The Aura Farmer In DXD (Aura Farming System)

(Special Credit to Honoured_Writer for the Beta Reading Labor!)

-Story Start-

Kuoh Academy.

A prestigious and well-renowned academy set in the urban yet remote city of Kuoh.

It is a peaceful town, with no conflicts or underground nonsense for the regular layman.

Originally, this academy was a private all-girls school, it had recently shifted to a co-ed boarding format thanks to renovations and new buildings being constructed on its rather vast campus.

The reason for such vastness was transparent; it held both a high school and college division respectively.

Moreover, due to going co-ed, many boys had expectedly enrolled in this school with both innocent and... not so innocent motives.

For one 1st Year Student of Kuoh High going by the name of Kobayashi Ren?

The motives are...

Complicated.

-------------------------------

The sky was a radiant, cloudless blue canvas.

The time was of spring, as the rays of the sun were but a mellow stroke of warmth rather than a harsh glare.

A gentle breeze complements the weather, indicating its near-perfect state.

Under these conditions, Kuoh Academy's Main Building was a pristine sight.

More so its off-limits rooftop, some might say.

...

There he stood.

A gallant figure, standing on the edge of the rooftop overlooking the either unaware or confused pedestrians below - his fellow students.

The mellow wind blew his half-zipped black blazer, a signature of Kuoh's Male Uniform.

Short brown hair, a lean yet solid physique, and stood at a rather tall 6'0 for a boy of pure Japanese descent.

With a calm, self-assured smirk, his brownish-honey-colored eyes looked over at the horizon.

A most profound gaze that promised to hold over a thousand secrets and unparalleled wisdom.

Looking nothing short of magnificent was...

None other than...

Kobayashi Ren.

-------------------------------

-Ren POV-

It's finally starting.

I've been preparing for this.

The door leading to the rooftop slammed open behind me, yet I stood unfazed by my surprise visitor.

Keeping my focus, I didn't turn my head nor look away from the beautiful horizon.

A slow, familiar, and exasperated tone was uttered, "This again... Kobayashi-san how many times do I have to tell you that the roof is off-limits?"

Hmm?

Her again... what makes this 'scene' so special then?

I shook my head, 'Nevertheless, this must be important.' I affirmed to myself.

Huffing, a thin and grave line formed on my face, "President Shitori, do you not sense it?"

The profound sense of her eyes twitching came to my mind, but I had yet to obtain the skill to see behind my back.

Unimpressed, she replied, "Sense what?"

...

"A storm is brewing within Kuoh... one that none of us are prepared for."

...

"It's perfectly sunny outside." She retorted matter-of-factly.

I snorted, turning my head to meet her glaring amethyst eyes; my brown-honey-colored irises undaunted by her chilling look.

"Indeed, but that is of the present moment. It is why I suggest appreciating such days, as I am doing now."

Arching an eyebrow and huffing a deep sigh, Shitori warned, "I have no patience for this again. If you don't want to be in trouble, I suggest making your leave. My hands are full with the three perverts as it is." Her tone was laced with a threatening edge.

"Hmph, be ignorant of my warnings if you wish, Shitori." I scoffed, turning around and walking towards her with a confident stride I had perfected over a lifetime of purposeful training.

As I walked past her figure, I felt a sharp almost dissecting look settling onto my very soul.

Of course, she won't find anything.

I held no doubts.

She inquired as I passed by, "Are you insinuating something, Kobayashi-san?" Her cold tone had lowered into dangerous temperatures for a moment.

While I was stronger than your average guy, I wasn't strong nor skilled enough to pick a fight with this...

Supernatural Creature in the shape of a pretty girl.

I shrugged, "Nothing of the sort, take it as friendly advice from a fellow student and admirer of wisdom."

With my final parting words said, I passed her by, leaving her to mull her words as I went down the stairs in a calm stroll.

[+100 Aura Points!]

D-Damn!

Score!

-------------------------------

As I silently strolled through the empty hallways of Kuoh Academy, I couldn't help but think back to the huge earnings from appearing on the 'Secondary Camera' had gotten for me.

"Though... it was a pretty big disappointment, not going to lie," I mumbled under my breath with a huff of pure disappointment.

For my first ever 'Secondary Camera' appearance, I'd have expected a much bigger spectacle, a more exciting moment to farm that Aura.

While I did get quite a lot, it felt rather disproportionate to what I had accomplished.

I was preparing for a big scene here, damn it!

What difference did this 'Secondary Camera' Scene have with all the other 'Offscreen' farming moments I had when Shitori-senpai told me off?

...

I can't figure it out.

Well, who cares?

I've got more important things to worry about and prepare for.

Like the first 'Central Camera Scene'!

[Aura Farmer System] I activated my system.

It was the greatest gift from the Gods themselves bestowed upon me!

All my life, I've been training and wanting to be the greatest Aura Farmer in the world.

From the budding age of five up to now.

Training my body and mind.

Balance, flexibility training, and other practical and unconventional ways of manipulating the Human Body - all for the sake of striking Aura-inspiring poses!

Reading and studying philosophy from every corner of the globe, to be able to spout poetry and inspire others in a way only a man of pure Aura could ever do!

THE GREATNESS OF AURA HAS NO EQUAL!

IT IS NOT JUST A BULLSHIT PRESENCE OF POWER!

IT IS THE GREATNESS OF A PERSON REALIZED WITHOUT THE LIFTING OF A FINGER!

EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD SHOULD ASPIRE TO MAXIMIZE THEIR AURA!

CHUUNI THIS!

CHUUNI THAT!

SCREW YOU, BIG SIS!

YOU KNOW NOTHING!

KEEP STUDYING ROCKET SCIENCE!

YOU CLUELESS WENCH!

ONCE YOU LAUNCH YOUR ROCKET IT'LL BE ME STANDING PERFECTLY UNAFFECTED ON ITS TIP WITH MY ARMS FOLDED IN A COOL POSE AS IT LAUNCHES INTO SPACE AND YOU GAPE IN AWE AT THE MAGNIFICENCE OF YOUR LITTLE BROTHER DEFYING GRAVITY THROUGH MEANS UNKNOWN!

HE WAS NEVER DELUSIONAL!

...

My apologies.

So!

Praying once a day at the Himejima Shrine for two years straight was all worth it when this thing appeared to me a couple of months back!

Grinding my intangible Aura all my life had proved to not be in vain!

Sort of.

[Skills]

[Aura Shop]

[Current Aura Points - 225]

That's pretty much all the System has.

Clicking on my skills, I double-checked my current situation:

[Skills]↓

[UNFATHOMABLE Tier > Narrative View - LVL MAX]↓

[Grants User the ability to know when and where the Three Cameras are and will be, within an acceptable prior notice for User to prepare for Farming.]

[Central Camera Activation - Kuoh Central Park, Fountain Area [37 Hours, 32 Minutes, and 15 seconds.]

[Secondary Camera Activation - TBA]

[Offscreen Camera - Everywhere outside of Central, Secondary, and Secret Camera scenes.]

[Secret Camera - Unviewable.]

This major skill is a part of my current bread-and-butter set to maximize Aura Farming.

Without it, I could never have known nor prepared to farm Aura efficiently.

Honestly, the idea of farming Aura to a wide audience of 4th-dimensional viewers or Gods or whatever they are only gets me more excited...

It is with an audience in mind that an Aura Farmer must be ready at all times!

Perfect positioning! Perfect clothing! Perfect setting!

[UNFATHOMABLE Tier > Perfect Unreadable - LVL MAX]↓

[The User is immune to any and all attempts of surveillance, mind reading, mind control, empathy magic, or any other sort of invasive Magic or Authority that attempts to get a 'Read' on User's capabilities, thoughts, or emotional state unless The User wishes for it, no matter how powerful the spellcaster or mind reader is.]

A perfect skill for an Aura Farmer such as myself.

If any of the many supernatural creatures that crawl about in this school could read my level once I make my move, it'll lower my Aura gain!

Or even... detract from it!

With my current level of power, my method of Aura Farming is...

Deception!

[NOTE! This skill, however, does not cover The User's incompetence at masking his emotions with his facial expressions or outbursts.]

Rude.

[UNFATHOMABLE Tier > Perfect Measurement - LVL MAX]↓

[The User is capable of accurately evaluating his opponent's strength. No method of hiding or masking will hide the opponent from the measurement.]

[Note - this skill does not reveal the abilities, but the maximum 'Weight Class' of the opponent if he were to go all out and use all his cards, hidden or otherwise.]

This was very useful when it came to figuring out that Shitori-senpai could snap me out of existence if she so wished.

Also, the nice Himejima-senpai was of the same caliber.

Spooky.

BUT AN AURA FARMER FEARS NOT DEATH!

[Superior Tier > Teleports Behind You - LVL 1]↓

[The User's speed is increased by [x100 * LVL OF SKILL] for one second.]

[Cooldown [x1 / LVL OF SKILL Hours]]

[Note - Costs Mana]

As I had noticed, the system is pretty ambiguous.

One of the big downsides to this System... NOT THAT I AM BEING UNGRATEFUL, OH MERCIFUL AURA GODS!

Ahem!

The downside is that there are no numeric values except the skill levels.

I have no visible stats, only the vague self-awareness of my body.

One usage of this skill takes out about half of my Mana, whatever that is in the real world, for example.

[Divine Tier > If I sit perfectly still, I turn invisible - LVL 3]↓

[If the User does not move a muscle for [5 / LVL OF SKILL Minutes] he gains [Perfect Invisibility] until he moves once more.]

[Perfect Invisibility - Incapable of being detected by any force, be it magic, divine power, or otherwise.]

[Note - this skill relies on the User's stability and a calm environment, lack of capability of staying still will lead to this skill being useless.]

This is the first skill I purchased with the Aura Points I farmed Offscreen thus far.

The reason is that I have practiced for this damn thing my entire life!

Sitting completely still?

Easy as pie.

And it was due to this that practicing this skill was a piece of cake, allowing me to level it up twice.

At times, I was so good I accidentally disappeared in Class!

A good thing no one noticed.

Heh.

Well, I haven't figured out the Tier System but I can see why this skill is considered Divine. Invisibility is always a fickle thing in media.

'My detection ability can see you!' or some crap like that.

Not with this baby!

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!

The true reason to use this?

Arrive in Central or Secondary Camera scenes hours before whatever event occurs in there.

Sit or stand, I'll have to pick my preferred Aura Farming pose...

Sniff...

It's so beautiful I have to hold myself back from crying.

[Basic Tier > Human Physique - LVL 9]↓

[As the User of the [Aura Farmer System] you hold the potential to break through conventional human limits.]

[Note! Physical Training may hold much greater results than your results prior to gaining the System, however, with this skill alone and physical training User risks scratching the surface of Supreme/Ultimate Rank Devil. Acquiring and training a myriad of skills and utilizing them together is advised for the User to maximize Aura Farming through the route of Strength.]

The System gets it.

The Route of Strength for Aura Farming is a far-off dream right now.

Deception and Bluffery are key at my current stage.

Though, becoming a musclehead was never in the cards, so this note was rather redundant.

Muscleheads could exude Aura, but that isn't my style as a proud Aura Farmer.

To each their own, I say.

[Basic Tier > Mana Manipulation - LVL 1]↓

[User has a basic grasp on the manipulation of Mana.]

It's really useful, this thing.

I have an awareness of this 'Mana' thing in me.

It was a rather small quantity and the fact I could shape it into a ball... for like five seconds before it disappeared on me.

Through some surface research on the web yesterday that made my Clueless Sister accuse me of falling even deeper into the Chuuni rabbit hole, I discovered that 'Mana' was used to cast Magic.

...

Cool, I knew that already.

But the kicker is that on the web they say 'Mages' have to use them through calculations and formulas and whatnot.

I didn't have to do any of that.

...

I smell a chance to farm Aura in front of the Mage's Association or wherever those guys probably hide.

What are the chances one of the Cameras will direct their spotlight there?

I could do some really cool stuff if I master this skill... probably.

But the important thing right now?

I stopped in my tracks in front of the door of my class.

Attending class.

Mom hadn't raised a slacker, after all.

To Be Continued!