Disclaimer: See prologue.


Chapter 5:


The next day in the morning at breakfast.

The members of Teams JNPR and RWBY were currently enjoying a relatively peaceful lunch this noon, relatively at least compared to the events of the last few days. Currently the two heavy hitters of the teams played a game, Nora threw food at Yang, and the latter caught it with her mouth. Simple as that. While it wasn't the most entertaining of sports it certainly surpassed what entertainment Jaune had to live through yesterday.

Now that he had a proper night of rest, all of his Meridians were healed as if brand new, and all energy levels restored to their optimum levels. As he took into account the late hour he returned back to Beacon yesterday, Jaune decided to forgo cultivating and to just focus on healing the remaining of his self-inflicted wounds, after a good night of sleep he definitely felt better waking up this morning, and it certainly helped his mood that it was a peaceful day which all members of both teams enjoyed.

Or all members but for one.

'She never catch a break that one...' Thought Jaune as he eyed Blake currently hunched on the table, writing down various tidbits of intelligence she got of the White Fang.

"Whatcha doing?" Asked her partner.

"Nothing." She lied while closing her book. "Just going over notes from last semester."

'Yeah, keep telling yourself that. I clearly "saw" what was in this book.' He thought while discreetly eying her as he munched on his lunch. Suddenly he paused, eyes fixed on his plate. 'I hope I'm not turning into some kind of voyeur...' He thought as if he was expecting the contents of his lunch to answer back.

This most than important introspection was interrupted by his fellow team leader as she slammed a binder on their table.

What followed he really couldn't understand, even with his superhuman processing power. Well, no, he could but he choose not to. Going this way lied madness, Nora. The same kind he was currently standing in.

"How did that happen..." He mumbled while dodging with the least amount of movement a hail of food while the majority of the students that were having lunch with them in the Dining Hall escaped the premises. 'They've got the right idea these ones...'

"Who cares fearless leader! It's time to protect your queen!"

He looked back at Nora who had somehow turned various dining tables into a fort.

"I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" She sing-songed.

She had turned into a castle, he amended.

'This is too late for me to have the same right idea isn't..?'

Then came a war cry from Ruby with Nora calling for Team RWBY's heads.

'So we're doing this. There's never a boring day in this school...' He sighed.

As soon as the "war" started, Weiss was one of the first fallen. Or rather she fell against a pillard, more like impacted it but same difference really. Leaving Ruby cradling her body while playing the grieving sister-in-arms.

'She would've made a good actress. Not.'

Suddenly he was alerted by the coming of missiles, that were of all things entire pieces of poultry, which he barely dodged.

"Stay on toes, Vomit Boy!" Shouted Yang while throwing lefts and rights at him.

"Oh c'mon! I haven't puked since the first day and that was months ago!"

"Keep telling yourself that VB!" She cackled.

What followed was a choreography of chaos, each fighters armed with various equipments of foodstuff.

After some exchanges, a now airborne Yang courtesy of Nora, and a bombardment of sodas from Pyrrha, Jaune saw Ruby about to unleash the might of her Semblance.

'Oh crap, that's bad...' "Guys get closer!"

Jaune placed an overturned table on its side to act as a makeshift shield while the rest of Team JNPR got into cover behind it. He had barely the time to infuse it with his Qi to get a proper handle on it that it happened.
As they hunkered behind the table a literal flood of food and soda, and now isn't that a lovely picture, passed over them. When the dust, and food, settled he was able to see her standing on her own all proud of herself before a new fresco signed Ruby Rose.

'If I'd let loose, she'd have it so bad...' He frowned at that turn of phrase. 'Yeah let's forget about that.'

She then opened her eyes and looked at them all safe behind their cover in shock, believing to have managed to get them.

"Jaune! That's cheating!"

"Because your Semblance isn't!?"

"No it was a fair strategy!"

"Strategy my foot!"

From afar he could hear the doors of the Dining Room open and from it entered their Deputy Headmistress clearly not amused by their antics. She then proceeded to fix back together the mess they had made with her Semblance. Following her was the Headmaster who quietly managed to calm her while on the sides were Sun Wukong and a blue haired young man who both had looked on the food fight.

Ruby and Jaune stayed silently looking at each other for a few heartbeat and then burst in a fit of laughs.

He heard Professor Goodwitch start to reprimand them for their mess only for Headmaster Ozpin to make light of the situation.

Then through his Spiritual Sense he could see someone finally about to return to earth. Being the chivalrous knight that he was, sort of, he stood on the point of crash and held out his arms under the curious eyes of those present.

Suddenly a cry could be heard and the fixed part of the roof collapsed again by the re-entry of Yang who was instantly caught by Jaune.

"Nice catch Mister Hero." She said cheerily.

"New nickname?" He asked hopeful.

"Nope, but nice try VB!"

He sighed.

"I'm dropping you."

"Surely you wouldn't dare to let harm befell a fair maiden such as I!"

She had barely finished her sentence that she was already in free fall and landed on her behind. She then looked up at him in shock and barely concealed amusement.

"You were saying?" He asked with a raised brow, looking all smug.

"Oh you're going to have it!"

At this he dashed away, with her on his heels, laughing all the way.

In the end, he would think afterwards, he did have fun this morning.

Later the same day.

After the improvised food fight that shall stay on the minds of many students for the foreseeable future, and a few hours of study, the sister teams decided to spent the remainder of the afternoon in Beacon's Library. Either to play or to study. Jaune's team chose to do the latter while Ruby's the former.

As he closed his latest book Jaune stretched to relax his iron level muscles and leaned back in his chair. Looking around he saw his teammates still focused on their books, he had a light smile when he noticed that Nora was napping on hers, then turned his head towards Team RWBY and saw them currently playing a board game called Remnant: The Game.

The sight of the all-girl team's moment of sisterhood and comradery especially warmed his heart, even more so when he witnessed how much Ruby and Weiss grew close concidering their less-than-stellar beginnings.

Curious, he stood up to get a closer look at their game, by happenstance he ended up behind Weiss's side of the board. He analyzed their game and Weiss's hand. Having an idea and clearly seeing how much she struggled he pointed at a card and quietly but not so discreetly told her where to place it.

"Are you sure?" She asked doubtfully with a raised eyebrow.

"Pretty much. And what more do you have to lose anyways?"

As she pondered her choices she finally sighed and with a shrug decided to follow his advices. After four more turns she started to lead and by the end managed to win.

"For the record I concider this cheating..." Pouted Ruby.

"I don't know what you mean by that." Started Weiss with her noise upturned. "It's only natural for a commander to listen to her advisors..."

"Well it's cheating when those advisors have a superse- superso- supersense thingy Semblance!" She pouted even while crossing her arms.

"Well I consider it an honor Lady Weiss." He followed along the joke with a reverence.

She visibly preened at this.

"Careful Sir Knight, a bit more and she'll start to sing..." Teased Yang.

"I'll have you know that I'm a renowned singer..." She puffed with pride.

"I know~." Yang sing-songed with a smirk. It took a moment for Weiss to understand the pun who then sent Beacon's resident punster a dirty glare.

This was news for Jaune.

"You sing?" He asked her in genuine surprise.

"You mean you don't know..?" He shook his head in negative. "Oh, well, I used to sing professionally back in Atlas before my enrollment in Beacon. It has actually been quite a long time since I've sung..."

"Professionally? Does it mean then that you made records?"

"She sure did!" Exclaimed Ruby, all traces of her former mood forgotten as she propped herself on the table with her arms. "One of her songs is my favorite! Wait, I'll send it to you..." She took her Scroll and was about to send him a link, until she remembered who was sitting with her. "Hum... You don't mind right?"

Weiss shook her head with a smile.

"I don't need to get any richer Ruby, go ahead."

"Thanks!" She went back to her Scroll and sent him a link.

He heard heard his Scroll notifying him that he received a new message, after checking on it to make sure everything was received properly he put it back in his pocket.

"Thank you I'll check it out later."

"Be sure to tell me what you think about it..." She asked with hesitating eyes.

"I promise."

"Oh~..." Anyone could've heard the smirk on Yang's face.

"Shut it Xiao Long." This made said girl close her mouth at the icyness but she still wore quite a noticeable smile.

Jaune though startled at this, fortunately nobody noticed it.

'Woah, for a moment I thought she talked to me, I knew it was bound to happen... Somehow it's all Yang's fault.'

Things settled until the appearance of Sun and his friend, who went to by the name of Neptune Vasilias.

They all took turns to present each other and after a barely veiled attempt to impress the heiress from the blue haired newcomer they all went their ways, the sister teams to their respective dorm rooms and the transfer students to theirs.

A little afterwards...

After exchanging a few words with his team, Jaune decided to go cultivate a bit for the remainder of the afternoon before dinner to make up for the lost time of yesterday. As he closed the door of his dorm he was about to head to his cultivation spot until his enhanced hearing picked up something that was cause for caution, especially when Team RWBY was concerned.

"Okay," he heard Ruby's voice say, "all in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly taking down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale... Say aye."

"Yes! I love it when you're feisty!" This was obviously Yang.

"Well, I suppose it could be fun." And now even Weiss was in it.

"None of you said aye!"

"Alright then, we're in this together!" And of course Blake agreed, he'd like to say he was surprised but he really wasn't.

"Let's hatch a plan!"

'Nope.'

And that's were he quickly turned heels and marched forward to his previous destination.

'Nope. Nope. Nope... I am done getting involved in their madness again... They want to play the vigilantes, all the power to them.' He then stopped walking at that thought, letting out a long-suffering sigh has a team of exchange students from Haven Academy, going by their uniforms, were about to pass by him. 'Even I can't lie to myself for long... Oh well I guess I could keep-"

As the Haven exch students walked by him, his thoughts were cut off as he felt his Spiritual Sense going haywire as it perceived an ominous amount of dark karma coming from a black haired young woman among them. He merely kept advancing in the corridor while letting nothing transpiring outwardly.

He kept walking and as he was about to turn the corner, he caught the sound of Team RWBY's door open and heard Ruby herself head out of it in a hurry all to run into one of the students he walked by earlier.

Jaune hid himself behind the corridor's corner to keep an eye on the situation and he saw from afar, through his Spiritual Sense, the socially awkward team leader apologizing to them from her position on the ground, the exchange students merely shrugged it off with a simple warning to be more careful next time while helping his friend get back up.

After they presented themselves as students from Haven looking for their dorm room, Ruby made them know they had their own dormitories, which at that they offered a generic justification to their presence in the buildings reserved to Beacon's students. Ruby then kindly informed them of their dorm building's direction. They started to go their own way with Ruby naively wishing them a welcome to Beacon.

Jaune's Spiritual Sense suddenly went critical as it sensed a wave of negativity coming from who seemed to be the leader of the foreign team. But not only that, he also felt the sudden karmic imbalance around Ruby's presence.
The Heavens were about to test the young girl, he could feel it all the way through his soul.

'Scratch that, I'm now definitely getting involved in whatever madness they're getting themselves in. And those guys, I'm definitely going to keep an eye on them...'

At that he focused inwardly on his Internal Power and brought into existence two weaker forms of his Astral Projections.

'I'll have one follow this team at distance, I would have liked it to be closer but I sense something odd about her, some kind of energy which I'm unsure of the exact nature of, except that it has the feeling of elemental magic to it, something that so far I've yet to have sensed from anyone else in this world, except an odd equivalent in Dust, this world certainly isn't what it seems at first glance... But what I sense from her clearly originates from very deep within her, it clings to her very soul. Along something dark, almost demonic. Makes me think of the Grimm weirdly enough, so better be safe than sorry...

The other I'll make it stay in Team RWBY's room. Normally I'd loathe doing something like this but it's for their own good... If something was to be planned by these wannabes vigilantes it'll definitely be there, and this time I cannot, will not, let events happen before me powerless...'

Suddenly he heard the telltales sound of thunder over the building, coming from right above him. Today's forecast announced that it would be a clear weather all week.

'A Tribulation is coming my way... Sending those Astral Projections was definitely a good idea. The Heavens agree with me... it seems that I no longer have all the time in the world. I'll have to step up my cultivation...'

With this last decisive thought he went to his cultivation spot. He had the remaining ranks of the Core Formation Stage to reach and the next stage, the Nascent Soul Stage to breakthrough to. And if his intuition was correct, it will be the most challenging breakthrough as of yet.

Before dinner.

"Are you sure you must go to Vale right now?" Inquired Pyrrha, worry seeping in her voice. "You'll miss out on dinner, and the curfew is in a few hours, it's a week day tomorrow after all..."

As Jaune and his team walked in the direction of the Dining Hall after he had finished cultivating and reached the fifth Middle-stage rank of the Core Formation Stage, it seemed his misadventures with his Astral Projection back in Blake's situation had a silver lining in the strengthening of his cultivation, he informed them that he had an errand to run in Vale and that it couldn't wait.
His team showed curiosity and clear worry about this.

"Yes I'm sure. Look guys, I wouldn't have told you that if I hadn't had to go right now. And don't worry about me missing dinner, I'll grab something to eat in Vale, and I'll make sure to come back before curfew, I promise."

"Well... If you really have to and if you're sure..." She said.

"Totally. Well, I'm off. Enjoy dinner!"

At that he waved them off and dashed in the direction of Beacon's aerial docking bays.

After arriving in Vale...

As he disembarked from the Bullhead, Jaune took his Scroll and used the map application to look for a Dust shop. As luck would have it, there was one fairly close to the aerial docks. And it would only be closer after he used the roofs.

A few minutes later he landed in a alleyway and went out in the streets proper. It took him an instant to locate the Dust shop he was looking for.

He walked the distance and entered the store. His first action upon entering was to focus his Spiritual Sense on his surroundings and what a thrilling experience it was.

'This place is bursting with energy... All it would take to send the whole store into orbit is but a spark...'

Which it probably was the reason why every shape of Dust, the raws uncut crystals, their cut variants, and their refined powder forms, were all tightly sealed in glass and plastic containers.

'Now to buy some and to experiment with it to know if I can actually make use of it to boost my cultivation and I'll be all set. With what I feel is awaiting me it's the only hope I have to accelerate my cultivation on this world for the foreseeable future...'

And went to the counter and addressed the salesperson.

"Excuse me? I'd like to buy Dust..."

And after a handful of minutes Jaune walked out of the store with a bag filled with various types of Dust in various forms he could afford.

'Alright, note to myself, once I know whether or not this is worth it I've got to get more money. Somehow... Anyways, that's for a later time, now to get back to Beacon and then direction the Emerald Forest, I should be strong enough to do my things in relative peace without anyone, or anything, stumbling into me."

Nodding to himself after putting together his plan he started to head back to the academy while making a quick trip to a convenience store to get something to eat. But he stopped midstride as a thought came to him.

'Hmm… I wonder... It's worth to give a try.'

A few moments later, in the Emerald Forest...

"Finally!" He said as he reached the edge of the forest, fully armored with Crocea Mors flying around him with an application of Telekinesis as a silent sentry, and a bag on his back more appropriate for the situation full of the Dust he buyed a while earlier. "Took me some time but I'm here... Now to find a place relatively out the way of Grimm..."

His Spiritual Sense in full blast it only took him a few instants to find an appropriate place.

'Gotcha.'

Thus with a double application of Qi and Aura he headed to his newfound spot.

After arriving he settled down his stuff while keeping Crocea Mors flying nearby.

'Alright... I guess it's time to get to it...'

He opened his bag and rummaged into it, sifting through it until he found what he looked for. From it he took an uncut Gravity Dust crystal that could fit in his palm with plenty of breathing room and a simple silver ring.

'Sigh... I really wanted to wait until I completely finished the Core Formation Stage but recent events forced my hand. Not to speak of that Tribulation that is soon to come for me, whether I am ready for it or not...' He looked at the sky in contemplation. "After all, the Heavens rarely awaits to dispense their trials..."

At this the sound of thunder could be heard echoing in the cloudless sky.

"Right, right, got it, I'll get moving..."

He took hold of the crystal and started to infuse it with Qi, while carefully isolating his Aura to prevent it from interacting with the Dust and inadvertently set it off.

'Good, it's receptive... Oh I hope it works, if it does it'll mean that I can use Dust to boost my cultivation and maybe even develop abilities from it...'

And for a good half hour Jaune prodded the Dust with his Qi. After a moment he had managed to completely permeate it. Making it virtually an exterior part of himself.

'And now, to shape it...'

He took hold of the Qi inside the Dust and started to meld it according to his will and the techniques he remembered into a tight sphere.
The processus was tiring, it took him a lot of mental power, enough that his hold on his sword slipped making it fall on the ground and the two Astral Projections he dispatched earlier temporally loosed their cohesion, forcing him to put them in a low energy consumption mode, leeching of the ambient Qi of the world.

Then as the Dust started to become even more compressed, he levitated the ring he held in his other hand, that he also was suffusing with his Qi, and brought it toward the slowly coiling into itself sphere of gravitational energy, something akin to a mini black hole really.

As the ring made contact the energy started to leach into it.

Perspiration started to sweat from Jaune's face, his breathing became more labored, his heart pulsated like a battering ram into his chest. It became even more taxing for him to focus on his work while holding back his Aura. It genuinely felt like agony for Jaune. He wanted it to end. He wanted to go home and sleep it off. But most above all he wanted it to work!

"Arrrggghhh!"

Suddenly a wave of energy emanated from his palms where floated both objects. It was blinding but he refused to close his eyes or look away.

Until it died down instantly like a blowed candle.

Jaune couldn't believe it. He blinked his eyes many times. He had done it... He had done it!

Floating above his palms, was a silver ring, it's surface rippling with energy like a mirage. But under the waning light of the setting sun it clearly shined for his eyes.

"Finally... Hahaha..! What do you think Jade Emperor!? Not too shaby for someone of my level in this kind of world isn't!?" He shouted gleefully at the Heavens.

The rumbling of thunder was enough aplenty for him.

"Yeah you said it... Phew... I'm beat." He said has he contemplated the fruit of his work. "What am I doing? I should try it!"

So he plucked it out of the air and put it on his right index finger. The instant it made contact with his skin Jaune could feel the connection between him and the inner space within the ring. He instantly had a big smile, his eyes figuratively shining in happiness.

'My own Spatial Ring... My very first Magical Item... And it's not such a bad work if I say so myself, within its storage space is akin to a small walk-in closet. And not only the inner space will grow as I feed it Internal Energy overtime, but the best part is that as I made it using my Qi its basically an extention of myself, meaning it'll grow as I progress along the realms of my cultivation!'

He let out another peals of laughter and then sighed in contentment at achieving another success. Then he looked in contemplation at his ring for a while and his eyes slowly slid to his bag of Dust.

'I wasn't sure about how big its inner space would be with the size of the Dust crystal I used for it, but it's really not that bad... Still, shows to tell you how much energy is in those things... I could also feed it more Gravity Dust now that I think about it, it will be a lot faster, but so costly!' He breathed a dejected sigh. 'Also, I wonder now what would happen if I absorbed some...' He reached inside the bag and took hold of a Fire Dust crystal, peering into its depths. '...Not now...' He thought with a shake of his head. 'I'm spent in all the ways that counts. For now let's pack up.'

Putting the Dust back in the bag he brought forward the hand with his Spatial Ring and, with the least amount of Qi, activated it. The ring briefly shined and the bag with the entirety of its contents was surrounded by a whirlwind of spatial energy, it's shape distorting for then disappearing. All happening in barely the span of a second.

Jaune focused his Spiritual Sense inside the ring and gazed into it. He could see the bag floating aimlessly and most importantly without any changes in the inner space of the ring.

'Things are even more looking up!'

He took a moment to ponder, eyes looking at the slowly darkening sky, a finger resting on his chin.

'Still all of this Dust and the silver ring didn't come quite cheap, I've got to find a way to gather some funds, can't really go to my family to ask them for some advance, that's a confrontation I am so not looking forward to... And Beacon's scholarship can only cary me so far, not forgetting that I still need to use the money for things other than buying Dust, things like what Beacon doesn't provide daily...'

He frowned in thought and lied down on the grass, while checking his surroundings through his Spiritual Sense to make sure no Grimm got the jump on him.

'Hmm... Now that I think about it, this world still finds values in precious metals. I could make some gold through alchemy, wouldn't be too difficult since I've got the know-how. The only thing is that I've got to procure a cauldron, or well, rather I've got to make one able to withstand refining with Qi... I could try to do without but with my level of cultivation I'm not holding my breath, nor am I too keen on manipulating molten metal with my bare hands...
I wonder if I could make use of Beacon's Workshop? Shouldn't be too hard to use the forges inside... The problem would be what can I use as reagents. Well, I mean, I don't have much choice on that side, it'll have to be Dust. I just hope that it'll be worth the effort, would kinda defeat the purpose of the whole process if I had to spend more Dust than I can buy, eh, eh...'

His objectives set, he nodded to himself and got up, picking Crocea Mors up in the mean time with Telekinesis and then headed back to Beacon at top speed.

'Wait! Now I can really go buy a sword to fly with!' He thought as the scenery passed by him. 'As soon as I go back to Vale, it's shopping time! I just hope I'll find a design that'll fits what I look for in a flying sword...'

Once arrived, he went to his dorm room, saw that his teammates were already fast asleep and readied to do the same.

'Now that I think about it, I should give a listen to Weiss's song, I did say that I'd tell her what I'd think of it...'

With this thought he put on his earphones and listened to it before he went to sleep.


A/N:

Remember what I hoped for last chapter? Well my wish was granted! This chapter was such a treat to write! Basically it's like it wrote itself.

I hope this chapter was worth the pain that was the last one, I sure had more fun writing this one.
I know it's a bit shorter than the last, but I sure hope that it was more interesting.

Especially that tidbit with Cinder and her cronies! I aimed to keep this scene as vanilla as possible while making it the real driving force behind Jaune's involvement. When the Heavens calls, you better step on it.

Oh, and, please make sure to tell me what you thought of my way of giving Jaune a spatial ring, I hope it was original enough. To be honest I hadn't really had to think much about it, doing it this way seemed to be a good organic way as any to go about it.

Fyr out!