Author's Notes
Howdy, I wanted to address a few things before the fic proper. Anyone who has read my primary fic, Shattered Assumptions, or has questions about how I'm going to be approaching this story, this note is for you. This story leans much heavier on the Gamer elements than SA does, and is what I would comfortably call an attempt to deconstruct and reconstruct some elements of them that I find interesting. This includes the dreaded harem, which I do intend to try and write from a viewpoint that suspends disbelief somewhat. Would something like that be fulfilling for the protagonist? Likely not. That doesn't mean that the characters involved won't try to make it work!
The 'System' will not make the protagonist a murder hobo, nor will he be some perfect hero who never makes mistakes, as having all the power in the world doesn't guarantee success. It may or may not alter things relating to peoples' perceptions or viewpoints; whether or not it actually does is a question that will be addressed in the story. I'm taking a bit of a gamble with this concept, so I hope you'll give this a chance and enjoy reading.
When one died, there were a number of things they could possibly be expecting.
Pearly gates, burning hellfire, a Denny's stuck in perpetual midnight just off the highway…
Certainly, one wouldn't expect to be floating in a white void staring at an oversized Oscar trophy, and yet, that's exactly what the spirit of one soul found himself doing.
The Oscar trophy spoke, and asked him, "Do you know who I am, child?"
To which, the ball of cherry red energy responded, "Well… Either you're an oversized Oscar trophy, or you're a god, so… I'm gonna say a god." Then it flitted into the air, "Wait! I know this part! You're… The God of Light, right?"
The God of Light sounded amused as he responded, "Astute observation, Child of Earth. Yes, I am. If you know that much, then might you have an idea as to why I brought you here?"
The orb lowered slightly, "Well… I did die pretty suddenly. Are you here to give me a second chance? That'd be pretty cool if you did, I kinda sucked my first go around."
The God of Light chuckled, "Yes, child, although I will have duties for you to fulfill on Remnant, and don't expect things to be easy for you. I'm aware of your foreknowledge, but the version of Remnant I'm sending you to is destined to be inexorably altered in more ways than one. You will see, as time goes on, what I mean by that."
He continued, "You will not be entering this world empty-handed. I will be giving you two distinct boons, you will discover much and more about them as time goes on. Now, I ask, do you accept this reincarnation? Or would you merely wish to go to the afterlife?"
The spirit didn't really need to think very long on that, "Reincarnation, please." Remnant might have sucked, sure, but if he got strong enough, he could be a real hero!
The God of Light didn't need to hear anything else, he simply said, "Very well. Then, good luck, Child of Earth."
The strange plane of existence flared white before going completely black.
…And then faded into another featureless white plane, but this time with someone more distinct than the God of Light.
They had glowing blue skin, an androgynous body that one could not call male nor female, similarly their face was androgynous enough that, depending on who you asked, they were either a feminine looking boy, or a boyish looking girl. They wore a dark blue T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and azure running shoes.
They had eyes that were dark blue in the sclera, with a lighter blue in the irises. As their eyes met the boy's, they gained a look of confusion and uncertainty. Then they looked away before shaking their head and looking back at him and speaking in a voice that was slightly high-pitched and boyish, but not enough to be considered anything but androgynous, "So you're the guy, this time?" They snickered, "You look so lanky."
A mirror appeared in front of them, facing the boy. He blinked in confusion as he looked at himself. His somewhat fluffy jet black hair framed his face, with bangs on either side going past his ears. The central part of his bangs were brushed back and feathered, while the rest of his hair had markedly less attention to detail, with tufts of it sticking out in random places.
He hated to admit that they were right, his body was rather thin and lanky, his height at 6'0'' was just making it worse. His pale skin indicated a lack of sunlight, and his hazel eyes held a look of sleepiness to them. At least, he thought, he looked better than he used to. He was wearing a sleet gray fleece jacket that was unzipped and hung slightly off his shoulders, revealing the black short-sleeved shirt underneath. He also wore a pair of loose black slacks and dark gray running shoes.
The most stand out thing about his outfit was the amulet around his neck, which had a gold chain, a light blue casing shaped like a heart, and an azure colored gem slotted into it. He thought it looked cool, but shook it off once he remembered what the figure said, "Hey, I look fine!"
The mirror disappeared and they smirked, "Yeah, sure, okay. Anyway, call me Alex, I'll be one of the spirits assisting 're going to get access to powers that will manifest in a way you're familiar with." Their smirk grew, "You look like a nerd, so probably something akin to a video game."
He thought, 'Wow, just coming at my throat right away, huh?'
That was when the first notifications appeared.
CREATING NEW SAVE DATA…
…CREATING NEW PARAMETERS…
…SOUL MELDING WITH NEW USER…
…SANITY CHECKING USER…
…ANALYZING WORLDSTATE…
COMPLETE!
SAVE 3
ARWYN CADEYRN
LEVEL 1 NEET
WORLDSTATE
PERILOUS
WELCOME, NEW USER!
That was followed by a stat sheet.
ARWYN CADEYRN
LEVEL 1 NEET
NO TITLE
AGE: 17
HP 50/50
Aura 100/100
Vigor - 8
Mind - 1
Charisma - 10
Endurance - 6
Strength - 5
Dexterity - 3
Intelligence - 2
SKILLS
NONE
"Arwyn, huh…" He huffed, "I'm not a NEET! I mean, maybe I spent most of my time inside back in my old life, but… That's normal these days! I was doing very important things!"
Alex giggled, "You mean like playing video games and reading fanfiction?"
Arwyn's lack of a response to that was telling as he deflated, causing Alex to burst out laughing, "Oh, this is gonna be fun! Okay!" They clapped their hands together, "You've got someone else to meet, but you'll get acquainted with them once you 'spawn', and you should be doing that…" They checked an invisible watch on their wrist, "Right now."
"Right now?"
"Right now!"
Then the world went black.
/-/
When he opened his eyes again, he was in a forest.
And he immediately felt like he had an idea of what was going on.
'Beacon initiation, maybe? Seen it before, I think…'
Yet, he couldn't focus on that yet, because he had something else to focus on, as he was grasping a sword in his hand, but… it didn't seem to be an ordinary sword.
It was a one-handed double-edged sword, with a pure white blade and a fuller that encompassed the middle of the blade and only ended towards the top. It slimmed down at the hilt, and had a strange crescent-shaped crossguard on either side of the hilt. There was a decorative white gem that reminded Arwyn of a pearl at the point where the blade and the hilt met. Finally, it had a decorative sweeping that wrapped around the cross-guard and stopped above the hilt.
It felt well balanced in his hand (not that he would know the first thing about that) and after giving it a couple experimental swings, it seemed… well, like a sword, "I knew I should have spent more time watching all those in-depth videos on medieval swords…" He huffed and lowered the blade, looking around, "Well… What now?"
A masculine, even-toned voice cut into his thoughts and caused him to start when suddenly he heard, "Now, you meet your other companion." The source of the voice was behind him, so he whirled around to see who was talking to him.
The man he saw was another spirit, with the same skin and eye color, however, he was somewhat tall. Still human sized, around 6'3'' in height. He was thin, or at least, Arwyn thought he was; it was hard to tell because he wore a dark blue cloak that covered his body. His face had scars on it, and his eyes held a certain wisdom to them only gained with the kind of experience one might have after ages of existence. His hair was cut short and kept neat, as well, lending to his regimented appearance. He said, "Child of Earth, Arwyn Cadeyrn, I am the spirit that is charged with representing the Relic of Destruction, Mars, and you… are going to be a very interesting comrade. I hope you have a good sense of humor."
Arwyn blinked several times, "H-Humor…? W-Wait!" He looked at the sword, "The Relic of Destruction?! Isn't that supposed to be, like… a weapon of mass destruction? Capable of giving one man the power to wipe out entire armies with ease? That seems… a bit overpowered."
Mars smiled, "You're correct. That's why you only have an infinitesimal amount of the sword's power right now. At the moment, it will strike fear into the hearts of any foe who opposes you, but little else. You must prove yourself worthy to get more of its power." Then, he looked at the necklace Arwyn was wearing, "I assume the Assistant, or Alex, as they prefer, hasn't informed you on the majority of the Relic of Progress' powers. Worry not, you'll discover them as time goes on."
That was when he got his first bit of new information from the System.
HUD
As a consequence of being bonded to the system, so long as you wear the Relic of Progress you will be able to see your current HP and Aura values in the bottom left of your vision.
Then something surprising happened.
SYSTEM ERROR
RESONANCE LEVELS EXCEEDING NORMAL PARAMETERS
SOUL BOND STRENGTHENED, NEW ABILITIES AND SUBSYSTEMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO BE UNLOCKED.
ABILITY UNLOCKED: INSPECT!
Inspect allows you to get more information on an object, should you wish for it. However, the amount you learn is relative to your intelligence stat.
ABILITY UNLOCKED: SUMMON SWORD!
Excalibur, your sword, is uniquely bonded to you. As such, you are able to summon and de-summon it at will.
Arwyn blinked a few times, "Well… Okay. Seems fairly standard, is this not normal?"
That was when Alex appeared next to him, "No, no it's not!" They crossed their arms, "This has never happened before, not once. The Relic wasn't supposed to have those two abilities, and it says there's more?" They shook their head, "...I guess we'll be learning together, ya NEET."
They puffed away before Arwyn could contest being a NEET, and Mars chuckled, "How unexpected. I guess that takes care of needing to hide your weapon's true nature. There are a few in this realm who would recognize it as a relic, less so the Relic of Progress, but it shall be obfuscated somewhat as well, with Alex's magic. Now, you'd best get moving." He looked off in the distance, "I sense a Beowolf coming this way. Well, good luck!"
"Wha- Hey!" Arwyn reached out to him, but he had already vanished.
Arwyn groaned and looked around, "Okay, okay, cool, cool… Don't mind me, I just have no idea what I'm doing and the two people who're supposed to be guiding me!" He shouted the last part while looking at the sky, "Have decided it'd be real funny to leave me on my own!" The only response he received was the sound of growling coming from the trees to his right. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he raised his sword, "Okay… Just… pretend it's a video game! Yeah… That's totally gonna work."
He tried to brace himself as he heard rustling while thinking, 'I'm so screwed. Maybe this is the point where I meet my partner?'
What emerged was decidedly not his partner, unless he suddenly learned to talk to Grimm.
Beowolves, in Arwyn's unprofessional opinion, looked pretty terrifying when they were real and glaring at you with their glowing red eyes. As it emerged from the brush, he saw it all, its inky black fur, its white bone mask, and its gnashing fangs. Its claws dug into the dirt beneath it as it braced itself, preparing to lunge forward.
Once it pounced, Arwyn was able to clumsily avoid getting knocked down by scrambling to his right. He knew he'd have never dodged it before, but now that he had aura, things were different. However, just because he had aura didn't mean he was any more coordinated or dexterous than he was in his old life, which meant he tripped over a rock as he moved and had to rush to stand up.
The Beowolf landed and turned towards him as he was getting up. It wasted no time in lunging at him again while he was still getting his feet underneath himself. He was able to scramble out of the way again, but the beast swiped at him with its clawed paw, sending him rolling across the ground as he yelped in pain. It turned out, he realized, aura didn't prevent pain, it just stopped him from getting injured.
He gripped Excalibur tightly in his hand and gritted his teeth as he ended up colliding with a tree. He managed to sit up against it and tried to think of a solution, although he was having trouble thinking coherently in a situation like this.
Then, suddenly, he got a crazy idea.
As the Beowolf prepared to lunge at him again, he braced himself and prepared to move. Once it leapt forward, he quickly jumped out from in front of the tree. The Beowolf collided nose first with the trunk, and while its bone mask prevented it from taking too much damage, it was clearly disoriented.
That was when Arwyn acted, hurrying towards the Beowolf and bringing up his sword. With a mighty (and incredibly terrified) yell, he thrust Excalibur down on the beast's neck. The incredibly sharp blade pierced into it without any resistance and came out the other side of the Beowolf's neck.
The beast promptly collapsed and Arwyn yanked out the blade, breathing heavily and sweating up a storm, he muttered, "Fucking fuck…"
That was when he received a notification.
Level Up!
ARWYN CADEYRN
LEVEL 2 NEET
NO TITLE
AGE: 17
HP 50/50
Aura 100/100
Vigor - 9
Mind - 2
Charisma - 10
Endurance - 7
Strength - 6
Dexterity - 4
Intelligence - 2
SKILLS
Sword Fighting - 5/100 (Beginner)
Dodging - 10/100 (Beginner)
'Well, it's a start.'
He dismissed the notification and then heard Alex as they spoke boisterously right next to him, "Nice work, NEET!" He started at the sudden noise and then whirled around to face them, they were smirking smugly, "You've got some potential. You actually managed to kill it. Honestly, I bet with Mars that you'd almost die before you took it out."
Arwyn deflated, "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." He looked around and sighed, "Now I need to figure out where to go…"
Alex gasped, "Ooh, I forgot. Here." They waved their hand, and more notifications appeared.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION!
Throughout your journey you'll need certain information in order to help you progress. This information will almost always be related to an ongoing quest, and can take a variety of different forms. It can be notifications that appear on the corner of your vision, a waypoint directing you towards your destination, and much more!
NEW QUEST!
YOUR HUNTER ACADEMIA!
You've been dropped off right in the middle of Beacon's initiation. Your goal is to make it to the cliffside and to safety without dying. Getting a partner is advisable, but not critical. What's critical is not dying!
REWARDS
Not dying, 100 Lien, 5 Vitality and Endurance, more rewards depending on method of completion.
PENALTIES FOR FAILURE
Death, perhaps.
He dismissed the notifications and saw a compass appear at the top of his vision, reminding him of RPGs he used to play, "Well alright, that makes this much easier. Wait, are you always in charge of making quests?"
Alex shrugged, "Not always. Sometimes the System will make quests on its own… somehow. Don't ask me how." They nudged him with their elbow, "I really shoulda given you that one sooner buuut now's as good a time as any. Think you'll make it?"
After thinking about it for a moment, he managed a small smile, "Yeah, I think." He looked at them, and noted that they were actually fairly short at 5'3''. He placed his free hand on their head and ruffled their fluffy hair, much to their chagrin, "Seriously… Thank you. I'd probably be dead right now without you and Mars."
They huffed and took hold of his wrist with both their hands, pulling it off and pouting, "No ruffling the spirit." They shook their head and looked away, deep in thought, before looking back and smiling more genuinely, although there was a strange sense of bitter melancholy to it, "D-Don't mention it, though. It's what we're here for. Now get moving!"
They puffed away and left Arwyn feeling incredibly curious about their strange reaction to what he did. Then, he got another notification.
RELATIONSHIPS!
The more time you spend on Remnant, the more friends (and, possibly, lovers) you'll make. Peoples' opinions of you will be quantified via two separate relationship values - platonic and romantic. Whenever an important change occurs, if the person is visible, you will see the value above their head.
New Friend Obtained!
Alex F̷̷̸̵̷̷̴̵̷̢̡̛͇̠̣̮̭̱̹̥̤͍̞͓̲͓͙̣̯̖̍̿́̅̈́̐͗̃̿̆̀̇̎͊́̀̚̕̚͝͠͝ͅą̶̶̴̶̵̵̸̸̶̸̵̡̧̼͔̻͕̳̹̰̺̹̮̫̝̟̟̦͕̖̠͇̜̣̼̜͙͖̠͖̘̖̝͌̍̿͗̐͌̈́͊̀̄͋̋͌̃͗̉́̉͌̈̅̚̚̕̕̕͠͝ͅr̵̷̵̷̶̸̴̷̸̷̷̡̡̧̗̻͉̦͉̖̲͙̙͓̭͕͉̮̯̮̥͍͎̺͕̮͖͖̓̊͂̀̽͗͆͆̔͑̆́̅̂̉͌̚͘̕͜͝͝͝͝͝r̶̶̵̵̶̵̶̴̸̷̷̡̨̡̢̲̺̣̮͉̗̪̗̩̗̘̪̤̩̞̟̪͖̙̲̖͇͓͎̭͕̺̹̅́̑̀̅͗̀̈́̓̔̎́̊̈̀̃̔̆̌̽̒̏̋̌̄̈̏̈́̕͘͝͝͝ͅä̶̸̴̸̵̸̷̴̶̧̛̜͔̲̤̥͉̟̭͇̜͓̱̞̪̜̮́̍̔̓́̎̄̑̏̋͂̆̓̽̈́̋̎̋̕͘ͅͅͅͅn̵̵̷̷̵̷̸̵̸̨̧̥͈͖̜̖̳̩̯͉̗̱̩̳̣̻̗̰̞̦̩̈́͌̐̈́̀̅͂̌͑̋̉̃̄̓̏̋̈́͜͝
Budding Friendship - 10/100 (Tier 1)
? - ?
?
?
?
The textbox shut immediately after that without prompting, leaving Arwyn confused, but a new notification quickly took hold of his attention.
NEW ABILITY - CALL!
As you bond with more people, you will find that their strength will, in more ways than one, become yours. You can call upon their strength and summon either the person themself or a spiritual representation of them to temporarily aid you in battle. At first, this will only be for brief attacks, but as your bonds strengthen, they will stay for longer periods of time. Additionally, you may gain access to unique Calls that don't require you to be friends with the person you call upon. To call someone, you must think or say their name with the intent of calling on their aid.
Please note that certain Calls will be drastically reduced in power compared to their true strength. For example…
New Call - Alex!
Call upon the spirit of the Relic of Progress to temporarily aid you in combat. Though their magical capabilities are incredibly limited, they are still more than capable of helping you in a pinch.
"Holy shit…"
He dismissed the notification and muttered, "Alex never mentioned anything like this… Maybe it's one of the new things?" He grasped the amulet around his neck briefly before starting off in the direction the System was telling him to go.
He had hoped to maybe run into someone along his way, but that didn't seem to be happening. Thankfully, at least, he didn't have any run-ins with Grimm as he continued towards where he needed to be. He had no idea what time it was at first, but he found that he had a scroll in his pocket, and it said that it was around 2 in the afternoon. That meant the initiation had to be close to ending, he thought, since it seemed to start in the morning.
He didn't have to walk for very long before he started closing in on his destination, and as he cleared the treeline, he found what it was.
He also found that his earlier thought was correct, as he witnessed in the distance a figure he couldn't really make out that well racing up the side of a wall and decapitating a giant Nevermore. He huffed, "Damn it, I'm really late, aren't I?"
He started for the cliff, although he obviously wasn't able to catch up to what he assumed was Teams RWBY and JNPR, because he was still fairly slow, even with aura. After thinking about it, he equated himself somewhat to Jaune in skill level, which… wasn't good, to say the least.
'Well, at least I know more about Grimm, and the world, than he does.'
Finally, his years of being a fucking nerd would pay off!
Hopefully.
Before that could happen, though, he had to reach the top of the cliff.
Given that Team RWBY and JNPR cleared the area, he had no trouble, and he expected to reach an empty cliffside, because who would be waiting for him? Ozpin would no doubt be handling team assignments, and Glynda would be there as well, so maybe he could slip in and come up with something to tell the man? He had no idea what…
Arwyn wasn't exactly a liar, so he had no clue. So, he just de-summoned Excalibur in preparation for what was to come, causing it to vanish in a white light.
When he finally reached the top of the cliff, the wind blowing and rustling the trees while providing a pleasant feeling as it hit his skin, he had expected to be able to catch his breath. However, to his surprise, someone was waiting for him.
Standing there, his hands folded over his cane and staring in his direction, was none other than Professor Ozpin. As Arwyn approached him, the professor said, "Greetings, young man." Then, after a pause, asked, "...Do you mind telling me how it is you ended up here? There are barriers set up around Beacon's segment of the Emerald Forest to prevent intrusion."
Arwyn stammered, "Uhhhhh… Well… I kinda just… Woke up there?" That wasn't necessarily a lie, either, he did kind of just appear there.
Ozpin hummed and Arwyn felt somewhat unnerved being under the man's analytical gaze, especially when he knew what he knew about the man, "I see… What's your name, young man?"
He responded nervously, "A-Arwyn Cadeyrn, sir."
The Headmaster produced a scroll and texted something to someone with one hand before putting it away, "Very well… You're in a very dangerous place, Mr. Cadeyrn, but I can tell you have your aura unlocked. Yet… You say you just woke up in the forest, you seem somewhat worn out and lost… You understand if I'm a bit skeptical of you, surely. Do you have a weapon?"
Arwyn swallowed a lump in his throat, "Uhm… Yes." He held his hand out to his right and called Excalibur into it, "It's, uhm… special?"
Ozpin regarded it, thankfully it seemed he didn't recognize it. Arwyn wasn't sure what the Relic of Destruction looked like in this world, but it probably looked different to Excalibur. Still, he hummed, "I sense… a great power in that weapon. Would you mind letting me hold it for a moment?" He held out his hand.
Arwyn did as he asked hesitantly, placing it in Ozpin's hand. The professor looked it over and seemed deep in thought, and then after a few moments the weapon vanished from his hand and reappeared in Arwyn's, who gasped, "A-Ah, I didn't make it do that!"
Ozpin just seemed more intrigued, "I see. I'm going to have to ask you to come with me, Mr. Cadeyrn. You have been cooperative so far, but I still can't discount the possibility that you have malicious intent, you understand, surely."
Arwyn nodded a few times, still incredibly nervous, "A-Ah, alright… Where are we going?"
"Come with me, I have a place where you can stay until we get this sorted out."
He followed behind the Headmaster, though he couldn't help but think, 'This… isn't going as smoothly as I'd have hoped.'
/-/
That was how Arwyn found himself in what Oz described as a spare bedroom somewhere near the top of Beacon Tower, not too far from where Oz's office was. He had to wonder what it was there for, but then again, Beacon likely had so many spare rooms and things of that nature that were never shown in the show because they were unnecessary, that maybe he shouldn't have been surprised at all.
The bedroom was, if nothing else, nice. It had a king sized bed covered in clean sheets, a warm floor of cut stone tiles, a desk with some drawers that Arwyn hadn't looked in yet, a bookshelf with tons of books, a window that had its curtains currently drawn shut, and some tasteful landscape paintings on the dark blue walls.
It was better than anything he'd ever stayed in during his old life, but…
He'd have enjoyed it a lot more if he hadn't been locked inside.
He threw himself down horizontally across the bed, his feet dangling off the left side, and sighed, "Man… What kind of story starts with the protagonist getting locked in a tower?" He huffed, "I'm not some princess…"
That was when Alex's voice pulled him out of his thoughts as they teased him, "Coulda fooled me with those noodle arms and pale skin." He looked over and saw them standing at the foot of the bed with a smirk on their face, "Adjusting to life on Remnant?"
He groaned and stared at the ceiling again, "Nope."
They snickered, "Awh, come on, it's not so bad. At least you've got some cool digs!" They sat on the foot of the bed, "I mean, most people are sleeping in dorm rooms today, not you! You've got, like… a whole suite." They pointed to the two doors in the suite, "Even got a bathroom and a closet. Too bad there's no kitchen, huh? I could use a bite to eat…"
That raised a question as Arwyn looked at them, "Do you need to eat?"
Alex shook their head, "Nah, but food tastes good, and anything I eat just gets turned to magical energy anyway. Being a spirit is a pretty cool job." They snickered, "Although some of my coworkers are pretty boring."
That was when Mars' voice filled the room, "You've always been an odd one, Alex," he said before he appeared in a puff of blue smoke, standing near the left side of the bed, "You don't even like using the code name you were assigned. You used it for a couple years with your first assigned hero and then never again."
Alex shrugged in response, "Hey, what do you want? Just because you, Jinn, and Ambrosius got so used to your code names you forgot your old ones doesn't mean that I'm gonna do the same."
Mars chuckled, "So be it." Then he changed the topic, "Arwyn, while you did well for your very first fight, you're going to have to learn a lot, and learn quickly, if you intend to do your duty. Luckily for you, you'll have ample opportunities to grow, the Relic of Progress combined with experience and tutelage will see to that."
That made Alex perk up, "Oh, right! I almost forgot!"
That was when a notification appeared.
QUEST UPDATED!
MY HUNTER ACADEMIA
Sure, you made it to Beacon, but are you going to get in? That's kind of a big deal!
Rewards Received Now
Not dying, 100 Lien, 5 Vitality and Endurance.
Potential Rewards to be Received
Entrance to Beacon, 2 Mind.
Penalties for Failure
Mediocrity, needing to find some other way to get stronger.
Arwyn felt a bit less tired after that, "Thanks." He hummed, "Well, I don't know what to do." He looked between the two of them as he sat up, "Aren't you guys supposed to be, like… guides? You're a lot more helpful than that."
Alex nodded, "Well, we're supposed to only be guides, but… We established earlier that your soul has caused the rules to shift due to how it resonated with the Relic of Progress. We don't really have to play by those rules with you, at least, not for the foreseeable future. Besides… The System gave you that 'Call' ability, so clearly it expects us to do something, one way or another."
Mars agreed, "Indeed. It also named your sword… Excalibur. A bit on the nose, if you ask me, but it's a fine name. One way or another, I'm sure you'll discover more abilities and consequences of having that resonant soul. Maybe you'll learn even faster than other users, maybe it'll affect the world around you, there's simply no telling. This is uncharted territory."
Well, that was something at least. Arwyn hummed, "Well… Glad to have you guys here. I'd probably be going a bit insane right now if it weren't for you two. So… can others see you, or…?"
Alex answered, "Only if we want them to. Although I guess if we're going to be helping you more often we might actually need to make a habit of it, but…" They rubbed their chin, "Not like this, though. We'll have to come up with different looks since, ya know, spirits."
Mars hummed in agreement, "We'll figure something out. For now, though… I think I hear the elevator."
Alex gasped, "Oh, right!" Then, both of them puffed away, leaving Arwyn alone.
Although, that didn't last very long.
There was a knock at the door, and Ozpin's voice came from the other side, "Are you awake, Mr. Cadeyrn?"
"Yeah," Arwyn replied. He was already facing the door, so he didn't need to move.
Ozpin entered the room, in his hands was a tray with what looked to be some pasta and a mug of some kind of drink. He smiled and set the tray on a nightstand that was next to the bed, "I figured you must be hungry."
Arwyn was, in fact, very hungry. He saw that the mug had hot chocolate in it and wanted to remark that that was very strange, but he just started to eat without any question. He wondered what kinds of tea Remnant had? He'd have to try some, eventually. Between bites, he asked, "So… decide anything about me?"
Ozpin hummed, "Well…" He walked around to the window and pulled open the curtains, letting more light into the dimly lit room, "We looked everywhere for any information on you. Your name never came up, and just in case you were lying, we asked the Valean police department, the Mistrali Peacekeepers, the Atlesian Police Force, and Shade Academy about someone with your description. Nothing."
He looked back, "Either you're a ghost, or were raised in the wild, because for all intents and purposes, Mr. Cadeyrn, you don't exist. That… is rather fascinating, is it not?" Arwyn looked at him and nodded, causing him to smile, "Well, your skills in combat are very… underdeveloped, but that sword of yours is… interesting. Perhaps it's your semblance? It would be very unique, if so. Then there's the matter that Glynda, and other members of the faculty, have commented on our similar facial structure, and how you and I both were born with black hair. One could easily mistake us for being blood related."
He started back over to Arwyn's side, "But I think we can use that to our advantage. I would feel incredibly guilty if I turned you loose when you're clearly in a very vulnerable state right now, and with an aura, you'll be a beacon for Grimm either way. I think, perhaps, it would be better if you stayed here and became a student, and pose as my son, and just say that your last name was your mother's."
That surprised Arwyn as he asked, "R-Really? Are you sure? I mean… I haven't exactly given you any reason to try and help me." He looked away, "I don't like lying to people, but… I guess it might be for the best, in this instance."
Ozpin nodded, his smile not faltering, "I am sure. This way, if anyone asks about you, you can simply direct them to me." He hummed, "Your method of entrance was… less than ideal, to say the least. We have no teams we could place you on. So… You will use this place as your 'dorm' for the time being, and anytime you need to take part in a team assignment, you'll be put with one at random. You will also need private lessons of some kind, but that can easily be arranged."
Arwyn felt that would be somewhat awkward, and it sucked he wouldn't get a team, but on the other hand, he wouldn't have to worry about possibly leading anyone. He nodded, "That sounds good to me." Not that he had anything else he could do, "So… what now?"
Ozpin hummed, "Well, now, you finish eating. Afterward, you may take some time to explore Beacon. Your fellow first years are still settling in, most of them are wandering the campus right now, exploring as well. I recommend getting to know them, after all, you'll be spending the next four years with them."
That made sense to him, so Arwyn nodded, "Right… I'll do that then, thank you."
Ozpin started off towards the door, saying, "You needn't thank me, Mr. Cadeyrn, simply show your thanks by working hard. I'm taking a gamble with you, and I don't do that very often. Take your tray and dishes to the cafeteria once you're finished, they will take care of them."
As he departed Arwyn couldn't help but feel that there was more to this than what Ozpin was letting on. Did he know something, or did he suspect something? He knew better than to trust the old man; even if he was ultimately a good person, he still worked in very mysterious ways that were shrouded behind an emerald curtain.
Still, there was nothing he could do about that now. What Oz did was far beyond his understanding, other than what he knew from the show, which was a lot, granted, but now that he was in the playing field himself, he had no reason to doubt that Oz was already coming up with new plans. Maybe not related to his secret war, but certainly related to him. It wasn't every day that a strange boy just appeared on campus grounds with a strange sword, after all.
Arwyn finished eating and then, once he was done, he got up and started to leave. At least he was going to be sleeping in a really nice bedroom; the idea of sharing a dorm with other students made him incredibly anxious, so getting to avoid that was a relief.
The hallway outside of the room he was staying in had the elevator at the end of it. Once he stepped inside and hit the button for the ground floor, he got a notification.
QUEST COMPLETE!
MY HUNTER ACADEMIA
You've gained entrance to Beacon, even if the method was unconventional. You might not have a team, but at least you'll be able to learn.
Rewards
Entrance to Beacon, 2 Mind.
QUEST OBTAINED
THE CURTAIN RISES
The start of your career(?) as a Huntsman has begun, and your sights turn to the future. Training, friends, and who knows what else, await. Survive your first month without getting left in the dust, and get grinding!
Rewards
Boost to your stats and skills, 400 Lien
Penalties for Failure
Disappointment
He dismissed the notification and laughed under his breath, "Disappointment? I had enough of that in my last life, still…" He smiled, "Grinding at seventeen, yeah… I can do that."
When he reached the ground level and the elevator opened, he walked through, and after some brief looking around, started heading for the dining hall. There were signs directing people to where they needed to be, likely because it was the beginning of a new school year. He was thankful for that, otherwise he'd have probably wandered around for a few hours completely lost.
The dining hall was bustling, tons of people were going about their day, and the smell of food permeated the room. It was a bit overwhelming, being around that many people, but he would push back it all the same.
After depositing his dishes and tray where he was supposed to, he looked around.
It was hard to pick out anywhere he could sit, or anyone he could talk to. He skimmed over most everyone, but before he could move anywhere, someone greeted him in a pleasant, sing-songy voice, "Hello!"
He started before turning to see who had greeted him, and it took every ounce of his mortal being to not look shocked.
Waist-length red hair tied into a ponytail that curled slightly into a loose ringlet, green eyes, light-green eyeshadow, and not to mention…
'S-She's my height, and she's got muscles…'
Pyrrha Nikos was wearing her armor, and carrying what looked to be a tray with dishes on it. When she saw that she had scared him she gasped, "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. It's just… I need to put my dishes away."
He blinked several times before he stepped out of the way, "O-Oh, don't worry about it. I was just… looking around, getting to know who's gonna be my first year classmates. I think most people here are in their first year, anyway…"
Pyrrha set her dishes and tray down in the receptacle and then looked in his direction, "They are, most of the other years are in their classes right now." She tilted her head, "I don't think I saw you at team formation…"
Arwyn scratched his cheek and looked away, "Y-Yeah, uhm… I'm kind of in a… special circumstance. I don't really… have a team, so to speak, because of some extenuating circumstances." He decided to change the subject, "A-Anyway, I did see the teams form, you're Pyrrha, right?" He saw the look of concern that briefly flashed in her eyes and decided to try to fix it by rubbing the back of his neck and trying to relax, "Oh, don't worry about… Any of that stuff. My father always taught me that celebrities are just people like you and me, y'know? Nobody should be put on a pedestal like that."
Ironically, that was actually something his old dad used to tell him.
The way Pyrrha's eyes lit up told him that was the right thing to say, "Oh, that's… admittedly a relief." She smiled nervously and looked away for a moment, "I've already been approached by a bunch of people asking for my autograph. At least my team doesn't seem to care that I'm famous. Although…" Her voice was riddled with the same awkward nervousness that was in her smile, "I think for one of them it was mostly because she didn't know who I was. After she learned, she remembered that I was actually sort of… made into a comic book character once? That's been kind of a focus of hers, which I can't blame her for, but…" She looked back, her smile had faded a bit, "I'm sure she'll get over it, she's a nice person at the end of the day."
Well, that was new. Arwyn didn't miss the female pronouns either, but he wasn't going to comment on it.
"Oh, I'm sure she'll get over it." Arwyn waved his hand dismissively, "She's your teammate, so she's gotta eventually grow out of it, right?" He decided to change the subject as he looked back to the cafeteria, "I'll admit, I'm pretty nervous. My swordsmanship needs a lot of work, I didn't get a lot of chances to practice before coming here. I don't want people to think I don't belong here."
Well, he didn't, but not for the same reasons as Jaune (or whatever she was named here) at least.
Pyrrha seemed intrigued at that, "You do seem to be lacking in muscle mass…" The gears in her brain were turning, Arwyn could tell.
Yet, before that thread could be followed up, he heard a voice he distinctly recognized as Nora's in the distance, "Pyrrhaaa! We gotta check out the dorm!"
That made her start, but she recovered quickly and said, "O-Oh, sorry… I enjoyed talking to you! Would you like to trade scroll numbers? I could use more friends."
That was surprising, but Arwyn wasn't going to say no. Luckily, he didn't have to memorize his scroll number or anything like that. They just touched their scrolls together and then the information automatically got sent to one another. Then Pyrrha left after bidding him goodbye.
He was left reeling a bit by that, his first successful interaction with someone that wasn't a spirit in this world…
New Friend Obtained!
Pyrrha Nikos
Budding Friendship - 20/100 (Tier 1)
Curious - 10/100 (Tier 0)
New Call - Pyrrha!
Call upon the power of the Myrmidon to help you in a fight. When you use Pyrrha's Call at this stage, you gain a brief burst of strength. Useful in a pinch, but only lasts for a minute.
He dismissed the notification while thinking, 'Huh, not bad.'
Then, for the second time, he was startled by a voice, this time it belonged to Alex, "Hey!" He whirled around and his eyes widened as he saw them, because they looked… different.
Their fluffy hair turned black, their skin fair, their eyes were a light emerald green, and though they wore the same clothes as they did before, there was no blue smoke coming from them. Their body remained the same, figure wise, with very slight curves that crossed between boyish and girly. Where they had once been easily described as 'cute but ethereal' they were now just, well…
'Cute.'
He smiled, "Alex, is this your…"
They nodded and placed their hands on their hips, "My 'disguise'? Yeah! I figured it'd be easier for us to talk about stuff in public if I looked like this. Mars has a disguise, too, but he's busy with some other stuff right now, so it's just me."
"Spi…People like him can be busy?"
"Well…" They hummed, "Sort of? I… actually don't know why he couldn't be here." They shrugged, "Oh well. We'll have to ask him later. So, are you going to try and make more friends? Or maybe start grinding?"
He rubbed his chin, "Well… I'd like to meet some more people, but… I should also probably start training right away. If I don't, I'll get stomped. I just hope that I don't get called on to do any spars too quickly. I'd… rather not embarrass myself."
Alex smirked, "Smart. Lucky for you, the Headmaster should have plenty of study material to give you. If he's got that major an interest in you, then he might even teach you a bit himself."
"Well… That would be nice." Arwyn nodded, "Guess I'd better go check out some places to train, and…" He looked at his arms and huffed, "Maybe get some sort of muscle, I don't wanna be buff, but I don't like looking like a stick figure."
They responded with a nod, "Best get to it, then! You've got a lot of grinding to do and very little time. Can't let it go to waste!" They gestured towards the door, which was behind him, "Why not go get looking now? I'll come around again later."
That made sense to him, and so he left while Alex also left the building, rounded a corner to which nobody could see them, and then vanished. Arwyn was left to try and find some places to start training, and luckily, he didn't have to wait very long.
Before he could make it into a building, he was hailed by Ozpin, who informed him of where to go, and that he had left several books on sword fighting and other combat tactics for him to read in his bedroom. He said that after the school year had time to start properly, he might be able to find some time to train him himself. That just added more questions to Arwyn's mind regarding why Ozpin was so willing to train him.
Yet, he was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
When he made it back to his room, he found that Ozpin had, in fact, left several stacks of books and other learning materials for him to absorb.
Arwyn had been prepared to sit down and try to focus on reading, but after picking up the first book 'Intro to Sword Fighting' and opening it, it vanished in a burst of white particles. Before he even had time to react, a notification appeared.
SKILL MEDIA!
As you go through life, you'll find books and other sorts of media that can help you improve your skills in just about anything. You will instantly absorb this knowledge and get points accordingly, but you can only do this three times a month. You will not be able to use skill media that's too high level for you, so keep that in mind!
EXPERIENCE GAINED!
15 Sword Fighting
15 Parrying
15 Blocking
"Well… That's cool." He rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden influx of knowledge. Although, given that he'd learned that much about swords in the span of a few seconds, he felt that the headache he was developing was probably warranted. It also meant he was going to have to pace himself, both to avoid a migraine and to get the most out of what he had.
Then, suddenly, in the corner of the room, a blue door appeared, causing him to jump before he asked, "Wh-What the fuck?" It had a blue aura coming off of it as well…
That was when the door opened and revealed Alex, back in their spirit form. They beckoned him to come in, "Hey! Check this out!" before disappearing back into the room.
He did as he was asked, and looked around. It, strangely enough, looked like a study. Bookshelves lined the walls, each filled with a plethora of different books, a desk in the middle of the room had a black office chair behind it, with a computer in the middle. There were curtains to the room, drawn shut.
They sauntered up to the chair, pulled it back, then sat down, "Check out the new digs!" They spun themselves in the chair, "No idea where this came from, it's brand new! Buuut…." They stopped spinning and looked at the computer screen, "It came with instructions!"
They went on to read out said instructions as Arwyn shut the door behind him, "This room has been provided to store what will become essential to your assigned user's success. The Relic of Progress has unlocked the power of… fairy tales? And Arwyn will find several opportunities to unlock powers relating to fairy tale characters. There will now be the opportunity to gain 'Fairytale Points' or FTP, awarded after the completion of quests, subquests, and certain hidden objectives. With these points, Arwyn can delve deeper into fairy tales that he has unlocked, however… To unlock new fairy tales, he must either do as was stated above and complete certain tasks, or befriend people associated with certain tales. Friendships need to be above 'budding friendship' to unlock their fairytale. You can only have three fairytale abilities selected at any time, chosen from the System menu, this number will grow as you get stronger."
They continued, "The first fairytale, Alice in Wonderland, has already been unlocked, as what is Arwyn but the Alice of his world?" Seemingly finished reading, they said, "Huh, that's new."
That was when a new notification appeared.
FAIRYTALE UNLOCKED!
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Suddenly, a voice whispered in Arwyn's mind, startling him as it did so…
"Curiouser and curiouser… A new world, but not our own, yet still plenty of nonsense. Nothing is exactly what it was, and it is closer to what it isn't. And contrariwise, what it was, no longer is, and what it wasn't, is. You see? Embrace me, and together we will venture down the rabbit hole…"
A strange sensation washed over him, and more text appeared.
NEW FAIRYTALE CHARACTER UNLOCKED!
ALICE
The intrepid girl who ventured into a world very much unlike her own. From her, you gain the ability to comprehend what might otherwise be incomprehensible, illusions are less effective on you. Additionally, you gain the ability to temporarily grow or shrink in size. This ability cannot be given to others at this time.
The notification shut on its own, and he felt the feeling settle into him. He knew what he had to do if he wanted to use this new power, similar to calls, he was going to have to think or say her name. He looked at the front of his hands, then the back, and muttered, "Curiouser and curiouser…"
Alex seemed confused by all this, "...How do you feel?"
Arwyn looked at them and smiled before joking, "Well… A bit unhinged for a second, but I think it's fine now." A strange feeling had washed over him, and briefly he felt a bit… off, maybe it wasn't him feeling off, but the world feeling off?
He decided it was better if he didn't pursue that line of thinking.
In response to his joke, Alex shook their head and said, "Ha ha." Mirthlessly, before hopping out of the chair, "Well, I think that's all for now. When you're able to get more of these things, we'll bring this place back, I think it's just… part of the Relic of Progress now."
Arwyn nodded, "Right… I should probably head out of the tower and walk around some more, meet some new people." He scratched his cheek, "I was never that social in my old life, but… Guess I have a reason now."
He left after that, the door vanished once he shut it behind him, which was a relief. At least then nobody would see it if they ever came to visit. Not that he expected anyone to want to visit, or even know where he was, at this point. Other than Ozpin and Glynda.
He looked around a bit more and found that the closet had been filled with uniforms, and that reminded Arwyn that he was going to have to buy some more clothes. He didn't have a Huntsman outfit or anything cool like that, but… did he really need one? Maybe he'd get something eventually, but it wasn't high on his priority list.
After he left the room again, he headed down to the campus grounds and started to walk around. There were plenty of students walking around, likely looking around just the same as he was. At this point there were still a good few hours of daylight left, so he wasn't too worried about getting caught in the dark, not that that would be an issue here.
He eventually found himself at the cliffside that overlooked the Emerald Forest, not the point where initiation would begin, but closer to the dorms. It was a grassy field that looked like it would be the perfect place for a picnic of some kind. As he got closer, he noticed that there was someone already standing there, looking at the sky.
He would recognize that red cloak anywhere.
Ruby Rose was standing there, her cape billowing in the wind, and contrary to what he had thought before, her eyes were closed. She looked deep in thought, so he was hesitant to disturb her, so he was prepared to leave, but…
SNAP
He stepped on a twig, which made just enough noise to make Ruby yelp, "Ah, I'm sorry, I-" As she turned to look at him, she relaxed, "Oh… Sorry, I thought you were someone else." She smiled nervously, "Uhm… Hope I'm not in the way of something."
Arwyn smiled apologetically and started to walk a bit closer, "No, sorry, I just saw you looking at the sky and thought you, uhh… Maybe needed someone to talk to?" He shrugged, "Maybe not, you just seemed kinda… sad." He'd have never understood something like that prior to being sent here, maybe it was the relic? He had no clue.
Ruby's smile grew less awkward as she looked back out at the forest, "Well… sort of." She laughed softly, but it lacked mirth, "Just… really nervous. I got made team leader today, and one of my teammates looks like she really isn't happy about it… I don't know what I'm going to do."
Arwyn knew what this was about, of course he did. He hummed, "Well…" Trying to give genuine advice was difficult, but he couldn't just act like things were exactly the same as they were in the show, because they weren't. He walked over to stand next to her while saying, "I'm… not the best with people myself, but… the best you can do is just… be yourself, right?" He laughed nervously, "Easier said than done, I know, but we gotta start somewhere. If you go in trying to put on a mask and act like someone else, well… your teammates will know, and I don't know many people who respect the kind of people who fake their personalities."
Ruby nodded along, "I… think I get it. I should just…" She took a deep breath before exhaling, "Be myself. Easy." She thinned her lips and then looked back at him, "How… exactly do I do that?"
He couldn't help but snicker at that question, and that got her to whine and stomp her foot, "Don't laugh at me! I'm having a crisis!"
To which Arwyn shook his head, "Sorry, sorry, it's just… Not something I expected to hear. Uhm… to answer your question… I guess talk about stuff you like?" He couldn't exactly act like he knew what she was into, even though he did to an extent, so he asked, "What're you into?"
Ruby thought for a moment before gasping, "I like weapons!" She reached to the small of her back and produced Crescent Rose, which looked even more massive in person as she unfolded it, "Like, I have Crescent rose! She's my baby, and a high-caliber sniper scythe. Fires fifty caliber rounds and was designed by me, built by me, and always pointed at Grimm!"
The way her eyes lit up when she was talking and how all her social anxiety and awkwardness seemed to fall away was nothing short of adorable. His smile brightened, "That's amazing! See? Easy, right? Uhh…" He held out his hand to his right and summoned Excalibur, "This is mine."
Ruby's eyes lit up, "Ooh, how'd you do that? Your semblance?" She didn't bother asking for an explanation, she just got closer to it and looked it over with her eyes, after folding and putting away Crescent rose, "It's simple but elegant, I've always liked the classics. What's it called?"
"Excalibur." As she stepped back and nodded, he de-summoned it, "Glad you like it. Ah…" He rubbed the back of his neck, "You know, I just realized we learned our weapons' names before we learned each others' names. I'm Arwyn Cadeyrn."
Ruby blushed and looked away, "R-Right, sorry." Then she looked back, "Ruby Rose!" She grinned, "Hey, you're like… my second friend here. Two friends in two days, that's a nice record!"
Again, she was just too adorable. He kept his smile and ignored the blush on his face as he said, "Yeah, you're my second friend here too. I met another girl earlier, she seemed pretty nervous."
Before either could say anything else, a voice that Arwyn recognized as belonging to Yang called out, "Ruuuby! You can't just run off like that- Oh!" She looked at Arwyn and then back to Ruby before smirking and starting over, "Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, first you run off, now you're talking to cute boys without telling me? You're growing up so fast!"
Both Ruby's and Arwyn's faces turned a bright red as they looked away from each other. "Yaang! He's a new friend, don't scare him off like that!" Ruby protested. That didn't stop her from glancing at him and then covering her burning red face with her hands, "You're so embarrassing!"
Yang laughed, "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself." She looked at Arwyn, who was himself looking away nervously, and said, "Good to meet you. I'm Yang Xiao-Long, Ruby's big sister. We're two parts of Team RWBY; you should remember it, we're gonna be big deals some day!"
'Oh don't I know it…'
He recovered and cleared his throat, "Nice to meet you, I'm Arwyn Cadeyrn." He wasn't exactly sure what to say next.
Luckily, Yang seemed to have an idea, "Great to meet you." She smirked, "Hope to see you around more, huh? For now, though, I gotta steal Ruby back, we've still got some stuff to handle in our dorm." Then, she looked at her sister, "Ruby, why don't you give your new… friend your scroll number? This is perfect! I told you you'd make new friends, you need to have normal knees!" Her weird emphasis on the word 'friend' was not making this any easier for either Arwyn or Ruby, but luckily they were able to weather it this time.
Still, Ruby produced her scroll and smiled at Arwyn, who did the same. They tapped their scrolls together and traded information before Yang dragged off Ruby (literally), much to the girl's chagrin.
As he put his phone away, he got another notification.
New Friend!
Ruby Rose
Budding Friendship - 40/100 (Tier 1)
Intrigued - 40/100 (Tier 0)
New Call - Ruby!
Call upon the power of the Reaper in order to augment your speed. At your current level, the Call will increase your speed slightly, but will increase with time.
"Well…" He dismissed the notification, "All things considered… Things are going pretty good."
He left and continued to walk around, exploring the campus. There was much and more he was going to have to do, and it all started tomorrow…
/-/
Ozpin watched Arwyn wander around the Beacon campus from his spot in his office, looking down at the grounds.
Glynda was next to him, and she asked, "Tell me again, why have you invested so much into him? He's a complete unknown, and yet you've taken him in so easily. What if he's a spy?"
Ozpin sloshed the mug of hot chocolate in his hand and watched it swirl, "Other than wanting to help a boy down on his luck, if he is a spy, it's better we keep him close at hand, and dependent on us. We'll see what his motives are, in time."
Glynda could accept that, she hummed, "Well… What about those times he just stared into space and seemed to be talking to himself? Didn't you see that once on camera?"
He nodded, 'I did. It's very curious, but… not unprecedented. His weapon, his amulet… They remind me of some things, but I need to see more proof before I make a call one way or another, and if those are what I think they are… then they'll be bound to him, and that makes it even more important to have him on our side."
She sighed, "I suppose you're right… I just hope this doesn't blow up in our faces."
He looked back up as he saw Arwyn vanish into the library and responded, "Likewise, Glynda. Likewise."
/-/
Elsewhere, in an unmarked warehouse in Vale, others were gathering.
A frail, pale, blonde girl with deep blue eyes and frazzled, fluffy blonde hair was looking at a computer and muttering to herself, "Damn it… No good." She shook her head, "Ugh…"
A man in a bowler hat, one that she knew as Roman Torchwick, approached her after entering into the office she was stationed in, and asked, "How's the dust tracking going, Techie?"
'Techie' coughed into her hand, "Hmm… Well enough. Especially now that I don't have to worry about my health… I really am in my employer's debt." Then, she changed the topic, "I was attempting to break directly into the SDC's database, but their security is tighter than I expected. It's going to take longer."
Roman nodded, "Fine, remember, you and… the other one are the biggest pieces on the board right now, that aren't me or Cinder. And I still haven't learned a damn thing about why you want it in the first place."
Techie shook her head, "That's above your paygrade, mine too. Right now at least. I'm sure we'll learn more later."
"Right… Well, you should try and find it before your 'friend' gets bored."
Another voice joined the conversation, "I'm already pretty bored, Roman…" Both looked and saw a girl with neck-length brown hair, silver eyes, and a scar across her cheek. She was wearing a red tabard over black short-shorts and a pair of black stockings, finished off with her boots, "You're lucky I don't have my weapon right now. This is going really slowly…"
Roman rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Damn, I wish Neo was here right now." before returning to normal volume and saying, "You'll get your time to shine, Murderhobo. We all have our part to play, and this can't go wrong. Otherwise, well…
"We'll all be sorry."