(A/N)

No real major life updates, just wanted to say thanks for reading my story! If your enjoying the stuff I'm writing so far, let me know! Oh also, 500,000 words! That is a big ass milestone, plus I think the story is almost at 300 favorites which is pretty fuckin cool to! Thank you for liking the shit that I've spent so much time writing. It really means a ton that I'm not just wasting all my time writing something just because!

Hope you enjoy the Chapter :)


Chapter 62: Total Recall

Shock. His heart began racing at a pace that was extraordinarily unnatural, especially for him. The adrenaline began overloading his senses, forcing his eyes to concentrate on nothing, his ears to survey the surrounding sounds, and his muscles to twitch slightly with the anticipation of a coming enemy. However, all of these reactions were pointless since there wasn't a single enemy in sight. Instead, the man was sitting in a comfortable chair, behind a gorgeous desk, in an immaculate office. None of his surroundings gave credence to his sudden reaction, but even still the trustworthy individuals that looked over him watched as his expression turned from calm to frantic. Watching their leader in distress immediately brought them the desire to protect him, but it was evident to each of them that they were powerless to help. For whatever was occurring in the mind of their boss, and the information that brought him to this state, was far beyond what they knew.


Nova found himself up on the top of a rooftop overlooking the city of Vale once more, staring into space as he contemplated his current situation. As he sat at the edge of the building two more figures appeared behind him, Lilith and Byakko. The tiger snake duo stood by their creator, waiting for him to vocalize his thoughts for the both of them to hear. "If Cinder is in Mistral, or at least was in Mistral, then that gives me a good indication that we still have time before our potential meeting. I could try to make my way to Mistral earlier than expected, but that's too risky. After all, I'm not sure where Cinder is, if she even is still in Mistral proper, or what I would be achieving by going out of my way to meet her. It'd be for the best if I just bided my time as I have been and wait for Cinder to come to me. For that to happen I'm going to need to prepare for her arrival, which means…" Without finishing his thought Nova hopped up from the buildings edge and turned to Lilith and Byakko.

"Master, have you figured out our next step?" Byakko asked the question as a formality since in truth she already knew what her master's response would be. Lilith simply watched the exchange with a neutral expression, seemingly more focused on her own thoughts than anything else.

"Yes, I have. The next thing on our agenda is going to be preparing for Cinder to request the aid of the Demon Clan. Since I already killed Roman and the rest of his henchman, and Cinder hasn't requested the aid of the White Fang, we are the only option Cinder has left. She has to come to us in order to get a force powerful enough to assist her in taking over Vale. Plus, since she's already asking around about me in Mistral, we can assume that we have her complete interest. Although we are in uncharted territory since none of this happened in Rwby, we can pretty much assume smooth sailing once we shake hands with the woman herself. At least until we go to Atlas and free slaves. Or until Salem starts to get truly involved."

In response to his explanation Byakko flashed a bright toothy smile and replied, "That's excellent Master. So, what do we do in order to prepare for this Cinder woman?"

"I'm glad you asked! We're going to head to Hel's Kitchen and call back the forces we sent to Mount Glenn. We'll need not only Junior and Zeb, but also the entire Clan for when Cinder arrives."

"Your plan sounds decent enough and I understand the objectives you are trying to accomplish" Lilith commented. "However, My King, I thought that our focus was supposed to be on gaining strength. Wouldn't focusing on conquering dungeons and thus strengthening ourselves be more efficient for the foreseeable future? There is truly no need to put a pause on our exhibitions to speak with those two individuals." Lilith's skepticism was met with a small frown from her tigress sister, but Nova's smile didn't dimmish in the slightest.

"That is true, our focus before was to strengthen ourselves by any means. But that's changed with the stuff that I learned recently. The plan was always to wait for Cinder to make contact first, so that hasn't changed, but everything is happening much differently than I originally imagined. Because of my actions thus far, the future that I know of is getting further and further from actually happening. Cinder was never supposed to meet Lil' Miss this soon since in the show she only did it when she absolutely needed information about Team RWBY's whereabouts."

"This could have serious implications for the future whether these changes are mild, severe, or if it happens sooner or later. Either way it is important to bottlecap the situation ASAP. We can do this through many different ways. Stop making major changes for a portion of time, inform everyone on the roles they need to play, gain inside information to control the decisions of the enemy, and so on and so forth. Right now, we'll be doing all of these. Plus, I gotta talk to Zeb and Junior in person or it won't have the impact I need it to." As Nova finished his long-winded explanation, he silently activated his appearance with Meta's assistance, preparing to leap from the roof towards Hel's Kitchen.

However, the Goddess of Darkness and Liberation Basilisk simply hissed lightly at her King's exposition. Byakko growled underneath her breath at Lilith's reaction to her Master's explanation, but she managed to hold herself back to listen to the snake's reasoning. "Like I said before, I understand your objectives My King. What I do not understand is your reasonings. Why choose to spend your time discussing nuance with your clan when you could instead grow more powerful. It is a waste of time."

"Hold your tongue, Sister!" Byakko was unable to hold herself back any longer after hearing the demeaning tone that Lilith spoke to Nova in. She snapped quickly, gnashing her jaws as she spoke. "If you wish to express dissent do so with respect! I will not tolerate you challenging master's goals!"

"Byakko, calm down its cool. She's just asking a question." Hearing Nova's voice acted like an instant tranquilizer as the tigress immediately calmed down. Nova then turned to face the Basilisk with a questioning look that she could see even beneath the mask. "Well, to put it simply, I'm doing this because I feel it's necessary. I'm strong enough to handle anything I need to handle right now, and there aren't any dungeons that are easily accessible right now. So, what I figured I need to focus on now is checking up with the Clan and let them know what to do moving forward" Nova spoke in a calm even tone. "Honestly, Lilith, it sounds to me that your not asking the question that you really want to ask and to me that is completely fine. If you don't like what I'm doing you already know that you are more than welcome to express that to me. I'm always listening. So, if this is about growing stronger or wanting to do your own thing you are more than welcome to do so. You aren't required to come with me or do anything that I ask of you. You're an independent being that is more than capable of making your own choices."

Lilith's face didn't move in reaction to her King's words, but it was clear to both Byakko and Nova that she wasn't too happy about what he said. Without moving a facial muscle, Lilith hissed loudly in an aggressive tone that almost sounded more like a growl than a hiss. Her aggressive sound was immediately met by something similar from Byakko as her vocal cords rumbled with her own growl. However, before anything could get too aggressive between the duo Lilith exclaimed, "fine. I did not wish to waste my time listening to the monotonous dialogue between those lesser beings anyway. Have fun wasting your time, My King." Without allowing another word to be said, Lilith silently slipped away in the dark of night, disappearing into the shadows.

"…what just happened?" Nova watched wide-eyed as Lilith disappeared into the night from her irritation. "Hey Byakko" he said as he turned to the tiger Faunus, "did something happen? Did I say something wrong?"

"I don't believe so Master, but with Lilith it is never easy to tell. As far as I can see, Lilith is simply a rebellious child that knows not of her standing with you. She has been a rebellious sort of spirit ever since she came out of the egg. If I had to guess, I'd say it is simply in her nature to behave this way; regardless of her mental development."

Nova gave Byakko's explanation a thought for a moment, "I guess that sort of aligns with the lore behind her birth. She is the goddess of Liberation and breaker of bondage after all, so having anyone telling her what to do is a no go. And if her equipment is anything to go by then she has already been through quite a bit, at least in theory. I probably should just let her do whatever she wants to do then, and whenever she needs me, I'll help."

"Should I reprehend her Master?" Byakko broke Nova from his thoughts with her question.

"Nah, don't. She didn't do anything inherently wrong. Byakko, just let her do her own thing, she clearly doesn't have any sort of desire to remain under anyone's control. If you have something you would like her do just ask, don't command, and if she says no don't get mad about it. She's her own person so let her live her life."

"But..." Byakko's dissent got caught in her throat and instead of continuing to argue her point she relaxed herself completely to let the subject go. "Okay master, I understand."

"Thanks for your understanding Byakko, I really appreciate it. Now, let's get going since we're wasting precious nightlife."

"Yes Master." After acknowledging Nova's comment Byakko shifted herself from Faunus to Beast and then from celestial to Grimm, returning to her usual Scylla form. The tiger's Master then mindlessly hopped on her back and the two of them were fully prepared to teleport to Hel's Kitchen. Before leaving however, Byakko softly said, "I Would Never Leave Master's Side Even For A Moment If I Could. You Understand This Fact Master, Right?" The comment caught Nova off guard for a moment, but after quickly processing what Byakko was saying a smile made its way across his lips.

"Of course, I understand." Nova then removed his mask, bent over, and placed a sweet kiss on the top of Byakko's head, gently petting her as he removed his lips. Another word didn't need to be shared between the duo and after Byakko finished indulging in the comfort that was provided by her Master she took off towards Hel's Kitchen. Instead of rapidly teleporting as Nova and Byakko used to do, Byakko chose to bound from building to building using her incredible speed to propel them towards their destination.

Before, the difference in speed between running and teleporting was great, but due to the various increase in stats that they had received lately their travel speed had increased greatly. When using Demonic Walk to teleport from spot to spot, although there is no cooldown, there is still a bit of time where instead of moving forward they are waiting for the skill to activate once more. Normally the time is negligible, about a tenth of a second, but when used in succession that time builds up tremendously. The more people are teleported at a single time the larger this number becomes, making teleporting large groups of people almost impossible to do safely in high-speed combat.

When this is taken into account alongside the fact that each teleport has a max length of about 30ft (9.1m), the average travel speed of rapid back-to-back Demonic Walk teleports is about 205mph (330kph). When in the city terrain it was often optimal to simply use the teleport since it easily ignores any physical obstacles that may be in their way and had no possible negative effects on the surrounding environment. However, now it was far to easy for Byakko to conqueror this speed difference with her paws alone, so she used those padded paws to dash from building to building, quietly softening her landing and subsequently launching herself to the next location. Her movement was incredibly fast and as she blended perfectly with the night sky she was practically invisible to any outside viewers that may or may not have been watching.

Using Scylla's incredible speed, they quickly arrived at the location that started it all, Hel's Kitchen. "It's been quite a while since I've been here." The building as a whole hadn't changed much. The massive sign was still active, the blinds that protected the outside from getting in were a bright Crimson, there was a massive double line that extended far down the street, and the black carpet with his logo was still extended far past the glass double doors. The entire building was bouncing with loud music that quite literally rumbled the surrounding street with bass filled vibrations.

The apparent differences that Nova immediately noticed were the guards at the entry way, the bouncer that was letting people inside, and the amount of vehicles that were continuously getting Valeted from the apparent VIP entry way. The most surprising thing about the entire viewing process was the fact that each and every time one of these apparent 'VIPs' walked onto the black carpet and was escorted inside the building, they all stopped for a moment to salute to the Demon Clan symbol at the center of the floor piece. As far as Nova could see, not a single person had even taken a small step towards the icon, instead steering far clear of it. The Valets that were parking the cars were all unrecognizable to him, but they seemed to be new hires that were hired to do this specific job.

"Somehow this place seems way busier that before, which is insane to think about since its always been extremely busy."

"Should I Teleport Us Into The Office Master?" Byakko's question broke Nova from his thoughts and returned his attention to the club that he was watching from the top of a roof nearby.

After taking her question into consideration for a moment he eventually decided to hop off Byakko's back and stand by her side. "Nah. Since its been so long already we may as well go through the front door. Just follow my lead."

"Won't It Be A Bit Odd For A Very Large Grimm To Appear Within The City? Do You Believe This Will Cause A Ruckus?"

"It should be fine since you are pretty well known. Scylla, the Grimm that accompanies the Devil himself and kills on command. Remnant's first, and only, tamed Grimm." He explained. "The real surprising fact is that nobody called the cops when you ran all those people out of Junior's the first time we were here. But then again, maybe somebody did call the cops and they just didn't show because they knew it happened at Junior's. Either way, it should be fine. Just follow my lead."

"Understood Master." With the decision made, Nova allowed his appearance's mask to fully cover his face once more and he subsequently activated a Skill within himself. In a streak of black the Devil suddenly appeared on the street across Hel's Kitchen and only a moment later his trusty Grimm companion Scylla appeared beside him. Before they even took a single step forward the many citizens in line for the club began gasping out of shock and fear.

"Is that?"

"No, it can't be-"

"Holy shit its him!"

"Look at that Grimm it's so fucking huge!"

"Don't look! I heard that he'll kill anyone that looks at his mask for too long."

"His mask? I heard that the mask is actually just his face, like it got seared onto his skin."

"I heard that the one time he took his mask off a thousand people dropped dead in an instant."

"Yeah! That's how he took out the entire Xiong Family!"

"Shhhhh, shut up dumbass. Do you want him to hear you?"

It was more than clear that the Devil's name had spread far and wide, although it makes sense that the people waiting in line to enter his headquarters would know exactly who he was. Or at least who the rumors say he is. As the Devil and Scylla took a few steps closer to the club, the murmurs of crowd became louder and louder until it got the attention of the 6 staff woman that were acting as bouncers for the club. Each of them wore unique clothing that was special to them, skirts, dresses, suits, T-shirts, and anything else they wanted to. It was clear that there wasn't a required uniform for these women, the only thing that seemed to be required was the color palette, Crimson and Black.

As the woman closest to the double doors noticed the Devil walking closer to the club she immediately moved into action, "Clear the way!" As she spoke the command, each of the other bouncers moved in perfect sync to clear the path for the Devil's entry, directing cars clear off the street, pushing VIP's off the black carpet, propping open both of the double doors, and finishing by standing perfectly lined up on the sides of the carpet. As the leader of the Demon Clan and his faithful companion finally stepped onto the rug they were immediately met with resounding welcome from the committee.

"Welcome back Boss!" The woman didn't bow, nor did they salute, but the welcome somehow felt much more coordinated and heartfelt than the former bouncers that were apart of the Clan. Nova couldn't exactly put his finger on what it was, but each of these women felt much more genuine in their actions than the Clan members did. They were all different and didn't act uniformly in the slightest bit, but somehow, they still managed to seem more together than even the borderline brainwashed members of the Demon Clan.

To put it simply, Nova enjoyed being around them. "It's good to be back" he said simply. As he walked passed the six bouncers, and approached the open double doors, another woman that he lightly recognized walked through the doors to greet him.

"Oh, Boss, I wasn't expecting to see you again anytime soon. Consider me pleasantly surprised!"

"Well, I can't say I expected to be back so soon, Jada."

The woman giggled at the Devil's response, "I guess we're all a bit surprised then aren't we. Please right this way, the Manager is already prepared to update you on anything you may need to know." Jada motioned for the Devil to come inside with her hands and smoothly stepped into line a single step behind the Boss as a showing of respect. Even though she was technically the one leading him through the club, Nova was still being kept at the head of the two of them. Scylla walked leisurely behind them, keeping her steps to a minimum so that she kept pace with the two people. As they walked, people turned heads and immediately moved out of their ways, taking note to show some sort of sign of respect or reverence when they walked past. As they entered into the main hall, Jada said, "the Manager has been spending most of her time in your office Boss. I hope that won't be too much of an issue."

"That's fine" he replied. The odd group of three then walked leisurely through the room, up the multiple flights of stairs, and up to the large marble doors that led directly into the Devil's office. It was here that Jada said a quick goodbye ending with call for me if you need anything. From there, the Devil then opened one of the doors to see a short red-haired woman typing away at his desk. "Well, if it isn't the manager. Is my chair nice and comfortable for you miss?"

As she heard the grumbling voice of the man coming from across the room, the manager's face lit up in fantastical fashion. "Oh my god! You're here!"

"Yeah, here I am" he responded, watching as the woman leaped up from his chair and ran across the room to give him a big embrace.

"I missed you."

As he heard the woman's words, Nova allowed his mask to disappear from his face as he returned the embrace. "I missed you too Rouge." The two of them sat in the embrace for a while, and Scylla walked right passed them to lye down in her usual corner of the room.

After a while of hugging, Rouge asked, "so, how have you been?"

"Good, for the most part at least. How about you?"

"Great! Everything has been pretty groovy since you let me do the day-to-day managing's of this place. Especially since DTD pretty much runs itself now and days. Hel's Kitchen has been a nice change of pace for me, and plus I'm learning a ton! Thanks for that by the way" she replied with a gleaming smile.

"That's good to hear, but it was all Scarlet's doing. She recommended you and offered you the position, I just gave the go ahead. So, if you wanna thank somebody thank Scarlet."

"I did already! Just take my thank you Nova. Why do you gotta be such a hardass sometimes."

The man in question laughed at Rouge's jokey criticism and responded with "alright, alright. Your welcome. There, happy now?'"

"Yes, very! Now, let's get down to business!" Rouge's comment suddenly gave Nova a spark of remembrance as he somehow forgot what his original objective of the night was.

"Yes, let's do that, but first I gotta make a call." The boss then dragged Rouge along with him to behind his desk and once there he sat comfortably in the chair. The red-haired girl took the liberty of pulling up an extra seat right beside him and watched with a confused expression as he connected his Scroll to the computer apparatus. The monitors then appeared atop the desk and with a few taps and clicks the phone was already ringing.


"Z, I have told you numerous times that I will take watch during this time" Junior said to his partner. "If you don't feel like sleeping then just rest your eyes or something, but don't go disappearing out of thin air like you have been doing daily."

"Really? You've noticed? I guess I haven't been giving you too much credit then Junior, you actually are pretty vigilant." Z responded in a lighthearted jokey tone, not taking anything the large man was saying too seriously.

Junior let out an exasperated sigh as he lifted his weapon of choice over his shoulder, "that's not the point. Z, if you wanna die go ahead and be my guest, but I wouldn't recommend it since the Boss doesn't want to lose any members. If you don't wanna die, then you should consider taking a nap and probably telling me where your going when you disappear. The least you could do is tell me why you're so insistent on fucking up the order of things here." Junior paused for a moment to check Z's expression, looking up at the tree branch where the Fauns was sitting. Z was looking far into the distance, seemingly not paying a cent of attention to Junior who was on the ground below.

"Look, you don't sleep, you don't eat, you disappear at the drop of a hat, you don't care to give orders to the Clan instead choosing to throw them onto my plate, you rarely say shit to anyone, and it seems to me like you don't give a damn about the Boss's objective! You're a damn Elite for god sakes, you could at least act like it for two fuckin seconds!" Z remained silent, not even giving Junior the curtesy to look in his general direction. "Z! What do you have to say for yourself! Do you even give a fuck?! Are you defying the Chief's orders! Where is your loyalty!" Z stayed silent for a moment longer, only allowing the rage inside Junior to build higher and higher each moment. Soon the silence rang to loud for Junior, "Fine! If you won't come down and answer me, then I'll just force you to!" The Elite then gripped both hands around his club's handle and roughly swung the weapon from his shoulder, slamming it into the base of the tree.

In an instant the entre trunk of the tree gave way, shattering the base of the plant in an instant. The immense force of the attack sent the whole tree crashing into the forest, crunching, snapping, and crashing as it made contact with the other surrounding forestry. Unsurprisingly, Z was about to fly away alongside the tree, except as the tree began to take off, he simply stepped off the branch and landed harmlessly with both feet on the ground. Once he completed his dismount, he finally looked Junior in the eyes and said, "Are you done now?"

A rage filled vein then practically exploded on the side of the man's head and he screamed, "I'll show you done!" Junior then raised his club once more and swung the weapon with all his strength at the Faunus that pissed him off.

However, Z simply coated his hand in a thick black Aura substance and once the weapon crashed into his appendage, no damage was done. "Junior," Z began calmly, "do you know how many Grimm there are from Vale to Mount Glenn?"

"…What?" Junior was given an immense amount of pause from Z's sudden question, and in doing so he allowed himself to relax a bit.

"I'm asking you how many Grimm do you believe are out here? After all, we left Vale like a month ago and we've been killing Grimm everyday ever since then. So, again I'm asking, do you know how many Grimm there are from Vale to Mount Glenn? Obviously, Glenn is included."

Junior removed his Club from Z's hand and pondered his question for a moment, "I can't say I've thought much about it. But what is your point?"

"The answer is a lot. Probably an impossible number of Grimm. Do you really think this force of 300 plus can clear an entire forest of Grimm that Vale's own military might was unable to?"

The relaxation that overcame Junior's body was gone in moments and the Club that was resting up against his side found itself right up against the side of Z's head. "What the fuck are you tryna say Z? Are you switchin sides?"

The bear Faunus didn't react to the club that was dangerously close to his skull, only letting out an exasperated sigh. "No, I aint 'switchin sides', even though there isn't even another side to switch to. I'm just pointing out the obvious. Think." Junior eased his grip on his weapon slightly and allowed it to fall from Z's shoulder, albeit keeping his club in close range to take a swing at him. "Lemme ask you another question Junior. Have you felt like you've been getting stronger since we started killing these Grimm?"

"Of course, but that is how training works. The more experience you gather the stronger you become, whether from working out or physical combat."

"No, not that, like more so than before." That comment made Junior think a little bit more, but in the end, he couldn't come to a definitive conclusion, so he just shrugged his shoulders and gave Zeb the opportunity to speak again. "Ugh, listen…. You know what, it doesn't matter. Never mind." Z gave up on explaining his thoughts to Junior and began walking into the darkness of night, setting off to disappear for an undetermined amount of time once more.

"Wait, Z! You better not be abandoning camp again! You never even finished explaining! How do those two questions even relate to one another!"

That last comment seemingly struck a line in Z's brain as he stopped receding into the night filled forestry and turned to face Junior again. "Listen up Junior cause I'm not explaining this again. Fact one, I am going to Atlas alongside the Chief, and a couple of his other companions and this body is nowhere close to strong enough to fight alongside that group. Fact two, I know for a fact that the more Grimm I kill the stronger I become. I can actually feel it occurring within my own body, growing much stronger at a much faster pace than before. Its more than unnatural. Fact three, the Chief sent us South of Vale, a land where the Grimm are more than plentiful, to kill as many Grimm as possible. The final goal seems to be clearing this area to allow us to eventually establish an independent city-state or something along those lines, but what I do know is that he wants us to kill Grimm."

As Z listed all the given facts about their current situation the information suddenly began clicking in Junior's mind, but he allowed Z to continue speaking. "Given this info, I believe that I am here specifically to grow in strength for the mission that I have been recruited for, and I think that you all are supposed to do the same, for different reasons obviously. The Chief knows that this body isn't strong enough for the mission, so my reason for being here is to grow in strength, while also working towards clearing this forest and eventually Mount Glenn." Z paused for a moment to allow the information to be absorbed into his Elite partner's mind.

"J-man, sorry I'm not what you envisioned a Devil's Elite to be, but I actually don't give a fuck. I came to serve. I chose to become apart of the Chief's Clan, the Demon Clan, in order to put my body on the line to be of service to the Chief. That is all. I didn't come to this forest to eat, to sleep, to command an army, talk to anyone, and I damn sure didn't come here to die. I'll let you handle commanding the Acolytes, Captains, and Sins because I know you are far superior at that then I am. However, I won't do is let you assume that I'm not trying to accomplish the Chief's objective. I disappear everyday because it is a burden for me to waste my time trudging along at a snail's pace killing one group of Grimm at a time when I know that my talents would be best served attacking whole hordes by myself. I can simultaneously get as strong as possible and clear as many Grimm as possible all without putting the Clan in additional danger."

Junior went wide eyed at Z's full thought process behind his actions, "wow. I didn't think that you'd think this much about the orders you were given. Consider me shocked."

"Yeah, I know" Z replied, already prepping to walk off into the forest once more. " Hey, you do your shit well and I do mines. Your good at commanding a group, keeping morale up, making sure everyone stays alive, coordinating skills, and other shit like that. I'm good at…. well… not those things. You keep doin you and I'll keep doin me. Does that sound like a plan to you?"

"I can't say that I like the idea of you doing whatever you want on your own, but since your doing it to advance the Demon Clan's goals I can't say I see any true issues with your idea. So, it does sound like a plan to me."

"Great. Then I'll be seeing yo-"

"On two more conditions." Z stopped in the middle of his exodus as he heard Junior express his ultimatum.

"What are your conditions J?"

"My first condition is that you explain this 'growing more powerful the more you kill Grimm' phenomenon to me. I know you probably don't have all the answers now, but I'd like it if you would share whatever you learn with me. This could work for the betterment of not only myself but the entire Clan as a whole."

"Of course, I have no problem sharing. What's the second one?"

"I want you to let me know the type of progress you are making through the forest so we can coordinate with one another to take care of as many Grimm as efficiently as possible. You probably are unaware of this since you are often doing your own thing, but I've already begun separating the larger Clan into seven sections led by their respective Sins and fanning them out in specific spaces. Their confidence has grown greatly since the first weeks of our arrival, and they've become much more capable than before. So, now that we will begin covering more area I'd like it if we were to ensure maximum efficiency."

Z took only a moment to think about Junior's request before saying, "yah I guess that makes sense. I've kinda just been running through space killing everything I see and attracting as many Grimm as possible. It would be pretty bad if you sent a team to an area that I already cleared. So, yeah, I'll cooperate." Z and Junior then shook hands on the deal, finally finding some common ground on this issue that had been irking the large Xiong man since the beginning of the expedition.

"Great! Feel free to update me on your chosen location whenever you reach it Z. I'll just plan around wherever you choose to go" Junior said with a smile. "I gotta get back to camp, I'm guessing some of the men are starting to get a bit rowdy since we've been gone for so long."

Z allowed a small chuckle to escape from his lips as he listened to his partner's vocalized thoughts. "Yeah, I think so too. It definitely doesn't help that they heard the sound of a tree being exploded from blunt force trauma either. You better hurry up and get back there to clear that shit up" he replied with a hardy laugh.

"That is very true Z." Junior and Z shared a good laugh for a while, having a good banter about the things that may happen if they never returned to camp, but as their laughter settled down and they caught their breaths, it was time for them to separate once more. "I'll be seein you soon Z. Stay safe on your wild solo mission" the giant man wished Z safe travels in a soft heartfelt tone.

"You stay safe to Junior. I'll see you again sooner than you'd think. Oh yeah, also, I'll hit you with the details of my hunting spot ASAP so be on the lookout for that. See ya!" After saying his goodbyes Z began walking off into the dark of night, disappearing into the forest of shrubs, flowers, and trees as he continued his quest to grow stronger on his Chief's command.

Briiiinnnnnngggggg

A sound unfamiliar to Z suddenly rang from Junior's general direction, prompting the Faunus to stop in his tracks. The sound stopped for a brief pause before the ring continued once more, bringing both Junior and Z's attentions to the sound. "Boss?" Junior asked no one in particular as he pulled his Scroll from his breast pocket. Before answering the call, he turned to Z and said, "Z, it's the Boss. You may wanna hold off on leaving for now." Z acknowledged Junior's words with a quick head nod and walked back over to the man himself to listen in on the conversation. "Hello, Chief?"

"What's up Junior. Long time no speak" his Boss said from the other line of Scroll.

"Boss! How've you been! It really has been a really long time since I last heard your voice!"

"Wow you sound real excited Junior, happy to see you've been missin me. I've been doin alright since the last we spoke, but I hope to be doin better later."

"That's great! If there is anything I can do to assist, then I'd be more than happy to help."

"Well, I'm glad you said that because there is something I need you, Zeb, and the rest of Clan to do for me." At the Devil's comments Junior looked over to Z to see if he had heard the same information as him and as he did there eyes met each other, and with a small nod from the Faunus Junior knew to continue the discussion.

"Of course, Boss, whatever you need. Just give the orders and we'll act on it right away."

"I know you will, and that's why I trust you all so much" the Boss spoke with an audible grin. "I'm ordering a total recall. I need you all to pack up shop and return to Vale…. yesterday. That is to say I need you all back ASAP. How long will it take you both to get back to Hel's Kitchen?"

"Uhm…" Junior hummed as he thought, quickly taking into account all the possible variables of traveling back to Vale "… packing up sight is 10-15min, traveling back to the Bullheads would be another 20min at least, loading the members into the ships is 5, actually flying back to the yard is another 30min, unloading… reloading… and then driving back to Hel's Kitchen…" Junior mumbled his thoughts out loud, making quick calculations as he continued onwards. "I believe were looking at an ETA of about an hour and a half."

"Damn that's way better than what I thought it'd be" Nova thought on the other side of the line, "Perfect. Get on it quickly. I'll explain all the details whenever you get back, speedy travels."

"Thanks Boss. We'll be there soon!" After hearing Junior's response, the Boss ended the phone call, leaving Junior to immediately being sprinting back to the camp site. Z followed quickly behind, taking smaller steps to remain behind the big man as they ran full speed back to camp. Once they arrived in the massive clearing, Junior immediately yelled, "It's time to pack up shop! Get your shit and get ready to go! I want no bullshit, no questions, and no lazy fucks! Everything should be done in 8 minutes! Spread the word!" Without a moment of hesitation everyone got into action, systematically dismantling the entire site in what looked like mere moments.

As the Acolytes began breaking down the camp site, Z said to Junior, "Imma go clear the path to the ships. Kill any Grimm ahead of time so we don't have to worry about it while heading back." Junior acknowledged Z's plan with a quick head nod, and he watched with his peripheral vision as Z disappeared into the forest with his axe in hand. The large man then walked deeper into the large camp and began expertly commanding each men on what they should be doing, leaving no one out. Eight minutes later they were already packed and ready to go, and on Junior's command they began running through the forest as fast as their feet would carry them.

Chapter 63: System Update

While Zeb and Junior were rushing to Hel's Kitchen on the command of their Boss, Nova and Rouge were having a fairly light conversation about the day-to-day activities that Rouge attends to at the Club. Throughout their conversation, Nova learned quite a bit about the numerous changes that had been made to the Club since a month ago. From the treatment of VIP's to the heightened rise of the location's popularity, even offering something for the day goers as well. Meaning that the entire Club was essentially a 24/7 hotspot of premium entertainment and was practically printing money at this point. They hadn't yet figured out what to do with all the excess money since keeping the cops on the payroll was already being taken into account and the men in the Demon Clan no longer had a desire for materialistic objects. However, Scarlet proposed the idea to start fixing up the surrounding area, buying up businesses and turning the entire district into a sort of entertainment/night life hotspot.

The idea itself wasn't bad and it would probably help solidify the Clan's power further. Although the only doubt that Nova had about it was the fact that it would bring a lot of foreign attention towards the two women that seem to be running the entire operation. The fact that the Demon Clan was so powerful already meant that it was doubtful that anyone would attempt to bring harm to them, plus he already had Ozpin in his pocket which meant the council wouldn't get involved. The red-haired woman chuckled slightly when the Devil mentioned the council, pointing out the fact that all ten standing council members are daily patrons of the Club. A few of the councilmen were even proud patrons at Junior's. She finished her supporting evidence for why expanding was an excellent idea by then showing Nova the mask that she had been wearing whenever she was around the Club and he took the opportunity to create a proper appearance for Rouge, beating himself up over the fact that he didn't do that earlier.

It seemed like mindlessness was getting the best of him recently, not acting on minor details that could possibly result in dramatic changes or people he cared about getting hurt. If the Awakened One had to identify a reason for this occurrence he'd have to say that it's because of the amount of food, he suddenly found on his plate. Before his only true objective was to take control of the Xiong Family and subsequently kill Roman, but since then he's taken on quite a bit more than comfortable for his mouth.

Spreading his focus in numerous different places at once has begun resulting in Nova believing he is losing control on the current situation, but even still he felt that things were beginning to look up. Once Cinder returned to Vale to contact the Devil for a 'partnership' of sorts everything would begin to fall into place. He'd be on the inside, knowing everything that Cinder and Salem are planning, and from there he'd be able to manipulate the situation to his own advantage. Prevent the destruction of Beacon, force Salem out of her comfort zone, and find a way to stop her. Even if she is technically immortal the Silver Eyes should be able to petrify her completely and from there, he could easily find a way to finish her off using the System. Remnant would be in peace, and he'd be free to focus all of his energy on prepping the world for the invasion.

Even as he thought about it, he was forced to real himself back in, remembering the things that both Byakko and Lilith had continued to remind him over the past few nights. One thing at a time. And right now, the one thing that needed his full attention was prepping his force for Cinder's arrival. "Enter."

As the Leader of the Demon Clan gave his approval for entry, two monumental men walked into the room, both of whom the Clan head hadn't seen in quite some time. One of the men who stepped into the office was incredibly large in stature, standing at 6'7'' with long, shaggy, blonde hair that hung low, draping onto his shoulders. He was a Faunus, sporting two large ram like horns that curled around his head, stopping out besides his eyes. The other man was a mountain, towering over everyone else in the room at seven feet tall and sporting a highly advance prosthetic arm that was shown through his torn half sleeve. "It's great to see you again Boss!" The massive seven-footer cut his height in half the moment he laid eyes on the Devil in red, bowing to him in a showing of immense respect before taking his seat.

The Faunus next to him put his hand up to one of his extended horns in a mock salute while saying, "wus up Chief, long time no see. You look good."

Nova allowed his mask to fall once more, revealing his normal mask less face "Long time no see indeed Zeb, Junior. Observe" before allowing the conversation to go any further, Nova activated his skill to see how much the pair had grown since the last time he saw then, and the results were incredibly surprising.

Name: Hei Xiong, Junior

Age: 37

Race: Human

Titles: The Devil's Elite, Expert Tactician

LVL: 50 - 78

HP: 4220/4220, {+1288}

AU: 7670/7670, (+400), {+2400}

Attributes:

STR; 405, (+81), {+162}

END; 400, (+80), {+160}

DEX; 161, {+64}

VIT; 161, {+64}

INT; 556, (+111), {+222}

LUK; 83, {+33}

*Gigantomachia (Semblance)*- This incredible Semblance allows the giant Junior to increase the size and therefore weight and mass of himself and any items he touches, allowing him to rapidly increase the attack potency of the things around him.

'The Bazooka'- This is the preferred weapon used by Junior, in essence it is a combination of a strong metallic club and a rocket launcher. When used in rocket launcher mode, based on the type of ammunition and how Junior wishes to fire this weapon, Junior can choose whether he wishes to shoot one massive rocket or many mini missiles that heat seek towards his opponents; +20% STR, +20% END, +20% INT


Name: Zeb, Z

Age: 27

Race: Faunus

Titles: The Devil's Elite, Isolationist, Grimm Hunter, Absolute Defense Specialist, etc.

LVL: 53 - 106

HP: 14160/14160, (+1974), {+5264}

AU: 16580/16850, (+1476), {+5904}

Attributes:

STR; 769, (+231), {+308}

END; 984, (+295) {+394}

DEX; 540, {+216}

VIT; 658, (+197), {+263}

INT; 112, {+45}

LUK; 217, {+87}

*Immovable (Semblance)*- This Semblance allows Zeb to temporarily fortify himself with his own Aura to such an extent that he becomes completely undamageable. Essentially for a moment he can become an immovable, undamageable, indestructible fortress that cannot be destroyed.

'Griz-Lethal'-These dual wielded massive battle-axe's function both as an incredible offensive force and also a defensive fortress, creating an uncanny balance between strength and protection. They also can transform at will to become two massive shotguns that can blow a gaping hole in damn near anything; +30% STR, +30% END, +20% VIT

"What the fuck!? How the fuck did Zeb Level Up so damn much!" Nova had to actively stifle his own expression to not alert Zeb and Junior that anything had occurred, but it was horrible difficult to focus on the conversation at hand when this information was pounding at his brain. "Yeah, just come in and sit down we gotta lotta shit to discuss. Just gimme a second to get all my thoughts in order."

"Yessir" Zeb replied, taking a seat in his assigned chair in front of the Chief's desk.

"Yes Boss" Junior said, doing the same as Z.

"Good thing I already had Rouge leave, it would've been sort of awkward to have her here in this scenario. However, I gotta focus on the task at hand. Zeb, what the actual fuck! What is this stat line, what's up with this increase, what the fuck is up with all these damn titles! How did he do all this shit while on this expedition! It's only been a month! Plus, the system isn't even his ability, its mine! There is no way he can do all of this through the Clan Creator. Meta, do you think you could go through some of the Data and give me a reasoning for how this shit is happening?"

[Yes Partner! Meta will attempt to find a solution to the problem that is weighing on your mind! Give Meta one moment… Done! Meta believes that this is indeed all possible through the Clan Creator System Mechanic! Usually, those without the System will not be able to capitalize on the experience they gain through defeating enemies, but the Clan Creator allows this to occur! Members of your Clans are able to utilize extremely minor, inefficient versions of the System, allowing them to grow more powerful through defeating opponents!]

"Wait, does this also apply to Titles as well? Cause before Zeb had only one and now he has a whole etcetera attached to his shit."

[Meta believes the answer to your question is both yes and no! While the Clan Creator Mechanic does not allow the non-System Members to gain Titles that were previously inaccessible, the Mechanic does Create Titles to visualize major events of Growth! For example, a dramatic increase in Level, an increase in Growth Rate, a change in standing, or maybe even an extreme repetition of a task!]

"That does make quite a bit of sense, especially considering Titles that I've received that I know other people have as well. Like Team Leader for example, when I got that my Growth Rate went up, so it makes sense that anyone else who received a title similar would've experienced the same thing, or at least something similar. So basically, what your telling me is Zeb and Junior both grew in strength in a specific way that allowed them to gain Titles, but Zeb did so waaaayyyy more so than Junior did?"

[Yes!]

"How tho? Do you think you could go back into the log of notifications I told you not to tell me about and find out what Zeb did differently from everyone else"

[Yes, Meta can do that! Give Meta one mome- Done! Here are the notifications generated by Zeb, Z!]

"No! Wait, do not do that please. Just analyze the information to get an idea of what he did differently from everyone else. Look at the time of day, amount of kills, group sizes, types of Grimm, and anything of that nature to get me an idea of what he was doing."

[Meta is sorry. Meta also has done what you asked of Meta! Meta has found that Zeb, Z was killing much more Grimm much more frequently than anyone else in the Demon Clan! Also, not only this, but Zeb, Z also did so at all times of the Day and Night! There is no difference in Grimm types and group sizes, Meta believes Zeb, Z just defeated more enemies than anyone else! In fact, Zeb, Z contributed to almost half of all Experience Gains from the entire expedition, 47.78930419% To be exact!]

"Damn…. did he even take a minute to eat or sleep?"

[Meta believes he did not! Unless he did so for less than ten minutes at a time!]

"He is a fuckin trooper, I guess. Even still, these stats are getting ridiculous to read. Do you think we could change the way Observe functions at all?"

[In what way?]

"Can we change it so more of the numbers are simplified? And can we add the Growth Rate in there as well so I can see the potential for growth in everyone I meet? The way I want to alter it specifically is allowing all permanent/unchanging stat values to be combined into one, like equipment for example. I know that if a person looses that equipment their stats will decrease, but that doesn't happen often, so I'd want to see the base stats reflect that increase for simplicities sake. Can we do that?"

[Yup! Would you like to see the change?]

The skill Observe will have its properties changed, would you like to see this effect in action?

Y/N

"Yes!"

Name: Zeb, Z

Age: 27

Race: Faunus

Titles: The Devil's Elite, Isolationist, Grimm Hunter, Absolute Defense Specialist, Etc.

LVL: 106

*HP: 21398/21938

*AU: 24230/24230

Attributes:

*STR; 1307

*END; 1673

*DEX; 756

*VIT; 1119

*INT; 157

*LUK; 304

*Growth Rate: MAX

*Immovable (Semblance)*- This Semblance allows Zeb to temporarily fortify himself with his own Aura to such an extent that he becomes completely undamageable. Essentially for a moment he can become an immovable, undamageable, indestructible fortress that cannot be destroyed.

'Griz-Lethal'-These dual wielded massive battle-axe's function both as an incredible offensive force and also a defensive fortress, creating an uncanny balance between strength and protection. They also can transform at will to become two massive shotguns that can blow a gaping hole in damn near anything; +30% STR, +30% END, +20% VIT

"That is fuckin perfect, but do you think I can see mine and not Zeb's?"

Name: Nova Pollux

Age: 18

Race: Awakened One, Deus~Humanus, Faunus

Titles: Awakened One, Savior of Earth, King Slayer etc.

LVL: 126 (10%)

*HP: 219,946 / 219,946

SLD: 70675/70675

*MP: 129,896 / 129,896

*AU: 79545/79545

Attributes:

*STR; 8920

*END; 6719

*DEX; 5742

*VIT; 5053

*INT; 6066

*LUK; 3429

*Growth Rate: 142

EX AP: 3790

EX Growth Rate AP: 8

SY: 65

SP: 110

$Money$: 80,020 AUG | 34,654 AUS | 231,686 AUB | $4,487 Lien

"Goddamn I'm strong as fuck! My stats are through the fuckin roof! I probably easily molly wop any person on this planet right now. Shit, I highly doubt there is anyone who can contend with me, and this doesn't even include the fact that I can boost my AP with a bunch of different skills! I don't know why I was so worried before; nobody can actually feasibly stand up to me! Cinder was only able to take out Ozpin after she got the full maiden powers, so half cinder shouldn't even be at Ozpin's level. Unless of course this world is different, or Ozpin wasn't confident he could kill her the moment she entered the hall, but it doesn't matter since I'm almost double Ozpin in attack potency anyway! This'll be a fuckin breeze, I really don't even need this Growth AP either, it'd be better spent on Lilith if anyone. Only thing I have to remember is that my stats will decrease a bunch if I ever lose any HP because of Kingly Aura."

"Uhmm, Boss, are you feelin alright? You've been in your mind for a really long time. Is there something bothering you?" Junior asked, concern evident on his face.

"Huh?" Nova said instinctually, coming out of his thoughts and realizing that he was still in his office with Zeb and Junior waiting for him to explain what's going on. "Oh, yeah. Everything cool I'm just finishing compiling all the information I need to tell you guys and the instructions that go along with it. I'll be done in a sec."

Zeb and Junior turned to each other with expressions of confusion, each looking for an answer from the other, but once their eyes met, they simply shrugged their shoulders and went back to waiting patiently for their Boss/Chief to finish up. "The last change that I want done if possible is too allow me to see whatever the stat is whenever it is at MAX. So, Glynda's Level for example I want to see what level she is at instead of just seeing MAX, same thing with Zeb's Growth Rate."

[Of course!]

Name: Zeb, Z

Age: 27

Race: Faunus

Titles: The Devil's Elite, Isolationist, Grimm Hunter, Absolute Defense Specialist, Etc.

LVL: 106

*HP: 21398/21938

*AU: 24230/24230

Attributes:

*STR; 1307

*END; 1673

*DEX; 756

*VIT; 1119

*INT; 157

*LUK; 304

*Growth Rate: 30 (MAX)

*Immovable (Semblance)*- This Semblance allows Zeb to temporarily fortify himself with his own Aura to such an extent that he becomes completely undamageable. Essentially for a moment he can become an immovable, undamageable, indestructible fortress that cannot be destroyed.

'Griz-Lethal'-These dual wielded massive battle-axe's function both as an incredible offensive force and also a defensive fortress, creating an uncanny balance between strength and protection. They also can transform at will to become two massive shotguns that can blow a gaping hole in damn near anything; +30% STR, +30% END, +20% VIT

"So 30 is the maximum Growth Rate for a Faunus or maybe people in particular. Actually, Meta can you just show me Glynda's Observe stats in this format instead of the older one?"

[Meta cannot do that! Nova must confirm the Skill Observe's changes before any additional requests can be made! Would you like to confirm these changes?]

The skill Observe will have its properties changed, the cost of these alterations will be 2 AUG. Would you like to make these changes?

Y/N

"Oh, then yeah. I don't understand why it has to be so expensive tho."

The desired changes have been made!

[Meta will now fulfill your request!]

Name: Glynda Goodwitch

Age: 42

Race: Human

Titles: Top Huntress, Beacon's Lead Professor, The Disciplinarian, Etc.

*LVL: 250 (MAX)

*HP: 16770/16770

*AU: 35405/35405

Attributes:

*STR; 255

*END; 2211

*DEX; 530

*VIT; 798

*INT; 4530

*LUK; 793

*Growth Rate: 30 (Max)

*Telekinesis (Semblance)*- Glynda's complete mastery over this Semblance allows her to move and control objects with the utmost skill and ability. She is so proficient with her Semblance that she can use it offensively and defensively as easily as she breaths.

'The Disciplinarian'- Glynda Goodwitch's weapon of choice, this weapon is a thin, black riding crop with a simple black and purple design. This legendary Huntress uses this weapon as a catalyst to enhance, and concentrate her Semblance, strengthening her power considerably; +20% INT, +10% END, +5% DEX, +5% VIT, +5% LUK; Entrenches Aura based attacks in INT

"So, this normal people in this world have a Level Limit of 250 and a Growth Rate Limit of 30. That is a lot weaker than I thought it would be, but I can't assume that the Maidens or Salem and Ozpin are shackled by these limits. I'll probably need to do a bit more research whenever I return to the Academy. Also, Meta can you remind me to ask Lilith how she wants her Growth AP distributed?"

[Yessir!]

"Great! Thanks, lil homie, I appreciate the help! Now, lets get back to the bullshit." As Nova finished up with everything, he thought he needed to complete in his mind, he finally turned his attention back to the duo across the desk. "First thing I wanna say is great job so far on your expedition to Mount Glenn. I can't speak on the amount of progress you've made in clearing the land, but I can say that I am impressed with how much more powerful you've become." At the Chief's comment, Z turned to Junior with a knowing smile and laughed it a bit.

"Thanks Chief, we really tried our best to get as strong as possible. Especially me since I know you'll need me to step up during the Atlas trip."

Junior rolled his eyes at Z's overzealous response and tried to focus his attention on the man in front of him. "Thanks Boss! I'll make sure the next time we return from the southern border it'll be with news of victory over those Grimm. You will truly be able to see how much stronger the entire Clan has become after the next expedition."

"I look forward to it. But that is not the reason I called all of you gentleman back here. The real reason is because the future is finally upon us." Both Junior and Zeb seemed a bit confused by this comment, but they remained silent as to hear what the headman had to say next. "The first day I walked into this office I asked you a very important question Junior, one that was the catalyst for almost everything that we have done in this organization. Do you remember what that question was?"

Junior looked confused for a moment before a lightbulb suddenly went off in his brain and he excitedly stated, " I believe the question you are referring to is, are you working with, or have heard of a woman named Cinder Fall? And following this question, over the next few days, you eventually explained how we were going to eventually partner up with this woman. At the time you did not know the specifics of this plan."

"Perfect Junior! That is exactly what I was going to mention. Zeb you do not know this, nor did you truly need to, but I'm letting you know now. Everything we've done this far is all to partner up with a woman named Cinder Fall. Especially killing Roman Torchwick" as he spoke, Zeb nodded his head in understanding. "We are now finally approaching the day where we will be becoming allies with Cinder and the rest of her team. So, now, it is time for me to explain to you both what our, and your, jobs will be when the time comes. I trust you both enough with this information, so it is something that does not leave this room."

The Faunus and giant duo waited with bated breath as they prepared to listen to what their Boss was ready to unload onto them. "Cinder Fall is not really our true objective, instead it's the woman that she is working for that we want to get into cahoots with. The person that Cinder is working for is an ancient immortal woman named Salem, and in laymen's terms she plans to take over the world. I know that it may be a bit hard to believe but just stick with me, I'll explain everything."

Nova then went into the classic extraordinarily long soliloquy that explains the true origin of the entire world as a whole, the brother gods, source of magic, relics, and blah blah blah. The entire time he spent telling the story Nova kept his eyes glued to the duo, checking their reactions to see how they were taking the information. Surprisingly they were taking the info well, however it seemed like Zeb was taking the information a bit too well. He almost didn't react at all if ever and whenever he did it seemed incredibly fake or acted out. Quite simply it seemed as though he either didn't understand a single word of what Nova was saying, or he literally didn't care.

Either way Nova finished up the story and arrived back at present day, continuing with, "essentially Cinder plans to destroy all of Vale in order to get the Relic of knowledge, and I need to stop this from happening. The best way to do so is to be in her inner-circle, and from there I'll find a way to climb up the ladder and be a member in Salem's inner-circle. Then I'll kill her, save the world, and do whatever I want with it afterwards. Don't sweat the details."

"…. Ok" Junior began nervously, "so then, what is our place in this? Is there any thing that we need to do specifically to assist you in this process?"

"Yeah, just tell me what to do and I'll get it done" Z added.

"Yes, I need you two to be extremely strong and capable. These are critical times and while I can't say that I know everything that is set to occur, because the predictable future has changed quite a bit, I am still confident that you both will do more than what is necessary to make this mission a success. To put it bluntly, your place in this is to follow orders, my orders. Cinder will tell me to have you do things and I'll be altering her instructions slightly to best fit our goal, I need you to follow these orders down to the letter."

The duo absorbed their commands with brilliance, fully accepting everything that was to come and putting all of their trust in the man that gave it to them. "Understood Boss! I'll make sure everyone is more than prepared for what is to come!"

"I don't think I gotta say it again Chief," Zeb began, " you say it, I'll do it. Simple as that."

"That's good to hear. But now that his discussion is out of the way, can you tell me a bit about your progress thus far? I heard that you all were still in the forest."

Before responding Junior took a peak over at Z and gave him the go ahead to speak first, so Z began with, " well progress has been slower than I think you would've liked. There are a lot more Grimm in the forest than we thought there would be and working as one large unit hasn't been too optimal for our progress. I've been trying to make progress on my own but working by myself I can't really make a massive difference in the landscape."

"While that may be true, I believe that progress has been slow because of the way I've been leading the men. Keeping everyone in one large group has guaranteed everyone's safety, but it is also keeping our progress to a minimum. I should've seen this coming, sorry Boss." Junior added, picking up right where Z left off and shifting the blame back to himself.

Nova simply shrugged his shoulders in response to their progress report, "its not a big deal so there is nothing to apologize for Junior. The most important thing is that you all stay alive and become more capable fighters from this experience, as I see both of you have done in numbers. Even still I gotta ask, where are you in the forest specifically?"

"Of course, I have it marked here on this map" Junior said as he pulled out his Scroll and laid it on the Boss's desk in its tablet form. "As you can see, we're about a mile (1.6km) north of Mount Glenn. We've been focusing most of our efforts clearing easy entryways to the abandoned city." Nova's eyes widened at the map that Junior was showing him. The Scroll looked remarkably similar to the System map, and it was incredibly detailed with grid space separating sections of the area, different colors to identify high Grimm traffic areas and cleared grids, and even types of Grimm encountered in specific areas. It was incredibly detailed but the one thing that caught Nova the most off guard were the green spaces that signified a cleared area.

"You've already cleared all of Mount Glenn?"

Junior looked questioningly at his Boss for a moment but still responded with a resounding, "yes sir. We started in this area so naturally it was the first section that we cleared. Did you not want us too Boss?"

It took a moment for the Chief to register the information that Junior was providing him, but once he did Nova gave the large man a simple order. "Explain."

"Well, when you originally gave us the order, I began planning our expedition by tuning Mount Glenn and its surrounding area into a grid map, each square being a square mile (1.6km). The entire area is about 49.23 sq. mi (79 sq. km) and the abandoned city of Mount Glenn only accounts for about a fifth of this size. It's the smallest section of the entire space and it already has a few natural barriers that prevent Grimm from entering, notably the freezing mountains to its south and east sides, and partially the ocean to the west that has the support of a large wall that had been constructed when the city was built. Because of these barriers, even though the city is a hotspot for negativity, the city is fairly void of Grimm, and they instead gather in the surrounding forest to the north. Also, the moment we stepped down into the city we were horded upon by the Grimm, but with all of the Clan being there it was an easy clear."

"We landed near the south edge of the city, by the cliffs edge. From there we went section by section eliminating every Grimm in site and once we were confident that the city was mostly cleared, we moved towards the forest edge, focusing our attention on the places where the Grimm are able to easily access the city's interior. There were a lot of these spaces because of the weakened infrastructure, but eventually we were able to clear these areas and create roadblocks to prevent any Grimm from entering again. Essentially these 'roadblocks' are just masses of concrete from destroyed buildings put together in pseudo-walls that prevent entry or exits."

"Then I assigned a squad led by Envy, the Sin, to deal with any strays that may come upon these areas since clearing Mount Glenn would mean nothing if we allowed Grimm to enter into the city once more. We then entered into the surrounding forest, that we've taken to calling the Hunting Grounds, and started killing everything in sight. This is the phase we're currently in. Things have been slow since we are being met with much more Grimm in the forest than we were in the city." Nova nodded his head as Junior finished up his explanation on the expedition, he had put them on, turning inwardly to think through what he told him.

"They are doing way more than I thought they would. Junior is ridiculously thorough when it comes to everything, I tell him to do! Originally, I thought that having the Demon Clan clear out all of Mount Glenn would be a long shot as a possible placement for the freed Faunus slaves, so I really only sent them out to allow myself to passively get stronger, but now things have changed. If they can keep this up, then we really may have a chance to create a city for the Faunus this close to Vale! I mean, there are still hella problems and tis not exactly completely safe yet, but it'll work as a temporary location. I guess the only question now would be…" the Chief of the Demon Clan exited his mind and turned to his subordinate, asking "did you discover the underground portion of the city yet?"

"Underground portion?"

"Yes. When Mount Glenn was created, they needed a way to transport people from the main city to Mount Glenn and vice versa. To solve this issue, they created a subway system sort of, it should also be accompanied by a small town like area, an underground section of the city. By your reaction I can tell that you haven't found it yet, so on the next expedition I need you to find it and do a few things for me. I need you too…" The Devil immediately went into his numerous orders for the two of them, most of the jobs he needed them to complete were ones that they were unable to do any time soon but having the knowledge now would help them plan for it in the future. During his explanation, a few more thoughts arrived in his mind about the future, each of which he noted down to take care of when he arrived home. Speaking of which, the sun had arisen whilst Nova was conversing with his subordinates, and it was time for him to return to his other life once more. However, before he left, he summarized their current position as being on standby till further notice and he old Zeb that the next time they spoke it'd be about the Atlas mission.

Instead of traveling all the way back to his room, Nova dismissed both Zeb and Junior so he could open up a fast travel portal back to his lover's bedroom. After arriving through the object, he noticed that he was a bit late as everyone was already awake and scrambling to prepare for their first day of Classes at Beacon. Looking around he noticed that someone important was missing from the group, and after asking around he learned that none of the woman knew. It then became apparent to both him and Byakko that Lilith hadn't returned to the room that night and instead chose to wander off on her own. Normally this would be cause for worry but Byakko and Nova knew that they were connected far beyond normal people would be, and because of this they already knew where she was. Lilith was still in the school, though she was in a isolated almost abandoned section of the school that Nova was able to identify as the library.

While it was a bit odd that she chose to go off on her own like this it wasn't the most insane thing that she's ever done. Especially after the events that unfolded last night, he thought it'd be best to leave her be. So, Nova decided to let the serpent do whatever she wished for the foreseeable future and if she ever decided to return, he'd welcome her back with open arms. As he finished deciding this course of action with Byakko it was time for the massive group to finally go to school.

Although they would all be together for practical training the rest of their classes were fairly spread apart by Team. Each of them rarely had a class with one another, instead they remained together with their own Teams only seeing one another during lunch or enrichment time. The classes themselves were extremely lack luster for Byakko and Nova since none of the important techniques, Grimm knowledge, world history, or anything else that the professors taught was useful to them. So, instead of focusing on class Nova used the time to massage his brain and ease himself through the events that should be taking place in the near future. Through this brain massage he suddenly got an idea that needed to be executed as soon as possible, so while no one was looking he sent his Call Off to handle that business for him. This eventually resulted in a bewildered Ozpin and a bemused but excited Scarlet, but that is a conversation for another day.

During enrichment, Nova went out of his way to talk to Lilith who was still posted up in the library, and what he found was exactly what he expected. The snake Faunus was curled up in the corner of the massive three-story Study with towering stacks of literature surrounding her on all sides, and in her hands, or her summons jaws rather, was a book titled 'The Grand History of Life on Solitas'. In fact, with only a quick glance Nova could tell that the majority of the books in Lilith's pile of hardcover papers were non-fiction and related to the history or ongoing state of Remnant. Lilith didn't acknowledge his presence in the slightest as he approached her, and after saying a quick hello to get her attention the Basilisk replied with "My King, do you truly believe that knowledge is power?"

"What?" The question caught Nova off guard for a moment, seeing as she completely disregarded his greeting, but none the less he still responded honestly. "I mean, yes to a certain degree. Knowledge is of course extremely powerful in itself and can be used to create great change, but knowledge means nothing if you can't act on it" he said as he approached the snake woman. "If you knew that there was a dust mine filled to the brim with immeasurable amounts of the stuff then you could easily become the wealthiest woman on the planet, but if you don't have a pickaxe or the resources to get one then that knowledge is worthless to you."

As she listened to his response Lilith commanded her serpents to turn to the next page, "or something similar to knowing the probable future of the world in which you live, having the possibility of changing it for the better, and knowing the ways in which you may do so, but not having the ability to properly make those changes. Is that right?"

"…yeah… I guess so" he replied with an odd look.

"It would be best if the saying was knowledge is power only in the hands of those that may wield it as such." Even as she spoke, Lilith's eyes never left the book that she was flying through at an incredible speed, flipping multiple pages in what felt like seconds.

Silence fell between the duo, and Lilith seemed content in allowing the silence to persist, not giving any mind to the man that sat next to her. Nova just watched her read as he sat within his own mind, thinking of a way to get Lilith to open up about how she was feeling. "Knowing the future and being unable to change it" he thought. "Does she think that I can't change anything in Remnant?" Although it was it question that would probably be simply answered if her asked Lilith to tell him the truth, for some reason a dark feeling within his heart wouldn't let the words form in his mouth. A feeling that he hadn't felt in what felt like eternity. But before he was forced to acknowledge its presence, he forced it down by loudly clearing his throat and repressed its existence by continuing to speak with the snake woman. "So, do truly believe that knowledge is power, Lilith?"

Without looking up she replied, "I guess I do believe that. However, I also think that my beliefs fall in line with your own, My King. Knowledge without capability is not power, if anything it is a burden. Wouldn't you agree?" Lilith's tongue slithered ever slightly from her lips as she spoke, flickering in the air lightly with every word of her proposed question. Even thought she asked the question, in truth, the Basilisk didn't expect to hear a response. The question itself was rhetorical, but the answer was one that she knew her King reach. She watched as the bright smile façade that was always worn across his lips slowly washed away and returned to the sad smile that she saw every moment Nova became overwhelmed with the thoughts of the future. The moment she that look upon his face her uncaring façade fell, and her eyes lifted from the book she was barely reading in the first place. "My King, tell me about dungeons. I wish to learn a bit more about these mysterious System made structures and how they relate to the coming invasion of Animus."

Nova was broken from his saddened stupor when he heard Lilith's request, "oh, yeah sure. I'll tell you everything I know and maybe we can bounce some ideas off of one another to make some good theories about them."

"I think that it would be best if you were physically much closer to me so that it's easier for us to exchange information. Also, since there are no chairs in the vicinity, for your best comfort, you may need to lay within my coils."

Lilith's apprehension to say how she felt brought a natural smile back to his lips, "if you say so" he said with a chuckle, walking up to the half woman half serpent and being quickly wrapped within her coils as he began to talk through everything he knew about Dungeons. Nova began by telling Lilith about the differences between the Grimm in Remnant and the ones in the Dungeons, explaining the fact that they have titles, mana, and other minute details that can vary between the two types. He then moved on to where the dungeons form, the changes in environments, and everything else he knew about them. The last thing he ended up explaining was the details he learned about the dungeons from the notifications he received after conquering a specific amount of them, more specifically after they cleared a city.

Pretty soon, it was time for him to go back to class, practical training with Glynda, and he was forced to leave Lilith for the moment. The snake woman then asked why he could not simply have his clone go for him to which he responded that he was 'a bit busy at the moment'. Lilith reacted indifferently to the news and sent him off with well wishes, still choosing to remain by her lonesome researching instead of wasting her time learning essentially nothing with 'Remnant's inhabitants' as she put it. Nova took note of her negative tone when speaking of this world's people, but he didn't think much of it because it seemed to be within Lilith's nature to not see others on her own level. The very last thing he did before leaving was appropriately administer Growth Rate points to his companion, each one being added to whatever the woman decided. Before doing so, he decided to finally convert his EX AP into the growth AP in order to maximize her growth. After converting all of the AP for Lilith Nova managed to create an addition 11 Growth AP.

During the session with Glynda as their professor, Nova spent the majority of the time helping everyone else get up to speed on everything that was happening and was going to happen. Meeting with Cinder, going to Mistral alongside Yang to meet her mother and recruit Sienna, and everything that should follow after. Having both Qrow and Raven returning to Beacon in order to bolster the School's defense against Salem and her minions, defending the city against their attacks, and so on and so forth until they eventually make an offensive to stop the Grimm woman once and for all. Everything was spoke of in pretty broad terms since things could change fairly easily, but the main points were the ones that couldn't change no matter what. Those were the things that needed to happen in order for a bright future to be attained without hassle, and as of this moment everything was set to happen soon.

The rest of the time was spent training, getting everyone ready for what was to occur in the near future, and in doing so prevent the fall of the world as they know it. After the session was finished and they had the rest of the day to themselves, they decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing. Although it was during this time that Ruby and the Malachite twins made it their ultimate goal to annoy Yang and Nova until they let them come to Mistral with them. The twins wanted to go for the obvious reason of seeing their mother again which was understandable, and Ruby wanted to join so she could meet Yang's mom which was a less valid reasoning but still understandable. Eventually Nova decided that he didn't care enough to decide on his own, so he left the decision up to Yang who held strong to her initial no for a few days until she caved.

During the night, Nova left their room with Byakko in order to discuss things with Z and Junior, inform them on their new assignment to work on while in wait for Cinder, and keep the morale boosted for the rest of the members of the Demon Clan. After this he returned to his bedroom to start this routine over again. Everyday throughout the week he learned a little bit more about the world around himself from talking with the people around him. He had numerous discussions with Headmaster Ozpin about the changes that have occurred to the future he had known and talked through some of the counter measures they could implement to rectify those changes, spoke a bit with all of his lovers about the possibility of massively increasing their strength through the System, and talked with Wiess so he could learn more about the council that governed over Atlas.

From talking with Weiss almost daily about the topic, Nova began developing another theory about the power structure of Atlas and alongside this theory birthed a plan for how to go about locating the mines that held the enslaved Faunus. The moment that idea popped into his mind he figured it was time to finally contact Adam again for a quick update on their current situation and the plan moving forward. While it would be mostly for Adam specifically it would also work to give Sienna a better idea of how to tackle the issue, so she didn't believe that they were going in completely blind. The theory was a bit loose, and it assumed a lot, but Weiss said that both Willow and Winter would help find the evidence to confirm or deny the theory whenever they could, so Nova chose to give it a few days before notifying his Brotherly companion.

By far the most important and jarring of the things he discovered throughout the week was through the talks that he had with Lilith. The snake woman wasn't often in an easily locatable area, choosing to travel quite literally anywhere she wanted at any given time. It had gotten to the point that throughout the entire first week of class Lilith was not seen a single time by anyone other than Nova, and it was clear to him that this was by design. Byakko didn't desire to see her sister in the slightest bit after the way she spoke to her master and the feeling was clearly mutual. Even bringing up the Celestial White Tiger in Lilith's presence was enough to make the basilisk hiss and roll her eyes. She absolutely refused to talk about it and would immediately shutdown if he brought it up, going as far as to 'attack; her King whenever he persisted to much.

This wasn't the first time that the two of them had disagreements, but it was by far turning out to be the worst of them. Even in the beginning they would bicker with one another, but it never lasted long since they would resolve their issues eventually, but this didn't seem so simple. Neither of them wanted to talk it out and simply putting each other in the same location would probably bring them to blows so Nova chose to give them space until they chose to address the problem.

However, whenever he went to speak with Lilith, wherever in Vale she turned out to be, they would always speak in depth about the situation that they were in. She spoke with great wisdom about his arrival, the implications of his presence in the world, the impact that he has on his surroundings, and the possibility of the destruction of all of it. While she came across extremely cynical and clearly had a negative disposition of Nova's presence in Remnant, she still provided amazing insight on the world around them in a way that he had yet to experience. Nova never even thought about it, let a lone spoke of it, so when Lilith began going into her philosophical soliloquys about him, Remnant, and everything else all he could do was listen.

Even though her speeches were deep, and her thoughts were incredibly wise, there were still opinions behind those words that the Awakened One couldn't quite figure out. Lilith's way of conversing was as enthralling and adorable as it was confusing and irritating. She never spoke in absolutes or directly stated her feelings, so it just left Nova lost and wondering. Whenever he asked her directly, 'do you think I shouldn't interact with Remnant?' or 'do you feel like I'm doing something wrong?' he would always receive a response about ten times the length of his question that never got to a definitive point. It was clear that she didn't want to tell him what she thought although the reason for it was one, he couldn't find.

Whenever they weren't talking about one of these ideologies, they were advancing their theories on the purpose of the System Dungeons. This was the thing that Nova found to be so impactful and the major advancement that he made in the nine days since the beginning of the semester. Lilith and her King spoke in detail about every conceivable aspect of Dungeons and the greater purpose that they have in the grand scheme of things. The more they spoke the more they ruled out certain things while also giving validation to others, and the thing they used as a basis was the original definition of a Dungeon that Meta told him the moment he entered into Remnant.

Dungeons-Dungeons are mass gatherings of energy that is manifested into reality by the System! Destruction of these Dungeons can reap lots of Rewards, and conquering dungeons may have further effects on the coming Stygian~Animus Invasion! By conquering them all you may be rewarded with something even greater!

This was the initial definition the System provided when Nova arrived on Remnant and was first learning about the new world, he found himself in, but by the time that Lilith and Nova founded a concrete idea of the true purpose of the Dungeons the definition had changed.

Dungeons- Dungeons are mass gatherings of Animus that exists within a World waiting to be released! Destruction of these Dungeons can reap lots of Rewards, and conquering dungeons will effectively lessen the Strength of the coming Stygian Animus Invasion! By conquering them all you may be rewarded handsomely for your efforts.

The definition had changed drastically. At first this caught Nova extremely off guard and it racked his brain how this was occurring or if it was simply a fluke, but through a quick talk with Meta he recalled everything. The System had been doing this since the very beginning starting all the way back when he learned that he was a special form of human called Deus~Humanus. Initially, his race was Human but after he learned it was actually Deus~Humanus it changed to reflect that.

This also happened when he said that Ruby's weapon description should say craftswoman instead of man, and most notably whenever he created the idea of the Growth Rate. The sudden revelation that he came to was that the System was actively growing and learning alongside himself, and the more he learned or grew the System would do the same thing with him. Theoretically it should apply to everything in the System so if he figured out what made Satanael activate then he could use the weapon, or more importantly if he learned about Salem's Influence then the description should fill itself in.

Although the revelation gave him more things to think about, and therefore more things to do, it was still monumental in knowing that he could actively figure these things out instead of waiting for something to do it for him. After figuring this out, and giving Lilith all of the praise and adulation, she deserved, the Infinite Void Basilisk found it within her heart to finally meet face to face with her mortal enemy.

Although she agreed to return in some capacity, Lilith still had no desire to see the 'Remnant's inhabitants', so she instead said she would return with them during the nighttime whenever they were separate from them. Even though he would ask why she seemed apprehensive to meeting them, he never received a proper answer, so he let it slide, but he only did so since it didn't seem like she was doing it out of dislike. Instead, it sounded like it was her duty, to which he tied it together with her idea that they shouldn't be in Remnant.

Luckily for him, once he returned to the building for the rest of the day, Weiss alerted him that Willow wanted to speak with him. During the call over the Scroll Willow pretty much confirmed all of Nova's suspicions, essentially finally giving him the go ahead to speak with Adam on their current situation, and thus doing the same with Zeb. So, once the call ended between himself and Willow, he alerted Zeb and Junior to meet him that night at Hel's Kitchen so he could debrief them. From there it was just a waiting game, meandering through the rest of his daily tasks until the sun fell and gave way to night.


Please Review! Let me know how your feeling about the developments so far. I know its been kinda slow and I apologize for that, but I'm trying my best! I don't really know how things are now that I'm actively writing the story, so let me know any issues you come across or anything you think I could do better. Tell me what I'm doing good and what I'm doing bad, it'll really help me a lot! Thanks for reading I appreciate the support :) See you next week!