Chapter 1: The World is Dark

The situation that I could best describe myself in would be FUBAR. Yes Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition.

It was only my military bearing and with the help of compartmentalizing my thoughts and emotions that I did not fall into a state of panic whatsoever.

But even then, I can feel my inner fortitude waning on as the hours passed.

Long ago, I once considered myself a very resilient person but OSUT taught me otherwise. I was weak-willed then, almost going into despair during the first month. I wanted to give up.

But I didn't and I was sure as hell they wouldn't want me to, especially after signing a contract for a MOS that the Army was lacking in numbers (if they weren't, we were pretty sure almost a third of our company would have been reclassed.)

Roughly around 6,000 of us Mortarmen were currently active as far as I was told by my Senior Drilled Sergeant who was an 11C himself, but I'm not entirely sure if that was an accurate rough estimate or that I was probably doubting him then.

But the point stands, we were lacking in numbers.

So they broke us, shattering our individuality and molded us as one cohesive unit, soldiers with the seven army values deep within their core.

Needless to say, I came out as a better man that day when we finally graduated from the fields of the National Infantry Museum. Disciplined and professional, an infantryman, the best trained soldiers in the world.

But even then, I fear that my training wasn't sufficient enough for this odd and strange predicament I find myself in.

I didn't know how it happened, but I suddenly found myself in a body that wasn't my own… Yes, as disbelieving as it may sound it was true, I somehow in some strange way, found myself transmigrating into a different body.

The experience would have been less awful if this body wasn't blind!

For the first hour I struggled like a headless chicken, flaying on and about as I kept stumbling into what I think are trees.

I was pretty sure I kept going in circles too…

Not only that, but apart from my vision, all of my senses were amplified greatly. I could hear and smell better(taste untested yet), but these newfound senses left me disoriented as my mind hasn't adjusted yet to all of the information my senses are giving me.

It was all too headache inducing.

Then I was mortified when I found out I had a few extra appendages. My hands reached above my head and touched round, floppy ears that felt nice to touch…

I did my best not to freak out at that time but then I let my hands wander and found I had a very long and hairless tail…

What the fuck?!

Needless to say, I went into a state of shock and denial for a few minutes. However, despite my great internal panic, what I call my soldier mode kicked in.

Compartmentalizing my thoughts and feelings aside, boxing them all out away and separated from my mind as I focused on the situation at hand and how to recover from it.

I didn't notice it at first but my brain is slowly getting used to the abundant influx of information provided by my senses.

These extra set of floppy ears bestowed me with greater hearing than before, to the point I could hear almost every fauna which I wouldn't normally hear before.

And combined with my enhanced sense of smell, I could roughly pinpoint where they are. From the birds chirping atop a tree, to a fawn's hooves snapping a branch behind a bush.

Giving me somewhat of an artificial sight, though very, very limited. Even with these, I'll still be walking in the dark. It'll be great if I could somehow navigate like one of those star-nosed moles or at least a bat's echolocation.

Huh, I can faintly trace the odor of flora from this distance. I might be close to a tree then, I wonder if I get close enough to sniff it, it might also tell me it's history like a dog….

Since when did I associate myself as some kind of animal? I was— still am human but aren't humans also animals since they're mammals descended from great apes? Hmm, that certainly is a good point.

And I just realized I beat myself in my own argument.

I blame this body's influence.

Though one certain thought should be acknowledged now. Was there another soul occupying this body before I kicked them out?

I really hope I didn't transmigrate into someone else's body while their soul was still alive and inadvertently kill them.

Somehow, I am strangely too calm and unbothered about that… I still blame this body's influence.

Focusing on other matters now. Taste, I haven't yet, but I remembered some animals use that sense to locate their prey, primarily the catfish. That would certainly be useful but I can't imagine how I would use it in conjunction with my artificial sight.

Then lastly, touch. Untested yet also but that would be the last thing that I want enhanced, otherwise the feeling of pain would be stronger. Call me a bitch, but I would rather avoid being in more pain than needed to thank you very much!

With all of my senses checked out, I moved on to other problems. That being my extra appendages.

My hands went to grab my floppy ears.

"Soft," I muttered. Even my voice is different that's to be expected given a different body overall but that mattered less compared to these new ears. Yes, these floppy, soft ears that I can't seem to resist touching.

It was almost like petting your dog or cat's ears… I had to force my hands away from my new ears.

"Then next is the tail… Yeah, this is a really weird feeling."

My hands were holding my tail. A narrow hairless tail. It was long though, which was a good thing? I don't know, probably my body's opinion.

I don't get how it works…

Does the tail have a mind of its own? Does it correspond to my emotions? It's completely limp on my hands now though but I definitely felt like it moved before.

That sounded wrong somehow.

I'll leave it be for now.

That being said, is it possible to access my body's memories? My body is bound to influence me one way or the other. Better to start early now so I know what the hell I am doing.

Well then, how do you access your body's own memories I wonder?

"Hmm… what's this?" I smelt something in the air and it's very close by. How couldn't I notice it before? It smelled strangely metallic.

I was careful not to tri—

"—Ay!"

Thud.

I tripped and smashed my head into a tree…. Well that's to be expected, I'm blind after all.

"Hmm, what's this?" I gripped something perpendicular and stood it up. Inherently I knew it was long, longer than me. Great! I found a walking stick.

But the material is hard, no? Defining your not made of wood and the other end was a lot, lot heavier when I lifted it up.

My body froze. This thing is special to it… a feeling I can't place surge within me, pride is it?. I didn't like it, so I closed my eyes and compartmentalized again.

Really focused this time, till I am empty.

I felt something warm envelop me entirely and when I opened my eyes again, I saw the world in black and white.

"… What?" I blinked, wait did I even blink?

I physically closed my eyes and I still can see.

"What is this?" I can see everything around me now. Well, some of it in a distorted view. Everything was mostly in the shade of black with only the outlines of white giving it shape.

Take that tree for example, most of it is black with only the outside and some parts of it being white. Depth perception perhaps?

Not only that but I can feel— no sense everything around me. From the grass swaying, to the little critters to my back.

Everything within 10 meters at least. In 10 meters I can see and sense everything, anything last that is pitch black darkness.

Not that I'm complaining that I can actually see now but I knew what this was called it was my Semblance —- that sounded familiar —- and it's name was Mind's Eye.

It must have been activated when I unlocked my Aura —- another familiar term.

Really, where am I?

I looked at the thing I'm holding… and I'm left speechless.

What am I supposed to comment on this amalgamation? It was a halberd but it had an engine on its top end to power up the chainsaw as its blade.

A combination of a halberd and a chainsaw, Goredrinker was its name.

The only thing left I have to add was that was it necessary to attach a 20mm barrel to it? That seemed a tad too excessive to my tastes.

What does it transform into an auto cannon too or something?

Wait a minute, this scenario all sounds way too familiar.

Transmigrated into a different body and dropped into a forest - check.

Armed with a chainsaw halberd that was also a gun/cannon that could theoretically mecashift - check.

Has a protective Aura that covers the entire body along with a Semblance with the power that allows me to see - check.

An extra bestial appendage or two - check?

Then it finally hit me with all those factors coming into place, and with startling realization followed by denial, I concluded that I was in….

This was RWBY wasn't it?

A fictional story

And this was most likely a fanfic and I am in under the mercy of the author who can likely make my life a lot more harder in the next chapter.

Fuck

I was currently taking shelter inside a dug in on a large tree with my hands near my bonfire for warmth.

It was almost night time —- I could tell despite not being able to see the sky because it was getting cold… I have become a bitch to the cold of sorts ever since OSUT —- and I patiently waited for my meal to cook.

A chunk of boar meat was impaled by my halberd using my back as support to cook it. What? It was a good use for goredrinker.

Still killing the boar had been a bloody mess, I should just use the weight of it next time instead of revving it up.

Thankfully I knew how to spear and this body certainly knew how to hunt the boar. Hopefully that experience will translate into hunting Grimm too.

As self-defense of course.

There was no way I was putting my life on the line just to fight a Grimm.

Taking stock of this body's — I should really start referring it as my own at this point — inventory:

7 mags of 0.75 caliber cartridges, each mag containing 5 rounds to a total of 35 cartridges with one mag already loaded on Goredrinker.

4 stun grenades, 2 fragmentary grenades and 2 smoke grenades.

One cleaning kit.

2 Ballistic steel plates strapped onto my outer thoughts to hold some of my equipment.

One small hygiene kit

2 canteens of water.

And one first aid kit.

Lastly some snacks… Huh, cheese crackers, neat. No MRE's though.

All stored on this small cylindrical bag wrapped around my waist and connected through the steel plates.

Then there's this flat cap. Which I immediately wore on my head. Ah, feels better than not wearing anything at all, it felt weird not wearing a hat after having the patrol cap on so many times I felt unprotected without something covering my head now.

The clothing I had on was practical and comfortable, provided resistance against the cold too so I didn't need my Aura to take the brunt against the cold.

I might need to get rid of the long coat if there was ever a situation I need to fight.

The scarf was definitely staying on. And the boots were comfortable too, almost like my NFS's.

Then lastly my wallet. These stacks of paper were definitely lien but what's with these ID cards none of their names match and they strangle had braille encoded on them.

I did not know how to read tactile codes before.

Apart from the names they all had things in common: one being my age which is 20 and my race: Rat Faunus.

Hmm… Not really a bad choice but a surprising one. I'll delay my name problem tomorrow.

Height… Yeah, I'm ignoring that I have shrunk.

My inventory check was done, I had nothing to do now than to wait for my food to cook and to sleep.

To be honest, I'm uncertain of sleeping alone in the forest. At least back then one would be awake while you slept and take turns on fireguard.

I'll just have to take my chances I suppose, as unguarded as I feel I need my 8 hours dammit!

Though I now need what I need to do in the meantime for tomorrow. Apart from finding civilization, I'll need to work on training my Aura, I don't know if it's canon or not but I want to use it to sense other living beings.

And learning how to fight with my halberd…. I have a few ideas on how to use Goredrinker given my light weight.

But for now. My stomach growled and I took the cooked meat from my halberd.

Time to dig in!

Author's Notes:

I am still alive after OSUT HAHAHA! I almost believed I wouldn't graduate.

This was just written on a whim, don't expect anything too serious.

I'm still working on my other stories and A Rose Blooms in Caelid is taking top priority to update alongside my other crossover story which sits at both 0%… What? I didn't want to write anything during HBL, and I just wanted to rest.

I'm currently at my duty station now and I'll write whenever I have free time and definitely not on the phone which I wrote this on during the course of reception week.

As for him having two traits, it's a genetic disorder that leads to him handing more bestial characteristics. I'll explore fully in future chapters.

Till then, see you on the next update.