Hours passed, and at some point, I found myself with Ruby and her group. What did I do beforehand? Well, after separating from Hifumi, I sat down at Starbucks and bought the rest of the modules for the quest.
I spent all of my money. Yes, all of it. Which, to be honest, shouldn't be surprising since I gave some to Ruby, and then there was just other stuff I spent it on. So, yeah, I'm what they call broke, at least for now.
Anyway, the four other modules I bought were:
1. Relationship Insights Module: Provides detailed insights into relationships, heightened sensitivity to the emotions of individuals at Tier 4 or above, and strategies for improvement. I.e, be it choices or just helping with giving me hints on certain moves.
2. Skill Fusion Module: Enables the fusion of skills at Tier 4 or Tier 5 to create advanced, more encompassing/optimized abilities. For example, I could combine two skills and get a new skill which expands on the old two skills but with more benefits.
3. Planning Module: Assists with planning and keeping track of tasks or schedules, ensuring timely completion and optimized productivity. This was basically how it sounded but it gave the System a calendar function.
4. Weather Module: Offers real-time and predictive weather insights, suggests optimal clothing for specific conditions, and can predict sudden weather changes up to two hours in advance.
'The Weather Module and Skill Fusion Module were definitely worth it. Pfft~! At this rate, my system was turning into a highly advanced, top-secret AI built exclusively for me!'
I was watching ruby and that frill girl (the objective pretty girl) discuss something while Aqua just stared at me with Kana next to him. Ignoring them, I felt pain at a detail that wasn't explained to me about the system update.
First, the update wouldn't be complete until 12 a.m., meaning I'd be stuck without access to most of the system's features for the rest of the day. Second, I could only check and level up my skills which was at least something good. Thirdly and the worst was that I wasn't sure if quest, mainly the main quest, could still be completed or not!
"Hah~" I sighed looking at the system timer.
'So many potential opportunities I could be missing! I need to make some money!'
I didn't like being at 0$ and I'm sure nobody did.
"Amane!" Ruby shouted excitedly which unsurprisingly garnered my attention.
We were at one of the most iconic spots in all of anime, the kind of place you'd struggle to name but instantly recognize. A gentle river flowed in front of me as I sat on the steps leading down to its edge. On either side stretched perfectly trimmed grass, while a small bridge arched gracefully above, connecting the roads. The setting sun completed the picturesque scene, casting a warm glow that brought a relaxed smile to my face.
I got up off the steps and walked closer to Ruby and Frill. The moment I approached a reasonable distance, Ruby started explaining their whole idea.
"Alright! So, my idea was to copy this trend right here."
She showed me a TikTok of a few idol creators dancing to popular songs while transitioning to different locations. I didn't quite understand the appeal, but for some reason, it was hugely popular. There was one glaring issue I could already see that might hurt its performance, but I'd have to see them actually record it before jumping to conclusions.
"Okay, and this is what Frill wanted to add."
'N-No way.' I watched the next TikTok and was taken aback.
'Drones, high-class (movie-tier) editing, 4K resolution, and even underwater cameras? All for a TikTok?! What the hell!' My mouth formed an "O" as I realized where my money had gone.
"I can see where my money went..." I muttered, feeling conflicted, but what's done is done.
Ruby and Frill both flushed slightly. I'm sure they felt a bit awkward, but I had given them the funds to do whatever they wanted, as long as it was for a good purpose and not just to pocket it. That much should have been obvious.
"I promise it was used correctly!" Ruby blurted out, seemingly worried that I wasn't happy. I waved her off.
"It's fine. I gave you the money. But question."
"Yeah?"
"Is this the last part you're filming, or is this just part one?" The videos I had watched included different scenes from mountains, waterfalls, and so on.
"Yeah, this is the last part! Frill, Kana, and I already went to the other places."
I glanced over at Aqua, raising an eyebrow. Ruby caught on quickly, reading the skepticism in my eyes.
"Aqua helped in other areas, don't worry. He's not as useless as he looks!"
"Pfft!" I quickly covered my mouth to suppress my laughter. I tried to play it off as a cough, but Ruby's timing was perfect.
"We should get started, Ruby," Frill interrupted, cutting through the playful mood and shifting everyone into focus mode.
I watched as Ruby and Kana transformed in an instant, their playful selves replaced by serious professionals. Even Frill had become a different beast entirely.
Ruby and Kana began their dance sequence, moving perfectly in sync as they twirled and flowed seamlessly together. However…
'Ruby's energy is just too bright compared to Kana's!'
Some might call me crazy for thinking that, but it was the truth. Ruby poured her all into the performance, and it showed. Her whole demeanor screamed passion, as if she lived for this. Kana, on the other hand, felt like she was trying to copy Ruby rather than channel her own style, and it threw off the balance.
'You know it's bad when even I can tell this stuff.' I kept watching, but this was definitely an issue that needed to be addressed at some point. I glanced over at Frill, and her expression mirrored mine. It was clear she felt the same way I did!