A/N: I.. am alive. Somehow. So, first off, I'm sorry for the sudden disappearance and the short hiatus, but things were going like an olympic marathon with the end of semesters test. Just to say, my math and physics was pretty bad and right now I'm mentally bracing myself for MOM. Talon too, if his History papers was anything to go by.

Yep, it's bad.

Anyway, I just gotten around to finally continue typing since the holidays are finally here! Yay! So, yeah, I've gotten a bit rusty -which is sad, because I have all these ideas I wanted to put into words but, eh, the fingers refused to dance to the usual tune. I've even considered rewriting this stuff because it was just plain annoying to write filler chapters for months.

The lack of action aside, the progress with the Gamer ability is often skipped because of my tendencies to use large time skips. I'm hoping to be able to pull this off somewhat nicely for the next few chapters before finally getting to the action galore, until then, expect some more filler chapters. *Cry.

Also, I freakin edited this chapter for, like, five times already. Changing the year, the stats, adding some skills and whatnot. OMG everything is so hard with the Gamer fic I literally grew a new appreciation for those who managed to wrote it so nicely and not break their fingers or caught brain tumor in the process. Moving on, let's reply the review.

Matrience: Thank you for your patronage! :) Sorry for the slow update.

Haloultraforgefanatic01: Thank you. I promise to try and give it my best!

BClassDemon: No, If it's dead my month-long effort is going to be for naught. Can't Can't Can't! Unacceptable.

Judgment of the Arbiter: It does took a lot while. I tried to make so many versions of the same chapter and then choose which one is the best. Such inneficient way of work, no wonder this thing is progressing so slowly.

MysticSpider: I know. Don't worry. Also, thanks for the suggestion, I already editted the chapter.

LaserlightCannon: Wait, what? Did I write Fairy Tail by accident? OMG. Kill me.

Lightning Jack: Thank you! Here's another chapter, enjoy!

Whelp, that's seven reviews. Not too bad, but it could be better. So if you enjoy the story, don't hesitate to leave a comment down on that white box below and also click on that follow and like button! Enjoy the chapter guys!


Chapter 3:

Baby Steps Pt. 2

Year 5.

Whoever the dude who says that time flies by is clearly spouting bullshit. That, or he's smoking some intense stuff -In which case, I would like to try some. But yes, in essence, I'm congratulating myself for finally stepping out of the barren land of infancy and toddler-hood and into the slightly-better-but-not-that-much-different childhood.

That was my thought as I blew the five candles decorating my humble, homemade birthday cake, courtesy of one very unwilling Glynda Goodwitch. Seriously though, I really could care less if the icing is a bit messy, or the fact that the cake lacked the aesthetics a professional baker could make, I was just thankful that it wasn't Ozpin who made this.

Just thinking about the possibility made me nauseous.

*Ping!

[Happy 5th Birthday!]

Congratulations, here's a gift from us to celebrate your birthday!

*+10 Free Points.

*+500 L.

There it is. With a grin, I discreetly tapped at the notification to accept the gift, silently cheering when the free points and money were successfully deposited into my status. That was one of the few things that made me look forward to my birthdays, beside the various presents and the cake. The Gamer system gave out free gifts annually, usually consisting of ten free points and differing amounts of money, until my seventeenth Birthday in which case I'm deemed a capable adult and The System will cut off the gifts.

...Utterly ridiculous, I tell you.

Still, there is hardly anything I can do about it but hoard those free points like it was the most prized treasures in the world and use them wisely. At this rate, I'm going to turn into a miser at the age of ten.

A tap on my shoulders brought me out of my musings and prompted me to turn quizzically behind. "Mmh?" Glynda stood there, looking as prim as ever, with a plastic plate hesitantly offered to me. "I didn't know you're into sweets." I noted, internally grimacing at the childish pitch of my voice even as my arms moved on autopilot to cut a sizeable piece of the cake for Glynda.

"It's fine to indulge every once in a while." She responded calmly, accepting the offered slice of cake with a grace that would make any queen nod in approval. "Oh, and Happy fifth birthday, Ryner." She said softly, her jade green eyes softening slightly. "I wish you all the best in the world."

"Thanks, and I keep telling you that you can call me Rain like everybody else, Auntie." Ozpin called me that in one of his more tender moments, and the nickname had stuck with the rest of them since then. It was a pretty cool nickname, I suppose. "Also, you make delicious cake." To prove my point, I casually shoved the treat into my mouth and enjoyed the sweetness of it.

She tilts her head and harrumphed. "Hardly so."

I laughed a bit at that. "When you know the kind of disaster my father can cook, you'll agree with me." Both of us simultaneously shot a flat look to the Headmaster who was enjoying a glass of wine to accompany his cake as he chatted with Oobleck. We shared another look at one another before I burst out laughing.

Glynda let loose a rare giggle. "Fair point. Ozpin was never known for his expertise in the kitchen."

"That's true." I laughed some more. Contrary to popular believe, Glynda Goodwitch does make a good company, despite the stern, no-nonsense attitude she displayed to her students. "Simply dreadful."

A moment of silence passed between the two of us, allowing us to enjoy the small music blaring in the background, the cake and the moment. A small part of me still yearned for my old family -Mom, Dad and Lil' Bro- but most of me had learned to accept and move on, knowing that they are all made of strong stuff and would do just fine without me. It was both a comforting and depressing thought.

It could be her curiosity or it could also be that she noticed my slight melancholy and wanted to distract me, but Glynda unexpectedly broke the silence. "How goes your study?" She asked amicably. "Last I heard, you've been pouring through books about the kingdoms."

Whatever the purpose is, that question successfully distracted me from my slight depression and brought me back to reality. I nodded at her, both as confirmation to her questions and gratitude for the distraction. "Yup. Prof. Oobleck-"

"-DOCTOR!"

I rolled my eyes at the green-haired history professor. "-Dr. Oobleck is kind enough to lend me the book and explain some things I'm not too sure about." I continued.

Life as a baby was very, very, very boring, mostly because of my lacking mobility. Once my first birthday rolled around though, my body finally developped enough muscle strength and coordination to roll, crawl and, surprisingly, even walk for a short distance -I milked the presented opportunity for all its worth to raise my VIT and DEX like a possessed man. And before I long, I was walking upright on my own two feet.

I continued the routine of training my physical and magical abilities for the next year, mixing it up with leveling up my skills -[Observe] now at Lv. 30, [Acting] at Lv. 19, [Poison Resistance] at Lv. 40 and [Mana Affinity] at Lv. 23- and creating new ones such as [Sneak],[Haste], [Reinforce] and [Air Affinity] -which is completely awesome. I spoke my first words soon after and Ozpin wasted no time to teach me pronounciations despite the fact that I was only three. I don't mind though, the exercise gave me points to increase my INT.

My Quest was completed shortly after, raising me to level 2 and giving me +6 free points, one for completing one of the two hidden objectives and the other five for leveling up.

Year four was spent the same way as the previous year, only this time, with more avenues open to me with my growing body and larger magic reserves as well as easy access to books, which makes everything a lot more easier for my complicated life. I've yet to experience the fabled book-eating ability that all Gamers are said to have, so I burried myself under the books Dr. Oobleck could get for me from the Library, ranging from folklores and picture books, Remnant, the Kingdoms, and Grimms.

My growth rate was astounding, and Ozpin noticed it the moment he realized I had little trouble following his pronounciation lessons. The point was only reinforced when I started my reading spree at the age of three. A genius, Glynda had called me. That made me feel slightly bad about myself, but in the end I just shrugged. It kept them from questioning my well-developed speech pattern, so yes, I'm a genius.

"That's good." Glynda nodded at me. "Speaking of which, are you ready for your departure?"

I blinked at her question before nodding firmly. "Father mentioned it a few times already and I've packed all the things I would need for my stay. Yup, I think I'm as ready as I can be." I nodded firmly, excited at the prospect of finally going out of the grounds of Beacon and into the world of Remnant I've only seen from the screen of my laptop.

To keep it simple, since I am now five and am elligible to attend school, Ozpin wanted me to attend one. However, with the whole secrecy thing surrounding my existence within the walls of Beacon, attending one in Vale might make things a lot more complicated for everyone. So, Ozpin came up with the brilliant idea to ask Taiyang Xiao Long, Ruby and Yang's big daddy in case you're unfamiliar with the name, foster me while I attend a school in Patch along with his eldest daughter.

Getting myself acquainted with little Yang and Ruby? Fuck yeah, count me in!

"Make sure to keep up with your studies, I want to see straight A's when I get your report."

I gave her a wordless thumbs up, yawning as I did so. I hurried to finish my slice of cake and, after bidding a good night to the Beacon staff, retreated back into my room with a small mountain of presents on my arms. I wonder what's in there?


Year 5, day 2.

I looked into mirror installed in my room, checking myself for any imperfections. I've given up trying to tame my slightly messy, eye-length black hair, and deciding that the effort is just not worth it, left it the way it always is. My heterochromatic sky-blue and forest-green eyes stared at my reflection, noting the immaculate long sleeved grey shirt under my pitch-black hoodie-jacket, my jeans and my black and white sneakers. I nodded to myself, grinning ever so slightly.

Perfect.

It was kind of shocking when I first looked into the mirror and realized that my whole appearance has changed from what I liked to call Boring-Nerd into what I now dubbed as Possible Future Kickass. The transformation is extreme from all angles. The lightly spiked up black hair was easy enough to accept -I had black hair before, only straight- but my eyes was a completely different matter. I have never seen anyone with heterochromia in my past life, except for anime characters, and only now did I realize how cool and strangely unnerving those eyes really were. Still totally cool, though.

Ozpin told me that when he first found me, both my eyes was icy blue and very, very sharp. Somewhere along the way, one of my eyes, the left one specifically, slowly gained a greener hue around its edges. I was hoping it was a sign that I'll develop some sort of eye-power, but I know it was farfetched even for the Gamer ability.

All in all, not the worse thing to have. I can live with these changes, I think.

With a pleased huff, I hoisted my huge backpack and dragged along my suitcase out of my room to meet with Ozpin and Glynda who then proceeded to discreetly escort me through the many halls and pathways of Beacon.

"Excited?" Ozpin asked as we walked through the halls of Beacon. "This is your first time out of your nest, after all."

"Try nervous instead." I replied, sending a dry stare at Ozpin who merely shrugged off the look I'm sending him with a chuckle. "Thanks for the Scroll, by the way. I think I'm going to have so much fun thinkering with it."

I wasn't ashamed to say that I squealed, quiet loudly now that I think about it, upon finding that little piece of technological advancement inside Ozpin's humbly decorated gift-box. The Scroll was Remnant's answer to smartphones, improved to ridiculous degree -Which is complete wonderful, in my opinion- and I'm sure I'm going to have a lot of fun with it.

"Just make sure not to get too attached to it." Ozpin quipped, eyes flickering between me and Glynda. "I believe, Glynda wouldn't hesitate to take it from you if your score is anything less than perfect."

Glynda nodded coolly. "Indeed."

"Yea, yea." I replied nonchalantly. "Oh! And thank you for that book on Dust techniques you gave me. I'll be sure to read up on it for future references." I resisted the urge to cackle. Oooh..! Those Dust, so many uses, so many potensials. I almost drooled at the thought. Definitely going to hoard it when I got my money-making skills up.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"Oh, and tell Prof. Port and Dr. Oobleck thanks. I really appreciate the thought they put to their gifts!" Port had given me an encyclopedia on Grimm as well as a very interesting book on weapons while Oobleck left me with a very thick book on computer programming. I changed my mind; They were great people.

"We will."

We made it to the bullhead soon after and I was left floored at the sight of Remnant's aerial transport. It was much, much more impressive to look at in person than it was in the show. The basic design and shape remains the same, only less blocky and more life-like, with its blunt and wide arrowhead shape, thick exterior, wide wings and turbines. Did I mention the gatling gun and missile attached to its body?

Yeah, I'm getting myself a couple of this bad boy one day. Period.

"Well, this is it." Ozpin began, smiling amusedly at my reaction to my first upclose and personal experience with the flying machine. "Quiet impressive, no? This one is standard model B-093, armed and ready just in case you encounter any Nevermore or some other Airborne Grimm. It is going to get you safe and straight to Patch where Mr. Xiao Long is going to pick you up."

"How much does it cost?" I wondered aloud, eyeing the Bullhead with a calculating look.

Ozpin chuckled as he watched me drool over the Bullhead. "Well now, this thing costs more than just a pretty penny. That is why it is most commonly used as public or military transport." He explained before taking on a contemplating look. "Except for the overly opulent, I suppose."

"Oh, the Schnee, then." I nodded to myself. "Alright, I guess this is where I say goodbye, huh?"

Ozpin nodded slowly, somehow making himself look like a hurt, sad little puppy which in turn made me almost reflexively hug him. "We're going to miss you, Rain." He murmured, kneeling down and hugging me back. "Me, Glynda, Oobleck and Port. All of us will miss you greatly."

"Me too." I replied, slightly bashful of being caught shedding a tear or two from a simple sending off. "Gonna miss you all." Quick as lightning, my hands blurred and snatched Glynda's own, quickly dragging her into our hug-fest. She looks like she wanted nothing more than to escape our grip and run for the cliffs, but she relented seconds later and hugged me earnestly, knowing just how futile her effort is when it came to me and Ozpin.

The ship is sailing! Oh my goodness, it's really sailing!

I need a camera!

~0o0o0o0~

In the show, Patch was never given a proper screen-time other than mentions and little bits and pieces, which is either indoors or in Summer Rose's grave which made it totally useless. Now that I've been given the chance to properly admire it with my own eyes, I can definitely say that Patch is gorgeous. Whereas Vale is surrounded by wonders such as the Forever Fall, Emerald Forest and Beacon, the charms held within the walls of Patch lies with its simplicity.

Patch resembled the countryside by a large margin, with lots of space, greenery, barns and ranches, and homey-looking houses that simply exuded a welcoming feel in droves while a sturdy wall-structure stood between civilization and the badlands. Cobblestone paths, streetlights, and cute little ducks walking along the side of the street made this place look even more charming to the city boy inside me.

I breathed in the fresh air as I stepped off the Bullhead, looking dazed as the smell of grass and morning dews made its way into my nostrils.

"Enjoying the place?" I turned sharply to the side, absently noting that I wasn't suffering a whiplash from turning my head that fast, to come upon the sight of one of the most imposing man I've ever seen in my life.

Blond, buff, broad shoulders, friendly grin, melancholic blue eyes.

Yes, this must be Taiyang Xiao Long, the big daddy of two of the show's heroines.

'Observe.' I mentally intoned, eyeing the tall, older man intently with lightly glowing heterochromatic blue-green eyes. The minute widening of my eyes was the only indication of my disbelieve at data presented to me. 'Jesus Christ!'

Taiyang Xiao-Long

Lv. 76 Mighty Sun Dragon

HP: ?

AP: ?

The father of Yang Xiao Long through his marriage with Raven Branwen and Ruby Rose through later marriage with Summer Rose after Raven mysteriously left him without any clear reason. Several years into their marriage and the birth of Ruby Rose, Summer Rose was mysteriously killed in a Grimm extermination mission, leaving the father of two emotionally broken. He's retired from his profession ever since, now working as a teacher in Signal to help train future Hunters.

Well, when one of your wives ditched you with the pretense of going out for a smoke and the other mysteriously died on a mission, you know someone upstairs cursed you with a legendary bad luck.

Poor bastard.

I shook my head clear of any thoughts regarding his status and nodded lightly. "Yeah." I answered, somewhat breathless from both the shock and the fact that I was really talking to him. "Very different from Vale even if it was only a short flight away from it. This place is really nice though, very peaceful and welcoming." The sincere compliment of his home town clearly pleased him as he puffed out his chest and preened.

"I know right?" He grinned at me and offered his hand for a shake. "So, the name's Taiyang Xiao Long, veteran Huntsman turned teacher, a father of two wonderful daughters. You can just call me Taiyang, you are?"

I grinned right back, grasping his much, much bigger and caloused hands with my smaller ones and gave him a firm shake. "I'm Ryner Fern, 5 years old as of two days ago. Aspiring Huntsman and trainee programmer. You can call me Rain."

Taiyang looked at me appraisingly. "So, you're Ozpin's adopted kid? Well, I never thought there would be a day when someone would call him dad." Taiyang laughed, probably wondering how Ozpin, the Ozpin, managed to get himself saddled up with me in his care. He'd be sad to know that the story wasn't as funny as he thought it was.

Meh, better not pop his bubbles.

"Well, there's a lot of secrecy attached to me and my documents but yeah, that's me." I said, grinning sardonically at the large man walking beside me. "Been spending my whole life in his tower, so I'm quite hyped about being out."

"Then you're going to like it here!"

"I sure hope so."

To Be Continued..


A/N: Honestly I wanted to continue with the first impression with Yang and Ruby, but that kinda have to wait since I was too impatient to delay posting this chapter any longer. Thoughts, guys? Good? Bad? Leave it on the review!

Byee!