of target the cockpit.
>They don't show me the same consideration and I soon stop caring.
>There's an intoxicating feeling of power behind piloting a Mad Ca-sorry, Timber Wolf full speed into the fray and blow away entire lances with some well placed shots and my comrades being right behind me.
>Even adhering to Zellbrigen to its letter sees little change in the battles.
>For a while, I desensitize myself to the experience. See it as just another day of playing Mechwarrior with god mode on.
>At least until I get the look inside of a charred cockpit full of chunky salsa that was once my enemy.
>That brings me back to my senses.
>The ‘me’ of this world or whatever memories I'm feeling might feel invested in seeing this all to the end
>But I sure as hell don't.
>I disgrace my family when I all but beg for rear line duty.
>All that esteem I built up through effortless victories just evaporates.
>My reputation as a coward and a black sheep soon becomes well-known throughout my clan.
>One doesn't see it that way.
>Clan Ghost Bear is unique in that they still believe in things like family sticking together and having strong bonds, despite the eugenics program used to make ‘trueborn’ warriors.
>My brother...I mean, in this world, who I had fought alongside up to this point promises he will revive my warrior spirit when he returns from his next battle.
>One that will bring honor and glory to all the Clans
>A battle at Tukayyid.
>I want to say something. To warn him. But the most I can bring myself to say is to watch out for the craftiness and underhanded tricks of the opponent. He assures me he'll be fine.
>Maybe I could have told the truth. Revealed what I was. Revealed what was going to happen.
>But I don't think it would have made a difference. Because I don't think anything could have burned away his determination, built from years of training and indoctrination.
>He never returns.
>And with that, I desert and disappear into a sleepy agricultural world, hitching a ride on a passing jumpship along the Periphery.
>Only when I'm sure I'm not being followed do I finally reunite with my Pokemon.
>I think that's when something changes.
>All this time, I just did whatever suited me at the time. I didn't kill Marik because I wanted to, I did it to survive. I didn't participate in the Clan Invasion and then all but wash myself out of the warrior caste out of any sense of rightness, but because someone else told me to until I couldn't take anymore.
>Even the Pokemon League was something I did just for its own sake.
>The worlds aren't just shiny examples of nostalgia and good times, there's places like this where war is commonplace.
>The Inner Sphere will always be at war with itself where many die for the madness of the Great Houses, The Clans, the World of Blake and Comstar and more.
>What I experienced is a microcosm of that.
>If I had revealed the truth of Tukayyid, would anyone have listened to me? Would it have changed anything? Would a dominion of the Clans sweeping over the Inner Sphere have made anything better?
>Of course not.
>But should I start taking into consideration what that knowledge gives me? Some kind of foresight into the future that can change things for better or worse? Should I act on it? Do I have the right to change everything to suit whatever fancy I'm after?
>I don't think anyone or anything can answer that. But I can't keep doing the opposite, either. I can't change the endless war and death of this world...
>But maybe...
>Maybe I can do more than just survive.
>If I get a little stronger and smarter with each world I enter, then maybe I'll eventually be in a position I can make things better.
>To stop tragedies and senseless death in their tracks.
>To live by my own code of honor and prove something like that can WORK.
>Not in the name of conquest for its own sake, not in the name of just saving my own skin...
>But to be more than just a spectator.
>To be a wanderer.
>To be a warrior.
>To be...
>To be worth the new lives I've been given.
>This is a chance to be more.
>I won't waste it again.

5. Red Dead Redemption
Age: 26
Location: Cholla Springs
Origin: Drop-In
Perks:
Drifter
Basic Shooting Skills
Horse Riding
Dead Eye Targeting [700]
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane [600]
Cold as Ice [400]
A Regular Annie Oakley [100]

Items:
Moonshine
Guns - Revolver
Nigel West Dickens' Elixir [0]

>This should be my proof of concept.
>If anything deserves to be changed here, it's the final moments of the Marston farm when the US Marshalls attack it.
>Persuading Edgar Ross is all but impossible. Shooting him is difficult because the bugger is usually guarded or on the move.
>I'm not exactly a prime tracker.
>The Marston Farm is easier to find. But I have some time. I don't know how much.
>I don't really need to hang around near the place until John and his family return, so I can visit some of the nearby towns.
>Some habits from my Clanner life bleed into my behavior, though.
>"Hey, you calling that, Anon?"
>"Aff."
>"Uh, what?"
>"I mean, yeah. Yeah, I call."
>Things like that.
>Also my new look is apparently pleasing to some of the locals.
>A few of the women in town are quick to make passes at me.
>I probably look like Hercules compared to a lot of the other men in town
>It's mostly just a little annoying since I try to keep to myself.
>Being able to bring my comfy Camper Van along for the ride gives me a cozy place to relax
>Despite all the stresses of battle and the last world, letting myself rest a bit comes very easily.
>Still have no idea what this metal key is for. Maybe if I find something locked it'll come in handy? Haven't thought about it much.
>Even having as much preparation time as I do, the odds don't look good.
>My Pokemon could probably rout the US Marshals with their moves, but I don't really want to test their durability against bullets here of all places.
>I'm not exactly rolling in reliable medical gear.
>If I join the battle as a passing do-gooder...no, too many questions. Plus I'd probably get popped moving from cover.
>What do I do?
>Damn it, they're already attacking the farm and I don't have any ideas. If only I still had my mech! They took it from me when I abandoned the Clans.
>Because if I had my Timber Wolf I'd-WOAH!
>Speak of the devil and he will appear. Or in this case, I'll turn my head and a familiar hunk of metal is sitting there. Waiting for me.
>For a second, I hesitate. This is like fighting cavemen with machine guns. Is it right? Would I be violating some kind of compact?
>Then I see Ross and his goons starting to surround the house
>And then...
>"Reactor: Online."
>"Sensors: Online."
>"Weapons: Online."
>"All systems nominal."
>Imagine you're a US soldier during the latter days of the Wild West. World War One hasn't quite rolled around yet but is just by the corner.
>Imagine you're under orders to kill an outlaw on his family farm at any cost, no questions asked.
>Imagine as a 75 ton metal monster comes stomping out of the horizon and begins shooting at you with weapons you've never seen before and all your bullets just bounce off of it.
>How long does your courage last?
>I think I only killed one or two. Maybe three. The roar of machine guns and the blaze of lasers as a display alone is enough motivation for them to run screaming.
>I make sure one of those casualties is Ross himself.
>The terrifying theatre is enough for John and his family to flee to parts unknown.
>On the run, but alive.
>That's as good a start as any, I hope.
>Stories of the Metal Giant trickle into the other towns before becoming a myth
>Because I opt to hide the Timber Wolf away. It's too big for me to put under a leaf beam, unfortunately.
>I won't lie. It was pretty cathartic. But I should probably try for more subtle next time.
>I killed a few soldiers and a crooked government agent to save the family of a former outlaw and himself using a weapon they had no answer for.
>I don't think they even knew who I was.
>The math feels a bit off, there.
>But it was still satisfying.
>Still, if I'm going to take this whole ‘helping others out’ thing seriously I should probably start doing it in ways that don't involve shooting people, too.

6. Death Note
Origin: Drop-In
Location: Japan, Tokyo, Daikoku Private Academy
Age: 12
Gender: Male
Perks:
I Can See You
Incorruptible [900]
Private [700]
Immune [400]

Items:
Fake ID
Laptop [0]

>Today, a high school student is walking home as he regards a black notebook with morbid curiosity.
>At least until a twelve year old with a baton beats him over the head and steals the book.
>Making a small fire in an alleyway, the child tosses the book into the flame.
>The idea of using it doesn't once cross his mind. He has plenty of ways to kill without it anyways.
>With this, thousands, maybe millions of lives are saved.
>Many are criminals, but many others are those who simply got in the way of a certain serial killer that would now never be.
>Thinking on it, he's not sure if this is atonement for his earlier neglect or just taking an opportunity once he saw it.
>The end of this trip will mark sixty years of reincarnation across the worlds.
>The image of home is an increasingly distant memory. Vivid, but more and more like a far away dream.
>His thoughts are interrupted by a pale monster with a wide smile and an annoyed voice, like a child that had its toy taken away.
>"Well, I hope you're proud of yourself. That was a lot of effort for me to get, you know."
>He doesn't bother asking questions. It's a refreshing change of pace.
>"I was tempted to write your name down but that doesn't seem to work, either. You must think you're pretty smart."
>The child does not reply.
>"If you keep running around spoiling people's fun like this, someone will eventually want to make you pay for it."
>"Probably."
>"Ha." The phantom lets out a humorless laugh. “No fun.”
>And disappeared.

7. Nyanko Days
Origin: Student
Age: 14
Perks:
First, We Need To Finely Chop The Vegetables
Love And Affection
Nyanko! [Rental]
Cat Whisperer [800]
Clever Kitty [Rental]
It's Really Tasty! [700]
Every Day, Every Night [600]
Let's Go For A Walk [400]
There You Are! [100]

Items:
A Good Pen
A Bag of Snacks
Cute Outfits for All Occasions. [0]

>This is...nice. Like before, I wait for the other shoe to drop but that moment never comes.
>I can also talk to my Pokemon now!
>What I learned is not surprisingly, but...well, this is what Buddy says.
>"Food. Food. Pets! Pets! Snuggles. Bored now. More food!"
>So once I realized I was in no danger of war or death, I just settled down with my Pokemon again
>They made friends with some of the cats in town.
>It was nice.
>Why does this town have so many owls, though? They keep hooting and won't shut up.
>...wait. Shouldn't I understand them now?
>When I look out my window for them, they're gone.
>It's quiet.

8. Code Geass
Location: Tokyo Settlement, Area 11
Origin: Royalty
Age: 17
Perks:
Comprehend Language
Basic Knightmare Usage
Your Highness
Regal Charisma [1700]
Genius Tactician [1400]
Booster Shot [1000]
Just A Normal Soldier [600]
Military Genius [0]

Items: [+400]
School Uniform
Sakuradite
Family Heirloom
Imperial Villa [300i]
Damocles [0i]

Personal Knightmare Frame: [+1000KP]
Import: Timber Wolf
Frame: 9th Generation [400KP]
General Characteristics: Yggdrasil Drive and Energy Filler, Color Scheme, Frame Aesthetics
Design Features: Cockpit Ejection System, Factsphere Sensor+Advanced Factsphere Sensor, Landspinner Propulsion System, Sand Panels, IFF Transponder System, Gefjun Disturber Shielding, Float/Air Glide System, Energy Wing System, Blaze Luminous System [200KP - Leg-Mounted Beam Shields, Core Luminous Cone), Harken Boosters
Weapons: 2 Upper-Body Slash Harkens, 2 Maser Vibration Swords, Varis Rifle+Super Varis Rifle [0KP]

Drawbacks:
Wanted [1400]
J.J. [1800]

>This was where I became a leader.
>For a little while, I thought things would be simple. Make sure my brother doesn't make the critical mistakes he did during his rebellion and rise to power, protect Nunners, save the day.
>I was wrong.
>I was very, very wrong.
>On my way to school, on a fateful day, I found myself being attacked by a soldier with one eye.
>He could predict my movements perfectly
>By the time I realize it's a real fight and bullets aren't useful, I'm bruised and bleeding
>Manage to get him off guard when I ‘miss’ a shot and cut the rope to a crate directly above him
>Yeah this fight dragged on from the highway to a warehouse district
>And now he's a pancake. Whoever he was.
>Before I got a chance to rest, a Britannian Death Squad showed up and I was on the run
>Feeling a bit backed into a corner, I decided this would be a great time to have my Timber Wolf
>Oh hey one of those warehouses is holding it
>Is it me or does it look different?
>Of course it does but I don't have time to dawdle
>Things escalate into a battle. End up rallying a bunch of the Japanese Rebels into a cohesive fighting force
>The Britannians end up routing, probably to get reinforcements
>A lot of the rebels rally around me from the heat of the battle
>The fact I'm obviously a Britannian myself kind of sours things but a small minority of them vouch for me
>I don't want to fight my way out so I bullshit a speech about the crimes of my father and that I seek to overthrow him
>When I start throwing the ‘I’ word around, many of them hop on board
>Opportunists.
>I don't think they really trust me, they just see this as a chance to get what they want.
>Well, if it helps me survive.
>Apparently I'm being hunted by Britannia from the get go before I even did anything.
>The newly upgraded Timber Wolf and the fact I've turned into some kind of tactical genius are huge assets, but having a Geass would've been lovely
>I can't exactly go home now to check on Lelouch.
>Need somewhere to hide out and regroup with my new militia
>Find a good enough looking building
>Locked
>Wait, it looks like that key from earlier might fit! Let's try it!
>...uh.
>Well.
>This is strange.
>A lot of my old gear is just...sitting here.
>My clothes from various worlds, some of my supplies and...
>A Winged Dragon of Ra card? Didn't I leave that behind?
>Guess it's a trophy or something.
>There's some comforts in here, so I take a second to process what the hell just happened.
>I was on the equivalent of a milk run and then I ended up leading a rebellion against my own nation in this world.
>Not really something I could sustain without prolonged guerilla warfare or some kind of miracle.
>Better question...why? I followed Lelouch into exile but there was NOTHING about me painting a bullseye on myself. Much less such an extreme response early on.
>Do I disappear and go into hiding, or do I fight to the end?
>Maybe I could issue a batchall and challenge the good Emperor to a mano-a-mano duel over whatever grievance he has with me-pfffthahahahahaha.
>Yeah. Only in my flights of fancy.
>Something else to consider...with how badly things went off the rails so quickly, I might not have a choice.
>Or else discount Instrumentality is going to happen.
>I don't even have a Geass for an advantage. What happened earlier was probably pure luck.
>I could probably follow in Zero's footsteps with some well placed theatrics and the benefits of hindsight...
>Wait, hang on. If I've been doing this the whole time, where's Lelouch?
>If he still met C.C....no, even if he hasn't, this life is tied to his.
>I might not have a choice but to include him. Not like he doesn't have a stake against ‘our’ father.
>Maybe his bullshit chess skills and dumb luck will rub off on me if he's nearby.
>Right. I have a start.
>Now if only I wasn't distracted by all this HOOTING
>...hooting?
>I turn my head
>There are owls staring at me from inside the Warehouse.
>Their feathers are black.
>Their eyes are red.
>And they're just staring at me.
>Just when I pick up my revolver to fire a shot to make them scatter, they're gone.
>Just gone.
>No poof, no flash of light, not even the movement of wings in flight.
>Gone.
>What little doubt I had about my situation and reincarnation cycle evaporates.
>Someone or something is doing this deliberately.
>I have so many questions, but so few answers.
>For now...I need to focus on what's in front of me.
>Rebellion awaits.

Cosmic Warehouse
Utilities: Electricity, Plumbing, Heat/AC, Forcewall [100]
Buildings: Shelves, Housing, Medbay [60], Workshop[50]
Misc: Food Supply [40], Free Space [10], Loft [0]

>Long story short, Lelouch got his Geass while I was busy with all of that
>He's more than a little bewildered by the reveal of what happened to me and how I handled it
>Still, the fact the Emperor is gunning for me makes it obvious we need to work together.
>The fact I've already revealed my identity is a problem, though, as well as the fact Charles is already shooting to kill.
>I decide to go into hiding with the rebels while Lelouch works a double life as Zero.
>I even paint the Timber Wolf in the colors of red, white, and blue for the occasion.
>Start calling myself ‘Mr. President’ and quoting Metal Wolf Chaos when taunting my enemies.
>During a pitched battle with Cornelia, I challenge her to a Trial of Possession over control of Japan. A one-on-one duel, no tricks or deception.
>[Trial of Possession] To my immense surprise, she agrees.
>I didn't expect that to work. I thought she would have passed it off as a joke.
>She has some clever tactics on display but I eventually core her mech and she ejects just as it explodes.
>Cornelia's forces withdraw.
>What follows is a political clusterfuck because the Japanese Resistance Groups weren't exactly in complete agreement with each other or a unified front.
>I also have to make a lot of careful measures to keep our alliance from falling apart and stopping them from taking out their wrath on the Britannian students and schools.
>I go from freedom fighter to beleagured politican in no time.
>Setting up a provisional government in this chaos takes up all of my time and willpower
>It doesn't take a genius to see what Cornelia was up to, as Lelouch and I both find out.
>She knew how fragile the disparate groups fighting for independence were and that they'd turn on each other the moment Britannia was out of the picture.
>The moment any of the locals so much as sneezed on a Britannian in the area, they'd come back in full force with a reinforced army, casus belli, and international sympathy.
>The Emperor is eerily quiet on the happenings in Area 11.
>Everything is on a precarious balance. The fact a Britannian royal, rogue or not, is the one who won the Rebellion creates more than a few PR problems.
>And then someone tries to assassinate me.
>Twice.
>One of them was a Geass user who could paralyze someone with eye contact.
>Except me.
>For whatever reason, their spooky nonsense has no influence over me. That's good to know. Might explain why the good Emperor is trying so hard to kill me.
>Doesn't take a genius to figure out where all this death is coming from.
>I'll be honest with you: I don't want Japan, much less to be in charge of it. But I'm the only thing keeping it from turning into a bloodbath.
>Quietly evacuate the remnants of the Britannian citizens on the island to remove that particular problem
>None of my or Lelouch's friends will stay as a result but OH FUCKING WELL AT LEAST THEY'RE NOT DYING.
>I'm starting to feel like my presence ruins whatever plans the world had for its story.
>Would explain why it's trying so hard to kill me when things like this happen.
>During a rare respite and nearing the setup of the Provisional Government with plenty of political maneuvering, I catch a strange radio transmission.
>Door bursts open
>Shot by an assault rifle
>Die

























>Had you going there, didn't I?
>Of course not, I faked my death by setting up an elaborate plan with Lelouch ahead of time.
>I'd explain how and why, but I feel like the migraine it would cause from how stupid it was isn't worth the trouble.
>Feel free to make up your own version.
>I'll even give you the ingredients: Rubber bullets, a switched cup of coffee, and an entire basket of chicken wings.
>In the chaos, agents loyal to him and our allies promptly track down the disloyal elements and either disappear or kil them.
>I'm not a fan of underhanded trickery like this...or maybe it's just the Clan side of my mind talking.
>But this lets me disappear off the grid.
>Lelouch will be consolidating power as Zero with the more loyal elements of the Provisional Government, but after that, he doesn't plan on staying either.
>The Geass assassins are still able to find me and track me down, and I have to deal with them with increasing amounts of danger.
>Now that I'm not dealing with the white elephant of a nation in chaos anymore, I track down that mystery radio signal.
>It's coming from...up in the atmosphere, apparently?
>One Rebreather and a Pidgeot later, I find it.
>The fucking Damocles. Fully operational, fully staffed, and...
>Under my command.
>The soldiers are professional but they're very vague about their origins or their purpose.
>Have these weird, vacant stares.
>I asked them all to do handstands. They obeyed on pure impulse.
>Creepy.
>I check the command console and sure enough, this station is loaded with FLEIJA.
>The launch key accepts my and only my approval.
>I could launch nukes from orbit at my command.
>I needed a second to compose myself when realizing I had such a dangerous thing in my possession.
>What do I do with this?
>The ‘obvious’ option would be to hold the world ransom and demand its submission to me, but that's a horrible idea for several reasons.
>Another option is to drop one on Pendragon and kill Charles dead...but there's no guarantee the weapon would hit its mark with my limited intel AND the fact a lot of people would die in the collateral.
>And, you know, I'd go from a rogue royal to a fucking terrorist.
>I could just sit up here behind an impenetrable shield and an army...
>But I'd run the risk of being caught up in Discount Insturmentality.
>...what about the Thought Elevators?
>Wipe some of the ones around less populated areas off the board. Might set back their plan. Maybe even break it altogether.
>Sure enough, the Thought Elevator in Siberia is furthest from a major population center...
>But I'd make a quick enemy of that faction
>I could target one on Britannian soil...
>But a lot of innocent people would die in the crossfire.
>Or I can pursue the honorable route: Challenge Charles myself and fight to the death.
>Fight a man who probably sees nothing wrong with sending his royal guard or death squads after me.
>Around me, I can see the red eyes of owls watching me from the control console.
>Waiting for my choice.
>What do I do...?
>You know what?
>Fuck moral ambiguity, I'm going for it.
>And I think I have just the way to do it.
>I have to make a quick pick-up trip and move the Damocles into the right position.
>Ahem.
>"Attention Pendragon! This is Prince Anon Vi Britannia of the House Britannia and this is a notice of batchall!"
>"I will be fighting the entirety of the Royal Guard myself in combat for the life of your Emperor!"
>"This challenge begins in exactly one minute!"
>That's when I drop my Timber Wolf out of the Damocles and proceed to crash into the palace.
>The whiplash probably would have broken my neck if not for the upgrades. And most of my other bones.
>The Royal Guard, to their credit, mobilized fairly quickly and an intense battle began as civilians are evacuated.
>It's chaos.
>While ignoring the amazingly ineffective weapons of their unprepared Knightmares, I spot the extremely fat Emperor trying to make his way to an escape hatch.
>That's when my lasers punch into the wall and tear a hole through him.
>Good news. I've preserved my sense of honor by doing this directly and making enough noise that any bystanders are running scared instead of dying.
>The bad news is that the entirety of the Britannian Empire has just gone into a blood fury and are descending on me with the force of an angry god.
>My Timber Wolf is easily the most advanced thing on the battlefield but she's also been going without repairs and maintenance for a while now. I don't exactly have any MechTechs with me.
>Death by a thousand cuts is a problem.
>I start fighting my way out of the palace before finding a large enough opening to take flight.
>And I return to the Damocles.
>Good news: I've killed Emperor Charles vi Britannia and have cut off the conspiracy at the head.
>Bad news: I think I've just given the entire Britannian Empire good incentive to kill me as violently as possible.
>So if anything I've just dramatically increased the number of people who want me dead, with the sole exception that they're not trying to assimilate the entire planet.
>I thought.
>But the Geass assassins keep on coming, and with greater intensity.
>At first, I just stay on the Damocles.
>But I soon see a Britannian Rail Cannon Network is being built.
>It looks eerily familiar.
>Even when the Britannian Empire turns on itself in a succession crisis, there's still a dedicated force after me specifically.
>Why? Did I not really cut the head off the serpent?
>...no, there's still several unaccounted for.
>Soon, this turns into a long shadow war where I play whack-a-mole against my assassins
>Every time I think I've cornered the main antagonist, it turns out to be another proxy when the whole thing kicks off again
>I survive.
>I scheme to aid Lelouch, Nunnally, our friends, and navigate the chaos in Britannia and Japan into something resembling peace
>I boost Euphemia's popularity and keep her safe and sane.
>I help Lelouch with his Geass when it eventually runs wild
>But I never once see the face of my enemy.
>The night before I leave, I dream of fire and lightning
>And golden wings appearing in a blaze of light before a maw swallows the sun.
>Then, I wake up.
>And the jump ends.

9. White Knight Chronicles
Origin: Drop-In
Location: The Desert Town of Albana
Race: Human
Age: 23
Perks:
Deliciously Cheesy
Anti-Gravity Juggling
Unfazed
Warrior [1100]
Matchmaker [1000]
The New Guy [700]

Items:
“Basic Equipment”
Crystal Camera
Knight Arc & Incorruptus [100]
+Boosting Knight [0]

Drawbacks:
Forgettable [1100]
Las Cronicas del Caballero Blanco [1200]
Priority Target [300]

Incorruptus [+1300JP]
Mech Import: The Timber Wolf Mad Cat
Appearance: Looks more like a humanoid knight with some feline motifs
Knight Arc: Gauntlet

Head: Odysseus Head [1250JP]
Strength 10
Durability 10
Precision 5
Magic Potency 5
Magic Efficiency 5

Arms: Odysseus Arms [1200JP]
Strength 10
Durability 10
Precision 5
Magic Potency 5
Magic Efficiency 5

Legs: Odysseus Legs [1150JP]
Strength 10
Durability 10
Precision 5
Magic Potency 5
Magic Efficiency 5

Torso: Odysseus Torso [1100JP]
Strength 10
Durability 10
Precision 5
Magic Potency 5
Magic Efficiency 5

Core Upgrades:
Strength 5 [250JP]
Durability 5 [0JP]
Precision
Magic Potency
Magic Efficiency

Weapon: Bladed - Muragnabur [600JP]
Shield: Basic Knight's Shield [500JP]

>I lost.
>The battle ending in a stalemate coupled with my absence spells defeat.
>I never learned who was behind the assassination attempts or why they went straight for me.
>Whatever I built in the previous world will likely fall to pieces.
>I had few allies, few resources, and skidded by on luck.
>And I lost.
>Before, I just adapted to whatever came my way. Built on the idea I could just regroup later or leave things to chance.
>Solve what was in front of me and then look out for myself.
>But if someone is after me from the get go...that must mean there's a lot more going on.
>Things I can't see.
>My inability to defeat the enemy and handle the problem led to the death and chaos that will follow.
>Because of me.
>...no...no, that's wrong! I prevented Euphie's massacre! I stopped Charles' plan dead in its tracks!
>Even if it wasn't perfect, I wasn't helpless. I still gave my enemy a bloody nose and left room for others to succeed in my place.
>...maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better.
>Even so, this changes everything. Someone is out for my blood and they might be waiting in the wings.
>Speak of the devil. The most cliche henchmen I've seen for a while start surrounding me.
>Oh look, a new toy. Let's see what it does...!
>...WELL THEN.
>I dispatch them handily in a hail of fire and the swinging of a sword.
>Taking a look from the outside, looks like a cross between a knight and my original mechs. Slimmed down a bit, neater, and...
>Why is ‘Mad Cat’ written on the helmet?
>God damn it. TIMBER WOLF SOUNDED COOLER, YOU KNOW!
>Ugh.
>Guess I'll go back to the wandering do-gooder thing while dispatching this new band of assholes.
>I can't help but notice the amount of sappy relationship troubles people keep having
>The town full of frogs was only the start of it and it starts driving me crazy
>No I'm not lonely you're lonely
>I've just been traveling alone long enough and been away from home so long I'm pretty sure if time is parallel then everyone I knew is dead or have forgotten about me, and I'm cast adrift an endless roller coaster of karma with only my experiences, my memories, and my Pokemon.
>So it's perfectly normal I'd be a little annoyed by sappy fairy tale romances.
>Yup.
>I'm perfectly sane.

10. Seven
Origin: Adventurer
Age: 21
Race: Human
Location: Beim
Perks:
Growing Skillfully
Sticky Fingers
Unwritten Rules
Champion [700]
Future Full of Potential [400]
One At A Time [300]
Retirement Plans [200]
Adaptability of Mortals [0]

Items:
Basic Gear

Art: Wisdom of the World [+300ap]
Convert 300 to 300ap [0] [600ap]
Type: Support
Scope: Individual [700ap]
Purview: Information, Secondary Effect - Aid (Intelligence) [500ap]
Power: Greater [300ap]
Duration: Beyond The Grave [200ap]
Cost: Free
Stages: Upgrade [100ap]
Conditions: None [0ap]

This Art is born from the Jumper's desire to not only obtain victory from difficult situations, but to be self-sufficient in collecting information he wouldn't otherwise have. The passive effect of this Art is a considerable boost to intelligence and foresight, that it would turn an average student into a world-renowned genius with ease. When prompted, which can be done at will, the user perceives up to ten minutes of future actions taken by those within range of his physical (and if available, supernatural) senses with the Art passively feeding him as much information as possible.

During this moment, the user is presented with several options or choices geared towards seizing victory, showing the most efficient first of all. However, this Art tends to favor brutal pragmatism and sometimes doesn't take into account the Jumper's moral restrictions, so the user often sees manipulative or brutal solutions first before narrowing it down to something he finds more acceptable. This creates a slight mental tax on using said Art. As it grows, solutions will see further into the future and take into account the Jumper's preferences more...though, there may yet be situations without a favorable outcome, were it dire enough.

Companions:

Woman-At-Arms
Name: Aelia of Daven
Perks: Retirement Plans, Adaptability of Mortals, Sticky Fingers

White Chocolate
Name: Maya Stenner
Perks: Unwritten Rules, Good as Nature, Civilian Officer

Drawbacks:
Hated - Monsters [100]
Wanted [300]

I remember the fire. I remember the screams. I remember my home disappearing into the smoke and agony of those caught within the inferno. The ones who escaped were cut down. My small body was hidden underneath the bodies of what had once been my friends. That's when a man in heavy armor cut down my family right in front of me, having to stifle my own screams and whimpers with my mouth. I remember his laugh. His cruel, mad laughter as he almost cheered at the spectacle of everything I knew and loved dying. Next to him was the banner of a blue fish surrounded by a sun.

I have thought of nothing but that day for the last seven years. The memory burns in me the same way as that fire. Because as I walked among the ashes of the life I once knew, there was only one certainty in my mind.

I was going to kill that man.

I became an adventurer through a stubborn refusal to bow my head and accept what had happened. I did whatever I had to survive. To learn how to fight, to kill, to survive. I willed myself to stay alive out of nothing but pure, burning hatred. But something else I learned was, well...revenge doesn't pay the bills. I had to take odd jobs. More than a few distasteful ones once my reputation as an adventurer got around. I never stuck to any party or group for long since arguments over how to split pay and loot usually got bloody. I had a few people I considered reliable, but I didn't have anyone I considered a friend. Why would I? Everyone is out for themselves, especially in Beim.

One day, I got a contract for guarding an anonymous client. Usually those tend to be cutthroats or merchants on the run from the law with the occasional disgraced noble. Playing bodyguard for a few months wouldn't be so bad since the client normally paid for things like lodging and food. Of course, that's where the trouble started. Turns out the person who I signed up to protect had hired another adventurer without telling me first. They assured me they could pay the both of us without trouble, but it's annoying I have to share workspace with another mercenary. I preferred working alone.

The mercenary in question was a giant of a man - seven feet tall, muscled, looked like he hadn't learned combs or haircuts were invented with that wild bit of barbarian hair he had. He wore this white mask that hid his face from sight and some armor I could best describe as ‘patchwork’. He called himself ‘Mad Cat’. Weird guy, but when we met he just tried making small talk about being an adventurer. At least he's not fighting over the bulk of the contract money or trying to weasel me out of something. So far. Whatever. I just need to put up with him for a few months and then I never have to see him again.

>I've become exceedingly effective in the art of murderhobo
>And what do you know, the economy runs on that shit out here!
>There's some Game of Thrones-esque bullshit going on and adventurers are part of the wealthy parts of that pipeline.
>Signing up for the Guild requires my name, though.
>I'm a little bit paranoid after the last two worlds so I decide to give myself a dumb moniker to go by.
>Might as well flatter whatever force is following me around and go by ‘Mad Cat.’
>I even got a mask to hide my face so I don't get hunted down again.
>First few adventuring jobs don't go super well. What was supposed to be milk runs got interrupted by surprisingly organized monster attacks
>Almost all of which were focused on me
>So I pick up a reputation as a jinx and fewer people give me jobs.
>I start living off bread and water
>Which makes the problem worse.
>There's a nutrient paste in my warehouse but it's super disgusting
>I suppose I could just live in my Villa but I'm not keen on just vegetating for an entire decade
>Too restless and too many nightmares
>My morale dips to below acceptable before I get a surprisingly lucrative contract offer
>Too good to pass up even if it's a trap. At least if I get betrayed I can sell whatever my client or their assassins had to get by.
>Red-headed princess qt greets me.
>She's a disturbingly friendly lady who pays me up front and promises more if I just bodyguard her for a bit
>How could I say no?
>Looks like she hired another, though. Dark-haired lady with a scary glare behind her. Looks like she's seen some shit.
>Not the worst teammate I've had, honestly.
>She prefers fighting with her bare hands from the looks of it
>Should probably improve my hand to hand.
>Maybe I can learn from her?

The client was an ex-noble who had gone incognito after her family had been wiped out by their rivals. That wasn't the unusual part, the unusual part is that the girl had this annoyingly chipper attitude towards everything. I mean EVERYTHING. Waking up, breakfast, picking out her schedule, lunch, absolutely anything she did had a pep and cheer behind it that was kind of unsettling.

>General summary because I got tired of being stuck on this:
>MC, Aelia (merc) and Maya travel through the country while Maya insists on helping anyone who needs it
>Mad Cat and Aelia end up bonding over their shared experiences in war and combat, sparring becoming a habit for them.
>Maya becomes a moral center for the two, the trio becoming fond of each other
>Then a powerful assassin attacks and nearly wins until Mad Cat takes out his mech and crushes them underfoot
>They're alive but crippled, and then interrogated
>Turns out the person who is trying to kill Maya is the same person who ruined Aelia's life, this Luca Blight motherfucker named Stratos
>This becomes personal fast and MC is mostly along for the ride, just happy to have people to talk to again
>Ends up sharing bits and pieces of his situation with the others after some drinking.
>Maya lost her title and status after Stratos took it all
>Aelia, see above
>MC is stuck reincarnating constantly without end
>The three become a take on the Three Musketeers after a bit
>Stratos is confronted
>MC steps aside after the battle and lets Aelia tear him to pieces
>The day is saved
>The three are supposed to go their separate ways as the contract expires
>They don't
>Aelia and Maya are flabbergasted by the comfy Imperial Villa they can now live in.