Chapter 9 (Patreon)

A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter. Let me know how you feel about it.

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Another week had gone by, and my strat is working wonders!

Can’t forget the faces those three made when I was able to finish 5 reps of 30 push-ups within 20 minutes without my arms feeling like jello. I smile to myself. Now that’s what I call fucking progress. But to make it even more official.

Name: Jack Alano

Title: Unlucky Sunovabitch

Race: Faunus (Tiger [Retractable Claws])

SP = 0

STR: 14

VIT: 31

END: 33

AGI: 11

DEX: 10

INT: 10

WIS: 5

Yeah, look at those stat gains. It kind of sucks that the damn System won’t show how many points I got from my training, but visually, my stats skyrocketed.

Sure, it looks slow-going, but this was a System where stat points are only available through quests, and they give me tiny amounts of them for each quest complete. So another week of training with my enhanced endurance and stamina was very beneficial.

Unlike last week. I didn’t even notice if my stats changed because of my struggle. But I sure as hell do now.

Looking at my gut, my pot belly was visibly reducing for each day that passes during my training with the Xiao-Long/Rose family. Poking it with a finger, I felt the telltale signs of abs beginning to form.

Hopefully, not too much abs. I would actually be fine without them, in fact. I want a strong gut, something that can take a punch without letting me puke out my damn lunch and breakfast combined.

I’d rather get a dad bod. Who cared if I have a big belly, that belly you’re touching is 90% muscle, 10% fat. Have fun when the belly made of steel comes bashing you in the face.

You’d probably get knocked on your ass before dying of embarrassment. There’s a reason why healthy fat guys (read: strongmen) in media sometimes steamroll the MC.

Okay, maybe I’m coping for a bit about that, but in real world standards, a muscled strongman will 10 times out of 10, beat a guy who works-out, but for aesthetic purposes.

Then again, this is a fucking fantasy world… Sorry, sci-fi fantasy world, so maybe real-world standards don’t apply here. Probably a part of it applies, otherwise, how could a tiny girl heft a giant scythe that weighed a crap ton like it was made out of fucking foam.

Like, Jesus, girl. Aura is bullshit. And even then, if their aura is depleted, they can still heft their weapons like nothing.

Did their bodies adapt to their strict training regimen faster due to aura? Or does aura passively enhance a person’s physical body even when depleted?

Better ask a professional for this shit. I’m not the Einstein of aura bullshit. Hell, I don’t think the scholars/researchers actually know much about aura, other than it was the manifestation of a person’s soul and uniquely reflects to every individual.

Its why semblances are different from one another. Kind of like quirks in the MHA verse… Huh, now that’s a thought. If I actually save Remnant from the big bad Queen of Grimm and the true evil that was Cinder, could I actually head there?

Maybe then I can knock some sense into their hero-minded bullshit. Don’t get me wrong, the anime was great, but their ideals… For a pragmatic guy such as myself, it pains me deep into my soul.

Like, seriously. The bad guy literally destroyed a fucking city and probably killed millions, and you still want to save him so he can turn over a new leaf? What about those whose family was affected? Their friends?

Was it all just water under the bridge? Just go, “Oops, my bad. I’ll make it up to you.”

Hell nah. I am a full believer karmic justice. You murder a person, better be ready to get murdered back. Simple as fuck. None of that, “I stole shit from your house, and you tried to kill me, so I’ll sue you and win the case.”

Classic government at its finest. It’s just… idiotic…

Anyway, went onto an unrelated tangent, but something to think on when I become a big player in any political field in the future. Because… Well… World chain bullshit cuz ROB wants me to entertain him.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED, ROB!?

No response… I’ll get him next time.

“Dude, how in the brother’s name did you get… results this quick?” Yang grunted as she lifted a barbell above her head with nary a sweat. Her lilac eyes bore into mine as her golden hair flowed behind her back.

“I dunno… Maybe cuz I has le big boi gut?” I quipped, enjoying the look of jealousy on her face.

“I swear, if I had that… Maybe I could…” Yang trailed off and grunted, the barbell landing softly on the floor with a quiet thud. “Get these guns faster when I started.”

She then raised both of her arms and flexed, her biceps looking like metal as a thin sheen of sweat glistened around it.

“Damn, muscle mommy, stomp on me please.” I joked and Yang blushed slightly, before howling in laughter.

“Have you no shame, big guy?” Yang was still guffawing as she plopped her ass back on the bench. “You’ve been on the Dustnet too much.”

“That’s what happens when you give the faceless masses too much power.” I shrugged and got back on all fours, my posture straight as I lowered myself near to the ground, before pushing myself up. “A bunch of shitposts and memes. And weirdos… A lot of weirdos…”

“Tell me about it.” Yang sighed as she got ready for her bench pressing. “Hey Rubes, spot for me please?”

And like a storm, the red-themed reaper came, blurring like a damn typhoon of red petals.

“Jeez, Yang. I was still doing my laps.” Ruby pouted as she untied the roped snagged along her waist, the tires numbering 7 plopping to the ground as the tension went loose.

“Eh, big guy over here is still busy with his, and you’ve been running for almost an hour.” Yang placed both of her hands on the handle and Ruby quickly moved to spot the blond. “Take a chill pill, sis.”

Ruby murmured some things that I didn’t hear, but I was sure it was mostly harmless. She literally had a damn swear jar and if I so much as cuss out, I had to pay up.

I’ve already lost about 50 liens to the damn jar. I don’t plan on increasing it any further.

“So, Jack. How go’s the conditioning?” Ruby’s voice brought me out of my mindless exercise, my muscled already starting to burn just 10 push-ups in.

“Pretty… Well…” I grunted let out a word after each push-up. “Won’t be… long before… I get… ripped.”

“I’m still jealous you got this far in just two weeks.” Ruby also pouted at my increased rate gains. Thank you, System, for being busted. I retract all of my complaints I said when I first got you. “It took me two months before I was ready for combat training. At this rate, you’ll be sparring with dad in the next week.”

“That’s… good.” I grit my teeth as I reached my 48th push-up. At this point, my arms were burning and were screaming to be released from their torment. “Just… two… more…”

The patio was filled by grunts coming from both me and Yang. Sweat pooled underneath my topless body, and the moment I reached 50, my arms gave out and my face got closely acquainted with the sweat-stained mat. At this point, I might as well say that my face was already close friends with the mat.

That’s how many times my face kept on smashing against the mat every time I work out.

“Congrats on the new record, big guy.” Yang grinned as she placed the heavy barbell back on its holders, assisted by Ruby, of course. “No sweat, right?”

“Ugh. Your puns are horrible, and you should be ashamed.” I groaned, my face still kissing the mat. Make them lovers instead of close friends.

Behind her, I also heard Ruby groan. It seems that both she and I have no love for the punsmaster that was Yang Xiao Long.

“You just can’t accept that I have a better sense of humor than both of you.” Yang shrugged as she got up, my eyes only being able to glimpse at her feet as she shuffled about. Looking up, I saw Yang grab a towel and wipe her sweat down.

“You done training for the day?” I pushed myself up, arms still trembling from the abuse they suffered.

“Yeah, need to save my energy for that combat class exam in Signal.” Yang furiously scrubbed the sweat off her body, giving me a show that I was sure the blonde was fully aware of.

Bloody minx.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” Ruby sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

Minx is wiped from my data banks. Now all I need to see is innocent Ruby Rose. Must protecc.

“So, you two are gonna, what? Fight against each other? Oomph…” I tried to stand, by my legs gave out, pushing me back onto the floor like a sack of potatoes. I guess my legs still felt the squats from earlier.

“Nah, sounds more like a regular cleaning session.” Yang placed a hand on her chin as she smiled wickedly. “Finally, time to put some more Grimm into the dirt.”

“Hah, can’t wait to see one of them beowulves run aground against you.” I chuckled, before I placed a hand over my mouth. Looking at the two sisters, Yang was beaming while Ruby looked at me in horror.

“So, you can make puns!” Yang celebrated while Ruby moaned in anguish. Internally, I did too. You know what? Fuck it. Might as well own up to it.

“Yep, I can. They’re also much better than yours.” And I hate every fiber of my being for saying that aloud, not that I could do it. There’re more elaborate ways of suicide, and death by Yang punches is not the way to go.

“Oho? You dare fight against the punmaster, soil boy?” Yang grinned and Ruby gasped.

“Dude, dirty blow.” I grimaced as she made me remember that day. Goddamned soiled my fucking shorts cuz of that stunt she pulled. “But bring it on. I’ll dig deep and unearth comedy gold right under your nose!”

“Stop it, you two! I can’t take it anymore!” Ruby shrieked as she tried to get between me and Yang. Too bad, words weren’t physical. We can still hear each other.

“Eh, can’t stop now. Can’t soil the competition when it just started.” I smirked, and a look towards the blond brawler showed another. Meanwhile, Ruby was covering her ears and hoping for the pain to stop.

“Enough of the dirt jokes!” Ruby cried, but Yang placed an arm around the red-themed reaper.

“Aw, cheer up, sis. Dirty jokes are fun!” That was the last straw as Ruby shrieked and zoomed out of the patio.

We both stared at each other silently for a moment, before bursting into laughter. Our laughs continued for a few seconds, before it died down and got buried six feet under.

Shit, even my mind is doing puns now. Stop it.

“Truce?” I held my hand out to Yang, who seemed to be thinking of something, before she shrugged and grasped it with her own.

“Truce. At least, until Ruby’s back. Then the war is back on.” Yang’s mischievous smile was enough for me to agree with her.

“Sure.” We both separated and Yang went back inside the house, leaving my exhausted body on the mat in the patio.

“Oh, by the way. Dad said lunch’s ready.” Yang’s voice echoed out from the doors, and I gave the brawler a thumbs up.

Well, big guy. I guess you ain’t deflating for an even longer while. Taiyang makes a mean steak, and that isn’t even his specialty.