The Arcane Craftsman

by The White Wulf

The class system was rigid. Everyone has a role. A hero fights, a noble leads, and the laborers work. But there existed a class above all others. Since the dawn of history the prestige class was filled with heroes, warriors of unparalleled might and exceptional growth. Until a laborer got stuck in a dungeon. Behold the Arcane Craftsman, the first prestige labor class.

10. Chapter 10

Hey guys! Thanks to school this took a bit longer than I wanted to finish. It is currently unedited so it might be a bit rougher than you're all used to. Either way please enjoy it!

The next update is: Ultimate Weapon!

(PS. Apologies again about the roughness of this chapter XD)

The Arcane Craftsman Chapter 10:

"I must admit I am intrigued how you have come to be in this realm. However, that matters little."

Jaune blinked at the creature with a passive expression. He looked up and tested the weight of the chains. The chains rattled as Jaune lifted himself and dropped. The creature laughed and Jaune narrowed his eyes. Whatever this skeleton thing was it was no lich. Lich's were not necessarily undead souls. Contrary to popular belief liches were not created but born. There was of course the stereotype that all the ancient "Necromancer" classes had turned themselves into undead. That was false. Instead Lich's were born from the souls of those that could not move on. Their shattered remains were enough to give fertile ground to such creatures. If enough power is available the creature is born with remnants of the souls' personality, resulting in what was effectively an undead copy. It was why lich's didn't have classes and were mostly comprised of energy. Jaune had no idea why people thought liches were skeletal creatures. Which meant this thing was not a lich.

"It's useless" chuckled the boneman "those chains are more than strong enough to restrain a newly minted B rank."

Jaune stilled. The terminology it used was familiar to him, too familiar.

"This isn't a normal monster" thought Jaune.

The thing before him was just a skeleton. It wore a baggy black robe that covered part of its skull and most of its body. Yet, for some reason its arms were exposed, revealing the bare bones for all to see. These bones were engraved with strange markings that seemed filled with some kind of filling. From within the hood two glowing blue orbs of mana seemed to function like "eyes" as far as Jaune could tell. Jaune swallowed as his inspect skill took hold.

INSPECT!

The Idiot Alchemist/B09e B34rd/M?! t (Rank: B)

Species: N/A

The idiot alchemist themselves. The poor copy of an idiot that attempted to mimic the pseudo immortality that all undead share. A spell is currently in place that skews identify information as such some information is unavailable.

ALERT!

You have found a mini boss! KILLING INTENT HAS BEEN DETECTED! Due to the nature of the punishment zone the "Kill or be killed" quest has been nullified. New Quest has been given

Destroy Target (Difficulty: B+)

This creature has secrets of the world. Killing it will reveal the location of the boss!

Rewards: Medium XP. World Map. Checkpoint.

"….."

Jaune narrowed his eyes as he looked at his situation. The creature speaking was irrelevant, what concerned him more was how to get out.

"Your body will do nicely."

On second thought paying attention might be good.

"I'm sorry what?" asked Jaune.

"Your body. I want it. It reeks of magical potential. It's strength and durability is also pleasing. You reek of abyssal magics and yet your body remains pure! Such excellent material is exactly what I need so I will take it."

Jaune tensed as the creature tried to stab its boney hands into his stomach. Jaune blinked as the skeleton's fingers broke apart on impact. Jaune felt a cool sensation but promptly rejected it.

DARK INVASION HAS OCCURRED!
THE PLAYER HAS RESISTED DARK INVASION DUE TO "TITLE" SKILLS AND PASSIVES.

"…That's new" muttered the creature "I was sure that spell was infallible….have I forgotten again? No, no…maybe…NO!"

Jaune jumped at the sudden outburst as the lich thing gripped its boney head. Jaune watched with a morbid interest as the shattered fingers were lifted and but back into place. From its eye sockets came two artificial eyes, the fake organs rolling around before focusing on Jaune. Their irises glowed with a blue light and seemed to be attempting to analyze him. Jaune said attempt because he could feel the mana trying to insert into his flesh, only to be rebuke heavily.

The Player's C rank Mana Resistance has decreased the effects of "Eyes of Grasping" (D).

Apparently, it wasn't as total as the system made it out to be as the skeleton tilted its skull. However, it made Jaune think that the "Inspect" may not be as all powerful as he thought. That was…concerning. Suddenly the Skeleton was blown back by a golden light emanating from Jaune's chest. Its head was blown apart only to be brought back together. Jaune felt the light of Enya and her anger flow through his chest. She was angry but…it was a dark kind of anger…righteous but wild. It wasn't fully concentrated on Jaune though…something was going on.

"Tsk. Stupid Gods. Just because the boundaries in this world are more fluid ! WHY BOTHER TRYING WHEN YOU CAN BARELY EVEN SPEAK. Fucking Enya…go back to your useless existence!"

"Did this?"

Divine retribution wasn't actually a thing. The Gods existed no doubt but it was rare for them to be able to exert their power on the physical plane without repercussions on themselves. But in this instance Enya acted through Jaune himself…his body still ached from the energy even though his health and mana were fine. Even though the Gods could not attack the fact that this skeleton cussed out Enya put Jaune in a bad mood. The skeleton stared at Jaune.

"Of course, you have blessings. Just my luck! Don't worry, WE'LL BE TOGETHER SOON! HAHAHAHAHAHA."

Jaune shivered as the creature seemed to caress his bare neck. Apparently, it may have failed to inspect him fully, but the arrival of Enya's power told it enough.

"Did you think such conflict would prevent the insertion of my essence?"

"Oh, fuck no" thought Jaune.

Jaune wasn't one for swearing but this situation called for it.

"Is that enough…NO, NO! I am never wrong! Something is interfering! Gods cannot access the physical plane! Enya would incarnate everything if she did! So, she isn't interfering! My magic is infallible…that's right! That's right! I wouldn't want to harm such beautiful flesh…oh how I miss my body. My Dark Invasion is a delicate technique."

The system pinged as it chimed in.

It is not.

"It requires perfect conditions obviously!"

That is incorrect.

"There must be mystical interference within the area! Enya can only do so much! THE BITCH!"

Dark invasion is a possession-based skill that devours the soul of the recipient. By doing so the caster can attain the physical form and properties of the victim. Only those born within the abyssal depths between worlds are capable of separating their entire essence and devouring the that of another due to the fact they have had no physical form to begin with, with some expectations. While this allows for complete and utter control of a target it requires that certain general conditions be met. The key factor is strength. While this creature's strength exceeds your own at this time your immunity is absolute. This creature has successfully copied the "Dark Invasion" skill but its being is not designed for its use. As such there can be side effects.

The creature began to rant even further to the point it was spewing nonsense. Jaune could feel Enya slowly leave reluctantly. Jaune's body cooled down as the tiny sliver of Enya's power left his body, but not before Jaune felt worry and concern. Gods were…essentially super powered spirits on steroids. They were the andromorphic embodiment of concepts or phenomenon. Under ordinary circumstances a God cannot truly interact with the physical plane. Not because something stopped them.

But because the world would literally break apart if they did.

The act of gods breaking through into the mortal plane had consequences, well documented consequences. The world rejected them to a degree and yet asserted their presence as well. This friction resulted in…a situation that people would rather avoid. A sun god descends to the mortal plan than the area they arrive in would turn to ash. A god of war descends than people would be more prone to conflict till all war breaks out. A goddess of light and healing…well cancer was a thing wasn't it? There were of course times that gods could descend without issue. The boundary of worlds weakened on Remnant from time to time, removing the friction that came with a God forcing their way through and thus preventing for a period of time any apocalyptic issues. The fact that Jaune could feel Enya's presence and hear her and Salem from time to time was normal. Gods could do that much at least. But to actually FEEL and SEE her power first hand?

There was something wrong with this world, even though the help was appreciated.

"Is he still ranting?" thought Jaune.

Sure, enough the skeleton kept going on and on. Jaune noticed that it was talking about some sort of alchemic formula as far as Jaune could understand it. It was obvious that this creature was intelligent. Scarily so.

It was also retarded. Deeply so.

The formulas that it was uttering were adept at forcing spiritual dissolution and the transfer of spiritual energy. The issue was that this creature was completely forgoing the inclusion of their own mana to stabilize the spell and the use of actual alchemic ingredients and circles. These were things that were automatically created thanks to the class abilities of an alchemist. For instance, take an Alchemist who is trying to create a potion. Normal people would have to have the perfect temperature, the exact ingredients down to the smallest possible and accurate weight. They would also have to draw alchemic circles and the list went on. An Alchemist class at their most basic went as follows.

Activate Skill to form circle.

Throw the ingredients into mixture/ritual.

Activate supplementary skills for additional potency

Store product.

It was disgustingly simple and merely an over abbreviation of the actual procedure. Yet, while this was simple it was also incredibly restraining. This thing seemed to completely ignore the need to stabilize the "Dark Invasion" spell which should have destabilized the spell so thoroughly that it would be unusable. Without a class that naturally gained the skill this…thing wasn't capable of using it at full power. However, it was due to the fact that it wasn't locked by class that it could salvage the spell in the first place. Jaune was in complete aww. This thing had somehow mimicked skills through alchemy and bypassed the class system. It was deemed impossible and yet here it was. Jaune knew that he lacked the deep knowledge to replicate such a thing. It was something only possible when someone wasn't trapped within a "Class". Still there were things that even Jaune, who barely had any experience with alchemy knew about. Power meant nothing without control. This thing was brute forcing miracles to happen and while that allowed it to preform incredible things, they were also fragile. It was probably why its attempts at making a human body kept failing…but that begged the question why it needed to make one in the first place? If this spirit was capable of taking over bodies than why did it need to make one?

Jaune let a snort out as he realized why those wolves were the way they were. The idiot was trying to make a monster to human transmutation wasn't he. Would explain why only the lower jaw was metallic. You'd think after failing enough times to make a pack of them you'd realize something was wrong. What kind of an idiot tried to make a human body out of wolves in the first place anyways? Jaune stared at the rambling skeleton as a sinking feeling hit his stomach. What if…what if the people he saw in the weapon's history was this thing's…The alchemist turns around and had the odd eyes scan him over.

"DO NOT LAUGH AT ME SIMPLETON! It was I that put you in those chains! You will not be getting out!"

Jaune rose an eyebrow. He small chuckle had escaped him a minute ago.

"A little delayed there isn't it?"

Jaune knew he should have kept his mouth shut. The skeleton sent a pulse of some kind of magic that hit Jaune in the chest. He noticed there were alchemic symbols around the skeletons rib cage, noticeable due to a glow from underneath its robe. Jaune wheezed as he felt his ribs crash into his lungs. Jaune jerked his arms and legs, trying to escape. The room shook from the force of Jaune's legs making the skeleton laugh. Jaune smirked though. The ceiling had cracked from Jaune's little exertion and the chains themselves were starting to show cracks. Thank you titles.

"I will be back brat."

The skeleton left, leaving Jaune alone hanging in this lab. The tables were spread out with numerous beakers filled with different ingredients of some kind with a board in the distance containing some alchemic circle formulae. Jaune grunted as he put more force from his arms. The ceiling cracked again as Jaune smirked. Yet he frowned, noticing a picking sound.

TINK. TINK. TINK.

Jaune looked at his feet. There was nothing there but he could have sworn he felt something brush past. Jaune grunted as he exerted his full strength and tried to crush the chains. The ones around his wrist distorted as the ceiling bent. Jaune clicked his tongue noticing that he was in a bunker of some sort. The ceiling was made of some kind of metal.

"Seriously though what kind of genius has limbs hanging from the ceiling?"

It seemed like villainous over kill and completely unnecessary. The damn limbs weren't even flesh at this point just pure bone. How long did they have to be abandoned up there for that to happen? Jaune grunted as he pulled the chains again. A dull echo and the rattle of chains filled the room as Jaune looked at the exit. He sighed a breath of relief at seeing no one rushing into stop him. The chains were bent now, their ranking too weak to really dig into his skin. Still though it was holding up admirably Jaune would admit. Maybe there was a spell interwoven or something.

TINK. TINK. TINK. TINK.

Jaune looked down again. Nothing.

"I know I felt something" thought Jaune.

Jaune looked to the doorway the skeleton left though. The barren path in the midst of fallen papers was undisturbed. Wherever the skeleton went to it was either too far away to hear him escaping…or perhaps it didn't care. He was hesitant to use magic. He had rushed before and more importantly underestimated this world. The wolves alone had injured Jaune…there was no telling what kind of fucked up crap this weirdo was capable of. Using magic could alert it and have it attack Jaune before he was prepared. It snuck up on him once…he hoped he could avoid that again.

TINK. TINK. TINK. TINK. TINK. TINK. TINK.

Rather than look down Jaune instead looked around for anything he could use. Whatever it was it was trying to help him. He could feel small tremors from the anklet on his legs, the thing hitting the metal over and over. Thankfully the desks seemed to be metallic. The blue light that seemed to glow from the ceiling made it hard to see a reflection clearly. Jaune focused his eye sight and felt something…click. His vision increased in clarity and distance but his eyes hurt as he did it. Jaune looked into the reflection of the closest desk but had to close his eyes from the pain. Whatever he did it wasn't natural for him. Yet, from what little he could see he noticed that it was…a black thing with blue lines. Actually it looked like..

"A chicken?" muttered Jaune.

"SQACK!"

Jaune titled and looked down at a wispy black….thing jump away from his feet before dashing into his shadow of all things. Normally Jaune would have freaked out…but from what little glimpse he got of the thing…it was cute.
"….hey….hey little buddy…you trying to free me? I won't hurt you I promise."

Nothing happened but Jaune could feel something swimming below his feet.

"I promise I won't do anything."

A head peered from his shadow, the large white circular eyes making contact with Jaune. It slowly rose from beneath his feet and tilted its head. It had the head of a reptile but it was hard to tell if it had scales or not. Its body seemed to glow in the darkness, the blue lines pulsating with energy. Its head was large but the thing was chunky as hell. Like a fluffy fat cat. A baby at that. It barely reached Jaune's calf. It shuffled around on its meaty legs, three toes on each large foot with talons like a hawk. As it shuffled around Jaune noticed it had bat like wings as well. From what Jaune could see this creature stood to about Jaune's knee. It waddled to Jaune's chains and began to peck with all its might. It reared its head back and slammed its maw into the metal, denting it slightly. It waddled back, it's white circular eyes now spirals, as it tried to straighten its vision. Jaune chuckled a bit wondering why it would attempt such a thing without a beak.

"Well you're cute I'll give you that. Think you can back up?"

The creature showed its intelligence and waddled/shuffled its way across the floor. Its chunky body preventing its from doing so in a straight line. Then it jumped up and flew to one of the tables, situating itself a fair bit away. Jaune took a breath and began to pull both his arms and legs into his core. The metal groaned as Jaune neared his stomach. With a grunt and final exertion, he broke the chains binding him. Both the wrist manacles and one around his left ankle remained, but Jaune was no longer chained up.

Jaune smiled as he rolled his shoulders.

"Well that's that."

He looked down at the chunky lizard who was now hiding behind a desk. Jaune knelt down and smiled, holding his hand out.

"Hey….I promised I wouldn't hurt you right?"

It peaked it head out and titled its head.
"Come on" smiled Jaune in a whisper.

Jaune blinked as the creature flew and situated itself in front of him, awkward and shy. Jaune placed his hand in front of it, just under the nose. The creature sniffed and before Jaune knew it rumbled into his hand, enjoying the contact. No…not just enjoying it. The creature seemed starved for attention as it enjoyed Jaune's caresses. Jaune noticed that the lizard had some white scars around its wings.

"Who would hurt a cute thing like you?" asked Jaune "…what even are you anyways?"

As always, the system answered with a ding.

Species: Shadow

A creature of the Abyss. They can come in many forms. They feed off sources of mana for sustenance and strength. The system can eject this creature should the player choose.

Jaune stared at the creature. To Jaune it looked like a Wyvern more than anything. The wyvern lifted its head in pleasure as Jaune ran his hand down its neck. The things body felt real…but was unmistakably made of black mana. In fact, it looked more like a Grimm creature the longer Jaune stared at it. But even so.

"So, you can't survive on your own huh…well why don't you stay with me. You tried breaking me out anyways so you can't be all bad."

The wyvern blinked and stilled. The creature stared at Jaune tirelessly.

"I'm serious little guy, you can stick with me."

Jaune didn't want to admit that the only reason Jaune had considered keeping it so quickly was because it was chunky and cute. He was always weak to cute things. The wyvern seemed to shiver and Jaune watched white liquid fall from its eyes. Jaune felt his mirth leave him as he stared at this lonely creature. How lonely could something be to attach itself to someone so quickly? Either way what's done is done.

Is the Player sure about this?

"Yes."

WARNING! This action cannot be undone.

"What action?" sighed Jaune "I'm keeping this wyvern."

Very well. The companion bond will now initiate.

"The what?"

Jaune felt a surge of energy go between him and the beast and suddenly Jaune knew. They were connected as master and familiar. Jaune smiled as the wyvern jumped onto his shoulder. Yet, Jaune looked to the entrance of this lab and swallowed. If he had noticed the energy surge than that skeleton sure did. Yet, nothing came, leading Jaune to breath a sigh of relief. As he looked around the lab Jaune came to a decision as he stood up.

"Mom always said to know your enemy. Let's see what we can find."

Jaune chuckled as she Wyvern stretched its long wings, showing the little stubby foreclaw at each wing. Seems it could walk on all fours of necessary…but if the claw was so small it might not support this things weight, if it had any. Jaune began his search through the documents on the floor. He didn't want to spend too much time in this room but he wanted to try and learn something before he left. The paper he picked up was literally a recipe for crackers.

"…but this thing doesn't eat…does it?" muttered Jaune.

Another paper was a write up on how to make health potions taste sweeter. He was about to throw it away when Jaune realized he had NO recipe for health potions at all. Jaune looked around as he folded the paper, keeping it in one of the pockets on his pants. It wasn't stealing if the guy was dead…well undead.

"Don't mind if I do" muttered Jaune.

Perhaps it was the danger of the lich wannabe returning but Jaune felt as if his search of the room took forever. Worse yet, nothing had come from his search. Most of the pages he found were a scribbled mess and others nonsensical in the worst way. One was a recipe for a pepper bomb. It wasn't even good it was literally a bomb that created peppers, one that didn't even work. There was another that made purple turn into orange which Jaune admitted was interesting. It wasn't overly complicated either. However, there were a rare few that Jaune knew were genius. The transmutation of matter was one such page…and Jaune was incapable of using it. The complexity of transforming one piece of matter into any other form of matter was beyond him at this time…perhaps even forever. This thing was devilishly smart…and so friggen stupid it wasn't even funny. Jaune tried a final one, this one a potion for something called EXP Booster. He destroyed it without a second thought. The EXP booster was the work of a mad Alchemist that in modern times was referred to as Bluebeard. It was a forbidden potion not just because bluebeard was a child raping nut but also because the side effects were horrific long term. The mixture was infused with such strong addictive properties that it was nothing better than a drug, one that wrecked the body and stats when used. While it would quickly allow someone to elevate to A rank, their stats wouldn't match their level. In comparison to the average A rank the drug using individuals would be like wet paper facing a bullet. No contest.

However, their mana was still potent and as such their skills would still hit at full power. A kind of glass cannon in a way. As far as Jaune was aware the potion itself remained addictive no matter what materials were used by alchemists. Not to mention that taking more experience than the body could handle put incredible strain on them. He could see why EXP potions fell out of favor. Jaune stilled as he felt his connection to the shadow Wyvern grow. It wanted him for something but when Jaune tried to approach it the Wyvern merely flew away. Right out of the door. As he approached the door Jaune grimaced as he couldn't see through the dark. The entire hallway was nothing but a pitch-black void. Yet, within the darkness was the glow of the wyvern. Its blue markings becoming a Beacon. Jaune felt around and managed to find a wall. He slowly followed the wyvern, careful to avoid any loud noises. Suddenly the wyvern landed on Jaune's shoulder and tapped the side of his head twice. Jaune narrowed his eyes in confusion until he felt the urge to move his hand lower down the wall. Jaune sighed at the Wyvern but relented. This bond thing was getting weird. Jaune felt around below him until he felt his hand sink in, causing it to erupt in a purple light. Jaune covered his eyes as the wall disintegrated, revealing a room. Jaune held his mouth closed as he looked at the giant tubes filling the room. Filled with a green liquid of some kind these tubes were filled with…with children.

"…What is this?" whispered Jaune.

Jaune slowly moved through the room. The glow of the tubes gave the room enough illumination for Jaune to look through the room. The children within were beast men, their andromorphic bodies in full display. On the tube on the far right lied a desk. Jaune approached it and noticed a few books and papers. The first one was titled "Adaptive genetic manipulation". The book was old, damn near tatters and judging from the title Jaune could guess what it was trying to do. These were another experiment for creating a body, a human one. The children were bare but malformed and obviously long dead. The milky eyes and decayed skin were proof enough. Jaune grinded his teeth as he looked at all of this. The wolves and now children? What so it could live or become alive or some crap? Bullshit… it was all just bullshit. Jaune noticed the Wyvern had landed on the desk quite heavily. It jumped up again causing a page to fall from under the desk.

"….how did you find this?" muttered Jaune.

Jaune turned his head to the opening in the wall and sighed in relief. He needed to get out of here that much was true but at the moment it was best to gather some form of intelligence on this enemy. For starters Jaune could state that this thing was a spirit…yet Jaune had never faced a spirit that had sole control over a body like this. He was in unknown territory right now with only vague landmarks. Jaune had seen what happened to unprepared teams.

Information was a powerful tool against any enemy. While he had gathered some of this thing's history from INSPECT it told nothing of the creature's abilities. Jaune sighed as he rose the paper to read it, it wasn't as if he had anything else to lose. Surprisingly, it was a crudely written letter, old and crinkled. The page turned yellow with time and almost crunched under Jaune's gentle hand. The vibrant purple ink made reading the ancient letter easier.

It's…it happened again. A moment of sanity in this forsaken sea of black. This thing….THIS THING. I can't describe what it did to me. I've managed to have moments of clarity before this and never bothered to put myself on a page or write my feelings…but…there's less of me now. I can't even remember my name. Every time I wake up…I find more of myself missing. I had bits of my skin missing once and now…now I can see my damn bones. I can even move my hand if I try. I'm so scared…and alone. I don't know what's happening to me…no….no that's a lie. A lie to tell myself so I can feel better. This thing is EATING me. Bit by bit, piece by piece. It's not just eating my body. It's taking my mind MY SOUL! It's…all I know is that it is trying to have a body made of flesh for some…reason I can't understand. Every host it has had has disintegrated, well all its human ones anyway. It started taking some kids from this Red Gate world and it…I can't. Every time I open my eyes all I see are those poor children twisting under his energy. I want nothing more than to kill it! I've done suicide in every possible means I could! I EVEN JUMPED INTO A VOLCANO! Every death I just go to this void only to wake up repaired and another few decade's pass, each stretch longer and longer to a point I can't even keep track if I wanted to. I can't remember my name at all…if I had a family…hell I can't even tell you what I am beyond some kind of "Human" as this thing puts it. I've forgotten everything that could possibly matter. To have no memory of anything before now but know it existed…it's like I'm starving for water amidst a lake. If it's not this thing driving me mind than its this HOLE IN MY SOUL! I'm…I'm rotting away just like my body, soul and all. There will be nothing left of me. No peace after death…nothing. This single page…it's all that will be left of me. Whatever this thing is after its not working…and honestly, I don't think it cares. It's just doing the motions and doesn't care what gets in the way…it destroyed my life, that much I know but what it did here...I go outside in my brief moments of freedom and I find nothing but destroyed buildings, broken bodies, and discarded weapons. This thing killed all of them, those that lived here and my heart…or rather what's left of it, burns with such intensity that I can literally see it hammering in my ribs. I have to hide this…no one will read this I know…but it will be my tombstone. The only thing that can prove that I existed…whoever I am. I leave this note as a reminder that…whoever I was, existed.

Jaune put down the note staring at it.

"…What on Remnant am I dealing with?" muttered Jaune.

He heard of possession. It was actually pretty standard in A rank dungeon and one of the core reasons the mana resistance skill was an absolute necessity. Spirit based enemies had the power to inhabit an individual and temporarily assume control of their abilities. A terrifying concept when one was dealing with A rank people. The mana resistance skill allowed someone to actively resist possession. While it may not grant full immunity the struggle itself would forewarn everyone as to what was happening. But without a body spirits as Jaune knew them were relatively harmless. As such they were the weakest of all monsters. But this dark invasion…it was like a virus to the soul…utterly desecrating the soul itself in order to make room for another. Such an action would destroy the body and all its abilities…which meant that all this magic and power was this spirit's own. It was not a lich…but for some reason this spirit was parading that poor man's skeleton as a facsimile of one. This wasn't a struggle for temporary control but a skill to utterly dominate an enemy's corpse and take it as your own. This poor bastard didn't have Jaune's immunity to it…and suffered accordingly. Jaune never actively hated anything aside from Uther and his cronies. But this thing…

It needed to die.

He was raised on the principles of a Knight, a Knight of the Round at that. The facts were simple. Running away wasn't feasible. Those wolves were attacking Jaune damn near the second he arrived in this world. They chased him to a cliff, a cliff in which he had to jump off of to travel an absurd distance. The only way it could have followed him was if it was watching him from the very beginning. That or Jaune's luck was truly that shitty to have landed at this spirit's base. Fighting it was a damn near certainty. Hiding was doable Jaune supposed but a risk as well. It was best to confront this thing and kill it for all the death and agony it caused. Perhaps this young man was angrier than anticipated.

"It may be a bit stronger than me" muttered Jaune "but I won't lose."

The feeling of losing was something deeply ingrained within Jaune. When his father finally succumbed to the sleep, when he lost out on easy jobs, when Isabella and him had separated, and when he lost the damn cake on his birthday…he fucking loved that cake to. The feeling of loss was something Jaune knew well. As such his chest burned at the anticipation of this battle…for good and ill.

"SQUAK!"

Jaune turned and smiled at the Wyvern sitting on his shoulder.

"You're a chubby cutie aren't you?" smiled Jaune, running his finger under the Wyvern's chin.

He always wanted a pet when he was younger. He interacted with his mother's lion Solomon but it wasn't the same as having a companion as your own. Solomon was a dear friend though…and another reason that Uther needed to die. The Wyvern jumped off Jaune's shoulder, the trace of mana from Jaune's body following it to a corner of the room. The Wyvern squawked again and titled a wing to a small doll in the corner. Jaune picked it up and it was a doll not unlike one a small child may get. It looked more like a Faunus than the average human and it was just thrown into this corner without a care. Jaune looked around and noticed a few other toys thrown around into this corner, slowly dying from the ravages of time. The arm on the doll Jaune was holding fell off, the cloth used having disintegrated. The system pinged.

Alert! A new quest has been added!

Quest: Lay to Rest

The player can bury this doll if they wish.

Rewards: miniscule XP.

"….How does something even think of doing this?" asked Jaune.

The Wyvern tilted its head before flying off to do as it wished. Suddenly the Wyvern crashed into the ground in shock of some kind. Jaune watched the Wyvern than waddled onto the floor and back into Jaune's shadow. Jaune felt the fear through their bond and quickly reacted. Jaune jumped to the side, dodging some kind of black energy.

"Tsk, so you managed to escape. No matter. Your flesh is mine regardless."

Jaune was about to sigh in relief when he noticed the ground was wet. Jaune slowly turned his head to the left and noticed one of the supposedly dead children were twitching on the floor…only to still a moment later.

"…."

"I can feel your fear!" chuckled the skeleton "come on is that all it took? A little experiment on the floor? They don't make Remnants like they used to."

Jaune scowled.

Jaune charged at the creature, dodging to the left as another blast of black magic sizzled past. Before the skeleton could do anything Jaune had already struck. He jumped forward and superman punched the Skeleton's skull. Jaune grinned as he watched the skull crack from the force he exerted…only for the crack to disappear almost instantly. The skull looked in his direction and titled its head.

"My turn."

The spirit held a bony hand out and Jaune saw black. He felt something trying to twist and burn into his skin and pushing him back. The force was great enough that Jaune barreled through the metal surrounding him and tore right into the outside. The sun burned into Jaune's eyes and the young man tried to right his body correctly in the air. Jaune landed hard as the blast dissipated, but he was not out. Jaune rolled to the side and quickly got up, dodging a more precise bolt aimed at where he was.

"Tsk. Your hide is tougher than I thought. My magic is substantially stronger than your own even with your natural element being what it is. Even the minor boost of the sun you get won't save you."

Jaune rolled his shoulders and grinned. The blast hurt no doubt…but.

The Player has lost 200 Health!

It was negligible at best.

"I wonder why? No no no…it should be a different way!?"

Jaune sighed. This thing wasn't mad, not really. It was just broken. A fragmented copy of someone that died long ago and was twisted by the experiments it preformed on itself.

"Just a labor caste!" muttered the spirit "shouldn't withstand my power!? YOU!" it demanded "YOU VEX ME! I will figure out how you work. Now be prepared for the dark power of the abyss!"

"….you do realize that I understand the alchemy you engraved into your ribs right?"

"….."

The thing lowered its hand and stared at him.

"….You didn't think I wouldn't notice?" chuckled Jaune "I saw the abyss in its entirety. I know exactly what it feels like. You're just using wind magic that's tinted black. Your scare tactics won't work on GRK!"

From beneath him a torrent of black wind reached for his throat and attempted to crush it. Thankfully his body was strong enough to withstand the force but not enough to prevent asphyxiation. The skeleton floated towards Jaune.

"You've seen the abyss? Ahh…a returner! I see her wretched mark all over you!"

ALERT!

A returner is another term for those that reawaken!

"Thanks for nothing" thought Jaune.

Jaune rose an eyebrow as he was being choked. He gripped the magic at his throat and used his passive to ignite the wind. It was of course snuffed out, the magic within stronger than his own. But now that his hands were covered in mana Jaune was capable of wrenching free. It was easy to do oddly enough. A quick tug and the mana dispersed in a shutter of embers. Before he fell to the ground Jaune reared back and socked the skeleton in the head. This time all his strength was used and Jaune sent the head flying away, splintered into little pieces. He felt sorry for the body that was taken for this creatures' purposes but right now his own survival took priority. Jaune couldn't help the grin that came to his face as he watched the creature piece its skull back together instantaneously. Jaune jumped back trying to gain some distance.

"It can repair itself" thought Jaune "but attacks with black wind magic. This things magic is strong enough to knock me around but now that I see it coming its not overly concerning…no….can't think like that. This thing knocked me out before prepared or otherwise. Got to be careful and think. Any damage I do just gets repaired…."

Jaune clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Salem" growled the skeleton "YOU'RE MARKED BY SALEM!"

"What of it" snarled Jaune.

Seems the spirit was in the mood to talk for now. Good. Gave Jaune time to think his next move.

"Salem is what made me this way!" roared the spirit "I am banished from death! Banished from life!"

The system pinged as Jaune the creature began to rant incoherently. The noise coming from it was a jumbled mess, a further sign of its instability as what was left of its mind splintered from rage.

WORLD BOUNDRY IS WEAK! DIRECT COMMUNICATION ESTABLISHED!

"Direct what now?" muttered Jaune.

Jaune stilled as a familiar voice echoed through his head. The from the shadows came Salem, her face pensive as she looked around.

"Oh? I went through."

"Salem?" muttered Jaune.

A throaty chuckle echoed up Jaune's spine.

"Hello entertainer. A pleasure to speak with you again. It's been a while since I could last manifest physically."

"But you were there?"

Salem chuckled.

"An illusion entertainer, nothing more. A bit of magic to heighten your senses to seem as if time stopped and an illusion to show myself. After all…wouldn't want your world to break now would I?"

Jaune looked at the skeleton and realized that it was frozen in time. The world around Jaune was frozen…but the color seemed to be draining away bit by bit. This was completely different than the last time Salem had shown herself back at the guild house.

"Under ordinary circumstances I wouldn't bother at all with such filth and just watch you struggle. Consider this a reward for your little prayer. What you face is a soul from your world. It has been aged and broken down many times over due to the wish they enacted on me. They demanded the secret of life. I told them that all life ends, no matter the length, and thus they wished to be banished from it. A poor choice of words as you can see. He annoyed me a great deal as well so I admit I was a little…vindictive."

Salem inspected her nails as she spoke. She looked at the skeleton with disinterest.

"Vindictive?" asked Jaune.

To Jaune Salem just ceased to be. He felt her behind him as she trailed her finger up his jaw.

"Oh yes. He irked me so I cursed his soul. No matter the physical form he takes the shell will slowly but surely erode away. The fool succeeded in his endeavours ages ago, he has just yet to realize that he will never truly succeed. So, worry not my little champion, it is possible for you to defeat such a creature. After all…you already have the tools necessary."

"Champion" smirked Jaune "I don't remember accepting that title."

Jaune swallowed as Salem stalked him, her small smile growing as she walked to his front and cupped his cheek. Her smile grew showing a small number of teeth. Her eyes pulsated with power and intent.

"Consider it a promotion of sorts. You've maintained my attention for this long, far longer than most. You at least deserve that much. Anyhow, this creature's name is Merlot and he was an Alchemist-"

"BLUEBEARD!? THIS NUT IS BLUEBEARD!?" yelled Jaune staggering back.

Salem smiled unseen by Jaune. She could feel hatred stemming from the man.

"I'm shocked your people remembered him."

"He was the sickest criminal in Atlas history" stated Jaune "he was like a boogey man story because no one found him…now I can see why."

"Indeed. Good luck my champion. An audience shouldn't interfere with a show, now should they?"

Jaune felt Salem's presence disappear. He noticed that as time resumed that bits of the world were…dead for lack of a better term. The shadows were larger, the plants dying, and even an animal or two were dead. The presence of a god did not go unnoticed it would seem. He remembered how tired his teammates were when they hit the bottom of those steps. He had always assumed it was the mana pulsating from the building but now…if an illusion was capable of doing that much…than what the hell would a full presence bring? Thoughts for later.

"…This just got personal…Bluebeard"

The skeletons head snapped at Jaune, the eyes glowing vibrantly.

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!"

"You!" growled Jaune "You!"

Bluebeard, also called Merlot. He was by far the sickest most disturbing individual that Atlas as a kingdom had ever produced. Having lived 1,378 years ago to this day Merlot was well known for his obsession with progressing science. Along with his obsession with children. When his crimes were discovered Merlot was hunted down with a zeal bordering on zealotry. The entirety of Remnant society had borne arms against this one man. His crimes of molestation, rape, and various others were so sickening that his legend was passed down as a horror story told to children on the dangers of talking to strangers. He had after all never been captured. Jaune now knew why. He had made a deal with Salem somehow…wait? Jaune heard the ding of the system.

Within Remnant society lies the seal of Solomon, a gift to your species first "Grand Caster". With it he can summon Salem for three wishes of his choice. The wise King that he was Solomon never used the seal…but he never destroyed it either. Thus, the seal has been used to summon her time and time again.

Jaune almost ignored system for now. This was…he thought he was angry before….but this? Fire escaped Jaunes mouth as he breathed, flames licked through the openings of his clothing and bare skin.

"I'll kill you!" roared Jaune.

It wasn't the story of old that drove Jaune to yell. Not really. It was the thought of what those poor kids went through in this monsters' hands. Jaune took a breath as he charged forward. Time seem to slow as he made his way through the barrage of magical energy aimed at him. Rushing forward like this was foolish but staying back was equally as dangerous. Jaune drew Kraine's sword from his inventory. Merlot laughed as Jaune approached. Even when Jaune gracefully moved through the barrage Merlot never ceased. Jaune swung his sword and scored a savage hit to the side of Merlot's "skull" but as usual the damage repaired itself. Jaune watched closely and scowled as the cracks in the skull seemed to heal. Unlike before the blow did not send the skull flying. To Jaune that meant Merlot had reinforced his skeleton body before the attack. Jaune jumped as Merlot laughed again, sending a wave of black mana. Jaune felt his left leg go numb as he landed. He turned and coughed in surprised at the sight of his left leg covered in ice.

"The classes" screamed Merlot "THE CLASSES LIMITED OUR POTENTIAL! NOTHING MORE THAN CHAINS THE GODS PLACED UPON US! DON'T YOU SEE THEY WERE AFRAID! AFRAID OF THE POTENTIAL THAT WE HAVE! I HAVE MASTERED WIND AND NOW AT LONG LAST EVEN ICE IS NOW MY DOMAIN!"

Jaune scoffed. Ice trap…an alchemic circle infused with a liquid of some kind. When Jaune landed the circle exploded and encased his left leg.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

FWOOSH!

Merlot stopped laughing as Jaune's entire body ignited into flames. The ice evaporated into nothing and Jaune hit his leg twice to ensure feeling.

"Hmmmm" grumbled Jaune.

Merlot finally remained silent and gestured both skeletal hands at Jaune. On each bare bone was an alchemic circle. For the first time Jaune noticed that the lines within Merlot's bones glowed black with energy.

"So you're dispensing the mana through the materials and into the circle through the grooves of your arm…must have been doing the same thing for wind through your ribs" stated Jaune.

Merlot growled as a glacier of ice shot forward. It was titanic. The sheer size of the glacier was enough to overtake the forest that surrounded them. Jaune idly noted that he saw the building he entered a way away as the ice thundered towards him.

"YOUR BODY IS MINE!" yelled Merlot.

Jaune let a breath out and walked forward unafraid. If Merlot was ice, then Jaune was fire! His entire body erupted into flames and protected him from the ice. The very nature of Jaune's passive let him walk through the ice unimpeded. After all this was no longer a battle between mana. That was the thing with alchemy. If Merlot was a true Cryomancer than Jaune's flames and this ice would be in a conflict over the potency of each of their mana. The fire would melt the ice and the ice would freeze over. A conflict of power. But Merlot was simply an Alchemist invoking a phenomenon. Unlike the wind that required constant mana to invoke this ice was simply created, shot forward and forgotten.

As such it melted with no issue.

"IMPOSSI-"

Jaune's fist tore through the last bit of ice and snapped Merlot's head right off its spine. Jaune scowled as Merlot's head returned.

"What does it take!"

Jaune jumped to the side, experience telling him never to remain in one place too long. He scowled as he watched Merlot aim another jet of frost his way. Jaune began to run to the side only to jerkforward in surprise and looked down. A thin needle of ice was protruding through his stomach.

"What?" asked Jaune.

Merlot began to chuckle as they shook their finger at him.

"Tsk TSk Tsk" laughed Merlot "you didn't think that was all I could do, did you? NOW FREEZE OVER!"

Once more Jaune erupted in flames. Merlot roared in anger, thwarted once more.

"YOUR FLAMES! HOW CAN A HUMAN USE DRAGON FIRE? DRAGON'S BLOOD DOESN'T DO THAT!"
Jaune rose an eyebrow.

"…"

He's called the idiot Alchemist for a reason.

"No kidding" thought Jaune "If I'm using dragon fire than that idiot is definitely using the abyss."

The sarcasm was real in this instance. Jaune had never seen someone so smart and stupid at the same time. He was like a child thinking they had a "cursed eye" or something. Sure, much like his passive, dragon fire ignited basically anything. But the difference was stark. Jaune produced ACTUAL fire. Dragon's breathed mana that mimicked flames, thus allowing them to burn even sprits and raw mana. Similar but distinct. If Jaune could use dragon fire than Merlot would have been dead ages ago, his spirit subjected to the flames and destroyed. Merlot was protected by his superior strength in magic and so Jaune's own fire was ineffective at the moment.

"YOU SHOULD BE FROZEN!"

"JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME KICK YOUR ASS!" yelled Jaune.

"Who am I kidding" thought Jaune "Merlot has long range attacks and ice magic. The ice is easy enough to deal with but the wind attacks are difficult. Merlot can't muster enough power to actually damage me if I keep moving and attacking…but whatever damage I do just gets healed! What do I have to do at this point? Grind him into….dust….."

Merlot tilted its head as Jaune's aura changed. His smile turned evil as a small chuckle escaped his mouth. Merlot merely growled and let loose a barrage of ice spears. The pointed crystals attempted to spear through Jaune but Jaune grinned as he let his flames loose once more. Jaune frowned though as he noticed his Mana was dropping steadily. Merlot didn't seem to be running out of mana either, which was a concern. Spirits were well known for having ridiculous mana capacities and the ability to take mana from virtually any source. Merlot was different though…so who knows what kind of tricks he had or didn't.

Jaune got it close again, dodging some of the falling trees. They had moved further into the forested area and leaving the abandoned building. There were large stones spread across this forest, each a remnant of a building long since destroyed. Merlot grew annoyed as Jaune got closer and closer. The wisps of black energy that was intertwined within Merlot's borrowed body erupted.

"FUCK OFF!" yelled Merlot.

Jaune just laughed again, digging even further under Merlot's…uh...bones? The torrent of black wind was powerful, deadly even. Yet, Merlot's anger had caused his aim to become skewed. He simply aimed on instinct rather than experience and growled as Jaune finally got close. When was this child going to learn that hitting it wasn't enough!?

YOINK!

"…..Eh?" asked Merlot.

Merlot stilled as he watched Jaune jump back several dozen meters. It looked to his right arm and noticed it was missing at the elbow joint.
"That…that was it?" chuckled Merlot "THAT WAS IT!?"

The loud insane laughter grated on Jaune's ears but he didn't mind. He'd have his revenge soon enough. Jaune knew his grind skill couldn't just grind things into dust on touch. It grinded things into a perfect edge. But as Jaune had been learning, skills were not entirely as rigid as Merlot believed. So long as you knew how to do it. Unlike heroes and mages Jaune had ample experience using actual tools for his trade and how best to use them in conjunction. Jaune gripped Kraine's sword in his left hand and braced it against his leg. The sword heated up and cooled within a second with a key new feature. Running along the length of the blade were sharp grooves not unlike a fish.

Or a grater.

"Oh what" laughed Merlot "you think your C rank sword can cut my!?"

Merlot didn't get to finish as Jaune's battle crazed laughter echoed through the field accompanied by a loud screech. Alteration, Structural Analysis, and Grind's skill infused into the sword. The sword vibrated as alteration made the blade's surface move at a high speed while Grind added extra oomph and kept the scales perfectly sharp. Jaune rammed the skeleton's arm into the blade and began to rub it against Kraine's sword over and over again, a demonic glow emanating from his eyes and his laughter echoing around Merlot.

"NO!" yelled Merlot "STOP IT YOU IDIOT SKILLS…DON'T…work that way?"

Merlot watched in horror as his bones were grinded into bits of dust within seconds. His arm, his hand, and even the fingers. All of it was gone and built a pile at the end. A rush of steam left Jaune's mouth as his crimson eyes bore into Merlot. He grinned and curled his finger at Merlot in a come here gesture.

"NO! NO SKILLS DON'T WORK THAT WAY! B RANK HEROES CAN'T USE THREE SKILLS SIMUTANIOUSLY FOR THAT LONG!? YOU'RE JUST A LABOR CASTE!?"

Jaune's laughter dropped an octave.

"Exactly" grinned Jaune.

He dashed forward with all his strength, catching Merlot off guard by launching himself at him. Jaune gripped Merlot's lower Jaune, his sword at his side still twisting at the surface.

WARNING! PLAYER AT 48% MANA!

"I'm just a labor caste!"

With a twist Jaune ripped Merlot's jaw apart and slammed it into his sword, the metal screeching against the bone. Merlot yelled in annoyance. Jaune chuckled as the spirit tried to talk but couldn't…it seemed that the state of the body and spirit were more intertwined than he though.

Good.

"Gar…GHar…"

Jaune smiled as he slammed Merlot's skull into the ground. The ground beneath Merlot began to darken as his mana seeped from his being.

"You can't leave this shell can you?" asked Jaune "you would have abandoned it in a moment if you could".

In Jaune's experience spirits were fragile if you could hurt their core. Merlot grinned in its mind, unafraid of Jaune's ability to harm it. Pain was temporary after all. Merlot twitched as Jaune took his legs, savagely pushing them through Kraine's sword at high speeds.

WARNING! PLAYER IS NOW AT 29% MANA.

CRACK!

Jaune scowled as Kraine's sword began to crack. No matter Jaune's skill as a craftsman, Kraine's sword was still only C rank. The constant shifting of its now scaled surface was bound to wear at its durability. Jaune didn't care though. Merlot had shown concern…which meant that destroying his body was a weak point. As Merlot continued to struggle Jaune brought forth Gae Bolg.

Merlot's movements ceased. Every inch of its being screamed in terror at the weapon. It meant only one thing. It could harm spiritual existences. Merlot's body was indestructible or at least it was. No matter the damage done to it Merlot would survive. Even if his head was grinded away by Jaune's sword it would merely put him back a tad. He couldn't remain in the physical world, true, but so long as Merlot was on the ground…he had options. But that spear changed everything. If it could damage Merlot's spiritual body even a little…than Merlot's entire existence would change. Even more memories would be lost, skills would be gone, and perhaps even his entire sense of self. Damage to the soul was a devastating injury that couldn't be healed normally. Merlot doubted any god and their priests would assist him. Merlot focused his energy as Jaune's spear was raised. As the spear was driven through Merlot's skull, his skeletal body disassembled, the mana no longer presents to keep it together. Jaune took a breath as he carefully removed his spear from the skull. The poor man this used to be had his body desecrated enough in Jaune's opinion.

"…"

Jaune narrowed his eyes at the pool of black that was beneath Merlot. Shadows from the trees and surrounding area was converging on Merlot's abandoned body.

"What th-"

SMACK!

A huge meaty fist erupted from the darkness and smashed into Jaune's unsuspecting form. He was sent hurtling through the trees before slamming into a rock formation. Jaune coughed up a bit of blood as he had bit his mouth when he landed. Jaune grimaced as his right arm broke on impact.

THE PLAYER IS CURRENTLY AT 1842

THE PLAYER HAS SUFFERED A CRITICAL HIT AND HAS BROKEN THEIR RIGHT ARM!

Jaune grunted as his arm refused to cooperate. His arm felt like hot needles were running through it.

Every attempt to move it came with a searing pain. Jaune felt something lumbering its way here…could

it be a summon of some sort? Jaune wasn't entirely sure but now wasn't the time to remain idle.

"Come on" thought Jaune "come on!"

His arm twitched upwards as the pain increased. His legs were still whole thankfully and he began to

stand up but he faltered as his vision spun. The system was pinging something fierce but Jaune ignored

it.

"Alright…something big was summoned up…summons cannot remain without the summoners

mana…which means that Merlot isn't dead but hiding…"

Jaune thought back to the letter and breathed a sigh of annoyance.

"He's a body jumper" growled Jaune.

It was the only thing that made the most sense. Merlot couldn't have used a single skeleton all this time. It had literally been hundreds of years since the mad man disappeared. Any skeleton open to the elements like that would eventually just wither away. It wasn't as if mana preserved everything forever. Not to mention that Salem had cursed the asshole. But sprits needed mediums, they couldn't exist in the physical plain without one. It was a solid rule in remnant…one that made spirits like Merlot so damn rare. Jaune was still wondering how Merlot even got to stay in the physical plane in the first place. The guy's body was never found which meant wherever he did his stupid experiment and summoned Salem was isolated. So how did he get a body if he was likely alone? There was something else that Merlot had, probably an ace in the hole. It was normal for spirits to jump from body to body but it was a process that took a while.

"Something else to worry about" grumbled Jaune.

The lumbering increased but it was still a way off. He could probably run away. Yet, the battle lust just made Jaune grin again. The lack of fear for his own life making the battle even more fun. Jaune felt blood trail down his forehead and down over his left eye. His vision was a little blurring, his head spinning. Jaune was steadily getting clearer though.

"Got to adjust the arm first" he thought "bandage it or something…but with what?"

Jaune didn't have the time to just jerry rig a bandage. His arm was broken and he didn't have the time to just attempt at tearing his armors clothe. Jaune felt something soft brush past his arm.

"Hmm?"

CRACK!

Jaune cringed as something tightened around his arm. It coiled quickly and tightened even further into place. The system's pinging was incessant so Jaune finally looked. The window opened with a blaring red rather than a blue.

WARNING! UNUSUAL ACTIVITY WITHIN INVENTORY. ITEM FORCING EJECTION. MANA VESTIGE ANALYZED: SHIROU PENDRAGON.

"NO!" yelled Jaune.

He looked to his right arm and cringed at the sight of a satin red clothe. His father's shroud. In his inventory before his awakening Jaune had always carried one item from each of his parents. This, was his father's. Before Shirou had fallen to the sleep he had given his son the shroud he wore at his waist. Worried about the damage it might accumulate Jaune had hidden it away within his inventory, bringing it out only when he couldn't see his father. The clothe almost had a mind of its own, wrapping around Jaune's arm and tightening it back into place with a crunch. Jaune always had minimum information with this thing…but perhaps now would be different?

INSPECT!

The Shroud of Martin (Rank: B)

The shroud of a saint that has seen battle. It grants the wearer a resistance to curses and hexes while giving a minor (C) boost to constitution. ADDITONAL: This is a shroud worn by the Player's father. The mana within has saturated from decades of use resulted in a vestige of Shirou to lie within. This mana is reacting to the player! The mana within has soothed the player's pain! This item has 0 healing capabilities.

He knew his father wasn't the average blacksmith. He went with his mother during raids after all. But the fact he was wearing it now did not sit well with Jaune. This was the only thing of his father that he had left. Shirou may not have been dead but that didn't mean that this shroud wasn't precious. He attempted to remove it, soothing his pain be damned. Yet the damn thing just tightened even further, unwilling to give Jaune the leverage to begin unravelling it. It covered every inch of skin all the way up to his shoulder. To Jaune's surprise he could move his arm and fingers like normal…even if it hurt like a bitch.

"…."

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

Jaune scowled as he stared at the creature…no at Merlot. Unlike his skeletal body this was a living creature…or at least one that didn't decay much. It was an ogre, standing at 12 feet tall and built like a tree at six feet wide. The head was like a pig with eyes that were pitch black. It had arms like a man yet its legs were hooved and built like a pigs. The body was bulky but fat. The arms were well muscled along with a few scars. Merlot kept chuckling as they stared at Jaune.

"Thought you could run away?"

Jaune was a little creeped out by the fact the ogre's mouth didn't move…he would admit that much. He noticed that around the black eyes the skin was beginning to peel off. So it wasn't that the body wasn't decaying…but simply that the body was in the early stages.

"You like this one?" asked Merlot "I took it a while ago and decided to store it away until I needed it…thanks to you I have to look for another mana rich skeleton! You know how hard it is to find those! Took me this entire world before I found it! I may have destroyed a few leylines but what does it matter…I don't plan to stay! Soon the world will remember Merlot! You got here through a gate…so tell me where it is and I'll let you live!"

Jaune wanted to really hit his head against the floor. He really did. It seemed that Merlot, for all his intelligence was still incredibly stupid. The man had spent the entirety of the time Jaune had spent with him telling Jaune that he was Merlot's perfect body. So why on remnant would Jaune believe such a bold-faced lie? The splintered soul thing must be wrecking more havoc on the guy than he thought. Merlot growled in irritation at the grin that showed on Jaune's face.

"What are you smiling about! STOP THAT!"

"You and me both know that Ogre's are powerful creatures" smiled Jaune "their skin and bones are highly resistant to magic. You probably took over its body in hopes that its magically resistant existence would stifle Salem's curse."

"How did? I never told you!?"

"You can't use magic in that body can you?" smirked Jaune.

"URK!"

Jaune grinned.

"Finally…I CAN HIT YOU!"

Jaune charged forward and punched Merlot in the face as hard as he could. There was two reasons for such a frontal assault. The first was obviously to hit the damn thing. The second…was to test a hypothesis.

"That dark puddle…it is obviously connected to Merlot in some fashion. I got to figure out how and why…could it be that Merlot recreated the inventory system?"

Would explain why the ogre came from the puddle. Inventory could be invoked anywhere anytime…but if Merlot was no longer connected to the class system than he probably didn't have access to the inventory system either. Yet…the darkness pooled around Merlot's fallen form over time. Jaune had watched only a few shadows within a 4-foot radius pool together. Spirits were not connected to the physical plane. In the rare case of deceased souls they were not on the other side either. The abyss existed between this world and others…was it possible that Merlot was storing things in there?

"BRAT!"

Jaune side stepped the slow punch and clicked his tongue.

"…you stored this body in the abyss didn't you? You lost your inventory system when you died…so that was the only way. You don't like it there do you?"

It was the only thing that made sense. The Abyss was connected to every world, physical and spiritual. It was the space that existed between them and prevented worlds from crashing into each other. Much like the sea its waves embed and flowed. It was believed that when the Abyss receded from a certain space that gates were born. If Merlot was storing his bodies in some…abyssal state than he could simply traverse the area to return home or even go to different dimensions. Yet, here he was still.

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SWIMS IN THOSE SEAS….THE MONSTERS I'VE SEEN! THEY WERE….THEY WERE…"

The man whimpered as he stated his last word.

"Beautiful!"

Jaune shivered as he watched the Ogre coo. It was weird.

"LIKE TRUE KINGS THEY LET NONE STEP INTO THEIR TERRITORY! IT IS THEY THAT RULE! NOT SALEM! ONE DAY THEY'RE GLORIOUS FLESH WILL BE MINE!...NO….NO THAT'S NOT RIGHT! I WANT TO LIVE NOT BE DROWNED!?"

Jaune's eye twitched. It was more believable that Salem ordered the creatures to kill Merlot's soul rather than them being stronger than Salem. Why else give him the time of day other wise?

"You really are broken aren't you?" whispered Jaune.

A part of him felt pity. A bigger part felt vindication. Jaune rushed in for another bout. He used his left arm to hit Merlot in his knee joint. Merlot screamed in agony as the bone went a twisted direction. It was painful…which meant that Merlot's health must suck.

"You feel all of this don't you" growled Jaune.

Jaune jumped up, ramming his right knee into Merlot's exposed chin. Nothing broke but Jaune felt the Ogre's jaw rattle. Merlot staggered back.

"GOT HIM!" thought Jaune.

Yet, as he charged forward once again Jaune was struck by a wayward smack from Merlot. Jaune tumbled through the forests again as he was sent flying. Jaune coughed as he slammed into a tree. He grimaced as he shook his head. Thankfully the damage was minimal…but still the fact that Merlot could hit him so hard with an unfocused blow was concerning.

"Don't rush…don't let the fight rush to your head" thought Jaune.

The savage grin remained but Jaune heard Merlot complaining as he charged forward again.

"WHY DON'T YOU STOP!" yelled Merlot "I'M STRONGER THAN YOU!?"

Jaune dodged a big haymaker and ran up Merlot's arm. His right arm was aching too much to focus well so Jaune soccer kicked Merlot in the face sending Merlot's ogre head back.

"IT HURTS!" yelled Merlot.

"Should have stayed a skeleton!" chuckle Jaune "you're in my territory now!"

Rather than aim for the head Jaune landed and went for body shots. Every few blows sent Merlot staggering back. But Jaune didn't go through this unscathed. Staying close to Merlot prevented the man from hitting Jaune with heavy attacks. Yet, while mitigated a great deal, the small blows Merlot dealt were still piling damage. Jaune felt his left eye close from swelling and a bit of blood begin to drip from his mouth. His shoulders ache…and he was pretty sure a rib was broken. But even so Jaune kept attacking.

ALERT!

CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN MET! DRAGON HIDE NOW MITIGATES AN ADDITIONAL 1.5% OF DAMAGE!

Jaune was getting beat to near death and his resistant to physical damage only went up a percent? Jaune chuckled as Merlot raised both arms. Merlot's overhead attack failed to connect but made Jaune jump back. Through the smoke Merlot rushed on all fours his endless pits for eyes leaking shadowy energy. Jaune spat his into Merlot's face as he neared, causing Merlot's eyes to spark and shut. Ogre eyes were well known for being resistant to damage. But Jaune was pretty sure foreign liquid in the eyes still friggen hurt.

"BASTARD!"

Merlot titled his head in an attempt to stop the burning giving Jaune the opening he needed. Jaune stepped forward and grappled Merlot's head. Jaune gave no resistance as Merlot's momentum carried him forward. Yet, as Jaune's feet reconnected with the ground, Jaune used Merlot's momentum and his own strength to twist Merlot around onto his back. Merlot's head rested above Jaune's right arm. It burned from the pressure and weight but Jaune gritted through. Merlot was about to talk but Jaune was having none of it. His body hurt, his chest burned, and his bloody grin went wider as he lifted his left arm…and rammed his elbow directly into Merlot's large eye. The man screamed from the pain as Jaune kept landing more and more elbow strikes. Merlot's upper body was impressive, but the lower body of an ogre was substantially weaker than their upper body. Once dropped it didn't take much force to keep an ogre down, much like it doesn't take much force to keep an alligator's mouth shut.

"GRK! GRK! GRK!"

SLAM. SLAM. SLAM.

Jaune had to conserve his mana. Every single fiber of his being was screaming at him to torch this sick bastard…which was why Jaune knew it was best to keep in it reserve. This entire trip was a big cluster fuck from the start. Jaune had assumed he was a great deal stronger than the dungeon and that assumption got him here broken and bleeding. The fact that he was currently manhandling the miniboss with a flurry of elbow strikes to the face didn't count. Jaune couldn't exert much force from the position but the multitude of blows more than made up for it. Jaune began to feel Merlot's head give way, a cracking sound echoing in the forests amongst Merlot's rabid screaming. In the corner of his eye Jaune saw the shadow of a shrub expand and connect with Merlot's own. Jaune kept an eye on it as he reared back more and hit Merlot's head hard enough to lift his now calved feet off the ground with a hammer fist rather than his elbow. The shadows instantly retreated once a part of Merlot's body left the ground. As Merlot's feet touched the ground the shadows instantly reconnected…and the body went limp.

"…So there is a cast time for that" thought Jaune.

Jaune jumped as far as he could from the now medium sized puddle of shadows. The surface of it rippled as a figure began to protrude from it. Merlot was speaking but Jaune found it hard to focus on him. His lungs burned a bit from his exertion but he was steadily regaining his breath.

"…So he's using something that connects to the abyss to store his bodies. However, he needs to be connected to the shadows in order to activate the skill or spell that he's using. There's a length of time that he needs to activate it. I have a feeling there's a reason he needs to switch bodies before it expires. With possession it doesn't matter…but if the dark invasion skill is an intrusive and complete as the system states…than when Merlot merges he does so completely…if the body dies than Merlot most lose any connection he has to the physical plane."

It was necessary for the souls of the deceased to have something that tethers them in order to remain in the physical world. Raw emotion would not create that tether. An angry spirit would not just possess their sword or the body of fallen comrades. It just didn't happen in Remnant. Necromancers were the only class able to interact with and manipulate souls. It was what made them powerful…and what also made them the targets for complete and utter eradication. As such Merlot did not miraculously have a Necromancer waiting in his left wing, considering they've been dead for about as long as recorded history. Whatever Merlot did to himself is what allowed him to tether himself…but it wasn't a permanent solution. His soul was rotting, unable to move on due to Salem's curse, not that the fool wanted to in the first place. That same curse caused whatever physical form Merlot inhabit to rot away and die as well. Merlot was nothing more than a rotting corpse waiting for oblivion…a fate worse than death. Jaune spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and took a deep breath. His ribs were doing better now, his draconic body already putting them back into place. They were tender though…it wouldn't take much to break them all over again.

"Kind of wished I had mom's healing factor right about now" thought Jaune.

Alas, Jaune had the factor of a dragon (A+) much like his mother but there were things even he hadn't inherited from her.

"Alright" muttered Jaune "time to focus."

The body that Merlot was summoning up was taking a while to come out. Probably meant that his inventory (Fake) wasn't all that great. It gave Jaune a breather though. Not to mention that Jaune wasn't all too big on touching the darkness of the Abyss. The system had proven it wasn't entirely accurate with some concepts. As such Jaune was not in the mood to test his "Abyss Walker" title.

"Alright" breathed Jaune "let's g-"

Jaune stilled. He was prepared for the fight of his life. He was ready to face whatever monstrosity that Merlot had managed to recruit. But this? This was not something he was prepared for. The shock was almost too much.

Merlot stood before Jaune in all his metallic glory, a suit of armor that once belonged to a knight of old. The armor was stained black with blue cracks spreading through out it. The time in the abyss not having served the armor well.

"There won't be any pain with this!" growled Merlot "I almost got eaten dragging this out! NO MORE MERCY FOR YOU!"

Ignoring that Jaune had completely curb stomped Merlot's supposed "stronger" body, this metallic armor was certainly imposing. Tall and lithe, the armor itself was beautifully made even if its luster was lost to time. Merlot's magic created two golden lights that acted as eyes once more.

"This was my first body" sighed Merlot "after Salem banished me from death this was the only thing I could possess near me! Do you understand the humiliation I felt? The utter travesty of me, ME! Being caught within this…metallic coffin? This body does nothing to impede my souls corrosion…but in return I can move so much more freely!"

Merlot was gone, his body now behind Jaune. Jaune blinked and turned but he wasn't fast enough. Merlot landed a hard strike across Jaune's face, causing the young boy to fall back.

"To resort to fists instead of magic! Only the barbaric resort to such methods!"

Jaune coughed and smirked.

"You're just annoyed cause I beat you in your "stronger" body."

"SILENCE YOU BRAT!"

Merlot disappeared again. A foot connecting to Jaune's stomach.

"This" thought Jaune.

An quick inspect told him all he needed to know.

INSPECT!

The Armor of Igris! (Rank: A)

The armor of a legendary knight whose loyalty was unmatched. This was the armor of a hero whose name echoes through Remnant's history as the knight that ended the tyranny of his king. Their loyalty to the people cementing the reputation of the Knight class even to this day. It's power and abilities have been stripped from it due to its time in the abyss…but even so its noble bearing remains undeterred.

Jaune eye's began to turn a smoldering crimson as he looked at Merlot charging him again. They burned much like before, his sense of time shifting. H could feel something click into his head as Jaune settled on a plan. He knew this feeling.

OST UNLOCKED: Two Steps from Hell – Heart of Courage!

A song…a song with a thundering tune played within Jaune, his eyes staring into Merlot's as the man rushed in with superior speed. Merlot wasn't using the power of Igris's armor. If he was Jaune would have been dead in the first blow. No…it was just that the armor itself was light-weight and empty. Merlot's mana was potent enough to effectively burst his mana over and over again within the armor for extreme bouts of speed, the multiple explosions sending Merlot ahead faster and faster as he moved. Yet, to Jaune's eyes Merlot was briefly visible. He opened his arms wide and stepped to the side.

CLUNK!

"WHAT!? LET ME GO BRAT! WHAT ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Jaune groaned in pain as he wrapped his left arm around his right and squeezed, trapping Merlot's current form against himself. He grappled against Merlot and lifted the man well off the ground. Jaune's eyes glowed a searing red as he took a breath and focused. He didn't have much mana left…there was no guarantee he could pull this off. Steam escaped Jaune's mouth as he braced himself.

"URK!"

Jaune grunted as Merlot began to rain blows on his back, the metal of the armor digging into his skin and tearing it bit by bit.

"LET! ME! GO!" yelled Merlot.

Jaune ignored Merlot. He ignored the pain. When he saw Merlot's current form he couldn't help but be stupefied. It was impossible. It couldn't be.

Jaune couldn't be that lucky.

"DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH TO BREAK A RANK ARMOR! PATHETIC CHILD I'LL WEAR YOUR CORPSE IF I HAVE TO!"

Jaune almost buckled, his mind a searing sea of pain. His back, his face, his ribs, and his right arm. A warm feeling hit Jaune's back, a soothing pair of hands placed braced against him.

"Fight" she whispered.

The voice of the mother of stars echoed in his mind. His sentiment shared with her. Merlot jerked back as Jaune's strength gained a second win. Merlot than noticed a pair of circuit blue lines slowly going up his body.

"….Are….ARE YOU AN IDIOT! STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS DOES NOTHING YOU FOOL! YOUR POWER IS WASTED ON YOU!"

"Structural Analysis" muttered Jaune, invoking the name of the skill for extra focus.

"IDIOT!"

SLAM!
Jaune coughed a bit, but the power of the sun soothed his wounds, if only marginally. The last time Enya had attacked through him what little of her power she used had left Jaune's insides burning up. The gods would not help here. Not that Jaune wanted them to. Jaune grimaced as he gripped harder, unwilling to allow Merlot any chance of escape.

"Analyzing structure…50%" thought Jaune "…65%"

It was slow…so very slow.

"It must be the ranking" thought Jaune "it's the only explanation."

Skills were powerful, no doubt, but there were restrictions and gaps that could only be learned through experience as Jaune was now fully understanding. He coughed a bit of blood as another strike hit him. Jaune looked up, his grin leaving his face. This wasn't a mindless creature he was fighting. This was a sentient thinking man, broken as he was.

"WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE…."

Merlot stilled as Jaune invoked his second skill. Interfacing with the entire armor took time…so it was obvious that his second skill would take some time as well.

"What have you done!?" yelled Merlot "How!? HOW CAN I FEEL MAGIC!? I'M METAL I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING!?"

By interfacing with every single point of the armor Jaune had effectively closed off any escape for Merlot. His mana burned as it enclosed the armor. Jaune could feel resistance from his second skill, the mana bubbling as it tried to enact it. Was this a skill failure? Either way it didn't matter. Jaune could feel the resistance growing weaker and weaker.

"You!?" Merlot stopped ranting as they looked down. Jaune's eyes were a blazing crimson, his face stone. He glared at Merlot, activating his skill over and over again until it succeeded.

"What are you doing?" demanaded Merlot, his voice subdued "structural analysis doesn't work like this? It can't trap mana!"

Jaune's eyes seemed to peer deeper into Merlot. Merlot felt something grip his entire existence as he recognized that look. It was the look of a man about to kill. It didn't make sense to Merlot how Jaune was using his skills…they…they were restrictive!

"SKILLS ARE THE TRAP OF THE GODS!" yelled Merlot, who renewed his assault "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT THEIR PUPPET!"

Jaune sighed. The blows were hurtful but they did nothing to fully impede him like Merlot's ogre.

"You know" sighed Jaune "you're really annoying. At least get your ramblings straight."

He looked dead into Merlot's eyes, as much as he could with his bruised face.

"DISMANTLE" intoned Jaune.

"Dis-what?"

The section around Merlot's chest was destroyed instantly, the armor slowly but surely eroding away.

"I have to jump!" thought Merlot.

Merlot stilled as the shadows remained on the ground around his feet.

"What?"

"Arrogant aren't you" sighed Jaune "every skill has limits. Every magic has limits. So long as you don't touch the ground there's no more bodies for you."

"NO!" yelled Merlot.

Merlot swung their right fist, only for it to shatter into specks of blue on contact. Merlot's lower body disintegrated as Jaune stared at him impassively.

"You…you dare kill me!" growled Merlot "I am banished from death fool! I will haunt you! Every waking moment!"

Jaune just stared at him. Merlot fell quiet as Jaune's eyes bore into him. It wasn't that Jaune had killing intent or anything. It was the utter lack of interest in them as more and more of Merlot disappeared. The power of dark invasion was great. A fusion so complete that there was no fight for control over a body. Yet, due to its immense power, the fusion resulted in a weakness. If the body died.

So did the user.

"I resolved myself long ago" muttered Jaune "to free my mother...I'll kill if I have to. You're just a stepping stone."

The helmet was the only thing left as Jaune cupped it.

"One I won't even remember."

Jaune crushed the helmet into blue motes between his hands. Jaune sighed as he dropped to the ground. It was time to rest.

TIME REMAINING: 1 hour and 20 minutes

"….Crap" muttered Jaune.

With that Jaune's eyes grew heavy and sleep over took him. Unbenowst to Jaune was a steady hand running their fingers through his hair, their power lulling him to sleep. The spiritual existance stood as Jaune slept, ensured of his safety.

She had something she needed to do. Something that had been waiting for well over a thousand years.

-In the void between worlds-

Merlot's soul was sent crashing from the physical plane, no physical substance to keep him tied to the world of the living.

"FUCKING BRAT!" yelled Merlot "I will…"

He turned. In this world the idea of color was non-existent. There was no landmark or plants that could be seen. It was the void, a place that Merlot feared above all else. Yet, within this void was a child.

"….oh ho" smiled Merlot.

In his purest essence Merlot looked how he did in life. Wild hair that went against his old age, Merlot's obsessive nature gave him a zealous energy. His wicked smile as he looked at the child grew. He could bide his time after all. Suddenly more and more children surrounded him, each of them from various species and ages. All below the age of ten. Yet, their looks were filled with anger and fear.

"I know you" murmured Merlot "…I know all of you?"

The children made way for a woman in robe of pure sunlight. Her face was obscured but Merlot knew who this was.

"PFFT" laughed Merlot "the mother of stars?" he felt jubilation as he stared at her "oh what are you going to?"

He never finished.

For Enya's hand was already over his heart.

"What?"

He could feel it, a burning so intense that he lost all feeling in his chest.

Who was he?

What was his name?

What was happening?

Merlot blinked as a small dark green ball was removed from his chest. Enya caressed it to her busom and flicked her wrist at Merlot. His soul was reduced to nothing more than what looked like ashes. His entire immortal existence now consigned to the void, his mind never to return. The green soul in her chest pulsated with life as Enya began the long process of restoring this poor devoured soul.

"You have been avenged" smiled Enya "I can lead you to new lives…if you wish?"

The children surrounding her smiled as their forms dispersed, their essence collecting into Enya's robe, ready for the journey.

"Will he be ok?"

Enya smiled, her energy giving the spiritual equivalent of ruffling the child's hair. Her energy surrounded the souls of the children she carried, repairing whatever damage had accumulated.

"Oh…I believe he'll be just fine."

Enya looked beyond the worlds and focused on a child that had earned her affection so long ago. A spitfire of a boy whose will was unyielding. A stubborn and prideful child.

"Just fine indeed."

Enya smiled as she reached across and caressed Jaune's hair once more. She wouldn't be able to do this in remnant when he returned. At least not until the festival.

"I'll see you soon my son."

-With Jaune 32 minutes later-

"AH!"

Jaune jumped and got into a fighting position as he looked around.

"Still alive" muttered Jaune "that's a plus."

Jaune patted his body down and smiled at his full recovery.

"…Gods I love my passives" he muttered.

He looked around and noticed that the Wyvern he made his pet was looking at him with watery eyes. Its emotions were apparent to Jaune through their link. Jaune smiled as he knelt down.

"Hey, no tears little guy. I'm fine, see?"

The Wyvern sniffled as it jumped up and down. Jaune felt a cute arrow pierce his heart as he stared at the Wyvern, a sense of peace filling his soul.

"So cute" thought Jaune.

Jaune took out the doll from his inventory. He frowned as his good mood left him. He didn't know if he fully destroyed Merlot…but at the least he won't destroy this place anymore. Jaune knelt down and quickly dug a hole. His strength was more than enough to dig through the ground. He placed the doll underneath and buried it. With a few of the sticks around and a bit of alteration Jaune made a wooden plank. Instead of just the child Jaune put a few words on the plank. He made it out to all those that had lost their lives thanks to Merlot. Not all Red gates were filled with monsters. Sometimes they led to worlds that were peaceful and full of trading opportunities. But in this instance…Jaune clasped his hands and prayed to Enya and Salem to guide the souls of those who had lost their way here. Jaune smiled as he felt the sun grow warmer on his back. He didn't feel much from Salem but Jaune knew she was watching. Knowing her she was looking at him wondering what the fuck he was doing.

Jaune sighed.

"I can't believe this whole world was subjected to bluebeard all this time…these poor people."

ALERT!

THE PLAYER HAS COMPLETED A QUEST!

Lay to Rest

Reward: Miniscule XP

THE PLAYER HAS EARNED A DROP:

Recipes for Alchemy

THE PLAYER HAS LEARNED THE FOLLOWING!

The Helmet of Igris (Masterpiece)

The Cuirass of Igris (Masterpiece)

The Gauntlets of Igris (Masterpiece)

The Vambraces of Igris (Masterpiece)

The Greaves of Igris (Masterpiece)

The player has 25 minutes remaining.

At least Jaune had gotten something increadible out of this fight. A book of alchemic recipes and a god damn armor set that focused heavily on "KNIGHT" class skills. The knowledge within the designs had shown Jaune how to tether runes to increase the potency of skills and certain actions. More knowledge for the future. More innovation to test out.

"Still have time to kill" smiled Jaune "….maybe…"

Jaune unwrapped the shroud from his right arm. He smiled as he looked at it, remembering the day his father wrapped it around his neck like a scarf. Jaune bit his lip and decided to try something. He hadn't taken it out from his inventory for years. It hurt him too much to even hold it back than…but he was different now. He was stronger than before…Jaune swallowed as he closed his eyes. A small feeling of nausea filled him as an item dropped into his hands. It filled him with a familiar energy…the energy of one Arturia Pendragon.

"Mother" thought Jaune.

Jaune opened his eyes to reveal a hilt of a broken sword. What remained of the blade was a brilliant gold, shattered from near the hilt. The hilt and grip were a combination of blue and gold metal. Even shattered the blade was beautiful.

INSPECT!

The Hilt of Caliburn! The Sword of Kings! (Rank: A)

The sword of selection that was created by the incubus Merlin. Once a tool used in hopes of furthering Uther's ambitions the blade rejected his touch. It found a home in the hands of a young Arturia Pendragon and remained at her side for quite some time. It shattered in the stadium of Atlas, it's structural integrity unable to handle the mana of its user. While the power of the sword is incredible the blade itself could not withstand battle for long. It shattered and with it went mankinds hopes for the creation of A rank weapons. Within this fragment lies a vestige of Arturia Pendragon. The Player's mana excites the mana within, allowing it to bubble to the surface above the swords power.

The swords abilities were shattered along with the blade.

"A vestige…the collection of mana left behind by past users" murmured Jaune.

All a vestige did was generate the feeling of the person that wielded it previously. Maybe an emotion here or there. They were echoes of what came before. It could take decades to form an imprint and for what? Nothing more than a feeling but sometimes…sometimes that was all you needed. Jaune felt his eyes watered as he got to bask in his mother's mana. Her very presence was near him now and finally after all these years he could truly appreciate what he had left of her for a few moments before the mana sickness seeped in. Jaune smiled as he put the hilt away yet as he looked through his inventory a small item finally caught his eye. One that he constantly forgot about.

"The boxes!" chuckled Jaune "I didn't have the time to open these yet."

Who was Jaune kidding, he forgot all about them. Jaune grinned as the good fortune box fell into his hands. It was a white box with a blue ribbon the size of his palm.

Would the Player like to open the "Good Fortune Box"?

"Yes" grinned Jaune.

The box glowed and through its light Jaune couldn't help but get excited. The good fortune box stated that it would generate something that Jaune wanted. It would it be excellent tools! A super weapon! As the light died down Jaune beheld the…

The cake?

Jaune blinked at the slab of vanilla cake that was now placed into his hands.

The Player has received "Missing Birthday Cake!"

Jaune stared at the cake and blinked.

"Are…are you serious?"

This was a cake Jaune had lost so many years ago. An accidental trip that had costed him a well made cake and had broken his than young heart. Jaune just chuckled as he shook his head.

"The box wasn't kidding when it said it generated something I wanted."

Jaune placed the cake in his inventory, ignoring the way the Wyvern stared at it.

"Don't eat it" chuckled Jaune "I doubt something like you would even like it."

The Wyvern flapped its wings and landed on Jaune's shoulder as another box fell into his right hand. This box was black with a red ribbon tied around it.

Would the Player like to open the "Ill-fortune box"?

"Sure" sighed Jaune.

The box glowed with an eerie red light and from it came a key. It was made of some kind of metal with a skull on it. Jaune blinked as he inspected it.

The Key of the Tower Dungeon (Rank: ?)

The key that allows a Player to open a gate to the tower dungeon. The tower dungeon is a collection of worlds available for the player to test their might! Grow and fight for loot and power! Be warned, while the tower dungeon lacks the restrictions the punishment zone has, it does not tailor to the player. How many floors can you climb?

Jaune smiled as he looked at the key. This was another opportunity to get even more diverse set of materials to work with. But…was he ready? The punishment zone had showed just how fubar things could become.

"No" muttered Jaune as he rolled his shoulders "keep moving forward. I need to be more careful but that doesn't mean I stop."

Time remaining: 1 minute

Jaune sighed as he felt the magic surround him. It was time. Jaune looked to the sky of this dead world and scowled. This was only a mini boss that he defeated…and he almost died.

"I need to be stronger" grumbled Jaune.

As the glow began to surround him Jaune narrowed his eyes…he could have sworn something was watching him. As he disappeared a small white circle pulsated frequently as a way point for his return. From the trees a humanoid from the trees put away a spy glass and took out a mana crystal.

"Boss…the Lich is dead…no….it disappeared…"

The creature looked at the white circle that was pulsating with magic.

"But it will be back."

END!