Game of Artifice Chapter 1, a rwby fanfic

AN: Been quite some time since I've written a Rwby fanfic. I've done some JJBA fanfic shorts but even then it's been awhile since I've done a proper fanfic. I have a new account and I'm ready to write.

I wanted to try something. It's not really a gamer fic per say despite the title with how nerfed it is. It does however use a system of sorts. I'll be the first to admit I was slightly inspired by Adrian King1's fic Game of Monsters. They have a phenomenal take on the gamer genre. Takes third place out of all gamer fics I've read and I don't even like Highschool DxD that much, which says quite a bit. My first two favorites were unfinished sadly.

So go check his Fic out if you wish. Tell 'im I said hi.

Either way. This is a Minimalistic Gamer/System fic that leads our young protagonist into the Art of an Artificer. She's gonna have to get used to it.

Normally I write in third person, not First, but I've chosen to do first person because I want to expand my writing skills and because of the nature of how Gamer/System type fics tend to be.

Hopefully my skills in writing first person will improve with time.

Hope you all enjoy,

Chapter 1 - Scammed

I had started to come to terms with the fact that just maybe… I might be dead. Floating in an empty abyss, with nothing but my own thoughts… What else could this be but hell? It was suffocating. Replaying my own memories in my mind over and over again was the only thing keeping me sane. At least, I thought I was still sane, but isn't that what crazy people thought?

I suppose that line of thinking doesn't help me though. I was sad, at first, after all. I died pretty young. Had a whole future ahead of me. I can't remember how I died, so I still wasn't a hundred percent sure that this was death… but a gut feeling told me so.

I… wasn't the greatest person. My mom always said I'd never live up to my potential. Still… we might not have gotten along with each other, but I wish I could have said goodbye at least. To my loved ones that is.

After a while though… the stinging sorrow of having died passed.

Was it even awhile?

I wasn't sure.

It was quiet, and dark. I felt cold at least. So it wasn't total sensory deprivation. I don't think I could survive that.

But even then… I'm not sure I can keep this up.

Whispers in the dark surrounded me, and I started to wonder if this was the beginning of madness.

Use… ec… st… roc…

ANS Operating System Downloading...

Starting Soul Integration...

Loading...

Integration Complete! Welcome [User]!

Please Enter Your Name

"...what?" I stared at the light blue holographic screen floating before me, confused. Was… was this normal? Did this happen to everyone who died? Or was this too signs of setting madness?

To gain Access to the System, please enter your new Name

"What system? What's going on?" I yelled, which was weird considering I didn't have a body. I wasn't going to question how a ghost talked though.

The ANS Operating System is a System ingrained into your soul to help you grow stronger. This is given to select individuals with the hopes of them protecting the future.

Ignoring whatever was up with the future part… a system… that makes you stronger?

Wait...

Hell no. I'm supposed to be... a Gamer?

As in, the hit webcomic?

As in that trope?

I'm being reincarnated with one of the most famous (or infamous) powers in fiction? Why? What in the hell did I do to get chosen for this?

The Requirements for being compatible with ANS OS is classified information. Please take the time to calm yourself and think of a New Name.

Once the setup process is complete you will be transported to the Hub to be trained along with others like you to protect various Universes.

"Well… anything is better than this void." I muttered, still… just, this was ridiculous. "Am I insane now?"

User is mostly Mentally Stable

"The mostly is hardly reassuring…" I sighed softly. Supposing it was true, at least I wouldn have a busted power. "Protect the future, huh?"

I wasn't sure what that meant, but if I had to pick a new name… and that was my job. It felt fitting. It was a pretty name too. Much prettier than my old name at least.

"Sybil." I spoke aloud, watching as it appeared within the blue screen. "Sybil Elysium."

Welcome Sybil! Please use the Interface to design your new Race. If you are unfamiliar with how to create a species. You will be assisted.

"The hell… what kind of Gamer is this? I mean, sure I guess I died so I need a new body but…" It was just weird to expect random people to make their own species to live as. I barely passed Anatomy and Health class, math and science were my specialties after all, there was no way I could design a species.

"Assist me please." I requested immediately. I was not going to play Spore with my future body.

List your specifications

"Uh… I'd like to be nimble? I always liked speedy characters. Or roguish types. A raise with a high dexterity stat." I requested, pausing to think more. "Magic too. Magic is cool, no way I'm missing out on that. Make me really good at magic."

"Oh shit, uh, don't forget to make me humanoid! I don't wanna look too different." I requested.

What else could I use…? Maybe a healing factor? Wait, no, that'd probably require a high caloric intake.

Oh crap, Gamer's Body!

I won't need to eat!

"I'd like a—"

Process Complete. Compatible Race Created.

"Wait, I wasn't done yet!" I frowned, trying to smack the screen. It just fizzled away into the darkness. "I was just thinking about what else to add! Go back!"

Creating Flaws proportionate to User's Requests

Simulating Evolution

Process Complete.

Compatible Body Created.

"Wait wait wait, you never mentioned I'd be getting flaws! What the hell is this?!" I yelled as loud as I could, echoing pointlessly into the void. What the hell was wrong with this system?

"Ugh…" Hopefully the flaws can be counteracted if I level my stats enough. Otherwise I'm gonna be upset. I don't think I requested too much, so maybe the flaws won't be so bad?

Beginning Transfer Process to the Hub

Loading…

Load—

Critical Error

"What? Wait, wait? Error? You're supposed to be some sort of cosmic system or whatever!" I panicked as I felt my mind grow fuzzy.

"St-Stop! C-Cance…" I slurred and stammered my words. This wasn't how any of this was supposed to go!

Then everything disappeared.

Apparently, after who knows how long of being in the dark, light hurts the eyes. I groaned and rubbed my eyes at the morning glow. My legs felt like jello, and my arms weren't doing much better. And yet… It wasn't so bad. To be alive again, that is.

Even the grass against my skin was a strange sensation, and yet… wonderful. Part of me wanted to roll around in the grass like I was a kid again. Just enjoying feeling something other than the cold emptiness. However, a small rational part of me said that I couldn't stay. Not until I new everything was okay at least.

I slowly stood up on shaky legs, scanning my surroundings. Ginormous trees, sunlight flickering through the canopy. It was a beautiful thing to see fresh out of the void. Something told me it wasn't the Hub, but at the same time I didn't mind all too much.

The sight left me awestruck, but...

Priorities first.

Looking down… I seemed human? My skin was fair, very smooth, and soft. Five fingers and five toes. I seemed a bit smaller than my original body, but I looked… cute. I think. I couldn't tell for sure until I saw my reflection. Thankfully at least my new body came equipped with clothes at least. A plain blue skirt, and a white blouse.

The system didn't give me shoes though, which was weird.

"Uh… System…?" I spoke out loud, waving around, and even thinking 'status' to try and summon it.

Nothing happened.

"Uh, hello? Status? Open. Status window." I tried calling out or thinking a variety of phrases, none of it working.

I began to panic. Did that critical failure remove my system? It said it was tied to my soul though. Was my soul damaged? Or do I just need to do something to open it?

Was I really just stranded…?

Reboot complete. Connection to Hub Lost.

Location Unknown.

Initializing…

"Oh thank goodness…" I slumped to the ground, letting out a shaky sigh. I was so relieved. Not having the system, in a strange new world? I'd be screwed. What if this was like… some hell world where everything wanted to kill me? Like Attack on Titan or the Walking Dead. Or a super powerful world like Dragon Ball, One Piece, or Naruto.

Well… I suppose it didn't have to be a work of fiction. But that's usually how these things worked, right? There's also a lot of fictional stories out there. It could also be one I didn't know about.

A ding snapped me from my thoughts, as a window popped up in front of my eyes.

User

Interface

Storage

Catalog

Settings [Locked]

Okay… at least I have an Inventory it seems. "Why are settings locked though?"

User: Sybil Elysium does not have Administrative Rights in the system.

"Gee, no trust, huh?" I frowned softly and shook my head, deciding to focus on what tabs I could look at. Obviously, I started with the User section. Clicking it showed four subtabs labeled Status, Perks, Abilities, and Skills.

I clicked Status.

Name: Sybil Elysium.

Title: N/A

Age: 16

Race: Humanoid

Mana: 2500/2500

Special Stats:

N/A

User Perks

User Abilities

User Skills

"What the hell is this?" I didn't even know where to begin. Why didn't I have a level or exp? No stats! How was I supposed to grow stronger like this? And why did I have MP but not HP? That was just inconsistent! "System, what's wrong with my Status?"

There are no errors or discrepancies within the Status Screen.

"Fuck!" I cursed, taking a breath and trying to calm myself. Maybe I'm not a Gamer. But I have some kind of... vaguely game like system, which explicitly said I was going to be strong. Maybe I had something else to make up for the lack of a leveling system?

I clicked on Perks next.

User Status

User Perks

System User: You have access to the ANS and can use it for various needs. The System protects your mind and soul. All your memories will be stored within the catalog, and you can access the Interface. All Languages will be translated for you.

Additional Effect Unknown

"Okay…" Already a good start. Depending on what that meant, was this an equivalent of Gamer's Mind? The language effect was nice, but the unknown effects were concerning. "What else?"

Dexterous Body: Your hands are nimble and fine tuned, and you can use both hands with equal skill. You're generally built for the lighter jobs, being very flexible.

You also gain benefits when learning or using crafting and artisan skills.

Arcane Attunement: Your very being from mind to soul takes to magic like a fish in water. You'll still need to study and practice, but you'll find it comes naturally.

Increased Mana Pool.

Additional Unknown Effect

"Another Unknown effect… how do I discover those?" I asked, which felt a little weird since I was talking to the air.

Unknown Effects can be discovered Over Time, through Experimentation, or learning about yourself.

"Myself?" These must be based on the specifications I gave then, so they're racial perks? My race was just listed as Humanoid. I don't like not knowing my exact species. "What am I?"

User Status designates you as "Humanoid"

"Really helpful." I sighed softly, scrolling further down the tab.

And then there's the flaws…

I hate this game.

Dainty: As it says, being small and dextrous comes with being delicate. Sure, you look cute, but being that small doesn't carry a lot of muscle. Combat Oriented skills are harder to learn, wouldn't want such a delicate flower out on the battlefield after all.

Fragile Constitution: While you might be magically inclined, your body isn't as strong or hardy at most, and physical activities drain your stamina faster. Make sure to be careful about getting sick as well.

I know mages aren't tough, and neither are rogues, but two physical debuffs? I'm gonna be tissue paper in a fight!

"And what's with that sass, system? I'm not a delicate flower." I swear I felt my eye twitch a little. Being called that… I really didn't like it.

The Descriptions of Perks and Flaws are not written by the A.I. of the ANS.

"Then who does?" That was a bit of a surprise. But then again, someone had to program the system in the first place.

…

"Of course… nevermind." I shook my head and tried to ignore the original comment.

Sure, maybe I was a bit nerdy and never played sports, always more of a computer nerd in my original life. But I'm not delicate either.

It doesn't help that I'm even shorter in this life too.

What a scam.

I swiped the screen to the side and gave another scan of the surroundings, making sure the coast was clear. If I was as weak as the system implied… I'd have to be careful until I really learned how magic works.

I clicked on the Abilities Tab next.

User Status

User Perks

User Abilities

Analysis: Within eyesight range, you may use your Interface to thoroughly scan an object to learn about it. Very little can hide from the eyes of Analysis. Like many Key Functions of the ANS System, it may update if requirements are met.

"Well, well, well… Is this like Observe?" I mumbled. Although, Isn't that a Skill? Maybe Active Skills are labeled as Abilities, and the normal Skills tab is for Passive traits. A little confusing but again, in a weird way, it makes sense? "Let's give it a test then."

I turned to stare at a nearby tree, and activated Analysis.

A large window appeared next to me, and immediately I could tell the exact species and age of the tree. How far its roots went, and how many leaves it had, and so much more. "Holy shit…"

It was… frighteningly invasive. So much that it gave her a headache. So much information… all from just a normal tree? There was no way she could read all of that. Who in their right mind needs to know that much about a tree?

"Can you… Summarize it?" I asked softly, and much to my relief a smaller window replaced it. "Tell me what's relevant."

Emerald Great Tree: A Tree Native only to the Great Forests surrounding the Kingdom of Vale. Known for their large size, and strong wood, these trees make great construction lumber. The wood is also moderately Conductive of Mana.

Reaching from around 100-115 meters tall at maximum, with a diameter of 5 to 10 meters on average, making them exceptionally large, with lots of branches for easy climbing. The sap is edible, but not very tasty.

"Vale, huh? So I'm near… wherever that is." I murmured, smiling a little. There were many let downs to the system so far. But Analysis? Way better than Observe. I wonder if it can tell me whether people are lying? With how in depth it was, that wouldn't surprise me.

Mana Conductive wood though, maybe I can make a staff or a wand out of it? Later though, for now… skills.

User Status

User Perks

User Abilities

User Skills

Nothing.

I mean, I guess it makes sense to have zero skills at the start, but I guess I was just holding hope that I wasn't completely scammed by this reincarnation nonsense.

Might as well check everything else out.

I spent some time getting familiar with the system, and… I definitely had mixed feeling. I still don't entirely understand the Interface System, more on that later, but Storage?

Storage was an Inventory, plain and simple. My max capacity was small, but would grow as I got stronger. Seemed fair to me. However… there was stuff already in it.

Spare clothes, some fancy robes, several books on the system, rules about multiversal travel, and magic—thank goodness, I might actually not die—some water and food, and lastly a knife.

It wasn't much, but it gave me a chance. I could probably survive a few days off of what I had, so I'd need to be able to fend for myself by the time I run out of supplies. After all, who knows how long it could take me to find where this Vale was?

But it did raise the question…

"Hey System, why do I have all of this?" I asked calmly, having mellowed out.

All Users are given the basic necessities to help them train when they reach the Hub. Even if your Transfer Failed, you still retained your basic equipment.

"Well thanks for that blessing at least." All of this… it was one of the few good things about this mess. The magic books were the biggest boon.

I had figured out just how weak I was by trying to run around for a bit, see how much endurance I had… I was a bit ashamed really. I wasn't a cross country runner in my past life, but I could at least last for a little bit while running.

Those flaws were stupid. Fair when you compared them to the Perks, but still stupid.

Then came the Catalog. Which wad a very interesting feature, admittedly.

Truly, every memory I had was saved here, so I never had to worry about forgetting. Well, I could forget but all I had to do was come back here to refresh myself.

I could also store books, movies, or pretty much any form of media in the catalog. I already saved copies of the books I had been given, so thankfully I had a backup if I had to use the actual books like… a fire starter or anything. Not that I'd ever want to burn such wondrous books.

Lastly, it had a Log of everything I scanned using Analysis, so I could hold onto that information for later.

They say Information is Power, and at least I'm winning in that sense.

Interface though… it's just a blank screen I could interact with. Type in it, draw, stuff like that. I asked the system about it, and it just explained the following.

The Interface is how you access the System Properly. One can use the system to work with magic or technology directly. You can create blueprints, design spells, access the System's Programming, and more.

I know a little about programming, but not enough that I'd risk touching the system. I don't want to break anything. I'm also not sure what it means by 'Working with magic or technology directly'.

I better figure it out though, or else I'm screwed.

Two Hours Later...

I sighed and stared up at the sky, pondering everything that's happened. I've already made some progress. I read some of those magic books. It's fascinating stuff really. I've started to grasp the basics of Mana Manipulation, and even developed a skill for it.

Basic Mana Manipulation - Tier One: You can Manipulate Mana at beginner levels.

Increased Efficiency in spells

I didn't like the lack of numbers in skills. I wasn't sure if they actually did anything. Either way, I hadn't figured out how to launch a spear of ice yet, only simple mana constructs. But I have started to understand the advantages of using the Interface with magic. It makes the complicated stuff… not simpler, but easier to process. Working through it gives more versatility, and generally it's easier.

Reminds me a little bit of programming really. Which, in a way, makes sense. It is a soul bound Operating System after all.

It also allows me to link up spells to the system directly.

Currently I've set up thin threads of mana around my camping spot, and linked that spell to my interface. Thus, should any animal pass through it, I'll know! It should tell me where they are too if I did it right.

Then, I can fire a magic bullet, and that's my next meal. Not flashy like slinging fire or lightning, but pretty crafty, I think.

It should be an easy way of getting food at least. Assuming it's a rabbit or a squirrel, and not like… a wolf. I doubt my magic bullets can kill a wolf in one shot. Maybe I should figure out how to detect what steps through the wire. Analysis would definitely be able to Identify anything...

I wonder. Could… I link Analysis through into a Spell? That would open up a world of possibilities for if I ever get more abilities. Well, in general, it still becomes very useful.

Correct. Abilities can be connected to your Mana via the Interface.

"It's about time I've gotten something useful." I chuckled to myself. This Interface thing… I wonder how else I can use it.

Meanwhile…

The mug shattered against the floor of the office, Hot Cocoa spilling out across the floor and staining the ground. The doors swung open as a very confused and concerned blonde entered. "Ozpin, what's wrong?" She asked sternly.

"...it's small… subtle… not Salem or the Maidens. It's magic." He murmured, more so to himself than Glynda as he began to pace back and forth.

"Magic? That's impossible. Did someone activate a minor relic?" She furrowed her brow, having all forgotten the mess between them.

"No, no. This isn't old. It's new, vibrant. Small, yes, but it's definitely… We have a new mage. If I sensed it, Salem definitely did." He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Send word for Qrow. Immediately. I want to find this Mage before she does."

AN: That was chapter one. If you all stuck through, I hope you all enjoyed it and can give me some feedback. Who knows? Maybe if one of you has an interesting idea it can be incorporated in a "System Update"

Now you all see what I mean by Sybil not being a proper Gamer. The reason for that all ties into what ANS stands for.

Her name means Prophet from Elysium. Aka future lady from the dead. She had died, and was told to protect the future, thus she chose her name.

Despite her name meaning Prophetess, young Sybil is not someone with foreknowledge of the world of RWBY, meaning she doesn't know the dangers she's in. She got lucky in not running into any Grimm at the start, I rolled a dice for that. Which thankfully gave her some time to get a fundamental grasp of how her powers work, allowing her to hopefully stand a chance.

A bit on that. Interface is a confusing ability that will make more sense as Sybil herself figures out how it works.

Additionally, there is some degree of stats and leveling even still. Skills can level up, and the special stats section will come into play. For instance once Aura is unlocked, she'll gain the Soul stat, and an Aura meter

Her semblance would be in the abilities category. But until then Sybil has to settle with Magic.

Perhaps in an update she'll have normal stats if you all really want that, but the key aspect of the ANS system isn't leveling in the first place so even if she did gain a stats section she wouldn't be able to increase them via leveling

Although to no one's surprise, she has two sets of eyes on her already.

Lastly, would you all like longer chapters? I kept this one relatively average, a bit short maybe, in length as a sort of pilot chapter. However if you all would like longer chapters I can try to do so.

See y'all soon.