R(emnant)PG – Update 1.1!
Chapter 002 – Golden Fields
I awoke to find myself lying on the ground. It certainly was no bed, managing to firmly disavow any doubts about whether or not this was all a dream. That certainly shocked me. Probably more than it should have. After all, I had felt everything first hand. I had experienced it all, and there was no way it was a dream. It was too real.
"But still…" I couldn't help but think. "I… I miss my name…" My eyes stung, but I bore it as I heaved myself up off of the ground. There was little point in moping about it, now that it had happened. Still, it wasn't all bad. At least I got superpowers out of the deal!
"Speaking of which…" I quipped as I rose from the ground. My new body seemed perfectly clean, despite having appeared suddenly onto the dirt. The System was quiet, despite it claiming earlier to have more to say. Curious, I struggled to think on how to address it.
"System. Status." I called out, speaking mechanically. The System remained quiet, but a box appeared in front of me instantly. It was noticeably larger than the option boxes before, and was filled with text. I began to examine it.
[Rex Aurum – Level 1]
[HP – 100/100]
[AP – Locked]
[MP – Locked]
[STR – 10]
[DEX – 10]
[INT – 10]
[WIS – 10]
[CHR – 10]
[LUK – 10]
"STR? LUK? What the hell is this stuff?" I asked myself, gazing at the data being displayed before me. I could fairly easily tell that they were some kind of statistics, not dissimilar to the kind found in RPGs. What exactly any of it actually meant? I had no idea. Two stood out to me more than the others – the two listed as 'Locked'. MP might have referred to some kind of Magic system, but AP could mean anything.
[AP stands for Aura Points.]
"Gah!" I recoiled as the familiar voice of the System spoke for the first time since my arrival. To be fair, it had only been a few minutes or so, but I was still frightened none the less. "Where did you come from? And how long have you been there?" I yelled frantically, more surprised than genuinely confused.
[Um, I've been here the whole time. I'm the interface, remember? In a way, you reading that box is like you glaring at me. I should be the one frightened.]
I blinked. Huh. I forgot that whilst the System was clearly its own entity capable of speech, it was also the interface that I had been operating. The two seemed so different, with one speaking to me and the other presenting boxes of text, that I honestly missed the fact that they were one and the same.
"R-right. Sorry." I stammered, embarrassed. I sincerely hoped that my first exposure to a parallel world wasn't my face going red, but the heat in my face seemed to contradict that notion.
"A-anyway," I pressed on. "What are all these numbers? And what does 'Aura Points' mean?" I enquired. The System replied happily.
[I'm so glad you asked!]
It's almost child-like excitement shocked me for a moment.
[Okay, so as you've probably figured out, these are all of your Stats. They're a measurement of your current abilities. There are six main categories of Stats, so just poke the one you want explained and I'll tell you all about it! Oh, and also, by your standards, I'm female.]
I nodded along, despite the widening of my eyes at that last point. Considering the feminine voice, it really shouldn't have been surprising, but the System struck me as being more disconnected from human standards.
"Or Faunus, I guess…" I added in a whisper. "Okay, what's the first one?" I said, pressing the Stat labelled 'STR'. The System hummed in response.
[STR stands for Strength. That one's all about how hard you hit, and how well you can take hits. It's crucial for both offence and defence, so keep an eye on it if you wanna go into combat. The higher it is, the stronger your blows – regardless of weapons – and the better you block – regardless of armours.]
I raised an eyebrow. It seemed odd for weapons and armour to not be affected by my stats, but I supposed it did mean that if I balanced properly, I might still be capable of fighting unarmed. I tapped on the next stat, 'DEX'.
[DEX is for Dexterity. It's all about your speed and agility. It doesn't seem like it, but there are a lot of problems you can escape if you can avoid them. It's also pretty handy for stealth. It allows for quick movement and navigation of surroundings, so keep an eye on it. STR and DEX are basically the 'Combat Stats, best for a front-line fighter.]
"I see." I murmured. If these Stats were the ones centred around combat, I supposed the others were more useful outside of it. Though I could admit to some curiosity regarding their quality. How much was 10 points worth? I had to find out.
I grinned, and started dashing forwards. The box moved itself to go beside me so as to not impede my view, and I ran. I laughed as the wind rushed through my hair. I knew I was running fast, certainly faster than I ever had in my previous life – my old body. I was never very athletic before, but I could still manage to run at a decent pace. Probably because my old body weighed so little.
But this? It was on a whole other level!
I stopped myself just before running into a nearby tree, and pulled my fist back as I swiftly adopted some sort of basic fighting stance, and slammed it into the tree.
And I regretted doing so a moment later.
"Ow!" I cried out, pulling my hand back. It was throbbing mildly, and I guessed it would probably leave a bruise. I glared back at the tree, but a grin appeared on my face a moment later.
The tree was now fairly heavily dented, and the dented area was filled with cracks.
"That is so cool!" I yelled I my excitement. I quickly took a moment to calm myself before I heard the System practically yell in my head.
[Jeez, don't just do things like that! If I had a heart, you'd have given me a heart attack!]
I winced at the sudden noise, and also the concern it – or she , I supposed – held in her voice. It was still odd to hear her speak so emotionally. I figured it was just another thing I would have to get used to. Perhaps I should make a list…
"Sorry. I just wanted to try it out. Didn't mean to worry you." I apologised. The System let out a sigh of relief.
[Just don't do it again, or at least give me a warning the next time you try breaking your hand. Honestly. Maybe I put your INT Stat too high.]
"Hey!" I cried. "You didn't give me any warning before taking me out of my life. You didn't warn me when you took away my body, or my name! You didn't warn me when you made me abandon my entire fucking life! So don't you dare start judging me." The sudden outburst caught both of us by surprise. The System was quiet for a moment, seemingly stunned.
[Y…You're right. I'm sorry. Maybe I overstepped my bounds there…]
"You think?" I retorted, still feeling irritated. I felt I could go on, but stopped myself. Complaining wouldn't change anything. It would only make things difficult. For better or worse, we were both stuck with each other, so I couldn't afford to stay angry.
"Whatever." I sighed. "How about we just keep going with the Stats. What's next?" I asked, tapping the 'INT' stat. The System seemed relieved with the distraction.
[O-oh. Right! 'Ahem'. ]
She steadied herself before explaining.
['INT' stands for Intellect, or Intelligence. Whichever you prefer. It's your ability to process information and understand it. The higher it is, the more you'll be able to understand, and it'll be easier as it goes up too! Though I should note, you still have to actually learn stuff yourself. INT is just how much sense it makes. It's useful for any careful, precise work, such as weapon or armour design. You'll probably need this one most!]
"I'm detecting some sarcasm there…" I quipped. The earlier anger was forgotten, and I sunk back into comfortable humour instead. I hummed, considering the System's words. It made sense, but I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't really any way of me testing that Stat like the previous two.
"I guess we'll have to stop by a Library later or something." I said, both to myself and the System. The box in front of me seemed to tip forwards briefly, a gesture which seemed remarkably similar to a nod.
[Good plan. So, 'WIS' next?]
"Go for it." I shrugged as I tapped on the next Stat. The System quickly dived into another explanation.
['WIS' stands for Wisdom. Whilst INT allows you to understand information, WIS allows you to question it. It allows for more careful thinking about information, and the ability to rationalise it. It also allows you to counter CHR, which I'll explain in a second. Effectively, in human terms, you can 'call people out on their BS' with WIS. It's at least as important as INT. These two make up the 'Scholar Stats', perfect for the inquisitive mind!]
I nodded at the explanation. Yet again, this seemed to be another Stat that I wouldn't be able to test. Not until I found some sources of information in the middle of some random field. I still hadn't figured out exactly where I was; only that it wasn't any area that I recognised from the show.
"I guess that makes sense." I mused. "It would be pretty hard to explain me randomly showing up in the middle of a populated area, but no one is going to notice me in an empty field. But what would be the point of hiding me, anyway?" The question stuck out in my mind. Whilst it might have been hard to explain my appearance, it would be at least just as hard to explain my lack of records. I doubted my rebirth into this world came with a birth certificate.
"So, that means that there's some reason I have to be hidden, specifically…" I muttered, deep in thought. It was then that realisation struck. "My eyes!" I called out, gesturing to the orbs sitting within my face.
They shone with a silver light.
[Oh, you did notice them! I thought you had forgotten. There's no way I was going to send you into anyone's line of fire this early. Not with those!]
"Line of fire? You mean Ozpin, or Salem right?" I guessed. Both were very powerful individuals who would have a vested interest in my particular choice of eye colour. One would seek to control them, the other to destroy them. Spawning me in a populated area was bound to attract attention, which either side could take advantage of. But there was something else, too.
"What do you mean 'this early'? Where exactly are we, timeline-wise?" I asked, suddenly curious. The System seemed to hum in response before answering.
[Currently, we have arrived about one year prior to what we'll call 'Canon' for want of a better term. Also, whilst not entirely related, your current body is aged at your previous 16 years of life.]
My jaw dropped. I had no idea what kind of answer I was expecting to receive from that question, nor what kind of answer I wanted to hear. The only thing I was certain of at that moment was that this was not it.
"A year? That's… a lot." I said dumbly, my surprise overpowering any more intellectual response. On the bright side, this gave me a full year to make plans, prepare for the events to come, and to gather up the resources needed. It would also give me plenty of time to prepare with my powers, and master them.
On the other hand, this meant I had a whole year of unknown quantities. My greatest advantage – my knowledge of the future- would be completely useless for a long period of time. I could prepare for it, but how? What could I possibly do so far out of my depth.
Well, I suppose I could start by finishing off my little tutorial.
"So, what the heck is CHR?" I pressed on, both with my words and my finger which was firmly prodding the Stat window. The System dutifully answered.
['CHR' stands for Charisma. Or Charm, if you prefer. Either way, it's your ability to manipulate people, or coerce or convince them. It also combats any social anxiety. It's useful if you ever have to talk with people for any reason, especially gaining their trust. I'd highly advise putting points in here whenever possible.]
I nodded along with the explanation. "And what about LUK?" I asked, clicking the icon at the end of the box.
[Oh, LUK should be obvious. It's Luck! It provides a small boost to every other Stat, and also increases your chances of succeeding at stuff. In a way, it's kind of both the least important and most important Stat on the list. You decide what to do with it. These last two Stats are just the 'Miscellaneous Stats' that don't quite fit with the others.]
I raised an eyebrow. The System had made a point of reminding me one way or another to invest in every other stat. But she seemed to genuinely be at a loss for what to do with Luck. It was certainly odd. I shrugged, deciding that it probably wasn't worth investigating just yet.
[Uh… We should probably wrap this up…]
The System trailed off, seeming nervous. It caught me by surprise, and I grew suddenly wary. My eyes carefully scanned the environment,
They locked onto a pair of glowing red orbs, attached to body covered in mangled black fur. Upon its head lay a shape like a skull that shone brightly in the sunlight.
It was a Beowolf.
"Oh shit…"
[Readers! We meet again! It is I, System, here to transcribe another message from the author! Transcribing now...]
Apologies for this chapter lacking in excitement. To make up for it, I'll be publishing chapters 2 and 3 simultaneously. I had to cover a lot of exposition this time around. Not the most exciting, I know-
[Hey! My information was 100% compelling! You were all on the edge of your seats, weren't you Readers?!]
*Ahem* Right. Anyway, Chapter 3 should have a bit more action, and I'll try and pace the info-dumps better in future but this WAS pretty important info for the story. Anyway, until next time,
I'll see you all on the next level!
[Transcription End. Welp, that's all for now. I shall see you all next time. Who knows? It might be soonser than you think...]