Chapitre 48: Capacity
Alongside Hedgehog Pies, monsters known as Wererats and Gorgers also appeared in the Sector 6 Slums. As their name implied, the former was a bipedal rat with short limbs, stubby bodies, and vicious teeth. They had a penchant for traveling in packs, but unless you were caught off guard and overwhelmed, they didn't pose much of a threat.
Representing a marginally greater threat, Gorgers were large insectoid monsters with multiple yellow eyes and fleshy mouths reminiscent of a lamprey. Their capabilities weren't much greater than a Wererat, but they had a penchant for ambushing people from above, clinging to them with their powerful claws and leaving vicious, circular wounds that were known to fester if not treated quickly.
Shooting a Gorger as it attempted to drop down on Aerith, Andrew asked, "How the hell are you able to pass through here normally...?"
"I usually travel slower to avoid being ambushed," replied Aerith. "But, since you're here, I figured we could pick up the pace a bit. You're pretty strong, Andrew."
'Well, she's not wrong...' mused Andrew, having checked his status when Aerith lent him her Materia. His stats fluctuated from world to world, and in Final Fantasy 7, his stats were as such:
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Andrew Ashford Alexandros
AP: 0/32
Speed: 292
Strength: 375
Magic: 345
Spirit: 465
Attack: 528
Defense: 295
Evasion: 280
M. Defense: 308
M. Evasion: 242
[Equipment]
WeaponR: Maelstrom Longbarrel Revolver
WeaponL: <empty>
Head: None
Body: Ivalician Sky Pirate's Jacket
Hands: Ivalician Sky Pirate's Plunder
Legs: Gambler's Trousers
Feet: Gambler's Boots
Shield: <empty>
AccessoryEar: Lone Wolf Earrings
AccessoryNeck: Diamond Pendant
AccessoryRight: <empty>
AccessoryLeft: <empty>
AccessoryBelt: Sky Pirate's Bandolier
[Abilities]
Active: [Auto-Haste(9)], [Auto-Float(6)], [Accuracy+(2)], [Chemist(4)], [Alert(4)], [Ability Up(3)], [Millionaire(5)]
Inactive: [Auto-Reflect(15)], [Reflectx2(17)], [Auto-Regen(10)], [Long Reach(16)], [MP Attack(5)], [Bird Killer(2)], [Stone Killer(4)], [Bug Killer(2)], [Undead Killer(2)], [Beast Killer(2)], [Dragon Killer(3)], [Devil Killer(2)], [Man Eater(2)], [Body Temp(4)], [Insomniac(5)], [Protect Girls(4)], [Jelly(4)], [Distract(5)], [Add Status(3)],
[Accuracy+]
Effect: Increases accuracy and allows the user to target immaterial creatures.
[Chemist]
Effect: Doubles the efficacy of Potions and other curative items.
[Alert]
Effect: Strengthens senses to allow the user to avoid ambushes and surprise attacks.
[Ability Up]
Effect: Doubles the amount of Ability Points earned from slaying certain foes.
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Though he didn't know how his stats compared to the truly powerful of Final Fantasy 7, Andrew had at least one point of reference in Aerith. The two of them were currently in the same Party, so he could see her status and Equipment in full detail, giving him some idea of how he compared to others.
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Aerith Gainsborough
AP: -/-
Strength: 32
Dexterity: 23
Vitality: 32
Magic: 44
Spirit: 41
Luck: 20
Speed: 25
Attack: 108
M.Attack: 193
Defense: 44
M.Defense: 87
[Equipment]
WeaponR: Guard Stick[o-o], [o=s]
WeaponL: Guard Stick[o-o], [o=s]
Head: Pink Ribbon
Body: Pastel Pink Maxi Dress
Hands: <empty>
Legs: <empty>
Feet: Tamara Berch Black Leather Boots
Accessory: Mythril Armlet[o=o]
[Materia]
[Prayer Materia Lv 1(192/300)], [Ice Materia Lv 1(192/300)], [Refocus Materia(MAX)]
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'Her Magic and Magic Attack are pretty high...' noted Andrew, watching with intrigue as Aerith swung her staff, firing tiny, fast-moving projectiles of ice-elemental energy that tracked her targets, bursting on contact and sometimes freezing them outright.
Noticing Andrew staring at her, a smile developed across Aerith's face as she teased, "Don't get any ideas. I might look dainty and delicate, but I'll bonk you on the head if you try and gets handsy."
Though he knew Aerith was just teasing him, Andrew decided to be a little shameless by raising and waggling the tip of his tail, asking, "What if I use my tail...?"
"Well, it's not a hand..." muttered Aerith, seeming to seriously consider the matter as she placed the tip of her index finger against her chin. Moments later, however, she adopted a mischievous smile, narrowing her eyes as she said, "Maybe once we get to know each other better. Right now, our top priority should be stopping Avalanche. Come on; the station is just up ahead."
Following Aerith, Andrew eventually reached a section of the Slums that wasn't covered in rust. Not long after that, they followed a concrete wall past a few storage containers and fairly new-looking warehouses, turning a corner to find a fairly rundown train terminal. Forklifts, metal beams, and other construction materials littered the area, but no one seemed to be working. The platform itself was also fairly ghostly, with a total of seven people present, one of which was the person responsible for issuing and checking tickets. There were more in a kind of open-air shopping district on the far side of the platform, a clearing populated by food cars/trucks, but not many.
"Oh, I was wondering what all that racket was. It's you," said a twenty-something woman with short black hair, garbed in a rather tattered grey dress as she approached Andrew and Aerith.
"Umm...hello?" responded Aerith, clearly not recognizing the woman but donning a polite smile.
"On your way back from the church, are we?" asked the woman, directing her gaze to Andrew as she appended, "And who might this be? I've never seen such...intricate clothing..."
Though she eyed Andrew's clothes, the woman's gaze invariably focused on his tail as he made no effort to conceal it. He had tried in the past, but it was uncomfortable, and his tail would tear through whatever he tried to bind it with when he was startled or in combat.
"The name's Supreme Overlord, Master of the Sixteen Realms, but you can just call me Supreme Master," said Andrew, recognizing the woman didn't have good intentions.
Raising her brows, the as of yet to introduce herself woman turned to Aerith and muttered, "Your friend here seems to be...disturbed. Do you need me to call someone...?"
"No, I'm fine," replied Aerith, her smile beginning to cramp as she grabbed Andrew's hand and pulled him away. Instead of dragging him toward the terminal or Ticketmaster, however, she hurriedly pulled him toward a back alley.
"Worried that the Turks might show up...?" asked Andrew, hitting the nail on the head.
"Yeah..." replied Aerith, smiling awkwardly and scratching her cheek as she said, "They probably won't be too happy to hear I'm running around with a strange man. We should probably stick to the backstreets for the time being. That is, assuming you aren't scared of a few monsters."
"Lead the way," said Andrew, prompting Aerith to chuckle before turning to do precisely that. What followed was a four-hour trip through a bunch of abandoned construction sites. Fortunately, unlike in the game, where the player had to solve various puzzles and was impeded by fences they should have been able to jump over, Andrew just carried Aerith past most of the obstacles, surprising her quite a bit with his apparent ability to fly...
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With the sun quickly setting, Andrew and Aerith arrived at an abandoned playground known as Evergreen Park, just outside the massive steel gate separating Sectors 6 and 7.
"It's shut..." noted Andrew, raising his gaze to the top of the 20m tall gate, fairly confident he could clear it even without using Auto-Float.
"That must mean it's after 7 PM. The gates shut down at night to prevent people and monsters from traveling between Sectors and trying to evade the security scans," explained Aerith. "Speaking of which, it's a good thing we didn't attempt to board the train. Since you're from a different world, I doubt you have a proper identification card. Shinra's security forces would have been awaiting us at our destination."
"Well, I'm pretty resourceful when I need to be," said Andrew, pointing up and smiling as he asked, "You ready? We're going over."
"Resourceful, indeed," mused Aerith, covering her mouth, narrowing her eyes, and giggling. Then, without any discernible hesitation, she jumped sideways toward Andrew, forcing him to catch her in a bridal carry as she said, "Let's fly~!" while pointing skyward.
Nodding in affirmation, Andrew put a bit of strength in his legs, kicking off against the ground with enough force to leave cracks in the ground as he leaped more than 20m over the dividing wall before floating gracefully to the ground on the opposite side, an area dominated by makeshift, shanty-style shacks and buildings. It was also a lot more populous than Sector 6, at least compared to the areas Andrew had explored.
Climbing down from Andrew's arms, Aerith took a moment to smooth out the creases of her dress before staring up at him and asking, "So, where to now?"
"There should be a place called Seventh Heaven located somewhere in this district," replied Andrew, his gaze passing over the forms of several homeless people sleeping nearby, some high on drugs while others were passed out from overconsumption of alcohol. Fortunately, at least one kid was present, a young boy with matted brown hair staring at them with an open mouth and wide eyes. After all, they had just dropped out of the sky.
"Hey, kid, want to make a quick buck?" asked Andrew, pulling out a tiny bar of pure silver that should sell/pawn for a pretty penny.
Seeing the plate of shiny metal in Andrew's hand, the 6-7-year-old kid came out of his hiding place, wearing a cautious expression as he asked, "What do you want...?"
"Just directions," replied Andrew, handing over the bar of silver as he asked, "Can you tell us where the bar, Seventh Heaven, is located...?"
Nodding in affirmation, the presumed orphan replied, "It's this way..." before running off, his bare feet making a pitter-patter sound against the predominately stone, dust-covered ground.
Following the barefoot youth, a wry smile adorned Andrew's face as they didn't even travel more than 200m down a single street before reaching the clearing with Seventh Heaven, a western-style bar/restaurant located atop a wooden platform/stage, separating and distinguishing it among the other buildings in the area.
Having completed his task, the orphaned boy tried to run off, but Andrew appeared in front of him, hands raised disarmingly as he said, "Hold up. I want to give you something else before you go..."
Since it made him uncomfortable seeing such a young child running around in rags and barefoot, Andrew gave the youth a decently high-quality topcoat designed for Lalafells but just the right size for a small, malnourished kid. He would have liked to give him some shoes as well, but Lalafellan feet were quite tiny, so all he could do was give the kid a pair of leather compression socks, advising him to buy some shoes with the money he earned from pawning the silver bar...
Seeing Andrew send off the orphaned youth with a slight frown, Aerith leaned in front of him, gazing at him with her hands behind her back as she said, "You can't help everyone, and you shouldn't feel guilty about it. Just doing what you can is more than enough..."
Without waiting for Andrew to respond, Aerith did a pirouette-like spin, skipping into the clearing and pumping her fists as she chimed, "Now, let's get a move on! Our destination is practically within arms reach~!"
Regaining his smile, Andrew followed close behind Aerith, stepping into the predominately wooden bar/tavern to find a small dining area with a bar, two party-sized tables, three circular tables, three pinball machines, a large jukebox, and a dart board. There were also neon signs and a worn-out menu with scribbled-on prices, but it was clear at a glance the place wasn't doing too well. The boards creaked beneath his feet, and the fans overhead didn't appear to work, causing the interior to feel uncomfortably warm. It was also empty, sans a woman with raven-black hair, seemingly sleeping as she had her head on the counter.
Reacting to the creaking sounds, the raven-haired woman raised her head to reveal a weary but exceptionally attractive face. She was also notably busty, her lean and toned physique garbed in a sleeveless white top that exposed her abdomen, a black sports bra, black suspenders, and, though Andrew couldn't see them, she also had on a fairly skimpy black miniskirt, black leggings that extended halfway up her muscular thighs, red leather boots, a red gauntlet covering much of her left arm, and studded leather gloves on both hands, the right of which bore two Materia.
"Can I help you...?" asked the woman, staring between Andrew and Aerith with her striking red eyes and a slight frown. The restaurant was closed between 5-10 PM so that she could clean and rest up before opening the bar, so she was a little annoyed that someone had barged in despite the sign on the door clearly saying they were closed...
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone