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  This chapter has been edited by Lonestar, Reiter, and SurvivorSam.

  “Been a while since I’ve been here.”

  Jaune opened his eyes to find himself in a familiar and nostalgic pce. It truly had been a while since he visited his mind pace, and as he took in the sights of his hometown, he noticed Arcade seemed different.

  Leaning over the rails of the mansion’s terrace, the formerly empty streets of the town held many ghostly figures walking around aimlessly. Jaune could not tell what their features were like, but he could guess who they were. Sighing tiredly, he strode away from the railing and stopped before the rge bowl pced on a marble pedestal. Filled to the brim with the white, smoky substance, it allowed him to scry anything the light of the moon touched.

  Jaune pced his hand into the bowl and stared down from the heavens at Remnant. His vision was right over Vale, observing the sprawling metropolis—so vast that even from his vantage point, Jaune could barely comprehend how what should’ve started as a small outpost of the old empire against the Grimm became such a dense concrete jungle. So many people roamed the streets; even when it was barely dawn, the light pollution was so overwhelming that Jaune struggled to see clearly. Yet, despite having over eighty million people living in it, he could only sense two people in the entire city with Arc blood.

  The first one was obviously himself, but the other…his gaze drifted to the east where Beacon stood, a monolithic sentinel that watched over the vast city. With a thought, Jaune found himself looking through a window as Glynda Goodwitch, dressed in exercise clothes, left her quarters in the massive castle city. Clearly, she was going out to train, and Jaune found himself nodding in approval at her diligence; despite her immense power, Glynda did not rest on her urels and consistently worked hard to better herself, even on a busy day such as initiation.

  Within a few minutes, she entered an enclosed gym, and Jaune could no longer sense her. A disadvantage of the scrying bowl: Anywhere the light of the moon touched, he could see, even indirectly, such as looking through a window inside a room. Yet, walls or the underground obscured his sight.

  Still, though it was a bit of a shock to learn that the deputy headmistress of Beacon was reted to him, Jaune was more surprised that there were no other Arcs in Vale. While his family was never too prevalent in Vale, he still recalled several Arc women marrying into noble families a hundred or so years ago; one of them even married a prince if he remembered right. Yet, no progeny of them remained, and Jaune was loath to think of the reason. That Glynda was the only one who remained hinted to her lineage, yet it ultimately did not matter.

  Taking this opportunity, Jaune scouted the rest of the campus, not wishing to risk getting lost when he arrived. After a few minutes of mapping it in his mind, he moved away from Beacon and back to Vale, where the only other Arc lived in the city.

  He could tell where he rested; the Wayward Mermaid Inn was on the confluence of the Emerald and Verdant rivers, making it easy to locate. Sneaking a gnce from the window, he found the uncanny scene of himself sleeping peacefully in his bed.

  He had finally managed to fix his sleeping schedule, and Jaune could only thank his new friend for that. Weiss had this strange effect on him, or rather her singing voice, that lulled him to sleep. He would not deny that she was beautiful and fun, especially when she smiled or got flustered over something. Yet, Jaune was not dense enough to confuse her closeness to him as a crush; she was lonely and had clung to the only person she felt safe and secure with.

  At least at the start. Now, Jaune was not so sure, as Weiss had adapted and opened up to those around her, gathered her own group of friends, and hung out on her own. It made him feel proud, as if a father was seeing his little girl take her first steps and meet new people. That thought made him scoff; he was far too young to be thinking about fatherhood.

  Yet, despite all of that, Weiss always tried to involve him in everything she did, even when Jaune did his best to just be on his lonesome; the girl was too perceptive. She would not allow him to wallow in his thoughts, always making sure he was busy with something. Whether it was joining him to train his marksmanship at Meg’s, training Becky how to use Aura, fishing, or anything really, Weiss always stuck close to him.

  It was…cute.

  Gncing at Weiss’ window, the girl was simirly sleeping, but Jaune didn’t overstay his welcome and zoomed out to look over the city he had lived in for the past few weeks. It’s been a long time since he had been home, and even if Jaune did not think he would grow homesick, home was still home.

  He tried to move his gaze to Arcade, yet he quickly got lost. Remembering how he discovered Glynda, Jaune focused on his mother’s aura, trying to navigate to the real Arcade, but he could see no further east than Esmeralda. Even then, it steadily became harder to scry as Jaune found himself staring at the early morning hours of the bustling port city. Sighing as he realized it was already noon in Vytal, he turned his focus on Bleue and Maya, hoping that they would be in Celdic, yet to no avail. Jaune tried to connect to the other members of his family, even his grandfather, but it appeared all of them were either in Vytal or somewhere sunny and out of his range.

  Jaune turned his gaze to Celdic, which, for some reason, he could easily pinpoint now. It still took him a moment to zoom back out from where he was about a dozen kilometers above ground to nearly five hundred. The sudden sense of vertigo had him shake his metaphorical head, as he doubted he had any kind of physical presence at the moment. Veering southwest, he passed by several dots on the ground that he realized were vilges or towns; even the Vale mountains looked like a craggy gray and white line on the brown and green ground.

  Finally, he found the town where it all began, where his life had irrevocably changed. It was still dark; dawn was already here, but the sun had yet to shine over the town, even if Jaune could see the sun's bright rays over the horizon. It was a queer feeling to stare at the bright skies yet find the ground dark.

  From the little he could see, and Jaune mented his ck of night vision, Celdic had changed. Gone were its old walls, and while the rustic and homely core of the town remained, one could find plenty of new modern additions, many of them built over the scars of buildings destroyed during that long, long fight. From the airport, warehouses, paved streets, and mechanized farms to the tall and wider walls surrounding the region.

  It was no longer a mere town but a city. Many new houses and short apartment buildings were already built to accommodate the influx of migrants from Vale. Jaune had noticed the refugees had steadily left the megacity to return to their homes. Celdic must be benefiting a lot from the influx of workers.

  Signs of construction could still be seen everywhere, but it appeared his uncle had wasted no time in beginning mining operations. A new railroad track stretched from the town all the way to the mountain where Jaune discovered the Dust deposit. Another town had sprung up at the base of the mountain, right over the spot where Sara and Fie had first discovered him.

  More rails connected to tunnels deep into the mountains, and Jaune could see movement as workers and automated machinery and rail carts removed tons of broken rock. The deposit he had discovered was but a mere drop compared to the great riches hidden beneath the mountains. Not just Dust, but other minerals like iron, copper, zinc, coal, and much more had been discovered when he had taken his uncle's associate, Rhys, and his team of prospectors into the mountains.

  He turned back to the town as something nudged his mind, and Jaune's eyes widened as he finally realized why he could pinpoint Celdic so easily. The massive moon rock where he found Krystal had been moved to the town's center. Even now, Jaune felt a giddy sensation from the monolith, as if a child had seen its mother after a long time.

  Suddenly, the world turned foggy, and Jaune realized his time was up. Willing himself out of the bowl, Jaune found himself back on his terrace with the bowl’s contents nearly empty. Strangely, there was now a timer on the table, counting down from twelve hours.

  “Krystal?”

  “Good morning, Jaune.” His companion appeared in his mind, taking the form of an old gentleman wearing a butler’s uniform, with neatly combed salt and pepper hair and a well-groomed full beard the same color. “I am gd to see you in good health.”

  “You don't look too bad yourself. I take it your sabbatical is finally over?”

  “Indeed, I have decided that a mere voice in your head is not sufficient enough to aid you. After assimiting with the records of this world, I chose this form to best suit my purpose.”

  Jaune hummed, “To act as my guide in Remnant.”

  Shortly after arriving in Vale, Krystal had warned that he would need some time away where he would be disconnected from him. Jaune would still be able to use the system store and its abilities, but not so much Krystal himself. It had given Jaune some trouble at first, as he had to make sense of whatever gibberish Observe gave him when he used it, but in time, he managed to eventually make sense of it.

  It did not help that Krystal’s constant nagging to use the store was getting on Jaune’s nerves, and in the end that separation did well for both of them.

  Krystal nodded and stood beside the table. “That is my purpose. Now, while I have been gone for nearly a month, I still kept up to date with your life. I assume you have questions for me.”

  “True, let’s start with a simple one.” Jaune gnced at the timer on the bowl.

  “Ah, the moon deity was pleased with your progress.”

  “Progress? Oh, you mean Hyperion pulling that moon rock from under the mountain.”

  “Indeed, it was an interesting condition you gave to your uncle. The shattered moon can now see a piece of itself and decided to reward you. It is but a first step to complete its quest, but progress is still progress.”

  Jaune rubbed his brow as he thought about that quest. He already knew that divine beings lived in Remnant, though according to Krystal, they were more spirits that were bonded to already existing ws and domains rather than the concepts themselves forming a sentience, like how other divines formed in different worlds. To Jaune, it all sounded like theological nitpicking; sure, there’s one almighty creator that sent him that crystal that eventually became Krystal, yet here in Remnant, any being that could seemingly affect reality in a way that was beyond Aura or even Magic was, for all intents and purposes, a god.

  Though perhaps Jaune was merely confting the term with beings that were far beyond his understanding.

  “I still haven’t got a clue as to how the hell I’ll put the moon together.”

  “In time, I am certain an opportunity shall arise. Humans have more power and creativity than you can imagine.”

  “I suppose you’re right. Not like I’m in a rush to finish it; there isn’t some kind of deadline for that quest, right?”

  Krystal closed his eyes for a second before looking at the bowl. “No, the moon deity had patiently waited for thousands of years. It could wait for a thousand more if need be.”

  “That’s a relief.” Jaune turned away from the bowl, walking aimlessly towards the Arc mansion. “I do wonder why none of those deities have made an appearance yet. I mean, I get that it is difficult for them to communicate with humans, but all myths agree that they respond to the prayers of their supplicants and even reward them at certain times.”

  He sat down in his mother’s fancy living room, where none were allowed to enter with their shoes and especially without Lianne Arc’s permission. Since this was his mind, Jaune could do whatever he wanted, and a childish part of him enjoyed the defiance of walking on his mother’s precious Farsian rugs with his boots and sitting on her fancy couch. It had an intricate, hand-carved mahogany frame, the dark wood polished to a high gloss so clean he could see his reflection in the curved arms and elegant cabriole legs.

  Just as he sat on the emerald velvet upholstery, Krystal appeared and pced a cup of aromatic tea that reminded him of a tea pntation in Shion that the Arcs owned. He sipped from it, enjoying the fvor—a taste of afternoon tea time with the family. Truly, it was as if Jaune was back home, yet he knew this was all just a figment of his imagination.

  “Well, there might have been a couple of other spirits that had tried to contact you.” Krystal smiled, and Jaune noticed how human it looked. The creature that was more of an artificial intelligence when he met it seemed to have also grown—even if it was still uncanny, as Krystal had not yet mastered the intricacies of humanity. “I would rather avoid disturbing you during your days of grief, and as they were not urgent, I kept them in reserve until you were ready.”

  “I see, I suppose that was smart, as I doubt I was in the right state of mind to go over any of that shit.” Jaune sipped from his tea and pced his feet on a settee. “Go on then, what do you have for me?”

  “I have updated the system status to show you more accurate data and include quests and other notes,” Krystal waved his hand, causing the familiar spreadsheet to appear midair. Jaune read over his status page, finding it both familiar yet with obvious changes.

  Profile:

  Name: Jaune Arc

  Css: Aspiring Huntsman

  Age: 17

  Sex: Male

  Height: 6’5”

  Build: Lean-Muscur

  Race: Human

  Stats (Moon Blessings Activated):

  Aura Points: 10,000/10,000

  Aura Recovery: 250/hr (375/hr)

  Aura Control: 57%

  Aura Efficacy: C-

  Strength (STR): 85 (94)

  Vitality (VIT): 101 (111)

  Dexterity (DEX): 88 (97)

  Agility (AGL): 69 (76)

  Perception (PER): 66 (73)

  Intelligence (INT): 100 (110)

  Special Stats:

  Magic (MAG) [Recharges by one point every 109 hours]: 80/80

  Traits (inheritable):

  Blood Purity: The chance of your children inheriting your traits. Current purity is 50%

  Arc Moon Bloodline: May the light of the Moon watch over you. The god of the moon has blessed your bloodline in ancient times.

  Grants bonuses to Vitality and Aura.

  Moonlight boosts Aura Recovery by 50%. Moonlight boosts stats by 10%

  Savant: Increased battle instincts and tactical awareness. Allows the user an easier time in learning skills and understanding concepts.

  Colossus: Your bloodline is blessed with not just tall statures, but naturally athletic bodies that are well-banced for combat.

  Perks (Stacks):

  Genomic Resilience (100 VIT Perk): Come hell or high water, your line shall endure.

  Makes you resistant against mind-altering drugs or abilities, disease and poisons, even those that would affect Aura, and any ability that negatively targets your genome.

  Your body can more easily adapt to changes, with a bonus towards modifications that enhance your body and genome.

  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 ft 100/hr.

  Eidetic Memory (100 INT Perk): You have always had an excellent memory. Can recall an image with vivid detail shortly after seeing it. Increases focus and retention reted to the image.

  [center]Sembnce: OVERDRIVE [/center]

  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 recovery returns at 25% on the first day, 50% on the second, and 100% on the third.

  Cannot be used again until AR fully recovers.

  CRITICAL BOOST: Provides a 600% stat increase that can be 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, but increasing stats beyond 50% of your current maximum may cause adverse health effects. Incremental increases beyond that will cause adverse health effects.

  EMPOWER: Allows you to transfer the effects of an ability to a target through touch or with an Aura link.

  ?-?-?

  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.

  Aura Sense implemented into the ability; you can now view the target’s emotions.

  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. Base size differs from person to person.

  Must be touching the item to store it.

  Does not require Aura to use but could have additional features through the application of Aura.

  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.

  Sub-Ability: Pathfinder: Can use Aura to visualize the most direct route to your target.

  Skills:

  Crescent Wave: Channel 100 AP to a compatible weapon and unleash a one-meter-wide Aura attack with a range of 10 meters. The speed of the attack depends on the skill and power of the swing.

  Can channel more AP for more devastating effects but may shatter an incompatible tool.

  Aura Sense: Can passively sense targets that have Aura.

  Can be actively used to sense targets within a certain range for their Aura and emotions—costs 1 AP per second for every meter away from the user.

  Arc-Us: Create an Aura link and attach it to a target for up-to-date thoughts and intentions. The target must be friendly and trust you.

  Allows you to use abilities that require physical touch through the link.

  Status Effects:

  Blessings of the Moon: You are under direct moonlight. Aura recovery increased by 50%. Stats increased by 10%.

  “Good job rearranging the status page, but…Traits? Blood purity?”

  “It is as it sounds. Traits are what would be passed down to your children, such as your features, hair and eye color, and other things. However, there are other, more vital traits, such as your rge Aura reserves. Blood purity is simply the probability of your children inheriting any trait you possess or may possess.”

  “The Arcs have always had rge Aura reserves, and even those that never unlocked them enjoyed highly athletic bodies and generally good health. Still, I recall Gramps mentioning some still have Arc blood and yet don’t necessarily inherit the powers.” Jaune rubbed his hair as he wondered if the randomness of it stopped him from inheriting his grandmother’s talent in Glyphs or the Schnee sembnce. Another thought came to mind, one that had him groan inwardly. “I mean, I won’t deny that some of my ancestors have occasionally strayed from their marriage beds, or the occasional Arc would get too adventurous and careless in their youth. Arcade and even its vassal town, Ashdale, by the base of the mountain, has many people that could cim descent from an Arc, yet hardly any of them showed any hint of being Aura users, let alone inheriting any of the powers of the family blessing.”

  “I believe that those born out of wedlock tend not to inherit such powers, especially when it comes to bloodline abilities that stem from blessings. Those tend to come with their own rules. After all, there is power in a name. Naturally, there are exceptions, and there will always be the random quirk of fate that only the Creator knows.”

  “Like Glynda, though I honestly do not know anything about her family. For all I know, she could have changed her family name, or perhaps she just hit the genetic jackpot.” Jaune rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Regardless, you make it sound like there are methods to gain genetic traits.”

  “Indeed, there are. The most simple of them is for a perk to evolve into a trait. An example would be you maintaining your newly discovered Vitality perk and developing it further. Over time, it is possible that it may undergo evolution and adhere to your bloodline, especially with your new perk that already facilitates that feature.”

  “I see.” Jaune sipped a bit more from his cup and pced it on the table before humming thoughtfully. “This is definitely interesting, but not something I need to concern myself with for a long time.”

  “Oh? I was under the impression you were already courting a woman or two. I was certain you would be interested in such a topic now rather than ter.”

  Jaune blinked before groaning in annoyance, “Dare I ask what made you think so?”

  “Well, I have been busy assimiting into the records of this world and have gained numerous facets of knowledge on how the humanoid races reproduce. Naturally, I already knew the basics, but I was not knowledgeable enough about this world’s culture regarding procreation.”

  The utterly calm and matter-of-fact way that Krystal discussed the subject was even worse than if he meant it in a teasing manner. “And what have you found out?”

  “Due to the constant threat of the Grimm and the low numbers of sentient humanoids such as humans and faunus on this pnet, it is customary for men and women to marry young. Especially in the frontier nds, where every day is a struggle for survival. Naturally, I assumed that as a powerful aura user, you would be searching for suitable spouses to continue your bloodline.”

  A few years ago, Jaune would have been a blushing mess if confronted with such a topic. Now? After all he had been through and the training with his grandfather that included a talk very simir to this? It was merely another duty for him to complete. He would not deny that several women had caught his attention, his distant cousin chief among them. The idea of having Weiss for a wife was appealing, especially as it would reunite their bloodlines once more into a powerful alliance after the duplicity of her bastard of a father drove a wedge between their families. Gramps was right; the Gelés would continually work to undermine and fuck the Arcs over at every chance—and to be fair, the feeling was quite mutual. At this point, Jaune was not even sure who started the feud, only that it had gone on since they first settled in Arcade.

  Yet, there were plenty more options, especially in Beacon: a powerful huntress to match his own power so they may bring forth a new generation of huntsmen and huntresses who would continue the eternal fight against the Grimm. The idea of him taking a mundane woman for a wife never crossed his mind; Gramps had beaten that romantic notion out of his mind. It would be utterly cruel to the woman, not to mention the risk of not passing down his abilities and aura to his descendants.

  Although…

  “Is there a way to improve one’s blood purity?”

  “Naturally, there are always ways to improve anything for a user of the system. Currently, at 50% purity, there is a 50% chance for your traits to be inherited, which is considered the standard norm in Remnant, yet it will still depend on your partner. As a general rule, if you only care for your own traits and attributes to be passed down, then you should choose a partner with low blood purity. If they have a higher percentage than yours, then the likelihood of their traits dominating yours in the child’s genome is higher, but not necessarily absolute—expect the unexpected when it comes to such matters.”

  “Interesting. Let me guess, to increase my blood purity, I would need to spend Magic Points?”

  “There is that, but I doubt you would be willing to spend ten MP to increase your percentile by a single point.” Jaune snorted, to waste the chance to earn a C-Rank ability just for a measly one percent? “Not to mention, the cost increases after every usage.”

  “Of course it does.” Jaune groaned. “Almost like everything is designed in such a way for me to prioritize earning MP…and sying the Grimm.”

  “It is why I am always encouraging you to use the store to maximize your efficiency in sying Grimm.” Krystal nodded sagely. “There's another thing as well; aside from your potential partner’s blood purity, there is a compatibility factor as well. Compatibility includes activated aura, aura reserves, sembnce, stats, genetic closeness, and so on.”

  “Genetic closeness?”

  “Well, the most sure-fire way to ensure your traits would be passed down is to copute with one that shares simir traits and matches your genome closely.”

  Jaune deadpanned at the older man, “You are not suggesting that I fuck my sisters.”

  “Not at all. Merely one of them. I believe those closer to you in age, such as either Maya or Ble–” Jaune threw the remains of his tea at the butler, who merely smiled as he allowed the hot liquid to spsh on his face without batting an eye. “I apologize; it appears I have miscalcuted. I had thought since you seriously entertained the idea of courting Weiss Schnee that you have no issues with incest. While there is a slight risk of deformities forming, with aura, medical treatments, and the right perks, it is possible to negate them.”

  “Second cousin hardly counts as incest, especially as we do not share any other ancestors or retions. Furthermore, I did not grow up with the girl, so it is easy for me not to think of her as a retive.” Jaune groaned inwardly. For all the human appearance and mannerisms that Krystal adopted, he was still not a human. Even the occasional attempts at humor came stiff and unnatural from the creature.

  He was not even truly a sentient creature, but rather the personification of the system. Krystal even mentioned once that this was his first assignment and that he had no experience whatsoever. “Lastly, it’s not about deformities or being inbred, even if they are an important reason, but a cultural taboo that cannot be waved away by ciming it as huntsmen matters or a quirky perk. As a Huntsman, we are expected to be the pinnacle of society, and while we enjoy a lot of leeway due to our power, some lines should not be crossed.”

  “Understood. Once again, my apologies. I shall refrain from suggesting you copute with your family again.”

  “See that you do.” Jaune sighed as he sat back on the couch. “While I will not deny the importance of continuing my bloodline, I do not believe it is on my list of priorities right now. Passing initiation, studying in Beacon, becoming a huntsman—those are far more important.” Though if the opportunity rises and love bloomed regardless…Jaune shook his head. Romance was not a luxury he could afford. “I’m more intrigued by the perk I gained for reaching 100 VIT. Genomic Resilience…is this the same perk that everyone achieves upon reaching 100 VIT?”

  “No, you are the only one who gains perks reted to achieving stats.” Krystal smiled at his shocked face. “It is the benefits of the system, for if other people could gain such powers, what use is having this system in the first pce?”

  “But that’s not what you said in our first meeting. You cimed that I was too old to fully benefit from the system, that it was catered to a newborn!”

  “And that still remains true. Even with all of this, you are merely reaping a fraction of the benefits you could have received, such as perks achieved at certain points of your early life. Nevertheless, the system itself is constantly evolving and adapting, so who knows what the future holds? I will assure you, however, that aside from receiving powers and abilities from magic users, deities, or spirits, you will not find people with perks simir to your own.”

  Jaune struggled to remember all the statuses he had seen of people, and it was true that hardly any of them had any perks aside from– “Sara and Fie! They had Ambidextrous perks and—”

  “And that was simply a result of their hard work and a smidgen of natural talent, though I do not believe either of them had True Ambidexterity.”

  Jaune stood up and paced around the room, idly rubbing his long hair, causing him to wonder if he should cut it. He shook his head and turned to Krystal. “So, those perks can evolve to traits? Would they improve as well?”

  “Well, generally speaking, it is a safe assumption that when anything evolves, it would be for a good reason.”

  “And Eidetic Memory? It feels underwhelming compared to my reward for Vitality.” Having grown bored with the decor of the room, Jaune made his way deeper into the mansion, Krystal following him at a leisurely pace.

  “Ah, but that is due to the randomness factor instilled in the system. You have simply lucked out with Genomic Resilience but do not assume that every perk you gain from increasing your stats will be equally as good.”

  “Not saying that Eidetic Memory is bad, but…”

  “But it could be better.” Krystal smiled knowingly. “I know what you are thinking, and the answer is yes. There is a way to change the perk gained. Actually, as far as you are concerned, there are only two feasible ways to do so; both of them involve you spending Magic Points.”

  “Of course it would come to that,” Jaune sighed as he stepped back to the terrace and plopped down on a recliner.

  “I do not understand your aversion to using the store, Jaune.”

  “Not so much aversion, but rather I have yet to discover the full scope of the abilities I already have. I feel like I should be capable of developing my own abilities, simir to Search, and I worry if I take another ability, I would be spoiled for choice. It would make it too easy for me to overly rely on them and neglect my own training to strengthen my fundamentals and develop skills of my own.”

  “Wise.”

  “There is so much that I do not know about Aura and how to use it.” Jaune thought back to his discussion with Ren on the train. “I hardly know how to manipute aura and know next to nothing about Glyphs. I don’t even know if I inherited my grandmother’s talent with Glyphs, since I haven’t the foggiest idea how they work. I am in no hurry; my MP won’t go anywhere, and it’s better served for me to either give abilities to others or save it to purchase a powerful ability.”

  “That is good thinking, Jaune. I confess that I was mistaken in my insistence on you using the store earlier, as the system had evolved to include a new feature of it.” Jaune raised an eyebrow at the old butler. “It’s nothing earth-shattering, but the randomness should be decreased now. You will still be given three choices, but you will now have the option to put the abilities you reject in a bank of sorts so you may purchase them at a ter time.”

  Jaune hummed before shrugging. “Considering I never used the store for anything apart from the three random roulettes, which turned out not to be so random after all, it’s not like I got anything to compin about. So you were just giddy about showing off your new ability?”

  “Perhaps so. Now, regarding your INT perk, I do not believe it would affect your training if you changed it now, as you would have gotten it regardless. Especially as perks complement abilities rather than repce them.”

  “Alright, you convinced me. What are my options?”

  “Since you have only recently discovered the perk, you may spend 5 MP to have it randomly change into another perk reted to the Intelligence Perk Tree. Or, you could spend 50 MP to force it to evolve into its next threshold.”

  “Evolving perks come naturally, no?”

  “Indeed, but it would normally take a long time with plenty of effort and continuous usage of the ability. Ah, please bear in mind that Genomic Resilience has been designated as a high-tier perk. If we compare them to the ability tiers, it would be the equivalent of an A-Rank ability. Trying to forcefully evolve it would cost you 1000 MP, or the price of an S-Rank ability.”

  “Hah, yeah, I think I’m very satisfied with it as it is.” Jaune shook his head at the ridiculousness of the store’s prices. Then again, the only cost was a currency that he gained from sying Grimm. Something he would have done for free anyway. “Would VIT ever provide me with a new perk?”

  “All stats shall give you a perk every 25 points but will never give you a direct evolution of a perk you already have.”

  “Considering how difficult it is for humans to gain stats over 100, I won’t put my hopes on them too much.” Jaune thought back on his options. “Incidentally, would you mind telling me the current rank of Eidetic Memory and its evolution?”

  “Certainly, Eidetic Memory is a C-Rank ability and its upgrade will be the B-Rank Photographic Memory. It is the ability to recall images, texts, or scenes with near-perfect detail and accuracy even years after seeing them, as if the image were permanently photographed in the mind. That includes the emotions associated with that memory as well as—”

  “Stop.” Jaune shut his eyes, as the mere idea of him having such a terrible power gave him shivers. Memories he had done his best to bury deep in his mind suddenly reared their heads: people screaming, Arcus Links broken, death and despair! “Just…no. Hell no. That sounds like a terrible power to have.”

  “…Very well. I suppose Eidetic Memory is quite useful as it is. Who knows, with your resourcefulness, you may end up discovering new methods to use it.”

  “Thanks, Krystal.” Jaune looked back at his status screen, checking if he missed something and finding a queer line that he must have missed near the top. “Aura Efficacy?”

  “It is something I noted as I compared your aura levels with others. You will recall how your aura can block bullets and aura-enhanced bde strikes, when a normal aura user would not dare risk tanking such hits with aura alone.”

  “Yeah, but I thought that was just my aura being so high.”

  “I will not deny that it is a major part of the reason. In fact, it is most likely the reason your aura is so potent, yet it has not nearly reached its full potential.”

  “Yeah, C-? That’s…low, isn’t it?”

  “Indeed, for reference, from the records I investigated, I would pce Ms Valestein’s aura efficacy at A+, while Mr Branwen and Ms Goodwitch at S rank. Despite having lesser aura than you, theirs is more potent. Presently, your high reserves do well to cover your inadequacies.” Jaune groaned inwardly, only for Krystal to chuckle, “To be fair, you barely have a year of experience in using Aura.”

  “True, so how do I raise it?”

  “I’m sure your teachers in Beacon will enlighten you to it, though I believe prep schools do expin the basics of it.”

  “And Gramps was more concerned with teaching me how to fight and survive rather than any theory work.” Jaune sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Thinking about his grandfather reminded him of a couple of questions he wanted to ask him about. Particurly regarding a certain vivacious girl with silver eyes. Unfortunately, he would have to wait until he could use the CCTS in Beacon.

  “Sometimes, short-term gains are more important to survive long enough to enjoy your long-term gains. The easiest and most natural way to increase your Aura efficacy is with age, but increasing your Aura control also helps.”

  “I see. More things for me to focus on in school.” A comfortable silence fell upon them. Krystal stood at attention with a pcid smile as he waited patiently while Jaune collected his thoughts. “You mentioned some other entities had approached with quests of their own.”

  “Ah yes, I decided against inundating your status screen with them. Here you are; aside from the permanent quests from the system to cull the Grimm, I found several quests for you.”

  With another wave of his hand, a new page formed in front of Jaune with a few quests, starting with the first one he received.

  [center]“You can't put the moon back together.”[/center]

  [center]Prove Them Wrong![/center]

  [center]Quest giver: Deity of the Moon, ?, Patron of the Arc lineage (unknown) [/center]

  [center]Recover the shattered pieces of the moon that fell to Remnant. [/center]

  [center]Addendum: Pce the pieces in open terrain for the moon deity to see. More details shall be given as you find more moon rocks.[/center]

  Jaune nodded inwardly as he read the first quest. He already recovered one, technically three if he counted the two in his hometown, but this was a long-term quest that could not be rushed. The second quest had his eyes narrowed as well as feelings of deep apprehension settled in his heart.

  [center]“Rip the Flesh, Salt the Wound, Bathe in Blood!”[/center]

  [center]Carnage is an art![/center]

  [center]Quest giver: Deity of War, Bloodshed, ?, and Carnage (unknown)[/center]

  [center]You have proven yourself a formidable warrior. More importantly, you are a killer! Embrace your true self, and prove to the world you are not to be trifled with. Sying Grimm is for pussies who can’t stand the stench of shit and blood. [/center]

  [center]You are not a pussy.[/center]

  [center]Sy one thousand humans/faunus: 684/1000[/center]

  “Looks like the consequences of my actions will always chase me.” And just as he nearly forgot about it, the feeling of flesh parting for his sword, of skulls being crushed under his heels, blood spttering on his face, the sweet stench of shit, the iron taste of blood. Jaune took a deep breath before releasing it into a shuddering sigh as he checked the next quest.

  [center]“Hunting bearhanded. Get it?”[/center]

  [center]Path of the Hunter[/center]

  [center]Quest giver: Deity of the hunt, ? (unknown)[/center]

  [center]So you call yourself a hunter? Huntsman, hunter, they’re both the same. Whether it’s Grimm or animals, warriors these days have gotten far too used to sying their foes with sophisticated tools or wasting Shards of Power on a job that requires far less effort.[/center]

  [center]You might have killed that bear with your bare hands (snrk) but you still cheated with Aura![/center]

  [center]Still, you have my interest. Prove to me that you are worthy of my attention.[/center]

  [center]Sy a Grimm with your bare hands while not using any aura or tools (that includes armor!)[/center]

  [center]Bonus points if you do it naked~[/center]

  Jaune could not help but snort out in ughter at the me puns, especially after the psychopath of the second quest. Still, this is by far the most straightforward quest, and one he could possibly finish by the end of the week. “Any idea why they all have ‘unknown’ on their titles?”

  “That’s because I could not tell if they were male or female, and they refused to share their names. Even their domains, they only showed what was relevant to your quest. Even with access to the records, I won’t divulge their names, or rather, I can’t. We have to obey the ws of the nds, and the most important thing to a divine being is their name. Not what the mortals call them, but what they themselves identify as.”

  “Interesting. Still, none of them actually offered a reward for finishing the quest. Do they expect me to do it out of the goodness of my heart?”

  “I am certain you will still finish your patron’s quest regardless.”

  Jaune shrugged, “Naturally. They already paid me in advance with the bowl and the blessings. I’m not a callous ingrate.”

  “The Carnage Deity is very impressed with you. I was assured that once you complete the quest, you will get multiple rewards to choose from.”

  “That’s the quest I least want to do.” Jaune clicked his tongue; he had no desire to murder more people than he had to. Because no matter how evil they were, and how much he believed in the necessity of culling those who proved themselves a thorn to humanity, he did not enjoy–

  A rush of power and ecstasy threatened to consume his mind as he recalled his battle with the bandits, how he utterly crushed them and watched them weep in fear and agony, just as they did the same to their many victims. Jaune clenched his fists painfully and let out a harsh breath. Having power over evil people did not mean he enjoyed killing for killing’s sake. Jaune waited for a heartbeat, but no clenching came from his heart, causing him to sigh in relief; ever since he had killed all those people, his aura had permanently been infused with the malice of murder. Since Aura was the manifestation of the soul, Jaune could not lie to himself. One of the less known disadvantages of unlocking aura was having to constantly fight against your instincts and desires as the aura twists your character and self to match your actions.

  “As for the final quest, well, it was clear enough, I believe.” Krystal continued, either ignorant or ignoring his little episode, and Jaune forced himself to rex.

  “Yeah, yeah, impress them, and they will probably give me another quest.”

  Krystal merely shrugged as another silence descended on them. Jaune had more questions, but he had spent far too long in his mind.

  “I think that will be all, Krystal. It’s about time for me to wake up. Got a long day ahead after all.”

  “So it would seem. I wish you good luck, Jaune.”

  Jaune closed his eyes and, with a thought, woke up in his room. Checking his scroll, he found it was six in the morning. They had agreed to meet at the skyport at five in the afternoon at the test. He got off his bed, stretched until his back popped, and walked to the bathroom. Gncing at the shower, Jaune found a much more serene and healthy man staring back at him. Good sleep did wonders for the body, which confused Jaune greatly on how he managed to gain three inches while being sleep-deprived. He shrugged as he entered the shower, aura shenanigans, and Krystal most likely had something to do with it.

  As Jaune got out of the shower and packed his belongings in his Inventory, he thought about the day ahead. Weiss had already pnned an outing with Yang and Ruby, but Jaune had managed to convince them to meet with Bke, Ren, and Nora at Meg’s first. So much to do, and so little time. For now, he had to wake Weiss up and have breakfast.

  For tonight, is Initiation!

  Not much actually happened in this chapter aside from exposition and some info dumps.

  My attempt at making the system relevant again…you guys do remember the system, right?

  I have a feeling I might have overcomplicated it even more but I believe it is more intuitive and useful now. Leave me your thoughts as I continue to refine it through the story.