! Danger Ahead !
In a world still being explored, where monsters are a common foe and conspiracies are the norm, Jaune Arc finds himself underprepared. Faced with betrayals, twisted love, and wicked anger, he finds that his fake Adventurer's License is the least of his worries.
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"Jaune, was it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well Jaune, I must congratulate you! You are now officially part of the Adventurers Guild. If you would sign here, here, and here, we can give you a pamphlet and you can be on your way!"
"Thank you, sir! I never thought my dream would actually come true!"
"It's always a pleasure seeing the young fulfilling your dream. Now, as a word of recommendation… Find a party as soon as possible. It's a cruel world out there."
"I will, thank you again, sir."
"My pleasure."
Walking through Vale, Jaune couldn't help but notice how different it was from his hometown. Taverns and marketplaces were everywhere, and there were even some 3 story buildings!
He had a goal in mind though, so he couldn't stop to appreciate the brilliance of this city. He needed to get equipment, and then he could finally start his adventure.
He still couldn't believe it. He, Jaune Arc, was an adventurer. A person who mapped the unexplored parts of Remnant in hopes to find more places for humanity to settle. Only those with the greatest skill could become one.
Of course, he didn't have said skill. He forged his credentials, but who cares about that?
Walking into [Travelling Blessings], a store for much needed equipment, Jaune Arc made notice of the Camping set and the Travellers bag, filled with everything you should need.
Quickly grabbing them and a few books and journals, Jaune Arc quickly made his way to the counter and placed the items down.
"A new adventurer?" he said, quickly looking over the items.
"Yup. I wanna get started as soon as possible." was Jaune's reply.
"Haha, I wish you the best of luck. This'll be 10 gold total."
That didn't seem right, but Jaune Arc never dealt with this before, so he just quietly and reluctantly picked out 10 gold from his coin bag.
Handing out the gold, Jaune gasped when a hand clasped around his wrist.
A stranger stood next to him, holding a small bag of items. Sleek clothes and a small shortsword at his side, it was obvious that he was an adventurer.
"The name Mercury, I overheard you talking with this guy here. A new adventurer, right?"
"U-Uh, yeah."
"Here's a tip," Mercury said, letting go of his wrist. "Always go for half their price, at least. They swindle you. That there is 4 gold."
"What?!"
The clerk looked angry and quickly intercepted.
"Hey! You're ruining my business! Get outa here, scram!"
Mercury raised an eyebrow at him and then placed his stuff on the counter, along with placing a pair of extra clothes into Jaune's pile.
"Wanna go to the cops, then?" said Mercury, continuing when the clerk backed off. "Good, now why don't you tell us the actual price before we go on?"
"Yeah, yeah." he grumbled, angrily. "4 gold gold and 6 silver for each of ya. Just get outa here, you're causing a scene."
Quickly paying, Mercury grabbed his stuff and left. Jaune did the same before rushing after him.
"Hey, Mercury, wait!" Jaune yelled. Mercury stopped his path down the street and turned. "I just wanted to say thanks. You didn't have to do that."
He laughed a little and then beckoned Jaune to walk next to him. He hurriedly did so.
"It's always nice to help out other people. Besides, it means nothing to me. I'm heading east toward [Sienna] at sunrise tomorrow."
"Really, same! Wanna team together, then? Just until the next town." Jaune said desperately. If he could start his party now, he'd be good to go!
Mercury stopped and looked at Jaune in consideration. Jaune was obviously not that good of a adventurer, but it wouldn't hurt to help. As long as he got to [Atlas] in time, then he'd be all good.
"Sure. I might have to leave you after that, but I'm sure that we'd meet again. Just make sure you wake up at sunrise tomorrow. We'll meet at the dining room at [The Hog's Glee], have a quick breakfast, and be off. Sounds good?"
"That sounds great! Oh, and, uh, why did you buy the extra pair of clothes for me?"
Mercury started walking again.
"You'll thank me in 2 days."
Walking into [The Hog's Glee], Jaune couldn't help but feel intimidated. All around were people chatting, weapons casually at their sides.
These were real adventurers.
But so was he. In fact, he already had a partner. And tomorrow morning, he'd be starting his adventure.
However, Jaune did notice one other slightly major problem. He saw Mercury move to the counter to get a drink, but all he could do is stare.
The whole place was destroyed.
Tables broken in half, men sitting on broken stools, and glass scattered everywhere. The worst part? Everyone was acting as if it were normal.
He was so surprised that he barely noticed a man appear behind him and slap his back roughly. He stumbled forward before quickly turning around.
A tall man, shirtless, was standing there. He was quite clearly laughing at Jaune, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed at being caught staring at the whole thing.
"Quite the surprise, huh? You must be a new adventurer! I'm Brawn, the local blacksmith. And all this ruckus was caused by this big blonde girl but two hours ago. Not to rare, though, so better get used to it, Brahahahahah!"
"A-Ah, a pleasure to meet you, I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc."
"Good to know." said Mercury, who came sliding over with a drink in his hand. "You didn't even tell me it on the way here. Tsk tsk."
"A-Ah. Sorry?"
"Why so nervous?" said Brawn, peering at Jaune. "You're an adventurer now! Show some confidence! In fact, let's get you a drink, Brahaha!"
"It's all-"
"One Strawberry Sunrise for the newbie here!" yelled Mercury towards the bartender, who smiled and nodded, quickly catching the copper piece Mercury through him.
Jaune was overwhelmed. He expected tough and silent people. Tall people who were looking for a fight. Instead, everyone seemed to be laughing and having a good time. It was for this reason, when the bartender came over and placed a drink in front of Jaune, he said…
"Here we go!"
And chugged it down quickly, with a smile.
And then he choked and vomited.
Waking up in the morning was a pain. He set his alarm for 5:30 in order to pack early and right now he was regretting it.
Groaning and sitting up, Jaune quickly got out of bed and prepared his items. He and Mercury were in different rooms, so he'd have to check downstairs for him.
After cleaning the room to an acceptable level, Jaune went downstairs and did a quick check around the room.
Mercury was alone in the corner, and a few other individuals were scattered about. Not many people were up at 6 a.m, it seemed.
After greeting Mercury and sitting down across from him, Jaune quickly ordered a small breakfast and placed his stuff to the side.
"So what's the plan?" Jaune asked, and couldn't help but feel embarrassed when Mercury raised his eyebrows.
"You're an adventurer and you don't even have a plan?"
Jaune blushed but shook his head. He wasn't that dumb, you weren't able to survive travel without a plan of some sort.
"Nah. I had one but wanted to see if you had something different. The road twists a bit, but if we cut through this, here…"
Jaune pulled out a map and started showing different routes to Mercury, who nodded and gave some suggestions for minimal travel time.
Eventually they had a plan hashed out and were ready to go.
"Ready?" said Mercury. Jaune nodded and stood up.
"Yeah, we can go now."
After paying for their meal, they went outside and started making their way down Mainstreet, making small talk about different things.
"Hey, isn't that Brawn's shop?" asked Jaune. Mercury nodded. "Mind if we check it out? Might as well say farewell. And I need something other than this sword…"
They made their way across the street and into the shop, taking notice of all the small and expertly crafted weapons.
"Ah, Jaune!" yelled Brawn who was sitting behind a counter. "What can I get you? Anything special needed?"
"Hey, Brawn. We were just leaving and thought we might as well say farewell. But, uh, actually. I don't suppose you have a couple of daggers I could get? Slightly longer than usual, but I feel as if a sword isn't enough."
"You're right about that." Mercury cut in. "Thieves steal weapons all the time. Adding that onto the fact that Grimm often break the weapons. Well, let's just say that extra is good."
"Brahaha, he's right you know!" said Brawn.
"Well, that's why I'm here. So, what do you suggest?"
After checking things out for about 10 minutes, Jaune was finally handed 2 curved short blades and a sheath for both. He put these in bag before saying farewell and leaving a generous tip.
"I'll see you later, Brawn." Jaune said.
"I certainly hope so!"
Once they were at the gates, Jaune and Mercury flashed their Adventurer Badges and made way. It was around 7 when then started, Jaune had thought.
They went at a slow pace, casually talking and observing the nature around them. Birds fluttered by, and Jaune found himself at peace.
After 5 hours of walking, they decided to take a break for lunch. Mercury went to hunt a rabbit- something every adventurer should be able to do (Jaune couldn't)- while Jaune started a fired and filled a pot with the minimal amount of water.
He may not know how to hunt, but he did spend almost all of his time reading books about Adventurers tips and tricks. He made a fire in the yard a few times, camped a bit away from his home, even saved up a good amount of money for his adventure!
(He spent almost all of it on the forged documents)
The point is: he knew some things. He wasn't ready to face the world alone, not yet, but he could survive in these explored parts of the world. Grimm were relatively weak here, due to the raiding guild.
The raiding guild was a group of warriors who banded together to exterminate Grimm in the explored parts of the world, often earning money and items while doing so. That was Jaune's second job choice, if being an Adventurer didn't work out.
But for now, he had to focus on the fire, so he no time to ponder life choices.
After around ten tries of starting a fire, Jaune finally did it. Collapsing next to his achievement after pouring in some of the little water needed. He waited for Mercury to show, but he knew that it might take 10 to 20 minutes. It wasn't easy hunting, especially in parts where animals were exposed to humans.
He heard a sudden rustle of grass behind him, and he turned its way, fully expecting Mercury to pop out.
He didn't get what he expected.
Instead, a pitch-black wolf prowled out of the bushes, eyes glowing with malice. Jaune scrambled out his sword, not to confident he could take on the beast before him.
Out of nowhere, the wolf pounced. Jaune raised his shield, the Grimm's teeth sliding harmlessly off of it.
It jumped back before quickly lunging at Jaune again. Jaune tried to raise his shield again, but completely mis-predicted what the wolf would do.
Instead of trying to take a bite at Jaune's chest, the Grimm slammed into his legs. Jaune stumbled over and fell, his shield falling out of his grasp.
The Grimm didn't waste his chance, quickly getting up and barreled from Jaune's legs to his neck, preparing to sink its teeth fatally into him. Jaune punched its face, doing practically nothing to it, before rolling over and picking up his shield.
He scrambled upwards and raised his shield. The Grimm was getting impatient and lunged at Jaune, mouth wide opened. Jaune raised his shield and stabbed his sword forward.
With the Grimm adding force to Jaune's attack, it was no wonder it slid through the hide and killed the beast.
Jaune just stood there, legs shaking, confused at his first victory. Where had the Grimm come from? It was a Beowolf, and they came in packs. Where were the rest?
"You had that much trouble against a Beowolf?" said Mercury who had somehow gotten behind him, causing Jaune to jump in surprise. "Yeah, there is no way you're an adventurer."
Jaune slumped.
"Look, I just… No, It was my… I know it seems bad! Trust me, I do! But I can handle it! I have a plan and everything. I'll get a party and train with them. I'll only start exploring when I'm good enough. Just, please don't tell the guild!"
Mercury looked at him, one eyebrow raised, and nodded slowly. He looked over the plan that Jaune desperately showed him, hidden deep inside a journal. Routes were drawn out and possible paths were noted. The lowest priced areas were noted, and highest population towns were marked.
He had thought it out, thought Mercury. It must have taken him months to complete that whole journal, full of strategies for his adventure.
"Well, who am I to stop you?" said Mercury with interest. "With all of this, you'll probably even make it to the end of the world!"
Jaune looked shocked, he hadn't expected that.
"You really think I can do it? Everyone at home laughed at me…"
"I believe anyone can be anything." said Mercury, shrugging. "As long as you put your heart in it, I can't see any reason for you to die. You just gotta work on your combat skills a bit."
"Uh, yeah! Yeah! I was planning on doing that, actually, in the next town!" Jaune said, excitingly. He was happy to finally show off his life plan. "Look here, I'll-"
"What about-"
"Oh that's just-"
"And that?"
"Once I get to-"
"You might need some-"
"Well it's hard, okay? I tried-"
"Even at-?"
"Yeah."
Mercury stood up, placing his bowl in the small bin they were carrying. They had eaten lunch and sat down while talking.
"Alright then. I guess I can teach you one or two things. Granted you pay attention and actually work."
Jaune looked up at at him, smiling brightly, hopefully.
"You'd really do that?"
Mercury just put out his hand. Jaune eagerly grabbed it.
A friendship was born.
Jaune was getting better, but he wasn't sure if it was fast enough. He could kill Beowolves easily enough, now. It'd be bad if he couldn't, after camping in the same spot for over a week.
But he was still… weak. Mercury trounced him. More than two Grimm at once would kill him, and his weapons felt weak compared to the other hunters, who had guns and the like.
What he needed was a boost.
After asking Mercury about a few ways to power up, he finally got his answer.
Dust.
It was, apparently, a recently discovered type of chemical. Its affects still unknown, but had so far showed explosive capability. If Jaune could utilize it, then maybe battles would be turned in his favor.
He wasn't thinking of adding it to his sword, though. Nor his shield. Instead, he wanted something with range. Either a gun or bow, but he was leaning towards a bow.
He could find a team, one he could trust, and help from afar. It would be perfect.
"Unless someone gets close to you." Mercury said in a deadpan. "Get proficient in short swords or daggers as well. One weapon alone isn't enough in this world."
"Yeah yeah." muttered Jaune, "I just need something to, you know, be better. Being able to send explosions from afar would do that for me."
Mercury hummed, not fully believing that Jaune would find all his happiness in some small explosions.
"If you say so. Make sure you have enough money, though. It is expensive."
That was another problem, unfortunately. He only had enough money to live in an Inn for a few days. He'd need to do some raiding jobs for the town, but he wasn't even sure if he could handle them yet.
But with Mercury or someone else, he might be able to.
Eh, they could contemplate that later.
They reached it. [Sienna], the first stepping stone into the unexplored regions. After a few more weeks or months of travelling, he be exploring the unknown.
Stepping into the town, Jaune felt proud. It hadn't even been a week and he'd made a friend, got some new weapons, and even doubled his skill level.
And he had a plan. He was very proud of that.
He would sell his blade and shield and get a bow and, if he can, some dust. Along with arrows. He'd need those. It would hopefully get him some pocket money too.
After that he would get a job or something to make sure he could resupply and sleep in an Inn.
And then he would-
"Welp. I'm off." said Mercury suddenly. "I spent too much time with you, I gotta reach [Atlas] in 2 weeks, so I'll have to run quite a deal. Have fun and brush your teeth, bye!"
And he disappeared.
"Well shit."
First chapter done. Please review. Constructive criticism is fine, pointless insults are not. A beta is wanted. Ideas are wanted.
Love is wanted. :(
But in all seriousness, I do need ideas. I have a planned hashed out for Sienna, but I'm still in the process of making the world map with all the towns. Dungeons will need to be made along with conspiracies, so all help is appreciated.
And beta is needed, again.
And pointless insults are prohibited, again.