Sitting in the traffic jam of a century had taken its toll on my patience.
Honking horns and shouts from further ahead had led me to assume there was some problem further along the road than I could see by sticking out my head from the window.
Gus Greenview, my life long partner and best friend, seemed unphased. Traffic jams in the tighter roads in the city must happen often because he didn't once comment on how I stuck my whole body out of the window or how when I was seated, I sighed constantly and in a clearly exasperated tone.
Slinking back into the car for what felt like the fiftieth time, I sighed forlornly.
'Gus Greenview'
(Exemplary Driver Rare)
Level 17
"We'll be moving in about a half hour. An hour at most." Gus broke the silence.
I groaned, pushing my feet into the carpet of the cab.
"You ain't been in Vale long if you ain't used to a lil' waitin' on the road." Gus remarked.
I eyed him eyeing me in the rearview mirror.
"Yeah well I normally walk places." I replied in a huff.
I was beginning to regret calling him my life long partner in my head.
Best friend was still on the table. For now.
"How long would you say I've got to go if I were to walk home?" I asked out of curiosity.
Gus snorted. "Maybe two hours, one if you run." He answered.
"How much do I owe you?" I asked.
Gus pretended to check a meter that wasn't switched on.
"600L" Gus replied.
I reached into my pocket, realizing the 1000L chip/card I was given by Jaune's(My) sister wasn't there. Panic struck me.
Very unlike me, I considered whether Gus Greenview would be willing to chase me out of the cab, or if he would even be fast enough to catch me with my impressive (7!) Agility stat. I refrained from hitting Gus with an Observe however, there was a chance that his Biography would reveal to me that he has 10 children waiting for him at home and that he needed to work 20 hours a day to feed them all.
I couldn't abandon my best friend like that anyway, not when he had all those mouths to feed.
This moral dilemma that occurred to me in less than a fraction of a second resolved itself as fast as it had arrived in my mind, as I felt my hand slip into a suddenly vacuous space that my jeans pocket certainly did not account for. My fingertips brushed against the plastic chip and magnetically it moved into my grasp.
I pulled out my 1000L chip given to me by my sister and handed it to my friend, Gus.
Gus took the chip and handed me four smaller and slightly different shaded translucent chips.
"Good luck." Gus said as I prepared to part, opening the back door to the cab.
I looked back for a second, maybe a second too long as maybe my eyes watered.
"Will I ever see you again?" I asked softly, my lips quivering.
"Huh?" He craned his neck to hear me better.
"What?" I asked back.
I slammed the door shut and walked onto the sidewalk, easily maneuvering past the stationary cars on the road.
Joining the midst of pedestrians, a flood of names and levels came into view, each vibrant in that not a single one of them missed out a reference to a color of some kind. Greenview, Chartreuse and Copperkettle. And then even now with upwards of thirty people on a busy street there was a man straight up called Blue!
I didn't oppose it, it was just pretty neat.
The Minimap indicated many points of interest that were previously unhighlighted, several different icons were now clearer but mainly indicated that the buildings surrounding me were residential buildings, apartments. The only icon of note along the path I was headed was a Question Mark in the middle of the road a few minutes ahead.
Taking the chance to really come to terms with everything that had come to pass, there was a lot to focus on.
I'm alive, that's the first and best part of all of this.
I'm walking around in somebody else's body and they're nearly a decade younger than me.
That person had a family and a life that I was now about to dive into as if nothing had changed.
It was obviously up to me how to broach that subject but I absolutely wasn't about to say, "Hey I'm not your brother, he's dead I think."
So by process of elimination of the ways in which I couldn't say that, it'd be best to just figure out what Jaune had been aiming for in life and pursue that. Pick up where he left off.
There was always the Quest I'd first received.
Quest Log
QUEST
Sapphic Icon
Get to know your oldest sister and make her life just a little less stressful!
Meet Terra Flora (0/1)
Go to Sapphire's favorite Restaurant (0/1)
Find a way to be less of a burden to Sapphire(i) (0/1)
QUEST
Reach Jaune Arc's Home Address within the Time Limit!
69:13:12
I could put a little faith in this Game system I supposed.
There was a lot to say when my first to actual Quests were to be a better brother and to go home.
I started picking up the pace, better to get home faster at least. Wary of bumping into anyone half as intimidating as the 'King of Hospitality' I weaved past and around anybody walking slower than me.
Why was his name just Junior?
Everyone else had their full names on display, the only other ? value Level had been Sapphire.
Speaking of Question Marks, I was approaching the one on the minimap right now.
The sun reflected off of the apartment complex windows making it hard to look straight on without getting glare. I deftly evaded a man in a suit brushing past me as he didn't even give me a second glance, I saved my apologies and kept moving until I hit a fork in which the road opened up left or right. I could turn left, cross the road and go right to follow the right turn or I could just cross the road and keep going forward.
Just before the left turning which is where the minimaps route guided me, there was a single alleyway. It felt hardly worth calling a reward as my eyes were failing to perceive what it was I was looking at.
In defiance of space itself between two large dumpsters to the left and right of their respective buildings, lay a set of pixelated squares, jittering and jutting outwards, spasming and retracting repeatedly.
Notification
You have encountered a Remnant! Remnants are fragmented pieces of information scattered across the world of… Remnant.
3 Stat Points
The blue window appeared directly in front of my view at the exact point at which the jittering pixels fluctuated, growing rapidly into a translucent gray hemisphere surrounding me in the narrow alleyway.
Notification
Rewards for finding Remnants will vary however what is guaranteed in each instance is that you, the PLAYER, will have the opportunity to receive a fragment of Jaune Arc!
Notification
Challenges will be issued based on the size of Remnants encountered. You have encountered a Small Remnant, or Remnant (s).
As exciting as the notifications seemed, the feeling of cold and dull fear crept in through my chest, and a vice-like grip secured itself around my ankle.
"Eeaughhh"
A gray hand had fastened itself securely to my leg. Very calmly I let out an exhale that might have sounded like a squeal to the untrained ear.
The source of the groan came from further down the alley as a shambling silhouette emerged from the crumbling left building wall. Without wanting to, my eyes drifted upwards to the words, written above its head.
Zombie (2)
Lvl 4
HP: 38/38
The concrete floor spanning forty feet around me erupted in a soft crumbling that I wouldn't describe as possible unless I'd seen it with my own eyes. The stone floor parted like soil before the shambling undead, rising from the earth.
OBJECTIVE
Eliminate every enemy to earn the discovered Remnant.
Without hesitation I internally squeezed every muscle I had and felt the snapping sensation that came with activating Strong Damn Fist. I slammed my closed fist into the hand gripping my ankle like a hammer.
I don't have experience eviscerating limbs from existence with my bare hands, but the comical splattering noise that followed the liquid mush I'd just created was almost worth the loss of HP I'd subjected myself to.
-999
Evidence of the overwhelming damage I'd dealt was fantastic for my ego, and having a visual indicator for what damage I was doing would help in future too.
A dull ache settled over me as adrenaline sunk in, the dull ache likely being what it felt like after using the Strong Damn Fist skill. It was annoying to only find out now due to having died the last time I used it.
The grip on my ankle was relinquished as the bile-like substance of Zombie matter spread across the pavement, which spread the strong rotting meat smell a lot quicker than the moving bodies could have even downwind.
Zombie (3)
Lvl 2
HP: 23/23
Zombie (3) was approaching, having fully emerged from the crumbled outline in the right wall, it shuffled and groaned towards me at a comically slow pace. Once again I took my time to be certain I was charging the Strong Damn Fist skill correctly, clenching my fist and waiting for it to get within arms reach.
I waited.
Waited a little longer.
An explosive sigh erupted from my mouth involuntarily, as I stepped forward with my fist clenched. Zombie (2) remained limp. Carefully I stepped just left of the reaching arms and shot a quick jab in the zombie's ribs before it had fully twisted around to grab at me.
-50
The effect was instantaneous.
Zombie (3)
Lvl 2
HP:0/23
The zombie's entire torso caved in and expelled its rotting innards out of the back of its ribcage.
Notification
Enemy Slain!
2 EXP
This was a disgustingly low amount of EXP.
Didn't I kill one a second ago?
Turning back to the epicenter of the liquified remains of the zombie I'd destroyed the arm of, finding movement.
A hand latched onto my ankle and a sharp pinching pain erupted from my calf. Looking behind me, on the floor was a zombie. I should've taken more caution to see if the ground had stopped unearthing.
-48
Notification
You have taken a Critical Hit! Monitor HP and prepare accordingly.
The Zombie's head was latched by its teeth to my leg, an arm missing at the elbow but nonetheless motivated to tear into me.
Zombie (1)
Lvl 4
HP: 21/36
I panicked, kicking at the zombie with the back of my other leg, balancing on the bitten leg in an attempt to detach the zombie.
-1
-2
-1
-1
Each number displayed the pitiful damage of my frantic stamping.
"Uurrrhh"
Zombie (1)
Lvl 4
HP: 16/36
I had not taken into account the Zombie that had been slowly making its way to me from the other end of the alleyway.
I twisted sharply to the left, I'd realized too late that I'd stayed in the same spot for too long. I hadn't taken the Zombie situation seriously enough. They were just wet bodies! One had exploded at the weakest punch my skill had ever produced!
The zombie sunk its teeth deeper into my calf and the pain made me scream aloud.
WARNING
Critical Hit received, monitor your HP and act accordingly.
Beyond the message, the critical damage I'd taken, another message flickered into existence that froze time in its entirety.
Notification
You have reached your last 10% of HP.
3 Options will be presented as your Last Calli Ability.
With time frozen and the Zombie's mouth not clamping any deeper into my calf, I selected the i beside the words Last Call.
iA powerful ability that is limited to use Once per Day.
"Enlightening."
Please make your selection
A.I.
Turn Based Combat
Mystery Box
Instinctively I selected the first option available to see more information.
You have selected A.I. You may not select a new 'Last Call' without fulfilling certain requirements.
Are you sure you wish to choose A.I. ?
YES
NO
I went back to the options immediately.
There was no info to inspect any of these options.
"What?"
Being left to just guess from the names in front of me A.I was literally the only possible option anyway, surely? Turn Based combat wouldn't free me from the jaws on my leg, and a mystery box would offer me something based on random chance.
My situation needed immediate reaction. And I had no clue how to get out of here on my own.
You have selected A.I. You may not select a new 'Last Call' without fulfilling certain requirements.
Are you sure you wish to choose A.I. ?
YES
NO
I selected yes.
In an instant I felt light, I was floating.
Near the roof of the grayscale dome that had formed at the beginning of the encounter, I could reach up and feel my fingers push against its barrier, the substance felt somewhere between liquid and rubber. I pushed harder against it and felt it almost give way, before pushing back gently returning to place.
My hand was glowing blue, just like my torso and legs. As I'd looked down to check this, I'd quickly become aware of the movement below, the sound of grunting, snarling, and then a squelch.
Notification
Enemy Slain!
1 EXP
My body, Jaune's body, I corrected myself, was walking away from a downed Zombie.
The same Zombie that had been clinging to my leg by the teeth. Its neck was pointed straight up while its head was faced almost 180 degrees in the other direction.
He stood straight with his head held high, one arm permanently held back behind his waist and the other arm reaching over his shoulder stretching. The features of his face seemed sharper on him now, less slack and more tension in a way I couldn't emulate even in the same body.
He just wore it better somehow.
Jaune turned around looking up at me even as the next Zombie 5 feet away started to lean forward in an attempt to grab him.
I tried to scream in warning but no noise left my mouth, I clutched my throat and tried again, I could feel the strain on my throat that shouting made, but again, no noise.
The Zombie closed the distance toward where Jaune had decided to stand still and watch me.
His eyes…
There was a motion blur over his eyes, it outlined his irises and eyelids with a red glow.
"What kind of run even is this?"
Jaune grabbed the Zombie by the throat in a fraction of a second before it could reach him, using his longer arm-span to keep his face out of reach. He pulled his hand away, revealing that his fingers had dug deep into the Zombie's neck, he flicked away the grimy skin and flesh he'd pulled from the Zombie's throat.
In this astral projected body I couldn't see the overhead writing that displayed names or health, but after Jaune raised his leg up into a high kick that picked the monster up off the floor, health was inconsequential. The Zombie's head sailed past me, bouncing on the floor and rolling a good 20 feet away from where the Zombie's body fell.
"Is this one of those secret routes?"
Another Zombie paced towards Jaune unperturbed by the removal of the other Zombie's head.
Even with the horribly wounded leg, with bite marks so deep the calf was oozing blood, Jaune lifted his leg up, tucking the injured appendage into his torso until his kneecap touched his chest.
"How good could an Infected Route be? What Rewards could you even get from that?"
As if it were spring loaded, Jaune shot out his foot directly through the approaching Zombie's chest.
"Fuck."
The Zombie continued approaching unphased, unable to advance while stuck with a thigh wedged in its chest.
"And what's with these Stats dude!?" Jaune leapt up using only one foot to get air, twisting his hips remarkably to pivot into a downward kick that tore through the Zombie's neck like scissors through paper. "Did you put all your shit into Constitution!?"
Notification
Enemy Slain!
1 EXP
One Zombie remained, the furthest back in the alleyway and Jaune didn't seem in too much of a rush to stop it.
"You haven't even rested yet to get the HP increase. And what the hell is this Skill!? An attack that hurts you? There's literally thousands of Skills to focus on before landing on this, hundreds of better options and combos before you even THINK of resorting to self harm. You haven't made ANYTHING, Observe is literally spoon-fed to you in the Tutorial-"
Jaune's eyes narrowed and let out a suppressed snarl.
"- You're not even out of the Tutorial. Are you."
From up above, I shrugged and raised my hands. I thought I'd finished the Tutorial after beating the Boarbatusk.
"Wait, so you're new. Like, brand new to all of this."
I nodded fervently, praying that he'd give me some answers to how, why or what had caused this.
"Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHA-" His mirthless laughter was cut short as he took stock of his surroundings again.
The Zombie had covered the distance and reached out to grab at Jaune's hoodie, he slapped the prying hands away and back-stepped slightly, putting his hand on the side of the Zombie's head.
"Don't summon me again, not for anything so trivial. Go beat a Trial Boss and get a new Last Call. Anything would have solved this problem, you didn't have to bother me."
Taking only half a step forward and leaning toward the Zombie, Jaune tripped it with one leg, slamming its head directly into the concrete floor beneath them, the sound of bone giving way to asphalt barely lasting a millisecond before half of the Zombie's head erupted with wet brain matter.
Notification
Enemy Slain!
4 EXP
"This run is over before it's even begun. Go to sleep and you'll see how this all works."
Suddenly I could feel a dragging feeling as if I were being pulled in by a rope toward Jaune's body. I didn't fight it, slowly being pulled into Jaune, red steam evaporated from him, his eyes fogging over and posture becoming limp. I felt a sudden stronger pull and then a snap, as I flinched to cover my eyes, my arms felt as if they had weight to them.
My eyes snapped open and I found myself back in my own body, a notification window hovering in front of me.
Notification
Check your Status to see the newest changes to the Status View window.
I took in big gulps of air to steady myself.
The A.I could talk. It wore Jaune's body better than I did and it made fighting look as easy as breathing.
'What kind of run even is this?'
'Run?'
'As in, I could start again?'
I'd have to go to sleep if I wanted to find out apparently.
Notification
Congratulations, you have completed the Objective!
30 EXP
5 Stat Points
1 Remnant (s)
All at once the searing pain of my calf wound flared back into being, the numb feeling of astral projecting having left me completely. I fell back, my back hitting the alley wall, unable to keep myself upright while shivering and unstable.
Notification
Standby for Remnant Sequencing…
Huh?
My vision was swimming, whether it was from shock or from the 'Sequencing', I could feel my grip on reality slipping.
Notification.
Sequencing Complete.
I fell back into a plastic foldable chair, the kind they pulled out during assemblies, or special guest visits.
You'd have thought they would have found better seats for the occasion, this wasn't just some random school event after all, this was the first time in Ansel's long boring history that a student had ever been scouted for anything.
A sudden spike in panic ran through me but suppressed itself immediately, separating my feelings from his. He was excited, happy for his sister, she was dancing on stage. Jaune didn't actually care much for dancing, he could remember if he tried hard, being taught the steps to the waltz and that was as much as he would ever do.
There was a strong beat, fast tempo, moves he couldn't imagine trying.
Topaz danced breathlessly, moving with each half-second of sound with inhuman precision and grace.
In the deep recesses of Jaune's mind there was something else he was thinking too…
Will we stay in contact when she goes to Atlas? I'll have run away by then.
I turn my head to look to my right, Sapphire is watching, tears welling up in her eyes.
I frown trying to determine what point is being made by these thoughts and feelings. What did experiencing what Jaune felt actually do to help me?
The music dies down and slowly, much like the stage lighting in front of me, the edges of my vision darken as the world obscures itself from my sight.
I open my eyes again, feeling my fingertips erupt with a coarse scratching and I realize I'm scratching at the gravel floor. Light floods my adjusting pupils.
I was back in the alleyway.
It took me several minutes to even consider moving.
That was… Intense.
I couldn't even begin to describe the feeling. The first-hand experience of somebody else's thoughts and feelings, pure yet filtered through a net. It felt like me but that had been Jaune's life, his gut wrenching pit-opening guilt the month before he'd run away from home.
Quest Log.
QUEST
Reach Jaune Arc's Home Address within the Time Limit!
68:41:20
QUEST
Sapphic Icon
Get to know your oldest sister and make her life just a little less stressful!
Meet Terra Flora (0/1)
Go to Sapphire's favorite Restaurant (0/1)
Find a way to be less of a burden to Sapphire(i) (0/1)
I'd only been out for half an hour, including a few minutes of walking and then a fight with Zombies.
Status
Jaune Arc HP: 5/105 MP: 21/21
(Reckless)
Level 2: 38/100 EXP
Strength: 9 (10-1)
Agility: 6 (7 - 0.7)
Constitution: 22(25 - 2.5)
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 5
Stat Points: 8
Status: Undead Infection Level: 1
Lien: 400
Skills:
Strong Damn Fist: You can expend HP to add to your Strength Stat when charging a Punch
Observation Lvl 4 (Passive): The ability to assess and view information about living creatures or objects in your line of sight.
Unarmed Combat Lvl 1 (Passive): A heightened proficiency in hand to hand combat that grants the Player a greater ease in movement during combat.
Fortitude Lvl 1: Through force of will, you can gain temporary HP equal to your Constitution Stat multiplied by X (X being the amount of MP paid in multiples of 5.)
Meditate Lvl 1: Enter into a state of dissociation that filters out unnecessary thoughts and feelings. Increases the Users MP Regeneration equal to the Users Intelligence Stat and Meditate Skill Level.
Titles:
Reckless: Multiply damage dealt to foes by 1.3 with Skills that deal damage to yourself.
Slugger: Unarmed and Blunt Weapon attacks are more likely to deal Critical Hits while HP is below 50%
Idiot: Multiply EXP gained by 1.5. Intelligence and Wisdom Stat cannot be increased while this Title is equipped.
To say I felt like death would've been accurate, the new underlined Status section highlighted what the A.I. had warned me about. Infected was a type of Status effect and without needing further context I knew it was hampering my physical stats.
I slowly picked myself up from the collapsed position by the wall, the gray boundary was gone, as well as the unearthed ground, walls and limp bodies. I'd expected as much when they'd emerged, there was no way a 'game' like this could leave evidence of something that couldn't be explained.
I took a few cautionary steps, limping a little until I could get used to the pain without looking out of place.
Stepping out into the street I progressed further down the highlighted line on the mini-map. It'd take hours by foot and walking normally felt like the right thing to take priority in, lest I be sent back to the hospital by some do-gooder. It was unlikely to actually happen that way, but it was better to hide the problem in its entirety than to risk the possibility.
The traffic was still at a standstill in places, moving up every minute or so by a few inches and the stream of pedestrians was constant. So many Names, Titles and Levels swam into view that I had already gotten used to half-reading them and ignoring them entirely.
A familiar cab sat in the midday traffic jam that suddenly sparked hope in my predicament of a situation.
I walked confidently in a strong stride toward the taxi cab I'd exited half an hour ago, the searing pain of my bite wound constantly gnawing at me as I did so.
'Gus Greenview'
(Exemplary Driver Rare)
Level 17
"Gus, my man!" I shouted loudly as I stepped into the road.
Gus stared straight ahead, a cigarette in his mouth with the windows rolled up.
I approached and knocked on the window. Gus turned and stared at me for a good second or so before he rolled down the window.
"Where to?" Gus asked gruffly.
"As close as I can get with 400L" I answered in a chipper tone.
"Didn't wanna walk after all, huh." Gus remarked.
I open the car door to the backseats.
"I missed you."
"What?" Gus asked, as I leaned into the car, careful not to graze my leg.
"Huh?"
The cab pulled up to a curb only a few minutes walk from my destination, I had the Lien ready this time and handed it to Gus promptly. We didn't talk and I enjoyed his company in quiet glee.
"Do you have a Scroll number I can add for if I want you to drive me somewhere?" I asked, opening the door to leave.
"No." Gus replied.
"Damn."
I closed the door stepping onto the pavement, Gus Greenview for the second time today watched me leave his cab. This time however he peeled off immediately, speeding to wherever he was needed, like a superhero or something.
The rest of the journey through suburbia was notably less filled with pedestrians, the car journey had become less packed as well, not much in the way of traffic around the outer extremities of the center of the city. If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was in the Rich People kind of area.
Houses had little driveways, some even had picket fences and gardens out front. One woman was watering flowers, she looked up and waved at me even.
Encroaching upon the house that was denoted as 'Home' by the Quest a Notification sprung up.
Notification
You have completed the Quest: Reach Jaune Arc's Home Address within the Time Limit!
68 EXP
Level Up!
10 Stat Points
New Skill: Gap Jab
There was a picket fence and a lawn with nothing to adorn it. Flowers were in pots surrounding the doorway and underneath each window. I almost tried using Observe when I didn't find any red flowers but realized that the pot filled with yellow flowers were the roses Sapphire had told me about at the hospital. I found a single key underneath the flowerpot and let myself in.
The house was two stories tall with an attic, flowers in every window.
"I'm hoooome!"
No response.
I step into a landing, an open space between a flight of stairs and balcony overlooking a black and white checkered tiled floor. There were five sets of shoes set beside the staircase where I instinctively took my own white pair of trainers off, they were clearly cheap and heavily worn, now with additional grime from my encounter in the alleyway.
The other five shoes were all womens; one set of heels, two pairs of trainers and two pairs of flats. Enough for one person? I couldn't be sure.
Sapphire had emphasized she'd be at work, wherever that was, so I'd have to assume no one else lived in the house.
I headed to the kitchen, finding it to be the first available room to the left of the staircase.
Spacious.
On the kitchen counter in the middle there was a handwritten note.
There's leftover Vacuan takeout in the fridge, if it's still good. If it's not, toss the food waste into the YELLOW BIN, not the purple one and then clean the plastic containers. The Scroll number for some good takeout places are pinned to the fridge.
Sapphire XOXO
"Sweet."
I retrieved the still-good leftovers from the fridge, seemingly spiced chicken in a rich sauce with onions and peppers.
Sitting at the kitchen counter, the cold leftover takeout took me to levels of ecstasy I'd never experienced.
"What's in this stuff?"
I scraped every last bit from the container, the sauce intoxicating, my nose? Running.
6 HP
A notification popped up without any further explanation. None was needed, it was an easy guess that good food would act as a healing item, and this was as good a place as any to find out.
"It's yellow curry with extra peppers." The unmistakable voice of Topaz Arc spoke from the entrance to the kitchen.
I yelped, reeling backward, the stool balanced poorly already led me to fall to the floor painfully.
-2
Topaz Arc, in the flesh, right after an intensely emotional Remnant-Memory of her leaving for Atlas. I got up as gracefully as one could given the circumstances.
"Aren't you meant to be in Atlas?"
Topaz, blonde, a head shorter than me with hazel colored eyes, stared up at me in such a way that conveyed great tiredness but also irritation.
Topaz Arc
(Burnt Out Star Legendary)
Level 11
"I stop by Sapphire's place when I'm between sets." Topaz' frowning face turned to look at the empty plastic container.
"That was mine."
It was my turn to frown now.
"There was a note on the count-"
The note on the counter didn't have Jaune's name on it, the person Sapphire was writing to wasn't actually addressed anywhere on the note.
"She left that note for-"
"She left that note for me, yes Jaune."
Jaune.
The name throbbed in my head like a day old bruise.
"In my defense, Sapphire said I could come home in the next three days and neglected to mention you would be here." I replied.
"She also told me you'd been diagnosed with retrograde amnesia and that you were recovering. Not that you were acting weird and talked funny." Topaz retorted, folding her arms and leaning back on the doorframe.
I paused for a moment.
"I talk funny?" I wouldn't beat the weird allegations.
Topaz sighed.
"More words, less stammering and either you've suddenly become an incredible liar or you recognise me."
I briefly wondered whether observing Topaz was necessary, but that felt too invasive on a family member.
"Say my name."
"Topaz Arc."
"And where do we live?"
I hesitated.
"Here?"
"No."
"Ansel."
"Yes."
"Sapphire moved out?"
"Years ago."
"Then why was I taken to a Hospital in Vale? I know that Ansel is a frontier town, and I went even further outward."
Topaz suddenly seemed less confrontational, shrugging slightly, then traipsing around the kitchen counter and opening the fridge to investigate what remained, or more likely to avoid eye contact.
"No one's home to take guardianship while you recover."
It took a few minutes to process her meaning. There was also, in the back of my mind a detail that stuck out like a splinter.
"Sapphire said that mom's roses were here."
Topaz huffed and took a pot of yogurt out from the lowest shelf of the fridge before seating herself opposite me at the counter.
"Mom doesn't live here."
I waited for further explanation,
Topaz did not give any further explanation, digging into her yogurt with a teaspoon.
"Why'd you run off to a Frontier town, Jaune."
"To fight Grimm I think."
"Why?"
"I wanted to be a Huntsman." I answered with a heavy gulp. A lot of the things I'd say would likely impact how people perceived me, as Jaune or not, and the importance of not messing up their perceptions was the difference between living safely and complete alienation.
"Wanted, as in past tense?"
The question was hardly asked, but I immediately answered.
"Well yeah, duh."
There was nothing to occupy my attention, unlike Topaz, who could play with her food as long as she liked. Which is exactly what she did. For a good minute.
"You almost died."
"I won-"
"- Not only that, but it wouldn't have even gotten you into a Huntsman's Academy anyway. Like how the fuck did you think that'd work out!?"
Explosive, angry and most importantly I deserve it.
"A convenient mystery to me, amnesia or something." Silent emphasis on the 'or something'.
Topaz glared directly at me after her outburst, uncaring for the delicious dairy product she cast to the side.
Suddenly a loud humming sounded, I half-expected a notification but when Topaz pulled out her Scroll, I realized she was being called.
"Gotta take this." Topaz said resignedly.
I made a show of leaving her to it. Leaving the kitchen and walking upstairs, excusing myself by going to the bathroom.
There in the bathroom I let out a slow and controlled wheeze, breathing deeply to regain my composure. I didn't do as badly as I feared at least.
"I'm going downtown, we'll talk later!" Topaz shouted up the landing, I replied in kind.
The slamming of the front door confirmed I was alone, or maybe there was another sister lurking around.
I peered around each of the rooms upstairs, the house was spacious, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Again the subject of how Sapphire could afford a house on her own at such a young age raised my curiosity. She had a girlfriend though, maybe they went halves on rent, in which case this girlfriend also lived here.
I would have snooped, if not for a sudden throbbing of fiery pain in my calf, the freedom to be able to limp while alone quickly making itself redundant when it hurt either way.
Notification
Status 'Undead Infection Level: 1' has begun to progress, you can track progress on the Status Window.
Quest:
Undead Arc
You are going through the throes of a great sickness! Find a cure, or suffer great consequences.
1. Find a 'Lesser Restoration' item.
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REWARD:
850 EXP
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Y/N
The effect of the Status was pretty strong, I accepted the Quest quickly, hopping down the stairs carefully to not aggravate the leg further, I lay down on the first sofa I found in the living room.
Resting the leg upright did the trick, turning the pain into a numbing throb at the same tempo as my heartbeat.
Exhaustion overcame me suddenly, with food in my belly and immediate danger all but gone I could feel tiredness seeping into me..
Thump thump.
My eyes felt heavy.
Thump thump.
A nap couldn't hurt.
Thump. Thump.
Thump.
…
Blackness.
I waited.
Just inky blackness.
"Hello?"
A lucid dream. Not as unpleasant or as taxing as I thought. I was tired but the vast expanse of emptiness in front of me.
"If this is meant to feel mysterious or spooky, it's not. The A.I told me I'd find some stuff out when I finally went to sleep."
The blackness whipped and whirled around like a curtain being tugged and furled, revealing a white horizonless grid floor.
Entering Holosseum
The words appeared in a much bigger font than usual as the grid pattern accelerated forwards in front of me with a feeling of inertia that rocked through my body.
Within seconds, pillars of white, blocky masses appeared, filling the horizon for as far as my eyes could perceive.
Tutorial Objective:
Discover 1 of 3 Objectives to further the Story.
Tutorial Completed:
Discovered a Remnant.
3 Lives
Congratulations on Completing the Tutorial!
The words before me filtered in and out of existence through giant blue windows in the middle distance between me and the horizon of white pillars.
"Is there any explanation as to where I am though?"
There was a pause in the empty sky for only a second.
You have been inserted into the fictional world of Remnant.
"Do the lives mean I can die and come back to life?"
You will return to a Save Point of your choosing.
"What's the point of this Holosseum?"
You may Train, Talk or Trade. 1 of the 3 actions may be performed each night:
TRAIN: You may select an Arena within the Holosseum and train to permanently increase Stats, you must encounter different enemy types in the Overworld to access new Arenas.
TALK: You may speak to any NPC you have previously encountered to glean information you would otherwise struggle to acquire. NPCs in this state are Copies that are unphased by their whereabouts and do not feel the need to withhold information from you.
TRADE: You may trade Lien or Resources collected within your inventory to receive items that can aid you in the Overworld which are inaccessible otherwise.
"I want to Talk."
Are you sure you wish to, TALK.
"Yes."
Select who you wish to TALK to.
Sapphire
Eve
Mars
Junior
Gus
A.I.
Topaz
"Damn that's a big list already."
Originally upon being presented with the chance to speak to anyone, I'd wanted to talk to Sapphire and ask her for all the family deets, but spying that the A.I. was on the list of encountered NPCs, so I turned my attention to him.
"A.I."
The list jittered away, scattering into pixels, slowly reshaping once more into the shape of Jaune's body.
"It's weird how even in the same body you're taller than me."
Like a better postured mirror image, Jaune stood before me with pupils that shone a dull red.
"Stand properly then, lift your chin." He ordered.
I complied but even then I felt like I wasn't mimicking him right.
"Don't sweat it, it takes practice. Do some yoga or something. Mix in the Meditate Skill and you'll get some EXP while grinding your Dex." A.I. suggested.
"I wish I had a notepad."
"Shut up. What did you want me for?"
I tapped my chin in thought.
"You were shocked that I'd gotten bit. Why? I couldn't speak at the time."
A.I. scowled.
"You wasted Talk on something like this? You can't talk to me during a Last Call, not unless you get the Soul Talk Skill, and that's unlikely from the looks of things."
A.I. tapped Jaunes foot drumming to a rapid beat.
"You got your Lives, right?"
"Yeah."
"Your first Save Point will be when you wake up in the Hospital in front of Sapphire. You'll get more Save Points the further into the Story you go. It's versatile though, you might not get the same Save Points I'm aware of if you do weird shit."
5 Seconds.
"Shit-" A.I. panicked, only a little less than me.
"There's a lot of people that have been in your situation, it was unfair to rant over your Skills, sorry. Skills 're made out of situational need and personal bias, you get more Skills the more you level up but they'll lean more into your own Personal bias-"
3 Seconds.
"-Talk to Eve! You gotta befriend her to get the Quest for- Fuck."
1 Second.
"What shocked me was, no one has fucked up the Zombie encounter as badly as y-"
TALK Completed.
A.I. took the last second to answer my first question, which I appreciated far less than the advice he'd fitted in the middle. A real weird combination of backseat gaming and criticism. I found it hard to believe no one had ever been bitten by a Zombie, the revelation that I was supposedly not the first Player being less of a existential crisis than I imagined.
Did they fail?
What would happen if I ran out of lives?
Game Over was the obvious answer.
Returning to Overworld:
5:59 AM
This all felt ridiculous.
"When you said I was funny, you meant I was bad at this game, right?" I asked into the white void.
There was no answer as the void filtered away, block by block, pixel by pixel.
My eyes snapped open immediately, I was in bed with a blanket over me. A guest room on the top floor.
Looking around the room was empty, I was still in my clothes from yesterday under the sheets. It was easy to imagine I hadn't just talked to a fading landscape, hoping for a response.
ERROR
The worst to ever do it.
Shifting and glitching characters floated in a window before my eyes in a strange bright red font.
Uncomforting and unkind.
I'd show them.
I'd show them all.
Unfurling the bedsheets, I rolled out of bed, stepping onto the floor and realizing with a sharp pain up my calf that my infected wound was still very much real.
"Ack!"
I fell face first into the floor beneath me.
-1
Jaune Arc HP: 8/227 MP: 23/23
(Reckless)
Level 3: 6/110 EXP
Strength: 9 (10-1)
Agility: 6 (7 - 0.7)
Constitution: 22(25 - 2.5)
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 5
Stat Points: 18
Status: Undead Infection Level: 1 20% Progress
Last Call: A.I. Unavailable (Used Today)
Lien: 0
Skills:
Strong Damn Fist: You can expend HP to add to your Strength Stat when charging a Punch
Observation Lvl 4 (Passive): The ability to assess and view information about living creatures or objects in your line of sight. In addition you can now read Biographies on NPCs as well as read Moods and Likes/Dislikes.
Unarmed Combat Lvl 1 (Passive): A heightened proficiency in hand to hand combat that grants the Player a greater ease in movement during combat.
Fortitude Lvl 1: Through force of will, you can gain temporary HP equal to your Constitution Stat multiplied by X (X being the amount of MP paid in multiples of 5.)
Meditate Lvl 1: Enter into a state of dissociation that filters out unnecessary thoughts and feelings. Increases the Users MP Regeneration equal to the Users Intelligence Stat and Meditate Skill Level.
Gap Jab Lvl 1: (-5MP) Throw a precise jab at a vulnerable spot in your opponent's defenses. Damage is based off of Unarmed Strike damage x 1.3
Titles:
Reckless: Multiply damage dealt to foes by 1.3 with Skills that deal damage to yourself.
Slugger: Unarmed and Blunt Weapon attacks are more likely to deal Critical Hits while HP is below 50%
Idiot: Multiply EXP gained by 1.5. Intelligence and Wisdom Stat cannot be increased while this Title is equipped.
Quests:
Undead Arc
You are going through the throes of a great sickness! Find a cure, or suffer great consequences.
Find a 'Lesser Restoration' item.
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Sapphic Icon
Get to know your oldest sister and make her life just a little less stressful!
Meet Terra Flora (0/1)
Go to Sapphire's favorite Restaurant (0/1)
Find a way to be less of a burden to Sapphire(i) (0/1)