Reborn in a Dating Sim: Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Chapter One

“Copper! Stop Daydreaming and get back to work!”

The shout caused the young boy to blink. He slowly looked around and realized that he was standing in a field. His eyes took in the area around himself. It was something he’d seen a hundred times, and yet it felt new to him. The field, the growing corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables were a reminder of his agricultural roots. He reached down and felt the large ripe tomato that was he picking.

It felt firm, and yet soft, in his hand as he plucked it from its plant and placed it among the others. Something about the way it looked was both comforting and unsettling. It was almost as if it didn’t really look right. There was a moment he questioned if it was something with him, but he couldn’t place it. He shrugged, finishing up the basket he had with him, lifted it, and began to carry the exceptionally heavy basket back toward the storehouse.

Their family would be selling off a portion, and then the rest of it would be used to ensure they had plenty to get through the winter. He carried it into the storehouse and began taking the tomatoes out of the basket and placing them into the magical stasis chamber. Once inside they would be slightly chilled, and remain fresh for months. He looked them over once more, and then closed the stasis chamber. Still, something wasn’t setting right with him. He moved and saw his dad working outside. He moved toward him, and then noticed his sister. Again there were something slightly odd.

Their skin had always been a little different. Different color tones, and he’d always known that, but it stood as a stark reminder that there was something off. He shook his head and moved toward his dad. He watched as his father finished bundling the corn bushels together, and saw him lift them. He was a coppery tone skinned person, just like himself. Everything about him screamed that he was a hard worker.

“Son, what was going on?” he asked as he moved past him, “We’ve got to get this finished. The last thing we need is to be late on our shipment.”

“Sorry Dad,” he replied as he helped his father with his load, “I just felt a strange sense earlier.”

His father stopped, “Strange sense?” he asked before he shook his head, “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s fine,” he replied as he continued toward the storehouse, “Comeon, we’ve got a lot of work to do today.”

He helped, and throughout the day he kept feeling that same nagging feeling. It wasn’t until he went inside for the evening and moved toward their bookshelf that he felt something more. A sort of realization of what could be happening. He grabbed a map, opened it, and saw that it was laid out showing dozens of floating islands. His eyes widened in wonder, but then he felt something else. It was almost as if a new thought, one that he’d never dreamed of thinking before, suddenly rang through.

“This is that stupid dating sim!” he mentally screamed, “Damn it! I’m in that stupid Dating Sim! How in the hell did this happen? Why am I here?!”

He studied the map, and then he grabbed a couple of other books off of the bookshelf. The realization hit him hard of what it was. It was multiple books over basic magic. Mostly it was books that went over the application of magic toward farming, but it was books over magic. He groaned as he sat there, “I’m in the damned dating sim. How the hell did this happen?!”

He spent the rest of the night going over every book of magic that they had. He studied as much as he could, trying to desperately learn what he could from them. The minutes turned to hours, the hours turned to the first night, then the next, and the next. A week passed, and then another. He found himself devoted toward the prospect of learning everything he could. As the weeks passed he began to develop into a young man.

Ten years had passed since he last remembered his life before coming to this unbalanced, dumpster fire of a game, world. During that time his body had gained what he’d jokingly called in his former life a farmer’s frame. He had lean muscle from working all day in the field, and his mind was sharp from his studies at night. There wasn’t an over abundance of offensive magic for him to study, but he’d managed to study enough that he was confident that he could get by.

“It’s funny,” he thought as he stood watching the fields, “When I first realized that I was reborn here I wanted to push my life in the direction of becoming wealthy. I wanted power, and I wanted to prove that I could exist here without anything or anyone else eventually. Now, I’m happy to live a simple life.”

“Copper,” his father’s voice called, “Come, you’re needed in the main house.”

He sighed a defeated sigh as he walked toward his father. Going to the main house meant dealing with Delicate Emerald. She was exhausting to say the least. Her constant nagging was the sort of thing that would make a person get tired of dealing with her. He’d been in her presence twice. The first time was because she wanted to know why the tomato harvest was taking so long.

Despite being told that the equipment they were dealing with was archaic she believed that the reason was them, “No, it’s because you’re all lazy good for nothings!” she had shouted at them, “I swear, your entire blood line is worthless! Ugh, what was I thinking of marrying a worthless man like you, and your sons are no better.”

It had been all he could stand to keep his mouth shut. Every interaction afterward was just as bad. So walking into the building he was prepared for another tongue lashing.

“Boy,” she said, before snapping her fingers at him, “Rejoyce, I found you a wife. Prepare to be married and shipped off.”

He stood there stunned. For a moment it seemed like this was a dream, and he hoped that it was. Maybe it was a horrible dream that he was having. Several of his nightmares were about Delicate Emerald. The woman was vicious, mean spirited, and often stated that the only thing worthwhile out of his father had been his eldest sister. He breathed out, “A what?”

She laughed, “You’re so dim-witted,” she replied, “Surely you’ll be something of eye candy for her,” she said as she slid a piece of paper forward, “Her name is Jewel, Jewel Oasis. She’s a lower level baroness, and she has agreed to marry you.”

He took a look at the paper and saw the photo. Jewel Oasis was at least fifty years old, and under the paper there was a collection of names, all of them male, and all of them marked as deceased. Then he realized that all of them had died within two months of being married to her. His eyes widened, “Uh, no,” he replied as he looked at her, “What about the Crystal Academy? What about going and learning about magic and finding a wife there?”

She laughed, “Like I would spend the money for that on you!” she exclaimed, as she laughed. He looked at her greenish complexion, her golden hair bouncing as she laughed, and he hated her a little more as he looked at her, “I’m sending you sister, Tarnished Tiara. She deserves to go, and it’s a good chance for her to find a suitable husband. You should be thankful that I’ve gone this far to find a wife for you!”

He stared daggers at her, “So, it’s a question of money, is it?” he asked, catching her off guard, “Then I’ll pay for it myself.”

Her laughter stopped, “And praytell, how will you do that?” she asked, her voice directed completely at him, “What plan do you possibly have in order to pay for your education? You’re so dim-witted that I doubt that you can find any real way of making money.”

He wanted to slap the smug look off of her face. She was exactly the kind of person that showed herself to be a vicious and unrelenting dumpster fire. Instead he stared at her, “Then you have no problem allowing me the chance to make my fortune. If I fail then I’ll likely die, and either way I’m out of your hair, right?” he asked as he studied her, “I mean it’s a win, win isn’t it?”

She studied him, rubbed her chin, and then she nodded, “Fine,” she replied, “I give you permission, but not anything else. However you go about finding your fortune is up to you. Although, if you do not, and survive, then instead of marriage you will join the military and go to the front lines. At least you would be useful to the Queendom in some way.”

He walked out, and looked back at Delicate Emerald. The woman was despicable at best, and completely corrupt and conniving at worst. There was little doubt in his mind that she was the kind of person that absolutely would ensure that he was sent to his death. What his father had ever seen in her he would never know. She was someone that seemed to be the absolute worst traits of an individual possible. He breathed in, and continued walking toward the hangers. The family airship was something that was moderately impressive. It wasn’t over the top, but it was in good repair, and in decent shape.

There was absolutely no way he would be able to borrow it. Instead what rested beside it was his father’s private airship. It was something his father used from time to time to do some sky carp hunting. The sky carp were mystical fish that seemed to be made of a sort of crystal. They shattered when struck just right, and depending on the size of one there could be a core that fell from them.

The cores themselves were worth a little over two royal gold coins. Not much, but certainly better than nothing. The problem was that hunting enough sky carp to fund his way into the school would take months. Plus the sky carp themselves could be dangerous. He could remember from the game that alone they weren’t much of a threat, but if they were in a school then they were as dangerous as any major boss.

A small private airship wouldn’t stand a chance against a school of sky carp. They would rip it to shreds, and then do the same to him. Sure, a good solid bullet from the magi-gun his father used would get one, maybe two, but there would likely be fifteen to twenty of them. Hunting them was out, but lucky enough he knew a different place. He’d still need the private airship, but he was certain that his dad would loan it to him.

“Dad,” he said as he looked at the small airship and heard his dad approach, “Can I ask a huge favor? Something really big? If so then I promise that I will repay you back more than I’ve asked for.”

There was a moment of silence, “Son,” his dad started, “You’ve never really asked for much from me. You’ve known what Delicate Emerald is like, and you’ve kept your expectations realistic. Besides today there’s never really been anything that you’ve done which would have upset anything. Honestly, you’ve surprised me by standing your ground. I know that Delicate is surprised as well.”

He breathed out, “So, sure, ask your favor.”

He smiled at his dad, “Do you mind if I take the small private airship? I’ve read some of the legends in the books in the house, and I think that there’s an unexplored dungeon. I’d like to check it out. If it’s good then I’ll go ahead and get my fortune there. I’ll do more than that. I’ll make it more than possible to send myself to school, and I’ll keep you in the black for a good long while.”

His dad nodded, “I’m proud of you son,” he said before walking over to a closet. He watched as his father didn’t grab the normal magi-gun he usually carried. Instead he grabbed what looked like a much older model, “This is your great-grandfather’s magi-gun. It can use normal ammunition as well, and that makes it special. Believe me when I say that it is far more powerful than the magi-gun I use. Take it, and may it serve you well.”

He looked at the magi-gun and he could see where it could be loaded manually. It didn’t just hook up to the aimer and drain their MP. That was one of the things he disliked about the magi-gun system in the game, and while there had been mention of guns that could either ammunition there hadn’t been one that he’d found in the game. Obviously it never made it into the game itself, but since it was owned by an NPC then it made sense.

He hadn’t really been able to explore this part of the game’s map. It was there, in sight, but it wasn’t something that could be explored even with the DLCs that his sister had purchased. Instead it had remained on the peripheral. Something he could see, just outside of the main map, but not really ever reach. Maybe it originally had been something that was intended, but just never was adopted to the game itself.

“I, thanks,” he said after a moment, and then he looked at his dad. Without hesitation he hugged him, feeling the older man return the hug with gusto, “This means a whole lot dad, really it does.”

The old man held him for a few more moments, “I know son,” he replied, his voice thick with emotion, “And I’m so proud of you. Sure, it’s going to be absolute Tartarus to live with Delicate for the next couple of months, but it was worth it. You showed her that you’re not afraid, and that you’re willing to make your own way. That’s important.”

His dad finally released him, and he nodded. Looking at the airship he knew what needed to be done in order to make way. He began going about the process of rigging the sails, getting the paddle system prepared, and finally he walked toward the cloud condenser. That was the one piece of fantasy garbage that he couldn’t really wrap his head around. Moving toward the blimp itself he hooked up the house, and flipped on the machine.

It whirled for a moment, and he heard the sound of the pumps working. He looked outside and watched some of the clouds that were low and floating under the floating island they were on disappeared. He knew that they were being sucked into the cloud condenser, and that was being fed into the blimp itself. In this fantasy world using the clouds to fly was common.

From the world he originally came from it made absolutely no sense. It flew in the very face of logic, and yet it worked. So, he let the condenser work its magic for the next hour as he finished the preparations he was making. Over the next couple of days he gathered some dried foods, some jerky, and of course he gathered the ammunition that he needed. His dad gave him what he needed, but he knew of a few stashes of ammunition that he had been told about on their island.

Getting some lightning rounds, a couple of traditional, and lastly some various types of grenades, both magical and normal, he placed them into the private airship. The last the he got was a knife he’d made for the trip. A switch blade that didn’t have a lock on it. If he pushed and held the button the knife would shoot out and stab something in front of him with great force.

“Well, as ready as I can be,” he said as he opened the hanger, climbed into the private airship, and then began to leave, “I’m off to get my fortune.”

The private airship moved far slower than he’d liked, but it only meant that he had more time to gain some experience. Another painfully obvious thing about this world was that experience was a very real thing. Killing monsters, clearing dungeons, these things gained someone a ton of experience points, and it allowed them to become more powerful. His dad killed sky carp, and it had given him a higher level.

If he was honest he was fairly certain that his dad could have possibly cleared a low level dungeon. It would have been well within his abilities to do so. The only reason he could see that he hadn’t attempted to was that Delicate Emerald had worn him down so much. Her constant bickering and talking down to him must had taken a lot of his will. He could see why his dad was so proud of him. He’d made a stand. Much like he had said there was going to be hell for him to pay, but it was worth it.

“Okay, so I need to farm some sky carp, and head toward the location of that dungeon. Sure, the protagonist normally would be the one finding this, but I’ve got to imagine that she hasn’t actually been there yet. If that’s the case then I can go and lay claim to it. If nothing else it will help me secure the kind of life that I want for myself.”

He looked ahead, and saw the open skies. Sure, finding sky carp in the game had been as easy as playing for a few moments, but now that he was up here alone he couldn’t help but wonder if it would be the same, or if there would be differences he hadn’t really thought about. Regardless, for good or bad he had something to do, and he was going to do it.