Chapter 20: The Rat’s Apprentice
Kai was walking through the corridors of the school before the first bell, making his way to Nezu's office for the itinerary on his first day of being the rat's personal student. As he was making his way up the massive towers of the U.A. main campus, he reflected on his stock of Quests.
Quests;
'Training the Symbol of Hope'
You've agreed to help Izuku Midoriya get a hand on his powers. Question is, how will you do that?
Help Izuku Limit OFA (1/1)
Help Izuku Master Full Cowling (0/1)
Help Izuku Master Shoot Style (0/1)
Help Izuku Use one of the wielders Quirks (0/1)
Have Izuku Inform you of OFA of his own volition (0/1)
Rewards for completion- Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix (Izuku Midoriya Exclusive), Devil Fruit Based on OFA, Extra Devil Fruit Capacity Voucher.
This was a pretty straightforward quest, but that final requirement was killer. To have Izuku Midoriya trust him enough he would spill the secret of his quirk to Kai was damn near impossible, and he had no idea on how to even get started. He'd been trying to slowly build trust between them by sending Izuku memes and talking about Quirks, but they didn't seem to be more than friends yet.
When Kai go the quest he was intrigued about what the last reward was so he called for Fenn to explain it, and it was a voucher that allows however uses it to wield another Devil Fruit, free of consequences. Kai was obviously shocked by this, and if it was true then it was the best reward he could get.
Others would say that the Pheonix Fruit is the most powerful pull, but it seems like only Izuku had the right to wield that power, which was unfortunate, but he could make do by eating the other fruit, which was going to replicate the effects of OFA in some capacity. After admiring the rewards for his first quest he looked at his other one.
'Becoming an Engineering Tycoon'
You're doing very well in this new world of yours, but you're neglecting your full potential. Make sure that people know you're more than just a fruit factory.
Replicate an invention from your past life (1/1)
Secure a deal for said invention (1/1)
Make money on your invention (1/1)
Make Nezu acknowledge your abilities (97%/100%)
Rewards for completion- Advantage Devil Fruit Spin, Canon Devil Fruit Spin, Extra Devil Fruit Capacity Voucher (Character Specific)
This one had a Capacity Voucher as well, but it was one that only Nezu could use. There was another advantage spin, which was good. The last time he got one of those the system gave him the choice between a Kangaroo Zoan and a Trout Zoan, and the choice was obvious. The world's most jacked mammal versus fish who couldn't even swim in saltwater? Obvious winner.
The last reward was a Canon Devil Fruit Spin, which meant it only included Devil Fruits shown in the anime, which Kai didn't know how to feel about. It was true that most fruits shown in the anime had higher potential and he'd already seen a bit of their development paths, but he wanted to be the one who developed the fruit from scratch.
Call it confidence, pride, or arrogance, but Kai wanted to be the one to discover the way with his own creations. If he's already seen all the development available for a Fruit then all he could do was push the wielder down the best path, not figure it out himself.
As Kai was rambling in his thoughts, he'd apparently already walked himself to Nezu's office. He took a second to recompose himself and discard all errant thoughts. He planned to finish the second quest today, and he couldn't lose any progress on the last objective.
Kai raised his hand, reached out to knock on the door, and his hand met the air. He looked down at the rodent that had opened it while he was trying to knock and saw a humorous glint in his new sensei's eyes.
"Hello Kai, I've been waiting for you. Come have some tea." Nezu said, already turning on his tiny shoes and making his way to the extensive collection of teas on the wall next to the tea set. "And do close the door after you."
"Of course sir." Kai said, closing the door and sitting it at the couch where he was yesterday. "What are we going to do today?"
"Simple, Kai." Nezu said, starting on brewing a tea blend from a small red bag. "We are going to go over your new, unique class load, introduce you to the staff, and I'm going to teach you some of my own knowledge and hone that genius of yours."
Kai cocked an eyebrow. "What new classes, sir? I was expecting to continue in 1-H."
"And you will be, rest assured. You'll still be taking the engineering classes and tests provided by Power Loader, but you proved on the written exam that you're far past the need for all of the general education classes, aside from quirk science."
Kai leaned back, tension bleeding out of his frame. "That's good, sir. I really have been enjoying the unique challenges provided by my support course classes." Kai then leaned forward, accepting the teacup Nezu offered him. "But if I'm only going to be in 1-H for two hours a day, then what am I going to be doing for the other six hours?"
Nezu then gave Kai a kind smile, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I think you can figure that out, Kai. You're smart enough to connect the dots."
Kai's mind raced, rapidly creating and dismissing theories until he settled on the only one that made sense. "I'm going to be doing the other courses too." He realized. "I'm going to go to the Business course's core classes and going to Heroics for quirk studies. The remainder of the day will be spent right here."
"And how, pray tell, did you reach that conclusion?" Nezu asked, a victorious smile on his face.
"It was the only real option." Kai said, settling back in his chair. "I need to learn how to do more than build if I'm your student, and there's no better way for me to learn than in-house. U.A. may be notorious for heroics, and the support course to a lesser extent, but it's still the best school in Japan. The reason I didn't think you'd teach everything yourself is because your time is limited."
Quest: 'Becoming an Engineering Tycoon' has updated.
Make Nezu acknowledge your abilities (98%/100%)
Well if Nezu's grin didn't settle it, then that notification definitely did.
"I'm so glad I accepted your proposal, Kai." Nezu had a genuine smile on his face, but there was a hint of condescension there, like he was looking at a kid, or a beloved pet. "You are so much more capable than I realized in our little interview. If I'd known you were this competent, I'd have accepted you as my apprentice right then."
"Thank you, sir, I appreciate the sentiment."
"No problem Kai, now if you've finished your tea, we're going to go introduce you to our staff."
"I'll be honest, sir," Kai said, setting his empty teacup down. "I'm curious about how UA's staff will react to your new 'apprentice.'"
Nezu chuckled, his eyes gleaming. "Oh, you'll fit right in, Kai. Or at least… you'll keep them on their toes."