Arcane Craftsman: Chapter 3
Jaune stared at the ceiling of his temporary room. Unlike the average hero class, a prestige like Jaune was tucked away in a higher floor than the others in the male dorms. Ordinarily, heroes would bunk and share a room, while Jaune had one all to himself. Jaune initially didn't like the special treatment, but it at least gave him some privacy. Especially after the whole "Guild Leader" debacle. It wasn't to say that it was all bad, but rather his new temporary guild mates had no idea what to do. A labor caste, no matter how prestige, was now their leader for a dungeon run? Yikes. Still though, they were far more amicable than Jaune anticipated. Honestly, he expected them all to explode and vehemently deny the order or something. Or worse case assassinate him or something.
ALARM!
Murphy's law, ever heard of it?
"Shut it."
Jaune glared at the system a bit, his suspicions of it becoming more pronounced. He decided now wasn't the time to deal with it however and smiled a bit as he shook his head. Indeed, it all went better than he thought, hell Pyrrha was quick to defend him as well, which was nice.
Jaune blushed a bit as he remembered the fiery beauty. Her crimson hair and socially awkward demeanor was adorable.
Jaune shook his head again.
"Now is not the time" he muttered.
Jaune sat up on his bed and turned his attention to the newest and most vexing addition in his life.
The System.
Jaune barely understood how the blue box in front of his vision worked. It would disappear when he told it to and he knew that he could touch it. But that was it. It was very detailed in informing him what his own strengths were…but it seemed to be pushing him to fight.
"System On."
ALARM!
System is now back online!
Bitch!
The system was also a dick.
"You don't even turn off in the "first place", you just go silent for a bit."
ALARM!
…..so?
As became his now normal mode of operation, Jaune ignored it.
"…ok now that I'm alone I can try experimenting with this thing. So far it responds to intent, but its easier and quicker to just ask it to do something…it said one time about notifications. System access Notifications"
NOTIFICATIONS!
You have received Rewards!
You have completed part 1 of "Punishment? What Punishment?". Rewards have been deposited to main menu.
"Main Menu?"
ALARM!
Congratulations player! You Have accessed the main menu for the first time! Give yourself a cookie! The main menu is the hub of the system interface! Through this you can access the entirety of the system support available to you. WARNING some system functions are lost or locked at this time. Find them or achieve a feat(s?) that unlocks a feature to gain access to them.
MAIN MENU
Status
Quest Board (Restricted)
Quests!
Store (Locked)
Notifications/Mail (0)!
Rewards (4)!
Skill Tree.
Jaune smiled, happy he was beginning to understand what was in front of him. He clicked on store, but frowned as it blinked red. A small notification blinked in front of him, a searing red unlike its normal blue.
"Got to be level 20 to access huh? Wonder what it would sell in the first place? Does this thing even accept lien?"
The system decided not to let him know if it did or not, which was alright with Jaune. He narrowed his eyes at the Quest Board option. Unlike the store it wasn't simply locked, but restricted. It was obvious that it wasn't the same as "Quests". A burning need to know itched in Jaune's mind, but he knew that the system was just as stubborn as he was. It wouldn't budge…or rather couldn't? Jaune was still trying to figure out how this all made sense. It tried to talk to him like it was a person, but Jaune noticed it didn't have much in the way of free will. Regardless Jaune threw his attention to another segment. One that filled him with equal parts mirth and annoyance.
"Let's find out what this skill tree is all about" he muttered.
ALARM!
The Skill/Skill Tree option has been accessed for the first time! As a Prestige class you have access to numerous skill trees that grow and evolve over time rather than just one! As you develop and level up yourself and your skills the tree will evolve with new possible skills. WARNING! Skills are evolutionary. Would you like a tutorial?
"Wait? Tutorial?"
ALARM!
The Player System Tutorial is inaccessible by this player. However, general rundown of information is not….ok look do you want the tutorial or not?
Jaune grunted in acceptance. Ever since the punishment Zone this system of his seemed to have settled down a bit. He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth anyway. Jaune knew how his skills functioned, but only in the sense of a labor caste member. So a more in-depth understanding wouldn't hurt.
SKILLS!
SKILLS are the crystallization of a specific ability, talent, or knowledge that have been empowered by magic and a class. Not only do they imbue the user with the knowledge of their use, they also come with additional effects. However, the knowledge imbued by the skill is limited. All skills are able to be levelled up, much like the players themselves. These skill levels represent an individual's mastery and power over a skill. Some skills even gain better effects as they grow stronger or evolve into a greater variation! The Player's "BLACKSMITH" skill tree and the skills within it are an example of this. At Level 1 an individual is given a basic understanding of crafting metal, using magic to adjust weight, or sharpen an edge through the skill. However, that is all, a basic and hollow understanding, something to start with. Only through one's own experience, knowledge, and talent can skills level up. As a player of the system, certain quests and items can give specific skills large amounts of XP.
SKILL TREE'S are a collection of skills that are connected in similarity or class function. Every Class gets one skill tree that evolves with the user, a rare few of what the Player calls Hero classes can get two. Unique to Prestige Class types is the ability to house four or more. These skill trees are a representation of one's overall proficiency within a skill set. This proficiency cannot be artificially increased by items OR the SYSTEM (NO EXCEPTIONS!). Only by increasing levels and gaining actual experience in the use of said skills will increase a skill tree's overall mastery. However, skills are a different matter, as they can be increased through an item called a Skill Point. A skill point is a system specific item keyed to the individual player. The power of this item allows the manual level up of a skill, or the forcible awakening of a skill. To be put bluntly, don't fuck with em, they're rare damnit.
As if asking Jaune to confirm this, his skill tree option opened revealing each of the skill trees available to him. Blacksmith, Enchanter, Tailor, and Alchemist (Locked). Jaune tapped on the Blacksmith skill and was able to notice its format. In the center as a circle was of course BLACKSMITHING (ADVANCED).
"Huh. Instead of a level its just an overall grade it would seem…interesting. It's good to know that I actually have to work for my skills. I'd hate to just be given full knowledge…it would definitely take the fun out of it all."
A vast majority of the BLACKSMITHING skills within the tree were blacked out, no writing over the smaller bubbles were visible, except for a few. For starters Jaune noticed that all the circles within this "Tree" were connected by lines. From the middle BLACKSMITHING circle, each skill was connected in different directions. It was without rhyme or reason it would seem. However, attached to each of his active skills, that glowed white, were greyed out skills. Presumably the next in line for activation. A few interested him. One was Weapon Proficiency, Armor Proficiency, and Overall Proficiency. Presumably they would boost the quality of his items…or rather do so by transplanting the knowledge into his head? The whole thing was confusing but regardless Jaune knew that there was no need to stress himself out getting them. The system basically told him that he COULD use items to forcibly activate his skills early…however…Jaune smirked.
"So…I could just manually unlock them…I think I'll just learn em myself."
ALARM!
A portion of skills are indeed learnable you greedy dick. However, the requirements to unlock them are not known to the player. It is possible for the player to naturally unlock every skill for themselves…just as it is possible for the player to never again learn a new skill within the tree. Some skills even require specific feats or a high enough level to unlock. It is possible for clues or directions to be obtained for possible skills, but these are hard to come by and notice.
"You have been entirely too helpful…what did you do?" asked Jaune.
ALARM!
Fuck off.
"Should have kept my mouth shut" thought Jaune.
Jaune turned to the Enchanting Tree next. The skills inside were simple in practice. Rune Sight allowed Jaune to see and read runes. Rune Crafting allowed Jaune to imbue the power of runes to an item during crafting. However that wasn't the full extent of the skill. From what Jaune understood the ENCHANTING skill allowed him to imbue the runes into the weapons he created. While Rune Crafting did the same thing overall, it allowed him to create original enchantments or alter existing ones to his liking. It allowed for the creation of enchantments rather than the use of them. It was an interesting distinction.
"System" asked Jaune "how's my ability with Rune Crafting?"
ALARM!
You're Shit. Absolute Garbage. No Skill, Talent, or even a spec of intuitive understanding between what little brain cells live in your skull. You must first learn and understand fully the runes before using them in unique creations. You're a one trick pony who only understands two fire enchantments and not the individual character that makes up the enchantment.
In the words of the venerable ancient Players that look down from above and beyond…Get good Scrub.
Jaune stared at his notification.
"Did I offend you at all?"
ALARM!
No.
"…..Ok…uh what's this about rewards?"
ALARM!
Rewards are items given for completing quests or defeating incredibly potent, legendary, godly, or just EXCRUTIATINGLY annoying opponents. Especially the last one. They are random in nature (much like everything else). However, certain quests or enemies have a higher chance of dropping specific rewards depending on the circumstances, as you have already learned.
You currently have four Rewards!
For Completing the First (And weakest, don't start getting a big head here) Punishment Zone, you have earned the following reward types, General and Class!
1 Skill point (General)
Basic Arcane Tools (Class)
Skill Stone (Class)
Look before you ask all punishment zones drop one item (Not gonna lie, usually horribly crappy) just for surviving. This reward can increase in value if you clear the zone. By defeating the boss of a punishment zone you "Clear" it, resulting in at least two more guaranteed rewards. The General Reward is something that is common for any player. A "Class" reward are weapons, tools, or possibly even skills unique to your class or by rare possibilities outside of them! By clearing all (If Any) side/hidden quests within a punishment zone, you gain the PERFECT or 100% cleared extra reward which is a rare General drop…which is utterly random in terms of usability (Sorrynotsorry). Pray to the RNG God, Or Goddess I don't discriminate here, for a good roll….cause most of em suck.
Out of everything the System had just dumped on him…Jaune only learned one thing.
"I'm….I'm not the only player?" asked Jaune.
ALARM!
Of course, not you arrogant ass! What did you think you were the beloved "Chosen one" sent to save this world from the dungeon scourge one scrappy battle at a time? Who do you think you are eh? Jesus? Buddha? Batman!? Get over yourself scrub. You aren't the first nor the last who will ever gain the status of "Player!".
"Huh. Good to hear" chuckled Jaune "Would be kind of awkward to just be the only player for some reason. I mean if I gained access why wouldn't others. Rather avoid fighting them if possible."
ALARM!
You're just begging for Murphy to fuck you in the ass, aren't you? Forget it, crack open that skill stone!
P.S Touch the little item box for the item!
Jaune, a normally patient and kind individual was nearing the end of his good will. He had been beaten near death, and was now learning that he may not even be allowed to stay in Beacon if he fails his entry test or whatever. This was a major problem since his father's treatment for the SLEEP ailment depended on his enrollment. So like any self respecting young man he did the only thing available to him at the time.
He flipped a weird non-physical…thing the bird and tapped all three items in quick succession.
In response the system tried to drop his new hammer and chisel on his nuts along with a glowing rock with red lines. Jaune closed his legs and caught the hammer and chisel in his hands.
ALARM!
…..huh? Guess the stat dumps into AGILITY and DEXERITY from the two daily quests weren't for nothing after all….fine you win this round….
Bitch.
Jaune just started laughing. What else could you do against something that treated you like an annoying little brother at this point. At least, that's what it felt like to Jaune. He doubted the system could even feel anything, but it felt nice to think it did in some fashion. Jaune quickly inspected the hammer and chisel.
Hammer and Chisel of the shitty craftsman!
"Ok come on!" yelled Jaune.
ALARM!
Alright fine jeez. Party pooper.
Inspect: Arcane Hammer and Chisel (Poor)
While the quality of the hammer and chisel are poor, that is only in contrast to other magic tools of greater quality. Unlike a normal hammer and chisel, this set of tools have been imbued with the power to allow the free flow of a user's mana through them. This allows for magic to flow between the user and the material they are crafting with! Due to its poor quality the hammer and chisel will lose durability during the crafting of any item B rank and above. The greater the rank, the greater the damage.
Durability: 1000
"Certainly a sight better than my old pair" muttered Jaune "still wish there were more tools though than just a hammer and a chisel."
Still though the hammer looked nice. It looked more like a Mallet than anything, but it was one seamless piece of grey metal. The chisel was sharp and thanks to his new Class downloading the basics of rune crafting, Jaune knew that the chisel was necessary in his future project.
Ruby's Scythe.
He had been trying figure out the appropriate materials to make it. This wasn't going to be a project that stayed within the realms of his abilities. This would be the first project in a long time and also the first project with his new class.
Jaune planned to push the pedal to the metal as far as it would go and than some! As such he needed to use the best materials he could possibly use at this time. Thankfully Jaune….wait…
"I have a fourth reward, right?" asked Jaune.
Sure enough there was indeed one more.
"Wonder what the extra reward is?"
Jaune smiled and tapped on it. He noticed that the system had separated it from the others, due to its perfect standing. Unlike the other items that he had this one was bordered in gold. It shone brightly and beautifully.
ALARM!
You have earned a "Good Fortune Box".
"Good Fortune Box!"
This item is a rare daily quest drop that can give the player anything they WANT. This can be an incredibly powerful item…or a fucking twinkie. WHO KNOWS! Be warned the good fortune box takes in all desires that have occurred in the Player's life with a decent chance to obtain something they desire in the moment…
LET THE GACHA HELL BEGIN!
Jaune chuckled as the golden box dropped into his hands. He smiled as he realized exactly what he wanted.
"Give me an item, the best item possible for the greatest item I can create at this time!"
Jaune opened the box, a golden light shining briefly through his room. When he opened them the notification box told him exactly what he summoned.
ALARM!
…..The Fuck is that?
Jaune narrowed his eyes, wondering the same himself. But he smiled nonetheless.
"You know…it'd be boring if it was easy…I'll try and use it tomorrow. I'll be giving it my best regardless, but anything I make for Ruby will be better than what she's currently using anyways. I have everything I need now."
ALARM!
YOU HAVE STARTED A CRAFTING QUEST!
"A Scythe fit for a Hero!"
You have answered the pleas of a hero for a weapon worthy of battle! You have answered the call that others have forsaken and have taken up this contract! Create a weapon to satisfy Ruby's hopes and dreams and let the Reaper stalk the battlefield!
Failure: You broke Ruby's heart. The hell's the matter with you? Also you'd be starting off with a horrible reputation for any future business with other heroes but that's less important.
Success: Ruby's happy and you would have unleashed the power of the Reaper into the world. Lit.
Conditions for Quest Clearing:
You must craft a weaponized scythe (!?)
You must use Ruby's designs as a basis and her input in the final weapon design (Yay…socializing)
Rewards:
Ruby's Friendship…I can't actually force that to happen but I imagine she'd be pretty grateful.
Blacksmith, Enchanter, and Tailor gain XP Medium.
XP Medium scaling to XP LARGE X4 (Shit that's a lot of XP) depending on finished Weapon Rank.
Bonus Objectives:
The Higher the Weapon rank the greater the chance of possible bonus rewards can be!
"As if I didn't already have enough incentive" chuckled Jaune.
The boy grabbed a skill stone and crushed it. He didn't mean to consciously, only that his body reacted to the stone being in his hands by crushing it. Jaune got a small headache as a skill was added.
ALARM!
Skill Acquired! Ignition Burst!
IGNITION BURST (LV 1):
Ignition Burst is a Pyromancer Class skill. A buff skill that increases the potency of all fire magic by 20%. The buff lasts for 2 minutes.
MP Cost: 140 MP per use.
Fifteen-minute cool down.
Activation Time: Invoke the name for immediate casting. Leveling up the skill will remove the necessity for verbal incantations.
"Cool. Hopefully this works with my passive. I mean it should right?"
ALARM!
The two are compatible skills yes. NOW GO TO SLEEP!
Jaune shook his head in amusement but relented all the same. The System had a point after all. While it may have been true that Jaune was going to have a full day before his guild (temporary) would be entering the D rank dungeon, the fact remained that he would probably be in the forge all day…
"Ah"
ALARM!
Fuck.
It was on that day that Jaune realized he should have asked the Beacon staff something BEFORE going to bed. Did you all happen to have a forge? Considering that it was a school for heroes and by extension nobles?...
Unlikely.
-Jaune at the front desk of the Male dorms (8:34 AM)-
"Seriously"
"Yup" giggled the receptionist "we got one down by the auction hall. We used to have blacksmith's here at Beacon, but that was decades ago. Even when they were here most ended up getting snatched by the Merchant Guild and their deals, now that was before everyone knew it was impossible for humans to make full B Rank weapons. Now, it's just collecting dust."
"I see, thank you for the help."
The man chuckled.
"Not a worry kid. I hope Beacon's been good to you so far, but considering we get applicants from all over…I doubt its been a purely pleasant experience."
Jaune shrugged.
"Can't say it has been."
The man sighed and clicked his tongue.
"That's just unfortunate. I've sent a missive to the auction hall. It doesn't open till around one so you'll have to keep busy until then."
Jaune smiled.
"Thanks again for the help. I had promised a friend I'd help her out with a weapon situation and forgot to even ask if you had the facilities for it!"
As Jaune turned to leave he felt a small shiver run down his spine. He thought it was Salem again for a minute, but he remembered the words of Ozpin regarding her interactions. It definitely wasn't Salem though. She felt…unnervingly pleasant. This felt like it was unnervingly appreciated but unwanted?
"I've be feeling nothing but weird stuff ever since I woke up like this" thought Jaune "just buck up and keep moving."
Jaune moved with a sense of purpose. This had a bonus effect on a certain effect of his anatomy that a certain receptionist was currently making gaga eyes at.
"Oh I love my job" he giggled "still, poor thing barely knew where he was going. What was Ozpin thinking not giving this kid the run of the land? Poor thing will be lost that's for sure. Actually do your job you old fart."
-With Ozpin-
The poor man was currently underneath a mountain of paper work. He had buffed himself to oblivion and had Glynda, his High Sorceress, buff him even further. He was trying his damnest to make up for the pile of work that had appeared during his weeklong stay at Jaune's town. The man, for the last few days, had felt like he had missed something incredibly important. Something that he should have remembered without fail but did. The sensation never left him even in the middle of work. It was not a good day being Ozpin that was for certain.
"How many more" begged Ozpin.
Glynda pet her cat familiar as she rose an eyebrow at Ozpin.
"You have currently another 72 pages to fulfill and then you're done. For the day."
Ozpin sighed a breath of relief. He took a swig of Oobleck's special coffee and felt rejuvenated. He hurriedly sped through what paper work he had left. Glynda took a sip of tea, enjoying her break. She too had large amounts of paperwork, but unlike her boss she kept up on it, rather then ditching it at any moment. Glynda rose an eyebrow as she spotted a letter from one of the nobles.
She quickly opened it and read through it, a frown marring her features as she finished reading it.
"Ozpin."
The man stood from his desk, a few papers clinging to his head as his eye twitched.
"We have a problem" grumbled Glynda.
"Oh for the love of the Gods please tell me its not that rogue guild again."
Glynda rolled her eyes.
"No its not them. The kingdom arrested all of them. It's Godfrey."
Ozpin sighed as he moved from the desk, quickly snatching the letter at reading it at his enhanced speed.
"He's trying to restrain Jaune even more? We already consented to the lack of orientation and a private tour. Now he's trying to have Jaune removed from the premise? This is more than just a noble disliking a labor caste. This is good. Godfrey has overstepped."
"Be that as it may" muttered Glynda "You can't do anything until your paperwork is done. Are you sure it's wise ignoring Godfrey?"
Ozpin nodded.
"Godfrey's demands only made sense to the nobles to begin with. The King has decreed that Jaune, as a prestige class, is by law required to go to Beacon. Godfrey's letter just proves that he's overstepped his bounds and now he cannot bother us, at least for a time, without involving the king and queen. But it did reveal that the Noble in charge of the Arc territory is afraid of something. It can't be Jaune himself or he would have simply done away with him long before now…unless."
Glynda slapped her hand on the desk and glared at Ozpin.
"None of that! Finish your Paperwork and get some sleep. We can handle Godfrey for now, but hypothesizing his motives will do nothing more than distract you from your work. Get it finished, get some sleep, and than we will plan our next move."
Ozpin grumbled as he went to his desk, thanking Glynda as she buffed him once again.
Once more Ozpin lamented his place in the world. He had hired Glynda in the hopes that she would lessen his workload, instead she kept him on the "straight and narrow" as she called it. She ran the school like a tight ship. Ozpin smiled evilly as he knew exactly who was going to replace him when he finally croaked. Oh, how joyful it would be to watch Glynda go through this. But for now he was stuck with the evils of paperwork….
"Glynda…why is there more?"
-Jaune (of) Arc, Beacon's grounds-
Jaune scowled as he tried to navigate the maze that was Beacon Academy. The Academy itself was just a giant tower that pierced the clouds in its girth and as such was easy to locate. Everything else in the makeshift city? Not so much. Beacon was surrounded by Guild buildings, small businesses, and swarming with large forests filled with Grimm and weak dungeon portals in-between. As such the grounds surrounded Beacon was a bustle of activity. Before Jaune was going to the forge he needed to make one stop first and that was meeting Ruby herself.
"JAUNE!"
Jaune jumped and spun around. Ruby giggled as she was now wearing a green tunic and blue pants. Her signature cape and hood was still around, clashing vehemently with her current wardrobe.
"Jeez you know how to scare a guy."
Ruby gave a weak chuckle as she shrugged.
"I get that a lot. Soooo…did you finish it yet?"
Like a small child excited for their toy, Ruby was jumping in her seat for her weapon. Jaune chuckled and shook his head.
"I may have skills to expedite the process Ruby but even I can't build a weapon in two hours."
"Yet" thought Jaune.
"No" he continued "I came here for some input. I went over your plans and I got a general idea of what I need to do. But I thought I'd ask how you'd be using the scythe to begin with?"
Ruby pursed her lips in thought.
"Well…a lot of my skills aren't really…working" she grumbled "every scythe I use keeps breaking and my class color gets duller over time…so I don't really know honestly. I mean I know how my skills work and how to use them! Just…not how my Scythe is supposed to be used with them? It's really confusing to be honest."
It was for the first time that Jaune noticed that Ruby's name and class above her head were a lackluster blue, rather than the blazing azure like any other hero.
"Hmm...So this is what the quest meant by a broken heart. She's putting a lot of faith in this…in someone she barely knows…how much have you been let down?" thought Jaune "been told you weren't good enough?"
The memories of his own experiences…of his mother being…
"I'll agree….but touch my son, my husband, or anyone else in this town and I will destroy the Pendra-"
"Uh Jaune you alright there?"
Jaune snapped out of his memory and gave Ruby a tired smile.
"Yea I'm alright, nothing to worry about. Ok…when you use a scythe do you try to cut through them like a farmer would wheat?"
Ruby gave Jaune a blank look.
"Stupid question I know, but just humor me" chuckled Jaune.
He motioned for them to sit on a bench and away from the traffic of people around them. He would have continued walking with her, but the people staring at their classes was starting to grate on him a bit.
As they sat down Ruby struggled to answer.
"I…well I rush in and try to slice through them. I aim the tip of the scythe at the enemy and push through it through. It always shatters though. Every time it does, I know I have to keep moving…that's kind of what my class is urging me to do and it gives me a headache, like…like a flow got interrupted. Keep moving, keep cutting, and let nothing remain standing. That's the kind of feel my class gives me and how I feel I should fight."
Jaune smiled.
"The scythe breaks in the middle of the shaft and at the head right?"
Ruby nodded.
"Than I know a way to solve that problem. I…let's just say I have some materials that will work on hand…but if I build this for you Ruby you have to promise me two things."
Ruby seemed to grow apprehensive, but gave a small nod, eying Jaune with a questioning glance.
"Oh thank the gods, I was worried she was a little too trusting" thought Jaune.
"First is that you don't ask how I have these materials. The second is that you only pick the design. Any effects the scythe may have is entirely my decision."
Ruby blinked.
"That's it?"
Jaune nodded.
"Uh….ok."
Jaune smiled.
"Good. Pick your favored design and I'll get to work."
Jaune handed her back the papers she gave him yesterday. With practiced ease Ruby gave him the most detailed out of all the pages.
"So how long will you be?"
"I should be finished tomorrow morning. I'll be there for 1 at the dungeon."
Ruby's expression wilted at his admission.
"Wait you're not going to meet up with us later?"
Jaune smiled.
"I'd love to. But without a good weapon you won't be able to fight well, right?"
Ruby gave a regretful nod. The truth far more bitter than she ever would have liked.
"By building this weapon I'm building our offensive power, so don't worry I'll be contributing."
Ruby gave Jaune's retreating form a pout and sighed. She didn't like how he sounded there...
"Nice" she muttered "now I got to go hang out with Yang all day."
Ruby loved her sister, truly she did, but the blonde bombshell was a wild kind of woman to Ruby's more reserved attitude. It was exhausting spending days with her sibling at a time buuuut on the bright side…there was a possibility she would finally have a D rank weapon.
"OOOOOH" whispered Ruby "Maybe even a C rank!"
Ruby began daydreaming of her D and C rank fantasies. Unbeknownst to Ruby was the idea that she would be gaining a lot more than just a simple weapon. It would be hours later, deep into the night and Ruby's slumber, that the words above Ruby's head would begin to slowly regain their color.
But that is a different perspective. Earlier, before such an occurrence, Jaune had made his way to the Merchant's Guild. At the time there wasn't any need to introduce himself, nor say anything at all. The Merchant guild, that is the collection of heroes and nobles that controlled commerce within Beacon, had sent a guide for him. A small noble "Scholar" by the name of Yosef. With a quick but polite greeting the young man quickly brought him to a large stone house a ways away from the main guild house. It was filled with an open fire, oven, and anvil. The room was easily 60 feet in a perfect circle. A large room for any blacksmith. The tools were useless, at least for what Jaune was attempting to do. It took him but a few minutes to remove everything unnecessary from the building.
Jaune closed his eyes in front of a workbench and focused. The air beside him shimmered as Jaune accessed his Inventory for the first time. A storage dimension for all of Jaune's items. At the moment there didn't seem to be a limit to the number of items Jaune could carry. Which worked just fine for the young Craftsman.
"First" said Jaune "lay out all tools and materials."
Thanks to Jaune's skills, all he needed was his hammer and chisel. He would have preferred to have more tools but time was of the essence. He placed the two of them in the corner of the table.
"have the plans ready and the materials out."
The page that Ruby had given Jaune was…
Well it was useless save for a few things. The first was the general look of the scythe that Ruby wanted. Thankfully it wasn't too over-exaggerated so it was something he could work with. The second was the measurements.
"Length for the staff is 84.5 inches. Seems she wants the scythe to be top heavy, but I'll have to implement a counter balance. Ruby's been using a farmer's scythe for so long, I doubt she realizes what proper balance is for a weapon" thought Jaune.
"I'll keep the blade itself to 30 inches. The scythes Ruby have been using before seem to be the variety best suited for cutting wheat. So I'll shorten the blade slightly below average. While Ruby's frame is small she's deceptively strong. I noticed her grip strength when we shook hands, so she can definitely handle a thicker blade than what she normally carries. As an adjustment for battle I'll give both sides of the scythe a strong edge while keeping the center strong and flexible. She said it best herself, she aims the tip of the blade at her enemy, rather than the edge itself. She doesn't use it like a normal tool. An edge honed on both sides of the blade should allow it to cut through the enemy, rather than relying on Ruby to brute force it through. Now that I think about it that's probably the reason Ruby's scythe's break in the first place, they can't handle the impact."
Jaune rubbed his chin as he looked at the unlit forge. A collection of coal had already been placed within the oven and open hearth. With a flick of his wrist Jaune ignited both. The flames barely taking a dip in his passive, thanks to it being aimed for crafting rather than combat.
"The staff will be made from the crimson wood given to me by Gea Durga. It's strong and flexible as well and more than enough to withstand any force Ruby can currently put behind it."
"Now, for the Blade" muttered Jaune "I'll use this."
ALARM!
Are you certain? It may be B rank, but it's a little odd don't you think?
In Jaune's hands was indeed another material beyond C rank. Jaune inspected the material just to be certain of his decision, he was pretty tired the night before.
Inspect: Flint Steel (B)
Flint steel is a form of metal found in extreme Volcanic environments seeped in magic. Unlike ordinary flint, this is a material stronger than steel and can carry an edge. Ordinarily a C Rank material that shines grey like its namesake, this B rank equivalent shines with a beautiful black luster. As a B rank variant this flint steel can ignite when exposed to friction.
Effect: Can boost the effectiveness of fire enchantments by 25%. Decreases the effect of opposing elemental enchantments by 75%
"It is weird" chuckled Jaune "But It's strong."
The piece before Jaune was a large chunk the size of his torso. With the help of his hammer Jaune cracked a small stone sized fragment off it. He chucked it as hard as he could and sure enough the metal ignited into a puff of flames.
"On its own the fire is weak, barely a threat" said Jaune "but thanks to the enchantments I've learned the fire this thing can produce just from being swung fast enough…it should prove effective. If not than at least it will be far stronger than what Ruby is currently used to."
ALARM!
This is the Player's quest. Good luck.
"Wow you're supportive" chuckled Jaune.
For the next few hours Jaune measured each piece as necessary. It became abundantly clear that simply heating the metal and cutting the wood was not going to work. Thankfully Jaune had hours of thinking around these issues. The crimson wood that was given to him by the spirit Gea Durga, seemed to in small ways respond to his will. Jaune at first used structural grasping on the branch of Gea Durga to simply further understand the material. Within that moment Jaune noticed that it responded to his will. Very slowly it morphed to Jaune's thoughts, taking shape in accordance to his imagination. It was slow and required total concentration.
More than once the branch grew oddly or twisted in on itself, forcing Jaune to fix his mistake. But eventually, Jaune thinned the staff of the Scythe to fit the dimensions of Ruby's hands. He used Reinforcement to further strengthen the staff…but admittedly it felt like his skill did next to nothing to enhance it. Jaune had begun to notice that the back of his hands were giving off tuffs of fire, a sign of his passive reacting to his crafting process. He ignored it for the most part and focused. With a final thought Jaune made the branch morph to the required length. He made sure to feel the flow of mana and how his power helped alter the shape for future reference.
As he finished his brain, for a lack of a better term, popped.
ALARM!
Through ingenious and continuous use of the STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS skill you have levelled it up three times. By understanding the flow of mana and gaining a basic understanding of altering the shape of materials you have acquired the ALTERATION skill!
Structural Grasping (LV4):
Intuitively understand the structural integrity and properties of an item. Use in conjunction with Reinforcement to increase its effect. Effect increase 15%
MP cost: 15 per use. High resilience is required for long term use of the skill.
NEW SKILL!
Alteration (LV1)
By understanding the material, it is possible to adjust its size and shape! The more mana sensitive a material the more it decreases the cost of the skill! The higher the rank of the material the more cost heavy the skill! (Not all high ranking materials are mana sensative). User's skill level also effects the skill's effects and costs. ARCANE CRAFTSMAN BONUS EFFECT: When used during the crafting process, the added mana increases an item's potency by 5%.
MP cost depends on rank and material.
Jaune had never felt more excited nor deflated in his entire life. On the one hand he had learned a new skill simply through trial and error and so soon as well! On the other he had learned it through Gea Durga, a gift. Jaune had little doubt if he had used structural analysis on the Flint Steel, he wouldn't have gotten close to unlocking Alteration. It wasn't just following the mana within the branch; it was if his mana and the mana of Gea Durga were one in that instance. It showed him exactly how to use structural grasping to properly use Alteration. A gift given by a grateful and powerful spirit…whatever a spirit actually was Jaune didn't know but considering what a branch just did with him, there was no questioning the power held within.
As much as Jaune wished he learned it on his own, he wouldn't look down on such a gift. It was given from gratitude and it would be rude to do anything but accept it. A lesson taught by both his mother and father.
Jaune smiled as he grabbed the Flint Steel. He already had a plan for properly bringing the raw material to a more appropriate size. He needed to properly temper the blade, without it igniting into fire…
"…."
ALARM!
...YOU'RE FIRE PROOF IDIOT! WHAT DOES IT MATTER!?
Jaune sighed as he submitted himself to the systems divine wrath. For some reason he could have sworn he heard a familiar throaty chuckle. Jaune took his tools into his hands and took a deep breathe. The flames within the forge and oven moved with his breathing, as if fanned by his very breath. As he breathed in the fire condensed itself as he breathed out the flames burst forth even greater than before. How long as it been.
CHINK!
How long has he been without the warmth?
CHINK!
The feeling?
CHINK!
The smell of the forge and the warmth it provided brought Jaune back to happier times. The memories of a father who smiled and laughed with his wife and child. A mother whose strength could move mountains, but seemed to tremble every time she held him. Her golden hair, her beautiful teal eyes, and a smile that brighten the room. She was stern, powerful, and as doting as a mother could be.
To him, she was perfect. For how could a child remember a parent as anything but perfect?
When they were taken from them?
SMASH! FWOOSH.
The flames burned brightly as Jaune's passive ignited around him. The fire billowed out from windows, the doors, and even the minute openings in the roof. The fire quickly grew in intensity. It began to swirl around the building, trapping Jaune…no.
EMPOWERING Jaune's project. Unlike combat, where the flames greedily ate away at his mana reserves, they instead did the opposite here. His mana called it, the flame that existed within his soul.
SMASH!
As the flint steel cracked asunder into smaller pieces, Jaune's flames gathered it up, displacing it in front of him. So lost in thought and memories Jaune didn't even question how fire did that. With a wave of his hand Jaune discarded the unnecessary parts to the furthest corner of the room. The flames that beckoned from his soul responded to his will and attacked the amount of flint steel before him. The material ignites in its own fire. Only to be devoured instantly by Jaune's own. A flame born of a chemical reaction, no matter how mystical in nature it may have been, was no match for a flame born from magic and soul.
As his hammer swung down, slowly shaping the blade, Jaune's memories ran amok. Memories he kept buried so that he could focus solely on the survival of him and his father.
"It's alright."
SMASH!
"Everything is alright."
SMASH!
"I must…I must leave. For your safety I must…I must leave. Know that no matter where my body may take me…my heart, my love, will always remain with you. I hope it gives you strength. For the love your father and you have given me…why my little knight.
It makes me the strongest in the world."
SMASH!
A tear slowly fell. But even so a resolve began to form. As impossible as it may have been, as stupid as it may have been….Jaune now had a goal, a goal the system had made possible.
"Do not let the darkness blind you to the light. No matter where this Geis takes me, I will always be with you. Take care of him Shi-"
Jaune's eyes glowed crimson.
This scythe had nothing to do with his mother and what happened to her. It had nothing to do with what happened with his father. It had absolutely nothing to do with his situation. No, instead it was without a doubt the physical embodiment of the oath he swore to himself so long ago. A lesson his father instilled upon him. A promise he made to his mother. Through this weapon Jaune would help his new friend. He would help the people that mattered to him as he lived his life to the absolute fullest with zero regret.
Live long.
Live well.
Live as you please and without regret.
And so Jaune will. So Jaune has. He wanted to fight. He wanted to craft. Now…he would do both in the hopes that his strength would grow enough for him to live life as he wished…and to save his mother from her fate.
"So" growled Jaune, speaking to himself "I won't stop. I'll go further than any other if I have to!"
SMASH!
His hammer swung once more as the rough shape of the scythe's blade had taken shape.
QUENCH!
With a quench Jaune cooled the blade.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS!
Structural Analysis was used to examine the blade for weaknesses.
STOKE THE FORGE!
REINFORCEMENT!
ALTERATION!
Jaune used the heat of his passive and the abilities of his skills to close the structural weak points of the metal.
QUENCH!
STOKE THE FORGE!
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS!
REINFORCEMENT!
ALTERATION!
Again and again Jaune recycled the process. All the while the fire that billowed from his form kept increasing in intensity. For this is what it was born for! To burn! To create!
As the metal for the fourth time ignited in a cherry red, Jaune took out his chisel. With a deft and steady hand, Jaune closed his eyes. He was saturated in it. The mana. He kept Gea Durga's branch close, ready to merge the two pieces into one whole.
Suddenly the flames grew from a natural orange to an utterly beautiful crimson. It flaked around him, like fallen leaves from autumn and petals from roses. The flames reacted to his call, surging into the chisel as one enchantment echoed in his head.
Enchantment: Ignition (LV1)!
Grant a weapon the property of fire! The weapon ignites and inflicts Burn! The chance of inflicting burn, the damage it deals, and the duration of Burn is dependent on Rank, Materials, and skill level. Current skill level: 3% burn chance and 5 burn damage per 5 seconds.
MP Cost: 200 per enchantment.
No.
"Not enough" muttered Jaune "This isn't my limit!"
But Jaune didn't deter. He merged the enchantment directly into the steel. In the original design that Ruby had, her weapon was designed with flower petals. She wanted the weapon to be just as unique as her name and class. A combination of the two things that she alone took pride in.
Her weapon would reflect that.
It was sad…just plain sad that the first few people that Jaune could truly call a friend were found in dungeons and a school meant for heroes.
Jaune smirked. Even in the midst of his painful memories, of his mother's tearful smile, he was having fun! The pressure. The exhilaration! It was like fighting Grigaz all over again! The best part?
"I'm far from done!"
As he neared completing the enchantment Jaune received a warning.
WARNING!
Skill level and experience in Enchanter Skill Tree too low! Material and Enchantments are leaking mana! Rank degradation is occurring.
Unlike Gea Durga's branch, the Flint Steel was in no way grateful, or even self-aware. Its mana reacted wildly to being interacted with. Even though the enchantment was in direct elemental alignment, Jaune's knowledge in Rune Crafting was still too low to understand fully what was going on. This wasn't a simple leakage. The material's rank was dependent on the mana found within the object. Dungeon gates were measured in the same way. The greater the potency and amount of Mana the more dangerous or powerful something was.
In this instance, Jaune's Flint Steel was losing mana and potency. But he didn't hesitate. Nor did he panic. Only a fool would believe their first attempt would go flawlessly. Jaune finished the design of his enchantments, a blazing line of runes that looked like the lines of rose thorns. Even though he finished it the material still leaked power like a flood. Jaune's own mana couldn't stop it. It interfered with the escaping power, but it in no way stopped it.
Not so long as it remained B rank in power. It was than Jaune realized why making B Rank weapons and armor was considered impossible by human hands. No matter the material, an individual's own strength was necessary to maintain said materials power as it was altered. Considering how crafting classes were difficult to level up in the first place it was no wonder no one succeeded.
"So, I'm too weak to stop the flow" muttered Jaune "than if I'm too weak to plug it, let's use this!"
Jaune grabbed Gea Durga and the now completed blade of flint steel. He focused his mind as he used his new Alteration skill directly on the powerful A rank material. He wanted the Scythe to be as structurally sound as possible. Simply adding the wood through a socket or attachment to the blade would have worked. But with his new skill Jaune knew a better method.
The Scythe's blade was three inches thick, with duel edges hammered and shaped. With the Alteration skill Jaune took the wood of Gea Durga and began to slowly drive the tip of the wood straight through the middle of the metal. As the tip slowly entered the blade, Jaune had the wood expand not unlike tree roots. On the left side of Gea Durga, eighteen inches of Flint Steel stood ready. On the left end 10 inches. The wood wormed and coiled around between the two edges. It strengthens the core and would absorb the impact of collision better than any farming tool.
"Now for the next step."
Jaune activated Rune Crafting. But instead of using the chisel to draw the runes manually, Jaune instead used it like a needle, injected the enchantment directly into the material and away from sight.
Enchantment: Fire Potency
Increase the potency of any fire based effect, enchantment or otherwise!
MP: 350 per use.
WARNING: Player Low on Mana
It was too quick to notice, but the flood gates of the mana swelling within Gea Durga rushed out. It ate away at his hands and arms, skin flew off from the tips of his fingers and across his arms. Surprisingly his body was able to withstand the damage, but Jaune chocked that up to the Branch of Gea Durga itself rather than his own resilience. The mana he felt from just a stick was.
It was worlds beyond what he felt from the Flint Steel. It wasn't even comparable. It was like feeling the difference between a bucket of water to the ocean. So Jaune redirected the mana. If it wanted to escape so bad, then do so somewhere else. His nose bleed as he directed the mana overflow into the flames that surrounded him, instead of allowing it to wreak havoc in his body. All his life Jaune barely understood how mana even functioned, much less being able to control it. By using the knowledge gleamed from structural analysis and alteration, Jaune was at least capable of directed the mana.
But not without consequence. He may have lessened the strain, but he couldn't remove it entirely. He was not even B rank in strength and yet he was contesting against the sea of power that was A rank. Jaune kept focus, as his nose bled even more.
WARNING!
Player has taken 300 points of damage!
His arms bled from the mana basically exploding out of them, but his muscles remained relatively untouched. He gritted his teeth as he kept sealed as many openings as he could. He sealed the structure of his new weapon as much as he could, trying to contain as much of the mana as he humanly could. He tried his best and that was all anybody could ask for.
As the holes in the structure closed, Jaune noticed that the mana began to leak in a less obvious way. But while the weapon lost less of the potency and mana, it didn't mean the pressure let up. If anything, the pressure increased. He was nearing the completion of his project; he could stop now!
"I refuse…to back down!"
Time had no meaning before Jaune. This battle…it could have been minutes or hours to Jaune. A battle of will and magic took place as Jaune tried to tame the magic of the Arcane Craftsman class. It was powerful, so very powerful. As weak as Jaune was he was dealing with A and B rank materials. But it had its consequence. By using his own mana to redirect and stall, however weakly, the displacement of mana, his own physical health took a toll.
WARNING!
Player has taken 200 points of Damage!
Player has taken 150 points of Damage!
Player has taken 150 points of Damage!
Player has taken 50 points of Damage!
Jaune felt the blood leave his mouth as he coughed it away.
"Damnit…guess…I wasn't strong enough."
As he fell to his knees Jaune allowed his scythe to cool and the pressure to release. To Jaune, the world grew dark as he fell asleep.
To the world, the forge exploded in a tower of flame that reeked of power. It towered so high it almost matched Beacon itself. To some it was a show of power. But to a mage worth their salt…it was a sign of someone attempting something beyond their abilities, something a class normally wouldn't allow.
As Jaune's body rested, the system took action.
Player: Jaune (Redacted)
Health: 33/893 Aura: 800/800
Mana: 0
The Great Spellcaster's Blessing has been activated!
Explosive Regeneration active!
Curing all Debuffs!
System Notification sent: Player will receive all corresponding rewards and XP when quest is completed.
-The Next Day-
The pillar of fire at first generated no extra attention. It wasn't unusual for the mage classes to have accidents after all. That was until the merchant guild awoke to the sight of their old forge reduced to ash and reeking of magic.
That sent the school staff in a frenzy. For if the forge was ash?
What happened to the smith inside it?
Thankfully the sight of burning footprints moving away from the remains told them otherwise. But the confused reaction of the Beacon staff is not the reaction that was of note for this day. No. Instead it was the reaction of one young girl's older sister.
"Is…is it really!"
Yang nodded dumbly.
"Y..yea it is! Your class! Ruby it's practically glowing!"
What was once dull and dying, was now awake and blazing with power. The skills that were once hard for Ruby to decipher and understand were now crystal clear in her mind.
"It's…it's amazing" laughed Ruby "I can't wait to tell Jaune! He's going to have something great and with this new info he might be able to make something better!
"Whoa there Rubes calm down. We still don't know why this is happening in the first place. I mean it's awesome! Mom and dad will be thrilled to hear it!...but you might be sick sis. I think we should get you checked out. Also, no offense but you might be putting too much pressure on your buddy Jaune here."
"Pfffft, I'm not sick Yang! I mean I don't feel physically different, but I feel amazing either way! And nah Jaune's gonna make something great I just know it!"
Yang gave her sister a tired smile as she hugged her close.
"I hope so too. He may be prestige Ruby, but he's also just starting out. I'm happy he's willing to help you out but don't go putting more pressure on the poor guy! It's not easy for the labor caste to level up Rubes, remember Torrin?"
Ruby opened her mouth but then closed it.
"….yea. Yea you're right. Regardless of what Jaune makes it will be great."
"Now that's the Ruby I know and love! Come on sis it's almost 12 now, let's meet the others."
Ruby waltzed through the campus grounds and through the weird summer but autumn forests to meet up with her new guild!...
That was temporary….
And had eight people….
That barely knew each other….
But was still awesome either way! Ruby grinned ear to ear, excited to see what else the day held. For so long she was worried that her class was useless. To have a class that existed outside the class system was a death sentence in this world. You wouldn't find work anywhere outside of the more…illegal side of things. At least, that's what Ruby assumed anyway. There hadn't been any record of there ever having been a useless class, but knowing her luck she would of course have been the first.
Thankfully that now wasn't the case! Her once dead floppy colored class was now blazing brighter than any others…wait what?
Ruby looked above her head and sure enough, when in comparison to all the other blue colored classes, hers burned brighter and stronger than the others. Now that she thought about it, Ren's class shone the same as hers.
Their classes were unusual in that way.
"Doesn't matter!" thought Ruby "just focus on the day!"
After walking down a trail of red trees and numerous signs, Ruby and her sister quickly saw their makeshift guild, all standing in front of a swirling mass of blue energy, their D rank gate.
"Hey guys!"
Weiss was the first to notice them. Giving them a polite nod in greeting, she seemed to focus heavily on the gate, as if trying to analyze it for something.
"RUBY!"
"NORA!"
The two red heads rushed towards each other and happily hugged. Nora's infectious energy was an effective way of removing Ruby's shyness as the two got along swimmingly.
"Yang! How's the morning?" asked Nora.
Yang shrugged.
"Some good news but nothing too extraordinary."
"Oh, you mean like Ruby's class shining like Ren's?"
Yang sweat dropped as she gave a weak smile and nod. Nora grinned cheekily as Ren examined Ruby's words.
"Interesting. I wonder what caused the change?"
"Are you alright?" asked Pyrrha in worry "I hope nothing happened."
"Jeez you're just as bad as Yang" muttered Ruby "I'm fine. I don't feel any different or more powerful if that's what you're asking…it just feels like something…turned on I guess."
Pyrrha breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly frowned again.
"Has anyone seen Jaune?"
Weiss bit her lip as she looked around.
"It…doesn't seem like he's here yet."
Blake shrugged in her corner of shade.
"It's only twelve, we're expected to enter at 1. He's got time."
"He didn't show up yesterday" said Weiss.
The girl rubbed her arm and looked away.
"You don't think he?"
Ruby shook her head.
"Nah he wouldn't ditch! He told me he was making me a new Scythe, said something about contributing to the group!"
Weiss closed her eyes and winced.
"Damnit" she thought "I thought…I just wanted to be better."
Pyrrha placed her hand on Weiss's shoulder.
"Everything will be alright."
Weiss sighed.
"I hope so. I didn't mean to insult him yesterday. It was just…surreal. I still can't wrap my head around a labor caste surviving so many dungeons runs, even if he was a porter."
"He's not useless" grumbled Ruby.
Weiss glared at the girl.
"You don't think I know that? Don't forget that there's a difference in specialty here. I wouldn't send Pyrrha to the backline just as you wouldn't send me to fight with a sword. Jaune is a labor caste, a craftsman. I'm worried he may get himself hurt in here."
Ruby blinked.
"…oh" she muttered.
Weiss rubbed her eyes.
"I'm…sorry. I don't mean to snap or be rude it's just…Vale is so different than what I expected."
"So, you're from Atlas" said Blake.
Weiss gave a weak smile as she crossed her arms.
"Was it that obvious?"
Blake gave the girl a neutral stare.
"You're better than most."
To Ruby and the others, the comment made little sense. But to Weiss, it was enough to lift her spirit.
"Yeesh we're just full of drama aren't we?" chuckled Nora.
Without warning Nora grabbed Weiss by the shoulders, making the poor girl uncomfortable with the proximity.
"Have no fear! For Nora is here! We'll charge in kicking ass and taking names! When we pass, we'll celebrate and decide on a proper guild name!"
Ren shook his head with a smile as everyone stared at the Berserker. Weiss notice the warmth between the people here…so vastly different from home…so willing to forgive the small mistakes. Weiss gave a brief shake of her head, her confidence returning in droves.
"You'd need me just for a good name" chuckled Weiss.
It was a weak attempt at humor and an obvious sign of Weiss's lack of experience in social groups. But Nora's bright grin eased the atmosphere with practiced ease.
"Come on! Let's be honest, we all had fun yesterday making plans! Just wish Jaune was there, then it truly would have been a guild activity!"
Pyrrha giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"True" said Pyrrha "I wasn't expecting it to go so well. I thought Weiss and Yang would be fighting with each other for leadership again."
Yang gave Pyrrha a look of betrayal as Weiss retreated a bit into herself.
"Hey man, getting shown up by a labor caste in a hero profession will make anyone swallow their pride. By the way, after this we're all going to the bar! My treat, within reason" she grumbled.
Pyrrha blushed as she smiled sheepishly. Ren watched the whole interaction with Blake, enjoying the ambient atmosphere this group generated. Unlike the ravenous attitude of the larger and older guilds, this one was relaxed and soothing.
Exactly what Ren was looking for.
"Let's see how we fight together before we start making plans" said Ren.
Everyone chuckled, but grew quiet at the sound of crunching grass. It was heavy and the smell of ash wafted through their noses. In the distance in what was obviously new clothes, was one Jaune Arc(?).
"Jaune!" yelled Ruby "You made it!"
Jaune looked up at his temporary guild mates and smiled.
"Well this is a surprise. Wasn't expecting everyone to be here so early."
He had come in from off the trail and instead from the opposite direction. As he drew closer the smell of metal and ash grew. It wasn't overbearing, but it was noticeable.
"You alright there?" asked Yang "seem a bit drained."
Jaune smiled as he slung the scythe off his shoulder. Brown sickly wood that was smoothed down for comfort was attached to a thin blade. The blade seemed overly grey and dull. Everyone inspected the scythe.
Scythe (Rank:?)
?
Locked:?
Ruby swallowed her distaste at the weapon. It was…well it was ugly. The inspect skill revealed nothing and it looked like it would break if she held it. But she held her tongue. It wasn't fair to Jaune to not at least try equipping it.
Jaune noticed her distaste and smirked.
"Not to your liking?"
Ruby blushed.
"I'm sorry! I don't mean to be ungr-"
Jaune held out the weapon.
"Give it a try first. See how it is."
Yang gave a sisterly smile to Jaune and pushed her sister forward a little. To Yang, everyone started somewhere and Jaune had just started his journey. Some constructive criticism was what he needed and Ruby was the best sort of expert to ask. Everyone seemed to have made a judgement on the rather disgusting looking weapon…all except one.
Weiss stared holes into weapon, her eyes glowing an azure blue. To the others the inspect skill revealed nothing. Nothing at all. To the unexperienced this would normally lead others to believe that the weapon was worse than anything. That it was rankless.
But the weapon before her reeked of magic, almost like a-
It was if it went by in slow motion. Jaune's smile grew as Ruby clasped both hands on the scythe. She blinked at the shockingly comfortable grip, but more importantly was shocked that the scythe felt thicker in her hand than its appearance suggested. In fact, It didn't even feel like wood. Suddenly everyone's inspect skill activated.
Scythe (Rank:?)
Class Requirement met. Removing restrictions.
WOOSH.
It was a blink. That's all it took. In one breath there was an ugly brown sickly scythe. In the next the wood was a pristine crimson and the blade now edged and dangerous. Ruby blinked, as if trying to ward off a dream. The black metal was covered in rose like thorns. The markings pulsated with red enchantments as power now made itself known. Ruby's class and skills sang through her mind, with a few even outright unlocking in this instance. Whereas before Ruby had only two skills, she now had four. She blinked again.
The weapon dropped from her hands as she backed away. It hit the ground, igniting during the fall as it dug into the ground. The grass around it burst into flames, but quickly died out with Jaune's interference. Red embers shaped like rose petals fell from the metal, showering the weapon in a makeshift petal fall. Red shaft, perfectly balanced and straight. A duel edge worthy of an instrument of war that was covered in red markings. The center of the blade was housed in wood. Simple in design. Beautiful in appearance.
Ruby's lips quivered as she stared at the impossible. Never in her life would she have imagined, THIS is what Jaune created for her. She had to be sure. She spammed her inspect Skill but it said the same thing over and over.
Inspect:
The War Scythe: A Burning Thorn (Rank: B)
A dream brought forth by the hands of man, an impossibility made manifest, this is not a weapon meant for heroes. This is a weapon meant for one and one alone. Only one may wield its strength.
For is not as they always say? Every Rose needs its Thorns. So, reap away little Reaper.
Show the world what you can do.
Class Restricted: Reaper.
Effect: 45% chance to ignite with every swing! Burn is afflicted with ignited hit damage. Burn does 15 damage per second for 10 seconds. Burn can be stacked up to 3 times.
The great thing about the inspect skill was that it was unique, roughly, to each person. Everyone else saw the inspection of the weapon as something a little different. But the message was clear. This scythe could only be used by Reapers and as of now?
There was only one.
"So, do you li-URK!?"
Jaune felt his ribs creak as Ruby was suddenly hugging him.
"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!"
Ruby's eyes watered as she smiled at Jaune.
"Thank you" she whispered.
Jaune grinned as he patted her head.
"Glad to be of service" said Jaune "be sure to recommend me!"
Ruby laughed at Jaune's goofy grin. She disappeared once again, but was now seen hugging her new weapon close to her, reaffirming its existence.
ALARM!
You have completed the Quest: A Scythe fit for a hero!
High XP for Blacksmith, Enchanter, and Tailor Skill tree have been induced.
Multiple Skill trees and skills have levelled up! Refer to the skill tree for more information!
Large XP has been rewarded!
You have levelled up!
You have levelled up!
You have levelled up!
Store has been unlocked!
A ? Quest has been started. Complete Beacon Orientation to learn more.
Jaune felt the rush of energy rejuvenate him as he levelled up. He smiled at the blinking expression of Ruby.
"You just levelled up?"
Jaune nodded.
"A few times. Since this was a request from you I only got the XP when I delivered it. Now, if I'm not mistaken, we got a dungeon to conquer right? Besides gotta see that Scythe in action."
Ruby smiled as she brandished her weapon. Everyone was shook out of their stupor.
"I…I was told it wasn't possible" said Weiss "but I guess it had to happen eventually. If…if you don't mind explaining how you did it?"
Jaune turned to the mage and smiled.
"I don't mind. We can talk more in the dungeon, don't want to waste too much time right?"
"Any chance you can crap out a pair of B rank gauntlets for me?" joked Yang.
Jaune grimaced.
"No. It took everything I had and rare materials to make Ruby's scythe. I'm too weak to reliably make B ranks right now. Any material I use that's above me in rank rapidly loses power. Not to mention to the backlash."
Ruby gripped her scythe in shock. Jaune chuckled.
"Relax Ruby, it was due to my inexperience not you. Give me a bit more time to grind my skills and level and I'll be glad to help you" said Jaune.
Yang grinned.
"Oh I'm definitely hoping this guild stays."
Jaune laughed.
"Hopefully I can show you I'm more than just your blacksmith."
Yang gave a flirtatious grin.
"Is that a promise."
Jaune knew the type before Yang even uttered a word. She was a flirt. A tease. Not to mention totally uninterested in the male body. It didn't take a genius to notice that Yang kept staring at Blake…or was she really interested in both? There was after all only two guys here and Ren was taken. Not that it mattered anyways. Jaune just grinned.
"Probably not in the way you're thinking, but yes."
Pyrrha blush a little as Jaune turned to face her.
"Ready to go?"
Pyrrha smiled and nodded.
"Yes."
Jaune looked at the dungeon gate and smiled.
"Well, here I go again" he thought.
As the group entered the dungeon, they remained blissfully unaware of the two mages watching them enter the dungeon having followed Jaune from his…uh explosive forging. Ozpin had a small grin on his face at Glynda's stupefied expression.
"Did he make a?"
"Yup."
"….you're going to abuse this aren't you?"
"Against our opponents? Of course" muttered Ozpin "but not against Jaune. Like he said he's too weak to reliably make B rank weapons. Best to let him grow and see what else he can do. His own skills will be an excellent deterrent for getting the nobility off my back and in turn his own. By the time he leaves Beacon, he should be untouchable, politically anyway."
Glynda rubbed her eyes and shook her head.
"Hopefully he does well. Don't need him failing the initiation."
Ozpin shrugged as he turned to go back to his office.
"Let's see what else you can do" thought Ozpin.
Unbeknownst to Ozpin himself, a certain goddess agreed.
"Yes, show me more, my little mortal."
CHAPTER END
New Skills and Improvements! (Also Jaune's Charisma Stat wasn't in chapter one so it will be added here! Also Dex and Agi have had stat points invested into them from the two daily training's that Jaune has completed, that addition will be shown as well.)
Jaune LV 17 – LV 20
STR: 178-208(A)
CON: 195-225(A)
DEX: 85-100 (C) (+3 from daily training rewards)
AGI: 85-100 (C)
INT: 100-130(A)
WIS: 100-130(A)
CHA: 87-108(B)
RES: 124-139 (EX)
Health: 4,633
Aura: 2,124
Mana: 4,260
As mentioned in chapter one stats don't grow evenly per level, normally anyways. This was implemented to help reflect a person's individual characteristics rather than everyone being truly equal so long as their stats were the same (ignoring passives and skills obviously).
(EX) Unpredictable growth rate. It is why Jaune's resistant stat is so random in its development.
Blacksmith (Master)
Your overall skill in this tree is masterful. No blacksmith skill is out of your reach. Skills can now evolve into their final stat if applicable.
Enchanter (Advance):
You have stepped firmly into the world of enchanting. Fire remains the means of creation but your mind has been expanded and new horizons lie before you. The knowledge bestowed upon you by Salem gives you a boost in skills and XP within this skill tree. Currently only some skills in this tree can evolve.
Tailor (Beginner):
You have just begun your tailoring journey. No skills can evolve at this skill level.
Alchemist (Locked):
Still locked. Make an alchemic item to progress.