Patch Notes: Current stats for Jaune have been updated to V.3 enjoy the chapter (updated February 2021)
Chapter 4:
This was not a new experience for Jaune. The entering of a dungeon was a common feeling for him. Walk through the whirling mass of energy, feel a small tingle, a bright light, then suddenly you're in a whole new environment. The red autumn forest was now replaced with a subterranean tunnel that seemed to go endlessly into the darkness. Thankfully the tunnel was lined with large patterns that glowed with a dull yellow light, a sign of magic existing within the material.
Jaune narrowed his eyes at the sound of growling. He noticed that within the shadows stalked a beast. Its eyes a pure crimson, it's body as dark as the shadow it nested within. On four paws with a maw and tail, the beast in question resembled a wolf quite strongly. But it was the furthest thing from. While the apperance matched, the unquenchable animosity and hatred that stemmed from it was anything but instict.
"So I guess a few Grimm got in before us huh?"
"Would explain why there was none outside the gate. Shall we Nora?"
"Oh yea!"
Jaune watched the pair fire off in synchrony. The blade at Ren's side flashed from the sheath, a head of one of the Grimm rolling on the ground. Finesse and skill were apparent as Ren sheathed his sword. Nora was all power though. She kept her weapon, an axe, strapped on her back as she just hammered away at a few of the wolves with her fist. She chuckled as she picked one up by the maw and hind legs and threw it into another. She took a deep breath as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Yea…this is what I live for."
Ren shook his head but a small smile was easily noticeable. For the first time in his life, Jaune casted inspect on the wolves. He had never thought to Inspect an enemy until recently but like the punishment zone showed him, there was a lot to learn when he did.
INSPECT!
Beowulf (LV 12)
A creature born from the shadows of mankind's negativity, this beast resembles a wolf both in appearance and tactics. But don't be fooled, these are ferocious beasts that kill with a zeal no animal would ever carry. They do not hunger, they do not tire, and they will not stop. This is a member of the oldest enemy of humanity but even so it is still weak. They will drop small amounts of lien and possible drops. As they are native to the land of Remnant and not a creature of the dungeons, they too have levels and experience. As they reproduce asexually, they lack the "STAT INHERITANCE" that other species have. However, their immortal lifespans make it their overall potential limitless. Be wary of the Grimm…for they always learn.
"Interesting, I didn't know that about them. I always dismissed them as a lesser threat…but if the system itself is warning me than its best to not underestimate any Grimm I come across" thought Jaune.
Jaune smiled as he appreciated the skill that lied in Ren and Nora's teamwork. It must have taken a long time for them to work so seamlessly together. Jaune blinked as he watched his guild mates go into formation. Proof that they at least talked and formulated a plan. It was apparent to Jaune that they had placed him in the back with Weiss, with Pyrrha playing mid-ground to effectively move back and forth from the front and back lines. Blake was skulking in the shadows, acting as a scout. Yang just chilled with Pyrrha while Ruby looked eager to join in the fray. Unfortunately there was so few enemies at this time that it was more likely they'd simply bump into each other then help. There was a lot of room in this tunnel, but even if it was large enough for them to space out comfortably, it wouldn't always be so as more enemies became apparent.
"So" asked Jaune "any plans?"
Weiss seemed to awkward collect herself as she nodded.
"Of course. I'm sorry you weren't included but-"
"Yikes" thought Jaune "this girl needs to relax. She seems overly concerned about being rude."
"Don't worry about it" said Jaune "I was busy after all, wasn't like you all secretly met without me. I'm the one that ditched, even if it was for a good reason in my opinion."
Weiss glanced at Ruby's scythe and swallowed.
"Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
Jaune sighed.
"Yea. I created the first B rank weapon…which is just…amazing" smiled Jaune. His smile was quick to dull however as he looked down.
"This is going to change everything. Especially if people want custom pieces right away. I barely know any enchantments and I'd rather not be locked into a forge. Nor would I want to be picked at by Atlas…uh no offense."
Weiss tilted her head. She seemed more surprised that Jaune had an inkling of Atlas's reputation than any perceived insult. Thankfully after a minute it seemed like Weiss decided not to press further on the subject.
"I thought you would prefer a forge over a dungeon?"
Jaune smiled as he rubbed the back of his head. The tunnel was eerily quiet, but everyone here had some limited experience with dungeons, hence the rather light atmosphere that Jaune was enjoying.
"Well perhaps a normal smith. But for me…there's more to life than being a smithy. I love the forge…but I love this just as much. Perhaps it's me being greedy but I want to live and do as much as I humanly can. I'd rather not limit myself to just one thing, as much as I love it."
Weiss seemed to brighten at his explanation. A look of envy crossed her eyes as a small smile blossomed on her face.
"It must be nice to think that way."
Jaune smiled at the smaller woman.
"I think you'd be surprised how easy it is."
Weiss gave a small pout in annoyance but remained silent. Jaune rose an eyebrow as the group readied suddenly.
"Enemy?"
"Arachnids!" yelled Blake.
Jaune grimaced.
"Oh no."
Weiss rose an eyebrow.
"Are you ok?"
Jaune nodded.
"I'll be fine…just really hate spiders."
The Arachnids, the actual denizens of the dungeon itself, were all ranked D. They were about the size of a small dog. Fuzzy and bug eyed the critters could even be called cute. But Jaune's ashen expression just spelled utter disdain for the things in front of him. Once again, the simplicity of the dungeons design worked in their favor.
A tunnel system with no branching tunnels made ambushes virtually impossible, a real concern for higher tier dungeons. Not to mention made it easy to spot enemies. Blake was…somehow on top of the ceiling throwing knives at a few spiders. Ruby cheered as she rushed forward, ignoring the shouts of Yang. Jaune's face fell even further as he realized that from the darkness of the tunnels, dozens of the creatures were scampering about. All intent on murdering them all. The poor boy shivered. Ruby was undaunted however.
Her scythe glowed brightly as the friction of Ruby's speed ignited the metal. She tore through one, smiling brightly at the fact her scythe didn't break upon impact. Actually, it had cut so well Ruby lost her footing. She seemed to blur back into action however, her speed increasing even further as she spun around, killing three more in a row. Ruby faltered as something seemed to stop her cold. She shook her head but by then a small spider was already aiming for her back. A knife courtesy of Blake stopped the plan cold. Ren and Nora stood on either side of Ruby, killing off the rest of the enemies. Ren nodded at her, a small smile in appreciation of her rapid dispatch of the spiders. Nora was smiling away, but both carried an air of worry for the younger guild mate. The silence was destroyed as Yang marched over, quickly checking Ruby over.
"Are you alright!" yelled Yang.
"I'm fine" said Ruby "I'm…sorry I wasn't expecting to cut through them so easily! Not to mention…"
"What are you hurt!?"
Ruby swallowed.
"A skill activated."
Yang blinked and then started to laugh. She shook her head.
"I forget you've never actually had that happen before. It's one of those passive skills you told me about right?"
Ruby nodded.
"I need a moment to…absorb this there's a lot of information right now."
"Can't slow down" said Pyrrha "not yet anyway, were deep in their territory. While the spiders themselves are weak they're large in number. Best to wait until we reach a safe zone."
Jaune smirked at Pyrrha, her experience readily apparent. Gone was the shy girl and in her place a confident woman, the best kind in Jaune's opinion. Still though the overall teamwork could be better for the group as a whole. Everyone was skilled for their age as much as Jaune could tell but they were shit with working with strangers.
"Not like I'm an expert myself."
The thought brought a smile on his face, even as Jaune filtered through the group. It was obvious that Yang and Ruby were their own unit, with Blake a standalone, Ren with Nora, and Pyrrha as a sole fighter. They were just all so overpowered for this dungeon that the minions didn't require any forethought. But Jaune was well aware of how dungeons worked. It wasn't the minions that were an issue in the power ranks. It was the final boss monster that existed within the dungeons that was the problem. They carried the bulk of the dungeons power and were worlds apart from their weaker minions in terms of danger and ability. It was definitely something to fix, but for all Jaune knew they already had a plan, they were heroes after all. Unlike Jaune these people spent their entire lives knee deep in hero culture. Dungeons, skills, tactics, and most of all power came naturally to them.
Still…Jaune felt annoyed at his lack of participation. He kept telling himself that it was normal. He was after all just a labor caste. It was like asking a Farmer class to build a house instead of an Architect. Why on earth would you bother? The image of Jaune standing victorious amongst a sea of flames came unbidden to his mind.
It was normal. This was all normal.
"Shit."
Jaune blinked at the unexpected curse. Blake, still shrouded in her cloak, pulled one of her knives out from the corpse of the spider. Their green blood steamed as they ate away at the metal. It wasn't enough to harm Blake, thanks to stats and levels, but her normal throwing knives were not prepared to weather acid. Already her other knives were long gone. Blake clicked her tongue as she casted the least damaged knife away. Jaune smiled as he walked towards it. He picked it up, ignoring Blake for but a moment.
It was a well-balanced knife. It was 6 inches of hardened steel but even without inspecting it Jaune could tell it lacked magical power. The knife glowed red as Jaune activated his passive. Reinforcement, Alteration, and quench quickly repaired the knife back to full durability. It lost a bit of its length but overall, it was back to how it was. Jaune chuckled at the stupefied expression Blake had as he threw the knife back to her. With a practiced hand Blake caught the knife deftly, sheathing it back somewhere under her cloak.
"Don't worry about your knives" said Jaune "I can repair them quickly…well if they're not totally destroyed like the others. Rather you not just spam them at the spiders though, only have so much Mana at my disposal."
As much as Jaune found himself liking the group he was with, he wasn't going to mention that little fix barely dipped his mana reserves. Yang smiled as she rolled her neck. She chuckled as she smashed her fist together. Nora gave a dark chuckled as she cracked her knuckles.
"Seems they need a good old-fashioned beat down! No sense in getting our weapons damaged if that's the case."
Nora, for the first time since Jaune met her, distanced herself from Ren and clasped Yang on the shoulder.
"I knew I felt something between us! Come let us break legs!"
Yang rolled her eyes at the jubilant berserker with a smile.
"You just never lose energy huh?"
Nora wiggled her eyebrows making Yang laugh harder. Pyrrha smiled as she took a hesitant step forward. Her sword was sheathed as she rubbed her hands together.
"I too have some hand to hand skills, I can join in the front lines if you like."
"For sure!" yelled Nora "seems to me these guys attack in larger and larger droves as we move on. Have to say though its kind of boring how its all just a random tunnel. No forks, no deviations, just a straight line."
Weiss scoffed.
"Come now, this is a test. I doubt Beacon would allow examinees to tackle dungeons that may take hours to navigate. This is simply to gauge if we're ready for Beacon Academy's strenuous regiment. If we can't clear a simple dungeon, what hope do we have to clear anything of greater difficulty?"
Jaune rubbed his chin in thought.
"I say go carefully. Like Yang said, best to hit the spiders with melee attacks. If your weapons lack mana than they're just going to get destroyed by their blood in the first place."
Ren sighed as he moved from the front line and into Pyrrha's position. He smiled as he moved even further towards Jaune. He drew his sword presenting it to the craftsman.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you but could you please examine my sword?"
Jaune smiled and shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. I wasn't expecting a D rank dungeon to have acidic or poisonous enemies either. Nora's axe should be fine, it has some magic surrounding it."
Nora cradled her axe as a mother would a child.
"Found this baby by total and utter accident. It's my pride and joy."
Jaune looked at Ren surprised. Ren shrugged as he nodded.
"She's not kidding. She accidentally fell in a cave and there it was."
"Wait seriously?" asked Weiss.
Ren nodded.
"Nora has a strange kind of luck. The kind of luck that attracts things both good and ill. It's never boring with her is all I can say."
"oh you love me" purred Nora "I just know it."
Ren smiled as he remained silent.
"I'm surprised we haven't been attacked again" muttered Weiss.
"Makes sense" said Jaune "most colony-based monsters are territorial by nature. They tend to only attack when you enter their territory. In the weaker dungeons like this one said territories are spread widely, making it easier to regroup heal up. Also, D rank dungeons are not known for intelligent monsters. Treat these more like drones than individuals. But don't trust me on that, I mostly watched to be honest."
Ren smiled.
"You seem quite knowledgeable. To be expected of someone with your dungeon experience."
Jaune's face went blank as he recalled the dungeons like this one. How many times he faced spider like creatures in the many MANY D rank dungeons he was a porter for. The sheer number of times a spider dropped from the ceiling only to wrap their long, ugly, disgusting legs around his face. Their meaty undersides chocking his-
"I'll check your sword and we can hurry right along" chuckled Jaune.
Everyone in that moment decided to ignore the slightly broken chuckle that escaped Jaune's mouth.
INSPECT!
Repaired Katana (C):
A traditional blade design native to the diverse land of Vacou and its native culture. A katana is the symbol of the Samurai class and is the only kind of "Sword" weapon they can equip.
"Really?" thought Jaune "never heard of something like that but...I guess?"
Jaune continued reading the rest of the information.
Thanks to the style of forging this Katana is strong and flexible but the small amount of mana found within it only bequeaths this ingenious design a mere C rank. A fate that is sadly widespread for the large array of weapon designs, no matter their incredible quality. Something is wrong with this sword.
Durability: 567/700
Jaune used his skills to quickly increase the durability by an additional hundred points. But that was all it did. With Grind Ren's sword was back to pristine condition. Yet that little blurb at the end was worrying. If possible Jaune would want to look further into it but a dungeon wasn't the place.
"There" said Jaune.
Ren smiled in gratitude.
"Thank you. It would have been troublesome fighting a boss with a damaged weapon..."
Jaune shrugged. He ignored he surprised look on Ren's face as the young man looked at his sword. Probably wasn't expecting the durability to be slightly restored.
"It's what I'm here for" muttered Jaune.
The comment stung in his chest far more than Jaune would have liked. It didn't sit right with him, where he was. The taste of battle…it was a taste that one did not soon forget.
Nor relinquish.
But Jaune steel his heart. He ignored the group as they kept fighting. Weiss was in a similar position, but unlike himself she was firing icicles at the spiders from afar. She did so lazily and used the thin sword to direct the ice. Finding himself in the back area again Jaune decided it was time to check what exactly he had gained in his levels and also to check something that had been bothering him ever since he awoken as a player. That and it would distract him from all of this fighting.
"System" thought Jaune "reveal all new unchecked information?"
It was worth a shot to Jaune. Having to go through the entire interface was somewhat of a pain.
ALARM!
Decided to get a little lazy huh? Jeez.
NEW SKILLS!
DISMANTLE (LV 1)
Allows for the complete destruction of an item. Current level of skill allows 0 reusable material.
Cost: 350 MP
WEAVING (LV 1):
Congrats on your first tailor skill! This skill allows for the reconstruction of materials into usable clothe. Ratio of material converted into clothe is 20%.
Yay, yet another bunch of meh skills.
"Alright that's enough" thought Jaune "you can stop."
Jaune thanked the gods that all his guild mates were walking ahead of him. Not could see the stony expression Jaune now bore nor the small amount of pressure he began to exclude.
ALARM!
Whatchu talking about willis?
"You don't have to mimic human interaction anymore" thought Jaune "its actually starting to get creepy. You started of clinical and to the point. Much like Ozpin was with me when we first met. Then after the train ride you started copying the interactions that everyone else had. Sometimes you're like a sibling or something, a close friend, or just flat out insult me like an enemy. You probably copied that from all the various people on the train. Then after Ruby you were more soft spoken and reserved. I don't know why you're trying to mimic human emotions but it's obvious you're not very consistent at it."
ALARM!
…
"What I need is power" thought Jaune "You're giving me the opportunity to gather that power, so don't worry about tricking me into doing your bidding or following your rules. Besides if you were my friend you wouldn't have sent me to that punishment zone. The very concept itself tells me that you would have left me to die there if it couldn't take it. In fact, you kept pushing me to get sent to that very zone. It was only after I didn't die you changed your tune. So enough. There's no need for tricks with me. You don't need to lead me on a leash. So long as you give me the opportunity to gather strength…I'll play along with whatever the hell this is, for the rest of my life if I have to. The only thing you need to do? Is not get in the way."
ALARM!
Is the Player sure they wish to dampen the "Friendly" interface?
"I knew it" thought Jaune "this…thing is using me…no…I can't comprehend what this thing's goal is. It may not even have one in the first place. System, dampen the...whatever you called it."
ALARM!
Understood. Attempts at Friendly interface have been reduced.
"System, what is the purpose of the Friendly Interface system?"
The system didn't answer. At least not immediately. Jaune took that time to have a quick look around. Nora was laughing manically as she threw a spider at another spider, causing the two to explode on impact. Her victorious roar was a sight to behold, her axe buried in the wall behind her.
"Please Nora, stop throwing your axe" begged Ren.
"NEVER!"
Jaune heard the familiar ding that brought his attention back to the blue box.
ALARM!
Players past have ignored the system due to unfamiliarity and intense distrust. To ensure the player's growth the "Friendly" interface is used to grow trust.
"I knew it" thought Jaune "it was trying to manipulate me. It wants me to use it, to grow from it…but why? No…I need to focus on the now. Not on this. This is something for later...even if that excuse is flimsy at best."
Jaune turned off the system, or at least whatever the system allowed him to turn off anyways. From what he could gather its whole "Personality" was an attempt at…immersing himself with it? From that little bit Jaune gathered the system wanted to be used. Yet, why send him to the punishment zone? The whole thing made no sen-.
Jaune almost halted in movement as he realized something. He was treating the system as if it was a person…but it wasn't. Whatever it was…it was not human and yet Jaune kept trying to decipher it like it was. It was the greatest paradox that Jaune had ever come across. The system wanted him to stay alive in order to "grow" yet had no problem sending him off to die as a punishment.
It was dangerous…but Jaune needed it.
DING!
"Didn't I turn you off?" thought Jaune.
ALARM!
The System is here to support the Player's growth! The player has earned the right to access and use the system. The system's power is the players to use as they see fit, so long as they continue to grow. This system interface will have no other player.
So, chin up kiddo.
With that the system disappeared. A last-ditch attempt at calming Jaune down.
"Guess the thing's not omniscient. Because if it was it would have realized I'm not freaking out…I think I should be, shouldn't I? I mean I'm being controlled by a mysterious power that grants me the opportunity for more power in exchange for greater risks…".
The sound of laughter veered Jaune away from his thoughts on the nature of his new existence. Jaune eyed Ruby, who was now blazing through the battlefield…she was indeed laughing…but it wasn't the one Jaune heard. What Jaune heard was…throaty…sensual even…
"No" thought Jaune "Ozpin said she only appeared once to each person…".
Jaune shook his head. He needed to clear his thoughts of reality bending systems and sexy dangerous wish granting Goddess.
"Focus."
And so Jaune did. He continued to watch Ruby as she was cutting apart her enemies, another troupe of spiders, far faster than any of the others. She kept getting faster and faster, her attacks more aggressive as time went on. She was almost a blur by the time she killed the last spider so far. As the last spider fell Ruby….uh…
"Is she?"
Weiss sighed.
"It would appear she's hugging the scythe yes."
Jaune just smiled and shook his head. His gaze went to Pyrrha, who stood tall and proud. Her eyes constantly scanning the tunnel for any sign of the enemy, even amongst the still twitching corpses. Yang clicked her tongue watching her sister, berating her again for just rushing in but then switching gears to compliment her.
They felt so…far away. Even Weiss, who was close to him, felt far away.
"Alright that's it" muttered Weiss.
With a flick of her hand, the furthest part of the tunnel froze over in a thick shield of azure ice, thus barricading the group from progressing. Blake suddenly appeared beside Yang giving the poor girl a near heart attack.
If you ask Jaune, she probably did it on purpose.
"I can sense a surge of mana in the distance" said Weiss "we probably have one or two more groups before the boss. While I wish to finish this quickly as much as the rest of you, its better to rest and prepare."
Weiss's words rung true. Pyrrha didn't seem to relax one bit, but Nora just plopped herself on the floor as close to Weiss as she could be, legs spread as she leaned back on her arms. Ren joined her, his eyes closed in a quiet moment of silence. If Jaune's eyes didn't play tricks on him…he swore the guy was smiling. Slowly but surely everyone followed suit, sitting in a circle with each other. It eased the feeling of distance that Jaune felt, even if he barely understood why he felt it.
"Any plans?" muttered Yang.
"Some" said Weiss "Depends on what exactly we're fighting. If the spiders are any indication whatever is in front of us is probably an arachnid of some kind."
"So just a bigger minion".
"D Rank dungeons are simple. But I wouldn't just prepare for another spider" said Pyrrha.
The poor girl blushed as she looked away.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to blurt it out like that!"
Yang rolled her eyes as she smiled.
"Ah calm down, we all need a reality check from time to time. How you holding up?"
It took a Jaune a minute to realize that Yang's question was directed at him. He ignored the twinge of annoyance.
"Not my first run" chuckled Jaune "don't worry about me."
Yang grimaced.
"GAH! Sorry, not used to…this you know? Not to say you're baggage or anything just…I'm just gonna shut up that cool?"
Jaune shrugged. She was already a hundred times better than some of the heroes he had come across. The really stuck up ones that thought they were Remnants gift to people.
"It's alright" said Jaune "I have to admit this has been far from what I envisioned it becoming."
"You thought we were going to be dicks huh?"
Jaune actually laughed loudly at Nora's proclamation.
"Not going to lie, but yea."
Nora took that as a good sign as any.
"So…why did you do this?"
Jaune rose an eyebrow.
"Well I'm at the school for-"
Nora shook her head.
"No no no, I mean why did you start porting?"
"Gotta say I'm curious about that as well" muttered Weiss "I mean as an Arcane Craftsman you must have had a lot of orders, money shouldn't have been an issue?"
Jaune rubbed his hands. Should he tell them? He wasn't uncomfortable about it but the sheer look of worry on Ruby's face was a bit disconcerting.
"Is this what nervousness feels like?" thought Jaune.
The source of the distance he felt with the group…was perhaps due to nervousness? Unlike his past dungeon runs, these were people his own age, people that he found himself liking bit by bit. People he wanted to be friends with.
"I'm…nervous" thought Jaune "….huh."
"I'm sorry" wilted Nora "I didn't mean to bring it up in a bad way!"
Jaune shook his head.
"No no…I just got lost in thought. My father got sick with the Sleep, so I was porting to try and save up for the cure. I managed one dose but as I learned he needed more due to how long he was under. To answer your question Weiss I wasn't always an Arcane Craftsman. I only ranked up a time ago when I reawakened. That and the villagers of Arcel were not too keen on letting me ply my trade. Well most of em anyways."
Jaune blinked. The group had gone dead silent much to Jaune's chagrin.
"Um…"
Suddenly Jaune heard a sniffle. He turned to Blake, her hood hiding her features.
"Are you?"
"No" said Blake in monotone "Just something in my nose…how's your father now?"
Jaune smiled.
"Getting treated by Beacon, so long as I'm a student of Beacon they'll treat my father. It was an offer Ozpin made to get me to come here since I didn't want to at first."
"Oh thank the gods" muttered Yang "Most sleep stories for the NPC's don't have a good ending. Honestly its utter garbage how they change the prices just because of Class."
The amount of anger surprised Jaune. Something personal must have happened to them.
"It's really not a concern."
Yang glared at Jaune and shook her head. She looked at all of them, each of her new guild mates having reacted to Jaune's circumstances.
"I know we can't do anything to help…but I am sorry your dad got sick…and sorry what you must have gone through to reawaken."
Jaune blinked.
"What do you mean?"
It was Pyrrha who spoke. Her voice solemn.
"Most who reawaken do so through death…my home country Mistral refers to as a Rebirth. Some who reawaken don't get back up. They simply glow and stay dead."
….huh. Jaune could have sworn he felt a cold hand sneak on his back. A reminder of someone who had a hand in his…resurrection it would seem. It occurred to Jaune at that moment that if Salem was indeed the cause for his continued breathing on this earth.
Then fuck that dark goddess deserved a thank you at least.
"It's ok" said Jaune "but I'd rather not talk about it any further if that's alright."
"That's more than alright. My compliments" said Ren "not many share your strength."
"Enough about me" smiled Jaune "What about the rest of you? Do you seek fame and fortune like most heroes who come here?"
Pyrrha shook her head.
"For me it was an escape."
Jaune blinked. Innocent and sweet Pyrrha…needing an escape? The girl smiled at Jaune as she shrugged.
"Things at home for me are not…good to put it mildly. I was able to come to Beacon through some loop holes abandoning everything I ever had back in Mistral."
Before a single person could speak up Pyrrha smiled brilliantly.
"I regret nothing. These last two days just reaffirmed my decision. If…if I may request something of you all?"
Ren smiled.
"You need not ask Pyrrha."
The red head blinked at Ren owlishly.
"I too seek to forge a guild with you all…if you would have me? Me and Nora have circumstances of our own as well that made us seek Beacon. Not as a refuge but simply a new beginning. Yet, what I encountered within this academy was just more of what I was used to, until I met you all. The established guilds and glory hungry heroes of Beacon do not interest me nor Nora but we have found what we are looking for here, with you all. I can't say for sure if will always be this pleasant, but I wish to go forward with this, if you'll have us."
Nora grinned in agreement with her friend.
"Not gonna lie" said Yang "I'm surprised you talked so much. But I'm in! So is Ruby."
The small red head chuckled and nodded, her fingers STILL caressing her scythe. Weiss seemed to wilt at this however. Nora frowned but smiled as Blake suddenly popped into existence beside Weiss. Once again she caused another person to near shit their pants in surprise.
"You're from Atlas."
It was a statement. But one that made Weiss close her eyes in shame.
"Yes."
"…like I said, you're better than most."
Weiss gave a small smile.
"Perhaps. I've also enjoyed this…it was fun. Just hunting, fighting, laughing…so far away from Atlas and its politics. I left simply because I didn't want to fight amongst my fellow mages…nor look at them any longer."
"I heard" said Jaune "that Ironwood is making things far better for Atlas. Especially with his sentinel?"
Weiss nodded.
"Yes, Ironwood's claim to the tower is absolute now but change is slow…and it doesn't change what I've seen the likes of…"
She went quiet.
"Regardless" said Weiss "Ironwood is backed by Arturia Pendragon herself and still hasn't quelled all the….the….the SHIT in Atlas."
She trembled, surprised at the comforting hands of Blake and Ruby.
"Jeez" muttered Nora "and I thought me and Ren had it bad."
Ren grimaced as he nodded with Nora.
"You said…Arturia Pendragon right? Is she…ok?"
Weiss turned to Jaune and nodded.
"Yes…why do you ask?"
Jaune gripped his hands together.
"I heard a rumor…that Uther had bound her in a Geis."
Weiss was shocked.
"How do you…Gies's are relatively…no….what am I even doing" chuckled Weiss "I barely understand what occurred between Arturia and her father, but he has next to no control over her in reality aside from binding her to Atlas. There are rumors that he's trying to change that but considering who he's trying to do so with is."
Weiss sighed as she shook her head.
"Enough of all this. Ren said it best, this guild is a new beginning for most us, a new start point. As such, I would like to formally request that we all band together to create a guild just for us."
Yang smiled.
"Yeesh, kind of turning it all around but I'll roll with it."
Blake was now sitting beside Nora, her shadowy method of transportation obviously a passive of some kind. Jaune swore he saw a frown on the girl's face from Nora's complete inaction.
"I'll join" said Blake "not like I have anything better to do."
Jaune, much like everyone else, just scoffed at Blake's attitude. Trying to play it cool after all that? Who was she trying to fool? Everyone began to give their assent to the guild becoming a formal one after clearing the dungeon. Before Jaune could say anything, the system came back.
ALARM!
EMERGENCY QUEST:
The player is inn close proximity to killing intent! Destroy the enemy near you. Failure to kill the enemy within the dungeon will result in the Player's heart to cease functioning.
Rewards: You breathe.
Jaune ignored the system. The whole killing him part was unpleasant, but the truth was he was more interested in the enemy that was near him. The ice was showing small fracture lines. So thin that they never made a noise. The cracks were slow going…Jaune turned to his group…his guild.
"…There is something I'd like to show you all if you don't mind."
All of the turned to him. Yang smiled.
"Oh, another neat trick?"
Jaune smirked. The poor girl nearly balked in surprise at the feral nature of it. His eyes flashed crimson for but a moment as the flames within him surged.
"You can say that. But promise me that you'll trust me?"
Ren's eyes narrowed at him.
"…What is it you intend to do?"
Jaune rose up and began to move towards the barricade.
"You all have shown me your skill and power…let me show you mine."
Blake quickly stood and grabbed him by the shoulder. She seemed ready to tell him to stop, but was surprised at the strength she felt in his shoulders. Unlike the rest of the group, Blake had ample opportunity to interact with the labor caste, the NPC's. There was a difference in strength great enough that even a dexterity focused class such as her own was capable of matching any NPC. Hence her surprise when she noticed his strength was greater than her own. She let go in surprise and blinked at the sight of flames licking at his feet.
"I've been in the back row playing the part of the NPC. I don't blame any of you at all for it, you were all trying to protect me. I appreciate that."
CRACK!
Weiss went to grab her weapon as the others did, but she began to notice fire wrapping itself around Jaune. It didn't touch his clothes, but she could feel a faint sense of heat from her fair distance from him.
"What?"
BOOM!
A large number of spiders crawled out of the great barricade. Much smaller than what they had previously face but far greater in number. Enough that cavern in front of them was nothing but a swarm of small arachnids.
"Time to give this a go" smiled Jaune "IGNITION!"
Jaune raised both hands, flames billowing in the spaces between his fingers.
"BURST!"
The dully lit tunnel was now bathed in light as Jaune's flames filled the cavern. The spiders closest to him died instantly, burnt beyond recognition. However, the further his fire travelled from him the weaker it grew. Half of the spiders numbers have been reduced by his passive's enhanced flames. The spiders quickly retreated from the flames and Jaune clicked his tonged in annoyance.
"JAUNE LOOK!"
A spider, having flanked ahead of its brethren tried to attack Jaune from the side.
It got a jab to the face for its trouble. Nothing broke, to Jaune's surprise, instead the spider was sent flying into the wall, where the impact killed it instead. Jaune let another wave of fire escape his hand, burning the sleeves off his shirt.
"So…even with more levels under my belt the difference between E rank and D rank enemies is still noticeable. I broke the bones of the boss gorilla I faced and yet just against the minions of this dungeon I couldn't break the carapace. Still, good to know there are limits to the nature of my passive now rather than later. Means less of a surprise down the road."
Jaune had lucked out, that much he would admit. Thanks to the simplistic tunnel design Jaune's fire only had one way to go. He couldn't directly control his flames so this had solved the problem of trying to managed its power. Jaune smiled as he closed his eyes and breathed in.
This felt right. To be a part of the dungeon run itself felt right. He wasn't a spectator. He wasn't a porter.
Not any longer.
"So" said Jaune "Who decided an NPC couldn't fight?"
Jaune gave a shit eating grin at the stupified expression of everyone involved.
"….Ok first off, what? Second, THE FUCK!" yelled Yang "No seriously what the fuck! Why didn't you tell us this earlier!?"
Jaune faltered a bit.
"Well…I mean."
"NO!" cried Yang historically "We could have burned through this entire dungeon straight to the boss room in minutes! Instead we had to drag through multiple battles for the last hour! THIS" yelled Yang "IS. AWESOME!...got any other gimmicks?"
Jaune blinked.
"So fire huh? Guess we have a counter for Weiss to help balance out the future raids" muttered Ren.
"So what skill was that?" asked Nora "seems waaay to powerful for basic stuff."
"Its my passive."
"…ok seriously?" muttered Nora "everyone else gets cool passives but me. You know what my passive is? I get stronger from lightning! LIGHTNING! When's the last time you heard of a lightning bolt randomly striking you in the middle of battle to empower you!"
Jaune couldn't help it. Truly he couldn't.
"I could enchant lighting into your weap-GURK~"
Nora grabbed the poor man and grinned.
"You are my new best friend! REN! You've been replaced!"
Ren smiled and shook his head as he patted the Berserker on the head.
"Enough Nora. I'm impressed. It was to my knowledge that most NPC's had no combat skills."
Jaune nodded.
"That's not wrong. I mean, a lot of us don't like being referred to as the need protection caste but it doesn't change the fact that we're not suited to combat like you heroes are. No my passive evolved as I reawakened and allows me to do this. I learned Ignition Burst later."
"Must have just got the skill if you have to say it aloud" muttered Blake "Still it's a powerful ability. Do you still have mana?"
Before Jaune could answer Ruby interupted.
"Is…is that way my scythe burst into flames?"
Jaune blinked as Ruby's smiling face walked closer.
"Uh…somewhat. The metal reacts to friction and ignites on its own. The runes I put in enhance the fire and the chances of burning to occur. The flames you saw did go into the creating of it though."
Ruby just hugged the blade closer.
"I absolutely love this" she said "really. It means the world to me how much effort you put in this…I promise I won't let you down."
"Ok but seriously how much mana do you have left?" asked Blake "We're about to face the boss."
Jaune rose an eyebrow.
"You make it seem like we're facing it right now."
"That's because its coming this way screaming."
Jaune didn't hear a thing, not to mention anyone else. But after a moment a dull screeching echoed through the tunnels.
"….I didn't do it" muttered Yang.
"I think I did it" said Jaune "I don't' really have any control over what my fire does after I direct it…I guess it hit it?"
"Shock and awe later" muttered Pyrrha "For now we get ready. Ruby"
The girl twisted around to face Pyrrha.
"I appreciate what you've done at the front lines, but join Blake in flanking the boss. I don't mean to judge you, but I doubt you have any tanking skills do you?"
Ruby shook her head, a frown marring her features.
"Well…no."
"Than attack from the sides with Blake, follow her lead…I have a suspicion you're class functions like Blake's. If I'm wrong I apologize but for now I think its best for me and Nora to take to the front."
Nora nodded. It was obvious that Pyrrha was in full warrior mode, her eyes concentrated on nothing but achieving victory.
"Yang, follow Ruby. We need a heavy hitter on the side and I worry that Ruby might falter again."
Ruby pouted but nodded.
"I'm sorry…I should have prepared more."
Pyrrha shook her head.
"Nonsense. You just started discovering your class now and we'll all help you discover even more. For now it's better to play it safe than sorry."
Pyrrha turned to Ren.
"I heard that Samurai classes have two skill trees. One for close and the other for long range combat."
Ren nodded. The air shimmered beside him as a bow and quiver appeared in his hands.
"I do. I admit my archery skills are lacking compared to my blade."
Pyrrha smiled.
"Not a worry, you'll be perfect for the middle. Jaune, Weiss."
The two stepped forward, caught in the momentum of Pyrrha's sudden charge into leadership.
"What kind of spells do you have?"
"I only have the one" said Jaune.
Pyrrha nodded.
"I have multiple attack spells and spells for restraining the boss. I can also caste slow as well."
Pyrrha smiled.
"Excellent. In that case Jaune join me and Nora at the front, Weiss stay as far away as you can while still being in range to cast slow on the boss. Afterword's I'll trust your judgement."
Pyrrha turned to Jaune and grinned.
"I felt your strength days ago. Now you're stronger. Do you have a weapon on you by any chance?"
Jaune nodded.
"I do. I've never used it before."
"Do you have experience fighting?"
The images of the punishment zone echoed in Jaune's memory.
"I do."
Pyrrha sighed in relief.
"I'd rather you stay in the back, but there's no denying the damage you could inflict with your flames. Stay close to me alright, there's no telling how close you might need to be to inflict damage."
Jaune stilled…Pyrrha had already noticed the restriction of his fire? Damn, her instincts were like her memory. Perfect. The ground rumbled slightly as Jaune felt the tremors of the boss moving. Fire burned in his right hand as Jaune accessed the Systems inventory for a weapon he never thought he would use.
Kraine's Broad Steel Sword (C).
The weapon, much like Ren's did, appeared from a ripple in space. Jaune only needed to think of it to draw it from the inventory, sadly he had yet to figure out the trick of adding an item to inventory without opening the system interface.
"Oooh" cooed Nora "an inventory. How much does yours hold? Ren can only stuff his four weapons in there."
Infinite. The answer had come immediately to Jaune. But he only shrugged in response. At least he didn't have to hide his inventory space like he had to hide the system.
He'd rather not be sent to an insane asylum.
"INCOMING" yelled Blake. Yang had trouble keeping up with Ruby's and Blake's speed but the blonde bombshell managed through alright.
From the darkness of the tunnel came a massive spiderlike being. Its lower body was like that of a spider, but where the head should have been was instead the upper body of a woman. A woman with six eyes and a demented mouth of rowed saw like teeth. She was large, but only filled half the large tunnel. Her spider like body could easily fill a large room and her woman proportions were far larger than any human. Her fingers were instead just sharp flesh colored claws. Her over sized proportions made her several feet taller than everyone else, making a direct head shot difficult for most of them.
INSPECT:
ARACHNE (D)
An Arachne, a meshing of a woman and spider. This impossible nightmare is the result of magic gone awry or a woman put under an unfortunate curse. What it lacks in physical appearance it more than makes up for with brute strength and unique abilities.
It was a valiant effort…but Jaune simple couldn't hold in the gag when he saw the thing. Saggy boobs that were covered in wrinkles, claws that were now starting to glow a barf green, and a bunch of little eyes that looked like they were screwed to her face.
It was just too much for the polite young man to hold.
….he really hates spiders.
"Oh…this is going to die" muttered Jaune "I don't care how, just kill it. Please."
Pyrrha looked at Jaune with concern.
"Will you be alright?"
"NO TIME FOR CONCERN! MOVE!" yelled Blake.
Immediately Jaune jumped to the left, landing in a hazardous roll. It took him a moment to get up, but thankfully Nora had his back. The Arachne had charged forward sluggishly and tried to stab Jaune with on of her many legs. The black carapace sharp enough to skewer a man was not strong enough to pierce the metal of Nora's Axe. Nora grunted as she took the brunt of the impact on her arm.
"Gotcha!" yelled Nora "Now roast this thing!"
Jaune flanked around Nora and with his left hand sent out a torrent of fire.
"IGNITION BURST!"
The self buff spell increased the potency of his fire, but to Jaune's surprise the flames only ate away and harmed the D ranked boss. It hurt, there was no doubt about it. Parts of her body caught fire as well, but what bits of the flame ignited were quickly snuffed out, leaving only superficial burns.
It did cause the spider to rear back however, not unlike a horse.
"STOP!" yelled Pyrrha.
"I'm already on it!" said Jaune "Just tell me when you want another burst."
"If you see an opening take it!"
"I can work with that" thought Jaune.
The Arachne screeched as it landed back on its feet, to Jaune's surprise he saw what remained of Blake's throwing knives embedded in the spider's human back. A black blur tackled the knives, disappering as the Arachne tried to swing around and hit her.
"She herself may not hit hard" thought Jaune "but her weapons are a different story. They weren't B rank or anything of the sort…which means this is all skill at work."
Every time the Arachne tried to gain ground Nora and Pyrrha pushed at it, slashing with their weapons. Jaune too was a part of the process, but he lacked their skill with their weapons, so he struck less often than he'd like.
"Note to self" thought Jaune "learn to use a sword properly".
Thankfully it wouldn't be a difficult endeavor. After all, he had a guild full of heroes to teach him. The Arachne's mouth opened up, spewing green fluid. Nora yelped as she dodged out of the way, leaving said fluid to bubble on the ground.
"Of course she spits acid" muttered Weiss "everyone, steer clear! Ren if you'd please!"
The Samurai used his bow to rapidly hammer arrows into the Arachne's human like chest. It raised its arms in a feeble defense before using its powerful legs as a stronger support. The legs were long enough to cover her body in a makeshift shield.
It was a pause.
A pause Weiss exploited. With a breath and her eyes glowing azure, Weiss thrust her rapier at the enemy. Beneath the Arachne a circle of various white symbols sprung to life, before a giant ice formation jutted from it. The spell was too weak to pierce the Arachne's lower body, but it did restrict it even further.
Weiss's brow sweated as she fired off a second spell. The entire Arachne's body flashed white, before its movements noticeably slowed. Ruby roared as her scythe burst to life once more. She was a blur of motion as she spun through the air, full of confidence in her movements unlike before. The results made Jaune smile.
Ruby's scythe decimated the upper torso of the Arachne, leaving a gaping wound weeping a sea of green. The Arachne thrashed wildly as it tried to strike Ruby, ignoring the yellow missile that was Yang. It was beautiful in execution, a flying hey maker right into the disgusting spider's head (Yeesh Jaune's rubbing of on me now).
The blow echoed through the tunnel, Yang's eyes glowing as well.
"You have a disorient skill!" yelled Pyrrha.
"It doesn't always work!" complained Yang "rather you didn't try to rely on it."
Nora grinned as she watched the wobbly Arachne. However her grinned disappeared as everyone witnessed the thing's wounds slowly mend.
"Oh no, not letting that happen! Pyrrha I'm going for the head!"
"In that case I'll take the heart!"
Ren smirked as he fired his own arrows, using what was left to dig further into the gaping wound. The Arachne screeched weakly once more as it tried to shake off its swimming vision. Nora was already running up, while Pyrrha's own space rippled, revealing a beautiful red and gold Javelin. The amount of magic that thrummed from it made it obvious that it was B rank at the very least.
Before Jaune could inspect it, Pyrrha picked it up and threw it, hitting the Arachne right in the middle of the spider body, punching through the carapace for a lethal blow. As the mighty weapon struck home, Nora had already chucked her axe. Ren groaned as he covered his eyes, even as Nora cheered at the spinning axe decapitating the Arachne.
"OH YEA!" yelled Yang.
ALARM!
You have gained one level!
You have leveled up Ignition Burst! Verbal activation no longer required.
Jaune was not done yet however. He didn't care of the system said it was dead.
"Woah" said Nora "What you doin?
Nora moved out of Jaune's way as his hands burst into fire for once last hate filled attack. The cool down on his Ignition burst hadn't worn off yet so he just went full throttle and torched the remains of the Arachne until he had nothing left but a black charred corpse and zero mana.
"Uh….was that necessary?" asked Ruby.
"It was for me" whispered Jaune "Oh thank the gods we can finally get out of here. Hate these things."
"We kind of notice" Said Ren dryly.
The black charred corpse disappeared, leaving behind a drop. However, before Jaune could pick it up, Weiss interrupted him.
"Can't take that" said Weiss "It's considered part of Beacon's tuition fee. Any dungeon you clear for initiation has their drops given to the Academy."
"….Well that sucks" muttered Jaune.
"Yea….BUT WE'RE IN!" yelled Nora "I say that's worth more than any…whatever that is".
Jaune shrugged.
"Guess I can see it that way" said Jaune "So…back to the registration office?"
Weiss smiled.
"Yes. We can think of a name for the guild later, but at the moment I think its best to register now."
Ren grumbled as he store away his bow and quiver.
"Rather not be accosted by the Mercenary guild again. Or any guild for that matter."
"They'd just stop?" asked Jaune.
Ren nodded as Nora continued his point.
"Yea. Once your registered your name is taken off the available recruitment lists. They can still throw offers our way but they can't be so pushy anymore. At least in theory" she chuckled.
Ruby whimpered as she came back to the group, covered in green blood. Her cloak protected her poor for the most part, but it was obvious that it was in her hair and skin. She had given her scythe to Blake to hold, who was surprised at the inactive state it now possessed. It looked like garbage one again. The class restriction on it wasn't a one time thing.
"Yaaang…nobody told me this could happen!"
"And that dear sister is why you pack extra clothes…damnit. Could you guys go on ahead of us? Gotta get Ruby a change of clothes…and a shower."
The poor girl whimpered at the smell she currently reeked of.
Jaune smiled, thanking the gods it wasn't him this time! The memory of getting drenched in a large spider boss's blood still gave him nightmares.
"It's not a concern, I doubt all of us have to be there to register. I can take Ruby's scythe for you, I got room in the inventory."
When the Scythe entered Jaune's hand it reignited. But to Ruby's keen eye she noticed it seemed…happier. The wood was brighter in color, the flames more active. Hell the runes that glowed were even brighter. She puffed her cheeks as she stared at the scythe. She swore she'd make the damn thing love her like that if it was the last thing she did!
The scythe disappeared into Jaune's inventory. He held out his hand to Blake.
"I'll take the knives as well, get them repaired for you. If they need any metal though you'll have to supply me some."
Blake smiled.
"Thank you."
Even now Jaune found it odd her hood never came off, but who was he to judge. She handed him three knives, each of which were badly distorted. Jaune smiled at Nora.
"The Axe alright?"
"Duh" she chuckled "now lets get out of here and get registered, I could use a nap!"
"Guess we'll go out drinking tomorrow" chuckled Yang.
"We have class tomorrow" muttered Weiss "I'd rather not get drunk on the first day."
Yang rolled her eyes but wrapped her arms around Weiss's shoulders.
"Oh come on, live a little! Not like we have to get drunk! We can just go out and enjoy our first meal as a guild!"
Jaune actually laughed out loud.
"Now that sounds like a quest I can get behind."
He smiled cheekily at Pyrrha as the poor girl blushed. She gave a brilliant smile, the same one that made his heart skip a beat.
"Alright alright" muttered Weiss "it would be an interesting experience. You could show me what accounts for Valish cuisine here."
Yang gave a Cheshire grin at the thought.
The entire walk through the dungeon was like that, filled with laughter and jokes. Jaune knew that having a party was helpful in the dungeon, but that boss was eviscerated so easily…
It really drove home why the guild system existed in the first place. Waving goodbye to both ruby and Yang, Jaune had the others went off to register. Blake broke off midway, saying she had to make arrangements…whatever they were.
But at least Ren, Nora, Pyrrha and Weiss were more than happy to tag along. The entire walk there was filled with nothing more than simple discussions. Nothing heavy like the dungeon had been, just simple talk about the day and their expectations.
Jaune found himself quickly getting used to the idea of friends. It wasn't to say he never had friends, but rather that the issues regarding his father and mother made friends rather scarce for the young man. It seemed to end too quickly as the group arrived at the register's office.
"Well well well" muttered the familiar judge "I'm surprised you all wish to remain a guild."
Weiss smiled.
"None more so than us. We worked unexpectedly well together and had a great rapport."
Sharron smiled.
"It's nice to see. If you have any questions or concerns about guilds and expectations, please come by any time. We're always open from 11-11 everyday."
Nora grinned.
"So where do we sign?"
Sharron chuckled as she produced a paper that was already filled out.
"Your names are already listed as a guild. Your registration for the initiation will be used until you officially procure your own guild house. Once you have a house there's a lot more paper work involved."
The older woman giggled as if laughing at some inside joke. A poor headmaster cried out in terror at his return trip to his office. The paperwork he thought completed was now back and ready for more. It just never ended.
"Do we have to get a guild house?" asked Jaune "Seems a bit much for students?"
Sharron smiled.
"Don't worry. Beacon helps first time guilds in building their guild house. There's a lot of offers and options out there for new guilds starting out. Besides, you all have to move from dorms at the end of the year, no exceptions."
"Whys that?" asked Ren.
Sharron smiled as she lifted the same paper, she showed them.
"To make room for the next initiates of course. The truth is that guilds are a massive part of hero life. While Beacon can be very accommodating, they also want you all to acclimate to living in a guild house, since that's probably where you would all spend your early careers. Now scurry off, I got a line up to get to."
The smile on Sharron's face was infectious as Nora's beaming expression indicated. As they stepped out the Berserker took a deep breath of air.
"Ahhhh" she muttered "smells like victory! Right Pyrrha!..."
The Spartan seemed to be smiling into space as she held the copy of their temporary guild papers, temporary till they get a guild house anyway. Nora suddenly peered over Pyrrha's shoulder.
"Hey, earth to Pyrrha! I know its awesome but come on!"
Pyrrha chuckled as she finally collected herself.
"Sorry…I just never expected things to go this smoothly. I'm excited to see what's ahead of us."
Nora giggled.
"Same! Me and Ren are just dying to relax and just float through life doing as we want! Definitely a change of pace from home!"
it was the first real mention of home that Nora mentioned. From what he could tell, bubbly attitude or not, it sounded like it sucked.
"Jeez were all just Wayward souls aren't we?" chuckled Jaune.
"OOOOH I LIKE THAT!" announced Nora "Let's keep it!"
"I don't think the Wayward Guild sounds any good Nora."
"Oh shush you party pooper no one needs you right now."
Ren actually barked in laughter as he shook his head.
"Things are never boring with you Nora."
"Damn straight!"
Ren looked to the sky and smiled. The evening sun was turning amber as it fell below the horizon.
"Its getting late…I have to say it was fun. I'll see you all tomorrow. Weiss would you like to come with us?"
Weiss smiled. She still seemed awkward, but the events of the dungeon seem to drill it in that she didn't need to be on her tippy toes around everyone.
"I'd like that yes. I'll see you two tomorrow."
With a courtesy Weiss waved them goodbye. Jaune chuckled as he and Pyrrha made their way to the tower, which lied further from the dorms. Pyrrha was still carefully folding their guild papers, before putting it into her inventory.
"You know that's only temporary" chuckled Jaune "We'll be getting a new one when we buy a guild house."
"Perhaps" said Pyrrha "But this is the paper that started it all. It carries a lot of value for me."
Jaune could have asked Pyrrha what she meant by that. He could probably even get a full story…but instead he chose something else.
"I had fun today."
Pyrrha blinked but smiled back at him.
"I did as well. You're as strong as I thought you were."
"Rich coming from the girl with a B rank Javelin."
Pyrrha's smile broke a tad. She chuckled dryly.
"I prefer not to use it…it reminds me too much of home."
"Than why have it at all?"
"It was my brother's."
Jaune heard the WAS in that sentence.
"I see…well if you ever need maintenance on it, you know who to get."
Pyrrha just shook her head and smiled.
"Thank you Jaune…for being my friend."
Jaune smirked.
"You still got quite a bit of work to do. Don't think that quest of yours is that easy."
Jaune felt his heart hammer again as Pyrrha smiled brilliantly.
"Good."
It was a simple statement, but it was so unlike the shy girl he had met at first. Instead he was beginning to see the confident woman underneath her awkward exterior. It was breathtaking.
"Jaune…"
"Yes?"
"Would…no. I'll ask another day."
Jaune blinked as he watched Pyrrha awkwardly wring her hands.
"I'm not going to bite Pyrrha."
The girl smiled as she opened her mouth. She closed it, only to open it again as she finally let her question out.
"Are you…somehow related to Arturia Pendragon?"
"…."
"I'm sorry I don't mean to pry, it's just you seemed to know she was bound in something…which I have to say is hard to believe. Many consider her the strongest in the world right now."
Jaune gave a dry chuckle.
"…..This probably answers your question but can I tell you another day? It's not something I like talking about."
"….I see….I'm sorry she left you-"
Pyrrha jumped at the sudden surge of power that wrapped around Jaune. The heat that eminated from his skin was palpable even to her.
"…..She didn't leave by her own choice" growled Jaune.
With a breath Jaune sighed.
"I'm sorry…like I said I don't like talking about it…and its honestly complicated. A story for another time?"
Pyrrha seemed to wilt under his apologetic gaze.
"I'm so sorry I shouldn't have let my curiosity!"
Jaune shook his head.
"Jeez" he chuckled weakly "between you and Weiss you guys have apologized enough. Friends step on each other's toes sometimes, it happens…how about this. When I tell you about how me and Arturia are connected…you tell me about that spear of yours?"
Pyrrha smiled.
"I'd like that…it seems we're here."
"I guess its time to call it a night."
The two gave an awkward handshake as they went into the tower. Pyrrha went to the left wing for women, while Jaune went to the right for men.
"A handshake? Really?" muttered Jaune.
Pyrrha just buried her face into her hands as she walked up the stairs.
-Two hours Later, Jaune's Bedroom (Temporary)-
Jaune sighed as he rolled his shoulders. He had spent the last little bit fiddling with his stats and trying to understand what the hell this Grand Quest he had been given was. So far the most he got was a "Hint will arrive soon" pop up.
Like that was any help.
Not to mention he got yet another new title. The "No Kill Like Overkill" title was just a goofy title for basically kicking an opponent while they were down. The perk it had was simple "Deal additional damage to defeated enemies".
"If they're defeated, they won't take damage" muttered Jaune "what's the point in this thing."
If Jaune wasn't aiming to kill that defeating his opponent was the end of it. So either way this title was useless to him….still sounded cool though. As he flew into his bed and under the covers Jaune smiled at the lack of interface from the system. If all was as told to him than the system seemed to have toned down a bit. It was still sarcastic…and an asshole, but for the most part its erratic change in character was at least dealt with. Combine that with the fact Jaune now had friends, a guild, and completely roasted a horde of spiders and their momma…
Today was a good day. Speaking of days.
"That reminds me" muttered Jaune "have to remember….to thank…..her…some…how."
Darkness filled Jaune's vision as sleep took him.
"Well hello little Entertainer."
Jaune's eyes snapped open as he beheld the presence of Salem once again.
"GAH!" he screamed.
He jumped back as his brain was surrounded by Salem's power once again.
"What…I thought!"
Salem rose an eyebrow, her beauty as enthralling and inhuman as Jaune remembered.
"You thought what?" she purred.
Jaune's back tingled.
"I….i thought you only appeared to people once" said Jaune.
"Oh? And who told you that? A Warlock that has never reawakened before?"
Salem chuckled as walked around the darkness surrounding them. Her domain as beautiful and full as a clear night sky.
"Ahhh….alas the Warlock is not totally incorrect. I don't normally bother with those whose souls have walked my domain. I watch for a time…but they simply retire or aim for greater glories and forbidden knowledge. A simple blip of amusement. But nothing more. They bemoan their existence and blame me for their troubles. It gets repetitive I must admit."
Once more Salem invaded his personal space, her breath as cold as an artic breeze as she looked into Jaune's eyes.
"Oh but you? It's just been a blink for me and you've already been transported to another dimension and created a weapon beyond the ken of men! You have more than lived up to my expectations…dare I say….surpassed them. Investing the system into you was well worth it. Well done little mortal, not many can achieve such praise. Do realize this means I expect even greater entertainment?"
Jaune swallowed.
"I see. So you were watching…in that case I just have one thing to say to you."
Salem lifted a finger as she smiled.
"You only get one."
"….what?"
"You only get one wish" she muttered "So play it well Jaune Arc…or do you prefer your Atlesian name, Artorias Pendragon?"
Jaune stared at her, wondering first off how she knew that name, but then decided to shrug it off. He locked eyes with the goddess as she seemed intent on granting whatever he desired. Salem seemed to smile in her twisted sexy way. Her expression was dull but the spark of excitement still danced in her eye. What kind of wish would he-
"Thank you."
Salem blinked.
"…."
Jaune smiled.
"Thank you. You gave me a second chance to do things right. Ozpin told me you were a trickster, a liar…yet you've done nothing but give me truths. Perhaps this is all an elaborate prank on your end…but even so, thank you."
Salem titled her head. There was no surprise in her expression. But there was in her voice.
"You deny a wish a second time?"
"Yes."
"….I could free your mother. Destroy Uther Pendragon's very soul…"
"Perhaps" said Jaune "but it's not right."
"So, it is honor and pride that stays your hand" chuckled Salem "how quaint."
"I couldn't care less about Uther, I just refuse to use you. What little Ozpin told me about you all boiled down to one thing. That you tricked everyone who made a wish off you, perverting their desires and twisting the wishes in the worst possible way."
Salem smiled, her memory of the subject making her smile.
"But I think that's wrong. Depending on a God to reach your goals is just pathetic. I don't need divine intervention to achieve anything! If I don't do it myself than what's the damn point!?"
It went unsaid that divine intervention in Jaune's case would make things a hell of a lot easier.
Salem rose tilted her head again, a bit to the left instead of the right.
"But then I thought about it a bit more. I certainly wouldn't be happy if a bunch of people starting using me to grant their wishes and then complained about it. You're…well you're not human but your alive. You think and act just like any other person. I don't know how they got wishes from you but I'd rather not treat you like some tool."
Jaune smirked as he stood tall.
"I need wishes to make my dreams and hopes a reality? Who decided that?" chuckled Jaune "So I'll give you the same answer I gave you before. I don't need your wishes Salem. I'll live my life with but my two hands…however far they take me."
"…You are a stubborn creature Jaune Arc."
Jaune smiled.
"So, I've been told."
Jaune shivered as Salem's nose touched his own. There was zero affection in the gesture. She grasped his face in her hands and leaned back, looking into his eyes as if checking for something. Jaune willed his lower body not to react to her chilling touch, praying to god she wasn't paying attention to his thoughts that the moment.
"Perhaps you are broken in some way…but very well…I will allow you to reject me for a second time…but in return I expect even better entertainment. You've gotten my hopes up…do not disappoint them."
Jaune gave an awkward smile, not really enjoying the fact he had just a being like Salem watching him.
"I'll uh…try not to."
Salem watched as the young man's eyes closed, his body becoming obscured by the darkness of her domain. It was true that Salem found a wicked amusement from twisted the wishes of anyone who dared bind and summon her, but the reawoken like Jaune and the others? Well that was just purely for entertainment. There was no reason to thank her when her actions were selfish by nature.
"Still…"
Salem gave a sultry chuckle as her voice echoed in the darkness. Her eyes studying the stars, seeing things beyond human comprehension with every second of her life.
"I wonder what else you'll do" she chuckled.
"Well would you look at that" thought Salem "First time I've laughed in quite some time. But my little Entertainer doesn't need to know that accomplishment"
Salem's eyes closed as she gave a tiny smile.
"Till next time Jaune Arc…perhaps I should call you Artorias next time."
As the Dark Goddess laughed into the abyss Jaune Arc's spine tingled in his sleep. His story had barely just begun and yet he had already made human history. What else would Jaune discover? Do? See?
"I hope you're all as entertained as me" chuckled Salem.
END.
Jaune (Artorias) LV 20 – LV 21
STR: 55-65 (A)
CON: 55-65 (A)
DEX: 50-55-58 (C) (Daily Training Stats Included)
AGI: 50-55-57 (C) (Daily training Stats Included)
INT: 83-93 (A)
WIS: 72-82 (A)
CHA: 56-63 (B)
RES: 124-139 (EX)
Health: 1345 Aura: 850 = 2195
Mana: 2000
SKILLS:
Ignition Burst (LV 2) (A)
Ignition Burst is a Pyromancer Class skill. A buff skill that increases the potency of all fire magic by 20%. The buff lasts for 3 min.
MP Cost: 140 MP per use.
Thirteen Minute Cool down
Activation time: instantaneous. Verbal Incantation no longer necessary.
Jaune's Altesian Name Artorias does not display above his head because of factors that will be discussed in the future. Nipping that in the bud before reviews pop up. Have some faith my guys but still point out anything you believe is worth noting in the reviews or PM'S! The next installment is Ultimate Weapon! Also Yes Fate is included in this but its not really a crossover due to the fact that…well I'll just keep that to myself now won't I? Can't keep spilling all my secrets XD.