The Cosmic Cycle
Chapter Eleven
Proof of Honesty
A Couple Of Weeks Later...
"If you think you'll get away with this..!" A slightly tubby old man in a high-end three piece suit snarled at Jonas, following behind a small group of others; each of them with varying expressions ranging from his own to genuine amusement. If looks could kill from the glares he was getting from a few of them, he'd have long since been dead.
"Okay, again, it's for everyone's benefit, and I already have." Jonas stated bluntly, completely undeterred. He raised his uncovered arm, a tattoo of thick chains running around his wrist. "Or do I need to go over the contract I had you and the rest of the council sign again?"
The man simply growled in response, storming out from Beacons Amphitheatre in a huff.
"...Bloody hardliners." Jonas mumbled when he was sure they were out of earshot, letting out a small sigh. Doing what he did had basically removed any possibility of the quiet life he craved so badly. The only solace was the end result said choice would bring. That alone calmed his mind into a focused precision he hadn't felt since the terraria days. If anything, it would help to keep him on task for the future ahead.
He got a light blush when he looked towards his audience of three, finding Ozpin giving him a small genuine smile in between sipping his beverage. Professor Goodwitch had dropped her pen at some point during his conversations, looking well and truly surprised. It looked rather unusual on her actually. As if she had barely if ever made such an impression before.
And Amber? Well, if the large smile on her face that was partially hidden behind her hands and the slightly watery eyes were any indication...
"You uh... you alright there Amber?" Jonas asked after a moments hesitation.
"Am I alright?!" Amber practically shouted, knocking Glynda out of the trance. "Jonas, that was amazing!"
"I-I'm not sure I follow. All I did was make them do the right thing." He scratched the back of his head, blush deepening. He took to busying himself with putting his glove back on. "Thank you for helping me convince them, by the way. What you did made things run a lot smoother than they could have been."
"Considering the end result, I was more than willing to." She said, though she was secretly preening from the praise.
"It was about time they did this." Ozpin admitted. The rest of them nodded at that. "It was a shame it took so long to happen, as glad as I am to see it come to fruition. If you don't mind my asking Mister Everblue, what was it that you made them sign? It looked as if it were a normal contract, yet the tattoos both you and they received from signing it says there's more to it."
"You would be correct." He confirmed, flipping the sheet backwards and revealing another Runic Circle that looked far more complex than the one he showed a couple of weeks ago; having a few smaller circles inlaid at certain points with their own scrawl, along with elemental symbols. "What I had them sign was something called a Magic Contract. It was devised by Magicians in ages past in order to assure demands made from both parties were met, and was further built upon centuries later by making them as detailed as possible to ensure there wasn't any cheating the system via loopholes." Jonas tapped his wrist. "The type of tattoo is also an indicator of the type of contract; often looking like a string or rope for the more tame versions. The one I used was a little more serious, obviously, in order to make sure they follow their side of the deal."
"And what if they don't?" Professor Goodwitch asked curiously.
"Then I hope they don't mind the feeling of intense pain from their testicles and ovaries pervading their every moment of living."
The three winced, their hands unknowingly covered their crotch in reaction.
"That may be a little much, don't you think?" Ozpin, ever the voice of reason, asked.
"Considering the track record for most of Remnants leading authority, I'd rather not take any chances." He retorted flatly. "Besides, all they have to do is act like decent human beings."
"I can hear the complaints already..." Glynda sighed, a hand cupping her face.
"Hey, they signed it. Not my fault they couldn't read the fine print...which is odd considering their profession, actually." He briefly considered. "But since were speaking of these..."
He 'Pocketed' the paper, as he liked to call it, and pulled out another of similar make before handing it to the deputy.
"What's this?" She asked, eyes quickly roaming the page with a raised eyebrow.
"A contract meant for both you and Ozpin." Jonas replied. "Figured if I'm gonna paint a target on my back by throwing myself out into the open, I may as well do it properly."
Ozpin quickly followed suite as he looked over her shoulder, eyes turned towards the contract. They read mostly in silence, with small mutters as they echoed the writing for the section stating what they would have to follow. Amber quietly peeked over her other shoulder in curiosity.
I, Beacon Headmaster Ozpin, and Deputy Headmistress Glynda Goodwitch, do hereby solemnly swear:
-To be honest to Magic Professor Jonas Everblue whenever asked questions pertaining to his profession, whatever that may be.
-To be helpful to Magic Professor Jonas Everblue in his profession, whatever that may be, so long as it applies to our profession.
-To not commit anything sexual or scientific causing bodily harm towards him without consent.
-To avoid causing grievous harm causing permanent crippling or death towards Magic Professor Jonas Everblue, unless it is in self-defense or defense of the students.
-That I understand the lessons in the use of magic requires different tactics in its teaching, and to avoid being needlessly intrusive in its instruction.
-To grant any three wishes to Magic Professor Jonas Everblue, so long as they will not be harmful to allies, civilians, staff, or students alike.
"Oh? Nothing related for our inner circle?" Ozpin stated more than asked with a hint of surprise.
"I was tempted, but decided not to force the issue for the time being. If it becomes required that I know, then we can update the contract. Don't worry. I left a line stating as such."
The degree of trust he was giving them was certainly appreciated, and James would no doubt be relieved to hear that. Even if he would still be wary.
Jonas gave a nod of acknowledgement at Glynda when she cleared her throat. "What do you mean when you say 'not to be needlessly intrusive'?"
"Mostly that you don't interfere with my teaching methods without good reason." He explained. "You can still voice opinions both inside and outside of my classes of course, and you can offer suggestions on how to better their learning, since lord knows I certainly have no experience in this kind of setting."
"And the three wishes?" Ozpin inquired.
"Hey, I'm throwing myself into this shit deal. I may as well get something out of it." Jonas groused. Though it could've been worded better, they could at least understand that.
"And what do you intend on wishing for, if anything? Do keep in mind that even though I am a headmaster, there is very little I can do on my end beyond covering for you."
"Honestly? I'm not too sure myself. Guess we'll have to see what comes up." He shrugged. "You might want to check my side to see if I missed anything."
Taking him at his word, their eyes quickly roamed to his portion of the contract.
I, Magic Professor Jonas Everblue, do hereby solemnly swear:
-To apply my full knowledge and skill of magic in the education of both students and beacon faculty at my discretion, for a length of no less than four school years.
-To be honest to the Beacon Academy staff and students in both the history and knowledge of Magic, as well as any information pertaining to his profession, whatever they may be.
-To be helpful to the staff and students of Beacon Academy, whatever they may be, so long as it applies to my profession.
-To not commit anything sexual without consent.
-To avoid causing grievous harm causing permanent crippling or death to civilians, staff, or students by the standards of the kingdom of Vale unless it is in self-defence, or in defence of the students.
-To avoid causing unnecessary damage to buildings or surroundings within Vale and its surrounding towns as much as is viably possible.
"You've been rather thorough, haven't you?" Ozpin said after a moment, blinking at the detail he put in.
"My master made sure of that, believe me. Especially so considering my profession back in the day. And since Sir-jails-a-lot looks to have it out for me, I kind of have to be."
Both professors snorted at this, knowing clear as day who he was referencing.
About a week after his appearance in Beacon, his blood was determined to have been unlike any other on Remnant; almost completely foreign save for a few small similarities in their physiology, and his method of speaking to another, as he had confirmed the presence of beings who could speak to others through their minds. But that was where it ended.
There were far less genes from an average citizen that determines one hair colour. Theoretically, the pheo and eumelanin in his blood only allowed for hair to have colours that ranged from red, blonde, brown, and black. Nothing else beyond that, which threw the Atlas Scientists through a loop. Normally, colours could range across the spectrum instead of any one area, due to what they had called 'sutomelanin' and 'leomelanin'.
Another glaring fact was that Jonas' body was built to be far more sturdy than most Hunters. From what could be shown in testing, his red blood cells were able to absorb considerably more Oxygen, pointing towards a higher stamina, and possibly even strength. The white blood cells were also pretty different from others; stopping infections and bugs with greater gusto than anything they had seen from humans and faunus. Going off of all that data, they couldn't help but question just how durable his body was, as they hadn't yet gone through proper combat testing. His fight with Amber's assailants, while being a small example, had been managed due to a surprise attack, so they had no clue how he would manage in a proper one on one fight.
Things exploded into motion after that. The scientists that studied what little they were given had wanted to proceed further; by force if necessary, which was almost immediately turned down by both Ozpin and Goodwitch. James himself intervened, telling them that they were Scientists, not Lunatics, and that any further actions or questions would have consequences.
Jonas truly did appreciate the help, but the suspicious looks he kept getting from the general stopped him from saying anything.
"But why include a clause for sexual consent?"
"There was... an incident that made me add it in whatever future contracts I made." He said after a moments hesitation, a small grimace on his face. "One of the nobles I helped back in the day tried to screw me over by framing me for a crime I never committed. This was the result of that."
"Hmm..." Ozpin hummed, curious about the details but allowing to let it be. "I'm assuming there is a penalty in place for us as well. What would we end up with if we happen to ignore this?"
"A feeling of nausea that'll grow as one persists. Sticks around even after they've emptied their stomachs too, so it makes for a good incentive."
"Did you place a penalty for yourself?" Professor Goodwitch asked, raising an eyebrow when he nodded. "What would it be, by chance?"
"Death."
The headmaster blinked in delayed surprise while his deputy choked.
"...Why?!" Amber nearly shouted, collectively asking the question they all had.
"Mainly to show you three and everyone else how seriously I'm taking the lives of everyone around me." He stated matter-of-factly. "You've got to understand, by doing what i have, I've effectively usurped their power in order for them to get me to teach magic. The rich and famous rule, and they don't like it when another forces them into an agreement that, while it may benefit the kingdom in some amazing ways, and getting them some brownie points from the local populace, pretty much gives them very little out of the exchange."
They all looked on at him. Ozpin and Glynda sharing varying looks of sombre understanding. Amber tried to find some way to refute that knowledge, but was unable to say anything.
Jonas sighed. "At least playing it out this way will give me an ironclad alibi. They won't be able to play the blame game with me about hurting students or civilians for shits and giggles. All I'll have to do at this point is avoid causing unwarranted destruction or casualties if you guys send me out on missions or something, and I'm in the clear."
All Amber could do was looked towards the ground. She had hoped that their better nature would assert themselves for something so beneficial to everyone, but...
"In fairness to them, not all those on the council are really bad. Some of them have fairly decent motives." The magician admitted. "It's just that they're often the minority in those positions. They often cannot do much more than the bare minimum. Meanwhile, there are others are driven by certain motives, like fame and fortune, that require a little coaxing in order to get them on your side, or are simply trying to maintain the status quo for fear of losing what little they have; latching onto those who greater power who can help them keep it."
"And the rest?" Ozpin asked.
"Pretty sure you can guess." He answered dryly. The headmaster smiled his small smile, looking to clearly understand what he meant.
"...Do you have a pen?" He plucked it out of the air with ease, turning towards his deputy and laying the paper out on top of her scroll to sign it. Glynda gave a small sigh, but followed along, putting her own name on the agreement. Jonas himself was quick in writing his own name down after pulling his glove off again, and within a few moments, the contract was completed.
The paper rippled and shot into the air after a few scant seconds, followed up by nearly blinding everyone in its presence when it burst into a ball of light. Amber covered her eyes, while the rest of them simply squinted.
Tendrils shot out before any of them could move, latching onto any open wrist it could find. They felt a brief but searing pain, all three of them gritting their teeth. It eventually faded after a moment, and the light quickly receded back into the ball, which quickly faded afterwards.
Their wrists glowed for a fleeting moment, before settling into a black tattoo. Both Ozpin and Glyndas bore the shape of a thick rope; nothing too menacing. After what they saw with the councillors, it probably meant the severity of their penalty should they go against it.
That thought was swiftly confirmed when they looked at their new partner, the tattoo on his wrist looking like large, spiked chains that twisted about the other tattoo like a wave; both of them crossing one another like figure eights.
"And the contract is formed." Jonas said lightly, bearing a small grin. Gravity had reasserted itself around the paper, gently making its way towards the floor. Ozpin made to grab it, and noted with interest that their signatures were now faintly glowing white. Probably a sign of their commitment being in effect.
"You don't seem to be nervous at the death threat you've placed upon yourself." Glynda cut into his odd reverie, keeping more than just a little disquiet hidden behind the neutral expression that scared many a student in the passing years.
"Eh." He shrugged. "Just gotta follow the guidelines, right? Shouldn't be too hard."
"...What kind of man are you, Mister Everblue?" Ozpin said after a moments silence.
"Hmm?" Jonas gave a noncommittal hum.
"Most people, even the hardiest among us, would quail ever so slightly with fear of what they just put themselves into. Though they would try to hide it, one who becomes as old and experienced as we do can notice the small things that give them away; especially among close friends and family. Those who have no such compunction are either insane or severely depressed...So why is it you don't?" The headmaster asked with concern. "What exactly have you gone through to give no reaction, not even a jitter or a shake, to the blade hanging above your neck?"
A long silence reigned in the room. The three of them stared at him, his body unmoving and his eyes like glass. Quietly, very quietly, a small, bitter, tired laugh passed his lips.
"...More than I'd ever care to admit." He replied softly. His voice carried a great deal of exhaustion in it. And though they wanted to ask him further, he quickly shook the mood off before they could, his expression quickly returning to its normal, cocksure look. "In any case, is there anything else we need to do now?"
"I suppose-" Professor Goodwitch sighed. "-The next step would be for you to obtain a Hunter License. We can't have you as a professor of beacon until your ability has been confirmed."
"And what would I need to do to get my card, exactly?" He asked. "We all know I'm too old to attend an academy to get one, not to mention we don't really have that much time on our hands."
"There are other ways to obtain them." Ozpin confirmed. "In one instance, you would have to be the personal protege of a full-fledged hunter, and be be trained by them for no less than five years before they can be recommended to the local hunter board, of which they will be required to test their strength to show they can handle the position."
"Local hunter board?" Jonas raised an eyebrow in curiosity, his attention fully upon him.
"They are the ones who run the day-to-day business for Huntsman and Huntresses alike. Sorting through missions that come in and determining their rank of difficulty. Initially they're labelled with a number that ranges from zero to five before further refining it with a proper hazard level. The degree of difficulty will often depend on where its located, the current conditions of the area, the population of Grimm in said area; as well as what types, and the current state of security for any surrounding towns. The missions themselves however can be anything from fighting Grimm, to others that sometimes involve said villages and towns. Even the main cities of the kingdoms aren't exempt, as often the police and militia are too busy to be everywhere at once, or they simply can't make heads or tails of something. Though usually, the capital and inner towns will be easier to deal with since humanity has a proper hold on those areas." He explained. "Another aspect the board take after is, as I've said earlier, confirming new recruits. Those who have graduated from one of the academies will already have their information forwarded to them, with their rankings being determined in conjunction with their background and degree of experience, as well as their teachers recommendations, or with what I've previously stated with proteges, the hunters who trained them."
Jonas snorted in quiet amusement."...And the one that's viable to me?"
"You would need to head down to the local hunter establishment. There is only one located in every major city; like Vale and Atlas." He clarified with an enlivened grin. "They will put you through a few tests in order to determine whether you have the mettle to be a Hunter, and what you're starting rank will be. Understandably, it will be much harder than the other two options, since you are an unknown with no background."
"That right?" He replied with interest. "This system been in place long?"
"About twenty years, give or take."
"Out of curiosity, your the leader of the Valean Branch of Hunters, right?"
"Yes. And I had quite the load of paperwork previously to sort through before it went into effect." Ozpin said, voice shuddering, as if he was having a terrible flashback. "Everyone, myself included, thought it might be best to divide the work amongst ourselves. I still intervene from time to time, but I do so very rarely nowadays."
"Gotcha." Jonas chuckled. He added sheepishly after a few seconds. "Do you mind directing me there? I...don't really know where everything is yet."
"There is a positioning system within the scroll we gave you." Professor Goodwitch clarified. "Couldn't you use that to find your way?"
"I could try, but I've never used one before." He admitted. "Pretty inept with most tech, for obvious reasons. Been what feels like ages since I've been around technology used for more mundane reasons, and though there was something similar back where I came from, I was too young to actually need it back then. Not to mention the time I came from before Remnant was pretty basic in both Science and Technology, bar a few exceptions. If it's not related to fighting or supporting the former, or wasn't one of the few hobbies I had, I'm not likely to figure out how to use it immediately. Eventually, sure, but not immediately."
"Fair enough, I suppose..." Glynda gave a small nod, followed by a look towards her superior seconds later. "There's no classes today, with the exception of detention. If you could pass the position to someone else for-"
"Of course, Glynda." Ozpin nodded. "I'll have Peter keep an eye on the unruly students."
"...Very well." She sighed another sigh before looking towards their newcomer. "Follow me, I'll guide you to the building."
"Thank you kindly, ma'am." Jonas bowed in gratitude. She looked away from him much to his confusion. Clearing their throat, they turned and walked toward the doors, making their way towards the bullheads. Amber had decided to follow, knowing something interesting was bound to happen, even if she didn't know what.
Ozpin stared on in silence, taking a sip from his drink as his eyes idly wandered back to the contract.
"The coming year is turning out to be quite interesting, isn't it?"
"Here we are." Glynda gave a small gesture towards the building they stood in front of. It was a large, yet quaint multi-floored building, painted mostly forest green with a mix of beige. Above the main entrance stood the symbol of Vale; two bright green axes crossed with one another, with a laurel of the same hue partially surrounding it like a circle from the bottom.
'Not bad. Kind of reminds me of home.' He thought quietly with nostalgia, again following behind her as she led them in through the admittedly massive front doors. Traffic flowed through the building at a pretty decent pace. The distinction between Hunters and Civilians was easy to distinguish, what with the varying weapons and eccentric clothing the former wore that the latter either refused to wear or simply couldn't afford it. Being a Hunter was a lucrative business, as he learned. Though with the dust costs some weapons had, not including upkeep and repairs the more intricate weapons often required, and any possible hospital bills if shit goes down, he wondered how close to the truth that really was.
A great many of them gave Professor Goodwitch a greeting and a smile, which she quickly returned. Their eyes wandered over to him when they noticed just how tightly clenched her hand was, eyeing him with curiosity and caution. He made a point to ignore it. No point starting a fight here now that everything else was set up. Though he had also added a clause in the contract between him and the council that allowed him to defend himself against anyone from Vale if they made an attempt on his life. At the very least, he needed that little stipulation to make sure that'd he didn't end up dead.
"Over there you'll find the mission boards, where you can choose between jobs in the local area and surrounding towns, or beyond; so long as they match your rank." She waved towards the back of the building where large holographic windows hung on walls; taking up at least half of its space, which was around four hundred feet or so across. "Though if you're more private, you can also talk to any of the clerks located on the left, which is where we are going. You will also be required to meet with them after the completion of a mission in order to collect your reward."
"What are these ranking things, anyway?" He asked. "I heard it in passing earlier, but it was never really explained in detail."
"You will find out in a moment." She replied, walking down one of the empty lines towards one of the open booths.
The clerk was dressed in a three-piece suit that was greenish-black, with a button bearing vales logo on her lapel. She had long auburn hair tied back in three ponytails. One on the back of her head, one halfway down her hair, and another an inch from the tips. Her bangs were parted off center, running off behind her ears.
Upon her noticing them, she gave a large, friendly smile.
"Professor Goodwitch!" She said in a light voice. "Fancy meeting you here!"
"Dalia." Glynda gave her a genuine smile. "It is good to see you again. How have you been?"
"Pretty good, actually!" Dalia laughed. "The money I've been making since I've started working here has been doing wonders for my family. Thanks for that, by the way."
"You need not thank me. Your initiative more than proved your competency for the position." She humbly deflected. She gave Jonas a look before moving enough to let him walk forward. A silent gesture if he ever saw one. "I apologize, but this isn't visit between colleagues. I've come today to have him tested for eligibility as a Hunter."
"A pleasure to meet you ma'am." Jonas bowed politely. "My name is Jonas."
"Likewise." She bowed her head. "You can call me Dalia. Is this your first time here?"
"Indeed." He grinned sheepishly. "I'm a little bit behind on the times too, so I might not get everything your saying right off the bat."
"That's fine." She giggled, closing off the booth and exiting the enclosed area with a clipboard. "I'll walk you through it step by step."
"It would be appreciated." He thanked her. Following behind her, he and his little audience found himself in another room located beyond the mission screens.
The room itself had a set of machines similar to one another lining the wall across from them, about one every twenty feet or so. It kind of reminded him of that strongman carnival game back home, only a good deal more complex. The meter, mounted to the wall, was a foot tall, and was levelled from his waist up. A steel podium, a good few feet away from the meter, had half of a black sphere bigger than a large handed mans fist poking out from the top.
There weren't any numbers labelled on it anywhere though, so he hadn't a clue what it was for.
"So what's this?" He asked after a moment.
"An Aura Gauge." She explained. "We use this to determine the strength of an individuals inherent aura level. People who have recently had theirs unlocked, whether it be from another person doing so or from others personally unlocking theirs, come here by law to be tested. Though Hunters often come by here to have their Auras strength retaken every now and again. You'd also find them in Primary and Secondary Combat Schools, for much the same reasons."
"Why would they need them retaken, out of curiosity?"
"Though it hasn't been completely confirmed, scientists have found that the strength of ones Aura can ebb and flow. No one is quite sure why however." Dalia admitted. "Some say it has to do with ones conviction, though even then they aren't quite sure."
That was pretty interesting, actually. It would explain why his is so bloody high to begin with, taking his history into account.
"Right, what do I need to do here?"
"Just put your hand on the sphere and pull your Aura out and into it. The machine will do the rest."
Jonas did just that, resting his hand on said sphere and focusing his mind inward. Looking deep for a few seconds, he found his soul, and therein his magic as well.
Amber had taught him this little trick a little under a week ago with great gusto. He wasn't able to tell the difference between the two initially. Excluding the colours both powers had in regards to his quirks, it was impossible to separate the two into differing entities, but he eventually figured it out under her instruction. He shouldn't have felt anything with his Aura, as he came to learn, since it was essentially the condensed power of his soul. Of himself. Once he figured that out, it got a lot simpler to differentiate them.
Being able to pull one without the other though? Well that was something else entirely. Ten seconds after his Aura poured into the mechanism did the machine begin to spark.
"...Is it supposed to do that?" He asked warily.
She would have spoke if the damned thing didn't take the chance to explode. A bit too violently for a foot tall electronic too, though maybe it had lightning dust in it.
Jonas placed his body in front of Dalia as the shrapnel went flying. He wasn't sure if she had an Aura, as he didn't give her a thorough look, but he didn't want to take chances.
Apparently it wasn't needed, as the pieces stopped just short of his back, covered in a purple glow. Eyes opened from the non-existent impact, looking towards them with puzzlement. A huff alerted him to Professor Goodwitch, who had her arm outstretched towards them, bearing no glow around her crop or arm, but leaving enough of an impression to guess who had stopped the projectiles.
"...Nice timing." He grinned. She simply gave another huff in response, though his attention was grabbed by the girl wrapped in his arms clearing her throat.
"Umm...Could you let me go now?" She asked, a cheek pressed on his chest by his hand.
"Oh! Sorry!" He hopped back a ways. A light blush broke out on his face as he gave an embarrassed chuckle while scratching the back of his head. "Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"Well, thank you for the thought." Dalia readjusted her suit. "I don't know why the machine malfunctioned like that though. The thing was set to shut down when it occurred as a fail-safe measure."
"Who knows." Amber grinned. Jonas was doing his darndest not to smile, nor to give her a halfhearted glare, instead hardening his face into a neutral expression when the clerks eyes wandered between the three of them.
"Hmm. Maybe it was faulty wiring..." She mumbled, looking over her papers. "Lets try another one."
Her words were followed almost immediately by another explosion and the last two simply breaking due to him trying to rein in his flow. It left her scratching her head in exasperation.
"Seriously?!" She nearly shouted in annoyance, hastily scribbling on her clipboard. While he felt remorse, Jonas couldn't say anything about it; at least, not right now.
As it stood, his Aura control was lacking in certain regards. He could remove it as a shield, but that was due to having several months worth of practice. In the beginning, he hadn't even known he could do that until he was told by another fellow some two months. Quite a boon to learn that though, as it meant he could potentially save it for more dire situations. But even with having a weeks worth of training, forcing it out in a non-combative use and into a machine was not easy; especially so with his magic getting in the way.
He had no doubt that with the help of Amber and the others, he would be able to eventually. But he'd definitely need more than a single week for it. Hunters and others who unlocked their Auras had the luxury of taking courses to better manipulate that, and even then that usually took a few years. Less if they trained for several hours a day to do so.
"Well..." She sighed after a moment. "I believe it would be safe to say that the strength of your Aura is on the stronger end of the spectrum. No clue where, but I think it'd be a safe bet to assume so. Do you happen to know what your Semblance may be?"
"No clue I'm afraid." He shrugged. "Still trying to figure it out."
"That's fair. Even the more experienced still don't know what their own is yet." Dalia nodded in understanding, marking it as unknown on the paper. "In any case, that takes care of the Auric Testing, though that's putting it pretty loosely. If you'll follow me, I need to have you stop in a waiting room for the time being so I can prepare the combat portion of your examination. If you have any weapons or items to bring in with you before we begin, now would be the time."
Jonas grinned. Finally, the bit he was best with!
It didn't take too long for her to come grab him again. Ten minutes at most really. It was enough time to mentally psych himself for the coming battle.
His mind wandered as he walked along what he almost thought was an endless corridor, made almost entirely of metal. Small LED lights were placed near the ceiling; just a scant few inches from hitting the top. They were pretty small though, its length about from ones middle finger down to their wrist.
It was kind of foreboding in a way. Though considering it led up to an arena, it was possible that it was meant to help them get into the right mindset. Certainly did its job. He had taken an express elevator downward, though it made sense. The size of the building itself, while big, wouldn't be large enough to house an arena. And if what Dalia said was any indication; there was more than one down here.
'I'll have to come by here in my free time to explore.' He considered. His metal mask was already on his face before Dalia came back for him, with a set of cowters he made sometime back to protect his elbows. He made sure his movement wasn't compromised. He decided to forego a weapon until his enemies weaponry and skills were made clear.
It was dangerous, he knew, but he had hopes he could at best dodge the attacks. At worst, well he was wearing one of the strongest metals ever seen in this age. That should go to good lengths in protecting him.
A door hissed open at the end of the hall, a light beyond shining brilliantly in contrast.
Although it might have been in bad taste, he couldn't quite resist a quip.
"Go into the light~." He said with faux mysticism, giggling quietly to himself as he passed its threshold.
Beyond was the arena: an immaculate marble flooring with the center raised in the shape of a massive six-point star, with stairs on the end of each point for easy access. A large half-spherical light gave off a orange light, leaving him feeling as if he were fighting in high noon. The walls were made of a cool steel, and were cleaned so thoroughly they looked like a mirror. Three quarters of the way up it ended in a lip, showing a few people all across its precipice chatting and whispering amicably behind an Oaken railing. Idly, he noticed Glynda and Amber off to his right as he walked onto the raised platform.
Holo-screens hung on the walls, colored a dull blue. They abruptly came to life, showing a picture of his face in the corner, along with a meter that begun to fill green. The words 'Hunter Qualification Testing' stood out at the top, and a kill count below that took up almost the rest of the screen; save for the difficulty, which was set to veteran level. He wasn't too sure where that ranked on the board.
'Huh...Honestly expected someone to be here to test me.' He thought curiously, eyes roaming the area to see if the test had started the moment he entered.
The sound of hurried footsteps coming from behind him to the right instantly made him alert, and his head sharply turned towards it. He relaxed when, to his confusion, Dalia ran up to him. His fists unclenched, which surprised him since he hadn't noticed when he did. Must've been more nervous than he thought.
"Something up?" He asked.
"Mostly to...let you know...what the next part...of your test is." She said, taking deep, ragged breaths. She looked to be making another attempt at talking, but instead raised a finger in the air when she couldn't.
"Take your time. No rush." Jonas said sincerely, getting a haggard nod.
She eventually managed to get her breath back, standing straight and fixing her suit.
"In this next test you'll be fighting various atlesian mechs. The longer you survive, the more points you get. And the more of them that will begin appearing, and with varying weaponry."
'Story of my life.' He thought flatly.
Dalia looked about the room nervously, quickly scanning the viewing platform before leaning towards him.
"There's something else though." She whispered quietly. "I don't know what you did, but we we're asked – well, more like ordered – by some flunky from the council to make them harder than normal for you for some reason."
The man perked up at that, staring at her with surprise; though it was hidden by his visor. He abruptly broke into peels of laughter, startling her.
Credit where it was due, they sure moved quickly!
"Is that right?" He bemusedly replied. "Well. Suppose I'll have to give them a show, won't I?"
She leaned away from him, a look of uncertainty on her face, before she nodded and scampered off the platform and through the door.
Jonas looked towards where she once was for a moment, lost in thought about something. He quietly turned back around, slowly taking a deep breath.
"Are you ready to begin, Mister Everblue?" A male voiced called over the intercom. What little noise that was there had all but vanished.
He raised an arm and gave a thumbs up, hoping they had cameras to see it.
"Very well." He thankfully replied. "Test commencing in Three...Two...One."
The temperature quickly dropped; the surface are of the platform turning cold and frozen. Stalagmites of ice quickly grew all over the battlefield, their height eventually far outstripping his.
Well, apparently they could turn the area into whatever kind of biome they wanted for the test. That was neat.
He grinned a hidden grin as several sections of flooring opened up. A couple dozen robots, several to a section, rose out from the openings on hidden platforms; each of them carrying various ranged and close combat weaponry. They were akin to a slightly blocky humanoid. Their heads were faceless; instead having a futuristic steel-coloured helmet with a blue visor, looking like a robotic knight.
Considering their names, that wasn't far off the mark.
{Iron Legion}
[Atlesian Knight-130]
(Robot)
Health:
750/750
Current Buffs:
[Robotic Endurance]:
Does not tire
From assault rifles, pistols and shotguns, to swords and shields, maces, ball and chains, and even two handed weapons like a great-axes and spears. A couple stood a ways in the back wielding machine guns.
"Showtime." He mumbled, reaching out a hand and materializing Night's Edge.
Jonas ignored the hushed whispers, instead focusing on the close combatants surrounding him while the those with ranged weaponry tried to move into position.
He wouldn't give them the luxury.
He vanished in a blur, and within a few following moments, two of the knights – Ones with a mace and sword shield combo – abruptly separated from their lower halves. His sword became buried within the torso of one wielding an assault rifle that had got to close before quickly pulling it out. He used it as a shield of sorts as the machine gunners and the other ranged wielders began to try to fill him with lead, kicking the rifle on the ground into his free hand to fire at the head of a knight carrying a great-axe; putting a hole in its head within a few seconds one it managed to penetrate its steel armor. They certainly built them sturdily enough.
A swing came from one with a mace and spear. He deflected the first, and used the new room in order to slide out of the way of the second. Even so, two shots hit him in the back. Their kinetic force was mostly dispersed by his armor, making the shot feel like someone rank right into him. Before it would've felt like a sledge hammer, and done a bit more damage. Negligible by his battle standards, but still. But his Aura, which he had decided to use properly for once, had done its part in absorbing some of the damage. He'd rather it not happen again though. From the look of his aura pool on the screens, those two hits had taken a good thirtieth off him. These little bastards were decked out with the good shit apparently; not to mention the advantage they held with sheer numbers.
The Star Knight moved as they tried to surround him again; decking another ranged combatant with the flat of his blade before slicing it in two, while stunting the movement of another close by that was readying a swing with a quick shot into its knee. The clip for the weapon ran out, as he heard a few clicks, until it began to feed on his own store of bullets. A shotgunner tried to hit him with the butt of the gun, only to hit his shoulder and neck when he craned it out of the way, his armor taking the brunt of the damage. A quick kick sent it flying, sending the weapon out of its hands; which was quickly picked up by him, replacing the previous gun, and used to shoot one of the two machine gunners, before quickly swatting aside a slash from a sword wielder and burying the gun halfway into its chest. Hanging onto it, he pulled the remains into the continued fire of another briefly before kicking both into his assailant. He moved to use the weapons special ability, but was stopped when another two moved to intercept; blocking him from taking the shot, and instead getting a chunk of their chestplates torn off for their trouble as they were pierced through, just barely managing to keep functional. A shout went unheard in the crowd at the sight.
In spite of the damage he managed to dish out, he was still being smartly dealt with by his foe. Their movements indicated a level of proficiency around the level of a veteran, so Dalia's summation wasn't off. The only reason they were having a hard enough time as it was was due to all the abilities he had being able to cover for him, and his own level of skill; including being able to deal with large groups of attackers. With the way he normally fought back during the terrarian days, a lopsided battle like this would've been a cinch; especially so with the strength of their armaments and movement speed. Though they would've been faster in almost any other environment, the icy floors served to hinder their mobility, making it that much harder to deal with him. Ironic, considering their place of origin.
He opted for another choice instead, which would hopefully be more efficient, if not more damaging the surrounding area. If he was lucky, the shrapnel or, god forbid, the projectiles wouldn't hit the spectators. Putting away his sword, Jonas quickly materializing two Vortex Beaters; the second of which he had made only days before. He had surmised that there would be trial by combat, so he thought it might be a good idea to have one for each hand. Made it harder to wield, certainly, but the added firepower helped to compensate for that.
If that didn't work, at least he had his stupidly overpowered backup weapon to deal with that.
The grounds turned into molten slag as he laid shot after shot of plasma, and dust-enhanced artillery into the bots. To their credit, a good several of them had the presence of mind to jump out of the way, but the force of the blast staggered them for a moment; more than long enough to lay waste to a few of them.
They instead opted to rush him, attempting to break his concentration by charging all at once from every possible direction. A good move on their part. He wouldn't last long if they managed to pin him down. Aura or no, enough bodies, let alone ones made of metal and machinery, could weigh a guy down. Such a fate was avoided when he twisted his body; his weapons dispensing bullets in opposite directions as he spun in place, before he jumped high into the air. His rifles never ceased to make some noise at any point.
It was utter destruction. The arena had a steamy fog that slightly obscured the surroundings, and melted spots where plasma bolts landed; showing more than a few holes underneath meant to send more forces into the fray.
Speaking of, it wasn't long before they began to do such. Several platforms rose from both the areas from before, and from the six corners of the platform. Their numbers had more than doubled, numbering over four platoons; several of which were armed with rpgs and grenade launchers now. Even hidden passageways within the walls shot open, more entering the fray; their count quickly reaching almost half a company.
All of this in a cold, icy environment that was likely meant to slow him down as much as it did for them. He doubted that was a coincidence. Those fellas were really trying to set him up to fail, weren't they?
How unfortunate for them though, that water was his elemental affinity.
The rifles were quickly put away, and he wasted no time; popping a wry grin he stretched his arms out sideways. He heard a chorus of voices from those in the spectator seats as a runic circle double his height appeared; bearing the symbol of a teardrop as it slowly turned blue. However, instead of diamonds or triangles on the outside, there was only a small blue circle at the top and bottom, along with two rows of runic script that was a single line that ran underneath the start once it went full circle.
There was a good deal of confusion and surprise from all but two people in the slowly growing crowd, though it remained unnoticed to him.
It was an oldie spell. Greum called it a classic, but he was admittedly a little shit back then, so it kinda stuck. It was his go-to spell in times where they faced a zerg rush, which was often back in the day. His voice echoed as he began to speak in the runic language.
"I call upon the wayward water-born...
Combine and Divide!
Unite and Repulse!
Bare your fangs towards my enemies...
And leave nothing behind!"
The ground trembled as his body lit up, visor turning from black to blue from the glowing of his eyes. The shaking stopped as suddenly as it came, and they heard him shout two words clear as day in perfect atlesian, drawing both hands together with a clap.
[WATER CAVALCADE]!
The Ice that surrounded him began to quickly melt and recede from him, and the fog began to dissipate into water droplets that rained towards the ground; slowly forming a ripple around him that was aided in its growth by both his magic and the dust carried on his coats. He spun in place, his faintly glowing hands spinning the water around in circles, creating two noticeable waves in the water that slowly grew as the terrain, his magic and the dust on his person aided in its development. He slowly devolved into a dance that he was taught to use for the spell. His feet twirled and slid along the floor, waving his arms around as he did so. What looked to be a long body made of water slowly rose and sunk into the water; developing scales on its body and spines along its back as the liquid content increased. A head could eventually be made out; bearing a long snout with twin tendrils grew out from its upper lip, looking eerily like a long moustache, and two horns upon its head that ran straight up, with small flat points running across its length.
The two dragons, now dancing upon the rising waters around it, gave off what looked to be a soundless roar as it charged at the machines, beginning to swallow them. One after another, they were engulfed; struggling in vain to escape. Not really drowning, as they didn't breathe, but swimming with haste in attempts to escape from their unfortunate circumstances. The older and more worn out among them began to twitch and spark as the water entered their inner workings; the force of the attack and capture having opening breaks that had been sealed shut by engineers to prolong their use.
The water constructs swelled into the air, looking as if they themselves were doing a well choreographed dance; matching the pace of his movements almost perfectly. Every bend or turn was matched with a low swing of his arms, legs and torso. Only when he was sure he got as much as he could did he throw his arms into the air, and went into a spin. The beasts twirled around; one beast hopping over the other into the waiting water, nearly forming a liquid dome around Jonas. A new, dark blue runic circle formed when they almost made their apex, this one bearing the symbol of a snowflake. Small flecks of light quickly towards the center as his hands circled around his body, one above and below, before he slammed them into the middle while bearing the shape of a sphere.
The water froze, the dragons turned into ice statues as they gave a silent bellow. The knights lay stuck within the frozen liquid, unable to move or simply shut down from the sudden temperature change, or from the inertia from the speed of their roundabout slamming them into the ice. The glowing blue lights on the few that still operated slowly faded out as the temperature continued to drop.
Even those in the stands could feel it. Though Jonas still failed to notice, instead more focused on his immediate surroundings, even as more spectators had slowly begun to trickle in at a minor pace. A few of them had their arms wrapped around themselves as some shivered and complained. Just as many stared in awe at the spectacle. Something with this degree of style and control was usually done by the hands of people who had been in the profession for decades. Years of work fully honed their abilities into amazing sights; whether it'd be done through weapon, dust, or a combination of both.
Amber herself had her arms wrapped around herself as a cloud of warm air left her mouth, not as surprised as the others. Having been shown his skills since after his arrival had dulled those responses, though the sight was still breathtaking. Glynda had bore witness with a stoicism that would make even the most stone-faced of men and women jealous. How she was reacting inwardly however was a very different story.
Slowly, Jonas reached one hand out...
He snapped his fingers.
Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, all of the ice immediately shattered with the bots in tow. Shards of ice glistened in the light as it fell, the larger chunks breaking on impact with the ground while other, more sturdy pieces slammed into the arena grounds; breaking parts of the hidden entry-points. Some of the knights simply fell to the ground and didn't get back up again, while the few that had managed to avoid it were severely hampered from the moisture getting into their gears and circuits and freezing; flat out wrecking arms or legs, or completely shutting them down from their core parts facing much the same fate.
Out of the sixty or so that came out from the second round, only seven of them were still operating in a combative capacity. Thirteen, if he included the ones that couldn't.
They were quickly dealt with, taking the pistol out of one with a badly hindered arm and tearing off its head, and proceeding to deal with the rest of them with it, easily taking them out with a potshot to the head. As the last dropped, he threw away the gun. His took note of the corner of his vision.
Aura:
424/500
Health:
500/500
Mana:
75/200
'Not bad work, I think.' He considered cheerily, a finger rubbing under his chin as he looked at his remaining aura, which hadn't changed much. 'The dust used in the environment and on my coat certainly made things easier. Magic like this was a pipe-dream before.'
Jonas was startled out of his mind from the sudden and loud applause coming from out of the ring. Looking up, he gawked at the sight of the audience, which had numbered somewhere in the twenties or thirties previously, looked to have tripled since. Belatedly he considered if there were screens outside the arenas that let others look on.
Considering how loud the applause was, though that was due in part to the rooms shape, that was probably the case.
Jonas scratched the back of his head, and he was inwardly glad he was wearing his mask.
'The persecution I can deal with. But this? This I ain't used to.'