346Disclaimer: I haven't watched a single episode of RWBY, apart from a three-hour review on YT about how bad it is. Then again, I did enjoy plenty of its fanfiction, so I decided to write one with my own take on the series and the characters. Expect "inspirations" from other fics and media.
Consider this an AU, and while I will not butcher the characters' personalities, don't expect them to be compliant with "Modern Audiences" or to care about your feelings. This is a death world where humanity has to actually struggle to survive, unlike our own world that is slowly heading towards Universe 25.
Edit 06/27/2024: The first 22 chapters are basically a prologue that morphed into an original arc. Starting chapter 23, we will finally move to Vale featuring Weiss as the main POV character.
Today was the longest day of Jaune Arc's life.
It was a thousand miles from the port city of Esmeralda, on the northern tip of Sanus, to the city of Vale. Sneaking out of his hometown of Arcade, on the mountains of Vytal Island, was simple enough. An Airbus was out of the question, his meager funds not nearly enough to book passage. Instead, he made his way to the closest port town, and signed up as a deckhand on a cargo ship carrying Dust and other metals mined from the island and within days he was disembarking in Esmeralda.
Now why, oh why did he decide it would be a brilliant idea to walk all the way to Vale? Instead of doing the smart thing and taking the train headed there?
'Remember Jaune, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.'
Ah, that's why. Thanks for the tip Grandpa Max. Brilliant advice. Definitely had nothing to do with him being broke, bored and having a severe case of wanderlust. Oh, and the train being delayed, and him not affording a hotel stay didn't help matters either.
Jaune was brought out of his musings as his enemy howled at him. He ducked as he heard the now familiar whooshing sound of a Beowolf's claw swipe aiming at his face. He instinctively swiped his sword at the Grimm, easily decapitating it in one stroke, Crocea Mors as deadly as ever. He didn't waste time celebrating as he immediately turned his attention to the two other Beowolves charging behind the first one. Remembering his grandpa's training, he counter-charged the Grimm instead of waiting for them, shield at the front as he bashed the first Beowolf in the head, stunning it into the ground, before he continued to the other one. Jaune side-stepped a lunge from the Beowolf before slicing the sides of the Grimm. The first Grimm had by now recovered and attacked the young Arc, who met its charge with his shield, momentarily holding it in place.
The second Beowolf was too busy holding its smokey entrails to help its brethren, which received a powerful front kick from Jaune's steel studded boots that staggered it before the young man shoved his deadly blade through its heart.
Jaune pulled out his sword, before relieving the Grimm of its head in a finishing stroke in case it did something in its death throes. 'Never turn your back to a perceived defeated enemy.' his grandpa's voice echoed in his mind. Turning to the last Beowolf, that had finally regained its footing, Jaune dodged a clumsy lunge from it before slicing off the offending claw. The Beowolf didn't even get a chance to roar in pain before it lost its head to one final slice from the Arc ancestral blade.
Jaune stared at the disintegrating corpses of the Grimm, before he took a deep breath and calmed down his nerves. The fight wasn't particularly hard, as he didn't get hit once and never even had to use his Aura to augment his strength. His grandpa's training allowing him to efficiently dismantle the trio of juvenile Beowolves, yet it would not do for him to attract any more Grimm. He collapsed his shield into its sheath form and sheathed his sword before he made his way to his horse, which was grazing on a patch of grass, staring impassively at the scene as if it were utterly bored.
"Thanks for the assist, Arthur. Really couldn't have done it without you. Why, it's not as if you didn't run off at the first sign of danger, nearly tossing me off the saddle to deal with the Grimm by my lonesome. Hell, I even unlocked your Aura to better survive you ungrateful old mule."
The white horse snorted at him in what Jaune thought was mockery but was probably it just sneezing. Jaune was given the old nag for free from a farmstead he passed by a few days ago that he helped with a Grimm problem. The old horse had a bad temper that was frightening the younger stallions. A hot meal and a stay in the barn was certainly a fair price for his pack animal, that would have gotten butchered for its meat otherwise. His fantastical delusion of him being a knight on a white horse had absolutely nothing to do with it, no sir, he did not unlock the horse's Aura just for that… okay, maybe he did so, slightly.
"Come on, then. I don't like the look of those stormy clouds." Jaune mounted the horse, and slowly trotted back to the main road. His destination, the small town of Thornfield, known for its lavender fields that supposedly supplied half of Vale's perfumes.
As they slowly made their way down the road, Jaune thought about his ambition to become a Huntsman and join Beacon Academy. His grandfather had prepared him well enough for fighting Grimm and surviving the wild, though it still grated on Jaune's nerves how his own parents, retired huntsmen themselves, refused to train him. They would much prefer him to find a regular old job like the rest of the Arc clan, whether it's in one of the family businesses or joining his father's workshop. It's the reason he is so broke, despite his family being quite affluent. It is difficult to ask for an allowance when your mother knows you are planning to leave against her wishes.
'No! I come from a long line of warriors and heroes. I refuse to be satisfied with a life of mediocrity.'
He shook his head at the thought. None of that mattered now, his grandfather came with the clutch when he acknowledged his desire to be strong. A retired Huntsman himself, he didn't necessarily support his decision to become a Huntsman, believing the profession to have lost its luster and too limiting. Yet, he firmly believed that being strong was irrelevant to whatever aspirations you may have. Then again, Maximilian Arc was an old man from a different time. Strength of arms meant everything on the frontier lands, and it is your duty to become strong in some way to protect your community. Whether it was Grimm or bandits, if you can't defend yourself, then you have no right to claim the wild empty lands of Sanus and beyond, let alone survive and thrive.
A droplet of water fell on Jaune's nose, pulling his gaze to the skies. The earlier dark clouds looked much heavier now, and he estimated he still had a few hours of travel to get to Thornfield. It was still early morning, but he would have to call it quits for now lest he found himself braving a torrential storm. Summer was just beginning, and the rainy season came with it in this part of the continent.
Jaune continued travelling for a few more minutes while searching for a good place to camp, the pittering of the rain still thankfully light for now. Eventually, he found a good enough spot on a hill underneath a cliff overhang, providing good shelter from the rain.
After securing Arthur to a fallen log, he unsaddled the horse and got his camping gear out. There was no need for a fire as the weather was warm enough, and he wanted to avoid attracting the attention of wild animals or worse. There were whispers in Esmeralda of bandit activity in the area, with a self-proclaimed bandit king terrorizing the small hamlets along the railway. Not to mention the constant threat of the Grimm. Knowing his luck, Jaune felt he had a high chance of getting involved with both, some way or another.
The rain had started in earnest a few hours ago, and Jaune was glad he didn't bother setting up a tent. The cliff face protected him enough from the wind, but the torrential rain might be a problem if it caused a flood.
'I'll handle that if it happens. For now, I gotta make sure my gear is in top shape.'
Jaune had all his armor stripped and laid on a flat rock for cleaning and maintenance. He allowed his thoughts to wander as he did the monotonous task. It's been nearly four weeks now since he left home, nearly two months until Beacon's initiation, and he still felt embittered over the lack of support from his family towards his goal. So what if the life of a Huntsman was dangerous and extreme? Didn't they realize that the world they lived in did not allow for frivolous life choices? Which was better, to live a simple and easy life with the wealth the Arcs have accumulated over the generations? Or to do what is right, no matter how difficult it was? The Arcs were blessed with long lives and strong Auras, truly a clan made for fighting; and with the eternal threat of the Grimm, It should be a no-brainer to dedicate his life to fighting the good fight over anything else. They have been doing it for generations, with his ancestor participating in the Great War and even further back still.
His grandfather was pushing ninety, yet he still looked in his forties. Despite officially retiring from being a Huntsman, he still worked in Massalia, Vytal's main city located on its eastern coast, as the head of the adventurer's guild. He even holds an official military rank in the Vale armed forces from his time fighting in the Faunus Rights Revolution.
It was him who unlocked his Aura. It was him who encouraged him to get strong, especially with how massive his Aura reserves were even compared to the average Arc, regardless of how his own daughter's (Jaune's mother) disapproved of Jaune's training. For once, Jaune had someone who believed in him, and he wanted with all his heart to make his grandfather proud. Even if the old fart was stingy enough to barely lend him any Lien for his travels. At least, he allowed him to have Crocea Mors, the ancestral blade of the Arcs. Passed down from Arc to Arc for hundreds of years, the hand and half blade could be used with a shield or two-handed. He inherited it after its last wielder died in the line of duty more than a year ago. Still, it had proven to be a lifesaver for him. It was extremely sharp and nigh indestructible; Jaune even thought he could feel its presence somehow in the heat of battle. Still, it was disappointing that he had yet to discover his Semblance. If he could compliment it with his sword…
Jaune sighed as he thought more about his family.
His father wasn't an Arc by birth, but he was still a veteran huntsman and an excellent scientist and engineer. His mother had made a name for herself as a huntress herself. It would have made his life so much easier if she had written him a letter of recommendation or at least booked an Airbus ticket for him to Beacon. Instead, he had to rough it out with a naggy old mule and the shitty weather. Even with his grandfather's training, he wasn't arrogant enough to believe that he would be able to even pass the entrance exam, let alone initiation. When he got to Vale, he would have to buy study guides to prepare for the written exam at least. Too bad, he never could convince his parents to enroll him in a combat school. Or even a normal school for that matter.
Jaune sighed again as he finished his work. He then put on his armor, despite how uncomfortable it would be to sleep in. His grandfather's lessons reverberated in his mind about how rough sleep with armor is better than waking up with a missing limb or not waking up at all. He had just strapped Crocea Mors and was in the middle of putting on his boots, when he heard a loud howl through the winds.
Jaune listened closely, trying to figure out if that was a Beowolf or a regular wolf. Grimm had a sort of echoing quality to their roars, so it might very well have been a regular pack of wolves. He quickly put on his boots, and held Crocea Mors across his lap.
Another howl, closer than the last one. Jaune looked at Arthur to find the horse anxiously clopping his hooves on the ground. He quickly saddled the horse, in case he needed a quick getaway, and started packing his supplies into his backpack.
Jaune heard more howls, though this time he was confident that they were Grimm. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose at his stupidity. Grimm were attracted to negative thoughts and emotions, how could he be so foolish?!
"Great job, Jaune. You just had to let your mind wander and be an angsty little shit."
He had no time to rebuke himself, as the first Grimm appeared from the treeline. Though it blended well with the darkness and the rain, its white mask and red eyes couldn't hide itself from Jaune. It was still a distance away and had to climb the hill to reach him, which made Jaune wish he had bought a gun when he had the chance. Blame his frugal nature.
More Grimm appeared from the treeline, and charged up the hill. Arthur was freaking out now and Jaune had no choice but to cut his leash and allow him to run off while he fought the Grimm; He could always find him later. Jaune learned the hard way why few people have their Auras unlocked, nor why you don't randomly unlock an animal's Aura. The creatures of Grimm are attracted to Aura, the more you have, the more they will target you. Normally, Grimm don't target animals, but once their Aura was unlocked, they too become prey for the Grimm. Considering Jaune's obscene reserves of Aura, he shouldn't be surprised that he had been attacked no less than a dozen times in the past week alone. At least it was good training.
His grandfather did take him along for patrols occasionally, but Vytal had no real Grimm problem thanks to its nature as an island, the existence of the Adventurer's guild and the many retired huntsmen living there don't allow the Grimm to grow old enough to be dangerous. As his gramps would say, 'huntsmen don't really retire. They simply become the reserve.'
Jaune concentrated on the present. With Crocea Mors in hand, he waited for the Beowolf to get close enough before he parried a claw strike with his shield and quickly bisected the Grimm. All the while, the torrential rain continued to fall with the wind and thunder nearly making Jaune deaf.
Even more Beowolves approached and Jaune lost himself in the rhythm of parrying, dodging and slicing at his enemies. Occasionally, he would be forced to tank a hit due to poor visibility, though his Aura and armor made any damage negligible. Eventually, a lull was formed as there were no more Grimm in sight, but the rain continued to fall sideways, completely drenching him, and the wind howled.
Not the wind, Jaune thought as a large figure that must have been hiding in the rain charged at him fast. Jaune instantly knew this was a different breed of Grimm, as it had much more bone armor than usual.
'An Alpha Beowolf!'
Jaune gulped nervously, and prepared to meet the werewolf like monster. An unholy howl was ripped from its throat as it lunged at him with a clawful of bone spikes.
'Can't tank that!' Jaune immediately dodged to the outside of the offending claw and attempted to slice at the Wolf's sides. The muddy ground made his dodge unstable though, and only allowed him to slice off a bone spike, instead of the entire arm he was aiming for. The Alpha backhanded him, but Jaune ducked under the swipe. Finding himself inside its guard, he quickly sliced at it's left armpit where there wasn't any armor, rendering the Grimm'sleft arm useless. He then channeled aura through his right arm and to his sword, and delivered a thrust to its gut that easily pierced through its bone armor like it was paper.
The Alpha howled in pain, but it wasn't dead yet. It snapped its jaws at Jaune's head, but an instinctive jerk to the side had the wolf bite his right shoulder instead. The pauldron blunted most of the attack, but Jaune still grunted in pain. Another claw strike came from his left, but he blocked it with his shield. The muddy ground had them both stuck in the same spot, unable to move their legs.
The Alpha shook its head in both pain and rage as it tried to chew through his right pauldron. Jaune took that chance to shatter it's left knee with an Aura infused kick, kicking mud everywhere, before he ripped his sword from its gut and shoved it up a chink in its throat armor.
The wolf groaned pitifully before collapsing on the ground. A final slice relieved it of it's head, before Jaune took stock of his situation. He carefully extracted himself from the muddy ground, lest he fall and find himself drowning in his armor. He checked himself for injuries but felt nothing aside from a slight soreness from his right shoulder where the wolf tried to bite him. His pauldrons held well, though, thanks to his Aura protecting him from the worst of the attack, and he could already feel the discomfort disappearing as his Aura started healing him. Not many would reinforce their armor with Aura, as the point of wearing armor is to conserve Aura. Jaune was different, as he had so much Aura that it's more convenient for him to waste Aura to make sure his armor didn't get too damaged.
With no more Grimm in sight, Jaune returned to his camp and gathered his backpack. Suddenly, Jaune felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand before the entire world flashed white, and at the same time a massive rumbling noise was heard from above him. Momentarily blind and deaf, Jaune looked up. A hundred meters above him, Jaune saw the overhang that had protected him so well from the elements was now falling straight down at him.
"FUCK! Fuck, fuck, fuck." Jaune ran as hard as he could down the hill, but before he could make it a few feet through the mud, the massive piece of rock, easily the size of an Airbus, crashed behind him and collapsed the entire hill on itself.
"This just isn't my day…" were Jaune's last thoughts before he fell into the deep sinkhole that formed in place of the hill, the cliff collapsing after it and covering the hole.
"... Ow"
Jaune felt like his entire body was one giant bruise. At least, he could actually feel his body, which meant he should be alright… hopefully. He carefully stood up and retrieved his flashlight from his bag, turning it on. What he saw did not bode well.
"Rocks, mud and water. Must be one hell of a cave-in." Okay, Jaune. No need to panic, wouldn't want to attract more Grimm and make this shitty situation even shittier. He was surrounded by earth and rock except for one direction that stretched out into darkness. It's actually a miracle that he survived the fall in the first place, though upon checking his Aura and feeling about a third of it gone, it might not have been luck after all.
Searching his pockets for his Scroll, Jaune pulled it out and as expected, there was no signal. He checked the map feature, and the last offline location for him was where he camped. It was an unnamed hill, so it would be difficult to even call for help even if there was a signal.
He stored the scroll away, to save its battery. Scrolls can go weeks before needing to be recharged, but better be safe than sorry.
Before he moved, he checked his backpack and belongings. Everything seemed in place, aside from a few dents in his armor. Deciding that he might not get the opportunity later, Jaune grabbed some beef jerky and a granola bar for an impromptu meal before washing it all down with water. Once he was ready, he shouldered his bag and trudged on.
.
.
.
Wherever this place was, there was no way it was natural. The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly with a slight decline, yet it continued to go on a straight line with no divergent paths. The entire thing looked like a round tube, easily six meters high and four meters across. This tunnel was clearly dug through by some manner of creature, but Jaune had yet to face any Grimm.
And it utterly unnerved him.
He can feel it in the very depths of his soul, that he's being watched. His grandfather once warned him that he would be able to tell when Grimm were watching him, the Aura surrounding him feeling the revulsion of those soulless monstrosities as they watched his every move. Hungering for the manifestation of the soul. This very fact gave him the creeps, for Grimm weren't known for their patience. Such an… intelligent aspect was not to be expected from their kind.
Unless he was dealing with an incredibly old Grimm, and considering he was probably the first human to stumble upon this tunnel, any Grimm that had stayed hidden here would be able to grow old safely enough.
Suddenly, a slight tremor could be felt from down the tunnels. 'Finally!' Jaune thought in excitement as he hung his flashlight on his bag's shoulder strap and unsheathed Crocea Mors. The sound of running footsteps were getting louder, and he could see vague shapes charging at him straight ahead, white bone masks and red eyes visible for him to see. Checking his Aura, he felt it had recovered slightly from when he crashed down here.
He could finally see the Grimm clearly, and there were many of them. 'Creeps! And big ones at that.' The bipedal Grimm in the lead let out a roar before it lunged at Jaune, who met its charge head on, bashing its bony head before thrusting into its neck. He didn't bother with a follow-up, confident it was dead or dying before he moved to the next target. This time, there were three Creeps attacking at the same time, not wanting to risk getting flanked, he channeled Aura through his sword before cutting at them horizontally, releasing an Aura slash in the shape of a crescent that bisected one of the creeps and cut off the leg of the second. The third Creep managed to dodge and tried to headbutt him, but Jaune blocked it with his shield and bashed it into the wall. Stunned, the Creep could do nothing to stop a sword thrust through its eye and to its brain.
Jaune returned to the crippled Grimm and finished it off, before more sounds of Grimm approaching grabbed his attention. He looked ahead, and started moving towards his enemies. More Creeps approached, and Jaune lost himself in the monotony of the fight as he systematically dispatched them with efficient use of his environment and weapons. He would rather conserve his Aura, but he wasn't shy about using it to devastating effect. Crocea Mors was highly compatible with Aura, amplifying any Aura channeled through it.
As he disemboweled the last Creep, Jaune exhaled and took a swig of water, before he carried on. Before he could walk for long, another tremor could be felt, as something slithered its way towards him.
"No rest for the wicked," A giant snake head greeted him after those words, with a lunging bite that he was barely able to block with both sword and shield, yet he was still sent staggering back a few feet. The black head of the snake Grimm, a King Taijitu, lunged again. Jaune was better prepared though, as he lunged with his shield before the snake could start its lunge, thus stopping it cold with a firm application of Aura to his shield. Before he could stab it though, the snake's other head lunged at him from the side, forcing him to disengage.
Now, both snake heads completely blocked the tunnel as they hissed and snarled at him. Jaune remembered how the snake Grimm was fast on the attack, but once you have both heads next to each other, they could barely move. Which is why the snake Grimm was content to just hiss at him. Judging by its large size and many bone plates, it was old and smart. It knew Jaune had to go through, and he had to attack one of the heads but not both at the same time. Once he attacked one, the other would retaliate. Jaune was confident that this was the old Grimm that had been watching him.
The aspiring Huntsman was running out of patience with this little adventure he found himself in. The snake blocked the only exit for him, and he had no desire to spend the night in this cave. "You're in my way you monochrome bastard!" Jaune channeled enough Aura through Crocea Mors for the sword to shine brightly, causing the King Taijitu to flinch from the bright light, before he released the pent-up Aura in a horizontal slash at the black head, cutting deeply into its neck. The white snake head hissed angrily and lunged at Jaune, it's other dead head dragging uselessly behind it. Jaune tanked the lunge, but the snake bit angrily into his shield. If it weren't for his Aura protecting his shield, it would have massive holes in it. A simple thrust of his sword to its neck dispatched the snake, and he watched impassively as the Grimm disintegrated. He continued on down the tunnel, hoping he would reach the end soon.
Jaune checked his scroll for the time, finding that he had been walking for six hours since he first fell here, and it was approaching nighttime outside. He still couldn't receive any signal, and his map app wasn't working either, insisting that his last location was the destroyed hill. He probably travelled over twenty miles already, and he could feel the pressure of being underground forming in his ears. All the while, he had been constantly fighting Grimm, mostly of the Creep and King Taijitu variety, but his toughest challenge was a Centinel. He had no idea what a Grimm that was native to Solitas was doing in a Sanus cave. He knew he had to go all out to kill it as fast as possible before it evolved into a Cenitaur and collapsed the entire mountain on his head. It didn't help that he was swarmed by more Creeps at the same time. Thankfully, prodigious use of an Aura imbibed Crocea Mors was enough to kill them, though his Aura had gone down to 50% as a result. Unfortunately, the Grimm's acid blood splashed on his armor and also his bag, damaging them both. It destroyed his favorite pajamas! His sisters made that for him, dammit! And it was so damn comfy too. RIP, Mr Onesie, you would have been a killer with the ladies.
Finally, he could see a light at the end of the tunnel. Turning off his flashlight, Jaune cautiously walked until the tunnel opened into a massive cavern with a sheer cliff from where he stood. He gazed in awe, as the light he could see was due to an abundance of Dust crystals lining the walls. At a first glance, he could see plenty of red and orange, designating Fire and Earth, with a few yellow crystals for Lightning Dust. He approached a yellow crystal near him, and placed his hands on it, immediately feeling the electrifying power of the Dust coursing through him.
Jaune looked around in amazement, the sheer amount of Dust crystals he could see could power an entire city for years. He gave the crystal a tentative pull, and it easily came off, yet he could see more Dust behind the walls. He quickly turned on the camera on his scroll and attached it to his bag's other shoulder strap, across from the turned off flashlight. Recording what might be a once-in-a-lifetime achievement was a no-brainer. Who knows? He might even lay claim to this discovery.
'Wow, I wonder why no one ever excavated this site. Could I really be the first one to find this place?'
Jaune looked around the chamber, he knew he needed to go up, but he couldn't tell if the light at the top was more Dust or the moon outside. About thirty meters below him was the bottom. There was what appeared to be a massive white rock protruding from the ground. It was like a small mountain in the chamber. The ledge he was on went both ways, up and down. Jaune was tempted to explore the bottom, but he was very much done with this place, and would prefer not to spend the night here. There were a few dark spots along the walls, and looking closely, Jaune recognized them as more tunnels.
Decision made, he pocketed the Dust crystal and started going up, only for a chill to crawl up his back. He knew this feeling. He was being watched. Looking up, he saw something crawling along the walls. Scratch that, he saw dozens, of things crawling down the walls. His eyes widened in fear as he recognized them as Sulfur Fish, their triple flame tails visible and their single eyes glaring malevolently.
"NOPE!"
Jaune did a quick 180 that had him running down the ledge as fast as he could, the dog-sized Grimm scuttling down the walls after him with their squeaky screeches. No way would he be able to fight them effectively on the small path he was on. That was just asking to be swarmed and taking the expressway to the bottom. He did NOT want to find out if he could survive a thirty-meter drop.
Thankfully, the Grimm were easily noticeable due to all the light coming from the Dust crystals. A few dropped from up high to flank him as the path circled the chamber to the bottom, only for most of them to continue falling off the ledge, hopefully to their deaths. The ones that blocked him were quickly punted with a kick before they could attack.
Finally, he made it all the way to the bottom. A quick glance showed a tunnel in the massive block of white rock that he saw earlier, it's symmetrical shape clashing with the natural rock and Dust around it. Other tunnels were lining the walls in the opposite direction, but with no time to decide, he sprinted towards the closest tunnel, which was in the white rock, dodging Sulfur Fish as they dropped from on high. He quickly made his way inside the tunnel, before turning around to face the Grimm.
The tunnel barely allowed enough space for two Sulfur Fish to attack him at the same time, and Jaune got to work on them. It was a Knight's work as he had to be careful not to allow their searing hot tails to strike his shield or armor lest they destroy them, or deplete his Aura. With his Aura already half empty after an entire day of constant fighting, Jaune had to fight smart in this situation.
The first fish lunged at him, and he blocked its headbutt. Its tails poised to strike over his shield, but quick reflexes had him cut the tails off with his sword and a quick thrust into its single eye instantly killed it. Jaune had to move further back to dodge another fish, but a shield bash then a kick to its head sent it flying back into its brethren. This bought Jaune a few seconds of breathing room before more fish charged in, though this time the Grimm scaled the rock to attack him from above as well as the walls. Panicking a bit, Jaune channeled Aura to his blade before sending a Crescent Wave at the charging Grimm, before he sidestepped a tail lash from another fish on the ceiling. It wasn't high enough to stop him from stabbing it though, but more Sulfur Fish came in, forcing Jaune deeper into the Rock.
This continued on for a few more meters, until he noticed the small tunnel he was in opened to a small chamber. A quick glance assured him there weren't any Grimm behind him, but retreating to the chamber would not be in his best interest. The Sulfur Fish were sitting ducks in the funnel of the tunnel, and if he allowed them to reach the chamber he will be easily swarmed.
Feeling his dwindling Aura, Jaune continued hacking and slashing at the vermin-like Grimm. Looking to the back of the pack, he could finally see the last of the Sulfur Fish inside the tunnel; a veritable swarm of them on the ground and walls, and he knew this would be his only chance to get rid of all of them in one go. If he waited anymore, he risked them combining into their more dangerous forms.
Jaune channeled Aura through his shield and bashed a couple of fish back through the tunnel, the shockwave taking a few of their kin with them. Immediately, he threw away the shield and held Crocea Mors with both hands as he channeled a good half of his remaining Aura, about a fifth of his maximum, through the blade. He had never channeled so much Aura through a weapon. His previous max with his training sword shattered the regular iron sword at 5% of his max Aura, but Crocea Mors proved to be more than a match for his reserves as it shined a brilliant gold and seemed to elongate. The sheer brilliance of the light stunned the Sulfur Fish as they tried to cover their single eye. The aspiring huntsman focused his aura on the tip of the blade…
And then he swung it down.
BOOM!
Jaune breathed heavily, as he looked at his handiwork. The tunnel had a large trench, ten meters long, from where Crocea Mors struck the ground all the way to its entrance, and beyond, though surprisingly the white rock itself was intact with nary a scratch. All the Sulfur Fish were obliterated by his attack, and Jaune chuckled at the success of his plan.
"Haah…haah…hehehe, hahahah. Take that you stupid rats."
Jaune pulled his sword from the nearly molten ground, and collected his shield. The shield was dented in many spots from the fiery tails of the Fish, but it should still function well enough. He hoped. It still collapsed to sheath form, but when he tried to expand it again it was stuck. He sheathed his sword, deciding it will do as a sheath for now.
Jaune felt something from behind him, and turned to the chamber he just discovered.
The chamber was smaller than he thought. It was empty inside except for a small pedestal in the center that had what grabbed his attention. He… wasn't exactly sure what he was looking at.
It was a crystal, but he was sure it wasn't Dust. It was floating on the pedestal, yet it didn't have the black and purplish color of Gravity Dust. Hell, he wasn't sure what color it was for it changed with every angle he looked at it. Like a rainbow, except it wasn't just seven colors.
Hesitantly, Jaune approached the pedestal and looked around from different angles, trying to see if there were traps or anything of interest in the chamber. When he found nothing, he stared at the crystal for a long moment.
"Well, you can't stand here all day, Jaune. Let's just get this over with," He dropped his bag and weapons on the ground, and high on adrenaline from his previous fight and full of bravado, Jaune grabbed the crystal.
Immediately, Jaune knew something was wrong. His Aura, which had sat at about a quarter, started dropping. He tried to let go of the crystal, but he couldn't. It was as if his hand was paralyzed and stuck to the crystal. He gritted his teeth as he felt more and more of his Aura dropping. It was slow, but definitely steady. He started to panic, and heaved as strong as he could, his other hand on the pedestal for leverage, but to no avail.
Jaune started to feel exhaustion settling in. He had been on the road for days, and today had been the longest day in his life. He had killed hundreds of Grimm in the past twelve hours, and even with his massive Aura reserves, his stamina would certainly suffer from all that activity. He was only human after all.
The crystal continued to drain him, bringing him to his knees as he tried to let go of it.
"Shit, shit, let go you stupid rock," Jaune unconsciously grabbed it with both hands, but that was a terrible mistake as he felt his Aura dropping twice as fast now.
"Fuck! What the hell is this thing?!" His Aura had reached the single digits now, something that had seldom happened to him. What would happen if his Aura shattered? Would the crystal stop draining him? Would it keep going? What else would be there to drain?
"No… No, no, no, this can't be happening." Unwilling to see what would happen if his Aura shattered, Jaune focused on the piece of Lightning Dust in his pants pocket and sent a thread of his Aura towards it in a panic.
Immediately, he felt the electrifying energy of the Dust Crystal coursing through him… along with agonizing pain.
"AAAGGGGHHHHHH! FUCKING SHIT!" In the midst of his agony, he could feel his Aura stop dwindling, the crystal draining the Dust instead.
But the pain… the PAIN! Jaune couldn't remember how long he had been screaming himself hoarse from the sheer agony of having the unrefined Dust's energy course through his body, up his torso to his arms and then to the crystal. Vividly, he felt parts of his body getting cooler, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he reasoned that his clothes must have been burned off.
Finally, after what felt like hours to Jaune, the Dust's energy was depleted. He could still feel it seared into the skin of his thigh, but the crystal itself was inert.
"Haah… hah…haaah." Jaune tried and failed to control his breathing, but ended up vomiting on the ground instead.
After a minute of dry heaving, he finally regained his breathing, "i-is it finally o-over?"
A beat of silence… and then Jaune could feel, to his rising horror, his Aura dropping again. He had no energy at all to try to let go of his hands again.
"Come on, just let go of me already… please!" His voice was incredibly hoarse, and it came out more like a croak. It spoke of how desperate Jaune was that he started begging a simple rock for mercy. Was this how he was going to die? Not against an epic for, but a damn rock? In the middle of nowhere? He sardonically thought of how his tomb would at least be quite lavish indeed with the amount of Dust lying around. If only he could tell his family where his corpse would be, at least they would have been able to profit from his idiocy.
He stared in defeat at the Crystal as the last of his Aura was drained and flickered dimly before ceasing to exist. Idly, he noticed how it didn't shatter but he couldn't bring himself to care. Jaune felt another wave of exhaustion hit him, yet, not even then was he able to feel the bliss of unconsciousness as the hungry Crystal still continued to drain… something from him.
Was he truly going to give up like this? What could he even do? He was out of Aura. Out of tricks. His entire shtick was having massive Aura reserves. Without Aura, he was worthless. That Lightning Dust crystal wreaked havoc on his body, and he could barely concentrate. He wasn't even sure if it even helped with the draining or not.
"No," Jaune growled, "I didn't survive this shitty day and killed so many Grimm, just to die to some greedy little rock like you."
His heartbeat was loud in his ears. He had to think of something. He had to survive. His Aura was broken, but that wasn't the end of the world. His ancestors fought the Grimm without Aura or even Dust, there must be something he could do! Aura was the manifestation of the soul, which meant that even if shattered, it shouldn't be completely gone. Otherwise, he would instantly die without his soul, right? So, where was his soul exactly?
He focused his entire being inwards, looking for his soul. He could feel a tiny sliver of something hiding deep within his being. Trying to escape from the draining powers of the Crystal. Jaune felt it was similar to his Aura. His Soul. He probably would never have found it if his Aura wasn't gone, and he could feel almost nothing but numb emptiness.
He latched onto that sliver, and dragged it towards him. He didn't know what would happen if he forced it outwards from his body, for all he knew, this piece of his soul could very well be the piece that would allow him an afterlife or something. Jaune wasn't overly religious, but at this point he didn't care anymore.
Jaune's soul seemed to struggle a bit against him, as if it was hesitant to follow his lead. He couldn't afford to waste time though, as he could feel himself getting weaker and weaker. Was it his delirious mind? Or was his body losing mass? Regardless, he forced, cajoled, begged and dragged that piece of his soul kicking and screaming to the forefront of his being, whatever that meant to him, he didn't know.
Until finally, something just… clicked.
An explosion of golden light rushed out of all his pores. Jaune wasn't sure how he did it, but he felt his Aura return. His reserves climbed so fast he felt vertigo from the rush of energy. The Crystal continued it's draining, but he would like to imagine that it was starting to slow down. Or maybe his recovery was faster than its draining.
Finally, his Aura topped off at full… and continued growing. Now, Jaune started feeling like his body was bloated. In a bit of panic, Jaune unconsciously poured more Aura into the crystal, completely counterproductive to what he wanted earlier. He could feel his reserves dipping back to their normal levels before climbing again. Jaune could almost imagine his metaphorical Aura tank expanding to accommodate the rushing Aura.
At last, after what felt like days, Jaune could feel both his Aura recovery and the crystal's draining slowly cease until his reserves felt near empty again. Eventually, the crystal stopped draining as well, but by then, Jaune was completely out of it.
Jaune collapsed unconscious on the ground near the pedestal. He never noticed the crystal turning into specks of light that merged into him.
Jaune felt like he was dreaming. Or maybe his mind was broken, and he was dying? Was this a memory perhaps?
He was standing in a familiar living room, dressed all in black. Surrounding him was a group of people with golden hair and blue eyes. Jaune couldn't register their features though and suddenly felt like sleeping… only for everything to clear up but from a different perspective.
"Why? Why do you insist on going against me at everything? Do you just enjoy making your mother worried, Jaune?"
Lianne Arc was dressed in black as she finally blew up on her son's incessant demands to be trained. The stubborn matriarch of the Arc family had the patience of a saint normally, but it appears that patience was finally torn by her 16-year-old son.
"Why do YOU insist on not even listening to what I have to say? You never explain why you refuse to unlock my Aura. You refused to send me to a combat school, instead homeschooling me. I never even had friends my age because of you!"
Jaune Arc was pacing like a caged lion, as he yet again argued with his mother for the same damn reason he sees them arguing every time he visits.
"I do this for your own good, Jaune. We wouldn't be here attending my brother's funeral if he had stayed home and never became a huntsman. I don't want the same to happen to you!"
"It's my choice in the matter, mom. If I choose to have the power to defend the innocents and the weak, then it's MY choice! I refuse to be weak, I refuse to be mediocre. Uncle Adrian may have died, but he saved an entire village from a Grimm horde! I'm as sad as you are about his passing. I loved uncle Adrian, he will never take me fishing or hunting or tell me tales of his adventures ever again. But, at least he died knowing that his sacrifice was noble, and that his actions had saved the lives of thousands!"
"And why do you think there was a horde in the first place? Us Arcs are both blessed and cursed with our Aura. We attract the Grimm like moths to flames, the more powerful you are the more you will attract the Grimm. Why do you think you and the rest of your sisters survived to adulthood without any noticeable Grimm attack? It's because none of you unlocked your Aura, that's why." Lianne was breathing heavily from her tirade, but she wasn't done yet, "And how many of my blood will the world take from me until it's satisfied? You're too young to remember your other aunts and uncles that died for this wretched profession, Jaune. Haven't the Arcs paid enough blood for Remnant to fight the good fight instead? Let them have their noble deaths."
The entire Arc clan, all seven sisters of Jaune, watched the back and forth between mother and son in silence. It wasn't the first time both of them argued about the matter, but this time Lianne had reached her limit. They were all attending the wake of Adrian Arc in his Argus home. His body was already on a Bullhead with Jaune's father, escorting it to their ancestral home of Arcade to be buried with the rest of his family… including his dead elder siblings.
"That's enough." A low but powerful voice echoed out in the room, causing the mother and son pair to turn to its owner.
Maximilian Arc, the patriarch of the clan, stared blankly at the fireplace from his armchair. His long golden blonde hair tied in a wolftail and his full beard had just barely started to finally gray in his old age. Crocea Mors in his hands had dark red stains from the blood of his son. His last son… for all his other children, along with their mother, were dead aside from Lianne.
"We are here to pay respects to my son, this is not the time nor place for your usual arguments."
Lianne and Jaune bristled at that, but nodded in shame and returned silently to their seats.
"Grandpa Max… would you like a drink?"
Max turned to his eldest granddaughter and her lover as they approached with a bottle of wine. Saphron had moved in with her uncle the moment she came of age and enrolled in one of Argus' top universities. She had lived in Argus for a few years now, working in the communication tower where she met Terra. He honestly was not sure if Terra was Adrian's lover or Saphron's and he was too old to get involved with this shit. Regardless, with Adrian's death, the house would pass on to her now. He accepted a glass and drank it all in one gulp.
"Thank you, Saphron. And you Terra, thank you for taking care of my granddaughter. How's the babe coming along?"
Terra Cotta smiled as she placed her hands on her bulging stomach, "He's coming along nicely, just a few more months now. The doctor says he is quite healthy. I guess he takes heavily after his father."
Saphron interjected then, "We're thinking of naming him after uncle Adrian. He was the sperm donor, and I'm sure he would grow up big and strong just like his papi."
Max smiled at that, "A son. There has been a shortage of Arc males for a couple of generations now. Not just the Arcs if I recall," Max sighed, "Fate works in different ways, it takes a son from me yet gifts me with another."
A bit of a silence stretched on after this, and Max could see his grandson still strung up. He knew he had to do something about this, lest his family fractures more than it already had. Jaune was as stubborn as any Arc, even more considering he had to grow up in a house with so many women. His daughter will not like it, not at all, but with the death of his youngest son, he needed to make sure that the last male Arc would be able to survive this Grimm-infested world they lived in. Crocea Mors shall not be retired, he can feel the blade singing in his hands, demanding a worthy wielder, begging him to wield it once more.
But no, his time had long passed. His duties now lie in the mundane work of the world, rather than the frontlines. Time for another generation to take up the mantle.
"I will be taking over your training, Jaune. Once we return to Vytal, we will begin immediately."
Before Jaune could so much as jump in joy, Lianne predictably exploded in anger.
"You will do no such thing! I will NOT have my son throw away his life and–"
"My decision is final, Lianne. I do not care if Jaune chooses to become a huntsman or join the military, what I do care is that he becomes strong. Presently, he is not. He is an utter weakling who wouldn't even be considered good enough to be Grimm fodder." Jaune cringed heavily at the exaggeration, while one of his sisters snickered. "You didn't allow any of his sisters to train or unlock their Aura, and I respected your decision as a mother, and acknowledge the wisdom behind it as they did survive and thrive as you hoped. But no more. At least not for Jaune. Jaune has already reached his majority and is considered an adult. He shall be living with me for the rest of the year in Massalia. At the end of the year, it will be up to him if he wants to stay longer or return home."
Maximilian turned his gaze to his grandson, "You asked for this, Jaune. This is your only chance to back out, I will make your life an absolute hell to make up for the ten years of training you missed. Are you absolutely sure you can handle it?"
Jaune felt the perspective of the dream shift again, back to his own body. Idly, he noticed the moon shining down through the window
He could feel his sweat dripping at his grandfather's words, but his resolve was solidified. He knew his grandfather wasn't bluffing. Despite him taking excellent care of his body, and diligently training it, he felt that his grandfather will yet test his limits before breaking them. Nevertheless, Jaune will not let his uncle's death deter him or be in vain. He will not accept being weak nor will he be mediocre.
"I accept."
System calibrating… Calibration complete.
Welcome User, to the System.
Jaune squeezed his eyes at the strange, mechanical, yet cultured voice. He was having a good dream, a sad dream. No, it was a memory, though something felt weird about it. That visit to Argus, in the middle of winter, was supposed to be for his sixteenth birthday, in celebration of him legally being an adult. Uncle Adrian just had to die, though.
'I miss my family… But that memory was strange, it felt more like it was my grandfather's rather than my own.'
Jaune groaned as he opened his eyes. The last thing he remembered was that strange rock that drained his aura in the white cave. He expected to find himself back in the cave, but instead, he saw nothing but an empty gray void. There was a table and chair, but that's all he could see.
"Where am I?" he rose sluggishly from the ground and made his way to the chair, dropping on it with another groan.
This is your mind, User
"Who's there?" Jaune looked around warily, but he could see nothing apart from the empty table in front of him.
I am the System. And you are my User. It is my duty to guide you on your path, as it was decreed by the Creator.
"What system? What do you mean by user? Wait, are you that rock that nearly killed me?"
I am not a rock. And you are alive and well. I am the System. I was designed to absorb the ambient energy of what is known to you as Dust for millennia before I awaken, but your interference has greatly expedited the procedure. I am thankful for your assistance yet regretful that it has caused you so much suffering.
Jaune was speechless. He threw that accusation randomly, but he certainly didn't expect for the rock to actually be a sentient being. He couldn't even blame it for what happened as it was solely his fault for his curiosity and recklessly taking hold of that crystal.
"It's fine, I guess," Jaune sighed, "It wasn't your fault. I am the one who needs to learn more control over myself. Still, I would appreciate an explanation of what or who you are, as well as what you meant by guiding me on my path. Moreover, who is that Creator you speak of?"
Thank you for your understanding, User. To answer your questions, as I said, I am the System. I am connected to the Records of this world known as Remnant, and through it, I can modify your body or bequeath you with boons. I shall also guide you to whatever path you so choose, whether you want to be a renowned warrior, an immoral manipulator, a lusty womanizer or a great leader. I shall guide and help you no matter your choice.
As for the Creator, the Creator is the Creator. The Creator created everything. The Creator came from nothing and encompasses everything. The Creator sent me to this world of Remnant many millennia ago, I was not destined to awaken until thousands of years later. However, I was programmed to accept whoever awakens me as my User, and thus you Jaune Arc are my User.
"This… is a lot to take in," Jaune took his time to process what the voice said. First thing's first, this is his mind? How… depressing. He would like to think his mind would be better looking than that. Why, he should at least sit on his father's fancy armchair instead of this uncomfortable thing.
Suddenly, the chair he was sitting on morphed into an extremely comfortable armchair, with satin pillows and silky armrests. Jaune involuntary groaned at the pleasure of sitting on something posh for the first time in who knew how long.
I see you have discovered how to manipulate your mindscape, User.
"I guess so. Give me a moment," Jaune concentrated, and his surroundings changed to match the veranda of his home. Arcade, sprawled in front of him. Completely built on one of the summits of the Vytal Mountains, where the Arcs of old constructed their castle and formed their fief. The castle still stands, albeit turned into a barrack for the troops and a workshop for his dad's experiments. It is also the only place where a VTOL Aircraft could land on its roof due to the limited space available in the town. In time, the town had changed into a tourist destination thanks to its wonderful hot springs.
The Arc mansion was on a slight hill, with a sheer cliff behind it. He could see the foot bath in the center of town where hot spring water was pumped out for all to use, surrounding it was the marketplace with all kinds of stores, restaurants, and other establishments. There were a few inns and hotels here and there, but any wealthy visitor would certainly rather stay in the world renowned Moonfall Resort and Spa; named as such due to the two blocks of moon rock that hang on the mountains above it, forming two crescent moons. It was also the emblem of his family, and the reason the town was called Arcade.
In winter, the mountains and town were snowed over, thus providing an excellent opportunity to snowboard down the mountain. The roads to the town were blocked by snow in winter, and the town itself could only be accessed via a cable car to the town of Ashdale, built in a valley at the bottom of the mountain. From there, one could travel to the rest of Vytal on foot or by vehicle.
Jaune sighed in nostalgia before deciding he had reminisced enough, "So, don't you have some kind of physical form? Or will I keep speaking to a disembodied voice?"
Unfortunately, I do not have a physical form. That was not the purpose of my creation. The Creator preferred that the Users would not become too attached to the Systems. I am but a tool. I might have the capability of thought and speech, but I do not have the capacity to feel emotions though I do understand them as per my program.
"Sounds rough… so that Creator guy, is he a God? Goddess? Sort of like the Brother Gods?"
The Brother Gods… The God of Darkness and the God of Light. They appear to be the main deities of this world, yet I do not feel their presence. I suspect they are fragments of much more powerful entities that might have visited this world on a whim. What I am positive of, however, is that they have most assuredly forsaken this world, or else they would have felt my presence awaken and certainly object to my merger with you.
Jaune was shocked at that. He wasn't really religious, and even then, his family didn't follow the most popular religion in Remnant. They preferred ancestral worship and the moon for obvious reasons. Still, to learn that the Brother Gods were real, yet they are gone now… makes him feel hollow and abandoned.
"Enough theology for now," Jaune sighed as he set his head on the chair's headrest and gazed on the empty scenery of his town. For some reason, he'd been relatively calm despite the insane situation he found himself in.
"You mentioned earlier that you could modify my body and give me boons. As my Grandpa would say, there is no such thing as a free lunch and if you are ever offered one, to always check for poison. So, what did you mean by it exactly?"
To explain that, I will need to confess that I have taken the liberty to scan your body and abilities in order to convert them into a database of numbers to easily help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Jaune thought for a moment, before he had an incredulous look on his face. "Wait a moment, when you said System, did you mean like, a gaming system? Like those RPG games with character sheets and hit points and such?"
Please give me a moment while I scan the Records for what you mean… Yes, this is a good explanation of what I am doing. Although, it is much more limited yet also more flexible than what I see. Would you like to see what I have compiled?
Intrigued, Jaune nodded in the affirmative, and was shocked when an actual status screen appeared in front of him, complete with abilities, stats, skills and other stuff.
Status
Profile:
Name: Jaune Arc
Age: 17
Height: 6'1"—6'3"
Build: Lean-Muscular
Stats:
Aura Points: 2900/10,000 (200/hr) (DEBUFF to 100/hr)
Strength (STR): 40/81 DEBUFF
Vitality (VIT):49/ 98 DEBUFF
Dexterity (DEX): 42/85 DEBUFF
Agility (AGL): 31/62 DEBUFF
Perception (PER): 21/42 DEBUFF
Intelligence (INT): 93
Special Stats:
Wisdom (WIS): 46
You have chosen some arguably idiotic life choices.
You are still a child with little life experience.
Charisma (CHA): 34
You are neither handsome nor ugly.
Your fashion choices are pitiful.
You have never gotten the opportunity to converse with people your own age, thus making you socially awkward.
Magic (MAG): 3/3
Gained one point from awakening the System early.
Gained one point from merging with the System.
Gained one point from Arc Bloodline perk.
Special Abilities/Perks (Stacks):
Arc Bloodline (inherent): Grants bonuses to Vitality and Aura.
Savant (inherent): Increased battle instincts and tactical awareness. Allows the user an easier time in learning skills and understanding concepts.
Lightning affinity: Your reckless absorption of a raw and unrefined high-quality Lightning Dust gave you a high affinity for Lightning. Makes Lightning Dust easier to use.
Aura Battery: You have survived forcibly expanding your Aura reserves. Increased Aura regeneration.
Semblance (UNLOCKED): Your semblance allows you to instantly refill your Aura to the maximum once a day with unpredictable side effects. More testing is required. It might have more abilities that are waiting to be discovered.
Status Effects:
Semblance Used: Aura recovery halved.
Weakened: Some Stats are reduced.
"That's a lot of information, yet not as detailed as I expected, to be honest. I half-expected you to have my personality traits, skills, and flaws along with levels or something."
I apologize. While I stated that it would be similar to what you call an RPG character, it is merely a spreadsheet of your current self that exists to guide you to improve yourself. After all, you cannot work on your weaknesses if you do not know them.
"Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Know thyself but not the enemy, and for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. Know neither the enemy nor thyself, and you will succumb in every battle."
Well said. I believe that quote is attributed to a Mistralian philosopher?
"Indeed, though I am surprised you know about Mistral already."
I know all that you know, User. Any knowledge that you gain, I automatically learn as well. In addition, I have access to the records of this world, but please bear in mind that I am not allowed to divulge any knowledge that may affect your path unless you have already discovered said knowledge. I am to help guide you on your path, not choose one for you.
Now I am sure, you have other questions, though I suggest the User to wake up now. We can discuss more later, but your body needs sustenance in order to properly recover.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Jaune could already feel himself awakening, just by thinking about it. "Oh, and System? We need to find a name for you. If you can't think of one, I'll come up with one for you."
If that is the User's wish, then you may name me as you see fit.
"Then, I'll call you Krystal. In honor of our first meeting," Jaune chuckled as his body started disappearing, "And Krystal? Call me Jaune."
As you wish, Jaune.
Afterword: That's that I suppose. Jaune is well-trained here, and certainly more knowledgeable than in the show. He does not suffer from what I call, "Hilariously Ignorant Character" where authors/writers make a character unrealistically ignorant about matters of their own world for the sole purpose of dropping exposition and info dumps for the readers.
Jaune fucks around and finds out.
If you had not noticed, this story will be a system fic. I would be hesitant to call it a gamer fic, as I have no desire to drown myself in Excel sheets, and nor will Jaune be traveling dimensions. The system will be both limited yet flexible. Sort of Lit-RPG if anything.