Chapter 21. Moving on
Summer leaned down and softly kissed her daughter's forehead. The little girl grumbled something incoherent as she snuggled into her covers. "Goodnight, Ruby," Summer murmured before she tiptoed to the other bed in the room and repeated her actions. "Goodnight, Yang." With a smile on her face, Summer slid out of the room and shut the door.
Sighing, the young mother trudged down the stairs and entered the living room. The soft light of the moon entered through the windows, bathing half of the room in its eternal glow. The other half was illuminated by a small lamp standing on a short shelf, just next to the sofa. With the destination clear in her mind, Summer dragged her half-responsive body through the room and collapsed on the fluffy pillows, a soft groan leaving her mouth.
"They finally fell asleep?" The other occupant of the sofa asked as he put his scroll away. "For a moment I thought, we would need to knock them out."
Summer snorted, the thought crossing her mind a few times after the few hours of trying to put her daughters to sleep. "Even they can't go on forever. At least not without a large dose of sugar."
Taiyang, Summer's wonderful partner, chuckled. "Let's not try that, hmm? I don't think those old bones can survive a whole day of chasing the girls around the house."
"Old?" Summer quirked an eyebrow. "You're not even thirty Tai. Besides, are you trying to call me old? We are the same age after all, and I will have you know that I still feel as young as ever," she withheld a grin, watching as Tai squirmed under her gaze.
"Of course not, Sum," he quickly spluttered. "I'm just saying that I wouldn't be against some kind of break from this normalcy. I love our kids to death, but sometimes I just miss the good old days when Grimm was all I had to worry about."
Summer sighed, her head coming to rest on Taiyang's shoulder. "I know what you mean," she murmured. "One mission every few months can't compare to the years when we were in the field for weeks, only to come back home and almost instantly rush towards another job."
Her years in Beacon and the few after it, were some of the best in Summer's life. She gained a new family in her team and managed to form bonds that survived to this day, Raven excluded. All of the missions STRQ went on might have been tiring and long, but definitely rewarding. Even if finding out about an immortal witch wasn't what she expected from a Sunday meeting with her Headmaster after her team finished a particularly hard clean-up mission...
And now she had a different family. Her own kids, loving partner, and an annoying crow that visited from time to time. While Summer wouldn't exchange them for anything in the world and never regretted the time she spent with them, she couldn't help but wish for some more action in her life. Something more than just a simple mission every few months that didn't even last longer than a day.
She understood the need to stay home when Ruby and Yang couldn't do anything alone and needed her full attention. But now the situation changed a bit, her kids while still young could survive a few days without her and Tai if someone familiar was to take care of them... The question was if Summer could survive without them for longer than a week. The young woman was sure she could, but everything became different when she was away from her girls.
Why nothing can ever be easy, Summer pouted, snuggling deeper into Tai's shoulder. "You think Ozpin will finally give us something? It had been almost two months since we told him we want a longer mission."
Taiyang sighed, "I don't know, Sum. With everything that is going on in Atlas, we might need to wait a little bit longer. I just hope Ozpin didn-" Before he had a chance to finish, a soft vibration went through the entire sofa. Summer raised her head, while Taiyang groaned as he picked up his scroll. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear," he murmured and accepted the call. "Ozpin."
The visage of their old Headmaster appeared on the scroll's screen and the man gave them both a nod. "Good evening Taiyang, Summer. I hope I'm not intruding on anything," he said, and Summer barely stopped a snort from escaping her mouth. Evening, at two in the morning...
Taiyang shook his head, not even bothered by the weird call. "Nothing like that. We just put Ruby and Yang to sleep, and will probably head to bed soon."
Ozpin smiled, "Wonderful. I had been meaning to call you earlier today, but unfortunately, I had been called by the council to discuss some recent problems. Like always it took most of my day."
Summer nodded absently, not really interested in the politics of Vale. The council never achieved anything useful so she couldn't care less what problems they had. Ozpin was responsible for everything that mattered anyway. As such, to not prolong this conversation, Summer decided to be her usual, blunt self, "I'm sure it had been a pain professor, but is there a particular reason you called? Not that we're not happy to see you, but it is quite late..."
Ozpin chuckled, while Tai sighed, both used to her antics. "I apologize, Summer," the Headmaster said. "As I mentioned, it has been a long day... Now for my reason to call you at this hour. I have a job for you, a longer one, just like you two wanted."
As if a bolt of lightning struck their house, both Summer and Taiyang instantly straightened in their seat, their eyes glued to the screen. "Finally," Summer grinned. "What do you need us to do?"
Ozpin sighed, "I take you have been following the tragedy in Atlas, yes?" They both nodded. "Good. While the situation is mostly resolved, after my last conversation with James, Qrow, and Glynda I came to knowledge about a certain individual that needs to be found. I'm inclined to let you two deal with this if you are interested."
Summer frowned and in the corner of her vision, she saw Tai mirror her action. "Not that we are not thankful for the offer, but shouldn't Qrow deal with it? He is much better at tracking than the both of us combined. Faster too."
Ozpin's usual smile came back to his face. "Even if he is, it doesn't really matter here, it is not a standard tracking job. Qrow's abilities while useful, aren't essential for this task and I would rather have someone else take this mission... Besides the two of you wanted a longer job and I can't think of anything better than a week or two of wandering through the forests of Vale. Qrow even volunteered to take care of the kids for you."
Well, Ozpin definitely thought about everything. Though I'm not sure about the part of Qrow being a volunteer. Summer thought with a grin on her face. Tracking missions weren't her favorite, but maybe it was for the best that Ozpin didn't want to send them on anything harder. At least this way, they could come back home anytime they wanted.
"And who are we tracking?" Tai asked suddenly, bringing Summer out of her thoughts.
"An unknown named Umbra," Ozpin stated. "He is the one that provided James with information about the Virus and Merlot's whereabouts. And if we are to believe in what Glynda and Qrow think, then he is responsible for them still being alive. I'm sending you the files now."
And so he did, Taiyang instantly opened the first pictures and Summer squinted at the photos of a young man. He was maybe twenty or so, with very short black hair and bright red eyes. Honestly, if it wasn't for the softer facial features, Summer would have thought that it was Qrow's younger brother. Well, that and the clawed hand covered in scales and what was probably a tail. That's weird, Faunus usually have only one animalistic feature. And I certainly had never seen ones like this...
Taiyang probably noticed the same things as a question left his lips, "Why does he have two Faunus traits? Is that why you want him found?"
"No, and Mr. Umbra isn't a Faunus," Ozpin shook his head as he once again appeared on the screen. "From what we gathered, his arm and tail are the consequences of Merlot's experiments on Umbra. Presumably, he spent years as Merlot's experiment and when he finally got out, he decided to take his revenge by taking Merlot down." Ozpin sighed and quickly added, probably seeing their disbelieving reactions, "I know that this story lacks a lot of details, but this is all we have."
"So you want us to find him because he was an experiment?" Taiyang tried again.
"Once again, no," Ozpin answered. "The reason is much more complicated and might not even be reasonable as we aren't sure if Mr. Umbra is alive. Not after everything that happened during the raid on Merlot's base."
"I think we will need the full story, professor," Summer stated, her voice as dry as a desert.
Chuckling, Ozpin proceeded to do just that. He told them everything about how Umbra came to Atlas, his help with finding the cure and Merlot's base, and finally, Ozpin explained what happened during the raid on the base. When he got to the part where the hideout exploded and the huge Grimm awoke, he ordered Tai to open the only recording in the files.
When her partner did, Summer wasn't sure if she was watching a fantasy movie or a real recording. Even after Tai replayed it, she still couldn't close her mouth and her eyes grew only wider when Ozpin explained his, Glynda's, and Qrow's suspicions... It shouldn't be possible. A Grimm capable of transforming into a human. And yet the signs were there, too obvious to ignore.
And why are you so familiar? Summer thought, still watching the recording. Only when Tai touched her shoulder did she avert her gaze, her mind still racing.
"Summer, is everything alright?" her partner asked softly, his bright eyes burning into hers.
She nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's just a lot to take in."
A sigh was heard from the scroll in Taiyang's hand. "It definitely is, but as you said it is better that you know the full story. It might be the key to locating Umbra."
"If it is him," Summer murmured.
"Indeed," Ozpin nodded. "Even if we don't put much hope into finding him or our theory, we at least need to try. A man with abilities like this could be a valuable ally... Or a powerful enemy.
Summer turned sharply to the screen, "You think that Salem might attempt to recruit him?"
"Mr. Umbra showed himself to be a good man, if a violent one. Unfortunately, over the centuries even good men fell prey to Salem's method. We can only pray that we find him first, or neither of us does. I would rather have him hide forever than join Salem's side," Ozpin explained.
"Then we will do everything in our power to find him, professor," Summer smiled. "Just please give us a day or two to plan everything out. While we trust Qrow to take care of Ruby and Yang, I want to ask one of my friends on Patch to check on them every once in a while."
Tai chuckled. "Don't tell me you still want to get Carmen and Qrow together. It's not gonna work, dear. Qrow just isn't the kind of man to settle down. At least not yet."
Summer shot him a glare. "It will work," she scowled. "They just need to spend some time together and this is the perfect occasion."
Even Ozpin released one of his rare laughs upon hearing her idea. Summer's scowl depend in response as she crossed her arms. Those two could laugh all they wanted, but she knew that Carmen and Qrow were meant to be together. And Summer, the good friend she was, knew that the two just needed a bit of a push and she was willing to give them just that.
"As amusing as this conversation is, I think it is time to cut it short," Ozpin finally stated. "Qrow should arrive in Patch tomorrow so you can discuss the details with him. For now, I bid you goodnight."
As the screen faded to black, Summer bell back into the fluffiness of her couch and released a long sigh. "Do you think we're doing the right thing? We were never away for so long from our girls. What if something happens?"
Taiyang slung his arm around her shoulder and hugged Summer to his side. "Don't worry. We can go back at any moment's notice and we will try to stay in the range of CCTS... Now we just need to tell the girls that we will be away for some time."
Summer gulped, not at all excited at the prospect. "I will bake a lot of cookies."
"Good idea."
The moon shone in its full broken glory, soft rays glinting in the deep waters below me like the little stars scattered across the sky. It had been hours since I left Solitas behind me and not once did I look back as I let the cool wind push me towards Sanus. I had nothing left to do in Atlas, my job was done and now I just wanted some time to rest... At least once I came back to Patch. Though before that, I still had to deal with the consequences of my actions in Atlas.
Alright System, let's see it.
[Quest Compleated]
Atlas Syndrome!
Rewards: 50k EXP, 30 EP, Title Upgrade: Adult Grimm, 5x Random Stat Crystals, 2x EXP Scroll (Major)
Nice, very nice. After I dealt with Merlot and received the notification of quest completion, I didn't stick around to check the rewards. Instead, I just waved the notification away and jumped into the air, letting my wings carry me as far away from Atlas as they could. Now though, finally seeing the rewards, I at least knew that everything I did, was somewhat worth it.
The experience alone pushed me three levels higher, and never in my life did I get thirty Evolution Points from one quest. This number alone made the trip to Atlas worthwhile and now with my evolution meter filling up again, I could put those points to use. But that was for later, first I had a title and crystals to use.
Adult Grimm, I just hope it isn't another subordinate, one Bob is more than enough. I grumbled internally, pulling up the description.
[Adult Grimm (Major Title)
During your travels and many fights, you matured into a powerful creature of the darkness. Don't let anything stand in your way to greatness and remember that your potential is limitless.
Effects: Subordinate System, +5% to all Stats, Newborn and Young Grimm are naturally scared of you (Doesn't mean they won't attack)]
It's just getting better and better.
A quick command let me know that no, Subordinate System didn't change one bit and I still could only have one stupid minion. Thank gods for small mercies. Bob might have his uses, but the amount of work that went into training him and making him stronger was way beyond anything I expected. So for now I really didn't want to waste more resources on another minion that might as well die in the future.
Now for the crystals. With a single thought, the five 'Random Stat Crystals' manifested in one of my open palms and before they could fall into the water, I quickly crushed them into dust, the power swelling inside me.
[New Attributes gained:
+5 Str
+10 Dex
+10 Wis]
A grimace formed on my draconic snout. While I would never say no to strength and dexterity, I could have gone without the ten points to wisdom. Intelligence or vitality seemed a much better choice... Oh well, you can't have everything. At least the addition to dexterity is already visible, I thought as my wings began to push me even faster than just a few seconds ago. With this speed, I should arrive at Sanus' coast quite soon.
And what the fuck are EXP scrolls? I completely forgot about those.
[EXP Scroll (Major)
The highest tier of EXP Scrolls that allows the user to instantly increase the level of chosen ability by 10.]
Oh... At once I brought out the small EXP Scroll and gaped when the description said the same thing with only one difference, the increase in levels was lowered to five. Pretty neat and I was considering using them on either my Semblance, affinity, Meditation, or Aura. All of those skills gave me quite considerate bonuses and getting a fast boost in them could be useful.
But not now. I can still level those quite easily by myself. I don't have much to do in the nearest future anyway, well expect the new quest...
The System like always decided that I couldn't get any proper vacations and even if I planned to take a break for a week or two after getting back to Neo, I already had another quest. Quite a reasonable one, but a quest nonetheless. Really, if it wasn't for its somewhat high importance, I would have declined it straight away. I couldn't care less about the rewards at the moment.
[New Quest]
A simple clean-up.
Destroy all of Merlot's hidden bases. The knowledge they possess can be a risk to both the entire world and you. Better deal with it.
Rewards: 5 EP, 10k EXP, Random Small Stat Crystal per base destroyed (0/5)
Failure: The truth of your true nature might leak into the public. More mutated Grimm running around the world.
Note: The coordinates of Merlot's bases have been added to your map. Happy hunting.
I could have refused this quest, I really could, but even a small 'might' was enough to get me moving. The possibility of my identity and abilities leaking to the public wasn't a nice prospect. I still wanted to have some use for my human form even if I decided to use it less from now on. Visits to villages, exploring the capitals of the Kingdoms. I couldn't do that in Grimm form, at least not yet...
The only good thing about this quest was its lack of time limit. Though the fact that the base in the deserts didn't count as destroyed irked me a bit. It was empty, I knew that much, but evidently, the quest wanted me to crush the entire structure into pieces and that would require a lot of dust or mana... Alright so maybe it won't be that hard.
I shook my head, letting those thoughts drift into the background. The fresh sea air filled my nostrils as I let a shiver pass through my body. I didn't even need to keep my eyes open as I soared through the sky. Only when the familiar cawing and screeches reached my ears, did I open my eyes.
On the horizon, small waves crashed against the sandy coast. A pack of Nevermovers circled the area, while below them Ursa Major along with a few smaller ones Grimm slept under the moon's light.
[Now entering: Major territory number 10]
[Numer 10: Northern Sanus
-Exterminate Grimm (0/5000)
-Defeat a group of powerful Grimm (0/1)]
Holy shit... Five thousand?! Who came up with this bullshit? It will take me months to achieve something like that... System?
[It's one of the biggest territories in this part of Sanus, as such you shouldn't be surprised by the requirements... Besides trust me that five thousand Grimm for an Ancient or Elder type is nothing. Especially when the overall number of Grimm in this territory is much higher.]
Oh... I think I am better off not knowing. I don't plan to take this territory anytime soon anyway.
[Good decision.]
Still, before I moved towards Patch, I had one last thing to do.
Home, sweet home, I sighed, stepping inside the familiar cave in the Mountains of Vale. My old base and what I hoped could become a better home in the future now that Merlot was dealt with. Normally I would come to this place later, along with Neo, but this cave still had one more use to me before that.
'Status'.
Name: Umbra
Race: Soul Grimm
Title: Adult Grimm
Level: 26 (5175/18000)
Evolution Stage: Draconic 3 (100%)
HP: 2906
MP: 3262
STR: 56 + (30%) = 72.8
VIT: 52 + (30%) = 67.6
DEX: 72 + (30%) = 93.6
INT: 50 + (55%) = 77.5
WIS: 50 + (55%) = 77.5 (2nd Milestone: +8% to MP Regen)
LUC: 25
Elemental Affinity: Lightning
SP: 42 | EP: 49
Not bad, not bad at all... I smirked and stopped in the middle of the main room of the cave. It should still be large enough to house my current true form. Nodding, my power surged forward as once again my body shifted back into a dragon.
"Yeah, still can fit..." My voice rumbled through the cave as I took a look around me. With all the space left, it should still house me after I evolve, though my size wouldn't be a problem after that. Not with the evolutions I planned to take and thanks to all the points I gained in the last few weeks, I didn't have much trouble choosing.
Let's see it.
[Armor (Strong) | Cost: 10 EP | Bought: level 2]
Upgrade your skin, hide, and scales to withstand attacks from good-quality weapons and guns. You will become a menace to your enemies once they try to hit you, but remember you're not invincible. This evolution can be upgraded further in the future.
[Predator's Eyes lvl. 3 | Cost: 10 EP | Bought: level 2]
Nothing can hide from you, the true predator comes for everyone. Your vision has no match and the thermal mode can now work at full range. This is the final evolution of this tree.
[Second pair of wings | Cost: 6 EP]
Gain a second pair of wings. They can be released with a single command. When active: Passively increases DEX by 50%
[Lighting core: Infinity | Cost: 25 EP | Bought: level 1]
Lightning now flows in your blood, strengthening your entire body. Your thunder echos through the entire world as your enemies cower in their homes. Your lightning becomes more effective. Gain +10% to all physical stats. Optional: You can now change the color of your element. Further upgrades of this evolution will be available at a later date.
[Dragon Rage | Cost: 8 EP]
Gain the ability to enter the state of 'Dragon Rage'. Upon entering 'Dragon Rage' you gain a 100% increase to all of your stats except LUC. Beware, this ability is a double-edged sword. Your Gamer's mind is heavily weakened in this state, and you will go berserk if you remain in it for too long. Can be trained and further upgraded.
[Faster growth lvl. 2 | Cost: 5 EP | Bought: level 1]
You grow a bit faster. This evolution can be upgraded further. +30% Faster growth speed.
[Size Adjustment | Cost: 5 EP]
You can now adjust the size of your Grimm form. Warning: You can't use this ability during Combat. You can't make yourself larger than your current maximum size.
[Underwater Breathing | Cost: 2 EP]
Breathe underwater and take the ocean for yourself.
[Climate resistance | Cost: 6 EP | Bought: Cold]
Now you'll be able to resist extreme climates without even feeling it. This does not mean that you are immune to attacks that use extreme heat or cold. You may only choose one extreme per evolution.
[Spark of Divinity | Cost: 50 EP]
Every Grimm possesses a small part of God of Darkness inside them. Use this small piece to evolve even further. This is only the beginning. Effects: Unknown
Okay? Some new additions, that's for sure, but what the hell is a Spark of Divinity? System?! I thought, eyes wide as I scanned the long list. Most things were familiar, or just an upgrade of a previous evolution, but the last one gave me a pause. A part of the God of Darkness? Yeah, I wasn't touching it with a six-foot pole. At least not before I got much stronger and System explained this shit a bit. So?
[There's not much I can tell you. This is one of the things put here by my creator, I have no clue how it works. Though you might be right about not taking this before you are stronger. Godlike powers, no matter how small they are, aren't meant for weak mortals.]
"You know that technically I'm not a mortal right? Grimm and all of that, remember?" I said, this time out loud. Not like anyone could hear me now. This territory was technically mine, even if it was a no man's land.
[It doesn't matter. You can still be killed by the sub-standard technology of this world and as such you're a mortal.]
I snorted, "Of course I'm..."
Looking back at the list of my evolutions, I began calculations once again, this time considering the things that weren't there the last time. Armor upgrade was an obvious thing. I needed as much protection as I could get. 'Lightning Core: Infinity' had to go to the cart, even if it cost me another Predator upgrade and additional pair of wings.
Thirty-five Evolution Points for now. What's next... Dragon Rage? Pass for now. And finally 'Faster Growth' and 'Size Adjustment', two things that I planned to but anyway. Perfect. Forty-five points, with four left for Bob's next evolution when I get a few more.
[Do you wish to proceed with Evolution to stage 4? This process will take 12 hours to finish. EP cost: 45]
Yes/No
Indeed, I do. 'Yes'.
At once lightning exploded out of my body, scorching every wall around me. With every second it changed color, from black to red and then again to black. I gritted my teeth as for the first time since I got my element, it attacked my own body every time it ricocheted off the wall. My eyelids slowly began to drop, my entire posture slumping as strength left my body. The least this I saw was a pure dome of lightning covering me from each side.
Shit!