Jesus christ this monstrosity took a few tries to get out. As promised the first chapter of the new year 2021! Along with this comes a few updates across all 11 chapters. I reread them and basically streamlined the description and gradings across the chapters. Also adjusted some conversations or descriptions. I have also adjusted the stats! For some reason I didn't add the previous ten levels, arguing that skills don't unlock until that time. Yea, that's been overhauled. So Jaune and everyone else's stats have been adjusted. They have no bearing on any of the combat and such that you've seen so no worries there. So don't worry about going back and reading my past chapters…unless you want to anyways XD. As of now…I welcome you to the official "Arcane Craftsman version 3.0". Thank you all for the amazing support you have given me and the boatload of constructive criticism! Just two things. One, the next chapter update is Fate/Shield! Two, the story Ultimate Weapon is reaching the end of book one. It's a bit off of course, it's not ending in like three chapters or something, but the end is in sight. As such uhh…we're having another book voting XD.
Two reasons for this. One…when I last did this I had about…200 followers and favorites and so on. Now its over 1000! Second, it has recently come to my attention that a fan I know of essentially voted through the vote system more than four times and PM me once while leaving like three ghost reviews. As such the results were…more skewed than I wanted. At the very bottom of the chapter will be a surprise along with the new stories that people can vote on! Some of these stories are flat out created recently, others are the previous stories up for grabs! If the story you wanted didn't get the number one spot, here's your next chance! In consideration what happened last time I will not be accepting any votes from PM and will be carefully counting any review votes for duplicated names. I love the passion guys but I want to keep it fair.
P.S Some stories have been altered as new designs were implemented or flat out changed. Please be aware.
The Arcane Craftsman Chapter 12:
Jaune grumbled as he sat in his bed. He looked at the ceiling thinking over every what happened.
"…Was he right?" mumbled Jaune.
He climbed out and moved to his rooms window. The floors creaked loudly as usual but Jaune tried to be as quiet as he could. He placed his hands on the window still. Last night had not, for once, been an emotional roller coaster. His friends had rushed in to help him, ignoring all odds. Apparently, Ren had even forgotten his sword in the whole shuffle. He had explained to Jaune that he didn't like using the sword much. Due to the horrible repairs and experimentation Ren's blade suffered from slow erosion. As such the blade required constant maintenance to keep stable. As such Ren only really used it for dungeons that he had prior knowledge of, since he could top off the durability before use. Aside from that Ren normally kept the sword on a stand. Besides he had his bow as well, a weapon Jaune didn't really get a good eye on now that he thought about it.
Jaune sighed, hating the fact that Ren avoided using his sword simply because it would break. Something that was meant to be your partner in battle was kept to the side in fear of shattering. Breaking would normally not damage the vestige within a weapon, hence why Jaune's piece of Caliburn still burned with his mothers' power so brightly. However, Ren's blade was a different story. The attempt at trying to "repair" the blade had destroyed the core of magic within it, slowly leaking the vestige.
Strong blades, like the ones that Jaune had made and what Ren's sword used to be, had something beyond the physical in them. It wasn't something circular or physical but Jaune referred to the collection of vestiges and magic as a "core" of the weapon. Something that couldn't be damaged by normal means. Even destroying the blade into little pieces wasn't something that would normally damage the "core" as Caliburn clearly showed.
Yet, Ren's sword was unique. The failed integration, the violent shattering of the sword under its own power, and the utter irresponsible attempt at experimenting with its broken pieces were enough to severely damage the mana within. That alone would normally spur Jaune to action…but…there was also the fact that…well Ren's entire childhood was fucked beyond any measure that Jaune had ever seen. His own grandfather was an absolute piece of shit but the rest of his family was great. Seeing Ren's past, what pieces he could see, made him remember his own family. While Uther was by far the one single person that Jaune wanted to murder with his own hands, that didn't mean the rest of his family had been dicks
His aunt Morganna was a good example. She was someone who many considered an evil witch for her shrewd politics. An absolute beast when it came to biological magics. She was the woman responsible for spearheading many cures and poisons for use in the dungeons. This woman…was an oddly doting aunt.
Not in a flowery way obviously.
She was a cold person, a magus that detested the existence of UTHER more than any other, probably more than Jaune himself. Apparently in his mother's younger days they had been enemies…until the truth of his mother's conception had become known. After that…they had kept a calm peace between them. Cold…distant...until he was born.
According to his mother Jaune reminded Morganna of Gawain, her adopted son. Apparently that similarity resulted in the sisters actually becoming close and Jaune getting gifts and lessons from her. Agravain had once joked that she loved Jaune more than her own children. The memory made Jaune smile, remembering how his cousin Agravain had lost all color in his face every time his aunt would proclaim her love for her son with every opportunity. She had showered him in her odd cold affection till the man had to admit that it was simply a joke. Gawain still to this day probably ribbed his older brother about it.
Jaune smiled, remembering his family even more. Gawain, his bubbly energetic cousin, was not Morgana's son by birth. In fact, he was the son of his other Aunt Morgause who…who had died in "childbirth" as the records state. Morgana believed otherwise and was not quiet to Arturia about it and by extension Jaune.
The drama was real in this family, that was for certain. Morgana proceeded to raise Gawain by herself at the tender age of 12, not allowing nurses nor Uther to come anywhere near him. How she had managed that at 12 years old Jaune would never know but he knew the entire family respected her for it. The sons of Morganna. The Night and the Day. The Stern Faced Agravain and the Gallant Gawain. The two cousins that Jaune considered more as brothers. Agravain who would scold and teach him and Gawain who would pick him up and launch together through the sky with his unreasonable strength. It felt like he could fly whenever they did that. Agravain, as stern as he was, had fun with Jaune in a similar way. Using his class abilities, he would travel through the shadows with Jaune, showing him a world beyond the light.
Lancelot and Guinevere, the two that he loved as aunt and uncle and the duo that saved him and his father in the first place, escorting them to Vale. They even helped them get settled in the Arc Duchy.
Sir Ector, the Grandpa Jaune always wanted. Honestly the older gentleman was the very definition of a Knight and kindly old man.
Sir Kay, the son of Sir Ector and his self-proclaimed mother's eccentric brother and his goofy uncle.
Bedivere, the knight that didn't understand that he was NOT a servant but did it anyways.
Sir Percival…the Knight that died protecting Jaune from Uther.
The entirety of the round table was his family. A family that he had been taken from due to a man's unreasonable greed. There were crimes that Uther had to pay for. The hatred that Jaune felt for his maternal grandfather was immense beyond words.
With these memories came the realization that Ren's situation was vastly different. Jaune had support, people that he could depend on that lived with him day in and day out. But Ren? He was alone, scorned by a family that kept him around solely due to familial responsibilities and honor. It bugged Jaune something fierce…but it was what happened last night with the remains of that Blade that had left the man wondering about himself.
-Hours Ago, Ren's Room-
Jaune had given Ren the piece of his father's sword and the boy had simply put them in a cloth and tied it up, leaving it in the basement. When he had returned the boy's, face was stoic and defeated. His body language sullen.
"…."
Jaune knew better than to speak. The man was not alright.
"Ren" whispered Pyrrha.
The man sighed as she rose up.
"Someone broke in" scowled Ren.
Everyone stilled at that.
"Beacon is neutral ground" stated Jaune "why on remnant would anyone want to break in?"
"For me, obviously".
"That wasn't what I meant" sighed Jaune "I was trying to explain why we didn't have defenses…aside from the fact that we're broke."
Ren sighed.
"The defenses wouldn't have mattered…my Uncle is just sending a message…a reminder of what awaits me if I ever return home."
"Yea and the asshole just had to break the sword as an extra measure?" grunted Nora "your uncle can suck my-"
"Nora" sighed Ren "…just drop it."
Yang scowled.
"We aint dropping shit! This is illegal they can't just!?"
"They can and they have" sighed Weiss "we have no proof to even begin accusing Ren's uncle…assuming he's even here."
As Ren went to leave Jaune placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Take some time to relax before throwing that all away. Don't want to make hasty decisions".
Ren smirked as he rose an eyebrow at Jaune.
"I find that odd coming from you."
Jaune blinked, shocked that Ren seemed a tad more confrontational than usual. Before he could even finish Ren sighed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."
Jaune urged Ren to speak, it wasn't good to hold feelings in, positive or negative. Ren looked away before continuing.
"You admitted to us that it has only been weeks since you've died, literally. You've fought by yourself in life-or-death battles and have not taken any time for yourself in all these days save for a few fleeting moments. With Ozpin giving you that assignment with the nobles and the opportunity that brings…If anyone should be taking that advice? it's you. This is an old wound, one that has been picked at before. I will be fine, I assure you."
The smile did nothing to reassure Jaune…but it did make him think.
-Jaune's room, an hour before dawn.
Think enough that he was kept in and out of sleep by the thoughts. Was it really that simple? Was he…stressed? Jaune had to admit the thought had merit. He had been stressed many times in his life, enough to merit the idea that he was prone to outright ignoring it if not feeling it all together. He got stabbed in the chest by a stone giant, woken up by a Goddess that was basically the "Devil", strung along to Beacon Academy, shoved into a punishment zone and outboxed a Gorilla, pushed past his limits and became the first B rank blacksmith that he knew of, woke up from that to go to a dungeon, than went to bed only to wake-up the next day, visit his father, reclaim a devastated guild house, get told of the perfect opportunity to save his mother has come yet again, and than basically go BACK to a punishment zone willingly for a few materials, almost died than, escaped, than got sent to a THIRD world only to almost die than as well. Also, he was apparently a sitcom for the gods.
"….Huh" muttered Jaune.
Through all these thoughts a single one burned.
What was he doing?
Jaune got up and looked through the night sky, the stars a dazzling spectacle amidst his rapid thoughts. Jaune stared at the abyss above him and wondered what he was doing all this time? What he was so stressed about?
Jaune chuckled as he realized something, his eyes burning a crimson at the thought.
"I'm scared" smiled Jaune.
This was not a fear born from death. Jaune had surpassed that hurdle weeks ago. No…this was a fear born from hope. A feeling that Jaune had discarded a long time ago. When his father fell to the sleep, when his fellow labor caste prevented him from selling his wares, when the only porter jobs were to dangerous and outright suicidal gates, Jaune had given up. He never stopped moving forward but he had stopped hoping for the best, stopped striving for it! He allowed fate and others to dictate his life. But now was different. He had power and opportunity. Through these came hope. Through hope…came fear.
The fear of failure.
The fear that somehow, even with all his newfound power, that Jaune was still the same passive man that he had grown to become. Jaune clenched his fist.
He was the same?
He was afraid?
Who decided that?
Jaune's eyes burned as flames escaped his mouth. He didn't like this feeling. This feeling of helplessness. It reminded him all too much of what he was like back in the Arc Duchy. How he simply wafted through life, taking the punches as they came. Was he just a tool all over again in his own little delusions? Was he being used by Ozpin?
Like Uther had used him to chain his mother?
Jaune stared at the sky. He saw the night, the stars shining in the abyss…he thought about what it is that he wanted to do…who it was he wanted to be. He was free, he had power, and now he had the ability to possibly pursue any goal he could think of. Hell, he even got some friends out of this deal.
"…Who do I want to be?" muttered Jaune.
To think, this all came from the idea that his friends thought he needed a break. Jaune thought of his friends and suddenly it struck. The flames that licked at Jaune's back turned a fiery shade of crimson for a moment. The heat of inspiration and innovation churned in Jaune's heart. He had an idea of what he would do. It was obvious to him now. He was afraid of failing and loosing his chance with the nobles, he was afraid of facing Uther, and he was afraid of failing the mother he had given up on saving. But most terrifying of all…
He was afraid of himself. Of reverting back to that man that let life pass him by…who had given up. He wanted to be a man that stood tall. A man that was unbending in his principles and catered to no one ever again. Maybe that's why Jaune was so pissed about Ren's situation…he reminded him of Jaune himself. Fear was a constant in Jaune's life. If he couldn't be rid of it. Then he would use it. Let it feed the flames that was sparked a mere two weeks ago.
Today Jaune made a choice. He would make every use of this opportunity that Ozpin had given him in more ways than one. Just as Ozpin needed a B rank weapon…Jaune needed a forge. He also needed materials for a time but Ozpin had flatly told him to gather his own.
No, literally. The man had flatly told him. So dead was his tone that Jaune knew that he had been coerced in some way. Glynda had not so "secretly" mentioned under her breath "no where near" Jaune at all at a volume that was not considered "loud" that it had something to do with the labour and noble castes. Supposedly there was something the nobles and higher labourers had stated about "cheating" or "Fake" or something of that nature. How that translated to don't give the smith the damn materials escaped Jaune. To be honest he was pretty sure they were scared. Not for themselves but for the actual economy. Jaune was well aware the stink this kind of thing could raise if not handled properly.
He also found he didn't rightly care.
Jaune scowled as he opened his door. He had enough sitting down and worrying. Sometimes you just had to get up there and do it, so to speak. As he walked into the hallway, he looked at Ren's open room. Everyone was asleep right now, the stress of yesterday more than enough to make them deep sleepers. Jaune decided on something as he pulled something from the system.
First off his system was purple now. Bonus. Second was that the item in question was rather shocking in shape.
"Huh…so that's what that looks like?"
Jaune crushed the item in his hand and made his way to the basement. He carefully walked as to not wake anyone up. The grin on Jaune's face steadily growing all the while.
-Several Hours Later-
"I appreciate this Prof. Octavious but we have come here for a demonstration not a tour of the Beacon grounds."
Ozpin smiled weakly as he nodded to the nobleman escort.
"Of course, Sir I apologize".
"Now now" smiled a large man "I've never had the opportunity to tour Beacon's grounds before. I for one am enjoying this impromptu tour of yours Ozpin. So hush Moro. I understand your concerns but let us enjoy what we have for now."
The man before Ozpin was someone that Ozpin was really not expecting to show up.
Akisame Sakai…one of the four S rank heroes of Vacuo. Much like Arturia, Akisame had a reputation for being an absolute beast of a warrior…and a hell of a perfectionist. Supposedly he was chosen as a representation of the clans of Vacuo. Along with Akisame and his noble escort Muro, there was also the scarred smith Arak, and his noble escort Shira. The smith glared at Ozpin, the Lichtenberg Figures covering his face and throat made it obvious he had an accident with electricity of some kind.
"Speak for yourself lord Akisame. I came here for the supposed B rank creation."
Many of the nobleman and blacksmiths behind Akisame mumbled in agreement. Ozpin almost groaned at the obvious bullshit going on here. Vacuo didn't randomly select Akisame to represent them. It was probable that they as a country didn't care, more concerned with the interclan battles going on back home. Yet…Akisame was an S rank individual….people like this were not easily ignored. Each of these S rank individuals had the authority of a nation at their command, their sheer power and presence making them greater than almost any authority on the planet. So, calling Akisame out on his lie was not a good idea for the poor headmaster. He may have been S rank himself but Akisame and most of the other S rankers were leagues above him.
He liked to breath basically. But the other nobles had a point. Which lead to the second issue. The King of Vale came forward with a smile. His wife's eyes were shut as she walked with her husband, using him as support. King Leonis and the Queen Margret. The King was your standard noble. The difference was that the man was actually good at his job and maintained the overall health of his kingdom quite well. As such he was considered one of the most beloved kings of both his time and the past. It was the queen that was unusual. Kings married nobility. That was the standard. It was expected mostly so that the KING or QUEEN class would be passed down.
King Leonis basically told everyone to fuck off and married the greatest S rank defensive magician on the planet. They had yet to have children but the man was only in his early thirties, an age considered young for children bearing in this world of magic. The King defied the normal image of a noble by being a huge 6-foot five man with a well-built frame. His amber eyes contrasted well with his darker skin; his long dreads pooled behind his head in a regal manner as he wore his country's military uniform. In short he had the heroes respect and the nobles fear.
The queen was a lighter skinned woman, lithe but compact. Her bright hair was a deep auburn and her figure was a tad more voluptuous than what could be considered the norm. She was just as tall as her husband, giving the image that they were larger than life. Suffice to say there was a reason no one objected to anything in front of her face.
It didn't end well.
"As enjoyable as this tour can be, I think it is best that we carry on?" requested King Leonis.
The man beside the king smiled.
"I concur your majesty."
This man was a dark skinned individual, his hair was dark as coal and static. It was uniformed to match the long coat suit that he was wearing, cold and clean, precise and elegant. There was no jewels nor pageantry for this man. He needed no such thing to signify his wealth or status. His mere presence and charisma were more than enough for such plebian desires.
For he was the first and thus far only "pure" S rank noble to ever exist. Isiah, the brother-in-law of Coco. The man carried a charisma that was near overwhelming. There was no dispute that this man was the weakest of the S ranks currently. Yet, he was dangerous all on his own in different ways and for some reason had given his loyalty completely as an agent of the King. Some say he was Vale's answer to Atlas's Agravain, the Roundtable's shadow.
"Of course. Come this way" said Glynda.
Glynda narrowed her eyes at Ozpin as she began leading the "Tour Groups". Ozpin mentally groaned. The young man owed him for this. He was having such a good sleep before Jaune came barging in at the crack ass of dawn. He requested that Ozpin lead him to the forge he had prepared and kept the nobles busy for as long as reasonably possible. Ozpin would have objected if Jaune hadn't mentioned the need to aquire his own resources. Ozpin admitted it was unreasonable but the nobility and labor caste had a point. There was always some nut that ran around proclaiming they've achieved the impossible. They were usually with support from behind the scenes. Beacon was one such location that said support could run wild.
It was a bunch of bullshit. However, once again that asshat Godfrey had interfered with enough support to actually sanction an embargo on one person. It was also the idiots last move.
The moron was originally supposed to be involved with this whole Beacon tour so to speak. A way for the King to sever the support that Godfrey had with actions behind the scenes. Then the idiot learned that Jaune was making a B rank weapon. Apparently, according to many mind readers for authenticity, Godfrey was under the assumption that should Jaune fail he would be kicked out of Beacon and thus be without guards. A prime target for assassination. Idiot wasted all his resources to enforce this and would have succeeded too…if it wasn't for the fact that you know…it was illegal?
He did succeed but only because the King decided to sacrifice Jaune's resources to catch Godfrey in the act. The man had been promptly executed. Thanks to the King all of Godfrey's supporters decided to give the man up in hopes of escaping punishment as such there was no need for a trial.
The Arc duchy now legally belonged in Jaune's possession…not that the boy was aware of it. Ozpin hand itched for another coffee. This was such a bullshit situation that it wasn't even funny…although Peter wouldn't stop laughing about it. Ozpin rubbed his brow and walked through the northern district and made his way to a restructured magic tower. If there was one blessing for this entire situation it was that Vale's nobility were barred from Beacon grounds as punishment for Godfrey's crap. A vast majority didn't care, wondering why the King was enforcing such a thing. Godfrey's allies took it as the warning it was.
Come near Jaune and you'll die.
All this for a damn duchy. Ozpin would never understand it. He did smile at his tower though as he neared it. A piece of architecture that he was honestly proud of. It was generous to call it a tower though. Through the history of Beacon, the number of students could range from several thousand to a mere couple of hundred. Due to this there were a lot of buildings that were abandoned and put aside, hence the whole real estate situation for new student hunters. This "tower" was a mere five stories tall and was used as a researcher building. Three of the floors had been removed and transformed into a massive open ceiling.
The miracles of magic when applied to architecture made Ozpin create this modified tower in the span of a week. The open ceiling was not an aesthetic choice though. This was due to Ozpin basically spamming defense after defense spell to reinforce the poor building. The sheer destruction that Jaune was capable of from just shaping metal was a little ridiculous and while the nobles had adequate protection Ozpin wouldn't put it to chance. At least this way the flames could escape upwards instead of being trapped in the building.
The bottom floor had been completely removed of any spell work or obstructions and was a simple white marble floor. The second floor had transformed into an observation ring that was designed to surround Jaune. The place was beautiful, ornate, and completely in terms of what was in fashion for the day. Normally there wouldn't be such a show for a forge of all things but….
Well, the nobility could be douches about the whole "Poor Man show" situation. What made it worse was that the nobility that had actually come here had no care for what visuals and aesthetics were shown.
Ozpin wanted to hit himself with his own cane when he realized his work was almost for nothing.
"Do I really have to be here" grumbled Sariah.
Ozpin sighed at the voice of the young noble. This was of course the day a number of nobles brought their successors. Lord knows why, Ozpin stopped trying to understand their process.
"Yes child, you do" muttered the father "it is important to remain abreast of all possible developments across the castes. If it is true anyhow."
The nobleman Lorenzo and his daughter Sariah were part of the Atlesian company that came. They had a few mages and a Shadow Knight along with them. The knight was familiar to Ozpin but he kept his mouth shut for now. The problems of Atlas were turbulent enough. He didn't want to give any of the nobleman in this group any ideas for Uther.
Minstrel was unique and sent the smallest group to Beacon. They sent two women, a Lancer class named Athia and an elementalist named Cinder. Apparently, the lancer was named after an ancient forgotten deity. This beast of a woman was also…well.
"It would appear that your blacksmith is not yet ready. You could have told us instead of walking us around this dump of a school. I will admit though…you at least didn't lie about the class Ozpin.
The S class lancer and right hand of the current Emperor of Minstril. Rude as shit but damn well earned it. Ozpin could have swore he heard the sound of flesh hitting metal but he ignored it.
"I admit" smiled Cinder "the idea of a prestige Labor caste seemed like a delirious dream…and yet there he is."
Cinder, elegance in motion and the left hand of the Emperor. Cinder was the voice of the King and was said to be his diplomatic envoy for most of the interkingdom relations.
Ozpin sighed as he listened to Jaune quietly argue with Ren and his guild. Beside Jaune was a stone mold being poured some molten metal. A few of the nobles stared at the young man as he poured molten metal from a large stone bucket with one hand, the molten metal going over his flame covered hand somewhat. Ozpin could feel the mana radiating off Jaune…a solid B rank. Ozpin could feel a weak killing intent behind him. A brief look showed him the blacksmith that was brought from Vacuo…the supposed "King of Steel" Arak, the greatest smith of his time. The only man to have repaired an A rank weapon, weak as it had become.
The man was glaring at his student but before Ozpin said anything Akisame silenced the man with a glare. Ozpin slammed his cane against the floor and let Glynda take the lead.
"Children!" stated Glynda "you are interrupting a demonstration. If you would like to watch than by all means but cease your distractions."
Ren looked at Jaune with an annoyed and hurt look but proceeded to go up the stairs on the left. Jaune stared at the molten metal in the mold and took it out with his bare hands. The clothing that Jaune wore intrigued Ozpin, wondering where the boy got his hands on what seemed to be a Vacuin Kimono of some sort.
Jaune took out his hammer and tools and brought them over to an….
"What the actual fuck is that brat doing?"
Behind Ozpin the Lancer Athia growled in irritation. From behind the large woman a short but well built man peered over the larger woman's frame. Ozpin was ashamed to admit that he didn't see the man at all nor sensed his presence.
"He's using the stone as an anvil Agapiménos (Sweetheart)"
Ozpin didn't know what that word meant but Athia's face turned bright red at the man.
"Don't call me that here!" she whispered.
The blacksmith chuckled as he moved closer to the railing, along with all the other smiths. Two woman and two men leaned over the railing and watched the kid hammer away at the cherry red steel. Suddenly he stopped, bringing the sword back to the mold and remelting it.
"He's repairing a sword" muttered the woman "obviously smelted some broken pieces."
"Must be nice having an analysis passive" grumbled the other woman.
"….Interesting".
Everyone turned to the man that had left Athia's side, Homer. He was a colleague that they respected, unlike Arak, but he was normally quiet.
"He's…somehow condensing the steel. Look at how the metal ripples as he strikes. The sword is fluctuating. The shape is becoming thinner as well. He's using magic."
"Preposterous" muttered a mage from some group.
The four smiths ignored them. There was a common misconception that the Labor caste were somehow without magic amongst the more…sheltered heroes and nobles. Jaune's guildmates had now joined the group watching, even if Ren's conflicted expression soured the atmosphere a bit. Athia noticed Pyrrha and smiled at the girl nodding at her. Pyrrha gave a grateful expression and nodded back.
"I've never seen that kind of spell before" muttered Homer "what is it?"
"Alteration" stated the woman smith from Atlas, Corra "one of my teachers had it. A powerful crafting spell that if mastered can impart properties into the weapons and armor we make. He was the only one that mastered it to the point of granting effects but he was…disarmed before he could make full use of the skill. I've recently acquired the skill myself but…he's using it so…"
Homer blinked at Corra and her conflicted expression.
"is he using it ineffectively?"
Corra shook her head.
"No he's…he's using it like my teacher. Like Shirou?"
Shirou Emiya. His name was not that well known outside of Atlas to the Noble or Heroes…but to fellow blacksmiths…his name could be said to be on the same level as Arak. Corra was his only student, as he refused to teach anyone that lacked the passion necessary to excel in the job. You'd be surprised how many people were not content with the jobs their classes were geared towards.
"Really now?" muttered Homer.
"Yes. I can see it without a doubt now. The way he strikes the sword and is pouring mana into it…."
Corra turned around and glared at the Shadow Knight.
"Regardless" muttered Corra "his skill in magic is at least solid."
"Metal working is good too" chuckled the other female smith Yorrin "he at least knows what he is doing. I'm wondering how he achieved a B rank weapon though."
"He's just a young man" growled Arak "you're giving him too much credit."
"Oh, shut it you whiney baby" muttered Yorrin "you're just pissed cause a kid might be on our level. Get over yourself. If he can really make a B rank weapon than I'm all for it. Should give me a clue on what I'm missing to make my own."
Unlike Arak who had achieved worldly status, the others were merely those who were considered the best of their nation. While C rank weapons were obviously not preferred the truth of the matter was that a rough 40% of heroes remained at C rank, making smiths such as themselves highly sought after. Each of them could not imbue special effects like Jaune could, lacking the knowledge of runes and other such magics that made it possible. Even Corra, who had the alteration skill, had yet to max it out. Instead, they each could do specific things that made them unique.
Arak, while famous, was the equal not the superior of the peers he stood with. Arak wanted so much to be like one of the greats that he had abandoned everything for this path. The idea that some kid who got lucky with his class would surpass him was a cruel sick joke. Especially when his worldly fame had only lasted for the last eight or so years.
But for all of Arak's misgivings he could not deny the boy's skill. He didn't immediately pull the steel from the mold, instead watching it to make sure that it had even out, controlling the heat through some mystical means he wasn't sure of. It was obvious it was magic, considering there was no open fire. Most rookies would start the second the metal was red, unaware that warps and twists could occur if you picked it up too late. Now the boy was placing the sword BACK into the mold, using a burst of fire to remelt it for some reason. Suddenly the sword cooled and reheated numerous times as Jaune stared intensely at the sword.
"….He has quench?" muttered Corra "lucky bastard. I've wanted that skill for a while now! You know how annoying it is having to cool manually? Do it wrong and the metal becomes brittle."
Corra was used to the near magical nature of her masters forging skills so she had a few misgivings about certain skills. Others she was naturally jealous of. Mainly for the time they saved during her crafting. She was the unique combination of a highly skilled and highly lazy craftswoman.
When Jaune finally removed the sword from the mold he brought it over to the cube again. This time…a pulse of magic could be felt. It was disturbingly weak. D rank possibly even E rank. Yet, it was distinct in its feel. Entirely unique for a E rank mana.
"…What on earth is this kid doing?" muttered Homer "I've never encountered an E rank metal before?
Arak could feel a tingle in his scars and he felt his blood boil. He recognized the mana that was pulsating with every hit from the boy's hammer.
"That little shit!" he growled.
Homer looked at Arak with a confused expression.
"What's your problem Arak. You're not normally that irate?"
"That little fuck is screwing around with the Raikiri!"
Everyone stilled. The Raikiri. The lightning cutter…and the sole C rank weapon that had evolved into an A rank in the entire history of…well anything. Weapons did not evolve, that was a standard, a fact. Yet, this one did. It had cleaved through lightning personified and somehow came out a new blade. It burst with the power of the storms and had bathed in the blood of a lightning demon. However, this was a modern mixup, a name attributed to the sword's lightning capabilities. As Jaune hammered on the blade…he learned the truth.
CLANG!
He heard it as he worked. The use of structural analysis telling him it all.
CLANG!
A tale. A story.
CLANG!
A legend of a woman who strove to be a warrior.
CLANG!
In a time when women were not.
CLANG!
Her name…was Minamoto no Raikou.
CLANG!
Her sword was given the name theDoujigiri Yasutsuna. She was a child that should not have been born. A woman born with a Hero class. A rarity in ancient times. Yet, agaisnt all odds, she became legend with the slaying of a demon who could not be slayed…the Gyuuki. A sword used for executions had suddenly become the sword of a hero.
CLANG!
Yet…the sword had a story even further than her. Before it was called the Doujigiri Yasutsuna it had a different name, its original name. The Saishou Muramasa. The final work and greatest work of the greatest smith in recorded history.
Senji Muramasa.
Jaune's hammer almost missed the mark.
"SENJI MURAMASA!?"
If not for the constant training from his father and his own skill Jaune would have faltered in the process of his hammering. Senji Muramasa never created a B rank weapon. Instead, he was one of the few smiths that had discovered a method to create C rank weapons that carried supernatural abilities. What made this process so unusual was that it was made using normal steel. Not unique ores like Jaune did nor the inclusion of runes either. This alone would have made any smith famous but what made Muramasa unique was that he was the only one to have created demonic weapons. Stronger and more resilient to damage than normal C ranks Muramasa's blades could be more accurately described as C+. In simpler terms, they were swords that hit above their weight class. However, his rather crabby nature made a lot of enemies in his time, resulting in a few of his blades either being lost to dungeons or outright destroyed by religious fanatics and idiots.
The fact that Jaune was even touching the damn thing was a dream come true. The chance to learn the ancient methods of someone like Muramasa was a huge boon, even if the skills revealed proved nothing beneficial to Jaune's current skill-set. Jaune doubled down and began to refocus his efforts. Smelting the broken pieces was simple with the rough mold he made. Quench allowed him to control the temperature with his passive so things were progressing well. The issue was that Jaune was having a hard time finding the vestiges within the sword. It was like operating blindfolded. You knew where everything was, but were blind to see it. He could feel the mana but every attempt to reach it with his own was simply failing. He overheard someone mentioning that he was fiddling around with the Raikiri. Made sense that master smiths had come along for this demonstration. But that was secondary. With a burst of structural analysis and reinforcement Jaune began the arduous process of finding the proper vestiges. He found one and without thinking too much about it used reinforcement on it. He smirked as he felt the vestige burst with power, the very act of Jaune enhancing the mana with his own working like a transfusion. What was once weak and frail was now thriving with life. But something was missing. This thrum of power was empty, lacking in the potency that a vestige normally carried. Jaune realized something after he tried it again for a second time. A grin spread across his face. It was possible! He just had to figure out a method to make it stick. The mana was dispersing after collecting within this vestige. He kept trying though, going for a third and even fourth time.
Yet, to the onlookers it just seemed as if Jaune was hammering away at his sword. The magics of the tower allowing them to see in different angles and enhancements.
"…why is he just hitting the metal over and over?"
"I told you he's just a kid" muttered Arak.
Suddenly a blip occurred. A feeling of mana that popped up and dissipated just as quickly. Everyone focused intently. Arak had to admit even he couldn't actually restore a vestige like this. But it didn't stick. Arak rolled his eyes at the fifth failed attempt. But his actions ceased. Because that same mana came back and was suddenly boosted with….
"….Aura?" muttered Ozpin.
The power of Aura, the energy of the soul. It protected the body, becoming like a shield that could absorb damage and recharged over time. Certain classes used aura as an overcharge for specific skills. Some skills used aura exclusively. It wasn't as malleable as mana but it was something just as potent. Vestiges were the remnants of an individual's mana and aura. It was what made the feeling of a vestige so unique.
Another vestige popped up, swelling in power. Another. Than another. Then another. One by one a countless number of vestiges were swelling in an unnatural surge of power only to disperse soon after. Yet, it was beginning to last a bit longer than normal.
"What the fuck is he!?"
No one finished the sentence as the weight of what Jaune was doing impacted everyone. Ren himself was near the railing shivering. He felt it. It thrummed through the air and shot towards him, wrapping around him desperately, only to weaken and die off like the other vestiges.
"…Father?" he whispered.
It shouldn't have been possible. Mainly because there was no skill that allowed for the interaction of spiritual energies. The use of them? Without a doubt. Even manipulating spiritual energy like Aura was not out of reach for the people of remnant. But the ability to actually enhance an aura that wasn't your own?
Preposterous.
Yet Jaune was doing it. With every hammer strike Jaune struck with his mana, injecting it into the sword he was hammering away with. Within those strikes Jaune disturbed the mana within, awakening the vestiges. Like a glow that was temporary if one would. Jaune wasn't there yet, but he could feel that he was getting closer. He was missing something though. He used mana…than aura? Was he supposed to maybe use both in concert? Jaune never really tried it but he wasn't too concerned of not being able to pull it off. Aura manipulation was exceedingly easy for the people of remnant. An instinct given at birth. With his magic Jaune made a pathway and with his aura Jaune fed the vestiges. Perhaps now he needed to simply use both. If one were to ask why no one else had attempted this, the answer was simple.
The issue was energy. Unbeknownst to Jaune was the sheer amount of aura being wasted in the procedure. Under normal circumstances Jaune's aura should not have enhanced so many vestiges back to fighting form, temporary as it was. At least if he was human anyway. It was easy to forget due to his appearance that he was for all intents and purposes A DRAGON. His aura was bursting with living energy beyond that of a normal person. A single unit of his aura was drastically overcharged with the power of the soul. The blessings of the sun increased the overall potency of his aura several fold. Jaune was a wellspring of natural healing energy for something like a vestige. Sadly, the overwhelming energy itself was chaotic and did not offer much more protection than normal aura. While Jaune's aura was drastically potent it defended him about the same as it would the average person for his level. Not to mention that the human body naturally rejected foreign aura outside of extreme circumstances, thus removing Jaune's ability to supposedly heal with that absurd aura.
Jaune was happy though, uncaring that the sword was merely remaining at E rank. His goal after all was repairing the vestiges and he was making breakthrough after breakthrough. Perhaps it was time bring in a skill. With that in mind Jaune accessed the system, a purple screen showing up.
Welcome to the system Player. Intent has been scanned. Would the player like to use their "Skill Point"?
Yes. The skill point was the item that Jaune had held a bit ago. It was actually a crystal, not unlike a rainbow quartz or something. He refused to use it for a while, citing that using it to forcibly level up one of his skills was cheating. That was pride talking but now was not the time for it. Jaune placed the skill point through the system into his most unusual skill. The one that he had inherited from his father and was unlocked and bolstered by the tree spirit.
Alteration Lv.4 - Lv. 5 (MAX!) (A+)
Alteration taken to its final form! Alteration (MAX) grants the user the ability to enhance the properties of an item and add new properties as well. Due to the difficulty in adding new properties the strength of these additions can be unreliable. This is a skill that depends solely on the Player's ability to realize its maximum potential. The cost of the skill drastically changes depending on the severity of the alteration. The cost of the skill drastically changes depending on the strength and complexity of the item in question.
Cost: Initial cost: 5 MP per use. Continuous use: N/A
Congratulations! The player has maximized a skill with the system for the first time. 10,000 gold rewarded.
Jaune could feel the knowledge creep in. He was closer than he thought to realizing this skill due to his skill combinations. But this changed the game once more. Here he could add physical properties to the items that he made and leave room for more…exotic runes so to speak. The difficulty was in the act of alteration itself. The required mana could be exuberant in cost. Jaune went deeper into the artifact, ready to bring out the vestiges again. It was time to see if Alteration would work.
Jaune focused and wielded both mana and aura. Immediately Jaune saw why Aura and Mana were not used together. They didn't reject each other but rather didn't mix. Like oil and water. They could exist together but they were distinct and did not interact hence why only special skills could use both as a source of power. Jaune used structural analysis to access a random vestige hoping this idea would work. It was difficult to judge which vestige was which but it really didn't matter. He would cross that bridge when he got there. He could always boost it after a day's rest anyhow if he didn't get to Ren's father.
Jaune focused and finally "landed" on one. Using alteration he began the process. He took his mana and aura and mentally "pushed" them through alteration, making the two match the aura and mana signature of the vestige he was interacting with. It was like a mystical blood transfusion. It was difficult, that much Jaune knew. His mana drained considerably in comparison to before and his aura was unnaturally attuned to enhancing others it would seem. He could see why others couldn't do what he was doing right now.
Everyone felt it. A vestige that shone and grew and….was stable?
"…..fuck me" muttered Yorrin "the bastard went and did it."
Homer blinked and stared, wondering how Jaune did it. Perhaps he could ask. Homer smiled at the sight of Arak nearly foaming at the mouth. He was never that fond of competition, which was odd considering that growth without it was difficult. Then the sound of thunder began to echo.
"It was not supposed to rain today?" muttered Cinder.
Everyone looked up and noticed a small black cloud forming, crackling with a weak C rank power. They all looked at Jaune who was repairing vestige after vestige at a rapid rate. The boy seemed so engrossed that he didn't notice the sword beginning to spark with electricity. The cruel smile on Arak's face was telling for what was about to come.
And come it did. The lightning lashed out from the sword and at Jaune, hitting him in the arm as he rose his hammer. For everyone else they saw electricity dancing along Jaune's clothes and upper body. Pyrrha began rushing to the railing but for Jaune? Things got…well they got freaky. As the lightning hit Jaune he felt his vision blur a bit and time seemed to slow. Suddenly it was like he was somewhere else entirely. Jaune opened his eyes and saw…
White?
"….I didn't die did I?" asked Jaune.
A feminine chuckle echoed through the space.
"No, you are not dead."
Jaune turned and almost fucking choked. She was tall, taller than even Jaune by a few inches. Black lustrous hair, features that set her from Vacuo, and an ancient armor set let Jaune know that this was somehow someone from the past. Her arms were clothed and while her form was obviously that of a woman, she was also ripped. But what made Jaune choke was the utterly and completely unrealistic massive fucking boobs! They were the biggest things Jaune had ever seen! Like damn!? Jaune steeled himself. His heart grew cold as he ignored the impossible sight. Whether this woman was stacked or not did not mean he could simply focus on the subject. His mother had raised him better than that.
But seriously what the fuck?
"…Uh….You can't read my mind right?"
The woman blinked and tilted her head.
"Oh thank the gods".
"So…where am I?" he asked.
The woman smiled.
"You are within the sword itself…a pathway between souls was opened. I merely took the route."
"Ah…right…so…vestiges are alive?"
Jaune really hoped not. His mother would fucking kill him if she realized some of the reckless shit he had done in the past. The system not withstanding. Her laugh was beautiful as she shook her head.
"No. I am an unusual case along with one other. The rest are normally like this."
Jaune looked up at what the woman pointed to and noticed that the area above him was like a borealis. A twisting light show. Echoes of those who came before.
"…..wow" smiled Jaune "so…than who are you?"
"I was called Minamoto No Raikou in life."
Jaune shit his drawers. Well, he would have if he was currently a physical being. She was the most renowned demon slayer, period. Her story was famous as one of the earliest examples of a female hero. Jaune bowed before her, offering respect.
"It is an honour" stated Jaune "but…why am I here? It isn't to uh..chat is it?"
Raikou shook her head.
"No….at least not with me. Blood calls to blood and it is why you are here."
"…..I'm not….secretly related to you am I?"
Raikou chuckled even harder as she shook her head and covered her mouth.
"No no. My descendent you've already met."
Jaune nodded and smiled.
"Ren."
Raikou nodded.
"Such a sweet boy…he doesn't deserve what has happened to him. Alas I am a spirit trapped within this steel…but it is a burden I bear gladly. It has let me protect my precious children after all."
Jaune didn't say anything but for some reason the way she said that seemed kind of off. Nice lady though.
"The lightning…it is my only method of interacting with the world as limited as it is. I punished that foolish blacksmith but the damage was done. You on the other hand…you are fine. Under more normal circumstances you would be dead."
Jaune swallowed.
"Aside from my desire not to do that you are unusually strong as a laborer. Perhaps you would have survived without my interference. I have decided" smiled Raikou "I will allow you to repair or reforge this blade as necessary. You have proven that you wish to protect the vestiges within this steel rather than merely use them as fuel. Besides it is your birthright as much as Ren's to have this sword. It calls for you in a way."
Jaune stared at her.
"The whole blood calls to blood thing, right? But isn't this sword bound to your bloodline?"
Raikou nodded.
"Only those bound by my blood can wield this sword after I died…however there was one before it. Ah, there's the old man."
Raikou smiled as she stepped aside. Revealing a grey, tanned old man.
"What the? Raikou? Bored again….already?"
Jaune stared at the old man. The old man stared at Jaune.
"….Who the hell are you?" asked the old fart.
"Uh….Jaune….you?"
"Name's Muramasa."
Jaune stared at the old man. The old man stared back. Suddenly the old man walked towards him. They were equal in height. Muramasa hummed as he closed his eyes.
"I feel…huh…blood really does call to blood. Thought that was a bunch of mystic hooey. So I guess you're a descendent…of…mine? You alright there kid?"
Jaune was staring at the old man with stars in his eyes.
"I'm a big fan!" he squealed.
Muramasa blinked.
"…..really?"
"Yes!" smiled Jaune "you were the only one to create mystical C rank weapons in your time. You and Weyland are heroes of mine…well not so much Weyland for his actions but you get my meaning, right?"
"I uh…don't know who this Weyland fellow is but I appreciate the sentiment boy. So, you're an…what the actual hell is an Arcane Craftsman?"
"Magic blacksmith basically".
"Really?"
"Seems like. I'm mostly imbuing my weapons with runes and other magics."
"Huh…well I'll be damned. That Onmyoji was onto something. Fucker kept trying to state that magic could be infused in my swords."
"You didn't take them up on it?" asked Jaune.
"Hell no. Didn't like the bastard. Kept trying to nab my granddaughter for marriage."
"…..really?" sighed Jaune.
An overprotective father prevented the concept of a B rank weapon from the past? Oof.
"He was forty and she was twelve."
Oh…well fair. Jaune almost threw up at the thought.
"My thoughts exactly" grinned Muramasa "you know what kid you're alright. Raikou that busy body. Still feels guilty about me."
Jaune titled his head.
"….I normally don't do this but fuck it I'll teach ya my ways. You're blood of my blood kid and besides you're already crapping out B ranks knowing my luck."
Jaune gave a sheepish grin. The demonic one that Muramasa gave back felt familiar.
"Oh! Now this is how it is supposed to be!" laughed Muramasa "the young surpassing the old! Pretty sure I got a few tricks up my sleeve…but lets compare boy."
Jaune turned around a little worried.
"I…may not have time old man Muramasa."
"Eh times a little fucked in this place but I see your point."
"…I need to know. How are you here this is amazing!" smiled Jaune.
Muramasa scratched his chin.
"Long story short? I was old, dying, and pissed that Raikou had been passed for becoming a Samurai. She was a woman and apparently according to her specific clan women were meant to man the house or some shit. Didn't matter that her class was fucking Samurai. Biggest load of crap I've ever heard. I lived in her village at the time and I watched her grow up beating the ever living shit out of boys twice her age. She was a damn monstrosity. Felt a shame that such a talent would go to waste cause her father was an idiot. My granddaughter was a full-grown woman and had kids of her own. I was nothing more than a sick man eating her food and costing her money for medicine. So picked up my hammer, slit my damn stomach, and made my final Muramasa."
"….you….ritually killed yourself!?"
"…..Well yes but…well yea basically" smiled Muramasa "I was dead anyways so I decided to invest everything I could into that sword. My blood, my aura, my mana. Anything I could shove into that thing I did…fucker didn't even become B rank. Just got a + on the side. What weapon has a plus!? You're either C or you're B!"
The man made a C+ weapon, technically a higher grade than any other living smith till recent history, and he was still a craggy old man.
"But why blood thought?" frowned Jaune.
"Well to bind the damn thing to me obviously. Made it so no one else could fool around with the sword."
"….but why!?"
"I was a man doing business ok" stated Muramasa "if no one else could fix my swords they'd be forced to come to for repairs. Made a damn fortune off that idea. Mixed monster blood and quenched the sword in it so that it could absorb some of the power."
"Is that how you got those cursed effects?" asked Jaune.
"Partially" admitted Muramasa "I also mixed bone in the steel."
"Like bonemeal in the mixing process, right?"
"Exactly like that."
It was like the Damascus steel design. Metal that was mixed with magical regents to achieve something greater. It wasn't as if people haven't done it before. It was just that most powerful regents were above the weight class of the labor caste. To put it simply, it would kill them the second they interacted with the thing. Not everyone had Jaune and apparently Muramasa's resistance to foreign magic. Not to mention that smithing was actually difficult. Jaune was a monstrosity in the process because his father was equally if not more so an absolute monster in the field as well. When you're taught by a monster you become one. Apparently, his father's birth dad was also an absolute freak of nature before he had died of sickness and was adopted by Kiritsigu. Actually, now that Jaune thought about it his whole family tree on his dad's side was like that. Freaks of nature who excelled like nothing else in their class. Fuck even his father's adoptive dead was apparently some over kill assassin. The only reason they weren't famous was because they really didn't care. Muramasa must have been similar to achieve the things he's done.
"Incredible. I recently learned of a steel that is made by mixing regents but I never considered quenching a monster's fluids into the process." smiled Jaune "it was awesome to meet you this way!"
Muramasa grinned.
"Ya know I actually feel the same way."
Raikou appeared again as the white void began to darken.
"Your time is ending."
Muramasa rolled his eyes.
"Always with the timing in this life. Anyways kid you keep up the good work."
"Wait but why are you two so…alive?"
Muramasa blinked.
"oh…right. In my case I literally trapped my own soul in the sword. Ended up ritually binding it or some crap. Guess I died and my soul got tethered immediately. In Raikous case…the demon was a sore loser and wanted to drag her soul with it in death. Tried using the sword to do it. I took that personally. Basically, this is a fragment of Raikou…think of it like an imprint of her that's self sufficient whereas everything else is an echo."
"Huh" muttered Jaune "hey before I go….mind helping me find Ren's dad?"
Raikou smiled. In her cupped hands was a swirling mass of green. Jaune smirked as he went back.
"…So" smiled Raikou "happy your descendent is so skilled?"
"….maybe" smiled Muramasa "it's good to see he's strong though. Good kid overall. Probably can't ask for more than that."
Muramasa's hakama fell off his broad back. A grin began to spread.
"I always wondered what would happen if a smith worked on the sword at the same time I did!"
Raikou had a shaky smile as she watched Muramasa get excited.
"COME ON BRAT! LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO HUH!"
Suddenly Muramasa became pure energy, his skills working in conjunction with Jaune's. Raikou blinked at the thrum of heavy energy. The energy of Jaune thrumming through the sword once more. The laugher of Muramasa made her smile, happy to see her old friend so vibrant. Still though…they wouldn't mind would they?
If she got involved?
The electricity danced in Raikou's eyes as a small smile formed. She couldn't normally do this. She was after all a vestige in capable of producing her own mana. But than again…there was so much of it here now in abundance.
"Oh come…oh heavenly kings."
-With Jaune and Company-
Arak smiled at the sight of the boy getting struck by the same lightning that scarred him. It was weaker, obviously. The one that struck him was B rank in power, as it was described by the nurse that worked on his recovery. A miracle he survived considering the mages and onmyoji that died. Yet, his grin fell as Jaune kept hammering away. The boy just tanked the electricity and kept going.
"….Well….shit" muttered Yorrin "what did this kid eat?"
It wasn't too impressive a sight considering what heroes normally go through. But to the labor caste, to see one of their own simply take lightning to the face? It was a nice damn sight.
"Uh…I'm more concerned with what happened to his face" muttered Homer.
"Oh no" sighed Corra.
She knew that look. That demonic twisted look. That sheer grin of absolute enjoyment. It was Artorious without a doubt. Corra was gonna kick Agravain in the nuts for keeping it from her that her damn master's son was the Arcane Craftsman.
Corra's mental murder plan went silent at the flames billowing out from Jaune's form.
"what is that supposed to-"
BOOOOM!
Then the giant pillar of fire erupted from the boy, surrounding everything.
"WOAH!" muttered Homer, easing away from the railing. Arak just glared at the flames. Jealousy bright in his eyes.
The other nobles stared at the giant mass of mana that was fire.
"Can we see past it?" asked one.
Ozpin tapped his cane and sure enough the flames became see through showing Jaune's manic grin as he hammered away. The power of the sword was escalating drastically. It was bubbling past the limit of C rank and hugging the border of B rank.
"Jesus christ that kid needs a mask or something" muttered Yorrin.
It was a bit worrying but Corra knew that it was a family thing. Apparently even her master Shirou used to be like that as a young child. With that said it wasn't that twisted demonic expression. Instead Shirou was colder and rather…dead. Void of any expression whatsoever. It was equally as off putting as Jaune's grin right now.
Regardless it didn't matter as everyone watched Jaune remove the metal from the mold once more, having perfected the shape. He brought it to the slab of Umbral Stone and began hammering there. Normally there would be sparks coming from the contact of metal hitting metal. Yet, in this case there was none. Instead, every hammer hit shearing another bolt of lightning. The electricity thrummed for the boy, licking at his arm. The smiths backed up a bit as the lightning struck the railing.
"Why the hell isn't it hurting him" growled Arak.
"Well, he is B rank" smiled Ozpin.
The entire room turned to the man. Even the King. The hero classes were normally attuned to mana and knew from the beginning, most were trained to do so. The nobles and labor caste not so much.
"He's a B rank" he smiled "interesting."
The room erupted in chatter but it was Jaune's guild that interested Ozpin. They all seemed shook at the savagery of his crafting. It made sense to Ozpin. The materials that could be found in an A rank dungeon were…unusually violent. Some exploded on contact, others froze the surrounding area, with a few even outright killing you with a touch. Using such materials was a battle in its own right. But it was the storm brewing above him that worried Ozpin.
The storm was magic, no if ands or buts about it. But magic for what? Jaune growled, a sound that surprisingly carried to the observer deck.
"Getting in the damn way!" he muttered.
With that Jaune threw his own Hakama off, the sweat clinging the cloth to him uncomfortably. Now Jaune revealed his bare upper torse, save for the bindings on his right arm. Pyrrha and the other heroes were used to such a visage.
"Oh my" murmured Sariah.
Others were not so. Sariah's face was flushed as Jaune continued working. Lorenzo sighed at his daughter's behaviour. Suddenly it felt like something cracked. All the smiths watched intently. For Jaune had just shattered the B rank barrier.
"So, the rumors were true" muttered a noble.
"Doesn't matter if he can do it" stated Homer "it's a matter of it being stable."
There have been those whose works had surpassed the C rank before. Merlin was a famous example having crafted the sword Caliburn through magic. While he wasn't fully human he had showed people it was possible. Until the damn thing shattered in Arturia's hands randomly during her tourney. It was an issue that no one could understand. Most cases simply peaked at B rank and than fell back to C. The rare cases were explosive and simply didn't come out at all. Merlin's was a delayed explosion. Would this be the same?
Judging by the happy grin on Jaune's face, probably not.
"This is fun!" thought Jaune.
He was exhilarated, enjoying every moment. He had found the vestige he was looking for and had already repaired Ren's father. With it Ren's sword was now housing a healthy and vibrant vestige of his father. But hey, why not go for broke? So Jaune was pushing everything to its limit. Every skill imaginable was being invested in the sword right now. After all, if he already did the "impossible" why not break his current limits!
Crack.
Crack.
But now that the sword was B rank Jaune had a different problem. His hammer…it was cracking.
"Don't have much time left with you do I?" thought Jaune.
The hammer quivered in Jaune's grip. The force of his blows breaking it more and more.
"Just hold on!" thought Jaune "a little longer!"
Suddenly the sky cracked as Jaune felt Raikou's vestige surged. He looked up as he hammered, the sky lighting up with lightning. This was it. He raised his hammer and the lightning struck the tip. He brought it down, forcing every ounce of mana that he could through the hammer and into the sword. The hammer cracked its last but before it splintered off into a thousand pieces Jaune dismantled it alongside a structural analysis skill. The resulted explosion from the lighting and fire colliding dissipated the flames of Jaune. Smoke covered his form as the system pinged him.
The Player has learned the "Arcane Tool: Hammer" Master Blueprint.
It was now that the true forging began. Jaune breathed as he took out his chisel. It was time to try something new out. The metal was still cherry red as Jaune put his chisel to the steel. Jaune kept the tip of the chisel to the spine of the katana and breathed.
"Grind" he thought.
The tip of his chisel vibrated with the skills power and he decided to outright engrave the runes into the steel, rather than magically implement them. The chisel however was having none of it. It too was disintegrating piece by piece. Jaune was simply too powerful now. But even so it carried on.
"Samurai" thought Jaune.
While he applied the rune Jaune also accessed the new state of his alteration skill, hoping to impart a stronger edge through magic. He also used reinforcement for good measure.
"Sever"
A rune he hoped would enhance the cutting edge even further. Finally the last one.
"Strength"
The rune for the stat of strength. Yet, Jaune decided to try something different. Once again Jaune used Alteration but used it in conjunction with the rune and reinforcement. He wanted this sword to be STRONG. To be so strong that Ren would never worry about the blade shattering ever again. It was a foolish dream. Even A rank weapons could be destroyed by a strong enough force. But why bother doing anything if you didn't push it all the way?
The mana swirled and Jaune grinned as he felt a secondary mana get involved.
"Old man Muramasa huh".
Jaune had to admit the old fart lacked his raw power. He dwarfed the old man considerably. Yet, his skill was undeniable. Every "crack" that was in Jaune's design was being filled. Imperfections that he still couldn't feel or see were being mended slightly, as much as Muramasa's power allowed. Ingenious methods of mana manipulation allowing Muramasa to close cracks that Jaune wasn't even seeing. As a bound soul he had mana in spades to use unlike Raikou and the other vestiges.
It was…nostalgic. Like the memory of his father standing above him, showing him how to hammer metal to its greatest peak. Jaune's demonic grin simmered as a small smile took its place.
"Old man" sighed Jaune.
With a grunt Jaune "grabbed" the vestige of Muramasa and yanked it out of the blade. A ghastly aura of crimson escaped the sword and Jaune saw the surprised look on a transparent Muramasa.
"Have a rest old man" smiled Jaune "you deserve it."
His thoughts must have travelled for Muramasa seemed to smile. He could have sword a pair of feminine hands gripped the soul of Muramasa before he dispersed. The feeling of sunlight breaking through the storm clouds telling Jaune all he needed to know. Jaune regained his focus as he began finishing the blade. He hoped that this would be a little different than normal. Physically engraving the runes was something he noticed on A rank weapons quite often. Jaune was grinning as his efforts showed worthwhile. The physical anchor of the runes made the magic more stable and less costly. Resulting in Jaune being able to create his first four effect sequence on a weapon. Normally B ranks could only handle three, but Jaune's class and weapons original power allowed Jaune to do just that. A true unique weapon of its class.
"Lightning" smirked Jaune.
To give what electrical abilities exist a bit of a boost. It wasn't mastered, much like the other runes, as such the boost would likely be minimal. Jaune grunted as he was left with a nub of his chisel. He dismantled it.
The player has acquired the "Arcane Tool: Chisel" Master blueprint!
The Player has levelled up the "Grind" beyond its limits! "GRIND" has evolved to become "Engrave"
Engrave (Lv. 1) (B)
This is a skill that allows the user to engrave designs into objects without compromising structural integrity. It has all the same abilities as its predecessor GRIND. When used in the creation of an item it grants a +10% boost to potency. When used to graft runes into an object it grants an item an extra rune space (+1). Increase the level of this skill to increase potency and rune space.
Player, each object can only handle so many runes. This is referred to as Rune Space. The more situated an item is to magic the greater number of runes that item can apply. Take the "Damascus" steel design. Regardless of the regents used the maximum number of effects is 3. With this skill it is possible to add a fourth. Mithril can take much more as a comparison.
"Well there goes my hopes of making strong weapons without Mithril" thought Jaune.
It made sense in a way. There was only so much magic an item can take after all. The forging was done. The blade was ready to be completed…but there was still something to do. Jaune took a look at his mana.
Player: Jaune/Artorious
Level: 27
Mana remaining: 1,218
Jaune closed his eyes and sighed. He was more physically exhausted than ever. At least with Ruby's scythe he just went straight to sleep. Still there was one thing he had to do. Jaune picked up the sword, the blade thrumming with B rank energy. He honed the still crimson edge and placed his hand on it. He gripped the blade, ignoring the gasp he heard as he let his blood run along the sword's edge. He bled onto it, structural analyzed his own blood, saturated it in whatever mana he had left, placed what aura he had left, AND QUENCHED.
The sword's power roared beyond even what Jaune's best expectations were. The blade pulsated with raw energy. As the steel cooled to a dark grey color it began circulating electrical energy. The small tendrils of lightning crawling up Jaune's arm. The damn act he just preformed took more health out of Jaune than he was expecting. The second he activated quench it seemed to suck more health from him in response. Either way it was now complete. He raised the sword up, watching the reflection of the light. Jaune nodded, satisfied with the sword itself.
Even if it remained at friggen B rank. He had poured literally every ounce of energy that he could and the damn thing didn't even break the B rank barrier. Seems he still had a long way to go.
"Good" smirked Jaune "you should be a challenge."
Jaune took out his father's shroud and placed it on the Umbral stone. He than placed Ren's sword on top of the shroud. Jaune rolled his neck, hating the little headache he had. He was out of aura and mana. But that was a problem easily fixed.
Jaune accessed his inventory and with a pop came a blue potion. One that he had bought through the store. He chugged it and instantly restored a good 50% of his mana.
High-Grade Mana Potion
This potion instantly replenishes the player's mana by 50%. Because the potion uses natural ingredients and enhances the body's ability to produce mana temporarily, side effects are minimal. Side effects include: Diarrhea, spontaneous hair loss, and possible sensitive skin.
Jaune took out the Jotunn Ice from his inventory and brought it over to the Umbral stone. He knew it was likely that his hammer would break. He'd be blind if he didn't notice the cracks in both tools after his previous weapons were created.
So, he decided to bring out the Umbral stone and use it as an anvil. It would absorb the constant mana and become something strong in the process or at leas the potential to be anyways after Jaune processed it. The Jotunn ice? Well experimentation was the spice of life as some said. Too bad Jaune wasn't staring behind him, or he might have laughed his ass off. Jaune scratched his bottom as he got to work, all the previous forging making him itch something fierce.
The ones up in the rafters merely stared at the boy was now looking at a chunk of ice he brought out and the rock he used as an anvil. Arak, who was standing near the railing, was stupefied. Hell, the entire room was stupefied. Who in their right mind made a damn B rank and than fucked off and brought out a giant ice cube? Arak felt his brow twitching at the insolent nature of the brat but was even more pissed off that the brat fixed the sword. It was B rank. There was no question. It pulsated madly like a wild animal. The electricity pulsated along its edge frequently. The fact the boy was right in front of it and didn't care just added to Arak's rage.
"That…THAT!"
Arak was cut off.
"THAT WAS AWESOME!" yelled Yorrin "I never thought of adding mana that way before. Interjecting mana and molding metal makes sense but to reinforce the actual mana with the skill itself? That's so backwards I didn't even think of it! The things I can do with this!" grinned Yorrin.
Homer was of the same opinion but it was the reaction of that black haired boy that shook him. The tears that ran down his eyes as he stared at the sword. Arak jumped down, intent on having words it would seem. That was until he covered a scream and jumped back up. There was steam coming off his feet as he flung himself over the edge.
"Damn brat!"
Corra, Yorrin, and Homer rolled their eyes at the man. It was the idiot's fault for jumping onto stone that just baked under what was essentially a volcanic eruption. Corra noticed that Jaune was using alteration and reinforcement to shape the ice and stone together. It was quickly apparent that he had crapped out a second B rank, a hammer similar in shape to his previous one, the head of it made of that ice and wrapped around by the stone. The chisel was must the same with it made of ice with a stone grip. It too was B rank.
"Uh…ok flex much" grumbled Yorrin.
The first B rank seemed so difficult. The other two were just made in seconds. But to be fair they were not nearly as complex as Ren's sword. They were designed to withstand impact and great magical pressure. Not exactly the same complexity as a sword once doused in demonic blood and could conjure….well you get the idea. While the tools may not have been complex, they were the first of their kind that Jaune had ever produced. As such they came with a little extra oomph that gave Jaune a nice surprise.
The Player has leveled up!
Player is now level 28.
If Jaune were to guess the combination of the unusual steel and Jotunn ice must have been new enough to grant a large EXP boost. That and he never made a hammer and chisel before. He was satisfied with the hammer although…it was missing something.
Arcane Hammer (B)
The hammer hand forged by an Arcane Craftsman. It is expertly crafted and able to withstand B rank creations without any stress.
Arcane Chisel (B)
The chisel forged by an Arcane Craftsman. It is expertly crafted and able to withstand B rank creations without stress.
He was missing the runes for crafting. He had the knowledge, like all the runes, but unlike reinforcement or sever the complexity of said crafting runes was many times greater than most weapon runes. They dispersed before Jaune could even begin engraving them. What little he knew was fragmented and distorted. His vast understanding of metal working was immense. Magic? Eh not so much. He'd have to meditate on them when he got the chance. He couldn't leave to chance the other runes could do the same in the middle of forging.
"Now…to truly finish it."
With the umbral stone and alteration Jaune made a handle and guard. The stone was altered to be more flexible, not unlike carbon fiber. This was why Jaune used the Umbral Stone as an anvil without altering its shape. He wanted it to absorb the power of Ren's sword. It was in truth his back up plan. If he couldn't repair the sword in full for combat than whatever left over seeped into the Umbral stone would be enough to make something new.
However, Jaune was hesitant to use Umbral Stone as a weapon. He noticed it during the forging for Blake's dagger but the stone itself was ill-suited for bladed weaponry. The problem wasn't the ability to hold an edge. Thanks to magic Jaune could craft even stone into something strong. The issue was the fragile nature of Umbral Stone in comparison to other materials. The very ability to absorb and adapt to mana made Umbral stone rather…weak in terms of durability. Once processed into a B rank weapon it was like any other B rank, completely immune to the ravages of use. It would not need maintenance to maintain its edge, it would not erode with every hit, nor did it have a durability counter. Yet, out of all the materials Jaune had used for B rank weapons…it was by far the "weakest" in terms of strength. While true B and A rank weapons never degraded, they could in truth still break, however a rarity that phenomenon was.
This wasn't something that Jaune noticed through the system. Nor was it something that he was notified of. It was simply experience telling him this. As such he was thankful that the sword wouldn't need to be made of this material. Blake's handles were a tad different. They were designed to be replaced once Jaune found a better material for doing so. Considering the rarity of something like Umbral stone…Jaune doubted that was any time soon.
Besides, he had a plan for making the Umbral Stone as strong as he possibly could for Ren's sheath. With the handle and guard made Jaune took out a green fabric and a black fabric that he had found in the basement. With these and a burst of alteration, Jaune wrapped the handle…although with limited success. It looked alright but it seemed bundled in an area here of there.
"Hope Ren doesn't mind" thought Jaune.
With that Jaune promptly stabbed the sword into the Umbral stone. He used Reinforcement to condense the stone over and over again. He also used Alteration to adjust for the size here or there. Condensed to such a degree the Umbral stone was a tad stronger than its usual state. As a sheath it would serve well. Jaune finished with a flourish of green as he added another piece of green fabric wrapped around the sheath near the hilt. It was wrapped haphazardly and the clothe was a little torn near the end, a tail of green fabric billowing slightly in the open forge. Jaune put his hammer and chisel into his inventory and turned to go up the stair.
He let a breath go and ignored the utter copious amount of steam that escape his mouth. Although the sizzling of the concrete as he walked up the steps was kind of annoying. The sword seemed excited at the prospect of reuniting with Ren. It was different than Raikou, like the two were one but different. This sword…it wasn't like the others. It…begrudgingly accepted him. It respected him. But if Jaune was like a respected neighbor than Ren was the absolute one thing the sword wished to be with no matter the cost. Much like Ruby's scythes relationship with him but in reverse.
"Huh" thought Jaune "so that's what Ruby feels like".
The sword sparked with a bit of electricity, seemingly smug at the power it had. The electricity crawled up Jaune's bare torso as he finally reached the top of the stairs. He must not have noticed that his body was steaming against the comparatively cold air away from the forge. A few of the women and men amongst the crowd swallowed as Jaune's slicked back hair, sweating body, and steaming visage were more attractive than expected. Well, that and the kid's feet was igniting flames behind him. Most of the nobility were admittedly nervous at that little prospect.
Pyrrha smiled at Jaune and stepped aside for Ren. As Jaune walked closer the sword's electricity shot towards the boy. But the electricity was a searing azure, the potency and the amount increasing exponentially. It was calling for the boy. Arak wanted desperately to intervene but when he locked eyes with Jaune he froze. The boy's eyes slowly slitted as a rage took hold of Jaune. The sight of Arak inducing his eyes to take on a more draconic quality. It didn't seem to be something that Jaune was aware of though. You see, his face was stone, the controlling of his expressions a lesson his mother drilled into him. The man could have sworn Jaune's skin had become paler, his eyes more golden, and his hair a shade lighter. But surely that was lighting and nothing more.
One may ask why these traits occurred. It wasn't like…anger made him stronger did it? Sadly as awesome as that would be that was not the case. You see, Dragon's do not have the facial muscles to express their emotions like humans do. As such their scales and eyes were used to express their feelings. The slitted nature of Jaune's eyes was one such expression. A sign of the individuals emotions laid bare for others to see…even if the face was stoic as stone.
"Hanyou!" growled Arak "another damn pest. Do you even know what you've done!?"
Jaune's body grew hot as heat expanded from him, a small-scale pattern growing across his arms and chest. For red dragons in particular their scales would glow when angered to a sufficient degree, the heat under their body reacting to their temperament resulting in the phenomenon. In Jaune's case his draconic lineage was more apparent than ever, his anger given form due to his higher rank of power. Arak's words had made Ren flinch a bit and reminded Jaune of a few incidences of his own.
Although Jaune doubted they were equal to Ren's in anyway. Ozpin blinked at the sight of Jaune's inhuman nature. Hilariously that little show calmed the nobles, some even attributing Jaune's crafting abilities to an inhuman bloodline rather than something that could spread quickly. Contrary to Arak's outburst half breeds in this society was a tad more common than most believed. Most had little issue with the concept with some, like Arak, having ill feelings. Some admittedly more extreme than others. It was why some of the nobles were disgusted while others were wondering what Jaune was.
Ozpin saw Jaune's body language tense up, as if he was going to respond to Arak's goading. He wondered what Jaune's response to Arak was going to be. The two were staring each other down now.
Ozpin almost choked at the sight of the middle finger that Jaune flipped to Arak. Apparently the two guards from Minstril found it hilarious. Even Akisame was laughing. The black knight smacked their hand into their face with a metallic clang. Arak sputtered to try and find something to say but felt his skin pale a bit. Jaune focused his attention to Arak, invertedly almost crushing the smith with raw mana alone. To Arak's eyes it looked like Jaune was wrapped in fire as a draconic head glared at him.
He swallowed his pride and stepped back. He was no match for that monster. Besides…Hanzo needed to be informed. Arak's shadow suddenly split off, rushing off into the distance. It could have been stopped but no one wanted a diplomatic incident.
Jaune smirked at Arak, enraging the smith even further, before turning to Ren. He smiled as he simply gave the man the sword. The electricity coiling around Ren's arms in a loving manner. Ren closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of his father's mana and that of the countless others that have wielded the Raikiri before him. It was as if he was being welcomed by a family. Ren's tears had already dried at this point…but the overwhelming smile on his face told it all. He looked at Jaune, smile bright.
"You're a stubborn ass. I'm still mad at you."
Jaune grinned as he shrugged, his eyes shining with mirth. Ren didn't know why the sword wasn't hot to the touch but he attributed that to the unusual nature of his blade…a concept that Ren was still having a bit of trouble accepting was now reforged and stronger than ever. Ren slowly drew the sword, the metallic shing of the drawn blade making him look at its dark grey metal with wonder. Along the spine of the sword was a bunch of runic symbols engraved and conjoined together. They gave an eery pale blue light that shimmered through them for a moment. Ren almost dropped it when the steel randomly electrified itself. He inspected it…and almost felt those tears again.
Storm Flower, the Sword of New Beginnings (B)
Forged from the broken remains of a legendary blade and bathed in the blood of a dragon, this sword is reforged for a new age. While the sword retains its demonic traits, it is purified of restrictive elements that persisted in its previous incarnation, resulting in a more freeborn power. This blade favours strong and fast styles of swordsmanship, favouring the bold. The strength of this sword allows for parrying and even static blocking with its naked edge without worry. This is a sword made for aggressive high-speed combat and deals bonus damage against demonic enemies (A).
This is the sword that will herald the storm. Never again shall the chains of others bind you. Let these words give you strength. My blade is that edge that will cleave your oppression. Let my lightning be the light that will blaze your path forward. My sheath is the hearth that will remind you of home. Let your enemies know your wrath. For you are restrained no longer. For my wings have becometh thine own.
Let the Chidori scream once more.
Effects: +25% damage with all Samurai based skills when equipped (B). This edge is honed beyond the human limit granting greater chances for bleeding and severing through enemies (B). Lightning damage is boosted by 10% (C). Chance for "Paralysis" status increased by 15% if this blade is electrified (C). This blade was bathed in the blood of a dragon willingly, resulting in aggressive power, +10% extra damage both physical and magical.
Unique Attack Skill: ~Only usable with the sword equipped~ Call upon the heavens to bring forth lightning. Collect the power within the blade and mix it with your own before discharging it at the enemy in a frontal slash. This attack differs from user to user and is highly adaptable. This attack's damage is affected by the STR, WIS, and INT stat.
Unique Inheritable Skill: (Hidden from non-wielders)
Unique Traits: The sword can reject a user, trapping the power within.
Ren couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe what he was reading in the heritable skill section.
"Jaune…Can I?"
"It's yours, do with it as you will."
It was only now that Ren noticed the utter exhaustion that crept in his friend's frame. Yes…his friend. Ren watched as Jaune saw down on one of the corner slabs and watched as his body expelled steam. In the corner of Ren's eyes, he noticed a group of nobles leaving. But that was secondary to his friend's condition.
Even now Ren could feel a faint heat from his friend's body. If there was any doubt to Jaune's draconic nature they were expelled in this moment. He seemed alright so Ren jumped down to the bottom floor and took a breath. He stared at the inherited skill. He needed to know. Was it true?
That's it, place the blade in ready position.
Ren held the sheathed sword in his left hand, edge up into his palm. He placed his right hand on the grip and hand them ready at his waist.
Remember not to hard but not too loose. The sword is an extension of yourself but it can still be flung from your grip if you're not careful. I'm more a bowman truthfully but I like to think I know my stuff.
The sound of his father's chuckle echoed in Ren's mind. He closed his eyes as he reveled in the memory.
Now the whole point is to center your form of gravity and rush forward. This style focuses heavily on speed and parrying. Once you get the hang of it we'll try some light sparring.
He remembered his response to this training. How he questioned his father on the merits of learning this obscured style of sword fighting. Why he was teaching him this unusual swordsmanship when the clan demanded rigid commitment to the four styles.
True. I am not a master of this particular style. Our clan wouldn't like it either. However, the sword is built for this style. I didn't have what it took to inherit this style. But you? You have what it takes Ren."
Ren chuckled lightly as he spread his feet, steam escaping his mouth as he leaned forward into the first form.
"Like a sword would master a style" chuckled Ren.
I have mastered this style a thousand times and I will now master it again.
Ren's entire body stilled at the feeling of a completely foreign vestige. One that dwarfed his father in both raw power and complexity. Hell, it was stronger than the damn sword he was currently using.
Calm. Let it flow. Let the shoulders tense but the arms relax. The power comes from the back and the legs. Be ready to rush, like a spring. Remember the words your father said. First form.
"First form" sighed Ren, slightly hating the fact that he had to say the damn skill due to his lack of level with it. His eyes opened as electricity arced around his body. The skill awakened once more as Ren performed the skill successfully for the first time…now grown enough to accomplish it.
"Thunderclap!/Thunderclap!"
His body filled with mana and aura as he was propelled at an extreme speed, the new inheritable skill showing him the way. The onlookers could have sworn the mirage of a woman overtook Ren's form. Ren could feel a vestige guiding him, showing him the way. But not just one. Countless others including his father showing him how to wield the sword once more. Embolden Ren pushed past his limits, allowing himself to fight without a worry for his weapon. Now eight meters further in the blink of an eye, the resulting sound echoed not unlike the sword of thunder. Ren's legs ached a bit, but he was still raring to go. So, he did. Two more thunderclaps were Ren's limit before accessing the second form at the end of his third dash.
"Second form" sighed Ren, steam escaping his mouth "Chidori!"
It was a simple downward strike but it was if Ren and acquired the mana burst technique for the back of his sword exploded with electrical energy. With that monstrous speed Ren struck another four blows in a display of vicious velocity. His final downward strike resulted in a massive crash that destroyed the bottom floor. For added effect the sword activated its inherent ability, discharging electricity with the attack but it dispersed harmlessly with no target. The smoke cleared revealing Ren staring at the sword with a small smile. The boy's spirit was lifted. Yet, to Nora it looked as if her friend had become someone else. Tall, confident little smile, and for the first time a blazing look in his eye. A zest for life. Nora felt a silly grin spread on her face before her eyes flashed an odd pink. Suddenly a small energy began to build up beneath Ren, a pink aura of some kind.
"NO NO NO NO NO NO! TURN OFF TURN OFF TURN OFF!" thought Nora.
The glow of Nora's eyes and around Ren dispersed before most noticed. Nora grumbled about embarrassing passives while Yang gave her an odd look. Speaking of Yang she turned to Jaune, a smirk on her face.
"Damn remind me never to look down on smiths. That shit seems hard…eh…buddy?"
Sure enough Jaune was snoring away head resting against the concrete. While his mana may have been replenished his physical exhaustion was another story. Yang just smirked as she watched the nobles stare at the rude boy. The King of Vale however was having a grand old time. Even his wife had a smile on her face.
"This kid's great!" he laughed.
He turned to Isiah and smiled.
"Make sure to talk to this young man and let him know of his situation. I doubt our dark knight over there is going to waste time telling him other news."
The dark knight was already kneeling beside Jaune, surprising most who were there. Pyrrha wanted to stop him but stilled. The man's name.
It was Agravain.
"Still the same fool hardy brat" sighed the man, his voice a tenor that echoing from his helmet "but that is just like you."
He had a rock of some kind, a blue mana crystal that turned red near Jaune.
"Mother's crystal is working as intended. Good" he sighed.
He turned to Jaune's guild.
"Where is his chambers?"
"….Uh…you mean his room?" supplied Yang "its back at your guild house man why do you?"
"He needs appropriate rest, not lying against stonework. I'll escort him myself it would seem."
Yang stared at the Shadow Knight firstly wondering what kind of name that was and secondly who the hell pissed in his cereal this morning for him to be so crabby.
"I uh…appreciate that" stressed Yang "but he's gonna be fine. He'll be up in a bit and we'll be HEY!"
Agravain was covered in pure darkness and him and Jaune disappeared into the dark.
"What the hell!?" muttered Nora "that was awesome!"
"Really. That's what you're focusing on" sighed Weiss.
"He just took Jaune why are you so calm!" stated Yang.
Weiss looked at Yang as if she was an illiterate buffoon.
"If it is Agravain Jaune will be fine. He'll let no harm befall his cousin."
Yang blinked.
"….Uh…what?"
Weiss sighed and rubbed her skull. She looked at the noble assembly and blinked. Only Homer and his escorts were left staring blankly at the corner.
"….Where did?"
Ozpin sipped his coffee while Glynda went about repairing the tower.
"They all left. They came here to see if Jaune could craft B rank weapons. The moment young Ren's sword was complete the Atlesian nobles left. When Jaune lost consciousness Akisame dragged Arak away while the King and Queen went about their business. Isiah is supposedly stopping by at the earliest he can. I advise you do not keep him waiting."
Weiss nodded, wondering how life had expanded so quickly to include S ranks visiting their guild.
"Now" smiled Opzin "I will be going home, enjoying some peace and quiet so please…do not bother me."
With a flourish the superficial repairs had been done and Glynda trailed behind her stressed headmaster. Now it was just the guild as Ren joined them.
"….I was not expecting explosions when he made stuff. Did you know there was explosions?" muttered Nora.
"There was that one time when he made Blake's daggers" sighed Pyrrha.
"He destroyed one of the Merchant guilds forges as well" sighed Weiss.
"I was not expecting the whole…bleed thing" sighed Ren.
"There's a lot we weren't expecting. But he'll need help" stated Yang "that dude….oh right"
Weiss rolled her eyes but Yang stood her ground.
"Well I'm sorry if I forgot he was the son of fucking Arturia! I learned it like two days ago."
Everyone remained silent at that, Blake inspecting the halls for listeners.
"I think its best we go back to the guild. Supposedly Agravain is already there…and I don't like how people can come and go as they please."
Everyone agreed but not before Weiss smirked as she pulled out a paper.
"Wait is that a dungeon permit!?"
Weiss nodded.
"I managed to snag it this morning. It is for a C rank dungeon near the norther walls. Ozpin finally locked down on the Merchant guild and Mercenary guild. Starting tomorrow both guilds are banned from any dungeons or real-estate purchases for two weeks."
"All right!" stated Yang "finally some actual action!"
"This will be a good opportunity for us to practice our skills" said Ren.
"And train Jaune" added Pyrrha "from what I could tell it wouldn't take long for him to find his footing and a C rank dungeon would be perfect. Not to mention Ren's own practice."
The group walked away smiling and happy, especially Ren. A white haired man was currently lounging in the rafters, enjoying the sweet and bitter emotions that had turmoiled through the last hour.
"Oh dear sweet Artorious…I guess Uther doesn't need to know somethings hmm?"
The white-haired man smiled, happy that his charge's child was free and vibrant again. The ancient sigils around his neck that bind him as a summoned of Uther held many restrictions. It had compelled many a distasteful act he did not wish to perform but thankfully Jaune was an exception. A little rune work here a little rule bending there. Uther may have been intelligent but he was still a fool. Ordering Merlin to check on the status of the boy and kill "Artorious". Not directly, as the Giess prevented. But it's always the fine print that got the man. After all, he spent years crafting an order that allowed Uther to "Kill Artorious Pendragon."
"I see no Artorious here" smiled Merlin "The man's name is obviously Jaune."
Such a grand and glorious loop hole to take advantage of.
Merlin, an Incubas Grand Caster chuckled as he fell to the ground, dispersing into petals. The man could feel it…things were finally moving into motion. Whether that spelled news ill or good…well that was for Jaune to find out. Besides…not like Uther would be able to tell if Merlin gave a helpful "nudge' here or there. After all….it wasn't "Artorious" he was helping…now was it? Oh the fun he'll have with this!
-END-
It is time…for it is here. A STAT PAGE THAT ISN'T JAUNE'S! Oh yea, it's all coming together. Enjoy guys. Today's highlight is Ren's! let me know who you would like to see next when the opportunity comes!
Ren Level 28
Class: Samurai
Sub-Class: ? (A rank required)
Stats:
STR: 114 (B)
CON: 103 (C)
AGI: 180 (A)
DEX: 180 (A)
INT: 180 (A)
WIS: 180 (A)
CHA: 36 (E)
RES: 30 (E)
Health: 6,177
Mana: 3,160
Aura: 5,830
Passives:
"Demon Slayer" Rank A
Bonus damage against demonic entities (A). Stat boost to Dexterity and Agility. Grants major resistance to demonic magic.
"Demonic Heritage" Rank A
The blood of a Kitsune runs through your veins. Born from genuine love has resulted in this player acquiring a balanced existence unaffected by the lunar cycle. However, while your body is stable in comparison to other half-demons your ability to use that power becomes difficult. Current bonuses as follows:
Aura (A): Massive boost to aura doubling your growth!
Hanyou (A): Grants a rank up to A for INT and WIS development.
Fox-Soul (EX) (LOCKED): Grants the use of kitsune magic.
Anti-Demon: You naturally deal additional damage to demonic entities of all kinds +100% damage! However, you are also of demonic heritage taking an additional +50% damage from demonic enemies and +100% damage from "Holy" and "Purification" damage.
~{Locked}~
Skill Tree:
~Kenjutsu~
Lightning Style (A) Lv. 2:
A sword style that has many forms that can achieve effects beyond the norm. Two forms are available for use. These "forms" are unique attack methods that can grant incredible damage in combat but takes a toll on the body. Using the mana cost can fully activate the forms for greater damage. These forms can also be overcharged with aura. This allows for devastating damage to be done to singular or small groups of enemies. Be warned the greater the overcharge the greater the toll on your body and in some cases on your health!
Form 1: Thunderclap
Strike forward with an explosive dash to move into an opponent's guard and strike. Use 400 units of mana to electrify your blade for a chance to paralyze your enemy and for greater cutting power. Use 1000 units of aura to grant even greater speed and massive damage increase. -1,800 health. While no cooldown exists this technique is taxing on the body and can cause fatigue even if the additional costs are not used.
Total cost for full power: 400 units of mana, 1000 units of aura, body toll per use: High. Level up the lightning style to mitigate costs.
Form 2: Chidori
A high-speed collection of strikes designed to take out a singular enemy. Put all your strength and focus on killing the opponent before you with 4 strikes. The final strike is the strongest dealing moderate damage! Use 200 units of mana to electrify your sword and discharge electricity from the body of your enemy, -350 health. Use 2,500 units of aura to overcharge this attack and grant greater damage and a guaranteed stun. This overcharge deals an additional 50% damage against demons. Requires 50% of current health to enact. Cooldown: 1 hour, increase skill level to reduce time.
Total Cost: 200 units of mana, -350 health, 2,500 units of aura, -50% health. Body toll per use: Moderate
Parry (B) Lv.3:
Parry the enemies blow for a greater chance at their openings. Upon successful parry deal an additional 10% damage so long as you counter attack. No cooldown. No cost.
Resolve (A) Lv.1:
A unique skill solely for Samurai classes. Increase health regeneration 1 per day once health falls below 40%. Increase skill level to empower this skill further.
Mystic Slayer (Inherited at Birth):
A symbol of your relation to Minamoto no Raikou. This skill grants an additional 30% damage for 50 seconds. If the opponent is a demonic entity it grants an additional 50% damage. Cooldown: 15 minutes
NEW! Buster Critical (Inherited) Lv. 1)
A unique skill to your bloodline. For one attack increase attack damage by 300% and garuntee a critical hit. Cooldown: One day. Cost: 2,500 mana and paralyzed for one minute and thirty seconds. WARNING: Damage and cost increase per level there is no reduction.
Skill Tree ~Archer~
Critical Star Lv. 3 (MAX):
Through a volley of arrows hit your opponent and generate increased chances of landing a critical hit. Every arrow increases chance but in return cannot deal a critical hit. Cost per arrow: 300 units of mana
Hawk-Eye (MAX):
Increased sight. Easier to find the critical spots of an enemy. At max level grants an increased critical damage boost (10%)
Ren's skills are based of Minamoto no Raikou character from FGO. Do I play it? Damn right I do. Got me a Merlin almost maxed! Just wished I had fucking Jalter XD The RNG gods detest me it seems. As a small warning…expect Jaune's guildmates to be just as unique and expansive as Jaune and Ren here. I did these two first mainly because the others get outright retarded in terms of utility and damage and I'm trying to mitigate it. The worst one is Ruby with all her damn kill skills. But that is how Remnant works. Due to the unique biology, flat out luck, and bloodlines people can be widely varied in how effective at combat they are. Arturia is broken as fuck. Akisame is broken as fuck. Even Isiah, a fucking nobleman, is broken as fuck in different ways. Just goes to show how absurdly dangerous both the dungeons and even the Grimm can get…se expect battles of a large scale for the future! Oh yea…it's all coming together (Rewatched emperors new groove…can't stop Kronk's voice in my head I'm sorry XD).
Now…onto the more important stuff. Once I get this set up everyone can vote once in the voting screen. I will take review posts but that is just for guest reviews mostly. Not everyone has an account. I can't stop doubling voting with "Fake" accounts but without the PM's I got spammed with I hope to have a more accurate count!
NEW STORIES:
Journey Remake:
Fandoms: Witcher and RWBY
The life of a Witcher is not an easy one. The existence of monsters has become one of myth for the people of the cities. But in the wilds of Vale monsters still roam. A caste of mutated warriors, those who were made for slaying monsters, have been hunted to near extinction by an ancient magic warrior. One whose name has changed through the course of history. Out of desperation a Witcher kidnaps a child, intent on having the scientist Merlot reverse the magic mutations that the Witcher have undergone. They were called soulless abominations. Witcher's whose strength surpassed human and even hunter norms…but at the "cost" of their souls. Aura absent in their fighting style and in its place a limited form of magic. He wanted to be human…even if it cost a child. Yet, Merlot cared not. The merging of Witcher and Huntsmen. Such a goal should not have been achieved…but within insanity comes the impossible. A new breed has been born, one trained in the ancient ways of the Witcher Knights. He bares their symbol, intent on finding his family and honouring the code of the Witchers that saved him from Merlot and the Rouge. Yet, his family was not so easily found. An event occurred, time has passed, and the child becomes a man. A lead presents itself after a second conjunction and the Witcher Jaune finds himself within Vale. He trails behind his broken family and finds himself amidst between the struggles of a Warlock and a Witch.
"Jaune…will you help me?" asked Amber.
"…."
"Yes"
~Estimated Length time: 30 chapters~
Endure:
Fandoms: My Hero Academia + Bleach…somewhat.
A quirk. Almost everyone had them. A society filled with superheroes and supervillains! It was a comicbook brought to life! A dream made reality! For a time a young man named Izuku Midoriya wanted nothing more in the world than a quirk. To be just like everyone else. To be like all might! He was told by the doctors that he was quirkless. That his dreams were futile. One fateful day he got his wish! A bullying gone to far as a child gave the boy a quirk exactly like he wanted! In the worst way possible. A monster. He was nothing more than a monster. Everyone around him kept congratulating him. Saying he had a powerful quirk! But he was nothing more than a monster. His quirk…he didn't give it a name. When pushed to flight or fight Izuki's quirk took a stand…and three children were hurt because of him. His bullies had a broken wing, a broken arm, and Kaachan's leg was broken and a scratch along his cheek. Izuku was scared, terrified even of his quirk. That he had…attacked someone like that!
But the adults…they…they just said congrats. He had hurt three people…and yet now all of a sudden it was justified? His bullies were now outed, his teachers apparently aware of what was happening and not caring until his quirk mysteriously manifested. A bone armor that turned him into a monster and healed his wounds. An incredible quirk they said! A powerful quirk! Then why did he feel like a monster? and why did he look like one?
A hero? No…he was no hero. After all…a monster cannot be a hero.
~Estimated Length time: 40 Chapters, I don't plan to go full on the actual main plot of the manga so expect a world that is a little more lax.~
Eventual hero Izuku. Pairing undecided…maybe Rumi (Cause why not let's get crazy!). OFA not likely. Izuku's quirk is effectively Ichigo's Hollow states and energy manipulation. The reasoning for such an increased power compared to his parents in the overall mutation that occurred. He is like the little kids in the series, a mutation that jumped from his parents a generation earlier than those kids.
Fate/Clover (Rework of Devil on my Shoulder):
Fandom: Fate series + Black Clover
The grail was bullshit. Counter Guardian EMIYA could attest to it. Every single time he was summoned to the fifth holy grail war the same thing always happened. Either everyone was happy and the world continued on or the grail went to shit and everyone died horribly. Than things went off the rails. EMIYA wasn't entirely sure what happened. One minute they were fighting with Gilgamesh over the grail than the golden fucker died. A completely lucky hit from Shirou. Then the grail exploded. A wish that was enacted and twisted resulting in some form of singularity. EMIYA was prepared for anything. What he wasn't prepared for was the sucking force of said singularity to absorb him and Shirou.
He should be back on the throne. Instead, he woke up in the middle of nowhere in an environment literally seething in mana. De-aged and more than likely somehow merged with his younger self, Archer found himself adrift in a world far beyond his own. He survives for months, adjusting to his new body and his seemingly incarnated status. He lacked a magic core, was somehow "alive", and had a magic system that was a tad different than the norm. It was a long overdue vacation and Archer was not complaining. That was until a 16 year old girl named Mereoleona came barging into the cabin he made. Things got…interesting from that point. The fiery woman was so different from the people he normally interacted with that Archer had no experience dealing with the woman. This was the adventure of Archer and Mereoleona who had just begun her journey into the wilds of the world.
….Oh god. Archer was in for a whirlwind of a woman.
~Estimate Length time: 30-40 chapters. It's more focused on Archer's relationship with Mereoleone so I can actually gloss over quite a bit of the main plot in the beginning~
Pairing list: Archer X Mereoleona, why? Because I can and I wanna see if I can do it. There will be a significant time skips involved from time to time and will center on Archer and Mereoleona. He will not be interfering in a majority of the Black Clover storyline. Will he get a Grimoire? I have ideas for that but Archer has full access to unlimited bladeworks with some kinks here or there. No Archer WILL NOT CURBSTOMP Mereoleona. Archer is not some overwhelming existence. He's just going to kick ass in ways the world isn't used to. After all, he's a magus, not a mage.
Fate/WTF:
EMIYA had walked a lonely broken road with no way out. Than the worst of it came. He was summoned to Arthurian Britain…to enforce the deal that Alaya made with his saber from so long ago. It was fruitless he knew but Archer struggled beyond his limits. It bought him a second between the summoning and the summoned. A second was the greatest he could accomplish. In that second everything changed. Something interfered. Perhaps Gaia if Archer was honest. He didn't know what but he found himself in the woods buck naked and now a child. Awkwardness aside he began to survive. His body, when analyzed, was something like a Fae. He wasn't stronger and more suited to magic, but rather something like a changling. A human that had spent time embroiled among the Fae. He eventually came across a village. There was no telling where he was or if he was even in the proper time for Arturia. But either way…somehow someway…Archer planned to prevent the deal with Alaya with everything he had. He walked a lonely broken road…and he'll do it again for the saber he saw so long ago.
~Estimate length time: 24 chapters~
Fate/Counter:
This has been dropped due to extreme length of chapters involved. I'm already writing a massive epic with Arcane Craftsman I don't plan to write two XD At least for now.
