Daily Life with Three Systems: Chapter 50 (Patreon)

Well. Since I'm done with that for a while, I can start looking into other things! Like those strange crystals from the How to train your Dragon world.

But first... 

Achievement Unlocked:   

Recreate a 'Lost' Celestial Spirit Key: 
Well, this is ACTUALLY impressive. You revived a Black celestial spirit. Frankly, at this point the only person who will likely EVER be able to do such a feat is you. The sheer magnitude of this feat makes it so that realistically you could ask for pretty much anything (Within reason, of course.) Allow me to give you some examples. 

Example 1: Trawler's Soul. One of the five souls required for the 'Soul of Dimensions' (Similar to that of the Worldshaper Soul that you had already recieved) a step beyond the immature 'Essences' that make up your eventual Soul of the Universe 

Example 2: An Elder Dragon from Monster Hunter gift-wrapped, unconscious, and dropped on your doorstep for you to takeover. 

Example 3: A second (Weak) sacred gear. 

Example 4: A colony of Symbiotic Life Fibers (instead of parasitic) as a second Familiar and to study for your cloth magics (And to make incredibly powerful enchanted clothes) 

I stare at this screen for a long moment. 

"When you say 'weak' sacred gear... what's the limit exactly?" 

*Ping* 

Standard Twice Critical. 

I mean, a twice critical is really strong when you think about it. 

A flat double to strength, speed, durability, and magical power whenever you want. Merely by having it you gain access to a balance breaker which likely pushes that to a times four or beyond. Probably a times sixteen at most. Plus, I could probably evolve it by feeding it items. A dragon slayer lacrima perhaps? 

But life fibers! I remember those from Kill La Kill. A parasitic alien lifeform that goes planet to planet, evolving creatures and giving them the compulsion to cover their bodies, eventually they absorb all the life on the planet to use it to detonate a massive cocoon, shooting life fibers out through the vastness of space. 

The Trawler's Soul? If I got something akin to that I'd apparently have two out of five pieces of the 'Soul of Dimensions'. Something to add to my already ridiculous soon to be 'Soul of the Universe' 

What does 'Trawler' even mean? 

Uhhh. 

I open my chat group. 

Andrew: "Alright question to those who have the internet and can easily search up words. What does 'Trawler' mean?" 

The chat is relatively quiet right now, Ruby and Le Fay conversing about a comic or something? 

Little Bastard Thief Goddess: " Trawler: a commercial fishing vessel or boat that catches fish by towing a large, cone-shaped net (called a trawl) through the water behind it." 

Andrew: "Thanks." 

Le Fay: "Uhhh why do you need to know this?" 

Andrew: "Uh, that random god that offers me shit had a power up called the 'Trawler's Soul' that's similar to my 'Soul of the Universe'." 

Le Fay: "Soul of the fucking WHAT?!" 

Andrew: "Uh, just think of it like a passive upgrade to my abilities, like, uh, video game classes, it's made up of a bunch of things, Berserker, Mage, Thief, Sharpshooter, Summoner, Bard, and Cleric. Just think of it like 'Soul of the Mage gives +50% more magic, and +15% more magical damage. Then do that for the rest and combine them into one." 

Andrew: Be aware that I was only given ESSENCES of those 'Souls'. None of them have actually evolved into 'Mage's Soul' or the like, let alone the soul of the Universe. Trawler's Soul is apparently 1/5 part of something called the 'Soul of Dimensions'. Still kind of struggling to wrap my head around why 'Soul of the fishing boat' would be held in the same regards as 'You are basically an incredible blacksmith and the magic you primarily focus in now has an almost zero upkeep cost', but I digress. Anyways TTYL!" 

Finally an elder dragon? Huh. I don't know much about Monster Hunter, just that Valstrax is fucking badass. 

The rest of the monsters kind of elude me. 

Elder dragon... 

Huh. 

"Would it be possible to get one of the Elder Dragons from Guild Wars?" 

No. 

Ah. Well, that makes a little sense, then. 

The guild wars elder dragons wake up every ten thousand years or so, consume all magic on the planet, then go back to sleep. Each one commanding vast armies and are sort of like a... font of magic itself. 

If you kill one, its magical power disperses to the others. 

Also I'm pretty sure that in general their powers are stronger than even Acnologia. I mean, Zhaitan was a 'Death' dragon with a massive undead army, that'd probably step on the toes of a certain Ankh bitch. 

Regardless, his element isn't even 'Earth' or 'Water' yet merely from him waking up, he rose an entire civilization- that he had presumably annihilated- from the bottom of the ocean and promptly sent five hundred foot waves to batter all of the coastlines. 

I remember the main campaign being all about killing him, though I never actually did it. I always got bored around level fifty or so. 

It was a good MMO though. No subscription required to play, just one purchase. 

Then it became free to play, right? 

Meh.  

This guy gave me a blank check... it'd be pretty thoughtless to waste it all willy-nilly. 

I'll think about it for a bit. 

[Split] 

I stand on a large cliff face, overlooking a titanic waterwall, Virgo at my side. 

She had dragged me out here, saying that the celestial spirit king wished to speak with me at once. 

My eyes flick to the sky as I feel a sudden pang of wrongness. 

A pulse of monstrously powerful magic that almost causes the world to tilt. 

The waterfall abruptly starts flowing in reverse, soaring into the sky and collapsing inwards like a black hole as formed. The stars spiral, leaving streaks in the sky, streaks of color filling out the darkness, almost like the planet itself suddenly decided to gain rings like Saturn. 

Then suddenly... 

He is there. 

A figure in gold, green, and white armor looming there in the night sky, a cape that looks like twinkling stars wrapped around his shoulder. 

A large horned helmet rests on his head as two red eyes seem to gaze down at me. 

He has a truly massive mustache. 

"Mage Andrew Graves..." He rumbles, the air seems to vibrate with every word. "You have done the impossible." 

"I had long since accepted the loss of my people from humanity's ancient weapons. Their keys and the power sapped from the very stars themselves... trapped in an endless sleep they were set to never awaken from..." 

Flash 

Flash 

Flash 

Flash 

There are numerous flashes of lights as celestial spirits appear. Virgo quickly steps over to join them. 

Lyra, Vulpecula, Crux, Rosa, Bootes... every key in my possession appears. Even the oppressive might of Eridanus looms nearby; her energy restrained as she stands alone. 

Then keys I do not own begin to appear. 

Some I recall. 

Taurus the golden bull, Cancer the Crab, Aquarus. 

All of the zodiac have appeared. 

All under their own power. 

A massive serpentine beast looms over the cliff, a green haired nurse stands at the edge alongside a tanned woman wrapped in chains, the bee-woman form of Cassiopia, a short stubby man in white armor with a crown atop his helmeted head, and finally the group is joined by Cerberus who is gazing at me with a feral grin. 

"And yet..." The king continues. "I was incorrect... you, a mortal mage, have brought one of my people back from the brink. Saved a spirit from a fate even worse than death for our kind. You. Andrew Graves. Mage of Fairy Tail have accomplished something that not even I would have been able to manage without great sacrifice... and yet you have given me the answer... and proven that it is possible." 

"You are forevermore a friend to Celestial Spirit-Kind, Mage Andrew Graves. I, Sol, The King of all Celestial Spirits decree that no spirit shall ever raise their hand to you, for you have recovered one of our lost brethren." 

"Furthermore, for the ancient knowledge you have granted I, knowledge on how to recover the spirits which have been lost, You are given a boon." 

There's a surge of magic deep in my core, causing my eyes to widen slightly. 

My clothes are replaced with a fancy suit. 

"I give you access to an ability. The peak of celestial spirit magic. Star Attire. In which you draw upon the power of your bonds with your contracted spirits to use their very own abilities as your own." 

With a small flex of magic, a stone lifts from the earth, I gently place it back with a small nod. "Thank you, King of Celestial spirits. This gift is one I will take great pride in!" 

"There is one final matter..." The king rumbles. 

"There are forty Copper ranked constellations. Twenty Four Silver. Twelve Gold. Twelve Black. And Twelve Platinum. Of these one hundred constellations, twelve had been completely snuffed out. Today, that number is eleven. A feat that will be hailed for millennium to come. But... among those eleven remaining keys... six remain beyond my ability." 

"With your gift of knowledge I shall be able to reignite the sparks of the Copper and Silver celestial spirits that have been lost... however, the six black keys whom have gone dark are far beyond my power to act in this realm. I beg you, Champion of spirits. Please do not let Cerberus be your last." 

"I would never." I declare instantly. "I will return the six black keys to the stars. No reward required. I'll do it for Virgo." 

There is a flash of fire in front of me, I glance down as a suffocating surge of power flares briefly. 

A boy stands there, he has red hair, flickering, crackling, wings of flaming feathers appear on his back as his golden eyes study me for a moment. 

"A reward may not be required..." The spirit king declares. "However. One shall be granted all the same." 

"You are worthy... of my contract." The teen in front of me declares. 

I stagger a sharp gasp leaving my lips as I nearly topple over, it feels like someone grasps my heart with their hand and begins squeezing it. 

The red haired teen reaches out, white flames flashing in his hand as he presses his palm to my chest. 

The pain lessens instantly. 

"Hm." He mutely hums. He seems quite emotionally muted. "You should definitely wait a few years before you attempt another contract of this scale. A third wouldn't kill you, but it wouldn't be pleasant... aside from Draco the Dragon. That'd probably kill you." 

As the pain becomes a dull ache he turns and makes his way over to where Eridanus is standing. 

"For your service to Celestial spirit kind, Andrew Graves, The Platinum Celestial Spirit, Phoenix has deemed you worthy. Even among the platinum spirits, he alone has the most potent healing capabilities. His purifying flames can burn away wounds as if they were mere paper stuck to your body. Curses and hostile foreign magics as well." 

"Curses?" Instantly perk up, eyes widening. "The guild master of fairy tail has the Curse of Contradiction! She gained it after casting a spell taught to her by the dark wizard Zeref roughly a century ago to save her friend. Will he be able to do anything to it?" 

The king's face grows grave his voice letting out a low rumble. "Such a curse... I am sorry. I believe that ridding that woman of her curse is just barely out of Phoenix' reach. Even at his full might" 

"I see..." I lowly whisper. 

"However... if there was a method to weaken said curse... then he might be capable of removing it, even still he may be able to temporarily suppress it." 

"I see..." I sigh.  

"However, on the topic of that vile curse... Phoenix has one final ability. One which I pray that he shall never need. The ability to revive one person at the cost of his own life... without angering the god you speak of." 

"At the cost of his own life?" I echo, eyes wide. 

"The fact that was your first observation proves I was correct in supplying this information to you." The massive king admits slowly. "Yes. Phoenix has the ability to trade his life for another. However, he is a celestial spirit, and the mighty phoenix at that! He will eventually revive. He will even be the same incarnation. It will just take far beyond a typical mortal lifespan... five thousand years." 

"I hope I'll never need that." I sigh. 

"Yes. I as well." 

Water begins to flow back down the water fall as some of the celestial spirits begin to wink out of existance. 

"Thank you, Andrew Graves. You shall be remembered among the spirits for all of time." 

And with that, a crashing wave of water flows downwards, splashing down to the base of the cliff as the Celestial Spirit King disappears. 

The spirits disperse, only a few remain, Virgo, Cerberus, Cassiopia, Eridanus, and the newest spirit I've gained, Phoenix. 

"Hm. Eridanus was asleep for so long. She was unaware that humanity created such monstrous devices that could hurt a spirit as powerful as the black keys in such a way. You truly have done something impressive, Master!" 

"Thank you, Eridanus, It was something I was going to do anyways. Frankly I don't really... care for all this fanfare. A small part of me feels nice, but for the most part... eh... I don't really do well as the center of attention." I scratch the back of my head, a slightly bashful expression on my face. 

"Heh, you deserve this much, I mean, you revived ME! The best celestial spirit!" 

"Pfft-" Cassiopia snorts into her hand. "Sure. Whatever you say, mutt." 

"Oi Oi! Can YOU remain in the human world to guard things FOREVER?!" The biker dog growls out, voice sounding similar to his namesake. 

"Pardon?" I blink twice. 

"Hah? Oh! Yeah. My magic's a bit weaker than a 'standard' black key. I can use fire, Ice, and lightning, but it's not really 'Powerful' like some black keys. My black key's main feature is that my summoner can order me to 'guard' some place, where I remain, not losing even a single drop of magical power they give me unless I'm in a fight or something like that. Hell, one of my contractors could tell me to guard something, die off, then I'd still guard that place till I ran out of magic." He puffs out his chest a sharp grin on his lips. "Then the person to find and beat me becomes my next contractor!" 

Cassiopia just rolls her eyes and gives me a small curtsy bow, then returns to the celestial spirit world. 

Should I be referring to Cerberus as 'They'? As in they're literally three dudes in one body?  

"You being able to sustain yourself here without any pain is honestly really impressive." I murmur as he puffs up more at my praise, he tries to look nonchalant but his tail is wagging rapidly. 

He seems to notice and abruptly disappears seemingly out of sheer embarrassment. 

"I think you look fetching in that suit, Master!" Virgo smiles brightly I glance down to the 'Star Attire' I am still wearing, I can tell it's slightly draining me, but that's just it. Barely noticeable. I'd probably adapt to it and start recovering more magic than I lose before my magical container is even half empty.

"What does this even do anyways?" I flex slightly. "I feel a bit stronger and... I know diver magic now?" 

"Correct! You gain our capabilities plus you gain improved strength!" Virgo hums. 

"Like takeover?" 

She opens her mouth to reply only to pause. "Huh..." 

She tilts her head and seems to think on it for a moment. "You know... I'm not sure. I'll be sure to ask the Celestial Spirit King's opinion on that when I get back to the celestial spirit world." 

"Could I takeover and THEN use Star Attire?" 

"I'm not sure." She hums. "That's interesting! That'd give you a big power boost, wouldn't it? I'll DEFINITELY ask the king that when I return... oh, and this ability isn't called 'Star Attire'. It's gendered. For a woman, it's 'Star Dress', for you? 'Star Suit'." 

"I see." I turn my attention to the two Platinum spirits. "So, do you two need anything?" 

"Eridanus wishes for you to find her descendant." The water woman declares. 

"Right. Right. Since I've finished up with Cerberus I'll get on that." I Nod slowly. 

"And what about you Phoenix? Are you sure you're fine being my spirit?" 

"It's fine." They note, their orange eyes looking deep into me. "I am... displeased that you are a creature of darkness, yet... your heart does not appear evil. Which is... odd... you appear to hold more kindness than most men." 

"Yeah." I scratch the back of my head. "I kind of jumped at the offer to become a devil for the perks. Mainly the lifespan. Ten thousand years. Considering I was human, I decided that I'd much rather become a devil and live one hundred times longer, then worry about changing my race again in the future if it ever becomes inconvenient." 

I can see Eridanus' eyebrows raise slightly. "That is quite a lifespan. Longer than most dragons. Of course, Eridanus sincerely doubts many if any dragons have died of old age. Even moreso these days. She is still figuring out what has changed through the rest of the spirits in the Celestial Spirit world. A majority of the Platinum have gone into hibernation. Phoenix here reformed quite recently, about a thousand years ago, so he was still awake when you let out that burst of magic to revive Cerberus." 

"Hn." Phoenix agrees. 

"If..." The red haired celestial spirit begins quietly a moment later. "If you are fulfilling requests... I do have one..." 

"What is it?" I ask. 

"I know if may be selfish of me to ask, and I am aware that you said you will be doing so anyways, but... could you please revive my sister first?" 

"Your sister?" 

"Yes. Polophylax the Arctic Sentinel. One of the six remaining faded Black Keys." 

I give the spirit a nod. "You have my word, Phoenix. I will focus on Polophylax next." 

[Split] 

Rain patters down around me, my energy making a perfect bubble that keeps my body dry as I travel through the streets. 

A blue haired woman follows closely behind, a thoughtful frown on her lips as she gazes up at the dark clouds blotting out the sky. She doesn't bother protecting herself. Any water that strikes her is merely added to her mass. 

"Yes. This is the power of Eridanus' descendant." She observes quietly. 

Magic permeates through the air, it's honestly quite suffocating. 

It feels similar to Gildarts.

In the way that he unintentionally affects the world around him with his magic, that is. The dispersal of his magical energy into the land around him. This one is far weaker, but it's... similar. like comparing a forest fire to a campfire. Both are fire, just one has a much greater weight and consequence to it. 

It may even be due to their choices in magic. Gildarts crushes things. Juvia is merely a water woman. Water is soothing. Gentle. Taking the path of least resistance. 

But it is also dreary in a way, I suppose.  

Meh, I love rain. Always have, always will. Especially thunder. Perfect napping weather. 

I suppose the only problem with fulfilling Eridanus' request and having Juvia in Magnolia is being sleepy all the time. 

The water woman perks up, seeing a sole blue haired girl sat on a swing set, her clothes drenched in water as she stares into the dirt. 

"Untrained..." The spirit notes. "Her emotions are affecting the weather when she doesn't intend..." 

She falls silent, quickly walking forwards. 

"Are you okay, child?" She eventually asks causing Juvia to glance up.

"Drip Drip Drop-" The small girl flinches, seeing what to her might be a mirror of herself but older. 

"M-Mother?!" 

"No child..." The spirit sighs. "Eridanus is not your mother... but, you can call her your grandmother!" 

"G-Grandmother?!" She gasps. "But- But- really?" 

Eridanus waves her hand, beams of sunlight piercing through a large hole she seemingly carved in the clouds. "Now, tell your grandmother what has gotten you so sad." 

"T-The rain... it's always raining." The girl sobs. "People say Juvia is dreary! That she just brings nothing but rain! They don't want to be near her!" 

"Poor little Juvia." The woman whispers. "You're being quite silly, you know, being followed by the rain can be nice. You water the flowers, you wash away dirt, and in the winter you leave behind dazzling little snowflakes in your wake!" 

"But- But-" 

"Child, Eridanus knows that the rain makes you sad, but... your emotions are causing the rain." 

"What?" The small girl flinches back. 

"You are powerful, Little Juvia. Your emotions alter the weather unintentionally. Haven't you ever been angry and heard thunder? Or had water boil around you?" 

I can see the small girl's eyes widen slightly as the spirit continues. "This rain is merely a lack of control... now, take a deep breath, close your eyes." 

The small girl seems to do so. 

"Deep inside of you, you have a big water ball, rivers are flowing off of it, can you see it?" 

"Um... it's... it's really big!" The girl that looks like a clone of the woman admits. 

"Now, you need to find the smallest river you can see, barely more than a stream, then slowly try to curve it back inwards." She takes the girl's hand with a gentle smile, Juvia's eyes scrunch together slightly. "This is a method of control that Eridanus herself uses to rein in her magical power from affecting the weather." 

From what I've heard from a few of the townsfolk around here, supposedly Juvia's an orphan... her mother died a few years back. That's probably where her magic first awakened... and this little village first began to get drenched in a near endless storm. 

They also think she's cursed. 

Cursed with talent, perhaps. 

After Eridanus talks to her a bit more we're going to track down the orphanage and she's going to adopt the girl. 

Now, how does a celestial spirit who can only come to this realm under my power adopt a child? 

I'm... not entirely sure. 

She can remain under her own magic for a time, but I assume she steadily grows weaker and weaker. 

At least there won't be any people wondering WHY Eridanus is adopting the girl... judging by their mirrored appearance. 

A simple 'I'm her grandmother' should more or less silence any and all objections with just three words. 

Of course, getting the spirit to not speak in third person is like pulling teeth. 

"J-JUVIA DID IT!" Juvia gasps. 

"Yes!" Eridanus smiles brightly. "Eridanus felt it!" 

How does verbal ticks like that pass down through hundreds of generations?! 

Maybe it's more akin to Dxd spirit inheritance? That wasn't necessarily explained either. 

Regardless, Eridanus has no money, so it appears I'll be needed to pay for Juvia's new home, food, and all that. 

Meh. It's no big deal. I'll grab a quick S-class job and just hand the payment over to Eridanus to deal with. A good S-Class will likely be worth more than a year's rent for almost any apartment in Magnolia, plus, I imagine Juvia here will join fairy tail and become self sufficient very quickly. 

I hope that she finds someone her age to love and doesn't inevitably develop a crush on me. I already have to deal with Mirajane and Erza's big brother and father complexes respectively. I don't need to add a third girl to the mix. 

I also really need to finally decide on what I want from the Rob as a reward for fixing a celestial spirit key. 

I can do that when I get home, I suppose.