Ludvik
[Process completed, Gamer System installed, "Marauder" Characteristic absorbed, impending natural growth in process, genes modified to peak performance, physique growth adjusted]
Welcome host, I am the Gamer System!
The dark screen held its intangible form as it stood before him, even after he and Roman had parted ways, it remained. Laying on his bed, the softness that enveloped him did nothing to calm his irritation.
Was it going to remain until he did something? Grumbling, Ludvik made an attempt he was sure of would end in failure. He stretched out his arm and swiped, much to his surprise, the screen was 'deleted' as the words at the bottom remained.
Ludvik sat up and looked around, in case Neo ever decided to do a surprise check up on him. Although doubting he was alone, as Neo had the ability to turn invisible, he cleared his throat and awkwardly spoke.
"U-Uh, hey, what's a gamer system?"
The sentence in front of him blinked out of existence and into it, replaced with another one.
The Gamer System is a complicated program created by an entity, it has been fused with your very essence of being. It's a tool that'll help you grow, using your potential to its utmost limit!
Ludvik frowned as he caught onto a few key words "Created by an entity" could it be akin to one of those animes where the protagonist is transmigrated to an alternate world? Ludvik's lip twitched, it sounded like fantasy, but the technology and creature he had just witnessed during the night and previous day showed just how fantasy-like the world was.
The thought of reincarnation through some god wasn't too insane.
But why him? In most television shows, the god would have a reason, to save the world, balance evil and light, to bring chaos, or purely because the person's death was accidental. Yet, he was thrown without an explanation or purpose.
"Who's this entity? Why did he or she bring me here? And why me?" Gripping onto the opportunity, Ludvik bared his confidence and asked the 'Gamer System' with anticipation for an answer.
A few more sentences formed that were followed by a female robotic voice.
First question can not be answered, my apologies. Second question can not be answered, my apologies. Third question can not be answered, my apologies.
Ludvik opened his mouth but closed it, staring at the screen before sighing with defeat, "So what can you tell me?"
There wasn't a reason to get angered by a virtual system that can only speak and reply with strings of words, it would only serve to humiliate him as he was the only person capable of seeing it, something he had proved when Roman nor Neo commented on the screen that hung around wantonly.
You were chosen for a purpose, a purpose that will be revealed in the future, so curl that frown up to a smile! This is an opportunity for you, an opportunity to grow and obtain peace, you can grow to the limit of your potential, bring prosper to your own created kingdom if you so wished, or simply live with a loved one.
It was all benefits and no disadvantages, it sounded too good to be true, such a thing always came at a hefty cost. As for what that cost was, when it involved concepts such as gods and reincarnations, Ludvik didn't know where to start. He could only accept it until the god decided to introduce himself/herself or his understanding regarding his reincarnation grew.
He tossed the important matter to the back of his mind, when something was far above him, it was best to work on it later. Instead, he looked towards what he could understand and use in the present time.
"Then what can I do with the Gamer System? How can I 'grow' to the limit of my potential?'" The answer to the boy's question arrived with a momentary pause before a few simple words formed.
Starting off, say 'Menu'
Although a bit embarrassed, the white haired teen obeyed, "Menu"
Fortunately, he expected something to pop up in front of him so he didn't jump back in fright, instead, his eyes widened in shock and marvel.
Ludvik Vallsgarde
Class: Marauder (1) [0/100]
Lvl: 1 [0/100]
HP: 100 [10 Per Minute]
MP: 1 [10 Per Minute]
AP: 3,000 [300 Per Minute]
[STR: 10] [END: 10] [DEX: 10] [INT: 10] [WIS: 10] [CHA: 10] [LCK: 10]
Skills Inventory Perks Map Shop Settings
Attribution Points: 10
Lien: 0
Just as he had expected, it was akin to one of those RPG games he had played in his past life, right from the class to the currency. As an avid gamer, he knew what most of them meant, or at least roughly so as most games held different names.
But just to be sure…
"Strength determines my physical capabilities, such as lifting right?" Virtual confetti blew in front of him and fizzled out as the words formed.
Correct! The STR (Strength) determines the strength of your real body, mostly when it comes to the force you're capable of exuding. END (Endurance) determines your defense/fortitude and stamina. DEX (Dexterity) determines your agility, the speed of each and every limb, and perception of time.
INT (Intelligence) is mostly centered around your mind, extending what you're capable of memorizing and to what degree, the forming of thoughts and ideas will become easier and more strategic. This stat could be said to be one of your most vital ones.
WIS (Wisdom) determines your capability of using your INT, how you act and plan, it is imperative you level this up along with your INT. As for CHA (Charisma) it determines how compelling you can be, be it through words or your looks, members of the opposite sex [Or homosexual men] will find you particulalry attractive.
And lastly, LCK (Luck) determines beneficial propabilities, either in chance encounters or actions of which a certain degree of luck is involved. Although it is an important stat, one shouldn't rely on luck, especially you.
These stats will eventually show themselves during your daily activities, be it in intelligence or luck, you'll notice an increase or decrease in the respective area.
Ludvik nodded in understanding, ingraining the detailed info into his mind, but he couldn't help but frown at the second to last message regarding LCK. "Especially you" what did that mean exactly?
'Although luck is a factor in most matters, one shouldn't overly rely on it as it can spell your demise?'
It made the most sense, and the more he thought about it, the more he agreed. While luck is something that should be valued and increased, it shouldn't be something he counts on when it comes to important matters.
As for his stats…
His MP was at an all time low, and the regeneration was even higher than it, it was a bit humiliating. As for his HP it seemed to be rather average, just like all of his stats were, but what was his AP?
That would be your aura, this can be said to be a mixture of HP and MP. It is both a shield to be used in place of your HP, and a fuel for certain skills, just like your MP. But don't get the latter two confused, MP is used for magical skills while AP is used for skills involving aura. Only Class Skills use both AP and MP.
Class Skills are skills earned through the advancement of your class, you gain a fixed amount when obtaining a class or as mentioned, advancing to the next tier. There are MP and AP Skills, which can be determined by checking the cost of a skill.
It seemed as if the system had answered before he could even voice his question, something he rather appreciated. Three categories of skills, a bit complicated but nothing too extreme or nothing he couldn't handle.
Class Skills though, he was a bit curious about them, and seeing as how he chose the Marauder Class, he wondered what it gave him.
"Skills"
At his command, a secondary screen popped up beside his stat sheet. There were three categories just as he had expected, AP Skills, MP Skills, and lastly Class Skills. He clicked on the Class Skills.
[Invisibility] -LVL 1/100 (0%) [Novice]
Allows the user to cloak their body in a reflective sheet in which no light can pierce, effectively granting the user invisibility for a duration of time.
Cost: 100 MP/AP (Per Second)
[Lock Picking] -LVL 1/100 (0%) [Novice] (Passive)
Determines the user's proficiency with lockpicking, may be lowered depending on the difficulty of the lock.
Cost: 0
Success Rate: 1%
[Theft] -LVL 1/100 (0%) [Novice]
Grants the ability to steal items from a distance, must have the item in sight of the user to some degree.
Cost: 100 MP/AP
Weight: 1 LBS (Success reduced by 10% per 10% of exceeding weight)
Distance: 1 Meter (Success reduced by 10% per 10% of exceeding distance)
[Sneak] -LVL 1/100 (0%) [Novice] (Passive)
Determines the user's success when intentionally sneaking, or hiding an object. May be lowered due to circumstances, such as victim's awareness, visibility of item.
Cost: 0
Success Rate: 1%
[Thief's Observation] -LVL 1/100 (0%) [Novice]
Able to see the wealth of a person, their name, and other small bits of info. Must have a target on sight, even if by a bit, to use the skill.
Cost: 0
To Ludvik, the skill [sneak] seemed a bit lackluster in comparison to the skill [invisibility],but there wasn't any doubt in his mind that it would come in handy when he was unable to support the latter skill.
[Lock Picking] was also a rather useful skill, especially to a thief, and if gaming were anything to go by, leveling the skill up would be one of the easiest and inconspicuous. With the excuse of practicing lock picking, which was pretty close to the truth, then Roman or Neo would happily supply him with locks.
But what dragged his attention the most would be the [Theft] skill. The usability of it once the strength of it increases, it made his heart palpitate in anticipation. Although a single meter wasn't a large distance, it was good enough for an advanced form of pick pocketing.
[Thief's Observation] was also a handy skill, Roman did say on the way back that picking a target when pickpocketing or robbing was vital, the skill would prove extremely useful in that regard.
Overall, he was very pleased with what he had obtained. Although he was a bit interested in the skills of the other classes, they couldn't be any less than his.
Just as he was about to toss away the skill list, he checked the bottom only to find one skill that had almost escaped his sight.
[Interdimensional Passage]
Allows the user to use any door or 'passage' to enter the deemed Word of Cards, specifically by reciting the name of the skill upon coming into contact with a door or 'passages.' Only able to be used on a full moon.
When in the World of Cards, the user can activate it anywhere and whenever.
Cost: 0
This…
Didn't this mean that the Gamer System was tied to the World of Cards in some way? Although he had his suspicion at first, he could've never proved it, not without any form of evidence. In a way, this skill was that evidence.
The mysteries of that world was something he also wanted to know, his previous questions regarding it never faded. At least now, unlike before, he had a way to leave the world instead of getting stuck or facing that unbearable pain from before.
He sighed, he could think about it later, at least now he didn't have to worry about not being able to leave that world anymore. Grumbling further and turning in his bed, he grabbed a pillow and hugged it, feeling a sense of comfort as phantom aches shot through his body on occasion, with difficulty he closed his eyes.
Goodnight Host!
Just as the voice echoed in his mind, he managed to groggily grumble out, "Goodnight…"
And just like that, he fell asleep.
000
Lil' Miss Malachite
Throughout her entire life, she had never met a more infuriating, obnoxious, and annoying man as Roman…that was somewhat of a lie, her deceased husband had been a huge pain in her ass before she killed him off.
From his late teens to his early 20s', he's been a thorn at her side that she couldn't get rid of. The hard drive he had stolen had effectively held her off from targeting Vale, especially with the grizzly bear that was active. It ruined years of work, and all it took was one feeble man and his mental brat.
But now, after patience and time, the ginger had finally landed in her own territory. In his hometown of Wind Path no less, one that was occupied by various small gangs that wanted to make it big and…
The Red Velvet Bar.
An obvious frown appeared on her face, the Red Velvet Bar wasn't an organized force, they were separate bars in separate kingdoms with no connection to each other, except missions of course. They weren't anything to be fearful of, at least, if you don't violate their rules and stick to violence outside of the bar.
The sole exception is when taking ownership of the bar in the respective kingdom, a person was able to challenge them. Except for Mistral, the bar was owned by the infamous Raven Branwen, one of the deadliest humans to live in the current era. She was the sole exception, unless somebody possessed a surefire way of killing her and taking the bar for themselves, nobody wanted to challenge her.
No doubt, if she made a move on him publicly to any degree, he could simply hire someone from the bar or hide it out there. And that laid the other problem, the Ice Cream Mercenary, Neo, with abilities just as unpredictable as her personality.
It was no wonder Roman came back to Mistral to accept the job given by the White Fang. He was confident, and he had every right to be so, he was untouchable to some degree.
But she had just been given some very interesting news.
"No legal document acquired for a first and last name, practically doesn't exist according to the records. A teen, approximately of the age of thirteen or fourteen, white hair, silver eyes, not of Schnee heritage though. Son of a dead prostitute, murdered by some gang some time ago, but the son was separated from her for far longer, most likely dumped by her. Father, unknown, left before the birth of his child."
"Semblance: unknown, aura unlocked: unknown. Was caught in sight of the target known as Roman Torchwick and Trivia Vanille (Better known as Neapolitan) just as of the day before and tonight. He seems to hold some importance to them."
Holding the written documented, the boss of the Spider organization hummed in thought, when she had heard of the boy she had first assumed Roman and Neo had finally dropped their little platonic 'relationship' and decided to fuck. But she was surprised to hear that he was some random kid they grabbed from the street, who would've expected Roman, I'll kill and rob you blind, Torchwick to hold such a kind heart.
It was also possible that his little sidekick decided she wanted to have some fun with a new pet. The latter felt far more plausible than the former did, a man like Roman only sought wealth and benefits, even if his heart does soften on occasion.
Just as she placed the report down, she opened a drawer of her desk and pulled out a bottle, the amber liquid swirled inside as she slammed it on her desk. She snapped her fingers, "Give me a shot glass."
One of her members nearby was quick to do so, hurrying back with one as they placed it in front of her. With a deep sigh she poured the liquid into the small cup and downed it one movement, her eyes narrowed before doing the action again.
The same member who gave her the glass shot couldn't help but trumble as he asked,"Ma'm? A-Are you feeling well?"
In fact, most of the gang members, the one who gave the report, and the ones who were there for security were also scared. Almost none had seen her drink heavily, if at all, she had only done so on special occasions or when dealing with a heavy matter. To her, alcohol made the mind heavy, and a heavy mind was doomed to drown in the ocean.
Sneering, she grabbed the bottle and chugged it, all that her workers could do was watch in fear. Sighing once more but in satisfaction, she placed her palms up to her face and pushed her hair back, muttering frustratingly, "That fucker really knows how to be a pain in the ass."
Without answering to the confused and trembling gazes of her men, she thought deeper about the matter. It was a trap, it was too good to be anything else, Roman wouldn't be so blatant about his actions unless he had a particular aim that was worth it.
Bastard had cost her billions in the past, he was wary of her retaliation so he didn't dare to travel to Mistral without a good incentive. Of course, with the 'protection' of the Red Velvet Bar, he won't have to worry as much, especially with another dangerous organization backing him for the job. To what degree they valued him, even if just for the mission, she didn't know.
But even if they were to become enemies, to have Roman wiped off the map…
Of course, she could set up negotiations with them, satisfying their price so she could go and deal with Roman once and for all. The traitor would get what he deserved, and the thorn that stabbed her sides would finally vanish.
Without any further thought, she glanced at the man that stood to the side of her desk,"Arian, make sure the preparations are complete. We're striking Roman, we can't let them prepare, they're already aware that we're onto them."
The man raised an eyebrow, he was a stoic man who usually didn't share an expression, so one would be surprised by his current show of emotion. Either way, he nodded with a moment of pause, walking out of the room as his boss leaned back against her seat.
Although it was true that her thoughts of setting up negotiations with the White Fang was fully possible, by the time she did, Roman would've skipped kingdoms. And if they valued Roman to any degree, they would have informed him or even directly held off discussion until he left. A thief of his caliber was one that even she would value.
As for the woman that claimed ownership of the Red Velvet Bar…
Her eyes glistened with light, her lips curled as she poured the contents of the bottle onto the shot glass. The reflection of the liquid inside reflected the cruel smile that reflected upon her face.
000
Ludvik
When he had reached the rather quiet and tranquil warehouse, taking a specific shortcut that Roman had provided so as to stay away from the sight of minor gangs, he had first assumed that he had taken a wrong turn. The sight that was provided to him, should by no means exist or be possible, but it did.
Before him, and the oncoming Roman who had taken his time getting to the storage facility, Neo stood in an empty warehouse, arms crossed and a grin with all of the Faunus workers sitting behind her chatting happily.
"..."
Yawning, Roman, who had yet to approach the horrifying scenery laid before the white haired boy, asked, "What's wrong kid, don't tell me Neo really burned down the warehouse? Did the workers die?"
Instead of a worded reply, Roman got a single finger motion that pointed forward.
Although confused, he did as so and stood rooted in place, his face colored in a mix of paleness and his eyes shone of bewilderment. What was before them was not a burnt down building, nor the corpses of Faunus, or unholy levels of ice cream from the woman named Neo.
No, what was before them were happy workers who laid out and about, carrying various lunch boxes as they chatted with one another. Not a hint of dust was to be seen, only a grinning Neo who was eating ice cream.
Roman was quick to give a hesitant guess, "Did you use the dust as fireworks or did you light them up?" A shake of the head, and so he took another shot, "Did you eat it all?" Even Ludvik was having such thoughts, the situation didn't make sense.
Neo deadpanned before she pouted.
[When I'm motivated, I can do good, and I happen to be in a good mood. You're a crappy leader, if you're going to be racist, at least be motivational. With the promise of high quality food and rest as soon as they finished, along with booking them a hotel to rest, they were more than happy to comply and work harder. Oh, and the hotel owner is a friend of yours, we don't have to pay a single lien.]
Ludvik remained shocked, the small girl with a stomach big enough to devour entire bowls of ice cream had been able to perform as a leader. On top of that, it was Neo of all people, who wasn't quite known for her mental stability and capability of not tossing kids into the woods.
Yes, he was still rather annoyed by that.
Looking at them up and down, she raised an eyebrow as she scooped a mouthful of the neapolitan ice cream into her mouth, something she had grabbed from the seemingly empty air, soon a sentence was soon formed in front of the young teen.
[And where did you two exactly go, while I was working hard to place all of the dust into packages ahead of schedule?]
Before Roman could reply with an already planned excuse, Ludvik hurried to speak before the man could, "Roman and I went towards the south of the town, we went to go pick locks, it was easy practice."
Neo narrowed her eyes, attempting to peer deep into the soul of the young boy, he held his ground for a moment only before shuffling uncomfortably. She grinned triumphantly, while as to the side, Roman sighed in relief.
'Just because she's really cute doesn't mean she isn't a deranged murderer who tossed you into the woods to get mauled!'
He recited the sentence deep into the mind, shaking away the hint of blush that appeared on his cheeks. He took the chance and momentum he had and turned towards Roman, speaking with a hint of a smile, "Can we buy locks instead so I can practice without having to leave?"
Roman paused but nodded after a moment of thought, even though they both knew the lockpicking was a lie, it was a trait every thief needed. Even those that were adept at banks and certain other fields needed the skill to some degree, there wasn't any reason to decline the silver eyed boy's request.
Of course, making Neo believe the lie was also a big reason as to why his casual suggestion was accepted.
[Ehhh, how boring, did you at least strangle the owners of the houses?]
'Do I look capable of killing?'
Ludvik forcefully smiled and shook his head, "Once I pick locked them and was able to open it, we left." If Neo were to ask what items they had stolen, then although he could name a few items of value, he wouldn't be able to name everything this world had in technology and such. Especially since the fictional people they had 'stolen' from were poor, he wouldn't know what they would be able to purchase and what they couldn't.
Neo grumbled [How boring, not even a speck of dust? You should've at least grabbed a few lien to buy more ice cream, we're running out.]
Roman, after a lingering rigid silence, sighed as he waved his hand, "It doesn't matter now, now that you're finished, we have no reason to stay here any longer. I'll contact the orange kitty for her catnip, we'll be finally getting out of this dump."
Ludvik glanced at him, although he said it casually, it sounded as if he was disappointed but in what? Because Neo overshadowed him and proved she was a somewhat capable leader when motivated? That she had done better than him?
While it was entirely possible, it didn't feel as if that was it. Roman wasn't such a person, he would instead give a sarcastic reply than feel a hint of jealousy for something that would've benefited him.
Roman and Neo had arrived at Wind Path to complete a job, supposedly for the weird colored stuff that they called dust, after putting them in specific crates and organizing them, they were supposed to contact the leader -he assumed- and simply wait.
That was the information he knew about their purpose, a little tidbit that was heard from Neo and confirmed by Roman , but what else was there? Suddenly, Neo's words echoed into his mind 'Bad people are chasing us you see…' Ludvik nibbled the bottom of his lip in thought.
Did he want to set a trap because he knew they were being chased? To have the organization that had given him the task to clash with his enemies, that certainly seemed more in line with Roman's thoughts.
But as far as he knew, if Roman was willing to do such a thing without seemingly informing the leader, that meant it was a solo plan. They didn't value him to such a degree, Ludvik guessed, and so he wanted to force his adversaries to conflict with the organization backing him.
But how? The dust?
Suddenly, his gaze was attracted to the animalistic humans, the Faunus. Ludvik sharply breathed in the cold air.
Roman had nothing but the dust that his backers valued, that was what the white haired boy had assumed. But there was one thing that Roman didn't own, the workers, for all of his most likely offensive words, he was never abusive nor did he necessarily govern them. He was more of a supervisor, he was tasked with obtaining the dust, making sure it was packaged, and all without his mission being compromised.
As such, to Ludvik's assumption, they weren't his in the sense he couldn't needlessly control them. They could be compared to resources given by a company to complete a task, and by endangering these 'resources' it would force the aforementioned 'company' to take action.
+1 WIS for connection the dots
The message was a roundabout way of confirming his guess, it was a tool and system by a supposed god, if even they couldn't be trusted then who could?
Roman, to those who knew him from rumors, was a cruel thief who valued wealth above all else besides his trusty partner, Neo. It was absolutely believable he would use them to his advantage, in fact, it would be considered weird if he hadn't.
Ludvik frowned, had his observations been owed to the Gamer System? Was this the effect of WIS and INT, wasn't it too much?
The observation of yours was due to putting the pieces together that were already in front of you. As for whether the Gamer System was in effect, it was only minor, the true thinking still has to be done by you. The system is only for support, it doesn't spew out ideas and or toss info inside your mind. The only current and direct benefit you gained was your stats being evened out.
His lips twitched, was the system implying his intelligence and wisdom were originally lower than ten?
[What are you thinking there?]
It was only when the message popped up did Ludvik shake away his thoughts, it seemed like he had been reveling in his thoughts for too long. Roman, who had stepped away from the two, held a scroll to his ear and moved his mouth, the words said were hard to discern.
"Ah, I was wondering what you two were going to do after you two finished. Are you two leaving?" It was both a lie and truth, he had been wondering what they were going to do since they had completed their mission.
Neo struck a thinking pose before shrugging [We still have time left before we leave, transporting the dust to a separate location to be picked up is going to be a pain. After that, a bullhead is probably going to pick it up. Tsk, don't see why they can't just fly their bullhead over here instead of us going through all of this trouble.]
'Bullhead? What was that?'
Just as he opened his mouth to ask, another bold lettered message popped up.
[A flying vehicle.]
Oh.
Not a second later, Roman came back with his signature grin, his disappointment gone. Or at least, it was well concealed.
"They'll arrive at the designated area tomorrow, we'll be getting some help so you don't have to worry about not eating your daily bucket of ice cream, Neo." Roman told them, Neo perked up and sighed in relief but Ludvik was confused.
'Help from the organization?'
He guessed, but that would be too many workers for one job, is dust far more valuable than he expected it to be? He pried even further, "Who's the one helping? Is it the people who hired you, their combatants?"
Roman shook his head. "Unfortunately not."
Neo peered her eyes that shone with curiosity at Roman, she too grew interested in who the helpers were going to be. She continued to swallow lumps of ice cream in silence, as if knowing Ludvik would continue to press further.
"Then who?" Ludvik did as Neo expected, further pushing Roman into spitting it out. In the boy's mind, if it weren't the 'companies' then who else could it possibly be?
Roman's smile strained, "The Branwen Tribe."
000
Branwen Tribe
Deep within a viridescent forest, directly south of the town named Wind Path, resided numerous camps collectively known as the Branwen Tribe. With Grimm crawling around, no Huntsman dared to test their feeble might against the prowling beasts.
With the large towering lushes of swaying leaves, bloating out the bright rays of the sun, it made for an intimidating scenery. One that only amplified the Grimm lurking within the terrain.
And yet, despite all of that, the tribe remained. Large, thick, dark wooden and spiked logs stabbed into the soil, matching the end points of the nearby trees with relative ease, standing lofty as they surrounded the camps that resided within them.
Upon entering through the imposing large gate in the front, strapped with thin iron plates that overlaid across the wood in a horizontal pattern, they would be first introduced to the large smithing area where most of the bandits occupied for most of the time. Fighting one another in a brutish manner, using such things as beer and lien as items of gambling.
As the spot besides the blacksmith remained untouched, it had been designated as such for training and sparring, something that their leader had very much approved of. Anything to grind them into better warriors, or at least half decent tanks..
Besides the training posts, there was a medium sized makeshift cafeteria of which served decent quality meals, enough to at least calm the grumblings and complaints of the men and women. Of which, if occurring, would be quickly silenced by the most devout of their members, Vernal.
It was all but official that Vernal was the vice leader of the camp, one of the most loyal bandits to the one who ruled them all by heritage and strength, Raven Branwen, the Tribe Leader. She was the only one who had a tent designated to her only.
Most others occupied a single large tent, huddling up with one another in the small space they possessed, or managed to buy their own supplies through contributions and exhortation.
And it was in the largest designated tent where a woman resided. Standing tall, her cold yet gorgeous soft facial features contrasted against the sharpness of her vibrant crimson eyes, giving one an overwhelming sensation of inferiority, only being further amplified by her pale white skin and accompanied by her brazen jet black hair that held a cowlick at the top.
In theme with her hair and eyes, red armor coated her forearms, waist, and shoulders with the rest being bare for the light to illuminate. Yet it didn't hinder her mobily, with a wrapped style top that was followed with a red sash that hugged around her waist proportions tightly. And to the side of the aforementioned waist was a tasset, the object that carried her weapon. And lastly but not least, a black pleated skirt hid the contents of her upper thighs, to match with it were mid-thigh high boots.
Although renowned in the world, it wasn't quite due to her beauty.
At the corner of Raven's eyes, Omen, sat upon a table, gleamed under the subtle light of the dust. It was a large scabbard with a rotary chamber, each one filled with various effects of dust that she could switch mid-battle with ease, something a friend had made during her stay in Beacon.
Her eyes flickered for a moment until the shuffling of cloth was heard, her most trusted subordinate, Vernal, had entered without any prior warning causing her ruby eyes to level towards her icy blue ones.
"I received important news but you weren't answering so I decided to enter, sorry." Vernal was quick to apologize, hanging her head a bit low causing Raven's gaze to soften as she waved her hand.
"My apologies then, I got a little distracted."
Giving a small sigh of relief, Vernal sat in the opposing chair facing Raven and cleared her throat, pulling out her scroll and laying it flat on the table. A projection soon surfaced of the woods, a large map of one at least.
But that wasn't the focus of the ensuing conversation, not now at the very least.
"The White Fang has agreed to our requests, the resources will be given to us a week after the transaction, as for the location of where, their leader decided that shall be up to you. As for what is required of us, they want helpers, ten of the Grimm Specialist level and… your personal supervision, they want you to lead the operation." Raven's brows furrowed, crossing her arms as she did, but she kept her silence which encouraged Vernal to read further from her memory, summarizing most of the words.
"They know of your reputation well enough, the request you hold off the gangs, through bribery or threat, they don't care. After the dust is relocated to…" Vernal's tan hand reached out and pointed to a particular damp forest area, "here, there'll be bullheads prepared. Besides a few people apart from the workers joining us, nothing else is of serious note."
The Branwen Tribe leader nodded, for what they were obtaining, the demands were certainly manageable.
"How far is the location from Wind Path?" Her eyes narrowed in thought.
"Uh, it should be a hundred mile journey. We can arrive before the sun sets, as long as we don't stop too often or travel slowly. Of course, this is accounting for the detours we'll have to take for caution." Raven frowned, indiscernibly, her thoughts churning as she waited for Vernal to continue.
"They want us to set out before the sun rises, somewhere near midnight but not exactly. The faster the better." As Vernal finished her report, Raven nodded, following in sequence to command.
"Get the necessary bandits ready, around twenty, the ten Grimm Specialists being among them. Grayson's can help you, you'll be in charge while I'm away. Try and negotiate for a bit more resources out of the little tiger, if you can't, then it's not much trouble."
At Raven's order, Vernal nodded and left the tent, shouting for the required participants, roles were distributed and bandits were picked. Everything that should be necessary will be done before they set off.
Left alone in the marquee, Raven's red eyes shone as she chuckled.
"Greedy bastards."
Whether this was directed at herself, the bandits, or the White Fang, nobody knew except her. Her eyes gleamed at a translucent scroll that depicted a bar, a certain velvet themed bar with a drinking ginger man.
With a light scoff, she too left her tent, grabbing her thick ivory and red patterned full-face mask and sheathed weapon along the way.
000
White Fang Throne Room
Located within Mistral, in an unspecified location, was a long hall. Lined in the middle with a dull crimson carpet that led straight towards the elevated throne, multiple columns of symmetrical number were at the sides, composed of bricks and stone, each of these columns held a red flag that hung with an air of ferocity, it depicted a a Grimm with an distinctive claw strike going through. It was the flag representing the White Fang.
Beside the plainly designed throne, five guards stood, two to the left, two to the right, and one in the middle. Each holding spears without movement, vigilant, and prepared for any possible intruders as they've always had.
Sitting upon the aforementioned throne, sat a beautiful tiger Faunus, lofty in her position as she viewed all those before her in contempt. Arrogant amber eyes, a ferocious furrowed expression, and dark stripes covering her dark complexion, gave an aggressive allure combined with her wild black chin-length hair that most men pried away from. It was none other than the leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan.
The woman sat up straight in her throne, her eyes locked on the man that genuflected before her. He was a young adult, red blazing hair that spiked upwards, defying gravity, a thick vizor that covered the upper half of his face. It was possible to see that he was built and handsome, one being able to see a low azure shine behind the mask.
And as a high ranking Faunus, he was the one to report to her.
"We have reached a compromise, although we paid a bit of a premium, it's still lower than the price we expected them to rise to. They're taking off right now and preparing to wait until the time has arrived. It's expected that the task will be completed without a large amount of trouble."
The high-leader nodded, pleased, the easiest part of the operation has been settled.
The red haired teen, although barely discernible, fidgeted in his body. He seemed as if he wanted to speak, or as if something was troubling him. But in the end, he held his tongue, reporting other matters of negligible importance, it was only until he finished did she speak.
The woman gibed with an unamused expression. "If there's something you want to say, you better speak up, or else purse your lips tighter."
The bull horned teen jumped a bit but hesitantly nodded, "I don't see why we're giving such an important task to a bunch of humans, especially those filthy bandits, with their greed they may even take a cut of the dust and report it as missing or a loss through the mission. "
The woman sneered.
"Would you rather see your fellow brethren be endangered? More than what is needed? Would that please you?" Her mocking words didn't fall in deaf ears, the boy shook his head after some thinking, but he didn't quite understand what she meant.
Sienna looked down on the boy, considering her words before speaking, "As far as I'm aware, the discrimination and racial attacks against our race is what we seek to eliminate. In the past, our actions were peaceful protests, signs, pleadings, and deals that made us seem far too feeble. Now, we have no choice but to use the one thing that seems to motivate humans, fear. Our numbers are small, influence is limited to only a small section, and there are not many resources, not enough to do what we want at the very least."
"And it is because of this that we need allies, compared to the impenetrable barrier that is Atlas, the detestable and insufferable heat of Vacuo, and the home of Beacon Academy that was Vale, Mistral is an easier target to obtain the things we lack. To target a kingdom, at its roots, to get rid of the prejudice targeting our own kind, we need the humans."
Just as the red haired boy opened his mouth to speak, he was immediately cut off by the leader's continued lecture. "The purpose of this mission is to solely…how do the humans say, test out the waters? If we can gain a certain partnership with the owner of the Red Velvet Bar, then that would be best, not only that, but the level of their authority in Mistral needs to be gauged. Too many rumors of the benefits of that bar have been spread, so I want to determine its validity. Having the humans partake in the danger instead of our own kind is better, as for whether they'll accept our 'partnership' they're bandits, so I don't have much doubt. Not like they'll have many friends or even allies."
The boy trembled, allowing the words to sync with his body, he took a deep breath and nodded in understanding. He understood now. The humans were but a tool, the mission was but a test, and their future actions depended on the outcome.
It was a tactical move, one that would improve the condition of their race as a whole if it proved successful.
"Do you understand now, why we work with humans despite our relationship with them?" To stand on the shoulders of those that were strong, it was a basic rule, a rule that the White Fang was going to use to rise.
Instead of answering, the teen clenched his jaw.
"What of the Faunus workers? They can't traverse through the forest with those barbarians, they're not strong enough either. Surely we can't trust that human, Roman, to properly take care of them and ensure their safety."
Due to the reputation Roman had as a thief, the leader was barely able to tolerate him. As long as he accomplished his task and assured their safety, then they can go their separate ways, and perhaps they would even hire him. He was skilled, that was something even the Faunus were forced to admit. But they couldn't trust him.
The White Fang trusting a thief known for his skill, deception, and unbearable smugness? They would be fools.
The Tiger Faunes also frowned at this point, she too had her worries regarding that. While some operations required sacrifice, she would do her best to prevent such a thing, every loss of her own kind pained her. So her ears were opened regarding that, "And what do you suggest we do, we can't many more of our forces,
Her words were partly to entertain the boy, but she would be swayed if he gave an appropriate answer. Silence lingered in the throne room, Sienna frowned, almost feeling disappointed in the lack of response.
But then, he said, "What if I went?"
He hurriedly continued after the pause, before the leader could speak, his voice growing confident, "They need protection, we need to keep a certain leash on the bandits until they reach the destination. If anything is missing, then their leader will satisfy our losses. I can also personally oversee the operation, instead of overly relying on the man they call Roman."
The high-leader rapped her fingers on the armrest of the throne, deep in thought. Although the bull Faunus that was the red haired male was valuable, it would be of great aid and reassurance to have one of their own that was capable. He was right, although they required the aid of humans that didn't mean they would trust him. Certainly not with the lives of their own kind.
Although she had her own agents in Wind Path, none of them were proficient in combat nor did any of them possess the ability to forcefully retreat if things went south. Her other capable Faunus were doing important tasks, leaving only one besides her to take the mission.
Due to obvious reasons, she was unsuited to take on the assignment.
She looked down at the visored teen, and for a moment she considered rejecting the request. But ultimately in the end, she nodded.
"I formally assign Adam Taurus the task of protecting his fellow race, any death after his arrival and sight will be used against him, penalizing him and quarantining himself for a fixed amount of time."
This was mostly for the guards to see and spread the word. If rumors of favoritism were to spread, it would be bad for her image, so why not make it seem like a tortuous mission. Of course, if he did allow Faunus to die, then the penalties would become ones she would give.
The Faunus known as Adam didn't look at all furious, instead he gave a low sigh of relief, his head lowering a bit more.
"By your orders."
000 000 000
AN
Time to get the ball rolling, I amped the Branwen Tribe since too many things were… inadequate or too lackluster. I added the concept of 'rankings' among other things for Hunstemen, something that'll be explored later. It will NOT be stuff like S ranks and such, don't worry.
The White Fang make their move, and Adam appears in the form of a hormonal teen. Fun. I also changed a few things, as you can tell I'm having a lot of fun with this. So many new toys to play around with.
Speaking of toys…
Making the Gamer System, especially the formulas, made me contemplate a lot of things. Thankfully, Elden Ring was by my side so I got through it. The skills though, they were fun to make, especially the "Theft" ability, I got too many ideas regarding it… way too many…
Anyways, no Gamer's Mind or Body, because that's lame. Every drop of potential has been thoroughly squeezed out by many other authors, as such, I threw the concept away (along with typical observation skill) and did my own thing.
Oh, and if you want to chat with me and a bunch of other great authors, then feel free to enter the discord server 'owned' by Shiro and company. Be warned, stupidity, degeneracy, and porn are guaranteed
discord .gg/wd3tUYWVCd
And that's all for now, have a great day everyone.