Here we gooo…
Cover Art: Solace O'Autumn
Chapter 66
No pain, no gain.
.
Through constant lifting, you have gained +1 Strength.
.
Lots of pain, small gains. That should have been the saying. Jaune grunted as he lifted the bar and let Pyrrha draw it back onto the rack. His pecs and his shoulders were on fire and his arms had become deadened. They flopped down onto his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling and contemplated life and death.
Pyrrha's face appeared above him. He'd have normally thought her pretty, but right now she was evil incarnate. "Any luck?"
"One point in strength…"
"One? Well, it's progress."
Pyrrha was dressed in a tight gym top that showed off her belly and abs, and eve tighter pants that would have commanded a lot more of his attention had his body not been shutting down. The worst part was that she'd been doing the exercises alongside him, serving as a pacemaker so he didn't overwork himself. It also made her a benchmark. One he was matching up against very poorly.
"It's one point after working myself to exhaustion," he groaned. "This is never going to work."
"People have been working out to get stronger for centuries, Jaune. It'll work. You just need to be patient."
"Not that." Jaune forced himself to sit up. His body ached. "I know it'll work in the long run. What I mean is that I don't have that time. How long did it take you to get where you are now?"
"About seven years."
Exactly. Seven years, and Pyrrha worked harder than most – and had access to better facilities and personal trainers. It'd take him longer to even be around her skill level, and presumably that wasn't going to be enough. If it was, his Semblance wouldn't be saying he needed to save the world because there'd be a lot of other people just as capable.
If he had to fight some big bad in typical video game fashion, he needed to be stronger than everyone else on Remnant. That was how games worked. You started off fighting enemy soldiers and finished by slapping down God. The only problem was the mid-game had come a-knocking and he was still unable to beat the tutorial zone enemies.
Fun!
"I see what you mean." Pyrrha frowned. "While I'd normally say there aren't any shortcuts, maybe there are for you thanks to your Semblance. You know more about games than I do. What would work?"
Bad things.
It was for the best Pyrrha wasn't super familiar, because then she'd have known about PvP. Not the kind she engaged in with her safe and structured competitions, but the kind he'd used to gain a level in Vacuo by killing Jax Asturias. He could, in theory, go on a genocidal rampage using Discordant Note and reap a bunch of levels. Play it live on Guitar Cutie's channel, feign ignorance as thousands of people across the world started dropping dead from heart attacks, then invest all his new levels wisely.
Jaune shivered.
"No. There aren't any shortcuts. You're meant to fight monsters. The best we can do is keep this up in the hopes I'll become strong enough to kill some Grimm on my own."
"Why is your charisma so much faster to level?"
"As Cutie, I can play music to a million people with a single video. Here in the gym, I'm gated by what my body can handle – which is exercise for one person. The same goes for all my other stats. I can't run long enough to power level Constitution, can't dance long enough for Dexterity, and studying for Wisdom will have me running into mental fatigue eventually. A lot of these game systems exist in fantasy worlds. Medieval worlds. There, a bard can only really perform for a small number of people at once."
"But we have the internet and online videos," she finished. "I see. You can scale the number of people who hear your music almost infinitely, but you can't scale physical exercise without your body exploding into gore."
"The requirements to level up increase as well. We stated this two days ago. Do you remember I got two levels of strength in one day? Now, it's just the one. I have to work out more to get the same benefit, but my body can't keep up with the demands of my Semblance."
That was common for normal people as well. Weight loss and muscle gain weren't exponential. Most people found it easy to lose weight initially and then hit a plateau as their bodies adjusted. If they kept going, they'd continue to lose weight, but it'd be slower than before. That was fine for normal people who had their whole lives to get in shape.
Pyrrha handed him a notepad and pen, which they'd been using to track his stats in since she started training him.
.
Jaune Arc
Lvl 17
Title:Bard
HP:900/900
MP:120/120
Str:14
Con:52
Dex:8
Wis:8
Cha:204 (205)
Aura:Unlocked (Basic Control)
Semblance:The Game
Perks:
Speak with Animals.
Bardic Skills.
Jaune-dor Calls for Aid!
Razor Wit
.
"Hmmm." Pyrrha compared it to when they began. "That's five strength, one constitution and two dexterity since we started. It's not insignificant growth. Your dexterity basically improved by 33% and you almost doubled your strength."
"It's easy to double a small number."
"And it'll get harder to gain even a single point soon. It'd be easier if you could level. You get five per level, right?"
"Yes. And skills. I'm probably due one soon. The problem is they scale with stats, so combat skills will always be weak because my stats are."
"That's a problem…" Pyrrha tapped the pad. "What about this last skill: Razor Wit? You haven't used that much."
"Of course I haven't. Leaving aside the fact most people with aura haven't been my enemies, what would it even accomplish if I were to use it? Let's say you're trying to kill me and I drain you of aura. What then? You're still a huntress and I'm still me. You could rip my face off with or without it. That goes double for Tyrian, and he's the only person with aura I'd have wanted to use it on."
It was better to not antagonise someone like that. If he'd used Razor Wit or discordant note and they didn't instantly kill the man, then it would have meant the end of Jaune's life. It wasn't cowardice to not make a suicidal play.
"I'm just wondering if moving out of charisma is a good decision at all," Pyrrha said. "You have a word for that, right?"
"Respeccing. Or rerolling. Depends on the game."
"Hmm. So, you can't reroll your life and you're already this deep into charisma that your best skills all relate to it. Is it worth just committing? I know these skills aren't incredible but it didn't sound like your other skills were either. Maybe you need to be a higher level to get the good skills."
It was a thought. Good skills usually were reserved for late-game content, and while he couldn't remember every skill that he'd turned down, that only proved they weren't incredible. One he could remember was being able to hold his breath based on Constitution. Another had been something about ambidextrousness based off Dexterity. Cute things, useful abilities, but nothing that would have let him take a Grimm down on their own.
Are the skills getting better…?
Maybe. Speak with Animals was a utility skill (even if he debated the utility of it), and Bardic Skills – his motivational music and discordant songs – were far better. Calling for help and razor wit weren't as impressive as that, but what was a bard without musical magic to cast? Even the most brutal of RPG systems at least gave some basic skills related to a class in the first few levels.
"It's possible…" Jaune said. "But I don't know if I should stop working out."
"No. Don't. Keep doing this but also focus on your charisma. If it doesn't exhaust you to make videos as Cutie, then keep making them. You might as well have growth in both at once. And the thing about skills is that even if a good skill comes up, will it be of any use with bad stats? Maybe a bad skill used well is better than a good skill used poorly."
It might well be. The fact Pyrrha could grasp all that despite never playing games just put into perspective how much better she would have been as the one with this Semblance. Pyrrha would have busted her ass from day one and would probably be close to Tyrian's level by now.
Meanwhile, he'd gallivanted across Remnant using his Semblance to pay for hotels.
"Let's test your razor wit," Pyrrha said, standing back and spreading her arms wide. "Come on. My scroll is hooked up to my aura. It'll tell us how much you're able to drain."
It didn't really feel worth it, but he nodded anyway. There was no harm in knowing what the skill did – even if he still had the problem of leaving behind a huntsman or huntress who would now be an enemy. Draining a huntsman's aura wasn't something most people could do, but it would obviously be taken as an aggressive move. No one was going to take that lightly.
"What do I do?" she asked.
"I've never used it so I'm not sure. Just stand there and get insulted, I guess. Um. So, this is obviously fake—"
Pyrrha smiled. "I know, Jaune. I'm asking you to insult me. I won't take it personally."
Good. Jaune sat himself on the end of the bench facing her and took a deep breath. Like any human brain when asked to come up with a good insult, his drew a blank. It was almost a dig to call the skill "razor wit" when he wasn't a witty person. There were more times in real life that he'd given an awful joke or insult, then realised later in bed a much better one that he wished he could reverse time and deliver.
"Jaune…?"
"I'm thinking! It's not easy!"
"Okay. Take your time."
"Right. Fine." Jaune took a deep breath. "Pyrrha, you're ugly! Butt ugly!"
Pyrrha blinked at him.
Then she checked her scroll.
"Uh. Nothing. Did you not use it?"
"I mean, I insulted you." Jaune frowned, drumming his fingers on his knee. "Is it because it's not true? Maybe it's just so unbelievable an insult that it didn't count." Pyrrha let out a strangled sound. "Pyrrha…?"
"N—Nothing," she squeaked. "T—Try again. A different insult."
"Fine. You're too polite! You let people walk all over you!"
Pyrrha winced but didn't lose any aura once more. "That… well… That's true," she said. "I know that. Mom and dad say it all the time. It's not an insult as much as a criticism, though. And I'm trying to be better about it."
Great. Now he'd gone and upset her. Perfect. So much for his Charisma making him better at this kind of thing. Jaune slouched, hands slipping between his knees as he shook his head. Defeatism crept in.
"This is hopeless. I can't even think up a good insult against someone I know. How am I meant to deliver a crushing blow to someone I don't?"
"You just need to find the right ammo. Hit them where it hurts."
"What would even hurt you?" he asked, flapping a hand. "I mean, I could point out how you had zero friends before me—"
"Urk—"
"—and how you're so blinded by the assumption people only want you for your fame that you don't even notice when people are trying to become your real friend like Weiss was…"
"Gnh!"
"Or how petty you were when you trained with Weiss and get trying to hurt her because you thought she was getting in the way of our friendship."
"J—Jau—"
"But then I might as well start saying how your parents are convinced you're some sexually repressed deviant who wouldn't know how to talk to a boy without jumping them, or how they're probably absolutely right because you have zero experience talking to people because you put them on the other side of a wall you've built yourself on the assumption people only want to talk to you because you're famous."
"…"
Jaune sighed and looked up. "But I don't think any of that would— Pyrrha?"
The redhead was laid out on her back, arms splayed, eyes rolled back, head lolling. On the floor, her scroll buzzed unhappily. The icon of her body flashed red, indicating a complete and total aura collapse.
/-/
Jaune picked at his fast food.
"I said I was sorry…"
Across from him, Pyrrha Nikos fixed him with the cold stare of death. Her jaw worked up and down as she chewed on a burger. She squeezed a milkshake in her other hand hard enough that bubbles overflowed and ran down over her fingers.
"You said I could insult you—"
"Once," she hissed, mouth full. "I said one insult!"
"It was one insult."
"It felt like multiple when they were hitting me!" she snapped. "I saw my life flash before my eyes. And it was boring! I've lived a boring life!"
"I—"
"Don't say it! My aura is still recovering! I can't take another!"
Jaune laughed awkwardly. "I was going to say your life isn't boring if it makes you happy." His words earned him an angry growl. "And I'll hold off from the insults. Honestly, I didn't even think it was an insult. I was just pointing things out."
"My aura says it was an insult."
Another awkward laugh escaped him. "At least it worked, right? The skill does something. That's good!"
Pyrrha munched angrily and glared.
"We're working on your dexterity this afternoon. I have a new idea how."
"Oh?"
"I'm going to shoot you with rubber bullets. You will dodge."
"…" Jaune gulped. "And if I can't…?"
"Then we train your constitution as well."
"I'm sensing this plan of yours may be related to my insulting you."
"I see your wisdom stat hasn't grown any."
"Maybe not in some ways but I think it has in others." Jaune smiled wearily. Pyrrha, sensing the change in topic, calmed down and shot him an inquisitive look. "I'm thinking of calling it quits early and heading to Vale."
Pyrrha looked horrified. "So soon? But I thought you were going to wait until our graduation so you could go with Nora and Ren?"
And me, she didn't say.
Jaune heard it all the same.
"That was the original plan before Tyrian and this quest. There's less than a month until you all graduate. I want… no, I need to go home. To Ansel." He saw the realisation dawn on her. "With Tyrian tracking me and this crazy end-of-the-world thing going on, this might be the last chance I have to see my family. We know I'll make it to Vale safe because Tyrian's quest references it. After, though…?" He shook his head. "Nothing is guaranteed. It's been over a year since I saw my parents."
Pyrrha swallowed. "I understand. You should do this. Staying for our graduation is nothing in comparison. In fact, it's downright cruel on them." Her smile wavered, but it was genuine. "I think you're making the right decision."
"Thank you."
"But I'll see you in Vale…?"
"Absolutely. In fact, let me know when you're coming and I'll meet you at the airport. We can hang out before you go to Beacon."
"Does Ansel have CCT coverage?"
"No." It was too far out for that. "I'm sorry. I'll call you the moment I reach Vale, but I want to spend at least two weeks with my family to catch up with them. I don't feel safe inviting them to Vale for the festival. Not with Tyrian drawing a deadline there."
"I see." Pyrrha stared down at her half-eaten meal. "When will you be leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
Her eyes came up. "So soon…?"
"The sooner I see them, the sooner I can get to Vale. I'm going to be there all the way from you starting until after the festival. We'll have months to hang out."
Pyrrha smiled as supportively as she could, but he knew she wasn't happy. His insult to test his razor with hadn't entirely been inaccurate, and he knew it would be a lonely month for her until graduation. He hoped she would find some other friends in Beacon. Maybe he could help her make some among the locals.
/-/
It was a small but meaningful party who came to with him farewell. Pyrrha and her family were there, as was Cinder and her team – but most surprising of all were Chae-young and Ha-rin. The younger girl squeezed him tightly, whispering that he was amazing for getting her a day out with Guitar Cutie.
Ha-rin stared at him dispassionately but handed him a wooden case wrapped in silk.
"A gift from myself," she said. "For what you have done for our family. May it aid you in days to come."
Jaune slid the lid open and swallowed.
It was a handgun. He closed it quietly. A part of him wanted to roll his eyes at such a pointless gift, but now that he knew about this quest… well, he'd need a weapon, wouldn't he? And what better weapon for a man who could remove a person's aura but who didn't have the skill in combat to capitalise on it?
"Thank you. I'll treasure it."
Ha-rin nodded at his serious expression, knowing the gift would be of use.
"We're going to visit the festival," Chae-young said. "I demand you show me around Vale!"
"You demand…?"
The girl blushed. "Please show me around Vale…?"
Jaune knelt and hugged her. "I will."
Nearby, Pyrrha's mom kept tapping her daughter's shoulder and pointing, saying something that had Pyrrha blushing and elbowing her mother back angrily. Jaune let go of Chae and approached them.
"Mrs Nikos—"
"Athena. Goodness. You're practically family with how often you're around."
"Ahem. Yes. Thank you for your hospitality. I'm sorry for what happened to your house—"
The woman sighed dramatically and drew him in for a hug. "Silly boy. We're sorry it happened to you. The house is insured. Finally, I have a reason to replace those dreadful windows. Now, go say goodbye to Pyrrha. I'm sure the two of you have a lot to say."
Pyrrha smiled helplessly at him. The worst part of saying goodbye was the small crowd of onlookers watching. Her announcement of joining Beacon had paparazzi paying more attention, trying to find the scandal that caused her to turn her back on Mistral. They wanted drama, someone to blame, and never realised it was themselves.
"It won't be long," he promised.
"I know. One month to graduate and then I'll head for Vale. You'll already be there, right?"
"I promise."
Pyrrha moved toward him and he opened his arms. She walked into them, placing her forehead against his chest. Jaune closed his arms protectively around her, shielding her from the flashes of cameras. Even a private moment like this was someone else's entertainment. Disgusting.
"Keep up with your training," she whispered to him. "And keep notes. If you get a skill, I want to know what all the options were."
"I'll try and hold off on selecting one if it comes up."
Pyrrha hugged him one last time before letting go, which prompted Athena to lean down and whisper something in her ear. Pyrrha shook her head and pushed her away, stepping back Jaune could say goodbye to Cinder and her team.
Only Cinder really bothered, taking his hands and holding them in front of her.
"Vale, is it? It'll be a few months before the Vytal Festival but I'm sure we'll see one another there. I expect you to cheer us on."
Cinder had gained a level since he'd last seen her. Her training really was above and beyond what most people had. If only he could go out and kill Grimm as she probably did, boosting his own level.
"I'll be there in the audience. I'll also have a place in Vale to stay. You're welcome to come visit."
"I'll take you up on that." Cinder smirked and glanced off to the side before looking back. "I see you got a gift from that lady. I have a going-away present for you as well. Close your eyes and I'll give it to you."
Jaune closed his eyes.
And promptly swallowed Cinder Fall's tongue.
"Mph!?"
His eyes snaped open to see hers smouldering into his as she pushed her tongue into his mouth and wrapped one arm around his waist. Jaune melted, his knees almost giving way as his entire body lit on fire.
Metaphorically, of course.
It wasn't like Cinder could really set him on fire.
The kiss didn't last as long as he wished it would, even if it lasted a lot longer than any had ever before. He was left breathless, dizzy, with a dumb smile on his face. Cinder chuckled and rubbed a finger across his bottom lip.
"I hope that makes my intentions toward you clear, Jaune. How about we finish this conversation once we meet up again in Vale, hmmm? A little motivation for you to look forward to my arrival."
"Y—Yeah…" Jaune tried hard not to sound like an idiot. All the Charisma in the world wouldn't have helped him. "Heh heh…"
Cinder seemed pleased with his stunned reaction.
Behind them, a sound like gravestones grinding on gravel reached his ears. But when he turned to look, it was just Pyrrha smiling supportively. Her teeth shining bright as she showed him a huge, toothy smile.
Her mother had a hand on her face.
"Well, I'd best not keep you any longer," Cinder said, letting him go. "I'll look after your interests in Mistral for you. Make sure that little gang of yours doesn't cause any problems. You can pay me back for it by taking me out to dinner."
"Yes. I'd love to. I mean, I'd be happy to."
"Hmhmhm. I know what you meant." Cinder leaned in, and his eyes widened, but she didn't kiss him again. The fact he'd anticipated it and hoped for it had her eyes glinting, however. All she did was hug him. "Have a good flight~"
Jaune was wobbly-legged as he made his way onto the aircraft.
"I told you to strike while the iron was hot," Athena mumbled to her daughter, who had yet to take her eyes – murderous, deadly eyes – off Cinder Fall. "How many times have I told you? If you don't stake your claim, someone else will."
Pyrrha's teeth continued to grind together.
/-/
Jaune settled into a seat and stared ahead, touching two fingers to his lips. He still couldn't believe Cinder had done that, or that she wanted to do more. He swallowed and tried to calm himself. He hadn't really thought about Cinder like that, but that was mostly because she was older than him and stunning.
He'd just sort of assumed she was out his league.
"Quite the little show you put on there," his neighbour by the window seat teased. It was an older woman with dark skin and brown hair. "I didn't expect my in-flight entertainment to come before we even took off."
"I'm sorry!"
"Don't be. It was cute. You must be quite popular with the ladies."
"I'm not. I'm really not."
Jaune glanced over at her, instantly noticing her high level. Around Cinder's. It was a surprise, not as much of one as it used to be. He'd met a lot of skilled huntsmen and huntresses now. One more wasn't a big surprise. It also explained her confidence in chatting with a stranger, since once you'd fought and killed Grimm you weren't going to start panicking at social interactions.
And then he noticed something else.
Huh. She has a title. The only people I've met with titles before are Ozpin and Tyrian…
And himself, of course, but those didn't count because he picked them up from quests. It couldn't have been so easy for other people. Pyrrha, Cinder, Cinder's teammates – even the huntresses in Shade. None of them had titles. Presumably, it was something a person picked up from a life of harsh combat, or after earning some great achievement.
Still, her title tickled at his memory.
"Amber," she said, offering a hand. "I'm Amber Ambrosius."
"Jaune. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you."
"You too. You know, it's weird, but I feel almost like I know you from somewhere. Like there's some odd feeling of familiarity. It's strange, but it feels oddly comforting. Have we met before somewhere?"
"I… uh… I don't think so."
"Huh. Strange. Maybe you're just one of those people that's easy to talk to."
Hello Fall Maiden. About time that Title earned in chapter 29 ago came into play. Only 37 chapters to pay off.
And yes, Jaune once got a clue in Cinder's bio that she wanted to "claim the title" but a lot has happened to him since, and he can't remember it perfectly. Not to mention "claim the title" wouldn't necessarily mean "kill" in his mind. That happened over a full year ago in Jaune's head, and he's had events such as the White Fang, his first kill in Vacuo, and now the pressure of this "grand quest" in his head that's demanding more of his focus.
Next Chapter: 13th April
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