Daily Life of A Caretaker

Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.

Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.

The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.

"Speech"

Arc 5: Break - Chapter 4

"Whoever dares steal my library card, I'll make sure that person never sees the light of day for the rest of their life." Weiss vowed in a heavy tone, her glare fixed on the ceiling as if addressing some unseen culprit. "I'll bury them deep underground, alive, making them unable to move. And if their mind breaks, I'll find a way to restore it—just so they can continue experiencing the torment of being trapped, powerless, and hopeless." Her chilling declaration echoed with finality as she triumphantly clutched her freshly gained library card.

"I think I'll follow up on that, Weiss." Octavia said, her voice calm but carrying an edge of approval for Weiss' merciless plan.

"Same here." Ruby chimed in, her tone more lighthearted but no less supportive of the pact forming among them.

"And I'm here to protect you girls." I added, my voice steady as I acknowledged my role in the group.

"Now, I guess it's time for us to… study…" Weiss muttered, her voice tinged with hesitation as her eyes scanned the countless bookshelves surrounding her. The pained expression on her face spoke volumes as if the very thought of diving into the endless sea of knowledge weighed heavily on her soul.

"Hey, at least these books might give us more ideas on how to use our abilities better than we are now." Ruby said in an attempt to lift Weiss' spirits. She wrapped her left arm around Weiss in a comforting side hug, gesturing at the vast collection of tomes with her other hand. "Who knows how many generations have passed since someone first started recording the knowledge and experiences of their time for us to learn from? It's like having the wisdom of countless lifetimes right here!"

As Weiss groaned softly in response, Octavia turned to the Action Genre's Librarian. "Do you know where the demonic magic section is?"

"Just summon your library card and wait a minute or two." The Action Genre's Librarian explained, its tone calm and matter-of-fact. "You'll get your answer—along with solutions to any future questions you might have."

Octavia nodded and followed the instructions, summoning her library card. Ruby and Weiss, intrigued, quickly followed her example. I, however, remained where I was, quietly observing. I had already done that earlier and didn't see a need to search for any books at the moment—not when my shadow already housed an endless collection of glowing books. Each day, I could sense more and more of them appearing, a seemingly infinite reservoir of knowledge waiting to be explored. The idea of finishing even a fraction of them felt almost laughable.

Instead, I chose to bring up the River of Time, letting its shimmering flow reveal glimpses of the timestream. I focused on the paths the girls were about to take, scanning for potential issues or disruptions. To my relief, there were none. The books they were searching for appeared to be conveniently located near one another, ensuring no one would be left waiting long for their turn. Satisfied, I let the timestream recede, content that this brief venture into the library would proceed smoothly.

After the girls found what they needed, we made sure to thank the Action Genre's Librarian for its guidance and help in obtaining our library cards. With books in hand, we wandered through the towering shelves of the library, eventually finding a cozy table with enough chairs for all of us. The quiet rustle of pages filled the space as the girls settled down, diving into their respective books.

I took a moment to glance down at my shadow, contemplating which glowing book to draw out next. I'd recently acquired the River of Time. I figured this was a good opportunity to explore further. After all, what else was I going to do while the girls were engrossed in their studies? It was also a perfect time to get more accustomed to the River of Time, now that my Nen, which used to keep me constantly aware of my surroundings, was no longer an option.

Still, I wasn't without alternatives. I could rely on Blood Reign to sense blood flow from those nearby, using it as a proximity radar. Or perhaps Invasion, so I can skim surface thoughts to map out mental activity in my vicinity, would suffice. Either ability could act as a support role with the River of Time, adding another layer to my awareness.

With so many cheats at my disposal, the challenge wasn't deciding if I'd use them but how to use them in a specific way to create a seamless detection network. For now, I decided to follow my instincts and let my curiosity guide me to the next glowing book, eager to see what cheat it would unlock.

Now, let's see.

I reached into my shadow to retrieve a random glowing book. The book emerged as my fingers brushed against its spine, pulsing faintly with an otherworldly golden light. Without hesitation, I flipped it open and began reading.

Moments later, I found myself nodding in acknowledgment, only to pause as the full weight of the new cheat sank in.

Food Science. This is the name of my new cheat.

With Food Science, I had mastered the science of food and cooking to an extraordinary degree. The possibilities were staggering. I could create dishes with properties that bordered on magic, like vegetables transformed into sweet, moist cakes or meals that never spoiled, no matter how long they were left untouched. I could craft snacks that imbued people with temporary energy boosts or even unusual powers—akin to the Devil Fruits from One Piece.

But it didn't stop there. I could manipulate a dish's flavor, texture, or nutritional value at a molecular level. A bland, uninspiring meal could become a gourmet masterpiece, while a simple fruit might become something thrilling, like fizzy, carbonated candy. The cheat even allowed me to invent entirely new foods—things like glowing desserts that lit up a room, bread that bounced like jelly, or noodles packed with enough energy to sustain someone for days.

This wasn't just cooking; it was reshaping reality through culinary innovation.

As I reflected on this newfound cheat, I couldn't help but notice a peculiar reaction. My cheat, Housekeeping Mastery, seemed almost jubilant, radiating a sense of pure joy as it eagerly welcomed Food Science. It felt as though these two cheats were old friends reunited, ready to work in perfect harmony to revolutionize the world.

Well, okay then. It looks like I'll need to prepare to gain an identity tied to cooking within the Eldritch pantheon soon, crazy voices. Talk about being nudged further into a supportive role within their ranks, but I guess that's the nature of their chaotic whispers telling me why I'm The Caretaker and The Home of the Eldritch pantheon.

Then again, I shouldn't be too surprised. Out of all the glowing books I could've chosen to read from that pile, I had to pick Food Science. Of all things, Food Science! Maybe I should use the River of Time next time to peek ahead and see what kind of cheat I might get next. But that would spoil the fun, wouldn't it? Half the excitement comes from discovering these strange twists as they happen.

Absorbing the knowledge from Food Science took longer than I expected, but it was worth it. During that time, the girls finished their first books and got up to browse for their next selections. To be on the safe side, I made sure to check frequently with the River of Time to ensure nothing catastrophic occurred in the interim. Once everything felt stable, we returned to the table, ready to dive back into our respective readings.

I glanced out the nearest window, noting that it was still daytime. This observation stirred a thought: the high school's time settings were either oddly extended or downright untrackable. It left me pondering whether I should commission a watch crafted in this world to keep track of time. Relying solely on my perception wouldn't cut it, and the idea of delving into the River of Time just to pinpoint the hour felt like overkill. Practical tools might save me the trouble.

Setting that aside, I returned to reading, determined to fully absorb everything Food Science before turning my attention elsewhere. Beyond that, my primary focus remained on watching over the girls, ensuring their safety in this peculiar environment.

"Hey, Jin. I'm hungry." Weiss announced, breaking my train of thought. She placed her book down with a slight pout, clearly done with her study session.

Of course, Weiss couldn't endure reading much longer. I couldn't help but wonder how her canon counterpart might react to seeing this version of herself. The contrast was almost amusing. Still, I was proud of her. Despite her impatience, she'd managed to finish an entire book and start a second one before finally stopping. That, at least, was progress.

I snapped my fingers, creating a small gap in space that allowed me to summon a box of freshly made cheesy nachos for Weiss to snack on. The aroma of melted cheese and seasoned chips wafted out, immediately catching her attention.

"Snack on this for the time being." I said, placing the box in front of her. "Once everyone finishes, we can head to the cafeteria for a proper meal."

Weiss huffed in mild annoyance but picked up a nacho and started eating anyway. Her expression softened with the first bite, the satisfaction of cheesy goodness doing its job to alleviate her mood.

Thankfully, the library within the Action Genre section didn't have any strict rules against eating. Quite the opposite, actually. One of its posted guidelines even encouraged visitors to bring snacks or packed meals, just in case they planned on pulling an all-nighter for studying. Apparently, this place operated under the assumption that both survival and convenience were part of any good students or staff to continue studying at the library.

"I don't mind us going back to the cafeteria to eat." Octavia said, lowering her book enough to meet our eyes. "We can always return to the library afterward. Although we're not allowed to check out books, we can request to have them placed on hold. That way, we can pick up where we left off within a reasonable timeframe."

"I'm not sure how much time has passed." Ruby chimed in, setting her book down as she looked around at us. "But I'm up for something to eat. Plus, do you think our classmates have finally cleared out of Featherine's classroom and made it to the cafeteria? Unless they decided to head somewhere else instead."

"Your guess is as good as mine." Weiss said with a shrug, though her attention remained on the nachos. She continued munching without a care, and before long, the others reached over, helping themselves to the snack as well.

"Alright." I said, standing up as I gauged the mood of the group. I was only a few pages away from finishing the glowing book anyway. "Let's take the books over to the Action Genre's Librarian and have it held for us before we head out."

"Great." Weiss finishing the last nacho chip. With a snap of my fingers, I created a small gap below it, watching as the empty nacho box vanished into a random dimension's dumpster, discarded without a second thought. "I'm thinking about having sushi."

"Oh! I've never had sushi before." Ruby said, her head tilting curiously. "Did you eat it before, Weiss?"

"Nope, which is why I'm going to get some now." Weiss grinned, clearly excited at the prospect of trying something new.

"Hm. Sushi..." Octavia muttered, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

Looks like everyone was on board with the idea. Sushi it was.