AN: Gonna make it clear for those who don't like Gamer stories that I won't be bringing it up very often. Maybe once per chapter at most once the story gets going and progress gets slower/people know what the new stuff is. It's mostly an excuse to have him be a capable fighter despite not having the patented Pyrrha Training. Instead, he will be attending the Outsider School of having knowledge shoved into your head. His progress won't be insane though, 500 Grimm isn't exactly easy after all, and it will only get harder from here.
After discovering my new abilities and testing them by going out into the forest, I wanted nothing more than to go out and prove myself by fighting some Grimm. Unfortunately, the universe seemed to be conspiring to keep me within the walls. My Mom had taken to waking up early along with my eldest sister Sapphire and even when I could get out of the house unnoticed, guards always seemed to be patrolling the walls and keeping me away.
I had kept myself occupied in the meantime by training with my blink ability as well as my sword and shield. I had figured out that my weapon skills were significantly more polished than they were before, even if I didn't have the dexterity necessary to pull off some of the moves. That, combined with my blink ability, should make me at least somewhat of a challenge to face in spars.
I had also made some progress on upgrade quests during the week. I was at 354/1000 sword swings and even 1 blocked attack from when some kid threw an apple at me. I would've sparred with some of the militia members, but I was worried that my Dad would find out and we would have another argument. I really didn't want that, especially since I didn't even need him to train me now.
Finally, after a full week of waiting, Dad had gone out on some huntsman business while my mom and sisters were going to visit Vale. I had opted to stay behind, claiming that I wasn't feeling well. After a ton of worrying from my sisters, I managed to convince them to go ahead to Vale without me, hopefully giving me at least a week to train in peace.
Still being level one after a whole week of having my powers was extremely annoying, even if it was because I couldn't get out to train.
Setting my alarm to go off before the sun was even up on a Saturday made me feel like I was committing a crime, and also like I was going to collapse if I attempted to actually swing my sword. Luckily, a good cup of coffee woke me up fast and I was quickly suiting up in my signature armor/hoodie/jeans/sneakers combo and grabbing Crocea Mors from its spot above the mantle in the dining room.
Making my way out of the house and towards Ansel's border wall. I waited until the lookout on duty wasn't looking then made my way up and over the wall before using a combination of Blinks and running to make my way back to the clearing. I had been using Blink to get around recently when I could afford to in order to practice with the skill (and get used to the motion sickness)
Either way, I was much better at using the skill compared to my initial power test in the forest. I was getting very good at estimating the cooldown and max range. I was also getting used to the disorientating effect teleporting had, both on my stomach and my head. I'm confident that I should be able to incorporate Blink into my fighting style pretty effectively with a little practice against human opponents.
Unfortunately, until I could make it to signal I was severely lacking in people that I could spar, at least if I don't want my dad to find out.
I quickly made my way to the clearing I found on my first day out in the forest, only to find it already occupied.
Three Beowolfs.
Saying I was going out to fight the Grimm and actually fighting Grimm were two very different things. Despite knowing that Beowolfs were arguably the weakest Grimm, my legs couldn't help but shake a little even as I got into my stance. My shield was held out in front of my body while my sword was in my right hand and extended past the shield.
I had no doubt without void soul the Grimm would have already sensed my fear and attacked me. Thankfully, what I was quickly considering as my most useful skill seemed to prevent the Grimm from sensing my negativity, even if it didn't stop me from feeling fear entirely.
Taking one final deep breath I formulated my plan of attack. Blink in, bisect one of the Beowolfs with a surprise attack and then kill the other two. Simple in formula, not so much in practice. I waited until they seemed distracted before putting my plan into action.
Blink
Instantly, I'm standing next to the Beowolf on the right. Noticing me, it whirls to the side in an attempt to attack me. Too late, as my sword cleaves straight through its unarmored side. The other two Beowolfs notice me right away and turn to face me baring their teeth. For a moment we just stand there staring at one another. If the Grimm weren't the mascot of mindless aggression I would say they were waiting for me to make the first move.
Instead, the Beowolf on the left charges in, reaching me within a second. It was faster than I expected but I managed to get my shield up in time to block its claws and perform a counter-attack, scoring a hit on its front leg and forcing it back to its friend.
Unwilling to let them regain the offensive, I use my blink skill to get behind the uninjured Beowolf. Quickly putting it down before it had the chance to figure out where I went. The final Bowolf whirled around and charged at my one last time attempting to put its claw through my throat. I calmly brought up my shield, expecting the speed this time, and deflected the claws before cutting a deadly downwards arc and cutting the final Beowolf down.
That… was intense. I won the fight pretty easily but then again Beowolfs are supposed to be weak. A Signal student could probably take out 50 of these things without breaking a sweat. Still, 3 beowolfs with no damage taken isn't too bad and I'll only get better from here.
I also made some progress on my quests. I mean… only 3 Grimm killed but the day is still young right? Now all I need to do is find some more Grimm to fight and I'll be in good shape. Adrenaline running through my veins, I made my way out of the clearing and further into the forest.
/:/
I used my shield to counter another swipe from a Beowolf only to get knocked to the side by another Beowolf on my right. Pinning me to the ground it attempted to rip my throat out only to bite empty air as I blinked up behind it. Stabbing it through the back with my sword, the other beowolf took it as an opportunity to lunge at me only to get batted out of the air as I spun around with my shield. Retrieving my sword, I put an end to the final Beowolf with a quick stab to the head.
I ended up killing around 25 more Beowolfs after the first three I came across. Most were in groups of two or three like the first group with only one having four members, that being the group I had just finished off the last member of. My sword skill upgrade quest was still a ways from being completed but on the bright side.
Shield Mastery (Novice→Apprentice)
Attacks Blocked (100/100)
Attacks Countered (20/20)
Shield Bashes (20/20)
Cost: 1 Rune
Now all I needed was a Rune and my already good defense would skyrocket to new levels. I had discovered earlier when one of the Beowolfs managed to hit me that I have quite a bit of Aura, at least compared to the damage the Beowolfs can put out. Either way, with a good shield defense and my Aura I should be able to take some hits, if nothing else.
As for finding a Rune, I remember the Outsider mentioning that I could find them in the "lairs of Grimm" but I really had no idea what that meant. Did Grimm have lairs? Were all these Beowolfs coming from one cave somewhere, and if so, where? Honestly I wasn't sure I wanted to find out, I had done well against these Grimm and fighting them became easier with each encounter but I was still very unsure about going up against an entire group of them.
It was a question for another day in any case, the sun was starting to set over the tree tops and I did not want to be out here at night. I was very careful about keeping my bearings, using the clearing as a waypoint and making sure I always knew which direction it was so I could make my way back home. Was that my intelligence rating at work? I hoped so, I didn't feel particularly strategic in the earlier fights so hopefully it had at least one use.
Making my way back to the clearing, I set off in the direction I knew Ansel was only to very quickly have my path blocked by a Beowolf. I had my sword and shield out ready for another fight only to notice something about this Grimm. It was big, bigger than any of the other Beowolfs I fought earlier today, on top of that, it had massive bone plates covering its face like armor. Those same bone plates covered most of its front and spiked plates sprouted out of its back, giving it armoured protection wherever it was covered.
This was not the first armoured Grimm I had run into, one of the Grimm in the third group I fought had bone plates over its face as well. The difference between that beowolf and this one was a massive size difference, as well as the fact that this one's armor seemed to be much better quality and covered more area.
I learned in school that Beowolfs, much like regular wolves, followed a pack mentality. There was a leader and a group of 30-50 followers who all patrolled a certain area which they controlled. The Alpha Beowolf was supposed to be the strongest and smartest of the pack.
That was certainly true here.
Thinking fast I blinked behind it, catching it by surprise and cutting a deep gouge into one of its back legs. Before I could even think about swinging again the alpha had already spun around bringing its massive claws to bear. I barely got my shield up in time, preventing myself from being decapitated but not from getting thrown into a nearby tree.
My Aura took the brunt of the damage but I could still feel the wind get knocked out of me as I tried to stand up only to get forced to dive to the side as the Alpha attempted to finish me off while I was down. I barely managed to get out of the way and quickly brought myself back to my feet, the Alpha turning to face me once again. The tree had taken the hit for me and suffered for it, deep claw marks penetrating almost halfway through the trunk.
I wouldn't survive a hit like that.
I couldn't fight this thing straight on and it was no doubt faster than me which meant I needed to put that Intelligence score of mine to use. The Alpha attacked much like the weaker Beowolfs did, only with significantly more strength and speed. That meant it had the exact same weaknesses which let the younger Grimm get caught off guard by my Blink.
As the Grimm charged once again, I picked a spot to the side of its path and waited for the perfect moment. Just as the Grimm ran past the spot I chose. I used my blink skill and thrusted my sword to the side in an attempt to impale it. I couldn't use an overhead strike and attempt to bisect it like I did with the smaller Grimm due to its bone plating. A stab to the side wouldn't be nearly as deadly but it would have to be good enough.
My sword sunk deep into the side of the Alpha, causing it to let out a pained roar and thrash around wildly and forcing me to let go of my sword and back away. As the Grimm turned to face me again I couldn't help but think the only thing I did was piss it off, it was clearly injured but it wasn't going to be enough. I needed more.
What could I do without a weapon though? The Alpha, proving its intelligence, was keeping my sword out of reach and I couldn't exactly decapitate it with my shield. Maybe the wound would prevent it from catching up with me if I ran? That wasn't an option though. Even if I wanted to I couldn't just leave my sword behind, Dad would kill me! If I couldn't get to Crocea Mors then I would need another weapon, my shield wasn't up to the task but maybe…?
My intelligence once again proved to be my most useful stat as a plan quickly came to mind. Backing away from the Alpha and looping around a tree to block its path. I began running away and counting down in my head from ten, ducking and weaving between trees all the while. My Agility wasn't the best but I could use the trees to offset my poor dodging skills and prevent the Alpha from catching me.
I broke out into the original clearing I had tested my powers in just as my internal countdown reached zero. Quickly spinning around to face the oncoming Alpha, I started to put my plan in action. Holding my shield in front of me as the Alpha continues barreling towards me I count the distance between us in my head.
30…
20…
10…
Just as the Alpha comes in range of my blink ability I look to a spot on top of its back, directly next to one of its spiked bone protrusions. In an instant, I'm standing on top of the Alpha and immediately grab its spike with my right hand. To the Grimm's credit, it figures out where I went remarkably fast as it bucks around attempting to throw me off.
Unfortunately for the beast, my grip remains strong as I bash my shield into the base of the spike repeatedly. Weakening the bone with each bash until eventually it comes off in my hand. Grabbing a different spike to keep myself steady while keeping my spike under my arm.I again use my shield to bash its armoured shell over and over, sending cracks throughout until eventually the bone breaks creating a gap in the armor.
Closing my shield and using my left hand to keep my hold on its back. I raise my right arm holding the spike up high and stab it down on the opening as hard as I can. I purposely chose one of the longer spikes for this exact purpose as it sinks deep into the Grimms flesh. With some final death throes the Alpha falls onto its side dead. I retrieved my sword and stopped for a moment to catch my breath.
Riding an Alpha beowolf… one of my smarter decisions or one of my stupider ones? I put it in the "smart decisions" category for now, mostly because I needed a win, and opened my status screen for the first time that day.
Name:Jaune Arc
Level:1 → 11
Class:Knight
Aura:21250
Stats
STR B
DEX D
END A
AGI C
INT B
CHA C
Upgrade Quests.
~~~Skills~~~
Sword Mastery Novice
Gives you basic knowledge of how to wield a one-handed sword
Shield Mastery Novice
Gives you basic knowledge of how to wield a shield.
Blink
Instantly teleport a short distance within line of sight
Upgrade Quests
Level 10 Bonus: +1 Rune!
Level 1-9 Bonus: +100 Lien each, +250 Aura total
As I read the status screen the requisite awards appear seemingly from nowhere and fall on the ground in front of me. 900 lien… that's the most money I've ever held and I got it from training normally. I tore my gaze away from the pile of money in my hand to take a look at the Rune laying on the ground. It was a relatively small thing, made out of white material that might have been bone. Carved into the front of the Rune was the mark of the Outsider, the same mark that adorned my left hand.
Picking up the Rune and touching it to my mark, It began softly glowing before fading away into black dust, it reminded me of the way that the Grimm dissolved after their deaths. Opening up my status screen again I saw a new option labelled Runes. Mentally commanding it to open, I took a look at the new options that opened within my vision.
Rune Powers (1 Rune)
Blink II: 2 Runes
Blink Assault: 3 Runes
Dark Vision I: 2 Runes
Pull I: 2 Runes
Vitality I: 4 Rune
Agility I: 2 Rune
Intelligence I: 3 Runes
Upgrades
Shield Mastery: 1 Rune
The only power I could actually afford right now was Shield Mastery, judging from the cost and names of the others I could probably upgrade my base stats, although it got more expensive the higher it was. Picking Shield Mastery I prepared myself for the flood of new knowledge I had felt last time. Sure enough, the second I had picked it my head was filled with better stances, how to properly deflect attacks rather than take them head on as well as knowledge on keeping my shield up at all times rather than only when blocking attacks.
That… never got old, or less invasive. Mental Molestation aside, I was extremely satisfied with the progress I had made today. I originally only came out here to kill a couple Beowolfs and get some practice with Blink in combat. Riding an Alpha Beowolf then stabbing it with its own bone armor? Now that's impressive! A little more of this and I'll get into signal no problem!
Confidence restored, I made to leave the clearing back towards Ansel when I noticed something odd within the Grimm corpse. I originally thought it was just some leftover bone armor until I took a closer look and noted the similarities to the Rune. If the Rune was small then this thing was tiny, able to fit in the palm of my hand as I picked it up and turned it over. Touching it to my mark much like I had done with the Rune caused it to begin to dissolve into black dust.
Bringing up my status screen yet again I noticed another new option below Runes, Bone Charms. Opening it up brought me to a similar, though much smaller menu, as before.
Minor Upgrades (1)
Blink (Range) (Cooldown)
Unlike the rather vague rune powers I could pretty easily guess what these were for. It was nice I had a way of upgrading powers beyond Runes, especially since they were probably going to be pretty rare from here on out. I chose the option for reduced cooldown mostly because 10 meters was more than enough in combat as long as I could teleport enough. I turned towards the edge of the clearing, facing Ansel, and blinked to my max range before spamming the skill as much as possible. Eight seconds later, I was 10 meters closer and slightly more disappointed than before.
A two second reduction, then? Not terrible I guess, especially since these Bone Charms are probably going to be much easier to find but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for something more. Turning once again I began making my way back to Ansel, only stopping a couple times when I ran into some Grimm.
/:/
Making my way back into the Arc Family house I quickly stripped off my armor and hopped in the shower. A whole day of running around and fighting had certainly worked up a sweat, even if my high endurance let me work through it. Coming out of the shower I briefly debated between my hoodie/jeans combo and my onesie.
Briefly.
Seriously this onesie was super comfy, I wasn't oblivious enough that I didn't realize it wasn't exactly manly to wear a onesie but come on! This thing is amazing! I still kept my gloves on though. My Mom had told me I had to call every night or she would march down to Ansel and drag me to Vale herself, sick or not. Personally I believed that was absolutely something she would do, that or send Sapphire to do it for her.
Sitting down at the dinner table with a leftover pizza that Mom had kept in the fridge for me. I opened up my scroll and hovered my finger over the contact button for Mom, prepared myself mentally, and pressed down on the button.
"Jaune!" Surprisingly, it was not Mom who answered the phone but rather Amber Arc, my younger sister and the youngest out of all of us at 11 years old.
"Hey Amber, having fun in Vale?"
"Mhmm! We went to this match between some Beacon students and saw them fight. Saph said it was just to get us interested in becoming hunters but it was still really cool! One of them had a awesome spear/sword mechashift and the other had a rifle/sword mechashift"
"That sounds cool, are you thinking about becoming a huntress when you're older?"
"Not really, the weapons are cool and all but I'll leave all the hero work to my big bro!" At this declaration I couldn't help but smile. Out of all of my sisters, Amber was the only one who really believed I could become a proper huntsman. Granted, that was probably just because she was young and thought I was the coolest thing ever but it was still encouraging.
"Thanks Amber, you think you could get Mom for me? She asked me to call her every night."
"Sure thing big bro, nice onesie by the way!"
Amber hopped off the chair she was sitting on and walked off, presumably to go find Mom. Out of all of my sisters Amber was probably my favorite, not to say I didn't love the others. Sapphire was a second Mom to all of us, Coral was Sable's twin sister, though the two were basically opposites. Sabel was kind and respectful while Coral was well, kind of a pervert. Apparently she even wrote a successful smut series called "Ninjas of Love '' which, oddly enough, made her one of the most successful of my sisters.
Jade and Hazel were born just before me. Jade was particularly hard working and had dreams of owning a business one day while Hazel was a little lazier, stating that Jade could just hire her when she got her business going. They were both very loving and had played with me a lot when I was younger.
Finally, Lavender was my second younger sister, though only by a year. She was the smartest out of all of my sisters and had dreams of becoming a scientist in Atlas when she was older. To that end she studied quite a lot and easily had the best grades out of all of us, even though she was taking AP Classes. She always used to come to me to help her with her homework, though now that would probably be the other way around.
While I was busy reminiscing on my sisters, my attention was drawn back to the scroll where Juniper Arc came into frame.
"Hey mom!"
"Oh hello Jaune, are you feeling alright? Do you need us to come back home?"
"No mom, I'm fine, feeling better already." I truly was feeling better, though it was from injuries sustained riding an Alpha Beowolf, not from a cold.
"Well that's good to hear, your sisters and I are having a lot of fun in Vale. We're planning on going down to the new shopping mall on central street that opened up this past week." And suddenly I was feeling a lot better about my decision to lie to my mom about being sick. Every time one of my sisters would drag me shopping I would end up the glorified bag carrier while they asked for my (often ignored) opinions on their outfits.
"Sounds like fun, wish I could be there." I said, with what had to be the fakest smile in history.
"Oh hush Jaune, I know you hate shopping. So what have you been up to while we were gone? Burn down the house yet?"
"I mostly just sat around reading comic books, nothing too exciting" I told her, even as memories of stabbing the Alpha Beowolf came back to me.
"You really should get out and exercise sometimes you know, it's not healthy for a young man to sit inside all day!"
"I know mom, I'm still working out every day." I actually wasn't. I had found out pretty early on that I couldn't improve naturally anymore now that my characteristics had been converted into letters. Not that I was missing the loss.
"Hmm, well that's good, It was nice to hear from you Jaune. Make sure to call again tomorrow!"
"I will mom, love you"
"Love you too"
With that she ended the call and I got up to wash my dishes. I planned on turning in for an early rest today. After all, an Alpha Beowolf had left their lair unguarded somewhere.
And I intended to find it.
AN: Jauney boy gets some upgrades and some combat experience. I think I did pretty well for my very first fight scene. In fact, this fic marks my first attempt at creative writing, like, at all. If Jaune kinda loses his character in fight scenes blame it on Void Soul, if you didn't even notice anything and I'm being paranoid, credit it to my amazing writing. ALSO I'm taking suggestions for powers in the reviews, nothing too overt, as you may have noticed all of the current powers are subtle.