Disclaimer: Neither The Gamer or RWBY are mine. All characters and plots within were created and are owned by the respective owners of the before mentioned properties. I am simply borrowing them for fun and seek no monetary gain from this. Any original characters or plots are mine.
Summary: Jaune Arc has always dreamed of being a Huntsmen. He dreamed of becoming a hero of legend. How will becoming The Gamer change things? Watch out Beacon! It's time to Level Up! Game Start!
Author's Notes: I received a guest review that mentioned the story "The Games We Play" by rgm0005. I decided to check it out, but stopped reading after chapter 2. It's really good and I will definitely be reading it in its entirety at some point, but for now I have decided to stop reading it so I won't be influenced by it when it comes to this story. I've read other Gamer crossovers on this site, but none of the RWBY ones. I don't want to have any of my game mechanics or plot points accidently based off his. That being said if you do notice a similarity going forward please know that it is a complete coincidence.
Oh and did anyone else see Volume 3 Episode 11? OMG! The feels in this episode made me want to pull my hair out. Velvet revealed her weapon…and it was 10x better than anything I have ever created in my own head!
If you haven't seen it go check it out….but be forewarned…the episode is a roller coaster of awesomeness and despair…
…and I just got back from watching Episode 12. I don't have the words to describe how I feel right now. It's a fantastic episode in terms of its quality and emotional impact, but…I can't say anything more without spoiling it. I definitely recommend watching it if you haven't already, but prepare yourself for strong emotions.
I don't want to spoil anything for those that live under a rock and haven't seen it yet, but I believe in Destiny. I think there is more to come on that front. I won't believe that is how that question is ultimately answered. I feel like there will be more to come.
About the Gamer Mechanics:
Jaune will be gaining more skills as the story progresses, and eventually some of the skills will make him OP in some respects, but my aim is to only give him skills that make sense in the world of RWBY, and that they only appear in a logical way.
He will not, for example, be fighting a powerful Grimm and suddenly have a skill created out of nowhere that allows him to fly, or create a hail of swords (Hello Emiya-san).
He will gain skills due to actions he takes, and the intentions behind those actions.
I also would like to know if anyone here happens to have any fun ideas for skills we can give Jaune, skills that make sense for someone like him to have and nothing that makes him ridiculously overpowered. The key word here to keep in mind is "Balance".
Anyways…
I also have two reviews to answer before I move on:
Green Gustavo – I agree that 3 attribute points per level is better. In my effort to slow down Jaune's progression to make sure he doesn't exceed Ozpin or Qrow by the end of his first week I may have gone too far in the opposite direction. Thank you for the suggestion!
To My Advice Giving Spider – Down Spider Down! Lol! That was quite the list of "suggestions". The thing I want to say here is thanks for pointing out my mistake on Han Jee-Han only getting 5 points per level and not 10. I don't know why I had that number in my head. I had to go back and double check, but sure enough you were correct. Thanks Again!
Chapter 2
"I'm sorry to make you all go through this again."
HP: 5/340
"Get out of my way!"
A familiar voice forced his eyes open, just in time to see a purple blur slam into the Boarbatusk with enough force to send it rolling across the ground, it's body creating a deep trench in the forest floor for a good 10 yards before it rolled to a stop.
If he hadn't witnessed it himself he never would have believed what he was seeing was possible.
His savior was standing there staring at the Grimm with a wild enraged look in her eyes, clad in a simple purple sundress, wearing open toed sandals, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail…and wielding a pair of daggers each as long as her forearm.
"Mom?"
Out of all the people He could imagine suddenly showing up and saving him from certain death…his mother was not one of them.
"Hi sweetie. Don't worry about this okay. I'll take care of it." She spared him a brief smile, before her eyes turned cold and she turned back to the Grimm that had started to climb to its feet. "Then you and I are going to have long talk about why you're out here in the first place."
She didn't wait for a response before taking off towards the boarbatusk, her movements so quick her legs blurred as they propelled her across the space separating her from her target.
How is she so fast!?
Jaune couldn't do anything but stand there and watch in awe as she systematically dismantled the massive Grimm as if it was nothing. Casually dodging its blows with such incredible grace and speed it was like she was dancing around the beast, barely side stepping whenever it tried to hit her with its tusks, only to retaliate with blows so punishing, they landed with enough force that he could feel the concussive impact of each strike even from all the way on the other side of the clearing.
She's not even using her weapons! He noticed. She was keeping both daggers clenched in a reverse grip so that their blades always pointed away from the Grimm she was...punishing.
She was just toying with it. He couldn't think of any other way to describe the fight taking place in front of him. No, not a fight. That would imply that the boarbatusk had a chance to strike back...something even his untrained eyes could see was definitely not the case.
The monster that had been so easily overwhelming him just a minute ago was now doing everything it could to flee from the small woman in front of it.
Not that it succeeded. For every step back it took his mother stepped forward the same amount and would deliver a powerful blow to the side of it's head, disorienting the beast and causing it to stumble.
It didn't take long for the boarbatusk to succumb, collapsing to the ground when the damage became too much for it to bear. It lay there struggling to rise as his mother just watched, staring at it without a trace of pity, her entire body radiating contempt.
She just stood there for a few seconds, as if trying to decide the best way to finish it off.
With all the ease of someone well versed in their use, she spun her daggers around in her hands, the blades briefly becoming nothing more than spinning wheels of silver before she brought them to bear on the Grimm with a slight flourish. Jaune couldn't help the small pang of jealousy that welled up inside him at such an incredible display of dexterity.
Will I ever be that good?
His envy was quickly replaced with shock though as, quicker than his eyes could track, the daggers buried themselves up to the hilt on each side of the boarbatusk's skull.
Jaune grimaced as he watched her use the hilts as handles to lift the boarbatusk's head up off the ground, bringing its main eyes level with her own.
"This is for touching my son." Her voice was almost devoid of emotion, but he could still make out the anger that hid beneath the words.
A quick jerk of her hands was immediately followed by a sickening crack as she broke the Grimm's neck. She pulled her daggers free and let the corpse fall back to the ground with a hollow thud.
[You have gained 4000 XP!]
[You Have Leveled Up!]
Jaune had been on the very edge, only 5 HP left, but the moment those notifications appeared, he could feel the energy pouring back into him. He felt like a depleted battery being rapidly brought to a full charge.
A quick glance to the side at his stats screen confirmed it.
... ... ... ... ...
NAME: JAUNE ARC
CLASS: THE GAMER
LEVEL: 6
... ... ... ... ...
HP: 390/390
MP (Locked): 0/0
... ... ... ... ...
STR: 9 (+ 2) = 11 -[0]+
END: 9 -[0]+
AGI: 5 -[0]+
INT: 5 -[0]+
WIS: 5 -[0]+
LCK: 5 -[0]+
... ... ... ... ...
Points: 6
Money: 30 Lien
... ... ... ... ...
Jaune allowed himself to sigh in relief as he slid down the tree that had been holding him up and lowered his sword and shield down to his sides finally letting his arms relax.
That had been so close. If his mom hadn't chosen that exact second to arrive…
He shuddered as his mind tried to play out the most likely outcome.
He would have died. His sisters would have had to mourn him. His mom and dad, they would have been forced to bury another child.
A coldness flooded through him as those thoughts circled around in his head like vultures. How could he have been so over confident, so stupid?
He lowered his head, until his chin was resting against his chest, and tightened his grip on Crocea Mors in an effort to stop himself from reaching up and pulling at his hair.
It wasn't until he felt a soft touch under his chin that he looked up at the woman that had approached him silently.
His mother, his savior, kneeling right in front of him giving him a look of such concern it made him want to look away in shame.
"Jaune are you okay?" She asked softly as her eyes roamed all over him, examining him for injuries.
"I'm fine Mom." Jaune was quick to try and re-assure her.
"Jaune, I saw that thing nearly crush you against a tree. There's no way you're not hurt somewhere. How's your back? Don't move, we should check..."
Unfortunately, he wasn't quite sure what to say as she continued to mutter to herself all the possible injuries he could have, from the least worrying, like cracked ribs, to the most dangerous, like a fractured spine. He tuned out her fussing as he thought about the situation he was now in.
The truth of the matter was very simple, she was absolutely right.
No normal person could have walked away from that kind of punishment without taking at least some damage.
What was he supposed to tell her?
"Ne….Ar…ay?"
He hadn't really stopped to consider what he was going to do in regards to his family. Should he try to hide his new abilities from them? Come clean and tell them everything?
Should I tell them?
Don't they deserve to know the truth?
"Jau…"
Of course they do. He thought to himself immediately. His family had always been there for him. No matter what he needed, no matter what he asked for, they were always there for him.
Hiding his situation from them, lying to them, was not an option for Jaune Arc.
"JAUNE!"
Her shout startled him out of the moment he was having, his head snapping back in surprise.
*THUNK*
"Owww." Jaune moaned in pain, rubbing the back of his head where he had slammed it into the tree.
Was Karma already paying him back for his stupidity?
The look of concern on his mom's face as she gently gripped the sides of his head made him want to hit himself even harder.
"Mom I'm fine." Jaune said trying to pull her hands off.
"Shush Jaune. I need to check you for a concussion."
He sighed quietly and complied, figuring it was best to just let her do what she wanted. He had given her enough to be concerned about with his actions. If he could alleviate any of her worry by sitting quietly and letting her do as she pleased then that is what he would do.
Once she had finished moving him around like a puppet, examining what felt like every square inch of his torso and back for wounds he knew wouldn't be there, she grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him to his feet as if he weighed nothing.
Had she always been this strong?
"Come on we need to get home." She said turning away back towards the wall. She didn't bother to check and see if he was following.
Uh oh. Jaune cringed as he thought about the lecture that was likely waiting for him.
He sheathed his sword and dusted his hands off on his pants.
Might as well get it over with.
He was just about to follow when the lack of a familiar weight in his front pocket caused a spark in the back of his mind, an important fact making itself known.
He is scroll was missing.
"Wait I think I dropped my scroll." He called to his mom glancing around the clearing hoping to spot the small white device.
"You mean this." She said without pause, holding up his scroll as she continued to walk away, not slowing down for a second. "I picked it up off the ground when I came to check on you."
Jaune quickly caught up to her at a jog and glanced at the screen as she handed it over.
It was undamaged. Jaune let out a breath of relief. He would have hated having to replace it.
"I called you." His mom commented.
He frowned for a second. He didn't see a missed call notification...
Wait...During the fight with the first boarbatusks…
His mom had called. He remembered now.
"Is that how you knew where to find me? Jaune asked.
"I called to ask you if you were going to be home for dinner, but when you answered all I could hear was the sound of Grimm screaming." She closed her eyes, likely reliving the memory. "I would recognize the squeal of a boarbatusk anywhere."
"The scroll must have accepted your call when I lost it. Probably when it hit the ground." Jaune offered.
He could tell by the way she was biting her lip that she had been scared. It was written all over her face.
"Mom I'm…" He tried to apologize, but she just continued on as if she couldn't hear him.
"I used your scroll's homing feature to track yours and just ran here as fast as I could. I was so scared…" She confessed wiping at a rogue tear that had started to make its way down her cheek.
Jaune reached out with one hand, laying it on her shoulder and using it to get her to stop and pulled her into a hug, her face burying itself into his shoulder given their height difference.
"I'm so sorry Mom. I was stupid. I wanted to test myself and I thought such a small group of Grimm would be the perfect chance. I didn't expect that last one to appear out of nowhere like that." He heard her sniffle. "I didn't mean to worry you. I promise I'll be more careful from now on."
At those word she pulled away so she could look him in the eyes. At 6'1" he was a good 7 inches taller than her.
She really was tiny now that he fought about it. How someone so small could so easily tear apart such a massive Grimm did more to prove to Jaune just how amazing huntsmen and huntresses really were, than any story his dad had ever told him.
"But why would you need to test yourself against Grimm?" She asked her eyes boring into her son's.
Time for the truth Jaune.
"I…I applied to Beacon." Her eyes widened. "And I was accepted."
There was complete silence between them for a moment.
"You were accepted…to Beacon." She repeated dubiously.
Jaune nodded feeling more than a little nervous under her gaze.
"Jaune you didn't even attend a combat prep-school. Why would they accept you?" She asked narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"I don't know. Maybe they really liked my entrance essay?" He offered rubbing the back of my head with a chuckle. He couldn't tell her he had forged his transcripts…could he?
One look at the hilts sticking out of the leather sheathes strapped to her forearms provided the answer.
No….No he could not.
"Hmmm…." Her lack of a reply did nothing for his nerves, but they had reached the wall by that point and Jaune distracted himself by looking at it curiously. It was over twice his height and completely solid. There was no way he was climbing over it. He had considered trying to jump over it before...maybe if he got a running start?
"Um…Mom how are we….Woah Mom!" He squealed as she lifted him up into her arms like he was a toddler. "What are you doing!?"
"Hush Jaune. I need to get us over this wall." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "And then you are going to explain to me how you managed to tank a hit from a fully mature boarbatusk, get slammed into a tree hard enough to crater the trunk, and then walk away without so much as a bruise or a scratch. All without an unlocked aura none the less."
Jaune didn't even have a chance to consider her words before they were suddenly in the air…he could only look down in amazement as they flew straight up...far higher than a human being should be capable of jumping. His awe gave way to an terror as he felt gravity start to take hold of them again.
"AHHHH!" He screamed. "Whyyyyy!?"
"Don't be such a baby!" The woman carrying him in her arms shouted back.
# # #
During the walk back Jaune tried to explain his situation to her as best he could, giving her a blow by blow of everything he had experienced since the moment he had woken up till the second she had saved his life.
She had listened quietly as he tried to explain the changes that had been made to his body, about how instead of receiving bloody injuries whenever he got hurt, he just lost HP instead.
He had even gone so far as to provide a demonstration by drawing Crocea Mor's sword and trying to slice his palm on its edge. He was actually as surprised as she was to see a shimmering red line appear on his hand. It only lasted a few seconds before fading away. His HP dropping by only 10 points.
He thought it wise to leave out the part about him allowing the boarbatusk to gore him. He doubted she would be very understanding.
"Jaune how low was your health when I found you?" She asked out of the blue as if the thought had just occurred to her.
He hesitated a little too long while trying to think up an answer that wouldn't set her off again.
Her response to that was to grab his arm and bring them both to a halt.
"How low, Jaune?" She almost hissed at him.
"5 out of 340." He told her with a sigh, looking away not wanting to see how his words would affect her.
He decided to leave out the fact that it would have likely fallen to 0 had she not arrived at the very last second. He didn't see the need to worry her any more than he already had.
"What!?" She grabbed his other arm and turned him to face her completely. "Jaune do you have to sit down? Wait you cut your hand! How much did that take?"
"Mom!" He shouted trying to grab her attention. "It's okay." He assured her gently seeing that his shout had worked to snap her out of what he was worried was going to become a panic attack. "I leveled up when you killed that boarbatusk. It brought me back up to full. You don't have to worry."
His words seemed to be enough as she she sagged in relief assured that he wasn't suddenly going to keel over dead.
She let go of his arms and ran her hands through her hair as she turned away from him. He remained silent as he let her take a moment to compose herself. It took a few seconds, but quicker than he he expected she was ready to continue.
"Jaune why were you out here in the first place?" She asked breaking the silence that had fallen over them both as they once more started down the path towards home. Their shoulders almost touching as they walked side by side.
"I wanted to test myself." He replied.
"I know, you said that already, I'm asking you why you felt the need."
That was a subject he had been thinking about ever since they had left the wall. Why had he felt the need to take on those Grimm?
Perhaps for the same reason he had chosen to let the one boarbatusk take the free hit.
"I guess I just wanted to know what I was capable of now." He told her, hoping it would be enough, by the look on her face it clearly wasn't. "Mom I want to be a huntsmen. It's what I've always wanted to be. For as long as I can remember- " He tried to explain.
"Jaune we've talked about this." She interrupted.
"No, we haven't talked about it." He replied, his voice getting a little heated. "You and dad made a decision and TOLD me what it was. I never got to make the choice myself."
"Jaune…"
"You're a huntress." Jaune pointed out to her.
"WAS a huntress." She replied immediately. "I've been retired for longer than you've been alive."
"Really?" He said with a raised eyebrow. "I think what's left of that boarbatusk back there would argue that point with you." He smiled a little when he saw a light blush on her cheeks. "Dad was a huntsmen, and Hazel –".
"Don't use your sister as an example!" She whipped her head towards him, all embarrassment from his previous words forgotten. The look in her eyes almost made him want to backtrack and apologize for bringing the subject up in the first place, but he had done that too many times in the past. He needed to get this out.
"Mom, Hazel was training to be a huntress because she wanted to make a difference!" He stated it like a fact because he knew it wasn't something she would be able to deny. His mother just turned her head away instead.
He knew the topic of his sister still pained her, but she needed to understand where he was coming from.
"I miss her too, but I can't let what happened to her stop me from being what know I was meant to be. We both know she wouldn't want that."
Jaune pulled back in surprise when she suddenly turned to stare straight into his eyes again. The fierceness he could see there reminded him of the look she had given the boarbatusk right before she had killed it.
If it had been anyone else giving him that look he might have have backed down immediately.
"Jaune I will NOT bury a second child." Her voice was tight and controlled. She was struggling.
"Mom this is my dream, Please…"
"No! This isn't open for discussion!" She yelled at him as she turned and walked away, unwilling to listen to more.
Jaune just stood there for a few seconds.
What am I supposed to do? Just watch her walk away?
"No!" He shouted both in his mind and out loud at the woman with her back turned to him. "You don't get to do that!"
She froze mid step and he could see her hands twitch.
Is this the smart thing to do?
"Excuse me?" Her voice drifted back to him, almost a whisper on the wind. "What did you just say?"
Probably not, but it's necessary. He told himself. Remember, Arcs are not cowards.
He squared his shoulders and locked his eyes on the back of her head.
"I said…you don't get to do that." He repeated with conviction.
She turned her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her eye.
"Young man, you'd better watch how you…"
"You don't get to decide MY future!" Jaune cut her off, glaring at her with as much defiance as he could. He hated doing it, but it was now or never. He needed to be firm. She had to know how serious he was.
Her eyes softened just a touch. Was he making progress?
"Jaune it's not about us choosing your future for you." She replied.
"Yes it is." He said as she turned to face him fully. "You might not see it that way, but that's what you're doing."
"What are you talking about?"
"Mom, Beacon is THE best school for huntsmen in Vale. They produce the BEST huntsmen and huntresses of any combat academy in the kingdom." He told her, his voice rising a bit. "But they only accept a small number of candidates and most of them are 17 or 18 years old . If I don't go now, the chances of me getting in later are…"
She tried to respond, but he was quick to cut her off and continued, trying to keep up whatever momentum he had managed to build.
"I don't just want to be a huntsmen Mom; I want to be the BEST huntsmen I can possibly be. If I miss this chance I'll have to apply to a second rate combat school."
Her nose scrunched up a bit at that. She probably didn't even realize she was doing it. As a former huntress she knew how poor the quality of the other schools in Vale were.
"Mom, I'm going to be a huntsmen. I've already decided that." He made sure not to hesitate or stutter. "I just want to make sure that I'm as prepared as possible for when that day comes, but I'll train myself if I have to."
Jaune watched as his mom closed her eyes and shook her head at the mere thought of him trying to teach himself what he needed to know to be a huntsmen.
Self-training was an option for all huntsmen and huntresses. The only thing one actually needed to claim the title "Huntsmen" was a Hunter's License, and that only required passing the Huntsmen Licensing Exams. Anyone over the age of eighteen could attempt them for free.
Passing them though, that was another thing all together.
They were not easy at all, not in anyway, shape, or form. In fact, the exams only had a 60% passing rate. Jaune had almost given up when he had first read that number. It was only the statistic that he'd found on the next line that had given him the courage to keep reading.
Out of the number of people that passed, about 85% graduated from Combat Academies, and Beacon Academy had the highest success rate out of all the Four Kingdoms.
Which was why he was so desperate to get in there. He was certain his future as a huntsmen depended on it.
Now if only she would...
"I'll talk to your father about it."
Her words surprised Jaune, but he was quick to recover and give her the widest smile he could manage. His father had never been the obstacle to him going to Beacon. It had always been his mother that he knew needed to be convinced. If she was willing to let him go…
"Thank You Mom." He told her moving forward and pulling her into another hug.
"Don't thank me Jaune." She muttered. He pulled away and looked at her in confusion. "Just promise me you'll always be careful. Don't take stupid risks. Don't slack in your training." She pulled him in again and wrapped her arms around him so tight he was sure his ribs were going to crack under the strain. If that was still even possible.
"I can't lose you too sweetheart."
He wanted to promise her she wouldn't, so much so it made his heart feel like it was being squeezed in a vice, but Jaune Arc was never one to make empty promises.
Instead he just did his best to return her hug with as much of his strength as he could.
"I'll do my best Mom." He whispered.
That I will promise.
# # #
Jaune's eyes had long since glazed over as he flicked his finger against the screen of his scroll for what felt like the hundredth time since he'd gotten home.
His mother had shooed him out of the kitchen the moment they walked in the door, and after everything that had happened Jaune wasn't dense enough not to recognize the dismissal for what it was.
She needed some time to herself, probably to try and process everything that had happened.
Something Jaune could relate to. He had his own issues to work through as well and a few hours of peace and quiet in his room sounded perfect.
But now he was stuck. Going in circles.
As soon as he'd flopped down on his bed he'd gone over everything in his head again. What had he done right? What had he done wrong? Had he made any really questionable decisions?
Like, for example, deciding to test out how his body handled injuries by letting himself be impaled by a Grimm.
He hid his head under a pillow and wondered if he could just stay there. He didn't really have to ever leave his room again...right?
No you can't hide from your own stupidity Jaune. He thought sarcastically.
"Who asked you?" He muttered into the pillow.
You do realize you're talking to yourself right?
"Shut up."
Jaune threw the pillow across the room and decided to just glare at the ceiling instead of continuing his one-sided conversation.
He couldn't make a mistake like that again. Not if he really planned on attending Beacon. He didn't want to be Jaune "The Lovable Idiot" Arc there like he was here at home.
I need to get better. I need to be smarter!
Of course, he now had a simple solution that could actually make that a possibility...and all he had to do was make a choice.
He had 6 attribute points to spend thanks to the levels he'd gained while out fighting the Grimm.
The only decision he had to make was where to spend them.
He had already committed a decent number raising his strength and endurance that morning and he was definitely going to increase those again at a later date, but for now he wanted to stay away from the physical and see what he could do about the mental.
Intelligence and wisdom, which was the most important?
He had been on his scroll for hours trying to nail down a basic definition of both terms. He obviously couldn't trust himself to simply choose the best option.
If he could, he wouldn't be making this choice in the first place right?
Opinions seemed to vary on which was more important, but multiple sites had basically said the same thing if not in the exact same words.
Intelligence seemed to determine how much information a person could memorize, how fast they could learn it, and how quickly they could recall it.
Great, and definitely useful in theory, but the more he thought about it the more sure he became that it wasn't what he really needed at the moment.
Wisdom, on the other hand, now that had potential.
As far as he could tell, based on the multiple blogs he'd combed through, wisdom dictated how successful one was at properly using the knowledge one already possessed.
That actually made it...kind of obvious when he stopped to think about it.
What's the point of gaining new information if I won't be able to use it properly?
He quickly put 5 of his status points into WIS before he could change his mind or start doubting his decision, leaving 1 out to throw towards INT.
... ... ... ... ...
NAME: JAUNE ARC
CLASS: THE GAMER
LEVEL: 6
... ... ... ... ...
HP: 390/390
MP (Locked): 0/0
... ... ... ... ...
STR: 9 -[0]+
END: 9 -[0]+
AGI: 5 -[0]+
INT: 6 -[0]+
WIS: 10 -[0]+
LCK: 5 -[0]+
... ... ... ... ...
Points: 0
Lien: $30
... ... ... ... ...
The familiar rush of energy hit him as expected, but instead of being focused on his muscles like he had experienced before, he felt it all flow to a central spot right behind his eyes.
His mind, which he wouldn't have ever described as having felt foggy in the past, was suddenly "clearer". It was like clouds he'd never even realized were there had parted and let sunlight in for the first time.
Wisdom was definitely the way to go.
... ... ... ... ...
[New Skill Acquired]
WIS has reached lvl 10! A new skill is now available: [Common Sense].
... ... ... ... ...
[Common Sense] (Passive) [Lvl 1, EXP 0.0%]: A passive skill that most people are born with. Only those who are truly clueless would be missing this skill.
Effect: Grants the ability to make obvious and relatively accurate judgments based on simple observation of a situation or facts.
... ... ... ... ...
Really? He felt like asking the world. You're making that a skill?
Jaune didn't know what was sadder: the fact that [Common Sense] was a skill or that he had apparently only just now acquired it.
He sighed and shook his head more than a little put out.
Why does it feel like I'm being pranked by some kind of higher power.
He took a few seconds to wallow in the depression that thought caused, before giving himself a shake and focusing on the most important fact.
The fact that it was working.
His [Common Sense] was chugging away.
Already he was making connections. Coming up with ideas that made him want to repeatedly slam him his head against the wall for not thinking of them sooner.
Want to test your physical limitations? Go for a run around the village and see how long it takes to tire out.
Want to test your body to see how it handles injuries? Start small. Easily concealable cuts to the arm and legs.
Want to test your strength and speed? Grab a wooden training sword from the stock in the Dojo and practice on the training dummy dad has outback!
It was all so clear now…
Common sense…it really is a thing.
[Through continuous use the [Common Sense] skill level has increased by 1.]
Jaune shook my head again in frustration and closed the new notifications.
What would have happened if he had gone to Beacon without making that change?
He shuddered at the thought.
He was cheating his way into a school meant for people who had already been through a minimum of four years of combat training.
I wouldn't have lasted a day!
They would have figured him out the moment he asked a stupid question about something that should have been basic knowledge.
Unless I hit the absolute jackpot and found someone willing to help me out day one, someone who didn't mind me hanging around and was willing to put up with all my "stupid" questions...
He snorted at that. There was no way his luck was that good.
Although now that he was thinking about how things could have gone, if he hadn't increased his stats, he couldn't help but start to question his stats in general.
When he had first opened his character screen he had been level 4 and all of his stats had started at 5. ALL of them. That seemed...wrong.
Shouldn't my stats have been a little more varied? He asked himself.
Jaune had trained a bit over the years. No real combat training, his mom had refused to allow that, but he had spent some of his free time focused on conditioning and strength training.
Surely that means my strength and endurance should have been higher than my intelligence and wisdom?
Had all of his stats reset to some sort of base number when he had changed?
He hadn't felt any weaker afterwards…or dumber for that matter.
Although his bright idea of hunting down a group of Grimm to "Practice" on kind of left that last one up for debate. Were his INT and WIS higher before? At least by a little? Could their reduction explain why he had been making such stupid choices?
KNOCK KNOCK
"Come in." He called to whoever was at the door without bothering to look away from his stat screen.
He heard the door open and close, before the sound of heavy footsteps clued him into the identity of his visitor.
"Jaune."
The young man in question turned his head to see his father, Lionel Arc, standing at the foot of his bed with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Hi Dad."
"Your mother just told me a very interesting story." He said quietly, his face showing almost no expression.
For Jaune, looking at his father was like looking into a mirror, a mirror that showed you the future instead of the present.
They had all the same features; cheek bones, chin, jawline, brow and it was only the extra 5 inches of height and about forty pounds of muscle his father had on him that stopped people from mistaking them for twins, that and the sharper features in general that Jaune was sure he would gain with time.
His dad had wanted to name him Lionel Jr. when he had been born.
Thankfully his mother had nixed that idea immediately.
"So I guess she told you about my new…situation?" Jaune asked him.
"You mean the fact that, somehow you are now a "Game Character"." He replied back actually making air quotes with his fingers.
"Yeah…well." He honestly had no idea what else to say.
"Or how about that fact that you took Crocea Mors without asking and went out, without telling anyone where you were going mind you, to track down and "Test yourself" against that group of boarbatusks I told your mother about last night?"
Does he really have to keep doing the air quotes? The thought flashed through Jaune's mind.
"Well see I…"
"What were you thinking!?"
His dad's shout almost made the young blonde jump. He could see by the way his father's hands had dropped to his side and curled into fists that he was upset.
"I'm sorry." Jaune said as sincerely as he could. "It was a stupid thing for me to do. I realize that now, and I swear I won't ever take such a pointless and stupid risk again."
Lionel Arc just stood there for a few seconds like a granite statue, silent and still, as he stared at his son.
Jaune cringed at what he was sure was going to happen next.
A moment later a large hand lashed out and grabbed Jaune by the shoulder and pulled him close, all in the blink of an eye.
The semi-retired huntsman wrapped his arms around the teen and lifted him off the ground and into into a bear hug that reminded him a little of the way the boarbatusk had nearly crushed him against the tree.
"What on Remnant were you thinking!?" He asked as he tried to squeeze the life out of his son.
"Dad! I. Can't. Breathe!" Jaune barley choked out the words.
"Huh? Oh sorry." The man said as he finally released his hold. Jaune stumbled on his feet a bit, swaying for a moment, before managing to regain his balance. "I was just so worried when you're mom used Jasmine's scroll to call me and told me what she was hearing from your scroll and that she was heading out to find you."
"I get it Dad. I know it was an idiotic thing to do. In fact that's actually what I've been thinking about since mom and I got back. I think I might have found out why I thought it was such as good idea in the first place." Jaune replied hoping to distract him.
It only took a few minutes to go over his theory on what had happened to his stats and what that might have done to him.
He explained about his raising his Wisdom stat and the new skill he had acquired as a result.
That went about as well as he could have expected.
He was pretty sure his own father shouldn't be laughing at him so...enthusiastically.
"Are you done yet?" Jaune asked hanging his head in shame after a few minutes had passed and the man had yet to show any sign of stopping.
"I'm sorry Jaune…" His dad choked out as he tried to cut himself off mid chuckle. He took a few deep breaths to bring himself under control. "So you...um...put your new…points you called them?"
"Yeah."
"Okay so you put your new points into your Wisdom attribute and you were just…smarter? Just like that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not really smarter, it's more like I suddenly knew what to do with all the stuff I already knew." Jaune explained.
"And you can do that with your strength and speed too?"
"I tested it today. I almost doubled my strength stat by spending 4 points into it." Jaune was a little curious to see if he really was twice as strong as he was before. "Maybe I should do some more tests tomorrow, find out where I stand actual ability wise."
"Well that is, in fact, part of what I wanted to talk to you about." Lionel Arc crossed his arms in front of his chest again. "Tomorrow we start your training."
"What?" Jaune's father had never offered to train him in the past. In fact every time he had tried to bring up the topic, he had been told to to go talk to his mother which had immediately killed the whole idea.
"Your Mom and I have discussed it and we decided that if you are set on going to Beacon then it would be best to make sure you are as prepared as possible." His dad explained, all traces of humor gone. "The better prepared you are, the better we'll feel about you going."
The sound of a bell chiming drew Jaune's attention to the new screen that had just popped up.
... ... ... ... ...
QUEST ALERT
... ... ... ... ...
Huntsmen Training: Train with Dad
Jaune Arc's father wants to train his son to increase his chances of surviving his time at Beacon Academy. Train with Lionel Arc every day until Summer Vacation ends.
Completion Reward: 2500 Exp & Decreased worry for Mother and Father.
Failure Penalty: Increased Worry for Mother and Father
Accept?
[YES] [NO]
... ... ... ... ...
"So what do you say Jaune?" His dad asked.
"Absolutely." He shot back as he clicked [YES]. The panel disappearing with a second chime. "This is going to be great!"
# # #
"I hate this!" Jaune shouted diving to the side to avoid another throwing knife.
"Oh come on Jaune we've been over this…This is to help you improve your agility and to teach you the value of dodging." His father responded casually as he picked up another throwing knife from the pile beside him. "Besides it's not like these cause any permanent damage. You're a video game character now right?"
"That doesn't mean getting hit by one of those things doesn't hurt!" Jaune yelped as another dagger missed him by an inch.
Jaune had hoped that the training his dad offered was going to entail the two of them sparring, maybe going over advanced combat tactics. He'd said so the moment they had stepped out into the training field for the first time.
Not so much.
Instead he had been sent to do laps, followed up immediately by a variety of exercises meant to test his endurance and strength.
When Jaune had asked why they weren't actually working on improving his combat skills his Dad had simply replied with a dismissive.
"You're not ready."
Apparently starting with sparring would only get him hurt, his dad had explained later, as they were putting their equipment away, that he was better off training his body and practicing basic sword forms with a wooden training sword for a while so that when he finally did pick up a real blade again he wouldn't accidentally cut off something he might need later.
Jaune's response to that logic had been to take a knife off the table next to him and calmly stab himself in the leg.
At first Lionel had shouted in concern and rushed forward to check on his son, but when he saw there was no blood, just a glowing line surrounding the spot the knife was jutting from, the smile that lit up his face almost chilled Jaune to the bone.
Thus began "Agility Training" as with his Torturer (A.K.A Trainer, A.K.A Loving Father).
Three hours of his dad throwing sharp pointy objects at him while Jaune desperately tried to avoid being impaled.
His mother had only been outside to check on them once since they had started training over a week ago.
She had stepped outside to see how her son was doing…and stumbled upon the sight of him standing in the middle of a sand pit with two knives sticking out of torso screaming at his father to stop trying to hit him in the nipples.
She immediately turned around and calmly walked back inside without saying a word.
It had taken Dad hours to cheer her up after that, and to convince her that they weren't using her son's newly indestructible body as a living dart board.
It wasn't all bad though. They had made two significant discoveries thanks to his dad's method of "Training".
First, they had discovered that Jaune did in fact get tired.
It was during the first day when Jaune had been sent to run laps around the training yard. About thirty minutes in he had noticed that he was starting to sweat and was feeling slightly out of breath.
He had ignored it thinking he was just imagining things and kept moving forward only to find his body gradually starting to slow down over time. It eventually got so bad that Jaune had been unable to do more than simply walk forward, swaying side to side, like a drunken zombie.
He had recovered completely after a mere thirty minute rest.
Jaune had been of two minds about the experience. Being able to run and/or fight continuously with no need for breaks was great in theory, and Jaune was admittedly a little sad to find out that he was still susceptible to exhaustion, even if he recovered a lot faster than a normal person, but he was surprised to realize that a small part of him was actually happy to find out that he was still normal in some respects.
It made him him feel like he was still human.
The second discovery had come up in the middle of "Agility Training" on their 5th day of training. Jaune had just come out of a roll and had been surprised to see a notification box pop up.
[Dedicated training causes your AGI to go up by 1.]
A quick check of his character screen confirmed that he now had an Agility [AGI] stat level of 6.
He could improve his stats through normal training!
This was a HUGE deal to him.
It meant he could get stronger without having to go find Grimm to fight.
It wasn't perfect. The fact that it took over 20 hrs of running the same drill to increase his stat by only 1 point proved that and he couldn't imagine that training like that would be as fast as leveling up normally would be, but if it could make a difference in the long run then it would be more than worth the extra time.
"You paying attention?" His dad yelled at him flinging another dagger his way.
Jaune saw it coming and with a quick swipe of his hand…
...missed it entirely and grunted as it buried itself in his stomach.
"Damn it." He grit my teeth and pulled it out tossing it back towards the pile at his dad's feet.
"Why do you keep trying to catch them?" Lionel sighed in exasperation.
"I'm a game character now. I should be able to do cool things like that." Jaune explained yet again. Just like he'd explained the last time the man had asked and the time before that.
"Really?"
Why does he doubt me like this?
"Well – I mean why not?" Jaune shrugged as he watched the older Arc walk over to the bench they'd placed off to the side and pick up a towel that'd he'd left there earlier. A quick flick of the man's wrist sent it flying towards his face as fast as any of the training daggers.
Jaune scowled at him as he caught it before it could hit him only to get a polite little clap in return.
"I've discovered other skills by performing specific actions before, I figure if I catch enough of them my gamer ability might just turn it into a skill I can use."
"Hmmm…." Dad stroked his chin as he took a seat on the bench. "You say its happened before? Give me an example."
"Well one of the first was my [Observe] Skill." Jaune offered trying to think of something non-combat related. "I was just examining Crocea Mors and that was enough to trigger it."
"What does it do?"
"It gives me information on anything I can see. Just a basic description on what the object is, what it's used for, and other stuff like that. But that's just normal everyday items like this towel." He looked down at the towel in his hand. "Observe."
... ... ... ... ...
Old Cotton Towel
Just a normal cotton towel that's seen better days. Used to clean up messes and dry off the wielder.
... ... ... ... ...
He read the screen out loud for his dad's benefit.
"But with living things it's a bit different. I used [observe] on those Grimm last week and it gave me their level, type, and some basic info about their abilities."
"That's an impressive skill you have there." He said with a firm nod. "What about me?"
"What about you?" Jaune asked confused.
"What does it say about me?"
Jaune just stared at him for a moment. He hadn't used [observe] on him before, He hadn't used it on anything living since those Grimm.
"Let's see." He told him focusing on the man in question. "Observe."
... ... ... ... ...
NAME: LIONEL ARC
CLASS: ?
LEVEL: ?
... ... ... ... ...
HP: 3010/3010
MP: ?
... ... ... ... ...
STR: ? END: ? AGI: ?
INT: ? WIS: ? LCK: ?
... ... ... ... ...
His HP was so much higher than Jaune's!
Is that because he's a higher level?
Unfortunately, the rest of his stats were missing so he couldn't really tell. Were they being hidden for some reason?
[Through continuous use the [Observe] skill level has increased by 1.]
Another level of [observe]!
Added to all the level ups he'd gotten from using that skill on random objects all week whenever possible, that brought it up to level 10.
Will I be able to see more inf…
There is was. Just like with the boarbatusks.
His father now had a name tag floating above his head.
[?] Lvl ? Lionel Arc
"Hmmm that is interesting." His father said when he finished explaining what it was he was seeing. "So you can't see my level?"
"Nope, and all your stats are the same: three question marks." Jaune told him after using [observe] on him again just to be certain, shrugging his shoulders to show him he had no idea what that was about.
"Perhaps they're hidden for a reason." Lionel suggested trying to help.
"I guess so." It was the only explanation Jaune could think of. "Maybe the gap between our levels is too high? Maybe my observe skill level is simply too low to see that information?" He shrugged.
"Well put it out of your mind for now Jaune." His dad told him pulling his great sword from his back.
Jaune did so and picked up his training sword as well.
"What drill are we going to do today?"
"No drills." The reply surprised him. "It's about time for me to see your fighting style."
"Really!?" Jaune asked excited.
"Yes really." The man replied with a smile.
It's about time!
This was fantastic! Jaune had been itching to see how he would fair in a real spar. He didn't for a second think he actually stood a chance at winning, his dad was way too experienced and strong to lose to someone like him, but he was anxious to see how well he stacked up against someone like his father.
If he could get to the point where he could at least defend himself at least for a bit, he could just imagine where that would put him skill wise among the other huntsmen and huntresses in training at Beacon.
"But before we do that…we need to take care of something." His thoughts were interrupted.
"What's that?" he asked confused.
"We need to unlock your aura."
"My aura?" He asked staring at his father more than a little confused. "What's that?"
Jaune's question seemed to shock the man, his eyes going wide and the point of the sword in his hand falling to hit the dirt.
"Jaune what do you mean 'What's that?'?" He asked.
"…"
"Jaune are you telling me, you were going to show up to Beacon Academy. The BEST and most FAMOUS school for combat training in the four kingdoms…without even knowing what aura is?"
"Umm…Maybe?".
"I can'….I mean who in their right mind would…Jaune come here." He said gesturing with his hand for his son to approach.
The young huntsmen in training did so quickly, hoping to find out what the big deal was.
"OW!" He shouted instead, stumbling forward from a smack upside the back of his head. "Why'd you do that!?"
"What the hell were you thinking!?" His dad replied, forcing Jaune to take a step back in shock. "Do you have any idea what could have happened?"
"I'm sorry?" Jaune said hesitantly. What else was he supposed to do? It's not like he knew that "aura" was something he needed before now.
"Jaune ALL Combat Academies in the world have one thing in common in regards to how they teach their students." Lionel pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "It's actually regarded as something of a tradition these days, or more accurately, a rite of initiation."
"Okay?"
"They all start with some kind of test that allows them to determine teams and team leaders…and they all include some form of real combat against real Grimm."
He made sure to look Jaune in the eye to stress his point.
"Jaune the teachers don't usually interferre, not unless they feel the student is in imminent danger." His dad's grip on his weapon tighten noticeably. "Without your aura unlocked...a single blow from a Grimm could have killed you before any of the instructors would have even known to act."
Jaune took a moment to absorb that information. No wonder his dad was so upset. He was scared. Scared FOR him.
"Dad, I've never heard the word aura before." He tried to explain, at least so his dad would know he hadn't been intentionally putting himself in harm's way.
"I don't even understand how that is possible; Between Me, Your Mom, Hazel…How could you not have heard at least one of us mention it in passing?" That question came out more curious than concerned.
"I don't know." Jaune admitted. "Wait – I think Mom mentioned something about aura when she–."
"Didn't you study or read anything on huntsmen before applying to Beacon?" His dad interrupted.
"Well not really." The teen replied. "I figured I could catch up once I got there."
He received a raised eyebrow at that as if to say "and what else?"
"Plus I was worried that if Mom caught me reading any books about combat or Grimm she would…well you know." Jaune looked down at his shoes. It was only now that he could look back at his previous plan for entering Beacon, without any knowledge or preparation, and cringe.
Naive didn't even begin to accurately describe him.
His dad gave a heavy sigh and shook his head.
"No use lamenting about past mistakes at this point Jaune." He said, laying his hand on his son's shoulder for a moment to let him know it was okay. "All we should focus on now is fixing what we can and moving forward."
His words bolstered the younger Arc's confidence, which he showed by nodding his head firmly.
"So aura." The explanation started. "In the simplest of terms, Aura is energy. An energy produced by our souls that flows outwards throughout our bodies and gifts us with many benefits we would otherwise not possess."
"Like what?" Jaune asked in a whisper. This sounded so cool.
"Well it's most basic function is to act like a shield. It surrounds us in a barrier that, while normally invisible to the naked eye, protects us from harm by deflecting most types of damage."
"It's like a force field?" Was the first thing that sprang to mind. Jaune grimaced as he saw his dad's eye twitch for a second.
"Yes Jaune. It's like a force field."
"Can it do anything else?"
"It also empowers us a bit, enhancing our strength and speed beyond what we would normally be capable of." He paused for a moment as if considering something. "There's more, but you'll learn about the rest at beacon. For now, we should just get your aura unlocked so you can see what it's like for yourself."
"How do we unlock it?" There was a bit of trepidation in Jaune's voice.
"Oh don't worry it won't hurt at all."
His words did not reassure the teen at all.
Why is he grinning like that?
...
To Be Continued…
...
Author's Note: Okay there we go Chapter 2. Please let me know what you guys think. From now on I will be placing an updated STAT sheet at the bottom of each chapter that I hope will help everyone keep track of Jaune's development. I'm also considering uploading a Skill Page every 4 or 5 chapters to give everyone a reference so they can see what skills Jaune has, what they do, and what their level is at that point in the story. I will upload them at the the same time as I update a chapter so there will be no "Awww I thought this was going to be an actual chapter" moments. Please let me know how you all feel about that.
Jaune's Stats:
NAME: JAUNE ARC
CLASS: THE GAMER
LEVEL: 6
... ... ... ... ...
HP: 390/390
MP (Locked): 0/0
... ... ... ... ...
STR: 9 -[0]+
END: 9 -[0]+
AGI: 6 -[0]+
INT: 6 -[0]+
WIS: 10 -[0]+
LCK: 5 -[0]+
... ... ... ... ...
Points: 0
Lien: $30