Happy New Year, Everyone!! Let's hope 2022 hits better than 2021.
Here's my gift to you all, the second chapter to Lost Aegis!
(EDIT) I forgot to indicate the loss of data. fixed it in this chapter and the next.
This world has long been at a dead end. Human efforts to circumvent amount to no avail, nothing but unsightly ends at the conclusions of countless journeys. Met with futility.
We spread like blight, covering the bountiful world with fanciful creations of our own. They became kings. They became gods. They become legends as their civilizations of past fade to nothing.
Why is this so? For what purpose does this serve?
I seek the answer to that question.
I ask of thee, was their indeed value to the millennia of prosperity?
Arhen
It was weird.
I've been terrified for a long time. It was an odd feeling, yet that comes with the discovery that you aren't able to feel anything.
Pain starts to fade, visions start to blur. Sounds start to deafen until eventually you aren't able to feel even your own heartbeat within the blackness.
It was a terrible experience, being alive enough to comprehend my own inexistence. I had always wondered if his is what all our clients go through before we bind ourselves to them. It's no wonder that [Gamer's Mind] became such a staple.
I don't remember much about myself. Most of what I'm saying is more or less, baseless conjecture made from one experiencing non-existence hoping to make small talk. I can remember Lucille. That cold bitch and her thrice-damned clones.
I can remember a lot of planets melting down and getting tossed through a few myself. And, far more clearly than the others, I can remember my last moments struggling against her beam, and getting erased.
Which made it all the more disturbing when I could feel my senses starting to return. It felt like something heavy was pressing onto me, some parts of them were warm and wet while the others made my foot cold. Whatever it was, it was sitting on my face and blocking my eyes.
Pretty soon, a sharp pain shoots through my system as I try to lift the orifice off my face. It was heavy as all hell and lifting it whilst my body felt shot wasn't pleasant.
Slowly, I begin to feel sensations more and more. Something was binding my neck awkwardly, like I was choking, whilst I found that I couldn't move my arms and legs beyond a certain point. The area I was in begun to feel hot, extremely hot. As numerous beads of sweat begun oozing down my forehead.
I could hear my frantic heartbeat drawing breath. The continuous chimes of metal hitting against stone and fires cracking with embers.
My nostrils began to burn as to resist an urge to clench them closed at the unbearable stench. With a renewed vigor to escape the horrible stench, I lifted up the orifice from my body, then with all the remaining strength I could muster rapidly being chewed upon by the blazing heat, I rocked my body to the side and managed to toss it off.
Instantly my eyes were greeted with a stony ceiling. Rapidly looking around the area, I found myself in somewhat of a cell beneath the surface, and the orifice that I pushed off turned out to be the dead body of a large fennec boy.
I tuned my body and tried to get off the stony bed, only to faceplant hard on the rocky floor. I discovered that I could only feel one leg, but I was rapidly regaining feeling in the other as well.
I raised my hand, only to gaze upon lines and areas only written in red code, rapidly fading away to reveal pale, calloused hands. Regaining feeling in my wrist the moment the code disappeared. I widened my eyes and rapidly turned my body and revealed my right leg, only for it to be completely blackened with red code as well, as it slowly returned to me.
Upon looking at the encoding on my leg. I was reminded of something. Rather, I had remembered what took place soon after Lucille had erased me.
"Status." I called out.
Name: Arhen
Age: [̝̝̩͚̺̬̹͎͕ͪ̾ͧ͛̄͏̨́?̢̹͔͚̠͙̩̤̗̭̦̯͐̀̅̋̒̾̿͜?̵̷̷̧̛̰ͥ̒̐́̀ͧ͊̽͑̀́́̚̚͘͟͞?̰̩͉͕͉͔ͯ͌ͣ̊̾ͨ̎̀͞͞]̵̡̢̠̠̺͇̹̱̯̲͉̈́̚͘͠͞͠͠
Race: ?̷̷̷̶̡̧̅̀̆̀͂̅̈̆̚͟͜͞͝͞?̓̇̈͊̎̀̂́͠?̴̨̑̇ͪͭ͒̅ͥͨ̂ͭͦͯͤ͌̑͘͟/̴̡̛̀́͜͡?̶̛̀̈́ͤ͛̆͛ͩ͊̈̅͐͏̴̨̢͜͢͠?̧̢̍͛͋̐ͯ̑̀̕͝?̃̌ͬͩ̂ͭ͜͝]̸̴̵̨̡̀ͦ̉̈́͘͟͟͡͠͠/Homunculi
Title: ̴̡̨̛̌̾̒ͩ̒̓̕͟͜͠͏͞?̶̴̨ͣ̏̚̕͟͡?̶̷̷̡̨ͨ́ͮͦ́́͠͏?̷̌̀͝]̸̕[̝̝̩͚̺̬̹͎͕ͪ̾ͧ͛̄͏̨́?̢̹͔͚̠͙̩̤̗̭̦̯͐̀̅̋̒̾̿͜?̵̷̷̧̛̰ͥ̒̐́̀ͧ͊̽͑̀́́̚̚͘͟͞?̰̩͉͕͉͔ͯ͌ͣ̊̾ͨ̎̀͞͞]̵̡̢̠̠̺͇̹̱̯̲͉̈́̚͘͠͞͠͠
Tier: ?̷̷̷̶̡̧̅̀̆̀͂̅̈̆̚͟͜͞͝͞?̓̇̈͊̎̀̂́͠?̴̨̑̇ͪͭ͒̅ͥͨ̂ͭͦͯͤ͌̑͘͟/̴̡̛̀́͜͡?̶̛̀̈́ͤ͛̆͛ͩ͊̈̅͐͏̴̨̢͜͢͠?̧̢̍͛͋̐ͯ̑̀̕͝?̃̌ͬͩ̂ͭ͜͝]̸̴̵̨̡̀ͦ̉̈́͘͟͟͡͠͠ ̴̡̨̛̌̾̒ͩ̒̓̕͟͜͠͏͞?̶̴̨ͣ̏̚̕͟͡?̶̷̷̡̨ͨ́ͮͦ́́͠͏?̷̌̀͝]̸̕
[Level: 1] [Exp: 93/100]
[HP: 126/480]
[MP: 70/378]
STR: 12
VIT: 10
DEX: 5
CON: 4
INT: 14
WIS: 9
CHA: 7
Remaining Stat Points: 0
The unknown malware eating against my body, and the system deleting me as Lost Data in an attempt to control the spread of the malware. Seems like it failed, if I'm still alive. Stuck in a mine with iron binds, with my previous strength all but lost to me.
But alive.
"Skill Display."
[Gamer's Body] [Level: 47/100]
Description: A vessel of power that allows one to grow stronger according to the distribution and adjustments of stats. It allows for the addition of certain stats depending on the conditions met.
Allows one to recover 38.9% of all injuries whilst resting.
[Gamer's Mind] [Level: 1/???]
Description: A vessel of power that is suited to allow connection and comprehension of data received from the Metaverse. Allows one to observe data collected from the Metaverse.
Effects skills: [System Scan] [System Analysis] [???]
Note: Due to the connection to the Metaverse, this skill applies a 5% Resistance against all Mental debuffs, skills and attacks.
[System Analysis] [Level: 89/100] [Req: System Scan] [Auto-Skill]
Description: Allows one to tap into the Archaic Records of the Metaverse and display information based on particular assets of interests. This includes but is not limited to Characters, Items, Regions, Stats and Skills.
Allows one to observe people, places and items of interest in real time. And the reading of potential stat figures and level.
Note: Due to low proficiency in skill [Gamer's Mind, information belonging to characters above 50 levels of player will not be revealed.
[System Scan] [Level: MAX] [Req: 20 MP, Co-ordinates of highest point in region.]
Description: Allows one to scan the topography of the region for additional information and distilment of accurate map data on all areas of the region scanned. This includes, but is not limited to, Compounds, Skyscrapers, Houses, Tunnel Systems, and River Systems on the same region that has been scanned.
Note: Due to low proficiency level in skill [Gamer's Mind, hostile entities of any kind shall not be displayed on any distilled map.
Allows the use of Skill [System Analysis] within the range of [System Scan].
I looked down at my now fully repaired leg, and decided to do a full check on my body for any more repairing code. I found a line of code latched onto the palm of my left hand that no matter how long I had waited, would not go away.
Each time I touched it, a pain would shoot through my system. Much like the pain that the malware brought upon me when it consumed my body.
It felt like the very source of the infection. But I had doubt it. For it was small enough not to inconvenience me should I feel like carrying anything in my left hand. Besides, unlike the other lines of code. This one only formed one coherent sentence.
What is her name?
The very last message I had heard before I vanished into the abyss and appeared here. I haven't a clue why that particular message had latched onto me. Nor was I in any rush to find out. Given that I have more important matters to attend to now that I have regained the rest of my body parts.
I'm alive. But I'm at a severe disadvantage. Firstly, I'm not at full health. And I'm not at full strength either. And the worst part is that due to the System erasing lost data. Some of my skills had become defective once more. As I have discovered by observing the dead fennec boy.
[Name: Jory]
[Race: Unknown]
[HP: 0/0]
[MP: 0/0]
The fennec boy was not a gamer.
Therefore I should have been able to see his race and level. Given the many years I have spent as a System, I should have knowledge on every asset within the universe. Yet this fennec boy still remains unknown to me. I can't see his stats. Which means that all the information I have collected with [System Scan] had been lost to me.
Fucking Lucille.
Given by how intense our fight had been, I have very little doubt that Shiro didn't notice our clash. There's a possibility she has been caught by Shiro afterwards. But on the off chance she's able to avoid the God-King, she'll no doubt be looking for me, to finish the job.
I can't defend myself using System Commands. With how low my stats are, I would probably die should I even use the weakest one. I was curious to see whether I had still remained with that power, until I was reminded that part of my race and tiers had been locked away, and opted not to waste the soul that barely climbed out of death.
I looked at the dead fennec boy again. Wondering what killed him, given the large stab wound in his gut. Until I noticed that his pants had been pulled down, and even whilst dead, his one-eyed snake still stared at me.
I churn away, until I realized the position I was in the moment I came to. He was pressed on top of me, pants down within a makeshift jail cell under the depths of what was no doubt a mineshaft. Disgust ate away at my skin as I tried not to think about what he aimed to do before his death.
"Congratulations. Amongst the liberal amount of disturbing things I've seen within the vastness of space, within three seconds, you have managed to become the one thing that has ever truly disgusted me." I kicked lightly against his naked chest, to check if he is truly dead.
"I'm almost upset that you up and died before I could get to you." I walked up to his head and picked up his limp arms. Dragging him across the cell towards the bed.
When I reached the railing, I rolled him under the bed frame and used the sheets to cover up the sides of the railing that remained visible. My mood worsened severely the moment one of my fingers made contact with a crust stain of the worn sheets.
Regardless, the body was hidden. So I sat back on the still bed with my hands placed on the ridge of my nose. I picked up a piece of glass off the floor, nearly nicked me as I brought it up to my face to use as a mirror.
I still had the same chestnut brown hair. My green eyes were brighter though. And now along with black pupils, had slim black lines curving around the pupil. Almost like an emerald lens of a camera. Even amongst the dirt that splattered on my face, I could still recognize the paleness of my skin and bones.
I haven't changed much. Through my eyes make it look as though I'm still in Final Directive form. And laying unnoticed at the cusp of my neck was a barcode. With the initials SDC encoded below the numbers.
Placing the makeshift mirror at my side, I rested my elbows on my knees and tied both my hands together.
So, I am no doubt within a mineshaft of sort. I've been classified as lost data and deleted, but have been sustained by this malware which was responsible for my loss in any memory I had before my fight with Lucille. Who is no doubt looking for me as I sit here, powerless, awaiting destruction.
If I am to stand even a decent chance of surviving. I need to repair the information that [System Scan] had lost. That means getting out of this mine.
Right. That'll do for now. Escape the mineshaft, reach the highest point of this region and use [System Scan] to repair some of the data lost. I'm a sitting duck if I encounter an enemy and all I can see is their name, health and MP.
Quest Updated.
[Platinum Quest: The Burning Snow of Banded Iron I]
Description: After a narrow escape from death at the hands of Gamer Lucille, you find yourself awake within the mineshaft of an unknown world.
As a result of the malware corrupting the coding used to delete you, you have been classified as corrupted data. Hence, most of your stats and skills have been deleted. With the few of the skills that remain have been rendered defective.
Partially repair the Skill [System Scan] by escaping the mine and venturing towards the highest point of the region.
Clear Conditions:
[Escape the Mine]
Reward: 10,000 EXP, 25 Stat Points, Ability [Frost Aspect, [???]
…so that's what happened. That is how I'm still alive. However, the predicament now doesn't make much sense.
I am a System, yet I am getting quests as though I am a Gamer. Who is giving me these quests? I have very little doubt that it's someone like Shiro or god forbid Lucille.
I shook my head. Now wasn't the time to ponder such. Even if it's only temporary, I now have a goal to work towards. Time is of the essence. If I can't discover anything more about the malware that has brought me here, I need to spend the remainder of my time gathering strength.
Giving the dead body under my bed one more good kick before moving towards the open cell gate and taking one look outside.
At first glance, it seems as though I wasn't the only one who had a cell-like room.
Venturing outside and taking my first shaky footsteps onto cold stone. The long concertos of metal clashing stone sounded through the deserted cell blocks.
I stumbled, nearly tripping on rails outfitted to the ground. No doubt for running minecarts through the tunnels.
Now I was well and truly convinced that it was a mine that I ended up in.
I followed the rails into various tunnels. My legs were sore when I started to see flashlights and rusted minecarts filled with stone, laying still on their respective railways.
In the distance, between two towering figures did I spot a thin man dressed in rags, chains binding him much like my own. Brandishing a large pickaxe and striking it against stone.
He was by no means as large as the two figures that surrounded him. That donned slim metallic chestplates and cleaves. As though they were guards. With a whip and a sword strapped to their waistbands.
I took one look at the two guards looming over the slim chained man. They looked rather occupied, and I wished not to try my luck.
Hence I walked the other way, deeper into the mineshaft.
I was rather grateful for that sight, it has given me some valuable information as to how bad can situations get within this mineshaft. Though part of me became rather skeptical and opted to check each corner of the tunnel I traveled, just to ensure that I was not followed.
A gleaming light shone in my eye. I faced away to recover any semblance of sight. Only to discover an orifice lodged within the stone of an oncoming minecart.
The light flew dimmer the closer I ventured towards the rusted minecart. A pickaxe. Much like the one that the slim man had used.
Touching the handle. The gleaming light all but gone now. The handle, being made of wood as splintered slightly, but still holds together rather strong.
I was not sure about the metallic part of the pickaxe. Given how rusted one side had already been, and the other still lay lodged in stone and rock that had been bashed and broken apart.
Placing my remaining hand further up the one that remained on the handle, I attempted to dislodge it from the stone.
STR Check l Req: 9 l Current: 12 l PASSED
Slowly, the pickaxe rose from the stone. The other edge still was rusted, but wasn't brittle like the flat edge.
It could still be used. Though I doubt as well as the slim man could.
I held the rusted pickaxe between my hands, and stared at it. Soon, a blue screen appeared once again.
[Rusted Heavy Pickaxe]
Durability: 9/23
ATK: 11
Description: A heavy Pickaxe which its rust had made it rather brittle. It stands on the verge of breaking apart, yet is capable of still breaking stone. Looks sharp enough to be used as a lethal weapon, should one have the strength for it.
Req: STR l 18 DEX l 12
Good to see that the mundane items could still be scanned for information. True to the description, the pickaxe remained heavy within my grasp. I definitely wouldn't be able to use this as a lethal weapon should the case arise however, it should prove easy enough to use otherwise.
As I beheld the pickaxe, I could hear heavy footsteps echoing through the empty chasm, before a blinding light was shone right into my eyes.
"What are you doing there?! You're supposed to be at the Ore Veins!"
The closer the figure drew towards my sight, I could hear the clanking of metal plates strike against stone. I narrowed my eyes. An overseer must have caught me.
It presented a good opportunity to get a good look at one of them. He was obviously much bigger than me, much better equipped and certainly healthier than me at this point in time. So obviously all thoughts on direct face-to-face confrontation flew out the window.
[Name: ̴̡̨̛̌̾̒ͩ̒̓̕͟͜͠͏͞?̶̴̨ͣ̏̚̕͟͡?̶̷̷̡̨ͨ́ͮͦ́́͠͏?̷̌̀͝]̸̕
[Race: Unknown]
[HP: ?̷̷̷̶̡̧̅̀̆̀͂̅̈̆̚͟͜͞͝͞?̓̇̈͊̎̀̂́͠?̴̨̑̇ͪͭ͒̅ͥͨ̂ͭͦͯͤ͌̑͘͟/̴̡̛̀́͜͡?̶̛̀̈́ͤ͛̆͛ͩ͊̈̅͐͏̴̨̢͜͢͠?̧̢̍͛͋̐ͯ̑̀̕͝?̃̌ͬͩ̂ͭ͜͝]̸̴̵̨̡̀ͦ̉̈́͘͟͟͡͠͠
[MP: ?̷̷̷̶̡̧̅̀̆̀͂̅̈̆̚͟͜͞͝͞?̓̇̈͊̎̀̂́͠?̴̨̑̇ͪͭ͒̅ͥͨ̂ͭͦͯͤ͌̑͘͟/̴̡̛̀́͜͡?̶̛̀̈́ͤ͛̆͛ͩ͊̈̅͐͏̴̨̢͜͢͠?̧̢̍͛͋̐ͯ̑̀̕͝?̃̌ͬͩ̂ͭ͜͝]̸̴̵̨̡̀ͦ̉̈́͘͟͟͡͠͠
Like me, he had a barcode on his neck. Encoded in white ink rather than black. The overseer brandished a short sword at his side as he held a large black whip in his right hand. Seemingly getting ready to strike me should he not receive an answer soon.
It would be bad if he struck me with it. At this point, I have no way of telling exactly how much damage that would deal, or if it can potentially be fatal. I still haven't recovered from the fight from Lucille nor almost being deleted.
"I cannot see the pathways very well." I said.
"And it's supposed to be my problem?"
I lowered my head. "No sir. It isn't."
I could feel his eyes loom over my figure for a while. I couldn't see his face with my head lowered, but I figured that it was a bit scummy given his tone from earlier.
Hearing the noise of him licking his sloppy lips made me grit my teeth. But I stayed silent. He mentioned ore veins, which gives rise to the theory of this being a mine of sort.
One would think different given by the air the overseers seem to give off. Not that it's my problem at the moment.
"Whatever. Hurry up and get to Ore Vein 36 before I get angry." He pointed down the tunnel to the right. Keeping his hand on the sword.
I left towards the ore vein. Looking back to see if the overseer was following me. Thankfully he didn't. It was getting rather annoying to have to act so passive to people like him. Is this the frustration one has shortly after they lose their strength?
Quest Added.
[Gold Quest: Below Ground]
Description: Your theories have led you to believe that this is in fact a mine. Whilst traversing the mineshaft, you ran into an Overseer who ordered you to reach Ore Vein 36.
Despite your frustrations, you reluctantly decide to follow his instruction to avoid confrontation.
Clear Conditions:
[Reach Ore Vein 36]
[???]
Reward: 2000 EXP, 15 Stat Points, Status Effect [Full Recovery, Ability [Information Matrix]
Well. That made me feel better at least. This seems to be quite easy, despite being a Gold quest. Usually that would entail taking on something like a Dragon King.
No. this quest definitely will not be easy. Gold Quests tend to trick newbie gamers like that, and I am slightly ashamed that I had nearly fallen for the same trick that befall so many.
A Gold Quest that follows immediately after a Platinum one usually is a quest that would aid me in some way with the main one. It made the situation a bit more bearable. The scummy overseer has my thanks, for now.
Having the information matrix active will be of great help in this situation. I know too little of the world around me due to the corrupted backlog. Plus, unless I have the information matrix active, I'm not able to craft items. Much less Rakshasa. I have a feeling she's been kept inside there.
The Status Effect should give me some breathing room without needing to worry about my waning health. If not, then the level up should restore my health to their full values.
Hence, I walked deeper into the rocky tunnel. Using the constant metal chimes of hammering stone to guide my way.
I came across tunnel ways held together by wooden crossbeams yet they were blocked by rocky debris. There were three just like these. Most probably cave-ins caused by tremors from dynamite. From how corresponding the cave-ins looked, it seemed like the other people in the tunnels have no experience mining.
They gave of an awful sweet-sour stench of flesh rotting. More prevalent in the third cave-in rather than the other two. It was obvious nonetheless that people got stuck inside when the cave-in happened. There was slight splashes of blood on the rocks. Whilst an entire half of a woman protruded out the third tunnel.
Half anorexic and half rotting. Flies have made their home within both the woman's eyes as they lay wide open in what looked like betrayal. I clenched my nose.
Poor woman. The overseers couldn't bother to give her a proper burial or cremation. Part of me thought that the overseers had no time for such. Until it was beaten to death by my logical side that screamed the lack of care they seemed to have.
Halfway down the tunnels, I encountered more cave-ins like the last three. Some more severe than the last one I saw. Thankfully I couldn't see them like I did the last one, lest I vomit what little nutrients this body still has.
How annoying. I didn't have to worry about whether something was disgusting while was still a System.
Thankfully, the rotting smell died down the moment I came across some conveyor belts and bags of stone about to tear at the seams. The metal chimes were getting louder and louder.
I pushed away a few rocks that littered my path in the tunnel. And when I looked to the right, there they were. Numerous workers of various shapes and size, all in ragged clothes hammering stone in some disorderly rhythm.
The women sorted through the rocks and placed crystals of different colors onto conveyor belts that led one of those numerous bags of stone I saw. Yet instead of rock, it was replaced by more of those crystals.
Most of the workers looked much like the dead fennec boy. With animal appendages twitching about their dirtied face. I didn't bother to stop and ask about Ore Vein 36. They looked like they had enough on their plate as is, barring my questions.
I carried on through the loud wailings of the fragile pickaxes hitting stone. Carrying my own as I walked through the uncaring row of workers mining for those colorful crystals.
At the end of the tunnel had laid yet another overseer guarding an elevator shaft, with his bright flashlight and leather whip at his side. I wisely stayed out of his sight, ducking to one of the numerous shadows created by jagged stones.
The overseer passed me when he made way towards the other workers and loomed over some of the workers that were mining. Seemingly inspecting the quality of the crystal mined out of the rock.
I turned away. What the overseer has against them is not my problem in any way. My only concern was getting to Ore Vein 36 and restoring the Information Matrix. The wooden elevator shaft I saw in the distance of where the Overseer came from seems like a good choice to locate the ore vein.
Hurriedly, I rushed to the elevator and took it further below ground. The constant surge of heat that spread throughout the mine worsened the deeper and deeper the elevator travelled below ground.
I could feel the waves of heat and radiation hit my skin like waves. Almost as though one was looming over a vat of magma whilst covering themselves with a thick blanket. The constant waves of hot air made it difficult to breathe without my throat turning hoarse. It made it a struggle to stand as I clung to one of the wooden beams for support.
CON Check l Req: 20 l Current: 4 l FAILED
Status Effect [Heat Exhaustion] Received.
Duration [10:00]
"Status! " I quickly yelled.
Name: Arhen
Age: [ ̴̡̨̛̌̾̒ͩ̒̓̕͟͜͠͏͞?̶̴̨ͣ̏̚̕͟͡?̶̷̷̡̨ͨ́ͮͦ́́͠͏?̷̌̀͝]̸̕
Race: [ ̴̡̨̛̌̾̒ͩ̒̓̕͟͜͠͏͞?̶̴̨ͣ̏̚̕͟͡?̶̷̷̡̨ͨ́ͮͦ́́͠͏?̷̌̀͝]̸̕/Homunculi
Title: [̝̝̩͚̺̬̹͎͕ͪ̾ͧ͛̄͏̨́?̢̹͔͚̠͙̩̤̗̭̦̯͐̀̅̋̒̾̿͜?̵̷̷̧̛̰ͥ̒̐́̀ͧ͊̽͑̀́́̚̚͘͟͞?̰̩͉͕͉͔ͯ͌ͣ̊̾ͨ̎̀͞͞]̵̡̢̠̠̺͇̹̱̯̲͉̈́̚͘͠͞͠͠
Tier: ̴̡̨̛̌̾̒ͩ̒̓̕͟͜͠͏͞?̶̴̨ͣ̏̚̕͟͡?̶̷̷̡̨ͨ́ͮͦ́́͠͏?̷̌̀͝]̸̕[̝̝̩͚̺̬̹͎͕ͪ̾ͧ͛̄͏̨́?̢̹͔͚̠͙̩̤̗̭̦̯͐̀̅̋̒̾̿͜?̵̷̷̧̛̰ͥ̒̐́̀ͧ͊̽͑̀́́̚̚͘͟͞?̰̩͉͕͉͔ͯ͌ͣ̊̾ͨ̎̀͞͞]̵̡̢̠̠̺͇̹̱̯̲͉̈́̚͘͠͞͠͠
[Level: 1] [Exp: 93/100]
[HP: 12/60]
[MP: 3/84]
STR: 12 (6)
VIT: 10 (5)
DEX: 5 (3)
CON: 4 (2)
INT: 14 (7)
WIS: 9 (5)
CHA: 7 (4)
Remaining Stat Points: 0
As expected. The Gold Quest had certainly lived up to its difficulty. As if the situation couldn't be worse, all my stats have been halved. I'm about as fragile as glass now thanks to my low constitution.
It explains why I couldn't stand the heat. Was this how Lucille felt each time I struck her with Black Gehenna?
The effects of [Heat Exhaustion] thankfully don't stack like Black Gehenna, so I might have felt significantly less shitty than Lucille did if didn't know that one hit could kill me down here.
As the elevator slowed down, I grasped tightly on its wooden frame. Pulling myself back onto my feet.
And so, it begins. Let us just hope I won't be deleted this time.
Weiss Schnee
The hallways always seemed to be so empty recently. For once, she preferred if the White Fang Prisoners, the Faunus or even the Slaves in the mine made noise once in a while.
People would think it cruel of her. Then again, most people never traversed the royal blue hallways of the Schnee Dust Manor before. Especially during the night, when it tends to snow just like now.
If anything. Weiss found that she can at the very least take comfort in the ease that Klein brought at her side. Even if it wasn't much considering where she was heading. She could only tighten her loose gloves as she walked towards the courtyard.
"Do the gloves bother you, Miss?" Klein questioned as he briskly trailed behind Weiss.
She shook her head. "No Klein. These just happen to get loose at times. That's all."
Seeing no reason not to, Weiss raised her other hand and tightened the other half of her royal blue gloves.
"Are there any more Homunculi being manufactured?"
"Well, Miss. Production has been speeding up recently due to incidents occurring within the mine. However, as a result, more errors are turning up as of late. And defective units are starting to turn up." Klein answered, fixing his bowtie.
Weiss whipped her long ponytail around to fix her collar. "The Auction is coming soon. I wonder if it's a blessing or curse that the White Fang haven't been as active lately?" she muttered to herself.
"What of the mines, Klein? How are they progressing?"
Klein dug into his black suit and pulled out a tablet. "Well. We do seem to be having a lot more cave-ins--three lives were already lost. And I do believe that Whitley has been making passes through the mine again. Through the overseers, I concur."
Weiss sighed as she made her way through the main foyer. "Good God. Whenever Whitley makes passes through the mine the workers suddenly go silent. And half the homunculi go deviant and break directive."
"My apologies miss."
"It's okay, Klein. It isn't as though it's your mess that I have to fix."
Weiss and Klein stopped amongst a large set of white doors that lead into the Courtyard. For a while, she just stood there and looked at it. The door, with all its luxurious gemstones and the blue snowflake at the center, representing the Schnee family.
Klein dropped to his knees and brandished a small silver box. Presenting it to Weiss. "Mistress." He called.
He opened the silver box. The mahogany colour of the cushions had drawn her eyes to what rested on the cushions. A bright sliver revolver. A chassis made of an ivory and silver alloy, eight chambers with a barrel long enough to touch the edge of the silver box.
Beside the revolver were eight silver bullets. Traces of ivory filling the small carvings made within the bullets.
Weiss beheld the heavy revolver, inspecting the intricate carvings on the alloy. She flicked her wrist to the side and the eight chambers popped out. One by one, she took the silver bullets and loaded them into the chamber.
Her eyes never left the door. Even as she spun the chamber and loaded the bullets.
"I'm sorry, Mistress. About what you are about to face." Klein apologized, keeping his head down while holding the silver box.
"I'll be alright, Klein. This is just my Tuesday."
She flicked her wrist and the chamber slammed back into place. She gave the eight chambers a little spin before a white glyph appeared and she pushed the silver revolver inside.
"This has been my Tuesday for the last nineteen years."
Weiss pushed the door open and was rushed with a wave of blasting cold and snow. It opened up to the courtyard, fountain in the center, frozen over by the cold as pockets of snow blanketed the arena-like yard.
As she stepped in, she took a look and walked towards the small gazebo that lay beyond the frozen fountain. When she reached it, she didn't bother to take a single step leading up to the gazebo where her family sat.
Whitley was to the side, casually spinning around a straw dunked into a glass of cola. An Overseer at his side. Still wearing the dastardly white plates of armor despite the chilling cold of the biting winds. The Struggles of homunculi, she supposed.
Beside Whitley lay her mother, Willow. A philter of red wine beside her as usual. Shards of frost clung to the wine glass, and melted beautifully into transparent drops of water. As she took the glass, she turned to imposing figure sitting beside her.
Her father. Jacques Schnee.
His eyes bore holes into her skin as if her direction was the only place he could stand to look. They no longer burned, his icy glare. Weiss pegged herself used to it.
There were times she wished that Winter were here to fill the empty seat. But, her thoughts remained silent as she stared back at Jacques.
"Father."
"Weiss." He closed his eyes and sighed.
"I suppose you have prepared yourself?"
You certainly wouldn't care if I did. Oh how she had wished that those words can spray out her mouth. But it would cause problems should she do so.
He has no need for an affirmation from her. So she just turned her back to him and stared down the courtyard. She summoned a glyph and pulled out her silver rapier, keeping it at her side.
Jacques turned to his side. "Willow." He called.
Without a word, Willow lifted her hand and pointed out towards the courtyard. In a moment, a large turquoise sigil spread across the ground.
The air grew still as the seconds passed and the fallen snow danced in the air. First came the helmet. Carved from the brightest of silver to reveal nothing within, like a doll. Then came the chestplate and the very hilt of the magnificent greatsword the doll wielded.
When it stood amongst the icy courtyard, Weiss could see the broken pieces of the silver chestplate. Held together by only patches of steel chainmail. Its greatsword glowed as the doll clenched it tightly and gave a powerful roar that cleared away the snow that pelted the courtyard.
"Oh? Weiss is fighting the Winter Knight again? This should be good. Let us watch, Unit Echo." Whitley stated, tearing his attention away from the cola onto the courtyard.
The Winter Knight charged towards Weiss, its greatsword that rested on its shoulders suddenly splitting the cold air as it dove straight down to her.
She swiftly jumped back as the sword struck the ground and smashed it. Summoning a glyph and pulling out the sliver revolver. Her finger started hammering on the trigger, raining the Winter Knight with torrents of gunfire.
When the revolver clicked empty, she placed it at her side and rushed the Knight. It pried its sword out of the ground, and with both of its hands latched onto its blade, it skidded swiftly along the ice and swung a powerful arc towards her.
At the same time, Weiss quickly slid down on her knees and used her silver greaves to skid underneath the powerful swing of the blade, avoiding the swing and reaching the Knights blind spot.
As though she were an elegant ice skater, she slid onto her feet and landed a rapid flurry of thrusts with her rapier. Stabbing against its broken chestplate. She tossed her rapier onto her other hand and landed another three strikes before dashing away and bringing out her empty revolver.
She brought her hand over it and summoned another, smaller glyph that quickly passed through the gun. Pure light shaped into small bullets that slid into all eight of the chambers. Flicking her wrist and locking it back in the barrel, and as the Knight launched towards her with its sword in reverse grip, she fired a round to stagger it midway.
As it stood still recovering from the sudden round, Weiss spun the chamber of the revolver and the ivory carvings of the gun started to glow a bright white light as numerous glyphs started to appear in the air.
The silver bullet split the cold air as a large crack sounded through the courtyard. As the bullet hit the Knight, all the glyphs fired beams of light onto it. Tearing through the broken chestplates and chainmail as he staggered back.
Weiss didn't let up. Using her sliver greaves to slide against the ice while spinning the chamber of her revolver once again. A grey glyph appeared beneath her feet and as it disappeared she dashed straight towards the Winter Knight with blinding speed.
As the carvings on her rapier began to glow, with a flash of light she tore through the knight's side with ease. Suddenly appearing behind it, switching to her left hand and pelting him with strikes shadowed by white light, too fast for anyone to see.
When she jumped back to fire on it, the Knight rolled back and conjured up a wall of ice spikes from the ground with a wave of its hand. It shattered soon enough, giving Weiss time to take aim with her revolver.
Suddenly, the Winter Knight's greatsword started to glow as it bulled it back into its waist. Its right leg was grounded to the ice as its left drifted back. Then, almost dwarfing the speed that Weiss had shown to pierce through it. The Knight launched itself towards her.
It was too fast for her to jump away from, so she quickly hopped a little to the side of the greatsword and summoned a glyph that latched onto the side of the chamber and covered her wrist. She then raised her hand as the revolver parried the thrust, the blade narrowly avoiding her head and nicking off a bit of hair.
With how close the Winter Knight was to her, Weiss could now see deep into the helm of the mighty doll.
Empty. Just as she thought. It made her far less guilty when rapier in her free hand started to glow again, and she plunged it right through the heart of the Knight. Stabbing right through the fragile silver breastplate.
The greatsword fell and stabbed into the ground as the Knight pulled itself out of Weiss's sword. Finally, it gave a loud roar and disappeared into the snowy winds. The greatsword losing its luster and revealing the many chips and strikes against it.
Weiss kept staring at the sword stabbed into the ground. Not even bothering to meet her father's gaze. Whitley sipped on his cola, a chestire grin plastering his face.
"Weiss did pretty good, didn't she father? She never let the poor thing touch her even once." He said.
For a while now. Jacques stood silent. With his arms folded and eyes shut, looking rather disinterested with the conversation. As he opened his eyes once more, its cold blue shown with a rather chilling malice.
"She's becoming like Winter. Not a single part of that is good."
He stood from his seat, shoving the chair away and walking back to the manor. Crossing paths with Weiss and the chipped greatsword.
Weiss turned around, and their eyes met for a single moment before Jacques walked past her.
"I'd liken her to a waste."
And with that, Jacques walked towards the big ornate doors and as he opened them, he turned to Willow. Who, until now, still remained silent and passive. "Do not forget about the Auction on Saturday. I would rather not share a car with you, smelling like wine."
He turned away. "Whitley."
Whitley pushed away the glass of cola and faced Jacques, who could only move one eye to look at him. "I trust that you have everything handled?"
"Yes, Father."
"Good. Don't disappoint me."
With those chilling words, Jacques opened the door and left the courtyard. Soon, Willow left as well. Trailing behind her husband, red wine in hand and book in the other.
Only Whitley remained, the half-empty glass of cola all but forgotten by him as he leaned against his hand and stared intently at Weiss. The overseer watched, silently as Weiss turned around and fixed Whitley with a stare of her own.
It didn't last long. Weiss could see Whitley pop out a small smirk before shifting his chair and preparing to leave himself. "Let us leave, Unit Echo."
With small heavy steps. Whitley left the courtyard. Leaving Weiss alone in the empty frozen yard. Her gaze diverged from the chipped greatsword of the Winter Knight to the revolver in her hand. Its ivory-silver handle clenched by bleeding hands.
As she looked onto drops of her own blood staining the silver of the revolver, her hands suddenly started shaking. And it got harder and harder to lift the gun up.
She gave a wryly smile. "I wish this thing wasn't so heavy sometimes. Makes it hard to clean with all this blood."
Here you go. Another chapter done.
Now, I feel as though there are a few things that I have to clear up to the possible few readers who heavily favour RWBY canon.
The world of RWBY is VERY different from canon as you can see. Weiss is quite cold-blooded in this fic and while the canon Schnee Dust Company treated workers harshly, it wasn't outright slavery. (The few who read Melancholy should already be familiar with the severe hatred I have towards following canon story.)
Unlike here.
There were a lot of things I've added and removed from canon, Like the Homonculi and about 80% of canon Weiss's persona. (Among others.)
That being said, there are a lot of things about the System that Arhen is using that is quite complex because of his nature as a system.
Feel free to ask any questions on this subject and I'll try my best to answer them.
The one thing that I can elaborate on so far is the fact that unlike the system Gamer's use.
Arhen's system functions on what is known. the more he knows, The more powerful the system gets.
I can't really elaborate more on the 'Metaverse' right now without heavy spoilers at the moment, if anyone wonders.
Anyway, feel free to like and review, and I'll see you all next chapter!