Disclaimer: I keep using this word but not for its intended purpose.
Finished season 3 and fucking hell, Pyrrha’s death killed me.
Many plot holes in the story, such as the timeline, Vytal festival being in autumn, Ironwood keeping Torchwick in his plane for potentially weeks instead of sending him to Atlas, Torchwick’s death, and many others. Meh, I understand the writers choice in focusing more on the fancy fight scenes than the details, I guess.
Unfortunately, I shall not continue watching the show, a few minutes of Season 4 showed me what I already knew. Ruby’s voice will puncture my eardrums and the show's gonna be trash. I already know the rough idea of where the story is heading anyway. I would rather not besmirch the vision of what I have in mind for this fic as well as what I think of the characters. Instead, I will be using the wiki liberally to supplement my writing.
Thanks for the reviews folks! Keep 'em coming, it’s what drives me forward.
Not much happens in this chapter, just exposition and world-building. I keep going over my self-imposed word limit of 6k. Lucky you readers, I had to split this chapter as it approached 10k already.
I have created a Discord server if you would like to join. I have discussions and pics! And maybe an advanced chapter (discord DOT gg SLASH rvxqmhqnqh) Remove the space and replace the words then voila.
“Regular Speech”
“Aura Empowered or announcements Speech”
“Low tone/Whispers or radio communication”
‘Regular thoughts’
‘Determined thoughts (or something like that)’
‘Jaune speaking to Crystal’
This chapter was edited by Gladiusx. Do check out his awesome works on ASOIAF and HP.
Enjoy!
Jaune lay naked, face down, in complete agony. Every muscle and tendon felt worn. Every bone felt like it was fragile glass. His breathing came hurriedly, and it took all his effort to remain focused on the task set on him.
Crack
“OW! Fuck me, that hurts.”
“You wish I'd fuck you, boya,” a grouchy yet melodic female voice said above him as the doctor continued her work.
“Keep dreaming, woman. Who would want to touch a vixen like—.”
CRACK
Jaune did not shriek like a little girl at his doctor's less-than-tender touch. Any who said otherwise would be a lying little liar.
“You wanna try that tone again with me, boya? You have no idea what I can do to you!”
Jaune threw a scathing glare at the female fox faunus that worked as his gramps’ personal physician… among other odd jobs that Jaune wasn’t privy to.
“What else could you threaten me with? You are literally breaking every bone in my body so I can dump all my Aura into my marrow! Do you have any idea how annoying it is to make sure my Aura doesn't automatically heal me while enduring the pain of having my bones broken, muscles strained, and tendons torn?”
The doctor's scowl softened a little, ”Point.”
POP
“SON OF A BITCH!! Was that my kneecap? Did you just dislocate my kneecap? That was completely unnecessary!”
“Oh, don’t be a baby. We’ve been doing this routine for the past six months, and we wouldn’t have needed to do this at all if you had unlocked your Aura as a kid.” Jaune grunted in annoyance and pain as she dislocated his other kneecap, “I know, I know, kid. It’s not your fault. It's all your mommy’s fault, eh? Quite the mother hen she is, she would rather keep her chicks under her wing than let them learn how to fly.”
“Don’t talk shit about my mother.”
“I’m not, boya. I know Lianne well enough to cuss to her face, and we would both laugh it off over a drink. I am honestly surprised you still show up here for this procedure. Didn’t you create an Aura technique to half the amount of sleep time you require? I would think by now, you would create something similar for this treatment. You still haven’t taught me it yet.” She added the last line with a sultry tone… before she broke his femur.
“It’s not that simple.” Jaune grunted through his clenched teeth. The doctor had extremely refined Aura control that allowed her to create precise shockwaves from her hands that broke his bones in the cleanest and least painful way possible, as long as he consciously held his Aura back. Still hurts like a bitch.
“I was just tinkering around with channeling Aura to my brain before sleep trying to make lucid dreams according to some book, and it just clicked. I would have to discover a way to reliably seep Aura deep into my bones and to my marrow. I could probably do it with time, but Aura is so freaking weird on where it originates. Like, it uses the blood vessels, and what was it you called? Meridians? Anyway, it uses those pathways to cycle itself in the body, but where does it originate? Is it the heart? Some completely ethereal organ that is not in the physical plane? It's too complicated.”
“It speaks volumes about how arrogant you are that you speak of dumping Aura into your brain like it was a simple matter. Don’t blame me if you one day fry something important up there. Regardless, the only reason this treatment works is due to the shock value of drowning your every cell with Aura. If your Aura reserves were low, it would never work. Okay, I’m done here. You can let go of your Aura now.”
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Jaune gave an extremely satisfying groan as his body shined a brilliant gold. He could feel his Aura healing all the minute fractures and clean breaks of his bones. All his tendons and muscles rapidly healed as well. This was all necessary so that his Aura would seep into his marrow and all his muscles. He could cycle the Aura through his body, but he couldn’t force his organs to consume it. The more his body absorbed Aura, the stronger and more durable it would be in general and especially if his Aura ever broke. This process was supposed to be a slow and natural one taken over years or even decades, but Jaune had wasted his opportunity, and now drastic measures were needed.
A few minutes later and Jaune felt well enough to move… except for his still dislocated kneecaps. He looked imploringly at the doctor, who huffed and reset them in place. Jaune took a sharp breath in pain as he noted that Aura wasn't perfect after all.
“I still don’t understand why you insist on continuing this routine. You got the best gains from this treatment three months ago. I’m sure everything since then only gave diminishing returns and would eventually start to harm you instead of strengthening you.”
Jaune eased his breathing as his Aura continued its work healing him. “It’s as you said. I should be capable of replicating the treatment somehow. I’m hoping in time, I will be able to figure out a way to do this painlessly for myself or others who awaken their Aura late. Not to mention that your magical touch does soothe my after-training aches.”
Jaune shot the doctor a cheeky grin as he swung from the table and put on his clothes as he turned to her, “Thanks for all the help as always, Kilika. And… I’m sorry for being rude earlier. I know I’m taking a lot of your time every night for this, and I lose control of myself sometimes.” Jaune couldn’t help but feel shy as Kilika was one of the few females he had interacted with closely who wasn’t a family member. It didn't help that she was quite the beauty with her pale skin, knee-length straight black hair, aquamarine eyes, and voluptuous body that was hidden behind that Nipponese dress she favored. What was it called? Yutaka or something?
The now-named Kilika, a fox faunus with the rare condition of having two animal traits in her tail and ears rather than the standard one, smiled beatifically at the young man acting all meek after two hours of cussing.
“Don’t worry about it, boya,” she replied with her drawling accent from the islands of Nippon in the far east of Mistral as she took a seat and pulled out an intricate-looking smoking pipe. “At least now you have half of an idea of what women feel when they’re giving birth. Hopefully, you would think twice before knocking a gal up, eh?”
Jaune chuckled awkwardly at that, “Anyway, thanks again, Kilika. I gotta go meet gramps now. Catch you later. And you owe me for my knees, I know that was completely unnecessary, you sadist!”
Kilika smirked at the young Arc fondly as he practically ran away from her office. She turned to the window from her seat and stared at the, for once, full moon over the night sky. She had a good view of the sprawling port city of Massalia from her third-floor office of the guild building situated over the hill. The largest city of Vytal, rivaled only by the predominantly Atlas-controlled city of Sidonia in the north, Massalia is also it’s industrial heart, built in a natural harbor with deep waters. Protecting it is the largest naval base in the world, constructed and overseen by the Tyrant decades ago. The city had existed since the Hellenes of Northern Mistral colonized it thousands of years ago. Three million souls resided here, last she checked. With the Tyrant calling the city home, none had dared to question his authority or threaten the safety of the city or its people, aside from the occasional pirate king from the narrow sea. And now that Tyrant is grooming an heir.
She lit her pipe and took a deep drag, “This should certainly be interesting. The question is, will that boy decide to shackle himself to this island? Or will fate allow him to fly from this new nest he found?”
.
.
.
Jaune made his way to his grandfather’s office for their nightly talk. Maximilian was a very busy man and usually instructed him for an hour every morning before he assigned training tasks for Jaune to do for the rest of the day. He trusted Jaune’s desire to train enough to leave him unattended while he carried on with his duties. Occasionally, he would assign an instructor to Jaune, but that was sporadic as Max tried his best to free up his schedule to either personally train Jaune or take him on patrol. It was only late in the evening such as now, that they could both sit and talk over their day. Max had made it an important ritual to get close to his grandson as well as to be kept up to date regarding his training.
As usual, despite the late hour, tea and biscuits were served during these talks. Jaune knew that it was a habit Max picked up from Jaune’s grandmother. The office was cozy, with a carpet made from the pelt of the (in)famous Vytal bear covering the wooden flooring. A massive desk that had neat piles of documents, a computer, and several scroll terminals occupied half of the wall from the door’s right. Next to the door was a large bookcase that had some of Max’s personal effects. Jaune could see various family photos as well as certificates and many honors that his grandfather gained in his long life. There was a glass door leading to a balcony across from Jaune and to the desk’s right, where he could see the full moon in the distance. A fireplace was situated across the desk next to a fridge and counter. It would be necessary for the chilly weather that took over Vytal for a good half of the year.
The owner of the office himself was sitting on one of two comfortable guest chairs in front of the desk with the snack tray on a tea table. Maximilian was a giant of a man, easily two meters tall. He looked almost comedic sitting on the smallish chair, but he sat with a grace that would belay his immense strength.
Usually, every night they would discuss how Jaune’s day had been. If he had any questions about his training. If Jaune was keeping up with his studies, which Jaune sort of neglected in favor of physical conditioning and combat training. Tonight though, Jaune felt that there was something more that his grandfather wanted to discuss aside from his health and training. After they finished their snack and small talk, Maximilian brought up what had been on his mind for months now.
“So, you still insist on becoming a Huntsman? Is being an adventurer not enough? I can certainly write you a letter of recommendation for Vale’s Officer Academy if you'd like to join the military.”
Jaune took his time to form his reply. Vytal was a strange place politically. It was semi-autonomous yet technically under the umbrella of Vale, except for Sidonia in the north, which was controlled by Atlas the same way they controlled other city-states like Argus in Mistral. For all intents and purposes, Jaune and the Arcs, in general, were Vale citizens. Yet they had close ties with Atlas due to his father's family.
Regardless, He had his own reasons for being a Huntsman. He knew his grandfather would rather he stayed here in Massalia and be groomed for the position of Guild Master. Not to mention the other positions that he knew Max held but was keeping secret from him. Probably for his own safety, but regardless, Jaune wasn’t interested. Massalia, despite being a large city, was too small for him, too… mediocre. Hell, Vytal was too small for him and his ambitions. And Jaune had no wish to be mediocre.
“Yes. Huntsmen academies provide training that is unequal anywhere else on Remnant. During my time there, I would be able to build connections from all over the world. After graduation, they get plenty of privileges and are basically guaranteed the best work contracts. Especially Beacon alumni.”
“… And yet, none of that actually interests you. Am I right?”
Jaune chuckled, “I wasn’t lying about the excellent training they provide and the connections I can make. But no, I'm not honestly overly concerned with work or wealth after graduation. Don’t get me wrong, having money is nice, but at the end of the day, money is simply a means to an end to gain more power. I care more about the freedom it will provide me to help all who are in need. The ability to call on the resources of my Academy in order to help frontier towns prosper. Or to use those connections to form strike teams to clear locations that were overrun by Grimm and resettle them. To claim the wild open lands of Sanus and beyond for the good of humanity!” Jaune had stood up as he got more impassioned about his goals and ended his speech with a fist in the air and a wild grin on his face.
Maximilian stared at Jaune for a whole minute in silence, and Jaune started to feel awkward standing like a loon. Suddenly, Max smirked a little, “Are you certain you do not have any personal reasons, Jaune?”
Jaune, who had calmed down and resumed his seat, started fidgeting a little in embarrassment, “…I would also love to experience school life. Make friends, go have fun in the cities, do stupid shit… have a girlfriend or two.”
Max sent his grandson a warm smile at that, happy to see a bit of the child who hid behind talks of duty and heroism. “There’s nothing wrong at all in experiencing the good things in life, Jaune. Especially in your teenage years. Regardless, we are digressing. What of a potential career as an adventurer? I have an adventurer in mind who would be perfect as your mentor. She usually operates along the Narrow Sea, but I can ask her if she is willing to take an apprentice if you wish.”
“I appreciate the offer grandpa, but I don't believe that would be needed. Adventurers do great work, but they are much more limited to towns and smaller cities. Not to mention, they have been losing a lot of political power within the kingdoms in the past few decades. Being an adventurer alone won’t be enough for my ambition.”
“And what is your ambition, Jaune? You always harped on about becoming a Huntsman, no matter what. Everyone just thought you wanted to live up to the Arc legacy, but that doesn’t seem to be the full story.”
Jaune had a distant look in his eyes, “The Arc legacy is very important to me. As you said, you and I are the last male Arcs alive right now. None of my sisters are combat trained, even if the twins managed to convince Dad to unlock their Aura to better help him in his work. My ambition is simple, yet so very complicated. I wish to eradicate the Grimm, or at least limit their presence as much as possible, and claim the entirety of Remnant for mankind. To achieve this, I will need a lot of power. Both personal and positional power. For that, a career as a Huntsman is my best hope.”
Maximilian stayed quiet for a moment as he gazed at his grandson. Jaune looked at his grandfather eagerly, waiting for him to hopefully pledge his full support.
“That is foolish. The Grimm cannot be eradicated. I blame your father and late uncle for such naive idealism.”
Jaune felt his heart miss a beat. He expected his grandfather to argue or ask for more details, details that he would not be able to provide at the moment, sadly, but total rejection? He couldn’t help but feel dejected at it. He wondered how he even knew it was his father who inspired him to seek this ambition.
“… However,” Jaune perked up, “I admire your desire to help those in need. The Grimm may never be totally annihilated for reasons that you are not ready to learn, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t beat the utter shit out of them on sight. Am I wrong, grandson of mine?”
Jaune nodded enthusiastically, “So, will you help me become a Huntsman? I’m sure if you write me a letter of recommendation to any of the Academies, it would make things much easier for me.”
Max rubbed his beard in thought, “I can certainly write a letter to that boy Theo in Vacuo. He is both Shade’s Headmaster as well as the Guild Master of the adventurer guild there. The little tyke could teach you a thing or two about pugilism and Dust use. You have gotten brilliant with the blade, but you can’t throw a punch to save your life boy. I have no doubt he would welcome you with open arms and probably make you team leader by virtue of your name alone.”
Jaune was happy at that, but Shade? Not really his first choice. Too far. He also doubted he would like the weather there.
Max continued on, “I could also write to young Jimmy in Atlas. Either he will teach you proper discipline and military tactics, or he will dress you up in one of those fancy new mechs they have. Didn’t they make one that runs on Aura? You could be the perfect battery for it, haha. Then again,” Max looked directly at Jaune in the eyes and spoke in a conspirational tone, “I hear tells that a couple of years ago, Jimmy managed to poach the Schnee heiress right from under that Gelé punk’s nose. She’s older than you, but maybe you could win her heart over, eh? Bwhahaha”
Jaune stared at his laughing grandfather. It was rare for grandfather to laugh so easily, lately. Jaune thought he might have met a Schnee in their resort back in Arcade a few years ago, but that was a little boy with his mother… Moreover, tyke? Young? He’s pretty sure both men were at least in their thirties, if not forties, senile old fart. But wait. What about…
“What about Haven? It has the highest turnout for students. Or Beacon? It's the oldest and most prestigious academy of them all.”
At that, Max’s face adopted a grim look, his laughter completely forgotten. His eyes seemed to turn to ice, and his face was as if made from stone. When he spoke in his deep and baritone voice, Jaune couldn’t help but gulp at the sheer intensity of the words coming out of his mouth.
“Under no circumstances are you to go anywhere near Haven, let alone enroll there. Is that understood, Jaune?”
“O-of course, grandfather,” the sudden shift in attitude regarding Haven freaked him out, but he knew and trusted Max enough to know he must have a good reason for his decision. Grandpa Max rarely stated his decisions easily, still… “May I ask why?”
His grandfather stared at a certain family picture on the shelf for a while. The picture had his uncle Adrian with his parents. He stood next to the perpetually youthful Maximilian and behind a seated elderly yet elegant lady with pure white hair, ice-blue eyes, and a haughty smile that he knew betrayed her kind and playful nature. Adrian’s platinum blonde hair and ice blue eyes matched his mother, yet the face and build were all Max.
Jaune wondered why the sudden interest in his late uncle, but he held his tongue for now. His grandfather would only speak when he was ready. And soon enough, “You are not ready to know. I will ask you to trust me on this, Jaune. Haven, and Mistral for that matter, are not safe for Huntsmen, especially Arcs. I even warned your mother to avoid vacationing in Shion this summer. I promise to tell you when I believe the time is right. Until then, trust me on this Jaune.”
Jaune wasn’t exactly happy, but he believed in his grandfather and that he had the best in mind for the Arcs in general and for him in particular. “Okay then, gramps. So, what about Beacon? Anything wrong with Ozpin? It's supposed to be the best school of them all, after all.”
Maximilian stood up from his seat and walked towards a decanter on the counter. He poured two glasses of wine, then turned to his grandson and placed one in front of him, “Don’t tell your mother,” he winked as he leisurely sipped on his drink. “I cannot help you with getting into Beacon. My problems with Ozpin are personal and ideological. You need not worry about them right now. I might have issues with him as a leader, but I can assure you that he is a good man and an excellent teacher. He comes with plenty of heavy baggage, and might coddle you to the point of patronizing, so you will have to be patient with him. You would do well under his tutelage as well as his exceptional staff, but do not expect my aid getting you into Beacon. I can still probably work something out for you if you insist, but Ozpin at heart, firmly believes in meritocracy. If you want to impress him, you would be better off making it into Beacon with your own strength.”
Max continued on as he nursed his drink, “So what will it be? Shade or Atlas? Or will you forge your own path into Beacon?”
Jaune stared at his grandfather for a moment before he grabbed the small glass of wine and chugged its contents in one go. Naturally, he choked like the absolute chump that he was. The drink burned him heavily, with his eyes tearing up at the unexpectedly spicy wine. He expected something sweet. Jaune kept it all in and stood straight as he stared at his grandfather and role model and–
“On second thought, don’t bother answering. You have a year for any of them. You turn seventeen in January, and Haven starts their semester in spring, but you aren’t going there. Take your time and think about your options, Jaune. Oh, and you will still need to get your mother’s permission. I am technically retired, and she is the current head of the Arc family. While you are now the heir, good luck using that angle with Lianne, heh. I only promised to train and turn you into a formidable force; everything else is on you.”
Jaune groaned in disappointment, “It's unfair, gramps. When the twins made a tantrum about you unlocking my Aura, she acquiesced to let Dad unlock theirs easily enough, but me? I sometimes feel she would rather I live under her roof for the rest of my life as she spoils me rotten. I’m pretty sure before the year is out, all of my sisters will have their Aura unlocked as she conveniently forgets all that talk about safety or whatever.”
Max leisurely sipped his wine as he stared in schadenfreude at his grandson, “if it makes you feel better, my own mother was the same with my siblings. Thankfully, my father had the final word on that. Your Dad, for all his intellect, is such a pushover when it comes to my Lianne. Bwahahaha”
Suddenly, the room turned foggy as a feeling of vertigo overtook Jaune…
Jaune opened his eyes to find himself back in his mindscape. He was sitting in the same armchair as last time and on the same veranda overlooking the eerily empty town of Arcade. It did not take a genius to realize that was another dream/memory he had experienced. He’s starting to see a pattern on those, but he had more important things to think about. Such as that dull golden ball of light floating in front of him. It felt familiar, yet at the same time, it felt weak and exhausted.
Hello, Jaune. I am glad to see you back here.
Jaune looked at the ball of light, thinking it was Crystal, before disregarding it. He had an idea of what the light was but for now, ‘Hello to you too, Crystal. I take it I’m still alive?’
Indeed you are. You have successfully made it to freedom and, as such, deserve the rewards of the Challenge. But first, what was the last thing you remember?
‘Hmm… It's a bit fuzzy, but I remember following a tunnel from the cave after Searching for Arthur. I don’t recall how long I walked, only that it was upward. The next thing I remember was finding a cave opening to a flat mountain top outside. I remember seeing the Moon and feeling so elated and almost gaining a second wind… only for some asshole Nevermore to ruin the moment for me.’
Indeed, it was quite the rude corvid, was it not? Then again, you did intrude on its nest.
‘True. I was already on the mountain top, and did not think I could run, let alone fight the damn bird. Still, I had enough Aura in me for one final Crescent Wave. One final Fuck You so to speak. I think something happened then. My Aura turned white as it clashed with that Nevermore. Then again, that bird also attacked me at the same time, and I had to cling to its head or something. Last thing I remember was crashing with it to the ground and two orbs of green staring at me.’
Well, you will have to discover what happened afterward after you awaken. Now without further ado.
Challenge Completed!
You have defeated Ugur, the Ancient Drake Grimm
Rewards: One Magic Point.
You have defeated all regular Grimm on your way to freedom
Bonus Rewards: One Magic Point.
Secret Challenges Accomplished!
You have defeated over a thousand Grimm in a personal record time of twenty minutes.
You have defeated two Ancient Grimm in addition to Ugur.
Secret Challenge rewards: Three Magic Points.
‘… Well, that was unexpected. That Nevermore was that old? Secret rewards?’
Indeed. I did tell you that the Creator is generous. The Creator will reward great deeds even if they did not ask for them.
‘Seems arbitrary. Tell me truthfully, Crystal. How much has the Creator helped me in that place? You made it sound like everything that occurred there was due to my own abilities, yet I find that harder to believe by the minute. The abilities that I got? They were tailor-made for my situation. You expect me to believe it was just luck? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ungrateful. I just want to know how much the System and the Creator are in control of my fate.’
Truthfully? It is true that the System usually provides abilities tailored for the User upon activation. But please bear in mind, Jaune. The System was originally supposed to charge for at least a thousand years more before I would awaken into a newborn and truly guide them on their path. You, however, do not have that luxury. You are too old to fully benefit from the System. Too set in your ways to be flexible enough to truly exploit the System to its limits. I do not know whether the Creator can see the future or control the fates. They have not bestowed me with that ability, nor did they give me the answer to that question, but they are surely generous and understanding of the user’s situation. The only purpose assigned to me is to guide you on your path. Considering I was not present from the very beginning to properly guide you, the Will of the Creator might have decided that you perhaps needed a few extra helping hands to make sure you do not waste away prematurely. Call it leveling the playing field if you will.
Jaune took his time as he processed that. That was a completely roundabout way of Crystal telling him that, yes, the Creator interfered slightly, but it was simply what was expected in the first place. At least he thought so, ‘Then, should I expect more interferences? Or that’s it with the freebies? Not that they were free, if you ask me, as I still spent three magic points on those abilities. I would also like to think that the whole fight was all me, yet I’m surprised the system attributed the kills that Drake made as mine. Thank you for the advice and encouragement, though, Crystal. Especially near the end.’
You are welcome, Jaune. And yes, for better or worse, that was all you in that battle. While you may not have been directly responsible for the deaths of those Grimm, you were still essential in their demise. You intentionally provoked the Drake into killing its own kin; thus you are entitled to claim their deaths for your own. The Creator is generous and understanding, after all. The Creator does not create hardship when there isn’t any. And no, you should never expect any freebies in the first place. The Creator simply decided that those three abilities would be essential on your journey. You will occasionally be pleasantly surprised, I’m sure, with the secret challenges.
‘Oh, I am sure I will. So is there a more stable method of gaining Magic?’
Indeed there is. There will always be an active Challenge to exterminate the Grimm. You might gain specific Challenges at certain points of your life, but those are up to the Creator. For now, here is a list of how to gain Magic reliably.
Continuous Challenge List:
Defeat 1,000 Grimm: Gain One Magic Point.
Defeat a Grimm over 100 years old: Gain One Magic Point.
Defeat a Grimm over 500 years old: Gain Five Magic Points.
Defeat a Grimm over 1,000 years old: Gain Ten Magic Points.
Defeat a Grimm over 2,000 years old: Gain Twenty Magic Points.
Defeat a Grimm over 5,000 years old: Gain Fifty Magic Points.
Defeat a Grimm over 10,000 years old: Gain One-Hundred Magic Points.
Jaune was speechless. He couldn’t really bring himself to focus on the award points. Instead, he stared at the ages of the Grimm listed. ‘T-this isn’t possible! There are actual Grimm that old? How? How are we humans even surviving if so?! They could have wiped out humanity long ago!’
You asked for a method to gain power, and I provided. This is also why I prefer not to inundate you with needless information. However, I do believe that you need to learn how Grimm are formed. I will not confuse you with the exact process, all you need to know is that Grimm are not creatures native to Remnant. They are creatures of chaos and destruction that are common throughout the universe and beyond but in different names and forms. They might even operate entirely differently from what you know of them. Some may even be controlled or exploited by humans through foul methods, yet that usually backfires most horrendously.
Regardless, The Grimm’s main purpose is still the same. To cause chaos and destruction wherever they go. There are portals spread around Remnant that allow Grimm to travel here from whatever wretched abyss they originated from. Some of those Grimm that make it through are already quite old, thus why you might get the chance to slay one of them. Yet most of them are young Grimm that take time to grow and mature here in Remnant, as there seem to be limits on the scale of the monsters coming through the portals. Needless to say, while it is true to a certain extent that the older a Grimm is, the more dangerous they are, this does not automatically mean that they are more powerful than other variants. I’m sure your fight with the Deathstalker would tell you how dangerous the younger Grimm was compared to the Ancient Drake.
‘That still doesn’t explain how humanity yet survives!’
Calm yourself, Jaune Arc. Do not underestimate mankind’s stubborn nature to survive and thrive. You have already decided to dedicate yourself to the eradication of the Grimm, have you not? What does it matter whether they are endless or not? All you need to do is to kill them on sight. For they will not give you and yours any mercy. So, why should you?
Jaune knew that he was panicking and letting his fears control him, but he couldn’t help it. Then again, Crystal was right. So what if the Grimm threat never ends? He will just keep killing them over and over and over. Jaune was starting to believe that those memories were telling him something, as his grandfather said the same thing about how the Grimm cannot be eradicated for good.
Jaune as a human was immortal through his descendants. He will simply raise his sons and daughters, and their children and children’s children, to kill the Grimm where they appear. No matter how long it took, whether it was thousands or even a million years, Jaune needed to believe that at some point in time, the Grimm will finally be eradicated.
I see you have hardened your resolve. That’s good. Now are there any other questions regarding the System? We currently have all the time in the world considering your body is recovering in relative peace.
‘Yes, actually. So you showed me the reward for killing Grimm based on age. Is there one based on type? I’m sure killing an Alpha is more difficult than a regular Beowulf. Or a Goliath, even a young one, can cause a lot more devastation than an ancient Ursa Major.’
Ah, but those kinds of Grimm are quite rare to appear. If you do have to fight them, you might just get a separate Challenge depending on how difficult the fight would be. Just like against the Drake.
‘Fair enough. Now to the elephant of the room.’ Jaune turned towards the light ball that was still dull and lethargic, ‘Is this my Semblance?’
Indeed it is. You have greatly overused it in your fight, and you had only just unlocked it. Your experience, or lack of, in using it had unfortunately exhausted it, causing it to go dormant. You will not be able to use it reliably again for a few days at least. I have also analyzed your Semblance and other stats and updated your status screen. Would you like to peruse it?
Jaune thought about his Semblance. He was not sure if it was supposed to be a semi-sentient life form, but he could appreciate how it had helped him greatly in his time of need. It deserves to have a name or two, though; calling it Semblance all the time is rude. He has just the name in mind.
‘Please and thank you.’ Jaune internally changed the status page to remove some of the extra and unnecessary information as well as refine it to be easier to read.
Profile:
Name: Jaune Arc
Age: 17
Height: 6’1”—6’3”
Build: Lean-Muscular
Stats:
Aura Points: 0/10,000 (200/hr) (DEBUFF to 0/hr) (01:49)
Aura Control: 22%
Strength (STR): 35/81
Vitality (VIT): 39/98
Dexterity (DEX): 31/85
Agility (AGL): 26/62
Perception (PER): 42/52
Intelligence (INT): 93/93
Special Stats:
Magic (MAG) [Recharges every 45 days]: 5/8 (42 days to regain one MP)
*Gained one point from awakening the System early.
*Gained one point from merging with the System.
*Gained one point from the Arc Moon Bloodline perk.
*Gained five points from challenges.
Perks (Stacks):
Arc Moon Bloodline (inherent): The god of the moon has blessed your bloodline in ancient times. Grants bonuses to Vitality and Aura. May the light of the Moon watch over you.
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/Abilities easier to use.
Aura Battery: You have survived forcibly expanding your Aura reserves. Increased Aura regeneration by a flat 100/hr.
Semblance: OVERDRIVE
*SECOND WIND: Allows instant refilling of Aura to the maximum once every 24 hours at the cost of halving your Aura recovery for the same period. Using it again within the Cooldown period provides only 25% of your reserves as well as disabling Aura recovery for three days. After three days, Aura starts recovery at 25% for each day afterward until it returns to normal.
*CRITICAL BOOST: Provides a 600% stat increase that can be either distributed evenly or focused on one or more stats. Costs 10 AP/hr for every 1% stat boost. Can only be activated in increments of twenty minutes. Increasing stats to 100 does not have adverse health effects. Increasing stats beyond 50% of your current maximum may cause adverse health effects. Incremental increases beyond that will cause adverse health effects.
Special Abilities
Observe (D-rank): The most basic ability of the “Extrasensory Perception” ability tree. Allows you to view information on a target within your sight. Must have visual confirmation on the target. Range depends on Aura usage. Information depends on Aura usage. Can be supplemented by a similar ability of the same nature to form a new and better ability.
Storage Space (D-rank): The most basic ability of the “Pocket Dimension” ability tree. Provides you with one cubic meter of space where you can store non-living things inside it. Must be touching the item to store it. Does not require Aura to use but could have additional features through the application of Aura. Can be supplemented by a similar ability of the same nature to form a new and better ability.
Search (C-Rank): Allows you to track and monitor a target through their energy. Current energies that can be tracked are Aura and Magic. The base range limit is one mile, but can be expanded through Aura. Can use more Aura to track more than one target at the same time. Can use Aura to visualize the most direct route to your target (Pathfinder). Can be supplemented by a similar ability of the same nature to form a new and better ability.
Status Effects:
Semblance Overused II: Aura recovery disabled (Time remaining: 1 hour, 49 minutes, 50 seconds). Body overloaded, all Stats are reduced.
Weakened: Body Stats are reduced.
‘Huh, I guess someone cured me of the venom. And my max PER increased, I wonder why?’
PER is your senses. I am sure you have noticed that your eyesight had not been the best during the fight? Or your hearing? All of that affects PER. However, you seem to have unlocked a sixth sense in the form of Aura Sense, during your ordeal in the Moon Rock. As you develop that skill, your PER shall rise as well to compensate for your other weaker senses. Do remember that your experience and intelligence could also compensate for a low PER.
‘I see. Pun not intended. At least INT has fully recovered. A shame for Overdrive’s limitations, It would have been very convenient if I could boost myself for a few seconds for an attack to save on Aura. Maybe with training, I will have more control over it? Nevertheless, I am very satisfied with my Semblance.’ At that, Jaune stared at the light ball floating next to him in fondness. “You really tuckered yourself out, haven’t you, boy?” Naturally, his semblance didn’t answer.
‘So I’ve already been asleep for nearly three days? Any idea where I am?’
Correct. You were completely out of commission at that time due to the poison, as you could not even appear here in your mindscape. I cannot answer where your current location is. You will have to wake up and investigate yourself. I am sure you would love to thank your rescuers. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?
‘One last question. Aura Control? I didn’t know you could quantify that. How does that work exactly?’
It took some time for me to accurately calculate how much Aura you waste as you use your techniques. Aura Control, or AC for short, is how efficient you are in using your Aura. For example, your Crescent Wave technique starts at a cost of 100 AP for a one-meter wide slash of Aura with a range of ten meters. I’m sure you have noticed that was not how it worked out in your fight, correct?
Jaune sighed as he remembered the moment when he was surrounded. ‘Yeah. I seemed to overcharge it when I did not need to. My AC was never the best anyway, but it was acceptable for the short time I had Aura. At least according to gramps. I guess it will be back to meditation and control exercises.’
I am sure with perseverance, everything would be possible for you, Jaune. Incidentally, Abilities do not need AC. Their base Aura costs are static and do not change.
Jaune thought about his abilities. Observe seemed to have a strange range of costs when he used it on the Grimm and Crocea Mors. He can't wait to try it on humans next. He focused on Crystal again, ‘If there's nothing else, I guess I’ll wake up then. Let me know if something comes up.’ Jaune felt eager to awaken and discover more about his situation. He had to thank his rescuers at least.
If you hadn’t noticed, I detest RT’s lackluster world-building. I’m trying to make sense of the logistics of having modern/futuristic megacities that most of humanity live in, yet no actual explanation of how all the resources and materials are distributed. IRL, globalization allows resources from all over the world to be transferred easily. In Remnant, it's a lot more vague. Thus me expanding on the world, more will be shown next chapter.
Vale, and to an extent Vacuo, use the Imperial measurement system. Atlas and Mistral use metric. Vytal is inspired by both France and Greece, at least in my headcanon, and despite technically being under the authority of Vale, they use the metric system as well due to their proximity and dealings with Atlas.
Northern Mistral shall be known as the Hellenes, based on how the Greeks call their lands Hellas. This will be relevant when Pyrrha is introduced. I have no idea why RT decided it was a good idea to have an entire continent the size of Asia be named after one country yet obviously have different cultures originate from there. Why not make it like Vale and Vacuo? One giant landmass but two different kingdoms. The same deal with Nippon, it’s how the Japanese call their country. The islands in question are the four islands to the east of Mistral that you can see in the map. The map is unreliable, however, as Remnant does not have satellites to properly map their planet so there might be more islands than at first glance…
The moon rotates around itself here. So it would occasionally show a full moon with its shattered part becoming the dark side of the moon. Disregard any potential gravitational effects this may cause as I couldn't be bothered with coming up with any. This is just flavor, though it might come in handy later on.
The Grimm. I added a bit more background for them. I know that they appear out of Grimm Pools and were created by the God of Darkness, but that’s too limited for my taste. Grimm Pools and the Portals are the same things btw. Naturally, ignore anything that comes out of Volume 9. This is already AU.
I would like to put a disclaimer that breaking your bones and tendons and then healing them again DOES NOT MAKE THEM STRONGER IRL!!! This is just Aura and Shōnen BS that I arbitrarily made up. Fracturing them does strengthen them, that's what Muay Thai practitioners do with their shins with micro-fracturing, but again, this is ANIME LOGIC at work here. DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME, OR ANYWHERE ELSE PERIOD!!! Can’t believe I have to warn of that.
On a side note, Jaune’s dreams and memories have a purpose. All I will say is that they are inspired by Joan of Arc, who was said to have revelations and warnings delivered to her in her dreams. This is my take on that with Jaune.
Lastly, please don’t forget to leave a review with your thoughts and comments all. Expect weekly updates every Friday or Saturday.
Uhh the Grimm were made by the dark god of the twins